cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Kashaev Equation and Related Recurrences

The hexahedron recurrence was introduced by R. Kenyon and R. Pemantle in the study of the double-dimer model in statistical mechanics. It describes a relationship among certain minors of a square matrix. This recurrence is closely related to the Kashaev equation, which has its roots in the Ising model and in the study of relations among principal minors of a symmetric matrix. Certain solutions of the hexahedron recurrence restrict to solutions of the Kashaev equation. We characterize the solutions of the Kashaev equation that can be obtained by such a restriction. This characterization leads to new results about principal minors of symmetric matrices. We describe and study other recurrences whose behavior is similar to that of the Kashaev equation and hexahedron recurrence. These include equations that appear in the study of s-holomorphicity, as well as other recurrences which, like the hexahedron recurrence, can be related to cluster algebras.
LARGE-SCALE EIGENMODES OF A TURBULENT FLAT-PLATE BOUNDARY LAYER

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the large-scale eigenmodes of a turbulent flat-plate boundary layer. It discusses the application of a nonlinear stability method formulated for the Navier–Stokes equations to the two-dimensional, time-averaged dynamical equations. Results are dependent in some fashion upon the eddy-viscosity function chosen to model the statistical evolution and interaction of the turbulent eddies. Physical intuition indicates that models more complex than piece-wise linear turbulent transport coefficients should have minimal effect upon calculated eigenmodes. Calculational procedure involves nonlinearly coupled biharmonic PDEs in a mixed 3-space of one physical and two spectral variables because of Fourier transformation in statistically homogeneous directions. The OLP methodology is a predictive, from first principles, nonlinear method of stability analysis specific to a Newtonian fluid.
Oxides reactions with a high-chrome sesquioxide refractory

In slagging coal-gasifier systems, the combination of oxides present as impurities in coal and combustion temperatures that can exceed 1650°C restrict the use of liner materials in the coal combustion chambers to refractories. In this study, the slag-refractory interactions of a new high chrome sesquioxide refractory was characterized. High-temperature cup tests showed that the molten oxides infused into the refractory and that the sesquioxide refractory reacts with the oxides in a manner similar to spinel phase refractories. Studies of the coal slag's individual oxide components showed CaO reacts with the chrome refractory to form a low melting Ca(CrO2)2. FeO reacts with the sesquioxide to form a interface layer of (Cr,Fe)3O4 spinel phase. Results of this study now make it possible to design studies for improving corrosion resistance to increase refractory life.
Analyzing Student Motivation and Self-Efficacy in Using an Intelligent Tutoring System

In this paper, we analyze how traits such as student motivation and self-efficacy impact students' perception of the usefulness of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). We have built and deployed an ITS called Intelligent Learning Materials Delivery Agent (ILMDA) in a CS1 course. This ITS presents instructional content such as tutorials, examples, and problems to the students with a bare bone minimal interface. The students interact with the system through a graphical user interface. The agent reasoning module of the ITS monitors the interaction, models the students, and selects the next example or problem to present to the student. Here we analyze the results of a qualitative survey of students' perception of this system, using data mining techniques such as correlation and contrast rules. We report on how the interface, the instructional content, and student motivation and self-efficacy relate to each other.
Evidence of axon connectivity across a spinal cord transection in rats treated with epidural stimulation and motor training combined with olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are unique glia that support axon outgrowth in the olfactory system, and when used as cellular therapy after spinal cord injury, improve recovery and axon regeneration. Here we assessed the effects of combining OEC transplantation with another promising therapy, epidural electrical stimulation during a rehabilitative motor task. Sprague-Dawley rats received a mid-thoracic transection and transplantation of OECs or fibroblasts (FBs) followed by lumbar stimulation while climbing an inclined grid. We injected pseudorabies virus (PRV) into hindlimb muscles 7 months post-injury to assess connectivity across the transection. Analyses showed that the number of serotonergic (5-HT) axons that crossed the rostral scar border and the area of neurofilament-positive axons in the injury site were both greater in OEC- than FB-treated rats. We detected PRV-labeled cells rostral to the transection and remarkable evidence of 5-HT and PRV axons crossing the injury site in 1 OEC- and 1 FB-treated rat. The axons that crossed suggested either axon regeneration (OEC) or small areas of probable tissue sparing (FB). Most PRV-labeled thoracic neurons were detected in laminae VII or X, and ~25% expressed Chx10, a marker for V2a interneurons. These findings suggest potential regeneration or sparing of circuits that connect thoracic interneurons to lumbar somatic motor neurons. Despite evidence of axonal connectivity, no behavioral changes were detected in this small-scale study. Together these data suggest that when supplemented with epidural stimulation and climbing, OEC transplantation can increase axonal growth across the injury site and may promote recovery of propriospinal circuitry.
The origins of the Cold War: Deciphering open access primary sources

