cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stand Persistence and Forage Yield of 11 Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Populations in Semiarid Rangeland

Abstract Livestock producers in the Northern Great Plains value alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) for increasing forage production and quality in grazing lands. However, alfalfa persistence can be poor, especially under grazing. Demand exists for alfalfa that can establish and persist in semiarid grazing lands. A naturalized population of predominantly yellow-flowered alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L. subsp. falcata [L.] Arcang.) was found growing and reseeding on private and public rangeland in northwestern South Dakota. This naturalized alfalfa population demonstrates persistence in this semiarid environment. A study, initiated in May 2006 at the Antelope Range and Livestock Research Station near Buffalo, South Dakota, evaluated stand persistence and forage yield of 11 alfalfa populations transplanted into mixed-grass prairie. Populations were pure falcata , predominantly falcata , hay-type sativa , or pasture-type sativa populations. Transplants were space planted on 1-m centers within three exclosures (35 × 35 m) divided into two sections, which were either mob grazed by cattle or protected from mob grazing. Mob grazing began in August 2007 and continued periodically through 2008 and 2009. Survival, plant height, plant canopy diameters, and biomass data were collected. Grazing, dry spells, and ice sheets subjected alfalfa plants to substantial stress. High mortality of grazed plants occurred during the 2008–2009 winter. Hay-type sativa and pasture-type sativa populations exposed to mob grazing had poor final survival ( falcata and most predominantly falcata populations had higher survival (> 38%) and forage yield. Low mortality and high yield of protected plants indicated that accumulated stress from mob grazing weakened grazed plants, increasing environment-related mortality (e.g., winterkilling). Falcata -based populations persistent under mob grazing and adapted to the regional environment have potential for use in the Northern Great Plains.
Mechanical properties of PP-LDPE blends with novel morphologies produced with a continuous chaotic advection blender

When immiscible polymer melts are combined by chaotic advection, melt domains are recursively stretched and folded. A multi-layer blend morphology results that has a hierarchical structure and intrinsic mechanical interlocking. Novel derivative morphologies can be obtained via the formation and interactive growth of holes among melt layers. In this study, a unique continuous chaotic advection blender (CCAB) was used to investigate influences of these morphologies on tensile and impact toughness properties of polypropylene (PP)-low density polyethylene (LDPE) blends. Although prior related work has focused on batch processing, this study also demonstrated the viability of chaotic advection in continuous flow modes suited for extruding blends with target morphologies. Extrusions were producible with morphologies giving an overall combination of improved properties relative to properties associated with droplet morphologies typically obtained with conventional compounding equipment. Applicability to injection molding is also discussed. Novel processing control features of the CCAB-type devices are briefly described.
Photostabilisation mechanisms in polymers: A review

Abstract Key degradative processes for various polymers are itemised, together with photostabilisation mechanisms which can minimise these processes. Polymers can be conveniently classified as inherent absorbers, which absorb large amounts of solar uv, and as ‘non-absorbers’, that is polymers transparent in the near uv. The former group which includes aramids, polycarbonates and polyesters is predominantly photodegraded by primary processes causing direct bond scission and stabilisation is best effected by the use of uv absorbing additives or opaque pigments. The ‘non-absorbers’ include polyolefins and poly(vinylchloride) which are degraded as the result of oxidative chain processes initiated by chromophoric impurities. For polypropylene the dominant photooxidation product is hydroperoxide which photocleaves to initiate further oxidation. Various uv. stabilisers for polyolefins appear to owe their effectiveness to their ability to decompose hydroperoxide groups and/or to their ability to scavenge free radical intermediates in the oxidative process.
Loss of bone marrow NK cells during SIV infection is associated with increased turnover rates and cytotoxicity but not changes in trafficking.

