cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carter's conversion: the hardening of American defense policy

Brian J. Auten, Columbia, MO, University of Missouri Press, 2008, xiv +344 pp Brian Auten, like most historians of 1970s diplomatic relations, believes that President Jimmy Carter moved his foreign...
Polymer particle damage in the electron microscope—a practical problem

Abstract Particulate forms of polymeric material have been observed to diminish in size in the electron microscope. Latex particles of poly(styrene), poly(styrene/ acrylonitrile), poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(vinyl acetate) lose as much as 29% in diameter. Data is given relating diameter loss to beam intensity and time of exposure. Mass loss calculated from before and after diameters is related to kind and size of pendent groups on the polymer backbone. A vertical metal shadowing technique is given as a method for observing true polymer latex size in the electron microscope.
On Becoming a Language Teacher: Insights From Diary Studies

This study presents the results of a secondary analysis of 26 diary studies by novice ESL teachers. All of the U.S. teachers were enrolled in a master's degree program in TESOL and had less than 6 months of prior teaching experience. Each participant wrote (a) a personal language learning history, (b) diary entries during a 10-week teaching semester, and (c) an analysis of their diaries. The data were examined to identify common themes shared among the novice teachers. General themes that emerged from this secondary analysis were novice teachers' early preoccupations with their own teaching behavior, transfer and rejection of teaching skills used in the novice teacher's own L2 learning, unexpected discoveries about effective teaching, and continued teaching frustrations. These results offer some insight into the most pressing needs of novice teachers. They are discussed in relation to the design of introductory practicums.
Ancient works, monuments and historical sites

The International Association of Engineering Geology sponsored the symposium Engineering Geology as Related to the Study, Preservation, and Protection of Ancient Works, Monuments and Historical Sites on September 19–23, 1988, in Athens, Greece. The symposium was organized by the Greek National Group of the International Association of Engineering Geology in collaboration with the Greek Ministry of Culture. Official cosponsors of the symposium included the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Commission of the European Communities, and International Council on Monuments and Sites. Subjects of the papers presented at the symposium included soil and rock mechanics; foundation engineering; structural geology; geomorphology; geophysics; seismology; weathering, erosion and decay; and preservation techniques. In part, the symposium indicates the concern of national and international organizations over an apparently accelerating rate of deterioration of cultural treasures in many parts of the world as a result of anthropogenic and natural causes. Several of these causes are related directly to rapid urbanization.
SU-FF-J-95: MLC Tracking of Respiration-Induced Target Motion

Purpose:Respiration induced target motion is a challenge in achieving both target dose coverage and normal tissue sparing in external radiation therapy. This study is to develop a new technique to dynamically track the moving target when delivering either three‐dimensional (3D) conformal therapy or intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) for whose patients who can reproduce their recorded breathing pattern under audio/video guidance. Method and Materials: 4D‐CT scanning is triggered by respiration signal and CTimages are sorted into eight respiration phases. After the physician contours the GTVs of the eight CT data sets, the GTVs' centroid positions are measured and the trajectories in the beam's eye‐view (BEV) can be calculated. A treatment plan can be generated based on a reference phase CTimage with the MLC's travel direction set to the target moving direction. The step‐and‐shoot MLC segments of the static plan are converted into dynamic segments based on the motion trajectories in the BEV. During the delivery, the beam is turned on at the reference phase and remains on as long as the dynamic MLC segments are in sync with breathing. Results: Breathing patterns were successfully deduced from 4D CTimages and the motion amplitudes were found varying with the patient and tumor position. A sinusoidal motion pattern was used in the segment conversion for verification purpose. Three films were placed on a phantom moving sinusoidally and were irradiated for the static, tracking, and no‐tracking cases, and the film dosimetric study was conducted. As an indication of the dose coverage, Gamma index was measured and found to be 91.1% and 67.9% for the tracking and no‐tracking cases, respectively. Conclusions: The MLC tracking significantly improves the dose coverage. This technique provides a potential to improve dose conformity when considering the target motion induced by respiration.
Color-flow decomposition of QCD amplitudes

We introduce a new color decomposition for multi-parton amplitudes in QCD, free of fundamental-representation matrices and structure constants. This decomposition has a physical interpretation in terms of the flow of color, which makes it ideal for merging with shower Monte-Carlo programs. The color-flow decomposition allows for very efficient evaluation of amplitudes with many quarks and gluons, many times faster than the standard color decomposition based on fundamental-representation matrices. This will increase the speed of event generators for multi-jet processes, which are the principal backgrounds to signals of new physics at colliders.
Fullerene grafted hydrocarbon polymers

We have free radically grafted fullerene onto saturated hydrocarbon polymers such as ethylene-propylene copolymer. The product is soluble in solvents such as hexane or tetrahydrofuran, in which the fullerene is essentially insoluble. The reaction of the fullerene and polymer was followed by i.r. spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. In these graft copolymers, fullerene may provide sites for further derivatization, including derivatization by methods which would fail for the original polymer.
Structure-Based Discovery of Ligands Targeted to the RNA Double Helix†