Avalon Project (Yale University)- Cold War Cold War International History Project Cold War Museum Harvard Project on the Soviet Social System Online National Security Archive Origins of the Cold War Prelude to McCarthyism: The Making of a Blacklist The Wilson Center Digital Archives- Cold War Origins Cold War Intelligence Cold War Politics (1945–1991) Documents Relating to American Foreign Policy: The Cold War Foreign Relations of the United States Ideological Foundations of the Cold War–Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum National Security Achieve–Debriefing Books Address to Congress on the Yalta Conference (Franklin D. Roosevelt) Crimea (Yalta) Conference, 1945 Berlin Airlift (Harry S. Truman Presidential Library) Berlin Blockade 1948-1949 Berlin Blockade (June 24, 1948–May 12, 1949) The March Crisis and the Berlin Airlift George C. Marshall (The Marshall Plan) Marshall Plan Exhibit Publicizing the Marshall Plan: Records of the U.S. Special Representative in Europe, 1948-1950 Truman and the Marshall Plan
A quantitative exploration of gastrointestinal bleeding in intensive care unit patients

Background Quantitative assessments of the severity of bleeding in patients with bleeds within the gastrointestinal tract (GIB) are generally limited to blood tests like the hematocrit. The varied and irregular nature of the data collected during such observations makes it difficult in retrospective data analysis to characterize the complete course of bleeding. We intend to quantify the rate of blood loss over the course of an ICU stay, facilitating more precise analysis of retrospective data, and to use this quantification to examine questions about the effects of GIB. Methods and findings A population of 2,445 intensive care admissions across 2,266 patients with a diagnosis of GIB was studied. Using statistical techniques for smoothing data and accepted medical approaches for calculating blood loss, we are able to convert collections of individual laboratory readings that are difficult to understand into a simple, interpretable overview of the patient's bleeding status over time. To demonstrate this method, we compare patients' standard vital signs while bleeding heavily to times when they are not bleeding, finding a 3.0 ± 0.5% increase in heart rate, a 1.3 ± 0.4% decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 0.9 ± 0.5% decrease in diastolic blood pressure. After considering the effect of bleeding on standard vital signs, we demonstrate that patients with upper GIB have significantly elevated blood urea nitrogen levels while bleeding heavily, with a mean increase of 11.7 ± 7.2%, while patients with lower GIB do not, with a mean increase of 4.2 ± 6.6%. Conclusions This study introduces a novel method of processing retrospective laboratory data to characterize the course of bleeds within the gastrointestinal tract. This method is used to examine the direct effects of bleeding on a patient and can be deployed in future studies of bleeding using retrospective data.
Interfacial Dimerization by Organic Radical Reactions during Heterogeneous Oxidative Aging of Oxygenated Organic Aerosols.

Oxidative aging of atmospheric organic aerosols (OA) substantially modifies their chemical compositions, physical properties, and hence the various environmental impacts. Here, we report observatio...
Remote Physiologic Monitoring for Heart Failure

This review will describe the process of remote monitoring in the treatment of heart failure and the clinical trials for different modalities of data collection. Small studies monitoring weights, sometimes with other parameters, suggested a significant outcome benefit in meta-analysis. However, this has not been seen in larger studies. Clinical trials of remote monitoring using hemodynamic parameters seems to lead to improved outcomes, with more studies underway. Recently, multi-parameter methods with wearable or implantable devices have shown promise in detecting heart failure. The impact on clinical outcomes is being assessed. When using parameters such as daily weights, remote monitoring for heart failure has not been demonstrated to be broadly beneficial, while remote monitoring of hemodynamic parameters to guide heart failure therapy has met with initial success. Methods of combining multiple physiologic measurements appear to accurately detect worsening heart failure, and clinical trials are underway to assess the impact.
Transforming Dementia Care Through Pragmatic Clinical Trials Embedded in Learning Healthcare Systems.

The current evidence base for testing nonpharmacological interventions for people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers is limited, especially within care settings such as ambulatory care, assisted living communities, nursing homes, hospitals, and hospices. There has been even less attention to translation of effective interventions for PLWD into delivery of care. Thus, there is an urgent need for researchers to partner with these care settings, especially those that follow a learning healthcare systems (LHSs) model, and vice versa to conduct embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs). These trials are conducted within sites that offer routine care and are designed to answer important, relevant clinical questions and leverage existing electronic health and administrative data. ePCTs set in LHSs create a unique opportunity for researchers, healthcare providers, and PLWD and their families to work and learn together as potentially effective interventions are studied and stress tested in real-world situations. Healthcare settings that embrace research or quality improvement as part of a culture of continuous learning are ideal settings for ePCTs. In this article, we summarize what we have learned from the National Institutes of Health's Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory-funded ePCTs, discuss challenges of ePCTs within settings that serve PLWD, and describe the work of the Health Care Systems Core within the National Institute on Aging's IMbedded Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Clinical Trials Collaboratory that will occur over the next 5 years. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S43-S48, 2020.
Stakeholders' Perceptions of a School-Based Eye Care Programme in Baltimore, MD.