Background HIV and SIV infections induce NK cell dysfunction and hematopoietic defects in the bone marrow, but the effects of infection on bone marrow NK cell development and function are unknown. Methods Bone marrow NK cells were analyzed from both naive and chronically SIV-infected rhesus macaques using polychromatic flow cytometry. Results NK cell frequencies were reduced in infected compared with naive animals, associated with increased apoptosis. Bone marrow NK cells from SIV-infected macaques upregulated perforin expression, suggesting increased cytotoxicity, and shifted toward a more mature CD16+ NK cell subpopulation phenotype. Unexpectedly, expression of the trafficking markers α4β7, CCR7, and CD62L was unchanged on bone marrow NK cells during SIV infection. Conclusion These data demonstrate that during SIV infection, bone marrow NK cells are reduced in number, but upregulate cytotoxic functions. Furthermore, our data suggest acquired cytotoxicity and loss may be due to in situ NK cell differentiation and not emigration.
A tissue culture system for studying lens cell differentiation.

Abstract A rapid optical technique is described for measuring the length of cultured embryonic chicken lens epithelial cells. This method is shown to be easy to use and to provide an accurate measure of lens cell length in vitro . Cell culture methods are described and examples are given of the application of these methods to the study of lens fiber cell differentiation.
Space Transportation System Solid Rocket Booster Thrust Vector Control System

The Solid Rocket Booster, Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system was designed in accordance with the following requirements: self-contained power supply, failsafe operation, 20 flight uses after exposure to seawater landings, optimized cost, and component interchangeability. Trade studies were performed which led to the selection of a recirculating hydraulic system powered by Auxiliary Power Units (APU) which drive the hydraulic actuators and gimbal the solid rocket motor nozzle. Other approaches for the system design were studied in arriving at the recirculating hydraulic system powered by an APU. These systems must withstand the imposed environment and be usable for a minimum of 20 Space Transportation System flights with a minimum of refurbishment. The TVC system completed the required qualification and verification tests and is certified for the intended application. Substantiation data include analytical and test data.
Effects of age on the neural correlates of familiarity as indexed by erps

ERPs were recorded from samples of young (18-29 years) and older (63-77 years) participants while they performed a modified "remember-know" recognition memory test. ERP correlates of familiarity-driven recognition were obtained by contrasting the waveforms elicited by unrecollected test items accorded "confident old" and "confident new" judgments. Correlates of recollection were identified by contrasting the ERPs elicited by items accorded "remember" and confident old judgments. Behavioral analyses revealed lower estimates of both recollection and familiarity in older participants than in young participants. The putative ERP correlate of recollection-the "left parietal old-new effect"-was evident in both age groups, although it was slightly but significantly smaller in the older sample. By contrast, the putative ERP correlate of familiarity-the "midfrontal old-new effect"-could be identified in young participants only. This age-related difference in the sensitivity of ERPs to familiarity was also evident in subgroups of young and older participants, in whom familiarity-based recognition performance was equivalent. Thus, the inability to detect a reliable midfrontal old-new effect in older participants was not a consequence of an age-related decline in the strength of familiarity. These findings raise the possibility that familiarity-based recognition memory depends upon qualitatively different memory signals in older and young adults.
Phthalate exposure and children's health.

Purpose of reviewPhthalates are multifunctional chemicals used in personal care products, medications, and plastics. We reviewed the epidemiological literature examining the relationship between early life phthalate exposure and pediatric health outcomes.Recent findingsFive studies from Asia, Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW‐FAT FRANKFURTERS MANUFACTURED WITH MODIFIED BEEF CONNECTIVE TISSUE

A 3 fat level (8%, 16% and 24%, finished weight basis) × 5 modified connective tissue level (0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%, meat block basis) complete factorial design was employed to characterize frankfurters manufactured with modified beef connective tissue (MCT). Thermal processing yields improved 2–3% with the addition of 20% or more MCT. Level of MCT did not affect average consumer cook yields. Kramer Shear parameters were higher with higher levels of MCT. Frankfurter cohesiveness declined with an increase in MCT. A consumer panel found low-fat frankfurters to be less desirable in almost all traits than high fat products. Frankfurters with 10–20% MCT were as desirable as controls (0% MCT). Frankfurter external and internal color was lighter as level of MCT increased. Frankfurters with MCT were rated as desirable by a consumer sensory panel, and had color and yields similar to higher fat products.
A Large Superconducting Detector Magnet Without An Iron Return Path