Ligands capable of specific recognition of RNA structures are of interest in terms of the principles of molecular recognition as well as potential chemotherapeutic applications. We have approached the problem of identifying small molecules with binding specificity for the RNA double helix through application of the DOCK program [Kuntz, I. D., Meng, E. C., and Shoichet, B. K. (1994) Acc. Chem. Res. 27, 117-123], a structure-based method for drug discovery. A series of lead compounds was generated through a database search for ligands with shape complementarity to the RNA deep major groove. Compounds were then evaluated with regard to their fit into the minor groove of B DNA. Those compounds predicted to have an optimal fit to the RNA groove and strong discrimination against DNA were examined experimentally. Of the 11 compounds tested, 3, all aminoglycosides, exhibited pronounced stabilization of RNA duplexes against thermal denaturation with only marginal effects on DNA duplexes. One compound, lividomycin, was examined further, and shown to facilitate the ethanol-induced B to A transition in calf thymus DNA. Fluorine NMR solvent isotope shift measurements on RNA duplexes containing 5-fluorouracil provided evidence that lividomycin binds in the RNA major groove. Taken together, these results indicate that lividomycin recognizes the general features of the A conformation of nucleic acids through deep groove binding, confirming the predictions of our DOCK analysis. This approach may be of general utility for identifying ligands possessing specificity for additional RNA structures as well as other nucleic acid structural motifs.
CAPD with an amino acid dialysis solution: A long-term, cross-over study

CAPD with an amino acid dialysis solution: A long-term, cross-over study. This prospective cross-over study was undertaken to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 1% amino acid dialysis solution on the nutritional and metabolic changes, plasma amino acid profiles and peritoneal membrane function of patients on CAPD. Six CAPD patients had one exchange a day with two liters of this solution over a six month period. Every month there was a medical examination, anthropometric measurements and dietary inquiry were made, blood biochemistry tests were done. Every three months renal function, peritoneal function, aminograms of plasma and dialysate and nitrogen balance were determined. Data were compared with those obtained one month prior to and three months after withdrawal of amino acid administration. Nitrogen balance, which was negative (-1.3 g/day) became positive (+3.1 g/day). Patients who were already overweight increased in weight, both in fat and lean mass. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides significantly decreased and the amino acid profile moved towards normal; plasma urea levels increased and pH and bicarbonate decreased slightly but significantly (P
Structural analysis and demonstration of the 29 kDa antigen of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica as the major accessible free thiol‐containing surface protein

The 29 kDa protein of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica is a cysteine-rich surface antigen which we recently characterized by cDNA sequencing and by using monoclonal antibodies which differentiated between pathogenic and non-pathogenic clinical isolates. To determine the structure and biochemical attributes of this protein, a repertoire of immunological techniques using monoclonal antibodies, and radiolabelling were employed. We demonstrated that the 29 kDa protein forms a 60 kDa dimer and a high-molecular-mass oligomer(s) on the surface of the organism through disulphide bonds, and is the major accessible free thiol-containing surface protein of E. histolytica. The deduced amino acid sequence encoding the 29 kDa protein was found to share a common amino acid domain with sequences reported for Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella typhimurium, MER5 gene expressed in murine erythroleukemia cells, Clostridium pasteurianum, and a Bacillus spp.
A survey of primary care resident attitudes toward continuity clinic patient handover.

Background : Transfer of clinic patients from graduating residents to interns or junior residents occurs every year, affecting large numbers of patients. Breaches in care continuity may occur, with potential for risk to patient safety. Several guidelines have been developed for implementing standardized inpatient sign-outs, but no specific guidelines exist for outpatient handover. Methods : Residents in primary care programs – internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics – at a US academic medical center were invited to participate in an online survey. The invitation was extended approximately 2 years after electronic medical record (EMR) rollout began at the institution. Results : Of 71 eligible residents, 22 (31%) responded to the survey. Of these, 18 felt that handover of ambulatory patients was at least moderately important – but only one affirmed the existence of a system for handover. IM residents perceived that they had the highest proportion of high-risk patients ( p =0.042); transition-of-care letters were more important to IM residents than other respondents ( p =0.041). Conclusion : There is room for improvement in resident acknowledgement of handover processes in continuity clinics. In this study, IM residents attached greater importance to a specific handover tool than other primary care residents. Thus, the different primary care specialties may need to have different handover tools available to them within a shared EMR system. Keywords: post graduate year; internal medicine; residents; ambulatory care; graduate medical education; patient handoff (Published: 25 November 2014) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2014, 4 : 25087 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v4.25087
Civic Education: An Adult Education Imperative