Purpose To explore stakeholders' perceptions of a school-based vision programme (SBVP). Methods We conducted 20 focus groups with 105 parents and teachers at schools in Baltimore, MD, that participated in a SBVP. Facilitators used a semi-structured interview guide to discuss participants' perceptions of the SBVP. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive thematic analysis. Results Participant perceptions fell into three categories: benefits of school-based eye care, limitations of school-based eye care, and observation of impact. The majority of participants had positive comments about the programme; benefits included convenience (location, time, and cost), the comprehensive nature of the programme, the quality of the eyeglasses and ability to receive replacements, and a positive screening/exam experience. Limitations of programme impact were related to communication and organisation, the time to receive the glasses, missed instructional time, and uncertainty about screenings. Observations of impact included academic and classroom improvements, as well as visual and other health improvements. Conclusion Parents and teachers reported mostly positive perceptions regarding the SBVP. Their appreciation for the convenience underscores that location, cost, time, and comprehensive services are crucial aspects for implementing a successful programme. To maximize impact, programs must also implement robust communication campaigns that integrate into the schools' workflow to help parents and teachers stay engaged in the process from start to finish.
Coordination of endothelial cell positioning and fate specification by the epicardium

The organization of an integrated coronary vasculature requires the specification of immature endothelial cells (ECs) into arterial and venous fates based on their localization within the heart. It remains unclear how spatial information controls EC identity and behavior. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing at key developmental timepoints to interrogate cellular contributions to coronary vessel patterning and maturation. We perform transcriptional profiling to define a heterogenous population of epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) that express unique chemokine signatures. We identify a population of Slit2+ EPDCs that emerge following epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which we term vascular guidepost cells. We show that the expression of guidepost-derived chemokines such as Slit2 are induced in epicardial cells undergoing EMT, while mesothelium-derived chemokines are silenced. We demonstrate that epicardium-specific deletion of myocardin-related transcription factors in mouse embryos disrupts the expression of key guidance cues and alters EPDC-EC signaling, leading to the persistence of an immature angiogenic EC identity and inappropriate accumulation of ECs on the epicardial surface. Our study suggests that EC pathfinding and fate specification is controlled by a common mechanism and guided by paracrine signaling from EPDCs linking epicardial EMT to EC localization and fate specification in the developing heart.
Youth online activity and distress: The role of social media rumination

Social media rumination – the tendency to repetitively think about one’s social media posts, related situational factors, and consequences of those posts – may be a salient reason explaining why so...
Instructional design: a framework for designing computer-based training programs

Guidelines for designing CBT (computer-based training) programs can be evaluated for effectiveness using relevant theoretical frameworks. Instructional design theory and the Gagne-Briggs theory of instruction design are particularly useful for providing such a framework because they have had a strong influence on the development of CBT design and offer a structure for applying the theory to designing lessons. The author outlines the Gagne-Briggs theory of instructional design and suggests how it might be used as a theoretical framework for evaluating CBT design guidelines and developing CBT programs. >
Form of supplemental selenium fed to cycling cows affects systemic concentrations of progesterone but not those of estradiol

In areas where soils are deficient in selenium (Se), dietary supplementation of this trace mineral directly to cattle is recommended. Selenium status affects fertility, and the form of Se supplemented to cows affects tissue-specific gene expression profiles. The objective of this study was to determine whether the form of Se consumed by cows would affect follicular growth and the production of steroids. Thirty-three Angus-cross cows that had ad libitum access of a mineral mix containing 35 ppm of Se in free-choice vitamin-mineral mixes as either inorganic (ISe), organic (OSe), or a 50/50 mix of ISe and OSe (MIX) for 180 days were used. After 170 days of supplementation, all cows were injected with 25-mg PGF2α to induce regression of the CL and then monitored for behavioral estrus (Day 0). From Day 4 to Day 8 after estrus, follicular growth was determined by transrectal ultrasonography. On Day 6, cows were injected with PGF2α (20 then 15 mg, 8-12 hours apart) to induce regression of the developing CL and differentiation of the dominant follicle of the first follicular wave into a preovulatory follicle. On Day 8, 36 hours after PGF2α (20 mg), the contents of the preovulatory follicle were aspirated by ultrasound-guided follicular puncture. Blood collected on Days 6 and 8 and follicular fluid collected on Day 8 was analyzed for concentrations of progesterone and estradiol. Form of Se supplemented to cows affected (P = 0.04) the systemic concentration of progesterone on Day 6, but not on Day 8. Form of Se did not affect the systemic concentration of estradiol on Day 6 or Day 8. Form of Se tended to affect (P = 0.07) the concentration of progesterone, but not that of estradiol, in the follicular fluid. Form of Se did not affect diameter of the dominant ovarian follicle on Days 4 to 6, but tended to affect (P = 0.08) the diameter of the preovulatory follicle on Day 8. Our results suggest that form of Se fed to cows affects the production of progesterone but not that of estradiol. Further investigation of organic Se-induced increases in progesterone and potentially the effects of increased progesterone on the establishment of pregnancy, especially in cows of lower fertility, is warranted.
A Collector Plate Mechanism-Based Classical Intergranular Precipitation Model for Al Alloys Sensitized at Different Temperatures

