cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Fatigue Tests of Two Plastics, Three Composites and an Aluminum Alloy Obtained on Four Different Types of Fatigue Machines

The results of fatigue tests of two thermoplastics (cellulose acetate and polystyrene), three composites (laminated plastics of paper, canvas, and fiberglass) and one aluminum alloy (25-ST) are reported. Four different types of fatigue machines were used to test most of the above materials. The fatigue machines were: rotating-cantilever-beam, constant-amplitude-of-deflection, and constant-amplitude-of-force, types, all of which tested specimens in bending, and a constant-amplitude-of-deflection machine which tested specimens in direct tension and compression. Results from the four machines are compared and the cause of differences is explored.
A model of axonal transport drug delivery

In this paper a model of targeted drug delivery by means of active (motor-driven) axonal transport is developed. The model is motivated by recent experimental research by Filler et al. (A.G. Filler, G.T. Whiteside, M. Bacon, M. Frederickson, F.A. Howe, M.D. Rabinowitz, A.J. Sokoloff, T.W. Deacon, C. Abell, R. Munglani, J.R. Griffiths, B.A. Bell, A.M.L. Lever, Tri-partite complex for axonal transport drug delivery achieves pharmacological effect, Bmc Neuroscience 11 (2010) 8) that reported synthesis and pharmacological efficiency tests of a tri-partite complex designed for axonal transport drug delivery. The developed model accounts for two populations of pharmaceutical agent complexes (PACs): PACs that are transported retrogradely by dynein motors and PACs that are accumulated in the axon at the Nodes of Ranvier. The transitions between these two populations of PACs are described by first-order reactions. An analytical solution of the coupled system of transient equations describing conservations of these two populations of PACs is obtained by using Laplace transform. Numerical results for various combinations of parameter values are presented and their physical significance is discussed.
Olfactory learning set in two varieties of domestic rat.

Based on the assumption that the greater the ecological validity of a laboratory procedure, the greater the likelihood of adequately assessing an organism's behavior, two varieties of domestic rats were subjected to a series of olfactory discrimination problems. The results indicate that rats can easily learn a two-element olfactory discrimination problem. With continued experience there was a progressive improvement in their ability to do so which was interpreted as evidence for learning set. A justifiable conclusion is that the appreciation of the behavioral complexities and capacities of infra-human organisms necessitates questioning them in the idiom of their stimulus environment.
Greedy multiprocessor server scheduling

We show that the greedy highest density first (HDF) algorithm is ([email protected])-speed O(1)-competitive for the problem of minimizing the @?"p norms of weighted flow time on m identical machines. Similar results for minimizing unweighted flow provide insight into the power of migration.
Rapid Detection of Avian Eimeria Species Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

A denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) assay was developed to rapidly discriminate species of avian Eimeria. Amplification by PCR of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (approximately 1,600 nucleotides) with Eimeria genus-specific primers followed by cloning and sequencing allowed us to carry out phylogenetic analyses and identify clone sequences to species level in most cases. Clones were subsequently used to amplify a smaller fragment (approximately 120 nucleotides) suitable for DGGE. The fragments were separated on denaturing gradient gel and bands with unique migration distances were mixed to obtain an identification ladder. The identification ladder and PCR products obtained from DNA extracted from fecal samples from several poultry farms were compared. Applying the DGGE method in this study allowed a rapid differentiation of Eimeria species present in fecal samples collected from poultry farms.
Coupling of a gas-phase chemiluminescence nitrogen detector and a capillary electrophoretic system

A capillary electrophoretic system has been successfully connected to a gas-phase chemiluminescence nitrogen detector via a pneumatic nebulizer interface. The interface, built in-house, consists of a nebulizing gas delivery subsystem, a sheath liquid subsystem, a short spray tube, and a liquid gap. The liquid gap is formed at the point where the spray tube, the separation capillary, and the sheath liquid subsystem meet. The sheath liquid subsystem consists of a grounding connection to complete the electric circuit for the electrophoretic system, a sheath liquid delivery pump, a sheath liquid overflow outlet maintained at atmospheric pressure, and a sheath liquid conduit with a hydrodynamic resistance that is much smaller than that of the separation capillary. The interface operates at the natural self-aspiration rate of the short spray tube. The design ensures that the natural self-aspiration rate of the nebulizer is higher than the maximum electroosmotic flow rate that can be produced in the separation capillary. The flow difference is made up by the sheath liquid which, due to the hydrodynamic resistance differences, is sucked into the liquid gap preferentially from the sheath liquid conduit. Thus, the spray tube and the separation capillary are decoupled from each other hydrodynamically, and any laminar flow-induced additional band broadening in the separation capillary is avoided. Using the combined electrophoretic separation and gas-phase chemiluminescence nitrogen detector system, the mass detection limit for five nucleotide bases used as test compounds was found to be about 10 pmol nitrogen.
Jerry Simpson: The people's voice