The proposition is argued that the primal contribution of adult education in a democracy, before all other purposes it serves, is civic education. A corollary position is that reluctance to facilitate citizen understanding of civic problems and skillful participation in solutions leaves adult education agencies on the sidelines in this most important sphere of adult life and furthers the current American retreat to privatism. Conditions affecting the substance of adult civic education are described. The possibilities for advocacy on the part of adult educators are also discussed.
Patients with deficient ascitic fluid opsonic activity are predisposed to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

To assess the risk of development of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in relation to ascitic fluid opsonic activity, routine admission abdominal paracentesis was performed on 119 patients during 141 hospitalizations. Paracentesis was repeated if evidence of peritonitis developed during the hospitalization. The ascitic fluid opsonic activity (0.2 +/- 0.5 log kill) of 24 spontaneously infected specimens was significantly (p less than 0.001) lower than that of the group with sterile portal hypertension-related ascites (0.8 +/- 1.1 log kill), and significantly lower than the group with ascites of miscellaneous type (2.4 +/- 1.0 log kill, p less than 0.001). The C3 and C4 concentrations of the spontaneous peritonitis specimens were also significantly lower than in the specimens from the other groups. Of the 55 patients whose initial sterile ascitic fluid opsonic activity was less than 0.2 log kill, 8 (14.5%) developed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis during the hospitalization; whereas none of the 70 patients with sterile ascitic fluid opsonic activity greater than or equal to 0.2 log kill developed spontaneous peritonitis. This difference in the risk of development of peritonitis was significant (p less than 0.01). Patients with deficient ascitic fluid opsonic activity are predisposed to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
Parameters that affect in vitro splicing of bovine papillomavirus type 1 late pre-mRNAs.

Abstract During the course of study on regulated viral pre-mRNA splicing, an in vitro RNA splicing assay was developed to analyze how an exonic splicing enhancer stimulates splicing of bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) late pre-mRNAs. The optimal concentration of HeLa nuclear extract (HNE) in a standard RNA splicing reaction depends on the individual substrate pre-mRNA. Splicing of a BPV-1 late pre-mRNA required 40% HNE and 2 h incubation at 30°C. Higher HNE was detrimental to splicing and longer incubation times lead to RNA degradation. In the reaction containing 40% EDTA-treated HNE, 1.5–3.0 mM Mg2+ or 3 mM Mn2+, but not Co2+, were required to catalyze an efficient splicing reaction. Surprisingly, EDTA-untreated HNE in the absence of exogenous Mg2+ catalyzed very efficiently splicing of the RNA. Addition of Mg2+ from 0.1 to 0.5 mM, only enhanced slightly the splicing in EDTA-untreated HNE and excessive Mg2+ concentration (above 1.5 mM) in the reaction resulted in production of aberrant splicing products or intermediates. In contrast, addition of Mn2+ to EDTA-untreated HNE severely suppressed splicing. In addition, it was observed that the RNA transcribed from vector sequences downstream of the polylinker region of pSP72 vector, when connected to the 3′ terminus of chimeric Drosophila doublesex-BPV-1 SE1 pre-mRNAs, suppressed dramatically splicing. RNA transcribed from the pSP72 polylinker region, when supplied in trans, also suppressed splicing. These results suggest that a DNA template used to make RNA transcripts should avoid these sequences as much as possible.
Detection and Protection against Distributed Denial of Service Attacks in Accountable Grid Computing Systems

By exploiting existing vulnerabilities, malicious parties can take advantage of resources made available by grid systems to attack mission-critical websites or the grid itself. In this paper, we present two approaches for protecting against attacks targeting sites outside or inside the grid. Our approach is based on special-purpose software agents that collect provenance and resource usage data in order to perform detection and protection. We show the effectiveness and the efficiency of our approach by conducting various experiments on an emulated grid test-bed.
Robust Low Rank Kernel Embeddings of Multivariate Distributions

Kernel embedding of distributions has led to many recent advances in machine learning. However, latent and low rank structures prevalent in real world distributions have rarely been taken into account in this setting. Furthermore, no prior work in kernel embedding literature has addressed the issue of robust embedding when the latent and low rank information are misspecified. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical low rank decomposition of kernels embeddings which can exploit such low rank structures in data while being robust to model misspecification. We also illustrate with empirical evidence that the estimated low rank embeddings lead to improved performance in density estimation.
PS3-2: Informatics Challenges to Implement Pharmacogenetics to Clinical Practice

Background/Aims A widely-held vision arising from genomics research is to be able to use information on genomic variation to guide clinical prescriptions. This translational project is designed to test the concept that sequence information from a patient can be coupled with electronic medical records for use in personalized medicine.
Russia in the new international order: Theories, arguments and debates

Throughout the Cold War, studies of Soviet foreign policy were generally ‘atheoretical’. In so far as they were based on theoretical models from international relations, those models tended to be some version of ‘realism’ or ‘neorealism’. Over the past two decades, since the end of the Cold War, other approaches – especially those based on ‘constructivism’ – have challenged the domination of the ‘realist’ framework in studies of Russian foreign policy. The articles in this special issue of International Politics examine the strengths and weaknesses of the various theoretical frameworks employed to explain Russian policy.
Theophylline inhibits the cough reflex through a novel mechanism of action

