cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The uses-and-gratifications perspective of media effects.

Media effects researchers seek to isolate communicator, channel, or message elements that explain the impact of messages on receivers. One view of this process emanates from a mechanistic perspective and assumes direct influence on message recipients. Primary components of mechanistic effects research are: seeing audience members as passive and reactive; focusing on short-term, immediate, and measurable changes in thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors; and assuming direct influence on audiences.
Differential flatness of the flux-decay generator model

This paper shows that the flux-decay model of a synchronous generator exhibits the property of differential flatness. Differential flatness will be utilized for planning the generator's trajectory as there is a one-to-one correspondence between output curves and trajectories for states and inputs. Flat outputs of the generator are taken to be the generator's complex current injected into the power network, and inputs are taken to be the power set-point for the governor and reference voltage for the voltage regulator. The utility of the property and it's application is demonstrated through trajectory planning, open-loop control and simulation of a single machine infinite bus system, as well as a simple linearizing feedback scheme to a 9-bus system with constant impedance loads.
75% efficient wide bandwidth grating couplers in a 45 nm microelectronics CMOS process

We present the design and characterization of highly directional vertical grating couplers achieving −1.2 dB coupling efficiency with 78nm 1- dB bandwidth realized in a commercially available 45nm microelectronics SOI process.
Power Preponderance, Institutional Homogeneity, and the Likelihood of Regional Integration

This paper seeks to explain and predict levels of regional integration worldwide. I theorize that the institutionalization regional integration increases under a power preponderance structural condition with higher levels of status quo satisfaction. In addition, there is a reciprocal effect between integration and the homogenization of domestic institutions. This latter association improves the level of status quo satisfaction. As a result integration cannot be explained nor predicted using a single equation but instead relies on a system of pathways. The paper reviews prior work on regional integration and then contributes to the scholarship by synthesizing the findings of the power transition and institutional schools. Tests utilizing autocorrelation corrected regressions with regional integration organizations (1970-2004) support the main hypotheses.
Particle adhesion and removal in model systems

Abstract Theoretical interpretation of the kinetics of detachment of spherical colloidal hematite particles from steel is given. The experimentally established probability of escape is compared with the values calculated from Dahneke's models taking into consideration the energy barrier due to the double layer and dispersion forces and the distance of closest approach. In calculating the double-layer energy term the expression of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation in its one- and two-dimensional forms was used.
The Subunit Structure of Crotonase

Abstract Crystalline bovine crotonase has a molecular weight of 164,000 ± 3,000 in phosphate buffer as determined by the method of sedimentation equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge. In contrast, crotonase has a molecular weight of 28,000 ± 500 in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride, or about one-sixth that of the native enzyme. The enzyme contains no disulfide bonds inasmuch as the total number of free thiol groups titrated with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) is equal to the total half-cystine content. Tryptic peptide maps indicate only about one-sixth the expected number of peptide based upon the lysine and arginine content of the enzyme. End group analysis shows serine at the NH2 terminus and aspartic acid at the COOH terminus of the molecule. These data suggest that crotonase is composed of 6 subunit polypeptide chains, with each chain containing about 260 residues in an identical or very similar sequence, and that the 6 chains are combined through noncovalent interactions to form the native enzyme.
Assessment of a scoring system for predicting complications after esophagectomy

Complications occur frequently after esophagectomy. Identifying the risk of complications preoperatively may help in patient selection and postoperative management. We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent esophagectomy between 1980 and 2009. A previously reported scoring system was used to estimate risk, and its ability to predict complications was assessed. A total of 514 patients (382 men; 74%) with a mean age of 59.0 ± 12.5 years underwent esophagectomy for cancer (398; 77%) or benign disease. Minor complications occurred in 224 patients (44%) and severe complications occurred in 134 patients (26%). The calculated risk score was based on weighted values for age, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, type of operation, and forced expiratory volume in the first second expressed as a percent of predicted (FEV1%). Increasing risk score was associated with a linear increase in the incidence of complications (P 27 = 52%; P < 0.001). Complications are frequent after esophagectomy and can be predicted using a previously reported scoring system. This scoring system may assist in patient selection for esophagectomy and in providing appropriate resources for postoperative management of higher risk patients.
Effect of lysophosphatidylcholine on the filtration coefficient in intact dog lungs

Lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-Pc) is a lysophospholipid normally found in low concentrations in the lung. At high concentrations lyso-Pc, instilled into the airways, causes pulmonary edema. We tested the hypothesis that the edema caused by lyso-Pc was due to an increase in pulmonary microvascular membrane permeability. In 11 anesthetized dogs we continuously weighed the left lower lobes (LLL) while instilling lyso-Pc (20 mM) into the LLL airways. After 30 min we determined the microvascular membrane fluid filtration coefficient (Kf) from the relationship between the rate of LLL weight gain and the pulmonary microvascular pressure. Kf was not significantly different between the lyso-Pc-treated lobes (0.048 +/- 0.018 ml.min-1.mmHg-1) vs. control lobes (0.067 +/- 0.031 ml.min-1.mmHg-1). Our data do not support the hypothesis that lyso-Pc, instilled into the airways, causes an increase in pulmonary microvascular permeability.
Further development of a physical function scale on a MDHAQ [corrected] for standard care of patients with rheumatic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze a further version of the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) with 10 activities of daily living (ADL), which is more easily completed by patients and scored by health professionals than a 14-ADL MDHAQ; and to determine if the 10-ADL MDHAQ would be as informative as the 14-ADL MDHAQ, the 20-ADL HAQ, and the 8-ADL modified HAQ (MHAQ), which is more easily reviewed and scored than the HAQ, but scores are routinely 0.3-0.5 units lower than HAQ scores. METHODS: In standard care, 144 consecutive patients completed a HAQ, which includes a MHAQ, and 14-ADL MDHAQ, which includes a 10-ADL MDHAQ subscale, all scored 0-3. These scales were analyzed for mean and median scores, Cronbach's alpha to estimate internal consistency, factor analysis to estimate construct validity, and cumulative percentile scores. RESULTS: Mean (median) scores for the HAQ, MHAQ, 14-ADL MDHAQ, and 10-ADL MDHAQ physical function scales were 0.80 (0.75), 0.48 (0.38), 0.83 (0.79), and 0.73 (0.70), respectively. Internal consistency of each scale was very good. The lowest 25 percentile score was 0.16 on the HAQ, 0.0 on the MHAQ, 0.36 on the 14-ADL MDHAQ, and 0.20 on the 10-ADL MDHAQ. CONCLUSION: The MDHAQ physical function scale of 10 ADL is more easily completed and scored than the 14-ADL MDHAQ or 20-ADL HAQ, while providing similar information.
Interobserver and intraobserver variability in evaluating vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background and Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unique in that the presence of vascular invasion significantly changes tumor stage. Even though searching for vascular invasion is a common practice in surgical pathology, there appears to be a great variation among pathologists in its recognition. This study was designed to assess whether HCC could be accurately staged using vascular invasion as a staging parameter. Methods: The interobserver and intraobserver agreement for vascular invasion was analyzed in 126 liver resections for HCC. Selected slides were circulated twice among six pathologists for independent review using their own criteria. One to three representative images from 26 equivocal cases selected by one of the authors were re-evaluated by the pathologists. The presence or absence of vascular invasion on each slide or image was recorded as yes or no. The results were analyzed using unweighted kappa statistic analysis for multiple raters. Results: The interobserver agreement was moderate on two slide circulations with kappa values of 0.50 (95% confidence interval 0.45–0.55) and 0.43 (0.38–0.47), respectively. The kappa value dropped significantly to 0.19 (0.09–0.29) on selected images photographed from controversial cases. The intraobserver agreement was moderate, with kappa values ranging from 0.23 to 0.56 (mean = 0.45). Conclusions: Pathologists can reproducibly recognize vascular invasion in many HCC cases but may have difficulty in equivocal cases, which may lead to either understaging or overstaging of the tumors. This may have a significant impact on prognostic assessment and therapeutic decision making. Our observations indicate the need for improved definition for vascular invasion in HCC.
Coadsorption of Organic Compounds and Water Vapor on BPL Activated Carbon. 5. Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Methyl Isobutyl Ketone, Toluene, and Modeling

Adsorption equilibria were measured for methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and toluene as pure components and binary mixtures with water vapor on BPL activated carbon with an automated volumetric apparatus. Pure organic adsorption equilibria are reported at 25, 50, 75, and 100 °C over a wide range of pressures. Binary adsorption equilibria of organics with water vapor were measured at 25 °C, with organic loadings held almost constant and water vapor partial pressure varying from zero to saturation. Both water and organics exhibit adsorption hysteresis, with higher loading on the desorption branches. At low water loadings, attractive and repulsive molecular interaction of adsorbates is apparent from observed cooperative and competitive effects. At high water loadings, competition for adsorption sites becomes more intense. Binary adsorption equilibrium data were analyzed using both the virial excess mixing coefficient model and the virial mixture coefficient model.
An optimal solution to a wire-routing problem☆

A wire-routing problem which arises commonly in the layout of circuits for very large scale integration is discussed. Given the coordinates of terminals u1, u2,…, un of one component and ν1, α2, …, νn of another, the problem is to lay out n wires so that the ith wire connects νi to νi, and adjacent wires are separated at least by some fixed distance. The solution with minimum wire length is characterized, and an optimal algorithm which constructs it is presented.
The utility of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale in Parkinson's disease mild cognitive impairment.