This article discusses the significance of Jerry Simpson as a symbol of Kansas Populism between 1890–1895. It maintains that the “third‐party'’ influence of the movement and of Simpson as a leader derived from the grass‐roots urgency which William Jennings Bryan crystallized in the Democratic party with greater authority.
Dynamics of magnetization in hyperpolarized gas MRI of the lung

The magnetization in hyperpolarized gas (HP) MRI is generated by laser polarization that is independent of the magnet and imaging process. As a consequence, there is no equilibrium magnetization during the image acquisition. The competing processes of gas inflow and depolarization of the spins lead to large changes in signal as one samples k-space. A model is developed of dynamic changes in polarization of hyperpolarized 3He during infusion and in vivo imaging of the lung and verified experimentally in a live guinea pig. Projection encoding is used to measure the view-to-view variation with temporal resolution <4 ms. Large excitation angles effectively sample the magnetization in the early stages of inflow, highlighting larger airways, while smaller excitation angles produce images of the more distal spaces. The work provides a basis for pulse sequences designed to effectively exploit HP MRI in the lung.
An intelligence representation in agent systems: an extended /spl pi/-calculus

Intelligent mobile agent technology is one of the most promising of the newer software paradigms for providing solutions to complex, distributed computing problems. Agent properties of autonomy, intelligence and mobility provide a powerful platform for implementations that can utilize techniques involving collaborative problem solving and adaptive behavior. Although the technological tools and capabilities have advanced to this point, research into formal models and extensions to support representations of this new computing paradigm has not been kept pace. Specifically, we find that current formal processing models are lacking in representation abilities for: (1) intelligence capabilities, (2) team-based problem-solving approaches, and (3) mobility. In this paper, we present an extension of /spl pi/-calculus that addresses the first of these deficiencies, the representation of intelligence.
Regulation of microsomal cytochrome P-450 enzymes and testosterone production in Leydig cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the studies that examine the mechanisms by which luteinizing hormone (LH) or cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) desensitize steroidogenic response on one hand, but cause an increase in steroidogenic capacity in the same cell type under other conditions. It focuses on the effects of LH or cAMP on the degradation and synthesis of the microsomal P-450 enzymes, 17α-hydroxylase and C17–20lyase, and the relationship of changes in these activities to changes in steroidogenic capacity. The chapter provides an overview on new insights into the mechanism by which the microsomal cytochrome P-450 enzymes, 17α-hydroxylase, and C17–20lyase of Leydig cells are maintained at a constant level under normal physiological conditions. Pulsatile stimulation of Leydig cells by LH in vivo increases cAMP levels—by some yet unknown mechanism—that increases synthesis of the microsomal P-450 enzymes. In addition, cAMP increases steroid hormone production by increasing the availability of the precursor, cholesterol, for further metabolism to testosterone. The steroid products, present at elevated concentrations, can act as pseudo substrates for P-450 enzyme, and in the presence of oxygen, a P-450-pseudosubstrate-O2 complex is formed.
Ecological risk assessment in a large river-reservoir. 6. Bioindicators of fish population health

Spatial distribution of contaminants in the sediments and biota of a large reservoir ecosystem were related to a variety of biological responses in fish populations and communities to determine possible relationships between contaminant loading in the environment and fish health. Much of the contaminant inventory in the Clinch River/Watts Bar Reservoir (CR/WBR) system has originated from three U.S. Department of Energy facilities on the Oak Ridge Reservation, which borders this system in its upper reaches. Fish sampled from areas of the CR/WBR system with the highest levels of contaminants in the sediments and biota, primarily mercury and PCBs, had the most dramatic bioindicator responses. The major changes observed were induction of detoxification enzymes, organ dysfunction, increased frequency of histopathological lesions, impaired reproduction, and reduced fish community integrity. Mercury, the dominant contaminant, displayed a decreasing concentration gradient from the upper reaches of Poplar Creek to the lower Clinch River, which was consistent with a downstream gradient in several of the biological responses. A multivariate analysis using all of the individual fish health responses at each site in a discriminant analysis procedure also revealed a downstream gradient in integrated fish health. In Poplar Creek where contaminant concentrations were the highest, statistical correlations were observed between individual bioindicator responses such as contaminant exposure indicators, organ dysfunction, histopathological damage, and reproductive impairment. Relationships between contaminant loading and fish community indices such as species richness and relative abundance, however, were more difficult to establish in Poplar Creek because of the possible dominating influence of food and habitat availability on fish community dynamics. Using a suite of bioindicators that encompass a range of levels of biological organization and response-sensitivity scales improves the probability of identifying cause (contaminant) and effect (biological response) and helps in distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic sources of stress in aquatic ecosystems.
Direct antenna modulation: analysis, design, and experiment

