cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trajectory-level fog detection based on in-vehicle video camera with TensorFlow deep learning utilizing SHRP2 naturalistic driving data

Providing drivers with real-time weather information and driving assistance during adverse weather, including fog, is crucial for safe driving. The primary focus of this study was to develop an affordable in-vehicle fog detection method, which will provide accurate trajectory-level weather information in real-time. The study used the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) video data and utilized several promising Deep Learning techniques, including Deep Neural Network (DNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Python programming on the TensorFlow Machine Learning library has been used for training the Deep Learning models. The analysis was done on a dataset consisted of three weather conditions, including clear, distant fog and near fog. During the training process, two optimizers, including Adam and Gradient Descent, have been used. While the overall prediction accuracy of the DNN, RNN, LSTM, and CNN using the Gradient Descent optimizer were found to be around 85 %, 77 %, 84 %, and 97 %, respectively; much improved overall prediction accuracy of 88 %, 91 %, 93 %, and 98 % for the DNN, RNN, LSTM, and CNN, respectively, were observed considering the Adam optimizer. The proposed fog detection method requires only a single video camera to detect weather conditions, and therefore, can be an inexpensive option to be fitted in maintenance vehicles to collect trajectory-level weather information in real-time for expanding as well as updating weather-based Variable Speed Limit (VSL) systems and Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS).
Transcranial activation and imaging of low boiling point phase‐change contrast agents through the temporal bone using an ultrafast interframe activation ultrasound sequence

PURPOSE As a cavitation enhancer, low boiling point phase-change contrast agents (PCCA) offer potential for ultrasound-mediated drug delivery in applications including intracerebral hemorrhage or brain tumors. In addition to introducing cavitation, ultrasound imaging also has the ability to provide guidance and monitoring of the therapeutic process by localizing delivery events. However, the highly attenuating skull poses a challenge for achieving an image with useful contrast. In this study, the feasibility of transcranial activation and imaging of low boiling point PCCAs through the human temporal bone was investigated by using a low frequency ultrafast interframe activation ultrasound (UIAU) imaging sequence with singular value decomposition-based denoising. METHODS Lipid-shelled PCCAs filled with decafluorobutane were activated and imaged at 37°C in tissue-mimicking phantoms both without and with an ex vivo human skull using the new UIAU sequence and a low frequency diagnostic transducer array at frequencies from 1.5 to 3.5 MHz. A singular value decomposition-based denoising filter was developed and used to further enhance transcranial image contrast. The contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) and contrast enhancement (CE) of UIAU was quantitatively evaluated and compared with the amplitude modulation pulse inversion (AMPI) and vaporization detection imaging (VDI) approaches. RESULTS Image results demonstrate enhanced contrast in the phantom channel with suppressed background when the low boiling point PCCA was activated both without and with an ex vivo human skull using the UIAU sequence. Quantitative results show that without the skull, low frequency UIAU imaging provided significantly higher image contrast (CTR ≥ 18.56 dB and CE ≥ 18.66 dB) than that of AMPI and VDI (P < 0.05). Transcranial imaging results indicated that the CE of UIAU (≥18.80 dB) was significantly higher than AMPI for free-field activation pressures of 5 and 6 MPa. The CE of UIAU is also significantly higher than that of VDI when PCCAs were activated at 2.5 MHz and 3 MHz (P < 0.05). The CTR (23.30 [20.07-25.56] dB) of denoised UIAU increased by 12.58 dB relative to the non-denoised case and was significantly higher than that of AMPI at an activation pressure of 4 MPa (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that low boiling point PCCAs can be activated and imaged at low frequencies including imaging through the temporal bone using the UIAU sequence. The UIAU imaging approach provides higher contrast than AMPI and VDI, especially at lower activation pressures with additional removal of electronic noise.
Significance of Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease: Sensitivity, Specificity and Potential for Clinical Use.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, affecting more than 5 million Americans, with steadily increasing mortality and incredible socio-economic burden. Not only have therapeutic efforts so far failed to reach significant efficacy, but the real pathogenesis of the disease is still obscure. The current theories are based on pathological findings of amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles that accumulate in the brain parenchyma of affected patients. These findings have defined, together with the extensive neurodegeneration, the diagnostic criteria of the disease. The ability to detect changes in the levels of amyloid and tau in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) first, and more recently in blood, has allowed us to use these biomarkers for the specific in-vivo diagnosis of AD in humans. Furthermore, other pathological elements of AD, such as the loss of neurons, inflammation and metabolic derangement, have translated to the definition of other CSF and blood biomarkers, which are not specific of the disease but, when combined with amyloid and tau, correlate with the progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD dementia, or identify patients who will develop AD pathology. In this review, we discuss the role of current and hypothetical biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease, their specificity, and the caveats of current high-sensitivity platforms for their peripheral detection.
Marriage, Family, and Fertility