This paper describes a detector magnet which returns flux between the coils rather than through an iron return path. This actively shielded, uniform field 2 T magnet can be fabricated in separate parts which can be manufactured on the SSC site. This magnet can be built so that central field is uniform enough to permit a TPC detector to be used without iron poles. The field outside of the coil can be made to fall of as R−N power where N approaches 9. A major advantage of the magnet described in the paper is that there is no pole piece to block the particle jets emanating from the collision region in the forward and backward directions. Inexpensive materials such as earth and concrete can be used to provide the mass needed to analyze particles such as mu mesons. As a result, problems such as experimental hall subsidence can be reduced. Perhaps the cost of such an experiment can also be reduced. This type of magnet would require experimenters to rethink their experimental concepts.
The stabilization and release of hirudin from liposomes or lipid-assemblies coated with hydrophobically modified dextran.

Hirudin is a 65-amino acid peptide and the most potent and specific known inhibitor of thrombin (Ki=0.2 pM). The short elimination half-life of hirudin from the body (1 hour) necessitates the use of a sustained and controlled delivery system. A proliposome method was used to entrap hirudin in liposomes coated with palmitoyl dextran-coated liposomes and lipid-assemblies. In vitro release studies of hirudin were performed using the lipid systems enclosed in dialysis membranes or deposited in the pores of a vascular graft. The activity of hirudin and released hirudin was measured using a thrombin chromogenic substrate assay. Entrapment efficiencies of hirudin in lipid-assemblies approached 100%, however, the release of hirudin from these systems was rapid with 90% released in 17 hours. Entrapment efficiencies of hirudin in coated-liposomes ranged from 5% to 55% and were dependent on several variables. Palmitoyl dextran-coated-liposomes showed a burst of 30% hirudin released in 5 hours with an additional 10% to 35% released over the next 600 hours. In all samples, 30–40% of the hirudin remained associated with the lipid-systems even after 600 hours. The released hirudin retained only 33% of its ability to inhibit thrombin when released from uncoated liposomes. However, hirudin retained 95% of its thrombin inhibitory activity when released from palmitoyl dextran-coated liposomes. Coated liposomes were found to stabilize hirudin and result in greater retention of hirudin's ability to inhibit thrombin's enzymatic activity, although the mechanism is not yet understood.
Prediction of serum theophylline levels

Because theophylline (T) has a narrow therapeutic index, serum concentrations resulting from previous outpatient therapy must be considered when planning intravenous (IV) aminophylline dosage in the emergency department (ED). Facilities to measure serum T concentrations rapidly are not available in all institutions. We therefore studied our ability to predict serum T concentrations in asthma or COPD patients, and assessed the probable outcomes if dosing decisions had been based on these predictions. Forty adult patients (mean age, 41.5 years) who had taken a theophylline preparation within 12 hours of ED presentation were studied. Serum T concentration was predicted based on each patient's medication history and the use of standard pharmacokinetic equations, and was compared with the patient's actual T level. The mean actual T concentration was 12.7 ± 6.62 μg/mL, while the mean predicted T concentration was 11.4 ± 5.37 μg/mL. If the predicted T concentrations had been used to plan subsequent IV aminophylline dosing, 68% of patients would have received therapy likely to place them within the range of 10 to 20 μg/mL; 15% would have received too little aminophylline, and 17% too much. Comparable results are noted if aminophylline dosing had been based simply on the elapsed time since the patient's last oral T dose. While IV aminophylline dosing decisions can be made safely in many patients by considering their medication history or predicting serum T concentration, inappropriate and possibly dangerous therapy will result in a sizable, unpredictable minority. Aminophylline dosing in the ED ideally should be done with knowledge of the patient's baseline theophylline level.
Leisure Time: Do Married and Single Individuals Spend It Differently?

Using data from the 1998–1999 Family Interaction, Social Capital, and Trends in Time Use Study, the authors estimated the time use of 1,151 respondents on various leisure activities (e.g., active leisure, passive leisure, and social entertainment). Onaverage, the most time was spent on active sports (12 minutes) in the active leisure category, TVuse (119 minutes) in the passive leisure category, and socializing with people (27 minutes) in the social entertainment category. Single individuals spent more time playing musical instruments, singing, acting, and dancing than married individuals. Single individuals also spent more time listening to the radio, watching TV, socializing with people, going to bars/lounges, and traveling for social activities than married individuals. Married individuals spent significantly less time for leisure activities than did single individuals. Among the sociodemographic factors, income, employment status, age, gender, and race of respondents were significant determinants of their time use for leisure.
Induction of the soybean phytoalexins coumestrol and glyceollin by Aspergillus.