In this paper, a symmetrical 1.5 GHz patch antenna has been designed, constructed, simulated and experimentally fine-tuned to be the radiating element in the experiment to implement direct antenna modulation. With a resonant bandwidth of about 30 MHz (using a 10 dB or better return-loss standard), there is significant room for improvement that direct antenna modulation can offer to the information bandwidth of the system. By driving the antenna at resonance and directly modulating it with an integrated Schottky diode being biased by an external pulse train, the frequency of this external modulating signal is predicted to far exceed the resonant bandwidth of the antenna and still produce a clear demodulated waveform at the receiving end of a basic communication system.
Statistical mechanical theory of local compositions

Abstract The concept of local composition has received much attention during the past few years, much of which has been devoted to justifying the empirical model proposed by Wilson in 1964. In this report the concept of local composition is defined on statiscal mechanical grounds and expressions relating these compositions to thermodynamic properties of equilibrium fluid mixtures are derived. In particular, different local composition approximations are presented and new approximations based on molecular theories of mixtures are derived. Sets of mixing rules consistent with these different local composition approximations result, some of which are density and temperature dependent. Also, relations for partial molar properties in terms of local compositions are derived from the Kirkwood-Buff solution theory. Finally the radius of the sphere of influence of local compositions is formulated on statistical mechanical grounds.
Mechanisms of action of probiotics

At birth, the newborn leaves the germ-free intrauterine environment and enters a highly contaminated extrauterine world, which requires potent host defenses to prevent disease. Intestinal defenses develop during gestation and have the capacity to respond but first must be exposed to colonizing bacteria. I review the importance of bacterial colonization for the appearance of normal mucosal immune function and the clinical consequences of inadequate colonization with regard to development of disease. For example, we now know that an imbalance in T-helper (Th) cells (e.g., Th2 levels greater than Th1 levels) can predispose to autoimmune disease and gut inflammation or disease, such as necrotizing enterocolitis. As we determine the role of bacterial colonization in the gut (bacterial-epithelial "cross talk"), we should have more-appropriate ways to modulate the gut immune responses-for example, by use of probiotics to prevent the expression of these gastrointestinal diseases.
Assessing How Diversity Affects Students' Interest in Social Change.

As the country's racial/ethnic minority representation increases, colleges and universities have increasingly sought to diversify their enrollments in order to better prepare all students to live a...
Endogenizing the Planning Horizon in Urban fringe agriculture

To evaluate the nature of farm operation longevity in urban fringe agriculture, this paper develops a model that endogenizes planning horizon and estimates an empirical model whereby anticipated longevity in farming is regressed against farm, farmer, regulatory and land market related variables. The results suggest that the length of the planning horizon is directly related to farm profitability and confirm the impermanence syndrome hypothesis that land values are inversely related to the planning horizon. Contrary to farmers’ claims that periodic land disposal provides an internal source of credit to support long-term viability, the disposition of portions of the farmland is found to shorten the planning horizon. Innovative farmers are found to have longer planning horizons while experiences with Right-to-Farm conflicts are found to result in decreased planning horizon. Given the expected continual increase in land values and the growing physical closeness of farmers to their non-farm neighbors, significant concerns remain about the long-term survivability of urban fringe farmers. This study suggests the importance of considering farmers’ planning horizon as a key component in farmland retention programs.
Posttensioned Hybrid Coupled Walls under Lateral Loads

This paper describes an analytical investigation of a new type of hybrid coupled wall system for seismic regions. Coupling of concrete walls is achieved by posttensioning steel beams to the walls using unbonded posttensioning tendons. Different from conventional hybrid coupled walls, the coupling beams of the new system are not embedded into the walls. The effect of structural design parameters such as the amount of posttensioning, beam properties, and wall properties on the behavior of multistory coupled walls under lateral loads, including the amount of coupling, energy dissipation, and displacement capacity is investigated. Systems with precast concrete walls as well as monolithic cast-in-place reinforced concrete walls are considered. The behavior of posttensioned coupled wall systems is com- pared with the behavior of systems with embedded steel coupling beams and systems without coupling. Design tools to estimate the nonlinear lateral load-displacement behavior of the walls are developed by quantifying selected limit states for the walls. The results indicate that posttensioned hybrid coupled walls with initial stiffness similar to walls with embedded steel coupling beams can be designed to provide stable levels of resistance under lateral loads over large nonlinear cyclic deformations. The degree of coupling between the walls can be controlled by changing the amount of posttensioning in the beams, as well as other beam and wall properties.
T Cells and Tuberculosis: Beyond Interferon-γ

The cytokine interferon-y (IFN-y) plays a pivotal role in protective immunity against intracellular pathogens. Specifically, in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection, IFN-y is an important mediator of macrophage activation [ 1 ] . Mice deficient in the gene for IFN-y are susceptible to fatal tuberculosis (TB) [1, 2], and humans deficient in either the gene for IFN-y or the IFN-y receptor show enhanced susceptibility to mycobacterial infections [3]. Measurement of the IFN-y response to MTB infection has been exploited in research and in clinics, to evaluate and develop new tools for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infection. For example, the development of standardized quantitative ex vivo assays of T cell function, along with the discovery of antigens that are highly specific for MTB, led us [4, 5] and other investigators [6] to develop new diagnostic tools for the detection of MTB infection. These T cell IFN-y release
Cyber security challenges in Smart Cities: Safety, security and privacy.