The study of human fertility is centrally concerned with conception and childbearing, and with variables related to these events. Biological conditions that affect fecundity (the ability to bear children) are obviously important in understanding fertility, and technology plays a part through the invention and dissemination of devices and procedures that can regulate conception or birth. However, because the vast majority of people are biologically able to reproduce, and technology affects fertility only if it is used, the emphasis of this chapter is on social-cultural variables related to fertility. Social-cultural elements most strongly affect when and with whom sexual intercourse occurs and whether measures are taken to prevent conception or birth. Marriage and the family are major social-cultural elements, and especially in advanced societies, the social-cultural influences on human fertility are of overriding importance (Andorka, 1978).
Sequence Learning in Associative Neuronal-Astrocytic Networks.

The neuronal paradigm of studying the brain has left us with limitations in both our understanding of how neurons process information to achieve biological intelligence and how such knowledge may be translated into artificial intelligence and even its most brain-derived branch, neuromorphic computing. Overturning our assumptions of how the brain works, the recent exploration of astrocytes reveals how these long-neglected brain cells dynamically regulate learning by interacting with neuronal activity at the synaptic level. Following recent experimental studies, we designed an associative, Hopfield-type, neuronal-astrocytic network and analyzed the dynamics of the interaction between neurons and astrocytes. We show how astrocytes were sufficient to trigger transitions between learned memories in the network and derived the timing of these transitions based on the dynamics of the calcium-dependent slow-currents in the astrocytic processes. We further evaluated the proposed brain-morphic mechanism for sequence learning by emulating astrocytic atrophy. We show that memory recall became largely impaired after a critical point of affected astrocytes was reached. These results support our ongoing efforts to harness the computational power of non-neuronal elements for neuromorphic information processing.
Phenomenology and Pragmatism: A Continuing Dialogue with Patrick A. Heelan

The honor of being invited to contribute to this well-deserved Festschrift for Patrick Heelan is made more pleasurable by the occasion it affords to continue a dialogue with him that began thirty-five years ago about the relative merits of phenomenology and pragmatism. Our friendship has not been all philosophical dialogue, of course. We taught together at Fordham University and again at SUNY Stony Brook. He has been an important friend within my family since he brought comfort after the brief life of our first daughter. When our two other girls were in grade school, he would haul his definitely non-portable computer over to our house for them to play with, introducing them to the computer age when I had barely mastered an electrified typewriter. And now he exercises an avuncular superintendence over our youngest who teaches history at a neighboring university in Washington. But our philosophic dialogue has always been a crucial part of the friendship, starting in the early days at Fordham. It continued in the philosophy and religious studies departments at Stony Brook where Patrick sat in on my seminar on Peirce. For several years it was formalized around a small group of philosophers including George Wolf, a neuroscientist, Ed Casey, a phenomenologist, and David Weissman, a pragmatist, who met monthly in New York City at Jay Schulkin’s apartment. Jay is a pragmatic neuroscientist.
Peritoneal Lavage Cytology Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Low Yield in Detecting Peritoneal Metastases.

BackgroundPeritoneal lavage cytology (PLC) can detect advanced disease in gastric adenocarcinoma (GC); however, routine practice remains controversial. Furthermore, the effect of neoadjuvant chemot...
Effect of Lauric Acid on the Stability of Abeta-Oligomers

While Alzheimers disease is correlated with the presence of A{beta} fibrils in patient brains, the more likely agents are their precursors, soluble oligomers that may form pores or otherwise distort cell membranes. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulation we study how presence of fatty acids such as lauric acid changes the stability of pore-forming oligomers built from three-stranded A{beta}42 chains. Such a change would alter the distribution of amyloids in the fatty-acid rich brain environment, and therefore could explain the lower polymorphism observed in A{beta}-fibrils derived from brains of patients with Alzheimers disease. We find that lauric acid stabilizes both ring-like and barrel-shaped models, with the effect being stronger for barrel-like models than for ring-like oligomers.
Enzymatic characterization of three human RNA adenosine methyltransferases reveals diverse substrate affinities and reaction optima.