The sensitization behavior of Al 5xxx alloys is mainly caused by the formation of Mg-rich precipitates at grain boundaries. In this study, a classical nucleation–growth–coarsening theory for the description of intergranular precipitation is formulated, which adopts a collector plate mechanism, an equivalent average Mg concentration at the grain boundary, and new coarsening mechanisms. Three coarsening mechanisms, the modified Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner, the Kirchner mechanism, and a combination of these two mechanisms, are compared. Modeling results reveal that the Kirchner mechanism will breakdown when continuity ( $$ \sqrt {N\pi R^{2} } $$ ) is close to 1. According to the new model, the coarsening still accounts for a small fraction (only 10 pct) in the final growth rate after aging at 343 K (70 °C) for 40 months, which is confirmed by the precipitate size distribution data. Thickness and continuity results predicted by the new model agree well with the experimental results obtained from scanning transmission electron microscopy images of Al 5083 H131 alloys aged at 343 K (70 °C) for different times. In addition, the new model is also applied to a high-temperature [453 K (180 °C)] situation, where coarsening of precipitates is observed.
Regional Thrombolysis with Urokinase for Central Venous Catheter-related Thrombosis in Patients Undergoing High-dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Blood Stem Cell Rescue

Fifty-one of 300 patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy with (n = 245) or without (n = 55) autologous stem cell rescue developed central venous catheter-related thrombosis diagnosed by Doppler sonography or contrast venography. Eighteen of these individuals underwent regional thrombolysis defined as the infusion of urokinase into a superficial vein of the ipsilateral upper extremity in a dose not sufficient to produce systemic fibrinolysis by laboratory criteria. Urokinase was administered at a dose of 75,000-150,000 U/hour for 24 to 96 hours and contrast venography was performed to assess response. All individuals had a partial or complete resolution of clinical signs and symptoms. Fifty percent of patients also achieved a partial radiographic response defined as clot lysis with irregular canalization of the vein. Therapeutic doses of heparin for 5 to 7 days and warfarin for at least 3 months were commenced at the conclusion of urokinase therapy. Twelve catheters were salvaged and utilized subsequently until no longer required. Six catheters were removed because of poor catheter function or rethrombosis. The median interval from diagnosis of the thrombus until extraction of the 12 salvaged catheters was 3 months (range 1-8 months). Only a single patient who developed gastrointestinal bleeding required discontinuation of urokinase. Regional thrombolysis is safe, easy to administer, effective in many instances, less costly than the doses of antifibrinolytic agents required to induce systemic fibrinolysis, and should be considered in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue who develop central venous catheter-related thrombosis.
Expected Utility, Prospect Theory and Asset Pricing

Investors base asset valuation decisions on current day movements in asset and market returns. This is shown in the risk-return relationship of the simple asset pricing model using a four-way partition of daily returns. The partitioning is derived from current movements in individual asset and market returns. The underlying behavioral theory is a valuation framework that generalizes von Neumann-Morgenstern expected utility and allows for some commonly observed anomalies. We test key elements of Kahneman and Tversky's (1979) prospect theory and find reference dependence, asymmetric valuation of gains and losses, and nonproportional marginal sensitivity to large changes in expected returns in 1986-2000 data for 100 companies: the Dow-Jones 30 industrials and 30 and 40 companies selected at random from the S&P mid cap and small cap index lists respectively.
A novel locally linear KNN model for visual recognition

This paper presents a novel locally linear KNN model with the goal of not only developing efficient representation and classification methods, but also establishing a relation between them so as to approximate some classification rules, e.g. the Bayes decision rule. Towards that end, first, the proposed model represents the test sample as a linear combination of all the training samples and derives a new representation by learning the coefficients considering the reconstruction, locality and sparsity constraints. The theoretical analysis shows that the new representation has the grouping effect of the nearest neighbors, which is able to approximate the “ideal representation”. And then the locally linear KNN model based classifier (LLKNNC), which shows its connection to the Bayes decision rule for minimum error in the view of kernel density estimation, is proposed for classification. Besides, the locally linear nearest mean classifier (LLNMC), whose relation to the LLKNNC is just like the nearest mean classifier to the KNN classifier, is also derived. Furthermore, to provide reliable kernel density estimation, the shifted power transformation and the coefficients cut-off method are applied to improve the performance of the proposed method. The effectiveness of the proposed model is evaluated on several visual recognition tasks such as face recognition, scene recognition, object recognition and action recognition. The experimental results show that the proposed model is effective and outperforms some other representative popular methods.
Control of energy dissipation in nanoparticle optical devices: nearly loss-free switching and modulation

When hybrid systems consisting of metallic nanoparticles and semiconductor quantum dots interact with coherent lights, they can act as nanoparticle "molecules" with their own characteristic collective states. In this paper, we study how one can control the nature (heat or light) and magnitude of the energy dissipation of such molecules. Using this, we explore nanodevices wherein we can require their initial states of operations consume less, more, or similar energies than those of their final states. In particular, we show one can adjust the structural parameters of a nanoparticle molecule such that as a switch or a modulator the amount of its energy consumption during its operating cycle remains unchanged. These results offer new avenues for device applications based on nanoparticle molecules with the promise of energy consumption independent of their operation (repetition) rates. In this study, the diameter of the metallic nanoparticles considered is 7 nm and the quantum dot sizes are about 3 nm.
Traumatic intracorporal septal avulsion resulting in cavernous veno-occlusive dysfunction