The world is experiencing an evolution of Smart Cities. These emerge from innovations in information technology that, while they create new economic and social opportunities, pose challenges to our security and expectations of privacy. Humans are already interconnected via smart phones and gadgets. Smart energy meters, security devices and smart appliances are being used in many cities. Homes, cars, public venues and other social systems are now on their path to the full connectivity known as the “Internet of Things.” Standards are evolving for all of these potentially connected systems. They will lead to unprecedented improvements in the quality of life. To benefit from them, city infrastructures and services are changing with new interconnected systems for monitoring, control and automation. Intelligent transportation, public and private, will access a web of interconnected data from GPS location to weather and traffic updates. Integrated systems will aid public safety, emergency responders and in disaster recovery. We examine two important and entangled challenges: security and privacy. Security includes illegal access to information and attacks causing physical disruptions in service availability. As digital citizens are more and more instrumented with data available about their location and activities, privacy seems to disappear. Privacy protecting systems that gather data and trigger emergency response when needed are technological challenges that go hand-in-hand with the continuous security challenges. Their implementation is essential for a Smart City in which we would wish to live. We also present a model representing the interactions between person, servers and things. Those are the major element in the Smart City and their interactions are what we need to protect.
Phylogenetic relationships of land plants using mitochondrial small-subunit rDNA sequences.

Phylogenetic relationships among embryophytes (tracheophytes, mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) were examined using 21 newly generated mitochondrial small-subunit (19S) rDNA sequences. The "core" 19S rDNA contained more phylogenetically informative sites and lower homoplasy than either nuclear 18S or plastid 16S rDNA. Results of phylogenetic analyses using parsimony (MP) and likelihood (ML) were generally congruent. Using MP, two trees were obtained that resolved either liverworts or hornworts as the basal land plant clade. The optimal ML tree showed hornworts as basal. That topology was not statistically different from the two MP trees, thus both appear to be equally viable evolutionary hypotheses. High bootstrap support was obtained for the majority of higher level embryophyte clades named in a recent morphologically based classification, e.g., Tracheophyta, Euphyllophytina, Lycophytina, and Spermatophytata. Strong support was also obtained for the following monophyletic groups: hornworts, liverworts, mosses, lycopsids, leptosporangiate and eusporangiate ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. This molecular analysis supported a sister relationship between Equisetum and leptosporangiate ferns and a monophyletic gymnosperms sister to angiosperms. The topologies of deeper clades were affected by taxon inclusion (particularly hornworts) as demonstrated by jackknife analyses. This study represents the first use of mitochondrial 19S rDNA for phylogenetic purposes and it appears well-suited for examining intermediate to deep evolutionary relationships among embryophytes.
Distributed diagnosis of coupled mobile robots

Fault diagnosis of coupled mobile robots requires a large number of measurements to be communicated either between the robots or from the robots to a central diagnoser. As computational complexity increases with the number of measurements, centralized algorithms become inefficient. This paper presents a distributed approach for qualitative fault diagnosis of coupled mobile robots. The approach is based on a bond graph modeling framework which incorporates local and distributed control algorithms, multiple sensor types, and both actuator and sensor faults. Relative measurement orderings are introduced to discriminate faults by exploiting the temporal order of the measurement deviations. This increases the discriminatory power of a set of measurements and results in a more efficient qualitative diagnosis algorithm. Distributed diagnosers are designed and applied to coupled mobile robots. Experimental results for a system consisting of two robots pushing a box demonstrate the improvement in both discriminatory power of the measurements and efficiency of the distributed diagnosis approach
Laser-induced electric breakdown in solids

A review is given of recent experimental results on laser-induced electric breakdown in transparent optical solid materials. A fundamental breakdown threshold exists characteristic for each material. The threshold is determined by the same physical process as dc breakdown, namely, avalanche ionization. The dependence of the threshold on laser pulse duration and frequency is consistent with this process. The implication of this breakdown mechanism for laser bulk and surface damage to optical components is discussed. It also determines physical properties of self-focused filaments.
Marital status, marital satisfaction, and body image dissatisfaction.