Abstract Background The Movement Disorders Society (MDS) recently proposed guidelines for diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI) that includes two assessment levels: abbreviated (Level I) and comprehensive (Level II). The aim of this study was to determine the utility of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS), a recommended Level I test, for detecting Level II PD-MCI diagnosis. Methods The study sample included 30 patients diagnosed with PD-MCI based on Level II MDS criteria and 68 PD patients with normal cognition (PD-NC). Receiver operator curve (ROC) analyses were generated to measure the sensitivity and specificity of various MDRS cutoff scores. To examine the utility of the MDRS as a screening tool, the optimal cutoff point was defined as the lowest value providing ≥80% sensitivity. For use of the MDRS as a diagnostic tool, the optimal cutoff point was defined as the highest value providing ≥80% specificity. Results ROC analyses showed that the optimal MDRS cutoff score for screening purposes and diagnostic purposes were ≤140 and ≤137, respectively. However, an examination of sensitivity/specificity values for the screening cutoff scores suggested that a total score of ≤139 for screening purposes yielded a better balance between sensitivity (77%) and specificity (65%). Conclusions In a clinical setting, in which detection of PD-MCI may be important, a total MDRS score of ≤139 can be used to detect PD-MCI. In research and other settings in which diagnostic certainty is more important, a score of ≤137 may be more useful.
Nucleation and growth kinetics of PbS quantum dots in oxide glass : Spectroscopic and microscopic studies in the dilute range

The kinetics of nucleation and growth of PbS nanocrystals or quantum dots in a boroaluminosilicate host glass have been studied in the dilute range of the precipitating phase (∼2 wt % PbS) using infrared absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The temperature dependence of the experimental steady-state nucleation rates have been found to be several orders of magnitude lower than the predictions based on the classical nucleation theory. The induction times for nucleation at various temperatures are found to be more than 2 orders of magnitude longer than the shear relaxation time scale of the host glass, although the average activation energies are found to be similar in both cases (∼200 kJ/mol). The growth curves at all temperatures show an extremely sublinear time dependence of particle radius r ∼ t0.15-0.20 indicating an early onset of ripening process which also results in a saturation in the nucleation rate. A strong deviation from the typical scaling relations of r ∼ t1/2 or t1/3...
Chemical Strategies for the Inactivation of Bay-Region Diol Epoxides. Ultimate Carcinogens Derived from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons'

(1989). Chemical Strategies for the Inactivation of Bay-Region Diol Epoxides. Ultimate Carcinogens Derived from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons' Drug Metabolism Reviews: Vol. 20, No. 2-4, pp. 155-182.
Cinnamon Ameliorates Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis in Mice via Regulatory T Cells: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis Therapy

Upregulation and/or maintenance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) during an autoimmune insult may have therapeutic efficacy in autoimmune diseases. Although several immunomodulatory drugs and molecules are available, most present significant side effects over long-term use. Cinnamon is a commonly used natural spice and flavoring material used for centuries throughout the world. Here, we have explored a novel use of cinnamon powder in protecting Tregs and treating the disease process of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. Oral feeding of cinnamon (Cinnamonum verum) powder suppresses clinical symptoms of relapsing-remitting EAE in female PLP-TCR transgenic mice and adoptive transfer mouse model. Cinnamon also inhibited clinical symptoms of chronic EAE in male C57/BL6 mice. Dose-dependent study shows that cinnamon powder at a dose of 50 mg/kg body wt/d or higher significantly suppresses clinical symptoms of EAE in mice. Accordingly, oral administration of cinnamon also inhibited perivascular cuffing, maintained the integrity of blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier, suppressed inflammation, normalized the expression of myelin genes, and blocked demyelination in the central nervous system of EAE mice. Interestingly, cinnamon treatment upregulated Tregs via reduction of nitric oxide production. Furthermore, we demonstrate that blocking of Tregs by neutralizing antibodies against CD25 abrogates cinnamon-mediated protection of EAE. Taken together, our results suggest that oral administration of cinnamon powder may be beneficial in MS patients and that no other existing anti-MS therapies could be so economical and trouble-free as this approach.
Aerosol deposition in the human respiratory tract

Abstract Rising sulfur dioxide emissions from increased coal combustion present risks, not only of acid rain, but also to health by inhalation of the SO 2 and acid to the lung. We are investigating human inhalation of ppm SO 2 concentrations mixed with aerosol of submicrometer aqueous salt droplets to determine the effects on lung function and body chemistry. Unlike some investigators, we emphasize ammonium sulfate and trace element aerosol composition which simulates ambient air; aerosol pH, relative humidity, and temperature control to reveal gas-particle reaction mechanisms; and dose estimates from length of exposure, SO 2 concentration, and a direct measurement of respiratory deposition of aerosol as a function of particle size by cascade impactor sampling and elemental analysis by PIXE. Exposures, at rest or during exercise, are in a walk-in chamber at body temperature and high humidity to simulate Florida's summer climate. Lung function measurement by spirometry is carried out immediately after exposure. The results are significant in relating air quality to athletic performance and to public health in the southeastern United States.
Growth of Carbon Grains in Supernova Ejecta