RNA methylations of varied RNA species (mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, non-coding RNA) generate a range of modified nucleotides, including N6-methyladenosine. Here we study the enzymology of three human RNA methyltransferases that methylate the adenosine amino group in diverse contexts, when it is: the first transcribed nucleotide after the mRNA cap (PCIF1), at position 1832 of 18S rRNA (MettL5-Trm112 complex), and within a hairpin in the 3′ UTR of the S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthetase (MettL16). Among these three enzymes, the catalytic efficiency ranges from PCIF1, with the fastest turnover rate of >230 h−1 μM−1 on mRNA cap analog, down to MettL16, which has the lowest rate of ∼3 h−1 μM−1 acting on an RNA hairpin. Both PCIF1 and MettL5 have a binding affinity (Km) of ∼1 μM or less for both substrates of SAM and RNA, whereas MettL16 has significantly lower binding affinities for both (Km >0.4 mM for SAM and ∼10 μM for RNA). The three enzymes are active over a wide pH range (∼5.4–9.4) and have different preferences for ionic strength. Sodium chloride at 200 mM markedly diminished methylation activity of MettL5-Trm112 complex, whereas MettL16 had higher activity in the range of 200 to 500 mM NaCl. Zinc ion inhibited activities of all three enzymes. Together, these results illustrate the diversity of RNA adenosine methyltransferases in their enzymatic mechanisms and substrate specificities and underline the need for assay optimization in their study.
OP0117 The effect of anakinra in slowing radiologic progression in rheumatoid arthritis patients ? evidence from a bootstrap analysis

Background Anakinra was studied in a randomised placebo-controlled study of 473 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients were randomised to one of 4 treatment groups (placebo, 30 mg, 75 mg or 150 mg anakinra) and treated for 24 weeks. Radiographic assessments of the hands and wrists based on Larsen score (Larsen 1977) were collected at baseline and 24 weeks. At the end of the study, about 27% of the patients withdrew. To assess the anakinra effect on reducing joint damage, the potential influence of dropouts on the study conclusions must be taken into account. Objectives To demonstrate that the effect of anakinra in reducing the rate of radiologic disease progression is robust and insensitive to potential biases due to losses of followup. Methods The 3 anakinra dose groups were combined into a single treatment group which was then compared to placebo. For each treatment group, x% of the missing Larsen score changes from baseline to week 24 were imputed by randomly selecting the observed change scores from the same treatment group, and the rest of the missing data were imputed similarly from the opposite treatment group. The resampled (bootstrapped) data were then analysed by an ANOVA model. This resampling procedure was repeated 1000 times, resulting in the estimation of 1000 p-values for testing the treatment effect. These 1000 p-values were then summarised to give an estimated picture of the IL-1ra treatment effect. By changing the proportion of sampling (x) systematically, the effect of anakinra on radiologic progression can be studied under different scenarios of missing data. Results The results from all the analyses indicated that there was improvement in radiologic progression with anakinra treatment for 24 weeks. Statistical significance was maintained when up to 40% of the missing data were sampled from the opposite treatment group (mean and median p-values range from 0.021 to 0.078, and 0.011 to 0.05 respectively). Conclusion Anakinra has a statistically significant effect on slowing the progression of disease for 24 weeks of treatment as measured by the Larsen Score, even when as much as 40% of the missing anakinra scores are imputed with placebo values.
A Knight in Sheep’s Clothing: Media Framing of the Alt-Right Can Alter the Image of Racist Groups:

The Alt-Right increased its national profile during the 2016 presidential election based on its support of Donald Trump. This research becomes more salient with the media continuing to face similar...
Levels of economic developement and the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 50 U.S. states and territories and 28 European countries: an association analysis of aggregated data.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a global pandemic within several months after it was first reported in Wuhan City of China at the end of December, 2019. Countries in the Northern Hemisphere have been affected the most, including the United States and European countries. Contrary to the common knowledge that infectious diseases are more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, COVID-19 appears to affect wealthy countries more. This paper attempts to quantify the relationship between COVID-19 infections and levels of economic development with data from the U.S. and Europe. Methods: Public domain data on the confirmed COVID-19 cases during January 1 and May 31, 2020 by states and territories in the U.S. and by countries in Europe were included. Incidence rate was estimated using the 2019 total population. COVID-19 cases were associated with 2019 GDP using regression models after a logarithmic transformation of the data. The U.S. data and European data were analyzed separately, considering significant heterogeneity between the two. Results: A total of 2 451 691 COVID-19 cases during a 5-month period were analyzed, including 1 787 414 from 50 U.S. states and territories and 664 277 from 28 European countries. The overall incidence rate was 5.393/1000 for the U.S. and 1.411/1 000 for European countries with large variations. Lg (total cases) was significantly associated with lg (GDP) for U.S. states (= 1.2579, P < 0.001) and European countries (= 0.7156, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a positive correlation between COVID-19 case incidence and GDP. Study findings suggest a potential role of high-level development in facilitating infectious disease spread, such as better domestic and international travel for businesses and leisure, more personal freedom and more group activities. These factors must be considered in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.
High Mortality and Venous Thromboembolism Risk Following Major Penetrating Abdominal Venous Injuries.