Objective This study examined whether married individuals have comparable body image disturbance to nonmarried individuals and whether the quality of a marital relationship is significantly related to body image disturbance in a sample of dieters. Method Measures of marital status, marital satisfaction, and body dissatisfaction were administered to a sample of 16,377 subjects who had tried to lose weight at least once within the previous 3 years. Results Marital status was not associated with increased body dissatisfaction. Marital satisfaction was significantly related to body dissatisfaction when controlling for age, body mass index, self-esteem, and gender. Discussion Body dissatisfaction occurs at comparable levels among married and single individuals and the study of marital functioning among eating-disordered individuals represents a large gap in the literature. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 26: 81–85, 1999.
Building Capacity, Building Rights? State Capacity and Labor Rights in Developing Countries

Building state capacity has often been hailed as a cure-all for the ailments of the developing world and has been linked to human rights improvements, economic development, and the enforcement of property rights. Low state capacity, on the other hand, has been viewed as one of the primary impediments to improvements of labor rights and other social justice issues. We examine the relationship between state capacity and the protection of labor rights in panels of 85 developing countries, and 34 “supply-chain-relevant” countries. We find that changes in state capacity are only associated with changes in labor rights in countries where workers’ interests are better represented in the political system – measured alternately as left party power, democracy, union density, and potential labor power. Our findings highlight the importance of combinations of state capacity and political will in leading to improved rights of workers in global supply chains.
Prevention and Treatment of Hepatic Venocclusive Disease after High-Dose Cytoreductive Therapy

Venocclusive disease of the liver (VOD) is one of the most common and serious complications following stem cell transplantation. High-dose chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy injures the structures of Zone 3 of the liver acinus and produces the clinical syndrome of hepatomegaly or right upper quadrant pain, jaundice, and fluid retention. VOD occurs in up to 54% of stem cell transplant recipients and is fatal in 25-50% of them. While the clinical signs of VOD usually manifest during the first post-transplant week, late presentation can occur. The purpose of this review is to discuss the manifestations and pathophysiology of VOD and the options for prevention and treatment.
Longman English grammar

This indispensable guide provides explanations and examples for all the important areas of grammar.
Recovery Voice and Satisfaction After Service Failure An Experimental Investigation of Mediating and Moderating Factors

Past research studies on service failures and recovery have conceptualized “voice” in terms of customers having an opportunity to air complaints after failures occur. In contrast, the authors introduce the concept of recovery voice , which entails a service provider asking a customer (after a failure has occurred) what the firm can do to rectify the problem. In a scenario-based experiment carried out in an airline setting and in a hotel setting with 216 and 208 participants, respectively, it was found that customers perceived greater procedural justice when offered recovery voice, which resulted in higher overall postfailure satisfaction. It was shown that perceived procedural justice mediated the effect of recovery voice on overall satisfaction. Furthermore, recovery voice had a greater impact on perceived procedural justice for established customers with long transaction histories than for new ones with short transaction histories. Managerial and research implications based on these findings are also pr...
Undercompressive shocks in systems of conservation laws

In this paper, we describe recent progress in our understanding of Riemann problems that involve undercompressive shock waves for 2 × 2 systems of nonstrictly hyperbolic conservation laws. A 2 × 2 system of conservation laws $$ {U_t} + F{(U)_x} = 0 $$ (1.1) , U = U(x,t) ∈ R 2, F: R 2 → R 2, is nonstrictly hyperbolic if the eigenvalues λ1(U) ≤ λ2(U) of dF(U) are real, but not distinct for every U. As defined in [4], system (1.1) has an umbilic point at U = U* if dF(U*) is a multiple of the identity. Hyperbolic equations with an isolated umbilic point can be classified locally according to properties of the quadratic map d 2 F(U*). Since linear changes of coordinates do not affect the shocks or rarefaction waves for quadratic nonlinearities F, the general family of quadratic nonlinearities F with a unique umbilic point can be reduced to a two parameter family, which we write as $$ Q(u,v) = d(a{u^3}/3 + b{u^2}v + u{v^2}),a \ne 1 + {b^2} $$ (1.2) , where d denotes gradient with respect to U = (u,v).
Essentials of Airway Management, Oxygenation, and Ventilation: Part 1: Basic Equipment and Devices

Offices and outpatient dental facilities must be properly equipped with devices for airway management, oxygenation, and ventilation. Optimizing patient safety using crisis resource management (CRM) involves the entire dental office team being familiar with airway rescue equipment. Basic equipment for oxygenation, ventilation, and airway management is mandated in the majority of US dental offices per state regulations. The immediate availability of this equipment is especially important during the administration of sedation and anesthesia as well as the treatment of medical urgencies/emergencies. This article reviews basic equipment and devices essential in any dental practice whether providing local anesthesia alone or in combination with procedural sedation. Part 2 of this series will address advanced airway devices, including supraglottic airways and armamentarium for tracheal intubation and invasive airway procedures.
GC-MS studies on the regioisomeric 2,3- and 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethylamines related to MDEA, MDMMA, and MBDB.