We present a chemical reaction network that describes the condensation chemistry of carbon dust grains in an expanding supernova shell. We assume that the region of interest consists solely of gaseous free carbon and oxygen atoms and that the buildup of CO is counteracted by the radioactive decay of 56Co, which breaks up the CO molecule and allows C to condense into solids. Our chemical model takes C to first form linear chains, which, at some critical length, transition into ringed isomers. These isomers are more resistant to oxidation than linear chains. These ringed isomers form the nuclei for the growth of larger carbon solids. The effect of the disruption of CO on grain growth is displayed, leading to a rethinking of previous assumptions on the importance of CO disruption. How the abundance and size distribution of grains are affected by various parameters of the ejecta is also studied, providing insight into the possible sites of grain condensation.
The Lacunary Polyoxoanion Synthon α-P2W15O5612-: An Investigation of the Key Variables in Its Synthesis plus Multiple Control Reactions Leading to a Reliable Synthesis

A reliable way to determine the purity of the kinetically precipitated, noncrystalline lacunary polyoxoanion α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - has been developed, namely, the conversion of α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - into the tri-Nb 5 + - and V 5 + -containing polyoxoanions P 2 W 1 5 Nb 3 O 6 2 9 - and P 2 W 1 5 V 3 O 6 2 9 - , respectively, followed by quantitative analysis of their purity by 3 1 P-NMR prior to recrystallization. With this previously unappreciated, straightforward α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - purity-assessment methodology in hand, the five reported literature syntheses of α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - are investigated with an emphasis on understanding the effects of the five differing variables within these syntheses (the amount of Na 2 CO 3 base, the rate of addition of the base, the reaction temperature, the reaction scale, and the product drying method). Two methods of Nb 5 + addition (Nb 6 O 1 9 8 - and NbCl 5 ) to yield P 2 W 1 5 Nb 3 O 6 2 9 - are also evaluated, as is the issue of whether any purification is provided by the normally optimum strategy of first preparing a water-soluble salt and its crystallization from water (here the (CH 3 ) 4 N + salt of the Nb-O-Nb bridged anhydride, P 4 W 3 0 Nb 6 O 1 2 3 1 6 - ), followed by its conversion to the organic-solvent soluble, but noncrystalline, (n-C 4 H 9 ) 4 N + salt, [(n-C 4 H 9 ) 4 N] 9 [[P 2 W 1 5 Nb 3 O 6 2 ]. The results yield five previously unavailable and unequivocal insights: (1) Only the amount of added Na 2 CO 3 base affects the purity or yield of the desired α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - ; the amount of added base is key, however. (2) Contant's 1990 Inorganic Syntheses procedure provides the highest-purity α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - presently available. (3) All prior syntheses calling for the addition of base to P 2 W 1 8 O 6 2 6 - until pH 9 must be abandoned. (4) The purity of even Contant's α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - is only 90%. (5) An identifiable impurity is the 16 tungsten polyoxoanion, α-P 2 W 1 6 O 5 9 1 2 - . Also identified and summarized are multiple compounding errors in the observation of, reporting on, and thinking about the synthesis of α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - historically, errors which delayed the most reliable synthesis of α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - from being identified for 18 years (from the 1983 discovery of α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - ). However, these errors yield valuable take-home lessons for anyone interested in working in this demanding area of inorganic synthetic chemistry, where direct structural methods for identifying the products and their purity, such as the lacunary polyoxoanion synthon α-P 2 W 1 5 O 5 6 1 2 - , sometimes simply do not exist.
Purely Angular Effects of Photon Buildup Factors for Thin Shields of Lead, Iron, Aluminum, and Water

This study investigates purely angular effects on photon buildup factors for slabs with optical thickness up to 10 mean free paths. Photon buildup factors are determined for different slabs, upon w...
Altered dendritic distribution of dopamine D2 receptors and reduction in mitochondrial number in parvalbumin-containing interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor knockout mice

The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) is a brain region integral to complex behaviors that are highly influenced by cannabinoids and by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R)-mediated regulation of fast-firing parvalbumin-containing interneurons. We have recently shown that constitutive deletion of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) greatly reduces parvalbumin levels in these neurons. The effects of CB1R deletion on PL parvalbumin interneurons may be ascribed to loss of CB1R-mediated retrograde signaling on mesocortical dopamine transmission, and, in turn, altered expression and/or subcellular distribution of the D2R in the PL. Furthermore, diminished parvalbumin expression could indicate metabolic changes in fast-firing interneurons that may be reflected in changes in mitochondrial density in this population. We therefore comparatively examined electron microscopic dual labeling of the D2R and parvalbumin in CB1 (−/−) and CB1 (+/+) mice to test the hypothesis that absence of the CB1R produces changes in D2R localization and mitochondrial distribution in parvalbumin-containing interneurons of the PL. CB1 (−/−) mice had a significantly lower density of cytoplasmic D2R-immunogold particles in medium parvalbumin-labeled dendrites and a concomitant increase in the density of these particles in small dendrites. These dendrites received both excitatory and inhibitory-type synapses from unlabeled terminals and contained many mitochondria, whose numbers were significantly reduced in the CB1 (−/−) mice. Non-parvalbumin containing dendrites showed no between-group differences in either D2R distribution or mitochondrial number. These results suggest that cannabinoid signaling provides an important determinant of dendritic D2 receptor distribution and mitochondrial availability in fast-spiking interneurons.
Male and female rats express similar blood pressure responses to "push-pull" gravitational stress.