Several isoflavonoid phytoalexins produced by soybeans are known to be estrogenic, with potential beneficial health effects in humans. Increased production of phytoalexins by the soybean plant will facilitate research efforts in this area. In this study, phytoalexin induction and accumulation in soybean cotyledon tissue was observed using four species of Aspergillus: A. sojae, A. oryzae, A. niger, and A. flavus. All four Aspergillus species tested elicited phytoalexin accumulation in living soybean cotyledons. Results from a time course study indicated that maximum concentrations of the phytoalexin glyceollin, 955 μg/g fresh weight (fw), occurred at day 3 in soybean cotyledon tissue inoculated with A. sojae. Other Aspergillus species caused an accumulation of glyceollin at significantly lower levels. A maximum concentration of coumestrol of 27.2 μg/g fw was obtained from soybean cotyledons inoculated with A. niger. Soybean phytoalexins induced by food-grade A. sojae and A. oryzae allowed the collection o...
Phosphorus and sulphur requirements of blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon R.BR.) seedlings

Abstract The effects of varying phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) supply on the dry matter production, height growth, foliage type, nutrient content and nutrient composition of blackwood seedlings were examined in a fractional, factorial experiment with 12 levels each of P and S in 29 treatments. Regressions of final height at age 6 months, and seedling dry weight respectively on P and S supply level gave quadratic response surfaces with maxima occurring at the combinations P15.1 S12.7 and P15.8 S14.6 (where P1 S1 = a total dose of 5 mg each of P and S). This result suggests that requirement for s is closely comparable to that for P in blackwood seedlings. Interaction (P × s) was not significant for any variable. At harvest, seedlings grown with the P‐S treatment combination closest to the predicted optimum supply for maximum productivity had concentrations of 2.7% N, 0.23% P, and 0.16% S in their tops, or 2.4% N, 0.20% P. and 0.17% S in the whole seedling. These seedlings were well proportioned with a tops:...
Psychological stress and arterial stiffness in Korean Americans

Objective Arterial stiffness is identified as a causative factor for hypertension. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between psychological stress and arterial stiffness in Korean Americans.
Diversity of rhizosphere associated entomopathogenic fungi of perennial herbs, shrubs and coniferous trees

Understanding habitat selection of fungal entomopathogens is critical to improve the efficacy, persistence and cost of these fungi as microbial insecticides. This study sought to determine the prevalence of Metarhizium and Beauveria spp. isolated from the rhizosphere of strawberry, blueberry, grape and Christmas tree crops in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Entomopathogenic fungi were assigned to thirteen species based on molecular phylogenetic criteria. Four species of Metarhizium were isolated including Metarhizium brunneum, Metarhizium guizhouense, Metarhizium robertsii, and Metarhizium flavoviride var. pemphigi. Nine Beauveria species were isolated including, Beauveria brongniartii, an undescribed species referred to as Clade C and seven phylogenetic species of Beauveria bassiana. Strawberries and blueberries were significantly associated with M. brunneum and Christmas trees with M. guizhouense and M. robertsii. Grapes were significantly associated with B. bassiana phylogenetic species Bbas-16. All of the Metarhizium isolates screened were pathogenic to Otiorhynchus sulcatus larvae in laboratory bioassays but only M. brunneum and M. robertsii caused significant levels of infection. The study results suggest that certain species of Metarhizium and Beauveria are significantly associated with the strawberry, blueberry and Christmas tree rhizosphere and could potentially provide better control of O. sulcatus.
Accelerator research for heavy ion inertial fusion