Background Theophylline has been used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for more than 80 years. In addition to bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory activity, clinical studies have suggested that theophylline acts as an antitussive agent. Cough is the most frequent reason for consultation with a family doctor, and treatment options are limited. Determining how theophylline inhibits cough might lead to the development of optimized compounds. Objective We sought to investigate the inhibitory activity of theophylline on vagal sensory nerve activity and the cough reflex. Methods Using a range of techniques, we investigated the effect of theophylline on human and guinea pig vagal sensory nerve activity in vitro and on the cough reflex in guinea pig challenge models. Results Theophylline was antitussive in a guinea pig model, inhibited activation of single C-fiber afferents in vivo and depolarization of human and guinea pig vagus in vitro , and inhibited calcium influx in airway-specific neurons in vitro . A sequence of pharmacological studies on the isolated vagus and patch clamp and single-channel inside-out experiments showed that the effect of theophylline was due to an increase in the open probability of calcium-activated potassium channels. Finally, we demonstrated the antitussive activity of theophylline in a cigarette smoke exposure model that exhibited enhanced tussive responses to capsaicin. Conclusion Theophylline inhibits capsaicin-induced cough under both normal and "disease" conditions by decreasing the excitability of sensory nerves through activation of small- and intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels. These findings could lead to the development of optimized antitussive compounds with a reduced side effect potential.
String theory as the Kähler geometry of loop space.

We argue that the Kaaumlhler geometry of the loops on space-time describes bosonic string theory. The Kaaumlhler potential is the dynamical (field) variable of closed-bosonic-string theory. The equation of motion for this field is that a generalized Ricci tensor vanishes. Loops on flat space constitute a solution only in 26 dimensions.
A two-coordinate nickel imido complex that effects C-H amination

An exceptionally low coordinate nickel imido complex, (IPr*)Ni═N(dmp) (2) (dmp = 2,6-dimesitylphenyl), has been prepared by the elimination of N2 from a bulky aryl azide in its reaction with (IPr*)Ni(η6-C7H8) (1). The solid-state structure of 2 features two-coordinate nickel with a linear C−Ni−N core and a short Ni−N distance, both indicative of multiple-bond character. Computational studies using density functional theory showed a Ni═N bond dominated by Ni(dπ)−N(pπ) interactions, resulting in two nearly degenerate singly occupied molecular orbitals (SOMOs) that are Ni−N π* in character. Reaction of 2 with CO resulted in nitrene-group transfer to form (dmp)NCO and (IPr*)Ni(CO)3 (3). Net C−H insertion was observed in the reaction of 2 with ethene, forming the vinylamine (dmp)NH(CH═CH2) (5) via an azanickelacyclobutane intermediate, (IPr*)Ni{N,C:κ2-N(dmp)CH2CH2} (4).
Neighborhood Route Diffusion for Packet Salvaging in Networks with High Mobility

This paper proposes a neighborhood route diffusion (NRD) mechanism in which certain selected entries from a node's routing table are selectively diffused to its neighbor nodes. When done efficiently, this selective route diffusion can create a temporary envelope of emergency route information to a destination around all nodes that are actively forwarding packets to that specific destination. When a link on a route fails due to mobility, the intermediate node on the failed link can forward packets to one of its neighbors which has already been diffused with the route information for the corresponding destination. It is shown that in most such occurrences, the packets can be successfully forwarded all the way to the destination using such pre-diffused routing information. This mechanism for salvaging packets during mobility-initiated link breaks can avoid packet drops which are usually prevalent in regular mobility aware routing protocols such as AODV. This paper presents strategies and network protocols for the selective NRD process and its associated routing mechanisms.
Mechanisms and energetics of free radical initiated disulfide bond cleavage in model peptides and insulin by mass spectrometry

We investigate the mechanism of disulfide bond cleavage in gaseous peptide and protein ions initiated by a covalently-attached regiospecific acetyl radical using mass spectrometry (MS). Highly selective S–S bond cleavages with some minor C–S bond cleavages are observed by a single step of collisional activation. We show that even multiple disulfide bonds in intact bovine insulin are fragmented in the MS2 stage, releasing the A- and B-chains with a high yield, which has been challenging to achieve by other ion activation methods. Yet, regardless of the previous reaction mechanism studies, it has remained unclear why (1) disulfide bond cleavage is preferred to peptide backbone fragmentation, and why (2) the S–S bond that requires the higher activation energy conjectured in previously suggested mechanisms is more prone to be cleaved than the C–S bond by hydrogen-deficient radicals. To probe the mechanism of these processes, model peptides possessing deuterated β-carbon(s) at the disulfide bond are employed. It is suggested that the favored pathway of S–S bond cleavage is triggered by direct acetyl radical attack at sulfur with concomitant cleavage of the S–S bond (SH2). The activation energy for this process is substantially lower by ∼9–10 kcal mol−1 than those of peptide backbone cleavage processes determined by density functional quantum chemical calculations. Minor reaction pathways are initiated by hydrogen abstraction from the α-carbon or the β-carbon of a disulfide, followed by β-cleavages yielding C–S or S–S bond scissions. The current mechanistic findings should be generally applicable to other radical-driven disulfide bond cleavages with different radical species such as the benzyl and methyl pyridyl radicals.
Potential vorticity in models of the ocean circulation