Brief exposure to −Gz (“push”) reduces eye-level blood pressure (elbp) during subsequent exposure to +Gz(“pull”). This is called the “push-pull effect.” To evaluate the influence of gender and the ...
When the lights go down in Cairo: Cinema as secular ritual

Can habits of spectatorship contribute to social transformation? This essay looks at moviegoing in downtown Cairo as a secular ritual that can potentially enable kinds of social change not necessarily envisioned by the state, approved by normative society, or engineered through films themselves. Although filmwatching in Cairene cinemas does, in some cases, verge on the carnivalesque, spectatorship in this context is important primarily as a zone of ambiguity in which middle‐class identity is defined by a tension between establishment visions of order and youthful experimentation.
Effect of Facesheet Thickness on Dynamic Response of Composite Sandwich Plates to Underwater Impulsive Loading

The response of sandwich structures to underwater blast loading is analyzed. The analysis focuses on the effect of varying structural attributes on energy dissipation and deformation. The structures analyzed are planar sandwich plates with polymer foam cores and fiber-reinforced polymer composite facesheets. The thickness of the facesheets is varied under the conditions of constant material properties and core dimensions. The fully three-dimensional finite-element simulations carried out account for underwater blast loading through the use of the Mie-Gruneisen equation-of-state of a linear Hugoniot form and a modified Drucker-Prager core crushing model. The impulse imparted to the panels is varied from 4 to 42 kPa·s. The results show that there exists an optimal thickness of the facesheets which maximizes energy absorption in the core and minimizes the overall deflection of the structure.
Post-Fire Resource Redistribution in Desert Grasslands: A Possible Negative Feedback on Land Degradation

Desert grasslands, which are very sensitive to external drivers like climate change, are areas affected by rapid land degradation processes. In many regions of the world the common form of land degradation involves the rapid encroachment of woody plants into desert grasslands. This process, thought to be irreversible and sustained by biophysical feedbacks of global desertification, results in the heterogeneous distribution of vegetation and soil resources. Most of these shrub-grass transition systems at the desert margins are prone to disturbances such as fires, which affect the interactions between ecological, hydrological, and land surface processes. Here we investigate the effect of prescribed fires on the landscape heterogeneity associated with shrub encroachment. Replicated field manipulation experiments were conducted at a shrub-grass transition zone in the northern Chihuahuan desert (New Mexico, USA) using a combination of erosion monitoring techniques, microtopography measurements, infiltration experiments, and isotopic studies. The results indicate that soil erosion is more intense in burned shrub patches compared to burned grass patches and bare interspaces. This enhancement of erosion processes, mainly aeolian, is attributed to the soil–water repellency induced by the burning shrubs, which alters the physical and chemical properties of the soil surface. Further, we show that by enhancing soil erodibility fires allow erosion processes to redistribute resources accumulated by the shrub clumps, thereby leading to a more homogeneous distribution of soil resources. Thus fires counteract or diminish the heterogeneity-forming dynamics of land degradation associated with shrub encroachment by enhancing local-scale soil erodibility.
Susceptibility of Different Potato Plant Growth Stages to Purple Top Disease