Background Penetrating injuries to the inferior vena cava and/or iliac veins are a source of hemorrhage but may also predispose patients to venous thromboembolism (VTE). We sought to determine the relationship between iliocaval injury, VTE and mortality. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank was queried for penetrating abdominal trauma from 2015–2017. Univariate analyses compared baseline characteristics and outcomes based on presence of iliocaval injury. Multivariable analyses determined the effect of iliocaval injury on VTE and mortality. Results Of 9,974 patients with penetrating abdominal trauma, 329 had iliocaval injury (3.3%). Iliocaval injury patients were more likely to have a firearm mechanism (83% vs. 43%, P Conclusion Iliocaval injuries occur in
Why women choose divorce: An evolutionary perspective.

Abstract In Western dual-educated, male-female marriages, women who divorce face greater burdens because of decreased income and primary or sole responsibility for caring for children than men who divorce. Why, then, do these women initiate divorce more and fare better psychologically after a divorce than men? Here, we articulate an evolutionary mismatch perspective, informed by key findings in relationship science. We argue that mismatches between women's evolved preferences and configurations of modern marriage often clash, producing dissatisfaction. Women's unprecedented career ascendance also affords women ever more freedom to leave. We discuss pressures from social expectations for men and women that contribute to or compound these vulnerabilities. We conclude with key questions for future research, which can contribute to strategies for mitigating relationship dissatisfaction and the profound loss and pain that results from divorce.
A high solids field-to-fuel research pipeline to identify interactions between feedstocks and biofuel production.

BACKGROUND Environmental factors, such as weather extremes, have the potential to cause adverse effects on plant biomass quality and quantity. Beyond adversely affecting feedstock yield and composition, which have been extensively studied, environmental factors can have detrimental effects on saccharification and fermentation processes in biofuel production. Only a few studies have evaluated the effect of these factors on biomass deconstruction into biofuel and resulting fuel yields. This field-to-fuel evaluation of various feedstocks requires rigorous coordination of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation experiments. A large number of biomass samples, often in limited quantity, are needed to thoroughly understand the effect of environmental conditions on biofuel production. This requires greater processing and analytical throughput of industrially relevant, high solids loading hydrolysates for fermentation, and led to the need for a laboratory-scale high solids experimentation platform. RESULTS A field-to-fuel platform was developed to provide sufficient volumes of high solids loading enzymatic hydrolysate for fermentation. AFEX pretreatment was conducted in custom pretreatment reactors, followed by high solids enzymatic hydrolysis. To accommodate enzymatic hydrolysis of multiple samples, roller bottles were used to overcome the bottlenecks of mixing and reduced sugar yields at high solids loading, while allowing greater sample throughput than possible in bioreactors. The roller bottle method provided 42-47% greater liquefaction compared to the batch shake flask method for the same solids loading. In fermentation experiments, hydrolysates from roller bottles were fermented more rapidly, with greater xylose consumption, but lower final ethanol yields and CO2 production than hydrolysates generated with shake flasks. The entire platform was tested and was able to replicate patterns of fermentation inhibition previously observed for experiments conducted in larger-scale reactors and bioreactors, showing divergent fermentation patterns for drought and normal year switchgrass hydrolysates. CONCLUSION A pipeline of small-scale AFEX pretreatment and roller bottle enzymatic hydrolysis was able to provide adequate quantities of hydrolysate for respirometer fermentation experiments and was able to overcome hydrolysis bottlenecks at high solids loading by obtaining greater liquefaction compared to batch shake flask hydrolysis. Thus, the roller bottle method can be effectively utilized to compare divergent feedstocks and diverse process conditions.
Enhancement of drying rate of moist porous media with dielectrophoresis mechanism

Drying of moist porous media, such as food or pulp and paper, is an energy-intensive process. Traditional drying technologies have disadvantages, including high energy consumption, thermal degradat...
ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO THE SOMATIC ANTIGEN OF SALMONELLA NEWPORT IN PREMATURE INFANTS

Antibody to the somatic antigen of S. newport was demonstrated by the hemagglutination technique in the sera of 11 premature infants 1 to 2 months old following a nursery outbreak of gastroenteritis. By ultracentrifugal analysis of selected sera from infected infants the antibody activity was exclusively associated with the rapidly sedimenting (19S) gamma M globulin fraction. Although antibody activity was found in the rapidly sedimenting fraction in all maternal sera tested, some antibody activity was also found in the slowly sadimenting immunoglobulin fractions in sera from 2 of 7 mothers suggesting recent or intensive antigenic stimulation. This evidence, coupled with a recent history of gastroenteritis, suggests that one of the mothers may have been the source of the epidemic. The low or absent antibody titers in the infants of these two mothers suggests that the antibody response may have been suppressed by the placental transfer of maternal slowly sedimenting antibody. The usual sequence of immunoglobulin response to protein antigens is contrasted with the response to the somatic antigen of Gram-negative bacteria, and the role of serum antibody in immunity to Gramnegative bacteria is discussed.
Protective Order Enforcement: Another Pirouette