Existing observations suffice to give a qualitative description of the wind-driven and thermohaline components of the ocean circulation, but a hierarchy of analytical and numerical models is now needed for in coupled ocean-atmosphere models of the earth's climate. Potentialvorticity is a more appropriate diagnostic field variable than angular momentum for the ocean circulation because of the complicated geometry of basins. Patterns of potential vorticity onsurfaces of constant density help validate ocean circulation models, and give physical insight into how the oceancirculation works. High resolution models suggest that the lateral mixing of potential vorticity by mesoscale eddies along isopycnal surfaces is of the same order as large-scale advection, and that the assumption of inviscid, potential-vorticity-conserving flow in the thermocline is not appropriate for the real ocean. A satisfactory test of this conjecture will require the extensive measurements planned for the World Ocean Circulation Experiment. Models also indicate that the transport of water mass properties by mesoscale eddies is largely a mixing along isopycnal surfaces. The wcak temperaturc gradients along isopycnal surfaces in most areas of the ocean limit the effectiveness of the mesoscale eddies in transporting significant amounts of heat across latitude circles.
MIMO receive switched diversity with imperfect channel

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems are shown to offer significant gains in error rate performance and capacity over single input single output (SISO) systems. To alleviate the resource requirement and complexity issues involved in the implementation of MIMO systems, receive switch and stay diversity combining is considered at the cost of modest performance degradation compared to full complexity systems. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time in the literature, the design and performance of MIMO systems employing switch and stay combining at the receiver with imperfect channel is considered. A minimal complexity training scheme suitable for both switching and channel estimation is described. From the pairwise error probability (PEP) upper bound derived, the optimal switching threshold as a function of SNR is obtained. It is shown that by using the optimal switching threshold full diversity is achievable. Power distribution between training and data space-time (ST) codewords is optimized to minimize the loss suffered due to channel estimation. Simulation results have also been included to corroborate our results.
Bringing Back Bamiyan's Buddhas

Bamiyan's Buddhas, long the treasured centrepiece of Afghanistan's material culture, were blown up by the Taliban in 2001. Since then controversy has arisen regarding whether - and, if so, how - the sculptures might be resurrected. One option - possible in principle because of careful 20 th century survey work - would be to reconstruct exact replicas. I argue this would be a mistake. Reconstructing the sculptures, though it might serve useful ends, is inappropriate on aesthetic, moral, and metaphysical grounds. I then consider restoration, arguing that it is appropriate on these same grounds. Unlike reconstruction, restoration stands to (partly) resuscitate the artistic, cultural, and historical value that now lies, inaccessible, in piles of rubble. And while restoration stands to achieve this worthy end, it would contribute as well to the economic and political well-being of Afghani citizens. In short, I argue that restoring - and thereby resurrecting - Bamiyan's Buddhas, both metaphysically possible and morally appropriate, is a win-win proposition. Afghanistan deserves our support to make this happen.
THE PROCESS OF CRIMINALIZATION: THE CASE OF COMPUTER CRIME LAWS*

Scholars are rarely afforded contemporary opportunities to study the formation of criminal law. This paper reviews state and federal efforts to criminalize various forms of computer abuse. The analysis indicates that there was neither organized opposition to nor significant interest group involvement in computer crime enactments. Individual reformers included computer crime “experts” and legislators rather than “moral entrepreneurs.” The media were crucial to the criminalization, in that they provided both data on the incidence of computer crime and also helped to define society's response to the perceived problem. The paper concludes that the criminalization of computer abuse can be interpreted as a symbolic endeavor to educate and socialize a new generation of computer users by extending traditional definitions of property and privacy.
Critical Issues in International Education Narratives of Spouses of International Students

This study examines the day-to-day experiences of female spouses of international students living in the United States as legal dependents of their male student spouses. Although these women are we...
Impact of Intraspecific Polyploidy in Andropogon gerardii (Poaceae) Populations

Andropogon gerardii populations are comprised of two (or more) polyploid forms over much of the range of the species. To understand the impact of intraspecific polyploidy, polyploid cytotypes were compared over 4 y in native grasslands in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder A. gerardii populations averaged 59.6% hexaploids (60 chromosomes), 35.3% enneaploids (90 chromosomes) and 5.1% intermediate (aneuploid) chromosome numbers using flow cytometry to infer chromosome numbers. Neither mean clone area nor mean annual change in clone area differed significantly between ploidy levels. Hexaploid clones produced significantly more viable seeds than enneaploids. Enneaploids are not replacing themselves, whether that is measured absolutely or relative to hexaploids. Enneaploid reproductive effort was greater than hexaploid reproductive effort in some years and they produce substantial numbers of good seeds, but those seeds rarely have enneaploid cytotypes. The populations should eventually become entirely hexaploid. In the current populations, however, enneaploids are big, vigorous and fertile individuals.
Mayo Clinic experience with use of the AMS800 artificial urinary sphincter for urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy.