A 44-y-old man was evaluated for ED 4 months after an untreated penile fracture. During the initial incident, the patient felt a ‘snap’ during intromission, followed by pain, detumescence, bruising of the penile shaft, and blood at his urethral meatus. He reported penile rigidity as 5/10, with a ‘bulge’ on the dorsum of the shaft during maximal rigidity. His ED did not improve with sildenafil citrate. He denied penile curvature or pain. Physical examination revealed dorsal mid-shaft thickening of the corporal bodies without a discrete plaque of the tunica albuginea. Urinalysis and retrograde urethrogram were normal. During penile duplex doppler ultrasound with intracavernosal injection of PGE-1, he obtained 50% rigidity after self-stimulation and we made the following measurements on the right and left sides, respectively: peak systolic velocity 32.4 and 53.5 cm/s; end diastolic velocity 8.0 and 11.4 cm/s; resistive index 0.68 and 0.71. With erection, a 3 cm ballotable area on the dorsal shaft appeared. Ultrasound of this region demonstrated absence of the septal insertion into the dorsal tunica albuginea (Figure 1). Figure 1a demonstrates the normal appearance of the intracorporal septum as it inserts into the dorsal tunica in the proximal penile shaft. Dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography with injection of papaverine demonstrated a flow-to-maintain rate greater than 140 ml/min with outflow of contrast to the deep dorsal vein. We began penile reconstruction by degloving the penis, elevating the dorsal vein, and ligating it at the proximal shaft. Artificial erection demonstrated a dorsal bulge of the tunica albuginea (Figure 2a) that was incised longitudinally, confirming a 3.5 cm avulsion of septum from the dorsal tunica. We used 4.0 Maxon sutures to imbricate the dorsal tunica albuginea with reattachment to the septum. Artificial erection verified absence of the dorsal bulge and straightness of the penis without narrowing (Figure 2b). After 1 month, the patient resumed intercourse. After 1 y, he continues to have rigid erections, sufficient for intercourse, and equivalent to his baseline.
The ν11 band of cyanuric fluoride

Abstract The rotationally resolved spectrum of the ν 11 band of cyanuric fluoride (out-of-plane ring bending), which is centered near 820 cm −1 , was obtained using a Bruker IFS 120 HR Fourier Transform spectrometer. The parallel band shows well defined P , Q , and R branches and only a very slight degradation to longer wavelengths. Data at a resolution of 0.01 cm −1 led to ground vibrational state rotational constants of B 0 = 0.065 608 4 (36) cm −1 and D J = 3.88(34) × 10 −9 cm −1 based on 170 assigned lines. The K structure is not resolved. “Satellites” to the rotational structure of the ν 11 band are assigned to hot bands associated with low-lying vibrational levels which are significantly populated at room temperature.
Graphs Having (2 mod d)-Cycles

Abstract It is known that if G is a graph with minimum degree δ at least d +1, then G has a cycle of length 2 mod d . We show that if G is also bipartite, then G has a cycle of length 2 mod 2 d . Both these bounds are tight in terms of minimum degree. However, we show that if G is a graph with δ ≥ d and had neither K d nor K d,d as an induced subgraph, then G has a cycle of length 2 mod d . If G is also bipartite, then G has a cycle of length 2 mod 2d . If G is a 2-connected graph with δ ≥ d and is not congruent to K d nor K d,d' (for d ' ≥ d ) then G has a cycle of length 2 mod d . If G is also bipartite, then G has a cycle of length 2 mod 2 d .
Issues in the historiography of communism. Part two: Some principles of critical analysis

(1987). Issues in the historiography of communism. Part two: Some principles of critical analysis. Socialism and Democracy: Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 1-34.
The genetic mechanism of sex determination in the androdioecious flowering plant, Datisca glomerata (Datiscaceae)

The genetic mechanism of sex determination in the androdioecious flowering plant, Datisca glomerata (Datiscaceae)
The involvement of Kupffer cells in carbon tetrachloride toxicity.