Three regioisomeric 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethylamines having the same molecular weight and major mass spectral fragments of equal mass have been reported as drugs of abuse in forensic studies in recent years. These compounds are 3,4-methylenedioxy-n-ethylamphetamine (MDEA), 3,4-methylenedioxy-n-N-dimethylamphetamine (MDMMA), and n-ethyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine (MBDB). The mass spectra of the regioisomers (2,3-methylenedioxyphenethylamines) are essentially equal to the three compounds reported as drugs of abuse. This paper reports the synthesis, mass spectral characterization, and chromatographic analysis of these six regioisomeric amines. The six regioisomeric methylenedioxyphenethylamines are synthesized from commercially available starting materials. The electron impact mass spectra of these regioisomers show some variation in the relative intensity of the major ions with only a couple of minor ions that may indicate side chain specific fragments. Differentiation by mass spectrometry is only possible after the formation of the perfluoroacyl derivatives, pentafluoropropionylamides (PFPA) and heptafluorobutrylamides (HFBA). Gas chromatographic separation on non-polar stationary phases (Rtx-1 and Rtx-5) is not successful at resolving the three 3,4-methylenedioxyphenethylamines from the three 2,3-methylenedioxyphenethylamines as the underivatized amines. The six underivatized amines are resolved on the more polar trifluoropropylmethyl polysiloxane Rtx-200 stationary phase as well as a permethylated beta-cyclodextran Rtx-βDEX stationary phase. Gas chromatographic separation is successful at resolving the four PFPA and the four HFBA derivatives on the Rtx-200 stationary phase as well as the permethylated beta-cyclodextran stationary phase. The 2,3-methylenedioxyphenethylamine derivatives (compounds 4 and 6) eluted before the 3,4- methylenedioxyphenethylamine derivatives (compounds 1 and 3) as both the PFPA and HFBA derivatives.
Soft SVM and Its Application in Video-Object Extraction

As a requisite of content-based multimedia technologies, video-object (VO) extraction is a very important yet challenging task. In recent years, classification-based approaches have been proposed to handle VO extraction as a classification problem, for which some promising results have been reported using adaptive neural networks and support vector machines (SVMs). We observe that some training samples in video sequences exhibit partial or ambiguous class memberships, which does not comply with standard membership setups. This problem is addressed in the context of SVM in this paper. By reformulating SVM for the noncrisp classification scenario, we propose a machine which is capable of dealing with binary (or hard) as well as real-valued (or soft) class memberships. The new machine, which is named Soft SVM, is integrated into a VO extraction method, and its effectiveness is demonstrated by the experimental results.
PLASTICITY VERSUS CANALIZATION: POPULATION DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING OF SHADE-AVOIDANCE RESPONSES

The reliability of environmental cues and costs of a fixed phenotype are two factors determining whether selection favors phenotypic plasticity or environmental specialization. This study examines the relationship between these two factors and the evolution of plant competitive strategies (plastic vs. fixed morphologies). In natural plant populations, shifts in light quality associated with foliar shade reliably indicate the presence of neighbors. These cues mediate plastic stem-elongation responses that often increase competitive ability and access to light. Using experimental light treatments (full sun, neutral shade, and foliar shade), genetic differences among populations of Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf) in average elongation and plasticity to foliar-shade cues were examined. Six populations, two from each of three site types (fields in continuous corn cultivation, fields undergoing corn-soy rotation, and weedy sites), were exposed to the light treatments at two stages in their life history. At the seedling stage, populations derived from cornfield sites exhibited higher, average elongation than populations from either rotating corn-soy fields or weedy areas. Because seedling elongation may delay shading of velvetleaf by corn, population differences may reflect adaptive responses to directional selection imposed by competitive conditions. However, the effects of simulated foliar shade on elongation were three times as great as the average population differences, and these comparatively higher levels of elongation were associated with an allocation cost. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that phenotypic plasticity may limit the evolution of specialists; reliable environmental cues enable individuals to facultatively adopt highly elongated, costly phenotypes in crowded patches while avoiding the costs of that phenotype in less crowded microsites. At later life-history stages, populations experiencing competition with corn exhibited lower plasticity to light quality than populations derived from weedy areas. Elongation at later nodes is maladaptive in cornfields because velvetleaf is ultimately incapable of overtopping corn; individuals that elongate therefore experience the cost of allocating to stems but fail to improve leaf exposure. The decreased responsiveness of cornfield populations to light quality is consistent with theoretical predictions in which reduced plasticity is favored when environmental cues fail to mediate an adaptive response.
Parenterally or enterally administered anti-somatostatin antibody induces increased gastrin in suckling rats