AbstractThe model AMS800 artificial urinary sphincter was implanted in 117 patients with urinary incontinence resulting from radical prostatectomy. The indication for implantation was total incontinence in 107 patients and stress incontinence in 10. All patients had bulbous urethral cuff insertion and 20 had previous pelvic irradiation. Followup questionnaire indicated a 90% signifi cantly improved continence rate and a 90% satisfaction rate among patients. There were 64 surgical revisions required in 37 patients: inadequate cuff compression in 21 (33%), tubing kinks in 10 (16%), urethral cuff erosion in 8 (13%), scrotal hematoma in 6 (9%), control assembly malfunction in 4 (6%) and cuff leaks in 4 (6%). Of the 20 patients with previous pelvic radiation 2 (10%) had at least 1 erosion, compared to 5 of 97 (5%) in the nonirradiated group. At followup 5 patients did not have at least 1 component of the AMS800 device indwelling (2 cuffs and 3 entire devices had been removed).
Brief paper: Equilibrium response of flight control systems

The steady-state response of a controlled system is of particular importance in non-zero set point regulation, and nowhere is this of more concern than in the piloting of aircraft. Possible equilibrium states are, to a large extent, independent of the aircraft's stability and transient behavior; hence, stability and command objectives can be specified separately. Singular as well as nonsingular steady-state response may be desirable from the pilot's viewpoint, i.e. a constant command vector can imply varying state and control vectors. The flight control structure can be designed to account for this characteristic, while allowing full state or state-estimate feedback if desired. Dissimilar command vectors lead to markedly different responses in systems whose eigenvalues and eigenvectors are identical. A methodology for designing to achieve proper command response is presented, and numerical and graphical illustrations are provided for a generic lightweight fighter aircraft example.
The Differential Effects of Exercised and Unexercised Power Sources in a Marketing Channel

Though considerable research has been reported on the effects of coercive and noncoercive power sources in marketing channels, the particular effects of power sources that have been exercised, as o...
Silicon AD-Dimer Binding on Si(100)

Isolated Si ad-dimers nucleate predominantly on Si(100) substrate dimer rows at room temperature. Using tunneling microscopy (STM), we find that, while ad-dimers oscillate between two mutually orthogonal orientations, the geometry with the ad-dimer bond perpendicular to the substrate’s dimer bonds is the more stable. This observation confirms a prediction of ab initio calculations with a gradient correction for the energies of ad-dimers in various configurations, which differs from that of the local density approximation (LDA).
Morphological Variation in Hemisarcoptes (Acari: Hemisarcoptidae): Application of Multivariate Morphometric Analyses

Mites of the genus Hemisarcoptes were collected from 4 geographically isolated portions of their distribution: California, France, New York, and Texas. An analysis of variance, a principal component analysis (PCA), a discriminant function analysis, an analysis of allometric relationships among characters, and a vector analysis were used to interpret morphological differences among females and males, within and among localities. Adults differed significantly in total body length. Females from New York were significantly smaller than females from Texas and California. Males from France were significantly larger than males from Texas. In the principle component analysis, females were completely separable from males on PCI, a general-size vector with females being larger. Females from Texas were distinguished from all other females on PC2 (the primary shape vector). Female mites from France, New York, and California were separable on size and shape when Texas females were removed from the analysis. Males from the 4 localities were not separable from one another in a pooled principle component analysis, but when males from Texas were removed from the principle component analysis, mites from California were separable by the shape vector component. Within-gender discrimination of females and males from all 4 localities was attained via discriminant analysis. Vector correlations indicated characters that were responsible for within-gender discrimination. Allometric coefficients in the midventral and anal-genital area were highly negatively allometric with size for males and highly positively allometric for females. Females from New York have a relatively disproportional expansion of this area, which could be correlated with egg size.
Stereotypes for Somatotypes: Shared Beliefs about Sheldon's Physiques

Two studies investigated subjects' knowledge about and preference for Sheldon's three primary physiques. In one study 30 subjects assigned 60 personality traits to outline drawings of mesomorphic, ...
The Dynamics of Microbial Coevolution: Experimental microcosms are providing new insights into the rapid pace and dynamics of microbial coevolution

We once thought of coevolution as a process that shapes species across eons. We now know that two or more species can coevolve very quickly, can change evolutionary directions many times, and can produce geographic mosaics of adaptation, sometimes at very local scales. We are getting better at predicting the pace and dynamics of coevolution among microorganisms, which will help us as we try to manage microbial species in multiple ecological, medical, and epidemiological settings.
Lifespan Weighed Down by Diet.