It is now one decade since serious consideration was first given to the use of heavy ion accelerators for inertial confinement fusion. After an initial period of wide-ranging studies, the US program settled on an induction linac method proposed by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL). The ion kinetic energy is modest (30–100 MeV/amu, 5–10 GeV total) but intense beam currents of order 1 kA per beam in 10–30 beams are required on target in a short pulse of order 10–20 ns. In this review the conceptual designs are described, together with recent theory and experiments on high-current beam transport and use of multiple beams. Parallel efforts in West Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union are mentioned, and a two-year US study of heavy ion fusion electric power plants is summarized.
Supercomputers on the internet: a case study

This paper will discuss the design of a TCP/IP implementation and its upper level protocols on the University of Illinois supercomputer. We will also discuss some of the issues peculiar to TCP communication with a supercomputer, and some of the special problems encountered while writing and debugging under CTSS, which is not an environment particularly conducive to network development.
Estimating the Parameters of the Beta-Binomial Distribution:

For some situations the beta-binomial distribution might be used to describe the marginal distribution of test scores for a particular population of examinees. To use this distribution it is necessary to estimate two parameters which characterize the beta-binomial model. One method of estimating these parameters is to approximate the maximum likelihood estimates using some appropriately chosen iterative technique. When the number of examinees is small, however, it is not clear that this method of estimation is justified since the iterative approximations might not converge to the maximum likelihood estimate. Using Monte Carlo techniques, this paper compares the Newton-Raphson approximation to the maximum likelihood estimate with several other possible procedures. It is found that the Newton-Raphson method should be used when it yields admissible (positive) results.
THE TRANSMISSION OF YELLOW FEVER : EXPERIMENTS WITH THE "WOOLLY MONKEY" (LAGOTHRIX LAGO-TRICHA HUMBOLDT), THE "SPIDER MONKEY" (ATELEUS ATER F. CUVIER), AND THE "SQUIRREL MONKEY" (SAIMIRI SCIREUS LINNAEUS)

1. Saimiri sciureus has been infected with yellow fever virus, both by the inoculation of infectious blood and by the bites of infective mosquitoes. Some of the monkeys have died, showing lesions, including hepatic necrosis, suggesting yellow fever as seen in human beings and in rhesus monkeys. Virus has been transferred back to M. rhesus from infected Saimiri both by blood inoculation and by mosquito bites. The virus undoubtedly has been maintained through four direct passages in Saimiri. Reinoculations of infectious material into recovered monkeys have not given rise to invasion of the blood stream by virus. Sera from recovered animals have protected M. rhesus against the inoculation of virus. 2. It has been possible to pass the virus to and from Ateleus ater by the injection of blood or liver and by the bites of mosquitoes. The livers from two infected animals have shown no necrosis. The serum from one recovered monkey proved to be protective for M. rhesus. 3. Only three out of twelve Lagothrix lagotricha have reacted to yellow fever virus by a rise in temperature. Probably none have died as a result of the infection. In only one instance has the virus been transferred back to M. rhesus. The sera of recovered animals have had a protective action against yellow fever virus.
You can't give permission to be a bastard: Empathy and self-signaling as uncontrollable independent variables in bargaining games

Canonical utility theory may have adopted its selfishness postulate because it lacked theoretical rationales for two major kinds of incentive: empathic utility and self-signaling. Empathy - using vicarious expenences to occasion your emotions - gives these experiences market value as a means of avoiding the staleness of self-generated emotion. Self-signaling is inevitable in anyone trying to overcome a perceived character flaw. Hyperbolic discounting of future reward supplies incentive mechanisms for both empathic utility and self-signaling. Neither can be effectively suppressed for an experimental game.
TU-F-BRF-02: MR-US Prostate Registration Using Patient-Specific Tissue Elasticity Property Prior for MR-Targeted, TRUS-Guided HDR Brachytherapy