Since 2002, potato growers in the Columbia Basin of Washington and Oregon have experienced outbreaks of potato purple top disease that have caused significant yield losses and reductions in tuber quality. It was determined that the beet leafhopper-transmitted virescence agent (BLTVA) phytoplasma is the causal agent of the disease in the Columbia Basin and that this pathogen is transmitted by the beet leafhopper. Little is known about the impact of purple top disease on potato in the Pacific Northwest and effective management strategies for the disease are lacking. Trials were conducted in 2006, 2007, and 2008 under laboratory and field conditions to assess susceptibility of different plant growth stages of selected potato cultivars to purple top. Ranger Russet and Umatilla Russet plants of different plant growth stages were exposed to BLTVA-infective leafhoppers in the laboratory and transferred to outdoor field cages. In a second study, Ranger Russet, Umatilla Russet, Russet Burbank, and Russet Norkotah plants were exposed to naturally occurring BLTVA-infective leafhoppers in the field by uncovering portions of caged rows of potatoes at desired intervals beginning at plant emergence. Plants were monitored for purple top symptoms and tested for BLTVA by PCR to confirm infection. Purple top foliar symptoms were observed in all the tested cultivars under both laboratory and field conditions. Results from both the laboratory and field experiments indicated that younger plants were more susceptible to purple top than older ones. In the laboratory trial, disease incidence was 87.5, 70, and 18.4% for Umatilla Russet, at 10 days, 25 days, and 50 days after plant emergence, respectively. Similarly, 65%, 52.3%, and 14.3% of the Ranger Russet plants became infected with purple top after being exposed to beet leafhoppers at 10 days, 25 days, and 50 days after emergence, respectively. In the field trial, disease incidence was relatively high in potato plants exposed to leafhoppers during the first 5 weeks to 6 weeks after plant emergence and the infection declined thereafter. Statistical analysis of laboratory and field collected data indicated that there was a strong correlation between purple top infection and plant growth stage in all potato cultivars tested. Information from the present study will help potato growers prevent damage caused by purple top disease by appropriately protecting susceptible plant growth stages against the beet leafhopper.
The Greater Safety of Trazodone over Tricyclic Antidepressant Agents: 5-Year Experience in the United States

Trazodone demonstrates comparable efficacy with the tricyclic antidepressant agents (TCAs) but produces fewer of the untoward side effects associated with these drugs. All of the TCAs are potentially lethal when taken in overdose; they cause serious cardiovascular side effects; produce anticholinergic effects, which often are severe enough to result in discontinuation of medication; and impair cognition, especially in elderly patients. In contrast, trazodone is relatively safe when taken in overdose; no deaths have been reported to the manufacturer when trazodone was the only agent taken. Trazodone produces fewer and milder cardiovascular disturbances and anticholinergic effects than TCAs. If anticholinergic side effects do occur then they are rarely bothersome enough to result in discontinuation of therapy. In addition, congitive skills, even in elderly patients, are less impaired in patients receiving trazodone therapy than in patients receiving TCA drugs. Although trazodone therapy has been associated with lethargy, dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion in some patients, symptoms have been mild and can be further minimized by administering the drug either after meals or once daily at bedtime.
Markov chain models to estimate the premium for extended hedge fund lockups

A lockup period for investment in a hedge fund is a time period after making the investment during which the investor cannot freely redeem his investment. It is routine to have a one-year lockup period, but recently the requested lockup periods have grown longer. We estimate the premium for such extended lockup, taking the point of view of a manager of a fund of funds, who has to choose between two investments in similar funds in the same strategy category, the first having a one-year lockup and the second having an n-year lockup. Assuming that the manager will rebalance his portfolio of hedge funds on a yearly basis, if permitted, we define the annual lockup premium as the difference between the rates of return from these investments. We develop a Markov chain model to estimate this lockup premium. By solving systems of equations, we fit the Markov chain transition probabilities to three directly observable hedge fund performance measures: the persistence of return, the variance of return and the hedge-fund death rate. The model quantifies the way the lockup premium depends on these parameters. Data from the TASS database are used to estimate the persistence, which is found to be statistically significant. Copyright © 2009 Wilmott Magazine Ltd
Occult Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Elderly Men

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is often not suspected in elderly men with a debilitating illness, particularly when pleuropericarditis is not prominent. Five elderly men with SLE were initially seen with a systemic illness, marked by fever, weight loss, and arthritis. The diagnosis of SLE was established after considerable delay with extensive diagnostic evaluations and was supported by the presence of DNA antibodies in four patients. Treatment with corticosteroids was effective in three patients. Early testing for DNA antibodies may be cost effective in the evaluation of the elderly patient with a debilitating illness. (JAMA1983;249:3350-3352)
Exploring flexibility and execution competencies of manufacturing firms

Abstract Manufacturing flexibilities improve a firm’s ability to react to customer demands without incurring excessive time and cost penalties. While development of manufacturing flexibilities is desirable and indeed critical for some firms, exploiting the flexibility capabilities to achieve tangible firm-level performance outcomes through effective execution is becoming increasingly important. This paper presents a conceptual model that introduces two new constructs: flexibility competence and execution competence as distinct from manufacturing flexibility. Based on the proposed conceptual model and a multistage data envelopment analysis (MDEA) of empirical data, the roles of flexibility and execution competencies in determining performance are examined. The results indicate that some firms are more effective than others in exploiting investments in advanced manufacturing technologies and strategic sourcing initiatives to develop manufacturing flexibilities. Thus, lending credibility to the new construct referred to as flexibility competence. We also conclude that some firms are more effective than others in converting manufacturing flexibilities into tangible firm-level performance, suggesting that execution competence is an important construct that needs attention. We suggest future research in this area for comprehensively investigating these two new constructs proposed in this paper and identifying the factors that influence them.
Oestrogenic Stimulation of Macro-molecular Synthesis is Correlated with Nuclear Hormone-Receptor Complex in Neonatal Rat Uterus