This Viewpoint discusses the possibility that declines in life expectancy from obesity-related chronic disease could reverse decades-long improvements in mortality trends, and proposes clinical and policy responses.
The Development of Lyophilized Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification Reagents for the Detection of Coxiella burnetii

Coxiella burnetii, the agent causing Q fever, is an obligate intracellular bacterium. PCR based diagnostic assays have been developed for detecting C. burnetii DNA in cell cultures and clinical samples. PCR requires specialized equipment and extensive end user training, and therefore, it is not suitable for routine work especially in a resource-constrained area. We have developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to detect the presence of C. burnetii in patient samples. This method is performed at a single temperature around 60 °C in a water bath or heating block. The sensitivity of this LAMP assay is very similar to PCR with a detection limit of about 25 copies per reaction. This report describes the preparation of the reaction using lyophilized reagents and visualization of results using hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) or a UV lamp with fluorescent intercalating dye in the reaction. The LAMP reagents were lyophilized and stored at room temperature (RT) for one month without loss of detection sensitivity. This LAMP assay is particularly robust because the reaction mixture preparation does not involve complex steps. This method is ideal for use in resource-limited settings where Q fever is endemic.
Leaching Of Traditional Rice-sprinkling Mother Yeast Of Yellow Rice Wine to Prevent Rancidity And The Teasons For The Measures

On the cause leaching of traditional rice-sprinkling mother yeast of yellow rice wine rancidity mechanism ,On the cause leaching of rice-sprinkling mother yeast of yellow rice wine rancidity ,causes stated prevent leaching of traditional rice-sprinkling mother yeast of yellow rice wine rancidity measures,the actual production of good guidance.
The Etiological Factor Analysis of 640 Cases Barrenness

Objective To explore the chief reason of barrenness.Methods The aciesis factor about 640 cases patients made a retrospective analysis.Results The aciesis factor were uterine tube,ovulation handicap,mail factor,endometriosis.The factor of uterine tube occupied 30.16%,it was a capital factor.The factor of ovulation handicap occupied 21.72%,it was a second factor.Conclusion The etiopathogenisis of barrenness is complex,The factor of uterine tube is a capital factor,it can increase pregnancy rate if reason is clear-cut.
Mechanisms and management of congenital and acquired long QT syndromes.

Les syndromes de QT longs peuvent etre divises en formes congenitales et formes acquises. Des potentiels tardifs ont ete identifies comme mecanismes de declenchement a la fois pour les syndromes de QT longs congenitaux et acquis, mais une reentree peut jouer un role dans la preservation des tachycardies ventriculaires et des torsades de pointes. Des etudes sur les mecanismes ioniques des potentiels tardifs ont mis en valeur le courant calcique de type L, des courants sodiques persistants et un courant d'echange sodique-calcique lie au chargement calcique. Plusieurs mecanismes iodiques peuvent jouer un role dans les potentiels tardifs survenant a differents niveaux du potentiel transmembranaire dans le contexte d'une prolongation de la repolarisation par bloquage des courants potassiques, la maintenance des courants calciques ou sodiques non activants, ou dans les potentiels tardifs secondaires a une stimulation adrenergique. Dans les syndromes de QT longs congenitaux, deux mutations ont ete recemment decouvertes dans les genes SCN5A et HERG qui codent respectivement le canal sodique et le canal potassique, conducteurs du courant I Kr . Il est possible que la mutation du SCNSA entraine un probleme d'inactivation du courant sodique. Dans le cas de la mutation HERG, le courant potassique semble etre diminue. Dans le cas du syndrome de QT long acquis, le defi therapeutique est de maintenir la prolongation de la repolarisation tout en interrompant la cascade arythmogene. Parmi les traitements modernes des torsades de pointes, on trouve l'acceleration de la frequence cardiaque qui augmente le courant potassique, les inhibiteurs calciques ou les sels de magnesium qui agissent comme un inhibiteur calcique. Dans les syndromes de QT longs congenitaux, le traitement conventionnel visait a la reduction du tonus adrenergique, soit par des betabloquants, soit par sympathectomie. Des decouvertes recentes ouvrent d'autres possibilites, tels les bloquants du canal sodique, et des methodes pour augmenter l'I Kr , comme l'augmentation du potassium extracellulaire.
Molecular Pathology of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is associated with a high morbidity and mortality, and is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related death in the US. In recent years, the molecular pathophysiology of ovarian tumors has been better elucidated, allowing for the distinction of two tumor types: the more indolent type I tumors (encompassing endometrioid, clear cell, low-grade serous, and mucinous carcinomas) and the highly aggressive type II tumors (encompassing high-grade serous carcinomas and malignant mixed mullerian tumors). Type I tumors are related to abnormalities in the MAPK signaling pathway (KRAS and BRAF mutations), the PI3K/Akt2/PTEN pathway, and the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, as well as mutations in other genes such as ARID1a, PPP2R1A, and HNF1-beta. Type II tumors, in contrast, are characterized by mutations in p53, as well as inactivation of BRCA1/2 and mutations in genes such as Notch3, Rsf-1, and NAC1. In this chapter, we discuss the characteristics and frequency of these molecular abnormalities, with an emphasis on their implications for diagnosis and treatment.
Cellular immunotherapy for malignant gliomas