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a classical pericentral hepatotoxicant; however, precise details of its mechanism of action remain unknown. One possibility is that Kupffer cells participant in this mechanism since CCl4 elevates calcium, and the release of toxic eicosanoids and cytokines by Kupffer cells is calcium-dependent. Therefore, these studies were designed to evaluate the role of Kupffer cells in CCl4 toxicity in the rat in vivo. Kupffer cells were destroyed selectively with gadolinium chloride treatment (10 mg/kg GdCl3 iv) 1 day prior to administration of CCl4 (4 g/kg ig). Twenty-four hours after CCl4 treatment, rats were anesthetized, blood samples were drawn for aspartate aminotransferase (AST) determination, which is indicative of parenchymal cell damage, and trypan blue was infused into the liver to stain the nuclei of dead hepatocytes. AST levels were in the normal range and trypan blue staining was negligible in livers from vehicle- or GdCl3-treated rats. As expected, CCl4 treatment alone elevated AST levels to values over 4000 U/liter and caused massive cell death (60-90 trypan blue-positive cells/pericentral field). In dramatic contrast, the elevation in AST and cell death due to CCl4 were almost completely prevented by GdCl3 treatment. In attempts to understand this phenomenon, metabolic and detoxification pathways were assessed. CCl4 is metabolized via cytochrome P450 II.E.1; however, GdCl3 treatment did not alter this pathway as assessed from p-nitrocatechol formation from the selective substrate, p-nitrophenol. GdCl3 treatment also had no effect on hepatic glutathione levels. On the other hand, GdCl3 treatment significantly reduced infiltration of neutrophils resulting from exposure to CCl4. These data clearly support the hypothesis that Kupffer cells participate in the mechanism of toxicity of CCl4 in vivo, possibly by release of chemoattractants for neutrophils.
Inhibition of outer hair cell electromotility by sulfhydryl specific reagents

Mammalian outer hair cells can change length at acoustic frequencies when they are electrically stimulated. It was postulated that these length changes depend on electromechanical transduction based on voltage dependent conformational changes in a membrane motor protein. In this report, we describe the effect of various sulfhydryl (SH)-specific reagents on the OHC electromotility. p-Chloromercuriphenylsulfonate (pCMPS), in addition to other mercurials that can react with well-protected SH-groups in proteins, inhibits this electromechanical transduction process. In contrast, N-ethylmaleimide and diamide, SH-reagents that only react with exposed SH-groups, showed no effect. These results suggest that one or more reactive SH-groups are present in a functionally important and protected region of the electromechanical transduction protein. Such reactivity can be utilized to identify and characterize this novel membrane motor.
Identification of 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in the young rat lens

Evidence is presented indicating that young rat lens has the capacity to synthesize 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12(S)-HETE) from exogenous arachidonic acid (AA). A 9,000 xg supernatant prepared from 15 day old rat lenses, when incubated with calcium and U-[14C]-AA, generated a radiolabelled product with a retention time identical to authentic unlabelled 12-HETE in two different HPLC solvent systems. Mass spectral analysis provided evidence that the metabolite was 12-HETE while chiral studies demonstrated the exclusive presence of the 12(S) isomer. Radiolabelled 12-HETE synthesis was inhibited by preincubating the 15 day old rat lens supernatant with 0.2 Mm curcumin, a mixed cyclooxygenase/ lipoxygenase inhibitor. Radiolabelled 12(S)-HETE synthetic capacity was highest in the A day old rat lens, the earliest time period measured, and rapidly declined with age reaching negligible levels at about 4 months. These results suggest that the young rat lens possess the biosynthetic capacity to generate rad...
Response to Letter by Gupta et al

Response: We thank Dr Gupta and colleagues for their interest in our article. The authors discuss several issues with the content of our recent article. The first issue was regarding “patient selection.” Our study is a prospective, multicenter, all-inclusive, registry of patients with symptomatic intracranial atherostenoses (>50%) who have undergone treatment with the Wingspan system. Our primary goal was to rapidly gather a large, reliable data set that could be analyzed critically to facilitate a better global understanding of intracranial angioplasty and stenting and to provide an assessment of the role of the Wingspan in the treatment of this disease process. To this end, it was our intention to be as inclusive as possible with respect to the patients enrolled. The inclusion criteria for the current study were not meant to stand as guidelines or recommendations with respect to future patient selection for treatment. This represents a postmarket “real world” registry that provides an accurate assessment of the results, which can be expected with this device when applied by a large and diverse group of operators at selected high volume institutions. Specifically, Dr Gupta et al object to the inclusion …
Seedling Development and Field Performance of Prairiegrass, Grazing Bromegrass, and Orchardgrass.

Seedling establishment is a critical phase in pasture management. Knowledge of the seedling development of new forages is necessary to develop management practices and recommend species mixtures for pasture seedings. We compared seedling growth and development of prairiegrass (Bromus willdenowii Kunth = B. catharticus Vahl), grazing bromegrass (B. stamineus Desv.), and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) in controlled environment and field studies. Seedlings were sampled weekly for 7 wk in the growth chamber and greenhouse beginning 8 to 10 d after planting (DAP). The number and mass of leaves and roots were recorded. In the field, leaf development was measured during spring and fall of 1997, and leaf and root development were measured during spring and fall of 1999. Forage dry matter (DM) yield was measured in clipped field plots during 1998 to 2000. Grazing bromegrass had more leaves, about twice the number of tillers per seedling, and a greater seedling mass than other grasses. Grazing bromegrass also had 50 to 100% more tillers m -2 than other grasses in clipped field plots. The larger seedling size and greater tiller density, however, did not translate into greater yield in clipped plots. Grazing bromegrass yielded 10 to 15% less than orchardgrass or prairiegrass. Because of their large seedlings and rapid development, prairiegrass and grazing bromegrass probably should be used at a lower seeding rate or perhaps not used in seed mixtures with small-seeded grasses. Seedlings of these grasses should be fully established by 40 to 50 DAP under favorable moisture and temperatures in the spring and late summer.
Worldviews and mediatization: in search of a metatheory