Purpose: High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy has become a popular treatment modality for prostate cancer. Conventional transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate HDR brachytherapy could benefit significantly from MR-targeted, TRUS-guided procedure where the tumor locations, acquired from the multiparametric MRI, are incorporated into the treatment planning. In order to enable this integration, we have developed a MR-TRUS registration with a patient-specific biomechanical elasticity prior. Methods: The proposed method used a biomechanical elasticity prior to guide the prostate volumetric B-spline deformation in the MRI and TRUS registration. The patient-specific biomechanical elasticity prior was generated using ultrasound elastography, where two 3D TRUS prostate images were acquired under different probe-induced pressures during the HDR procedure, which takes 2-4 minutes. These two 3D TRUS images were used to calculate the local displacement (elasticity map) of two prostate volumes. The B-spline transformation was calculated by minimizing the Euclidean distance between the normalized attribute vectors of the prostate surface landmarks on the MR and TRUS. This technique was evaluated through two studies: a prostate-phantom study and a pilot study with 5 patients undergoing prostate HDR treatment. The accuracy of our approach was assessed through the locations of several landmarks in the post-registration and TRUS images; our registration results were comparedmore » with the surface-based method. Results: For the phantom study, the mean landmark displacement of the proposed method was 1.29±0.11 mm. For the 5 patients, the mean landmark displacement of the surface-based method was 3.25±0.51 mm; our method, 1.71±0.25 mm. Therefore, our proposed method of prostate registration outperformed the surfaced-based registration significantly. Conclusion: We have developed a novel MR-TRUS prostate registration approach based on patient-specific biomechanical elasticity prior. Successful integration of multi-parametric MR and TRUS prostate images provides a prostate-cancer map for treatment planning, enables accurate dose planning and delivery, and potentially enhances prostate HDR treatment outcome.« less
Selective block of external anal sphincter activation during electrical stimulation of the sacral anterior roots in a canine model.

Abstract Our aim was to electrically activate small diameter parasympathetic fibres in the sacral anterior roots, without activating the larger somatic fibres to the external anal sphincter (EAS). Electrodes were implanted on selected roots in five adult dogs. Pressures were recorded from the rectum and EAS. Quasitrapezoidal (Qzt) pulses for selective activation of smaller axons and narrow rectangular (Rct) pulses to activate all fibres were applied. Sphincter block was defined as [(Pmax − Pmin)/Pmax] × 100%. Roots were also tested with 20 Hz trains. In three animals, evacuation of bowel contents was recorded with artificial fecal material. Stimulation with Qzt pulses showed decrease in sphincter recruitment with increasing pulse amplitudes, indicating propagation arrest in the large fibres. The average sphincter suppression was 94.1% in 16 roots implanted. With Qzt pulse trains, the average evoked sphincter pressure was significantly lower than Rct pulses. Evoked rectal pressures were not significantly different. The mean mass of expelled bowel contents of 51.1 g by Qzt trains was significantly higher than that of 14.8 g expelled by Rct trains. Our results demonstrate that this selective stimuli can activate small diameter fibres innervating the distal bowel and result in significant evacuation of rectal contents.
PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDIES OF WATER-SOLUBLE HUMAN AMYLOID FIBRILS : COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF NINE AMYLOID PREPARATIONS

Amyloid fibrils were isolated from the tissues of nine patients with amyloidosis in a state of high purity by homogenization of the tissue followed by extraction with distilled water. Physical, chemical, and ultrastructural studies suggest that amyloid fibrils from different individuals resemble each other, but are not identical. In tissue sections as well as by negative staining of isolated fibrils, morphologic variations were observed. Among the isolated fibrils at least three types were noted. The majority resembled those described previously. However, one subject had two types of fibrils which differed in size and appearance. Most of the preparations sedimented as a single component with a sedimentation coefficient of 45–50S or as a larger polymer. However, two of the preparations had sedimentation coefficients of 8–9S, and a third one had a major 95S component and a minor 9S fraction. While the preparations of amyloid were not sufficiently pure for amino acid analyses, peptide maps demonstrated differences among amyloid preparations from different subjects. The amyloid fibrils in their native state proved to be remarkably resistant to digestion by a number of proteolytic enzymes. Several chemical methods were tried to produce smaller subunits. Of these, the most successful one was the use of 0.1 M NaOH which yielded a smaller, soluble fraction with sedimentation coefficients ranging from 1.1 to 2.8S. Accompanying this degradation, there was little loss of peptides or carbohydrates. Based on the results of the chemical analyses, it is estimated that the subunit produced by sodium hydroxide had a molecular weight of approximately 35,000–40,000.
Rain Estimation from Satellites: An Examination of the Griffith-Woodley Technique