THE ability of oestrogen to elicit pronounced physiological responses in the mammalian uterus depends on specific receptor proteins that recognize and retain the hormone1–3. The formation of cytoplasmic oestradiol-receptor complexes and their transformation to nuclear complexes seem to be an important prelude to the stimulation of RNA synthesis in the organ2,3. Since a cytoplasmic oestradiol-receptor complex is present in the uterus of the neonatal rat 1 d after birth4, we have investigated whether the uterus of the neonatal rat can transform the cytoplasmic hormone-receptor complex to the nuclear complex, as described for the immature or older animal1,3. Because relatively little is known about the growth responses of the neonatal uterus to oestrogen, we have examined quantitatively the synthesis and concentrations of DNA and protein in the control and hormone-stimulated uterus, as a function of time after birth. It has been reported5 that oestrogen administered 24 h before death to rats less than 15 d old does not stimulate uterine weight or macro-molecular synthesis.
Racial Context and Crime Reporting: A Test of Black’s Stratification Hypothesis

Contextual factors that contribute to race differences in reporting crime to the police are an important element in Donald Black’s theory of the behavior of the law, yet few studies have investigated whether these differences vary depending on social context. The present study investigates whether the relationships between victim and offender race and the reporting of crime are moderated by the level of racial stratification in a given place as Black’s stratification hypothesis would predict. Using victim survey data from 40 metropolitan areas, as well as data from other sources, we find results that are consistent with Black’s stratification hypothesis, namely, that victim and offender race are more strongly associated with the reporting of crime in those metropolitan areas where the gap in economic status between blacks and whites is larger and the groups are more residentially segregated. The theory, however, is unable to account for the high rates of reporting of black-on-black assaults found across the 40 metropolitan areas. The question of how the needs of black victims may outweigh their reluctance to call the police is an important issue for future research.
HIV: Antibodies advance the search for a cure.

Efforts to make a prophylactic HIV vaccine have identified monoclonal antibodies that potently suppress viral replication. Studies in monkeys show that these reagents effectively treat HIV infection. See Article p.224 & Letter p.277 Two papers published this week test the new generation of broad and potent anti-HIV1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in primate models with promising results, both concluding that their results strongly encourage the investigation of mAb therapy for HIV-1 in humans. Dan Barouch et al. show that a single infusion of the potent, broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibody PGT121, as well as various mAb cocktails, suppress the virus to undetectable levels in just a week in SHIV-infected rhesus monkeys. Masashi Shingai et al. report that co-administration of the antibodies 3BNC117 and 10-1074 results in potent suppression of plasma viraemia lasting for several weeks in chronically SHIV-infected macaques.
Boundary Condition Effects on Piezo-Synthetic Jets

ABSTRACT Three circular piezoelectric actuators: Bimorph, Thunder, and Radial Field Diaphragm (RFD) function as oscillating diaphragms within a cavity to produce a zero net mass flux air jet. To characterize each diaphragm, displacement response and vibrational characteristics with varying mechanical and electrical boundary conditions were investigated using a saw tooth waveform at 5 Hz. Clamping pressure around the perimeter of each actuator and gain dampening feedback of the amplifier were varied to statistically evaluate their significance on displacement. The results showed that displacement variations due to clamping pressure for all actuators are significant, with those for RFD at the highest levels, 17–18%.
Facile β-Epoxidation of Unsaturated Steroids with Permanganateion

Abstract A mixture of KMnO4-CuSO4 in refluxing methylene chloride, in the presence of a small amount of water and tert-butanol, has been found to be a highly β-selective high-yield epoxidation reagent for Δ4, Δ5 and Δ7 unsaturated steroids. The Δ8 unsaturated steroid 24,25-dihydrolanosterol acetate underwent allylic oxidation under these conditions.
The site-scale saturated zone flow model for Yucca Mountain: Calibration of different conceptual models and their impact on flow paths

Abstract This paper presents several different conceptual models of the Large Hydraulic Gradient (LHG) region north of Yucca Mountain and describes the impact of those models on groundwater flow near the potential high-level repository site. The results are based on a numerical model of site-scale saturated zone beneath Yucca Mountain. This model is used for performance assessment predictions of radionuclide transport and to guide future data collection and modeling activities. The numerical model is calibrated by matching available water level measurements using parameter estimation techniques, along with more informal comparisons of the model to hydrologic and geochemical information. The model software (hydrologic simulation code FEHM and parameter estimation software PEST) and model setup allows for efficient calibration of multiple conceptual models. Until now, the Large Hydraulic Gradient has been simulated using a low-permeability, east–west oriented feature, even though direct evidence for this feature is lacking. In addition to this model, we investigate and calibrate three additional conceptual models of the Large Hydraulic Gradient, all of which are based on a presumed zone of hydrothermal chemical alteration north of Yucca Mountain. After examining the heads and permeabilities obtained from the calibrated models, we present particle pathways from the potential repository that record differences in the predicted groundwater flow regime. The results show that Large Hydraulic Gradient can be represented with the alternate conceptual models that include the hydrothermally altered zone. The predicted pathways are mildly sensitive to the choice of the conceptual model and more sensitive to the quality of calibration in the vicinity on the repository. These differences are most likely due to different degrees of fit of model to data, and do not represent important differences in hydrologic conditions for the different conceptual models.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of a Spinal Extradural Arachnoid Cyst