Family violence is particularly destructive because the danger exists within the sanctuary of the home and of intimate relationships, exploding where there is little chance for respite. Without a firm commitment to combat family violence, this behavior will continue to flow from generation to generation. The very existence of protective orders suggests a failure on the part of the criminal justice system to effectively respond to domestic violence. These orders also highlight the complexity of the issues raised and the difficulty of applying a narrow state-versus-perpetrator-to-the-exclusion-of-victim approach to these crimes. Domestic violence necessarily entails a hybrid of criminal and family law and thus demands creativity. This does not mean counseling instead of punishment, nor does it mean light sentences. The message that violence in the home is serious, and will not be tolerated, must be clear. That this message requires a complex response makes it no less compelling.
Reduced Complexity Adaptive MAP Receiver for Frequency-Flat, Time-Varying CDMA Channels

An adaptive maximum \emph{a posteriori} (MAP) receiver with multiple-access interference (MAI) mitigation is proposed for DS-CDMA systems in frequency-flat, time-varying fading channels. The receiver consists of a sequence matched filter (MF), an adaptive channel estimator, and a MAP demodulator. By oversampling the MF output, the receiver can characterize the MAI symbol-by-symbol to suppress the strong and time-varying MAI. Without any pilot insertion and \emph{a priori} knowledge, the channel estimator can adapt to various fading channels using a general, model-based approach. For practical implementations, a reduction in complexity is introduced and is shown to have a negligible effect on both uncoded and decoded bit error rates (BER's).
Geographic Information Systems in Agronomy

Publisher Summary This chapter is intended to provide an introduction to geographic information system (GIS) and associated landscape tools and to illustrate the ways in which they are being used in various aspects of agronomy. GIS technology is bringing about rapid changes in the way that agronomic analysis and management are being conducted. GIS coupled with remote sensing, Global Positioning System (GPS), electronic sensors, and computer technologies is providing new methods for data acquisition, storage, processing, analysis, and modeling. These new tools allow us to quantitatively describe landscapes and processes. The chapter discusses site-specific farming (SSF)—that is, farm management based upon variable soil and microclimate conditions that occur within most fields. SSF reduces waste, because fertilizer and herbicide—for example—are applied only where needed. New and/or improved models need to be developed to fully take advantage of the spatial nature of the data provided by these tools. The development of these models will rely on spatial statistical analysis techniques to quantify the accuracy of input parameters and model output. Many new tools are being used in this rapidly evolving field of GIS. Three-dimensional scene simulation, visualization, and animation linked with remote sensing and image processing technologies, and real time data collection will be needed in the study of agronomic systems. The development and use of three-dimensional GIS and spatiotemporal GIS will be an increasingly important area of research. The agronomic community—including farmers, land managers, fellow scientists, policymakers, and the general public should benefit from this evolving and expanding field.
The leisure experience: selected properties.

The difficulties inherent in both a clear, unambiguous conceptualization of leisure and its accurate empirical measurement has prevented the development of an adequate science of leisure. Some scho...
Buoyant density studies of several mecillinam-resistant and division mutants of Escherichia coli.

Abstract The buoyant density of wild-type Escherichia coli cells has previously been reported not to vary with growth rate and cell size or age. In the present report we confirm these findings, using Percoll gradients, and analyze the recently described lov mutant, which was selected for its resistance to mecillinam and has been suggested to be affected in the coordination between mass growth and envelope synthesis. The average buoyant density of lov mutant cells was significantly lower than that of wild-type cells. Similarly, the buoyant density of wild-type cells decreased in the presence of mecillinam. The density of the lov mutant, like that of the wild type, was invariant over a 2.8-fold range in growth rate. In this range, however, the average cell volume was also constant. Analysis of buoyant density as a function of cell volume in individual cultures revealed that smaller (newborn) lov mutant cells had higher density than larger (old) cells; however, the density of the small cells never approached that of the wild-type cells, whose density was independent of cell size (age). A pattern similar to that of lov mutant cells was observed in cells carrying the mecillinam-resistant mutations pbpA(Ts) and rodA(Ts) and the division mutation ftsI(Ts) at nonpermissive temperatures as well as in wild-type cells treated with mecillinam, but not in mecillinam-resistant crp or cya mutants.
Characterization of a 43 s ribonucleoprotein component of a mutant of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Exponentially growing cultures of a strain of Escherichia coli which carries a mutation suppressing streptomycin dependence accumulate a ribonucleoprotein component, which at a magnesium ion concentration of 0.1 m m sediments at approximately 43 s. This 43 s particle contains 23 s RNA and some, but not all, of the protein components of the mature 50 s subunit. Unlike the 50 s ribosome, the 43 s particle is degraded by low concentrations of ribonuclease. Changes in the magnesium ion concentration have a greater effect on the sedimentation characteristics of the 43 s than on those of the 50 s particle. When labeled uridine is added to growing cultures of the mutant, label appears first in the 43 s component and then passes, as a function of time, into the 50 s subunit.
Reactions and Equi ibria in Magnesium Oxych oride Cements