The Griffith-Woodley Technique (GWT) is an approach to estimating precipitation using infrared observations of clouds from geosynchronous satellites. It is examined in three ways: an analysis of the terms in the GWT equations; a case study of infrared imagery portraying convective development over Florida; and the comparison of a simplified equation set and resultant rain map to results using the GWT. The objective is to determine the dominant factors in the calculation of GWT rain estimates. Analysis of a single day's convection over Florida produced a number of significant insights into various terms in the GWT rainfall equations. Due to the definition of clouds by a threshold isotherm the majority of clouds on this day did not go through an idealized life cycle before losing their identity through merger, splitting, etc. As a result, 85% of the clouds had a defined life of 0.5 or 1 h. For these clouds the terms in the GWT which are dependent on cloud life history become essentially constant. The empirically derived ratio of radar echo area to cloud area is given a singular value (0.02) for 43% of the sample, while the rainrate term is 20.7 mmh-1 for 61% of the sample. For 55% of the sampled clouds the temperature weighting term is identically 1.0. Cloud area itself is highly correlated (r=0.88) with GWT computed rain volume. An important, discriminating parameter in the GWT is the temperature defining the coldest 10% cloud area. The analysis further shows that the two dominant parameters in rainfall estimation are the existence of cold cloud and the duration of cloud over a point.
Substantia nigra projection to medullary reticular formation: Relevance to oculomotor and related motor functions in the cat

Wheat germ lectin-horseradish peroxidase was injected into the medial medullary reticular formation in 4 cats. Retrogradely labeled cell bodies were observed in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata and bilaterally in the superior colliculus, oculomotor nucleus and fastigial nucleus of the cerebellum. The nigral projection to this reticular formation area, which receives diffuse afferents from cortex, cerebellum, oculomotor system and vestibular nucleus and projects to spinal cord, may be of some relevance in understanding the nigral role in postural, head- and eye-movement control.
Nonsurgical ultrasonic endodontic instruments

The advent of nonsurgical ultrasonic tips has opened up a new horizon in endodontic treatment. There are a number of nonsurgical endodontic ultrasonic systems currently available in the market and it is difficult to renew all of them. Based on similarities among different instrument systems, and attempt has been made to classify instruments into broad categories. This article describes the utility of each type of ultrasonic tip and the principles behind its usage. These instruments may be area specific or use specific, but can be used in an area other than the one for which they are specifically designed if the general principles regarding ultrasonic tips are understood and applied.
Polymorphisms in the non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 gene (MYH9) are strongly associated with end-stage renal disease historically attributed to hypertension in African Americans

African Americans have high incidence rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) labeled as due to hypertension. As recent studies showed strong association with idiopathic and HIV-related focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) gene polymorphisms in this ethnic group, we tested for MYH9 associations in a variety of kidney diseases. Fifteen MYH9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were evaluated in 175 African Americans with chronic glomerulonephritis-associated ESRD, 696 African Americans reportedly with hypertension-associated ESRD, and 948 control subjects without kidney disease. Significant associations were detected with 14 of the 15 polymorphisms in all 871 non-diabetic patients with ESRD. In hypertension-associated ESRD cases alone, significant associations were found with 13 MYH9 polymorphisms and the previously reported E1 haplotype. Thus, hypertension-associated ESRD in African Americans is substantially related to MYH9 gene polymorphisms and this may explain the poor response to blood pressure control in those diagnosed with hypertensive nephrosclerosis. It is possible that many African Americans classified as having hypertension-associated ESRD have occult MYH9-associated segmental or global glomerulosclerosis. Our study shows that gene-environment and/or gene–gene interactions may initiate kidney disease in genetically susceptible individuals, because African Americans homozygous for MYH9 risk alleles do not universally develop kidney disease.
Knowledge exchange in a virtual team exploring the relationship between virtual communication and social capital generation

In the current digital knowledge economy, virtual communication is often used as a medium for knowledge exchange. Research has demonstrated that knowledge exchange is a complex social process which, at least in part, relies upon the social capital between exchange partners. The question of research interest is to examine whether virtual communication can generate and support social capital, thus enabling knowledge exchange across space and time boundaries. I use the literatures in the knowledge-based view of the firm, virtual work, and social capital theory to develop some hypotheses that explore the relationship between virtual communication and social capital generation in virtual teams.
Adult and umbilical cord blood-derived platelet-rich plasma for mesenchymal stem cell proliferation, chemotaxis, and cryo-preservation