What worldview will enable communication theorists to understand the worldwide, accelerating phenomenon of media intertwining with all facets of people's lives? Shelton Gunaratne argues that Wester...
Ozone—A Cinema Production

Abstract Xenon bulbs provide a new light source for motion picture projectors. These devices are sealed arc lamps which eliminate the intense heat and combustion products common to conventional carbon arc light sources. The ultraviolet component of the xenon light source ionizes the oxygen of the air and produces ozone. A projector operator must remain in the small, confined booth during all periods of operation. A thorough study of ozone levels in a booth has been made. The atmospheric concentration of ozone during the showing of films ranges from less than 0.01 ppm to 0.7 ppm. The conditions which produce the various levels were determined and evaluated. Effective control methods were developed.
Clinical, FDG and amyloid PET imaging in posterior cortical atrophy.

The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical, [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and amyloid-PET findings in a large cohort of posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) patients, to examine the neural correlates of the classic features of PCA, and to better understand the features associated with early PCA. We prospectively recruited 25 patients who presented to the Mayo Clinic between March 2013 and August 2014 and met diagnostic criteria for PCA. All patients underwent a standardized set of tests and amyloid imaging with [11C] Pittsburg compound B (PiB). Seventeen (68 %) underwent FDG-PET scanning. We divided the cohort at the median disease duration of 4 years in order to assess clinical and FDG-PET correlates of early PCA (n = 13). The most common clinical features were simultanagnosia (92 %), dysgraphia (68 %), poly-mini-myoclonus (64 %) and oculomotor apraxia (56.5 %). On FDG-PET, hypometabolism was observed bilaterally in the lateral and medial parietal and occipital lobes. Simultanagnosia was associated with hypometabolism in the right occipital lobe and posterior cingulum, optic ataxia with hypometabolism in left occipital lobe, and oculomotor apraxia with hypometabolism in the left parietal lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus. All 25 PCA patients were amyloid positive. Simultanagnosia was the only feature present in 85 % of early PCA patients. The syndrome of PCA is associated with posterior hemisphere hypometabolism and with amyloid deposition. Many of the classic features of PCA show associated focal, but not widespread, areas of involvement of these posterior hemispheric regions. Simultanagnosia appears to be the most common and hence sensitive feature of early PCA.
Talc Retinopathy in Primates: A Model of Ischemic Retinopathy: II. A Histopathologic Study

• Experimental talc retinopathy was produced in four adult rhesus monkeys by biweekly intravenous injections of talc for 3½ to ten months and was studied by retinal vascular flat preparations and by light microscopy. Talc particles were lodged in the walls of the precapillary arterioles and capillaries, producing focal occlusion of retinal and choroidal capillaries. The pericyte-endothelial cell ratio was 1:0.77 in the posterior pole and 1:0.53 in the retinal periphery. The horseradish peroxidase study showed leakage of tracer from the retinal vasculature into the extracellular interstitial space, but the barrier of the retinal pigment epithelium was intact. Microinfarcts produced small cystoid spaces in the outer plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer, and ganglion cell layer of the macula. Cytoid bodies and macrophages were scattered in the retina. No retinal or vitreal neovascularization was observed.
Solid-state NMR strategies for characterizing high surface area niobates

Abstract Layered niobates have been found to be strong solid-acid catalysts and have high surface areas while maintaining their crystalline structure. These materials can serve as model compounds for the metal environments at the surface of amorphous solid-acid niobates. The niobium environment in KCa 2 Nb 3 O 10 and its acid exchanged version were studied using 93 Nb solid-state NMR. As 93 Nb is a quadrupolar nucleus, both the electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) for a given site can yield information about the symmetry of the local structure and relate its influence on the acid site. The change in the local environment of surface niobium sites upon acid exchange is observed via NMR and attributed to changes in the terminal niobium–oxygen bonds.
Syntactic Complexity and L2 Academic Immersion Effects on Readers' Recall and Pausing Strategies for English and Spanish Texts

In Experiment 1, monolingual native Spanish speakers (NSSs) had better kernel recall and longer end-of-clause (EOC) pauses than native English speakers (NESs) when reading texts that varied in syntactic complexity as a function of the number of nonessential clauses added to the kernel text. NSS familiarity with embedded clauses in Spanish seem to lead to a prosodic phrasing strategy in which comma-triggered pauses improved recall. In Experiment 2, native English-speaking Spanish teachers (NESSTs) with high exposure to academic immersion recalled better and had longer EOC pauses than low-exposure NESSTs when reading Spanish texts. High-exposure NESSTs' Spanish recall was as good as the NSS group in Experiment 1 and with longer—although similarly patterned—EOC pauses. High-exposure NESSTs' English recall was better and with longer EOC pauses than the NES group from Experiment 1, wherease low-exposure NESSTs' recall and EOC pauses were similar to the NES group. This suggests a transfer of second language pausing strategies to first language reading that improves recall for complex first language texts.
Recent advances in EUV phase-shifting point diffraction interferometry