Phase equi ibria in the system MgO-MgC 2-H2O at 2°±3°C were determined and the reactions by which the equi ibrium phases, 5Mg(OH)2 MgC 2 8H2O and 3Mg(OH)2 MgC 28H2O, deve op were studied by X-ray diffractometry. As reactive MgO is disso ved by magnesium ch oride so utions, a thixotropic suspension is converted to a ge, which then crysta izes to form the ternary oxych oride phases. Insufficient y active MgO disso ves more s ow y so that, in an open system, bu k composition can shift by evaporation of water, resu ting in crysta ization of a nonequi ibrium phase assemb age, with residua magnesium ch oride so ution and unreacted MgO. Imp ications of these nonequi ibrium reactions for the performance of magnesium oxych oride cements are discussed.
Evaluation of methanol-induced retinotoxicity using oscillatory potential analysis.

Abstract Methanol is an ocular toxicant which causes visual dysfunction often leading to blindness after acute exposure. While the manifestation of the toxicity has been widely studied, the mechanism by which the injury is produced is still uncertain. A major unanswered question pertains to the site of action, i.e. direct retinotoxicity versus primary optic nerve toxicity with secondary retinotoxicity. In the present study, the effect of methanol on the oscillatory potentials (OPs) of the electroretinogram (ERG) were evaluated in acutely treated folate sufficient (FS) and folate reduced (FR) Long-Evans rats. The OP amplitudes of the acutely dosed FR rats displayed non-selective decreases in all OP amplitudes and non-selective increases in all OP latencies at methanol doses ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 g/kg. Comparing decreases of op 2 and ERG b-wave amplitudes with blood formate concentration demonstrates that the b-wave is more sensitive than op 2 in a blood formate concentration range of 6–14 mM, suggesting that retinal ischemia is not involved in methanol-induced visual system toxicity.
Secondary intergradation and genome incompatibility in Phlox pilosa (polemoniaceae)

Phlox pilosa ssp.pilosa andP. pilosa ssp.fulgida form a zone of secondary intergradation extending from northern Illinois and Indiana along the prairie-forest border to southwestern Missouri. The structure of the zone was analyzed in Illinois and Indiana. Trichome morphology offered the only diagnostic characteristic. Character gradients in the zone are highly irregular and steeply sloping. Closely adjacent populations often have disparate phenotype distributions. Most populations are strongly skewed toward the parental ends of the morphological spectrum. The properties of the zone are attributed to genome incompatibility, which is seen in the crossability barriers between the two subspecies and between the subspecies and hybrids, a reduction in pollen fertility, anther size and fecundity in hybrids, and the formation of multiple nucleoli in the hybrids. Subspeciesfulgida appears to be the primary recipient of alien gene flow. However, the position of the zone ostensibly is stabilized by the presence of an ecological barrier.
AIDS Prevention Research in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Generating the Evidence upon Which Local Decisions are Made

The authors discuss engaging scientists from low-and middle-income countries as lead investigators on research projects and the contributions that are made in doing so. Points made in this editorial are: publishing the research findings of scientists from LAMICs requires a multi-faceted approach to peer-reviewing and copyediting. To bring some of these articles to press we needed to address the limitations of their facility with the English language the effect of resource constraints that sometimes result in less-than optimal research designs and some reviewers’ lack of familiarity with the realities of conducting research in these international settings. Concomitantly we concentrated on the relevance and potential of submissions to address local issues. Some articles were returned for multiple revisions but always with the understanding that the underlying scientific contribution was valuable. Some articles required a heavier than usual hand in copyediting to help translate unclear ideas--ideas that were usually crystal clear in the investigators’ own languages--into writing that would pass muster in international peer-reviewed journals. (excerpt)
EEG frequency-pattern variation and intelligence; a correlational study.

Abstract An experiment was performed to test a hypothesis, suggested by Walter's work, that there is a relationship between test intelligence and EEG frequency-pattern variability. This involved the application of the coefficient of concordance (Kendall's W) to frequency analyser data to yield a single summary measure of frequency-pattern variability. The hypothesis was not confirmed.
A preliminary study of metalloproteins in CSF by CapLC-ICPMS and NanoLC-CHIP/ITMS.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has frequently been studied to explore the total metal concentrations in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Some examples of neurologic diseases include but are not limited to intracerebral hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage and hydrocephalus. In this study, however, a comprehensive approach was begun using metallomics methods. First, two molecular weight cutoff filters were used to separate CSF constituents by molecular weight. The remaining CSF was then separated with capillary liquid chromatography/normal bore liquid chromatography and analyzed with inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICPMS). With this ICPMS screening, a possible iron associated protein was suggested by nanoliquid chromatography-CHIP/ion trap mass spectrometry (nanoLC-CHIP/ITMS) identification in conjunction with a Spectrum Mill database search. In this preliminary study, three different types of pooled CSF were partially characterized by their metal (Pb, Mg, Zn, Fe and Cu) containing species with suggestions for fuller studies. Chemical `differences' in the CSF and metal constituents suggests some utility in this analysis for understanding some of the complications observed following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
New 3-O-Acyl Betulinic Acids from Strychnos vanprukii Craib