A case of extradural arachnoid cyst in the spinal canal of a 16-year-old male was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging. The diagnosis was verified by a metrizamide-enhanced computed tomographic myelogram. An operation with a favorable outcome followed. The noninvasive advantages of magnetic resonance imaging in such a diagnosis are demonstrated by this case.
Socioeconomic status, psychological distress, and other maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among American Indians of the Northern Plains

The relationship of selected demographic, socioeconomic status (SES), and psychological characteristics was examined in interviews with 176 Northern Plains American Indian mothers whose children were referred to diagnostic clinics for evaluation of developmental disabilities, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Thirty-nine mothers had children diagnosed with an FASD (Group 1), 107 had children who were not diagnosed with an FASD or other major disability (Group 2), and 30 additional mothers with normally performing children, matched by age, sex, and reservation with those diagnosed with an FASD, were recruited as a comparison group (Group 3). Analysis revealed statistically signifi cant differences (p < .001) in alcohol consumption among all three groups, and a statistically signifi cant difference in the mean Total Distress score among the three groups of mothers, F(2, 176) = 9.60, p < .001, with Group 3 having a lower mean score than Groups 1 and 2. Sequential regression analysis revealed that the quantity of alcohol consumed prior to knowledge of pregnancy, when combined with SES and Total Distress, was more highly associated with having a child diagnosed with an FASD (R2 = .206) than was quantity of alcohol consumed alone.
Another characterization of the type I extreme value distribution

Abstract The linear-drift Gumbel record (ldGr) model is defined as Y n = X n + cn, n = 1, 2,..., and c > 0 where { X n } is i.i.d. with type I extreme value distribution Λ α,β . A characterization of Λ α,β is given by showing that the ldGr model is the only model of the form Y n = X n + cn yielding M n = max { 1 , Y 2 ,..., Y n } independent of the indicator of a record at a time n .
Conceptually congruent actions can promote thought

Abstract Can action support thought? Previous work suggests that it can. Here, we examined whether actions that are conceptually congruent with thinking facilitate thinking and whether direct action facilitates performance. We found that young children performed addition, a discrete one-to-one math task, better when using discrete one-to-one actions that matched the number of objects than when using discrete actions that matched the number of sums to be added. They performed number line estimation, a continuous math task, better when using a continuous action in which the time and distance of the action were commensurate with the quantity to be estimated, than when using a discrete action that marked a proportional distance. Action congruence facilitated performance beyond spatial congruence. Furthermore, direct manipulation led to better performance than mediated manipulation. Finding advantages of congruent mappings of thought to action supports the Spraction Theory , which asserts that thought is internalized action, and that re-externalizing thought through congruent actions facilitates thought.
Lithium chloride stabilizes systolic blood pressure and increases adrenal catecholamines in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

Abstract The effects of daily, intraperitoneal injections of LiCl (3 mEq/kg) on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and adrenal catecholamine levels were measured in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Control animals from each strain were injected with equivalent volumes (0.1 ml/100 g b.wt.) of 0.9% saline (0.15 mEq/kg). SBP in LiCl-treated SHR was significantly lower ( p p
HALOTHANE DOSAGE BASED ON LEAN BODY MASS

SUMMARY In sixteen cases the lean body mass (LBM) was calculated from height, girth and body weight measurements. Using the maximum anaesthetic blood level (MABL) as an end-point, the amount of halothane taken up by the body was related to this lean body mass. The ventilation required to bring the halothane blood level to MABL was also related. From this a formula was constructed to predict MABL. The uptake was influenced by the anthropomorphic somatotype of the patient.
Demonstration of the dynamic nature of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis.

Abstract Isoproterenol infusion converted a patient with potential hypertrophic subaortic stenosis into one with all the hemodynamic features of severe hypertrophic subaortic stenosis in less than 15 minutes. This response was not observed during isoproterenol infusion in 15 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy from a variety of causes. Further study of this drug in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy of unknown etiology is indicated. Infusion of isoproterenol may serve as a provocative test to identify those patients with early or latent forms of hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. Such studies will also allow a more careful examination of the hemodynamic features of the syndrome before the signs and symptoms have become so severe as to preclude extensive investigation.
Electronic states of GeCl

Abstract Twenty-eight electronic states of GeCl + are studied using the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) followed by first- and second-order configuration interaction (FOCI, SOCI) methods. Spectroscopic constants of electronic states exhibiting minima are computed.