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of parenteral and oral anti-somatostatin monoclonal antibody to stimulate gastrin cell activity in suckling rats. Intraperitoneal anti-somatostatin monoclonal antibody increased serum gastrin concentration (> 2-fold), and orally administered antibodies retained their neutralizing capabilities as demonstrated by a 30% induction of gastrin synthesis. Absorption of luminal monoclonal antibody was time dependent and saturable as demonstrated by measurement of serum murine immunoglobulin G and the subsequent effects on serum gastrin and antral gastrin mRNA concentrations. Enhanced gastrin synthesis after oral administration required whole antibody in that enterally delivered F(ab')2 fragments were not absorbed and did not increase serum gastrin concentrations. In addition, pretreatment with excess Fc fragments decreased monoclonal antibody absorption and eliminated the serum gastrin response to oral monoclonal antibody. These results demonstrate that orally administered murine anti-somatostatin monoclonal antibody was rapidly and efficiently absorbed via an Fc-dependent mechanism and retained immunoneutralizing activity against endogenous somatostatin, neutralizing its inhibition of gastrin cell activity. These results indicate that orally administered monoclonal antibodies could potentially be used to determine the role of other peptides and growth factors as potential physiological regulators during the suckling period of postnatal development.
Research methods in language policy and planning: a practical guide, edited by F. H. Hult and D. C. Johnson

This edited volume comprises several short chapters by language policy and planning (LPP) scholars which are aimed at introducing novice researchers to particular approaches to doing and thinking a...
Risk assessment at a JP-4 contamination site after active remediation

Intrinsic bioremediation is a risk management strategy that uses natural attenuation, such as dilution and physical adsorption, and chemical and biological reactions which occur naturally. It has long been recognised that nature has the ability to recover from damage of chemical releases, such as petroleum hydrocarbon spills and leakage from storage and transport facilities. When releases of chemicals to the subsurface environment can impact groundwater quality, natural processes such as biodegradation, dilution, dispersion, sorption and hydrolysis often limit the migration of contaminants in groundwater. Data from several field sites, laboratory studies and computer modeling have demonstrated that natural attenuation can significantly limit the migration of contaminants and reduce the potential impact of hydrocarbon release by preventing contaminants from migrating to sensitive receptors [1]. Intrinsic bioremediation is not a passive `let-it-go’ process, but an active management strategy with monitoring, analysis and planning through the whole period of implementation. A guideline protocol developed for the US Air Force [2] includes various steps for the implementation of intrinsic bioremediation: reviewing site data, developing preliminary conceptual model, performing site characterisations, documenting indicators of intrinsic remediation, modeling and exposure assessment, preparing long-term monitoring plans and alternative remediation plans and, finally, presenting findings to regulatory agencies.
Immunization and Adjuvant Effect

It is not possible to describe a general procedure of immunization which can be applied to many different antigens and different experimental animals. One reason for this is the wide variety of antigen materials. Another is the fact that different animal species respond differently to the same antigen and that some apparently healthy individuals of a species hardly produce antibody to a certain antigen, while other individuals of the same species respond with a high output.
House fly (Diptera: Muscidae) resistance to permethrin on southern California dairies.

House fly, Musca domestica L., populations sampled from eight dairies in the Chino Basin area of southern California were evaluated by topical application for permethrin resistance. Resistance ratios at LD95, ranged from 15.2- to 185.2-fold, roughly in agreement with frequency of permethrin usage. Combined use of permethrin with piperonyl butoxide (1:5 ratio) increased toxicity of permethrin in laboratory bioassays; synergism ratios ranged from 12.4- to 34.3-fold and were significantly correlated with resistance ratios. Permethrin resistance greatly decreased in a population that remained unselected in the laboratory from November 1984 to July 1985. Selection of that colony for two consecutive generations caused a 12.5-fold increase in the LD95. Withdrawal of permethrin from one dairy during 1985 caused the LD95 to decline from 9.26 to 1.84 μg per fly. Mortality counts of house flies taken at 24 and 48 h after treatment showed that some flies recovered from initial knock-down recorded at 24 h, thus causing a 50% increase in the LD95. The possibility of using piperonyl butoxide to manage permethrin resistance is discussed.
Detection of bacterial capsular polysaccharide in the body fluids of patients with haemophilus epiglottitis or meningitis

In 1917 Avery and his colleagues at the Rockefeller Institute reported the detection of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen in the serum and urine of some patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. The discovery by Pittman (1931) that nearly all cases of haemophilus meningitis are caused by encapsulated strains of Haemophilus influenzae belonging to serogroup b led to the demonstration of free capsular antigen in the body fluids of patients with meningitis. Capsular antigen could be detected in samples of cerebrospinal fluid (c.s.f.) by testing c.s.f. supernatant in a simple tube precipitin test. During the early 1970s workers in Nigeria, the United States and Britain employed counter-current immuno-electrophoresis (C.C.I.E.) as a sensitive method of detecting small amounts of bacterial polysaccharide in body fluids. C.C.I.E. can detect as little as 0.05 μg/ml of H. influenzae type b antigen, and is about 50 times more sensitive than the precipitin technique (the sensitivity of the ring test is about 2.5 μg antigen/ml). The theoretical advantages of C.C.I.E. are to facilitate the rapid diagnosis of haemophilus meningitis and to detect cases where previous chemotherapy has sterilized the c.s.f. before lumbar puncture. During the 10-month period October 1975 to July 1976 inclusive, we have used C.C.I.E. in children with suspected haemophilus epiglottitis or meningitis. Twelve of 14 cases of haemophilus meningitis yielded a positive result, including one case where bacteriological culture was negative. However, all of three cases of haemophilus epiglottitis gave negative results on C.C.I.E.
A method of human plasmapheresis.