Three new betulinic acid derivatives, 3β-O-trans-feruloylbetulinic acid (1), 3β-O-cis-feruloylbetulinic acid (2), and 3β-O-cis-coumaroylbetulinic acid (4), along with two known triterpenes, 3β-O-trans-coumaroylbetulinic acid (3) and ursolic acid (6) were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Strychnos vanprukii Craib. All isolates showed moderate anti-HIV activity with IC50 values ranging from 3 to 7 μg/mL (5 to 15 μM) in an indicator cell line for HIV infectivity. The structures of the new isolates were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.
Understanding ProtoGENI in Networking Courses for Research and Education

Hands-on lab experience is often necessary and important, but it requires time and financial investment in computer and engineering curricula. The Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) is a real-world, repeatable, programmable, at-scale, virtual infrastructure for experiments in a variety of computer science areas such as networking, security, and distributed computing sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). In this paper, we present an approach to understanding ProtoGENI, one of GENI resources, for networking research and education. Specifically, we have developed lab experiments and projects that help students to understand ProtoGENI for their course projects, capstone projects, and thesis research.
Storage model with discontinuous holding cost

Abstract We consider a Brownian storage system with stepwise holding cost and linear cost of disposal. There are no limits on the rate of disposal. We seek a policy which minimizes total discounted cost on an infinite interval. It is proved that the optimal policy is characterized by two points: one is a reflecting barrier, the second is a point of instantaneous displacement. When the process reaches the second point it must be instantly moved to the first point and kept below the first point with minimal efforts thereafter.
Medicalized Mothering: Perspectives from the Lives of African‐American and Jewish Women; Measuring Mama's Milk: Fascism and the Medicalization of Maternity in Italy

Medicalized Mothering: Perspectives from the Lives of African-American and Jewish Women. Jacquelyn S. Litt. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2000. xi+ 189 pp. Measuring Mama's Milk: Fascism and the Medicalization of Maternity in Italy. Elizabeth Dixon Whitaker. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2000. vii. 358 pp.
GaAs/(GaAl)as laser technology

This paper is a review of some recent work at IBM on semiconductor injection lasers. An automated system has been built and used for the epitaxial growth of laser material and we describe testing procedures used to characterize this material. Results on the degradation of these lasers at high continuous wave optical power are also presented.
ATP-dependent calcium transport in rat parotid basolateral membrane vesicles is modulated by membrane potential.

The ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport activity (T. Takuma, B.L. Kuyatt and B.J. Baum,Biochem. J. 227:239–245, 1985) exhibited by inverted basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from rat parotid gland was further characterized. The activity was dependent on Mg2+. Phosphate (5mm), but not oxalate (5mm), increased maximum Ca2+ accumulation by 50%. Half-maximal Ca2+ transport was achieved at ∼70nm Ca2+ in EGTA-buffered medium while maximal activity required >1 μm Ca2+ (V max=54 nmol/mg protein/min). Optimal rates of Ca2+ transport were obtained in the presence of KCl, while in a KCl-free medium (mannitol or sucrose) ∼40% of the total activity was achieved, which could not be stimulated by FCCP. The initial rate of Ca2+ transport could be significantly altered by preimposed membrane potentials generated by K+ gradients in the presence of valinomycin. Compared to the transport rate in the absence of membrane potential, a negative (interior) potential stimulated uptake by ∼30%, while a positive (interior) potential inhibited uptake. Initial rates of Ca2+ uptake could also be altered by imposing pH gradients, in the absence of KCl. When compared to the initial rate of Ca2+ transport in the absence of a pH gradient, pH i =7.5/pH o =7.5; the activity was ∼60% higher in the presence of an outwardly directed pH gradient, pH i =7.5/pH o =8.5; while it was ∼80% lower when an inwardly directed pH gradient was imposed, pH i =7.5/pH o =6.2. The data show that the ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport in BLMV can be modulated by the membrane potential, suggesting therefore that there is a transfer of charge into the vesicle during Ca2+ uptake, which could be compensated by other ion movements.
A Direct-and Quadrature-Axis Representation of a Parallel AC and DC Power System