The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer (PS/PDI) was developed and implemented at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to meet the significant measurement challenge of characterizing EUV projection lithography optics. The PS/PDI has been in continuous use and under ongoing development since 1996. Here we describe recent improvements made to the interferometer, and we summarize metrology results from state-of-the-art 10x-reduction EUV projection optics.
Optical communications systems and technology for deep-space exploration

An account is given of architectural and implementational strategies for the creation of planetary and other deep-space optical communications networks, with a view to the developmental requirements of both planetary spacecraft subsystems and an earth-vicinity reception system. Attention is given to prospective technology-development challenges. An open-loop spatial acquisition process is defined, in conjunction with a terrestrial, large-aperture/low-cost 'photon bucket' optical reception telescopic system having an integral, axially-aligned tube-bundle sunshield. An efficient diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser is envisioned as the transmitter.
Rational New Approach to the Response of an Aircraft Encountering Atmospheric Turbulence

Based on the technique of expanding a random function in terms of statistically orthogonal random functionals, a method is developed for analyzing the response of an aircraft to a stationary, weakly non-Gaussian atmospheric turbulence. The atmospheric turbulence is characterized through the correlation functions, and no other ad hoc assumptions are necessary. The expansion kernels enable us to construct various probability density functions of interest—e.g. , the joint probability density function of the response velocity and acceleration. To illustrate the method and demonstrate some of the effects due to the non-Gaussian nature of atmospheric turbulence, the simple case of the plunging motion of a rigid aircraft in a turbulent gust is presented in detail. It is found that even when the aircraft responds as a linear system, a nearly Gaussian turbulent gust can render an aircraft response highly non-Gaussian.
SU-FF-T-548: Comparison of Cone-Beam CT and Frame-Based Localizations for Stereotactic Radiosurgery with Fixed Head Rings and Removable Frames

Objectives: To compare localization accuracy using both conventional frame‐based localizers and cone‐beam CT(CBCT)images for stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS).Methods: A SRS geometric phantom was used to verify the localization accuracy based on a SRS localizer (BrainLAB) and CBCTimages (NovalisTx, Varian Medical Systems). 70 patients with 86 SRS treatments were retrospectively analyzed (11 with fixed head rings and 75 with removable U‐Frames with additional skin masks). Patients were localized with the Brainlab localizer first. CBCTimages with 1 mm slice thickness were then acquired to match planning CT.Results: The SRS geometric phantom showed that the Brainlab localizer and CBCTimages based localizations agreed within 1 mm. The magnitudes of shifts between the Brainlab localizer and CBCTimages based localizations for SRS with fixed head rings were 0.04 ± 0.05 cm along x (lateral), 0.09 ± 0.06 cm along y (vertical), and 0.08 ± 0.08 cm along z (longitudinal) direction with 0.06 ± 0.14 degrees of couch rotation. For the SRS patients using removable U‐frames with masks, the magnitudes of shifts between the Brainlab localizer and CBCTimages based localizations were 0.11 ± 0.10 cm along x, 0.12 ± 0.09 cm along y, and 0.18 ± 0.13 cm along z direction with 0.34 ± 0.53 degrees of couch rotation. The 95% probability shifts for the removable frame were 0.3 cm along x, 0.3 cm along y, and 0.4 cm along z direction with 1.6 degrees of couch rotation. Conclusions: The results from both the phantom test and the patients with a fixed head ring show that the CBCT based localization is reliable and accurate. For patients with removable frames, if the localization is based only on the frame‐based localizer without any imaging guidance, a margin of 3 ∼ 4 mm is necessary to ensure adequate coverage.
Dislocation pileup as a representation of strain accumulation on a strike‐slip fault

[1] The conventional model of strain accumulation on a vertical transform fault is a discrete screw dislocation in an elastic half-space with the Burgers vector of the dislocation increasing at the rate of relative plate motion. It would be more realistic to replace that discrete dislocation by a dislocation distribution, presumably a pileup in which the individual dislocations are in equilibrium. The length of the pileup depends upon the applied stress and the amount of slip that has occurred at depth. I argue here that the dislocation pileup (the transition on the fault from no slip to slip at the full plate rate) occupies a substantial portion of the lithosphere thickness. A discrete dislocation at an adjustable depth can reproduce the surface deformation profile predicted by a pileup so closely that it will be difficult to distinguish between the two models. The locking depth (dislocation depth) of that discrete dislocation approximation is substantially (∼30%) larger than that (depth to top of the pileup) in the pileup model. Thus, in inverting surface deformation data using the discrete dislocation model, the locking depth in the model should not be interpreted as the true locking depth. Although dislocation pileup models should provide a good explanation of the surface deformation near the fault trace, that explanation may not be adequate at greater distances from the fault trace because approximating the expected horizontally distributed deformation at subcrustal depths by uniform slip concentrated on the fault is not justified.