SummaryA simple method for human plasmapheresis is described. In a single patient with multiple myeloma it has been shown that the removal of 30 g of plasma protein daily can be continued without ill effect and without substantial decrease in the concentration of plasma protein for at least five weeks. Nitrogen equilibrium was maintained when the diet contained 85 g of protein per day and 2500 calories.
Productivity and Broadband The Human Factor

While the productivity paradox has been largely resolved, debate persists about the impacts of information and communications technologies on productivity, particularly as regards broadband Interne...
A LASSO Chart for Monitoring the Covariance Matrix

Multivariate control charts are essential tools in multivariate statistical process control. In real applications, when a multivariate process shifts, it occurs in either location or scale. Several...
Application Study on M-Copula Function in Flood Encounter

Copula function can consider the relationship among variables for calculating the hydrologic design value.The paper introduced a new Copula function—M-Copula in order to analyze dependence of annual maximum peak discharge between two stations in the upper Yangtze River,and fit curve method was used to estimate M-Copula function's parameters.The results show that Gumbel Copula always overestimates the probability of upper tail of hydrologic variables,while M-Copula are satisfactory because the model fit the experience Copula better.In a word,M-Copula has comprehensive application prospect in multiple variable hydrologic frequancy analysis.
Alzheimer's disease pathways to practice: assessing diagnosis and outcome measures.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementing illness, affecting nearly 4.5 million Americans according to current estimates. The disease exhibits a strong association with old age, and is not commonly observed in individuals 65 years of age, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is ∼10%, and nearly half of all persons >85 years of age are affected by this condition. Given the apparent link between Alzheimer's risk and increasing age, as well as expected changes in the demographic structure of the United States population, it has been projected that the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease will reach unprecedented levels in the coming years. In fact, it has been predicted that, barring the development of novel preventive therapies, the number of US residents with Alzheimer's will increase to 11–16 million by the year 2050.The expected rise in the number of Alzheimer's disease cases represents a daunting challenge, due to the far-reaching negative impact of the disease. Alzheimer's disease is a condition that not only has profound effects on the affected patient but also takes a dramatic toll on the patient's primary caregiver, who is in many cases the spouse or an adult child of the patient. Patients with Alzheimer's experience cognitive and functional declines, often in association with behavioral disturbances, while caregivers frequently suffer reductions in quality of life attributable to the immense emotional, physical, and financial burdens associated with the task of providing care.
HEMODYNAMICS AND OXYGEN UPTAKE BELOW AND ABOVE AORTIC OCCLUSION DURING CROSSCLAMPING OF THE THORACIC AORTA AND SODIUM NITROPRUSSIDE INFUSION

The effects of controlled vasodilation on blood flow and oxygen consumption above and below the aortic occlusion during crossclamping of the thoracic aorta were examined in 16 mongrel dogs anesthetized with halothane. Blood flow in the inferior vena cava was measured with an electromagnetic cannulating flow probe, and cardiac output was measured by thermodilution. The animals were divided into two groups. In the control group the thoracic aorta was crossclamped at the diaphragmatic level for 30 minutes. In the sodium nitroprusside group the aorta was also crossclamped for 30 minutes, but an infusion of sodium nitroprusside was initiated after 10 minutes of occlusion to decrease systemic blood pressure. Measurements were made before and at 10, 20, and 30 minutes after aortic crossclamping, and at 10 minutes after aortic unclamping. Crossclamping of the thoracic aorta was associated with marked decreases in blood flow and oxygen consumption in organs and tissues below the aortic occlusion in both groups. Above the occlusion, blood flow increased but oxygen uptake decreased. Sodium nitroprusside increased cardiac output and blood flow above the aortic occlusion even more than crossclamping alone while it decreased blood flow and oxygen consumption below the crossclamp.
A computationally tractable implementation of pointwise minimum norm state-feedback laws for hybrid systems

We propose a computationally tractable implementation of state-feedback laws for hybrid systems given by differential equations capturing the continuous dynamics or flows, and by difference equations capturing the discrete dynamics or jumps. By exploiting the availability of a control Lyapunov function, along with other properties of the system, we show that pointwise minimum norm control laws can be implemented in a sample-and-hold fashion, with events triggered by timers, to render a desired compact set semiglobally and practically asymptotically stable. Examples illustrate the results.