Some typical results of an analog computer study of a parallel ac-dc power system are given in a companion paper. Commutations of both inverter and rectifier bridges are among the simulations detailed. Recognizing that individual commutations are of negligible importance for many phenomena, a simpler system simulation seemed feasible on the analog computer, and this was begun. Not only was the simulation improved but transient phenomena could be examined, which in real time may be of longer duration than simulated and accuracy will be retained. This is of special importance in studying electromechanical transients in parallel ac-dc power systems, especially during sudden load changes. The validity of the new simulation is established.
DUAL BETAS FROM BULL AND BEAR MARKETS: REVERSAL OF THE SIZE EFFECT

Significant firm-size-related differences in abnormal returns and systematic risks occur in bull and bear market months from 1926 to 1988. Potential differential return premiums between recessions and expansions appear to be captured by the varying risk model and not the constant risk model. Using a dual-beta market model to adjust for risk differences in bull and bear markets, we find that large firm stocks on average earn significant positive excess returns and small firm stocks earn significant negative excess returns. Superior performance of large firm stocks is even more pronounced outside January.
Vascular endothelial growth factor attenuates trauma-induced injury in rats

Endothelial dysfunction and loss of nitric oxide (NO) is an integral part of the initiation and maintenance of the inflammatory process such as that occurring in traumatic shock, and is considered responsible for much of the trauma induced microvascular injury. We investigated the effects of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a rat model of traumatic shock. Pentobarbital-anaesthetized rats subjected to Noble-Collip drum trauma developed a shock state characterized by marked hypotension and a 93% mortality rate with a mean survival time of 108+/-10 min in 14 rats. Accompanying these effects was a significant degree of endothelial dysfunction and a markedly elevated intestinal myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Treatment with 125 microg kg(-1) VEGF administered intravenously 18 h pre-trauma, increased survival rate to 67% (P<0.01), and prolonged survival time to 252+/-24 min in 12 rats (P<0.01). VEGF also significantly preserved the endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh indicating a preservation of endothelium-derived NO. Our results indicate that endothelial dysfunction with its accompanying loss of NO plays an important role in tissue injury associated with trauma, and that preservation of NO is beneficial in traumatic shock. The mechanisms of the protective effect of VEGF in trauma involves preservation of eNOS function and diminished neutrophil accumulation resulting in reduced neutrophil-mediated tissue injury. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 129, 71 - 76
Religious Pluralism and Religious Participation: A Game Theoretic Analysis1

Does religious pluralism decrease religious participation or increase it? Secularization theorists claim the former, while religious economies proponents claim the latter, and each side has used estimated pluralism-participation correlations to support its argument. Using a formal game theoretic model, this article shows how religious market forces and regulations generate plausible pluralism-participation correlations, whether or not the direct causal mechanisms argued by either side of the debate exist. The model generates testable hypotheses concerning the pluralism-participation relationship at both local and national levels and yields insights into previous empirical work.
Measuring written language ability in narrative samples

A language-levels model was used to analyze written narratives. The results have implications for instruction and for documenting change in the story-writing performance of students with and without special needs in the area of written language development. This study was based on stories written at midyear by 277 students (224 typical learners and 53 children with special difficulty in the area of written language) across grade levels one through five. Measures that differentiated students by grade level and special difficulty are reported by language level. Discourse-level measures were total words, total T-units, and story scores. Sentence-level measures were sentence codes (simple or complex, correct or incorrect), mean length of T-unit, and number and types of conjunctions. Word-level measures were number of different words and proportions of words spelled correctly. Gender differences were found for productivity measures in favor of females; no differences were found when comparing stories written b...
Androgen and estrogen receptors in adult hamster brain

Abstract Both androgen and estrogen receptors are present in the hypothalamus-preoptic area and remaining ‘brain’ regions of gonadectomized adult male and female hamsters. No quantitative or qualitative sex differences are detectable in either receptor system. According to all biochemical criteria tested, both receptors are qualitatively similar to those present in mouse and rat brain. However, there are striking species differences in both the relative concentration and distribution of both androgen and estrogen receptors in hamster brain compared to mouse and rat brain.
“Without the Luxury of Historical Amnesia”: The Model Postwar Immigrant Remembering the Vietnam War Through Anticommunist Protests

This article examines how postwar Vietnamese American immigrants are positioned as authoritative sources in public practices of remembering the Vietnam War, in this case, through street protests. It proposes that protest rhetoric can function as an effective form of disciplining ethnic identity and the social recognition of that identity. More specifically, Vietnamese American anticommunist protest rhetoric attempts to control and police the ways in which Vietnamese American identity can be forged in relation to the Vietnam War.This distanced Vietnamese American identity from ongoing conversations about race and nationality, and this constituted American citizenship of postwar immigrants as conservative. In short, this article will propose that the postwar Vietnamese American immigrant citizen-subject figures as the model minority of American imperialism.