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Cancer immunotherapy has made much progress in recent years. Clinical trials evaluating a variety of immunotherapeutic approaches are underway in patients with malignant gliomas. Thanks to recent advancements in cell engineering technologies, infusion of ex vivo prepared immune cells have emerged as promising strategies of cancer immunotherapy.Areas covered: Herein, the authors review recent and current studies using cellular immunotherapies for malignant gliomas. Specifically, they cover the following areas: a) cellular vaccine approaches using tumor cell-based or dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines, and b) adoptive cell transfer (ACT) approaches, including lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, γδ T cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells and T-cell receptor (TCR) transduced T cells.Expert opinion: While some of the recent studies have shown promising results, the ultimate success of cellular immunotherapy in brain tumor patients would ...
Cross-modal Plasticity in Developmental and Age-Related Hearing Loss: Clinical Implications

This review explores cross-modal cortical plasticity as a result of auditory deprivation in populations with hearing loss across the age spectrum, from development to adulthood. Cross-modal plasticity refers to the phenomenon when deprivation in one sensory modality (e.g. the auditory modality as in deafness or hearing loss) results in the recruitment of cortical resources of the deprived modality by intact sensory modalities (e.g. visual or somatosensory systems). We discuss recruitment of auditory cortical resources for visual and somatosensory processing in deafness and in lesser degrees of hearing loss. We describe developmental cross-modal re-organization in the context of congenital or pre-lingual deafness in childhood and in the context of adult-onset, age-related hearing loss, with a focus on how cross-modal plasticity relates to clinical outcomes. We provide both single-subject and group-level evidence of cross-modal re-organization by the visual and somatosensory systems in bilateral, congenital deafness, single-sided deafness, adults with early-stage, mild-moderate hearing loss, and individual adult and pediatric patients exhibit excellent and average speech perception with hearing aids and cochlear implants. We discuss a framework in which changes in cortical resource allocation secondary to hearing loss results in decreased intra-modal plasticity in auditory cortex, accompanied by increased cross-modal recruitment of auditory cortices by the other sensory systems, and simultaneous compensatory activation of frontal cortices. The frontal cortices, as we will discuss, play an important role in mediating cognitive compensation in hearing loss. Given the wide range of variability in behavioral performance following audiological intervention, changes in cortical plasticity may play a valuable role in the prediction of clinical outcomes following intervention. Further, the development of new technologies and rehabilitation strategies that incorporate brain-based biomarkers may help better serve hearing impaired populations across the lifespan.
Four-dimensional variational inversion of black carbon emissions during ARCTAS-CARB with WRFDA-Chem

Abstract. Biomass burning emissions of atmospheric aerosols, including black carbon, are growing due to increased global drought, and comprise a large source of uncertainty in regional climate and air quality studies. We develop and apply new incremental four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) capabilities in WRFDA-Chem to find optimal spatially and temporally distributed biomass burning (BB) and anthropogenic black carbon (BC) aerosol emissions. The constraints are provided by aircraft BC concentrations from the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board (ARCTAS-CARB) field campaign and surface BC concentrations from the Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) network on 22, 23, and 24 June 2008. We consider three BB inventories, including Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) v1.0 and v1.5 and Quick Fire Emissions Database (QFED) v2.4r8. On 22 June, aircraft observations are able to reduce the spread between a customized QFED inventory and FINNv1.0 from a factor of 3. 5 ( × 3. 5) to only × 2. 1. On 23 and 24 June, the spread is reduced from × 3. 4 to × 1. 4. The posterior corrections to emissions are heterogeneous in time and space, and exhibit similar spatial patterns of sign for both inventories. The posterior diurnal BB patterns indicate that multiple daily emission peaks might be warranted in specific regions of California. The US EPA's 2005 National Emissions Inventory (NEI05) is used as the anthropogenic prior. On 23 and 24 June, the coastal California posterior is reduced by × 2, where highway sources dominate, while inland sources are increased near Barstow by × 5. Relative BB emission variances are reduced from the prior by up to 35 % in grid cells close to aircraft flight paths and by up to 60 % for fires near surface measurements. Anthropogenic variance reduction is as high as 40 % and is similarly limited to sources close to observations. We find that the 22 June aircraft observations are able to constrain approximately 14 degrees of freedom of signal (DOF), while surface and aircraft observations together on 23/24 June constrain 23 DOF. Improving hourly- to daily-scale concentration predictions of BC and other aerosols during BB events will require more comprehensive and/or targeted measurements and a more complete accounting of sources of error besides the emissions.