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was prepared from human adult peripheral blood and from human umbilical cord (uc) blood and the properties were compared in a series of in vitro bioassays. Quantification of growth factors in PRP and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) fractions revealed increased levels of mitogenic growth factors PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, and FGF-2, the angiogenic agent VEGF and the chemokine RANTES in ucPRP compared to adult PRP (aPRP) and PPP. To compare the ability of the various PRP products to stimulate proliferation of human bone marrow (BM), rat BM and compact bone (CB)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), cells were cultured in serum-free media for 4 and 7 days with varying concentrations of PRP, PPP, or combinations of recombinant mitogens. It was found that while all forms of PRP and PPP were more mitogenic than fetal bovine serum, ucPRP resulted in significantly higher proliferation by 7 days than adult PRP and PPP. We observed that addition of as little as 0.1% ucPRP caused greater proliferation of MSC effects than the most potent combination of recombinant growth factors tested, namely PDGF-AB + PDGF-BB + FGF-2, each at 10 ng/mL. Similarly, in chemotaxis assays, ucPRP showed greater potency than adult PRP, PPP from either source, or indeed than combinations of either recombinant growth factors (PDGF, FGF, and TGF-β1) or chemokines previously shown to stimulate chemotactic migration of MSC. Lastly, we successfully demonstrated that PRP and PPP represented a viable alternative to FBS containing media for the cryo-preservation of MSC from human and rat BM.
Topological and Geometrical Considerations for Maxwell's Equations on Unstructured Meshes

Abstract A discrete differential form approach to solving Maxwell's equations on unstructured meshes is presented. Discrete representations of differential forms, the underlying manifolds, and associated operators are developed. The discrete boundary, coboundary, and hodge star operators are shown to maintain divergence-free regions. With the construction of a cell complex, its dual complex, and the associated discrete operators, we have determined the numerical update equations for the electromagnetic fields on unstructured meshes with second-order accuracy. The discrete differential form approach generalizes to the Yee algorithm on an orthogonal complex and to the discrete surface integral algorithm on a parallelepiped complex.
Modeling nongray gas-phase and soot radiation in luminous turbulent nonpremixed jet flames

Much progress has been made in radiative heat transfer modeling with respect to treatment of nongray radiation from both gas-phase species and soot particles, while radiation modeling in turbulent flame simulations is still in its infancy. Aiming at reducing this gap, this paper introduces state-of-the-art models of gas-phase and soot radiation to turbulent flame simulations. The full-spectrum k-distribution method (Modest, M.F., 2003, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer, 76, 69–83) is implemented into a three-dimensional unstructured CFD code for nongray radiation modeling. The mixture full-spectrum k-distributions including nongray absorbing soot particles are constructed from a narrow-band k-distribution database created for individual gas-phase species, and an efficient scheme is employed for their construction in CFD simulations. A detailed reaction mechanism including NO x and soot kinetics is used to predict flame structure, and a detailed soot model using a method of moments ...
Formation of face-centered cubic titanium on a Ni single crystal and in Ni/Ti multilayers

The artificial layering of metals can change both physical and structural characteristics from the bulk. The stabilization of polymorphic metallic phases can occur on a dimensional scale that ranges from single overgrowth layers to repetitive layering at the nanoscale. The sputter deposition of crystalline titanium on nickel, as both a single layer and in multilayer form, has produced a face-centered cubic phase of titanium. The atomic structure of the face-centered cubic titanium phase is examined using high resolution electron microscopy in combination with electron and x-ray diffraction.
Cerebellar Hypoplasia in Neonatal Rats Caused by Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, strain E-350, when inoculated intracerebrally in rats 1 to 7 days old, produces an acute destructive infection of the cerebellar cortex resulting in permanent cerebellar hypoplasia and ataxia. Several other arenoviruses may produce a similar lesion in neonatal rodents.
"Everybody in the world is my friend" hypersociability in young children with Williams syndrome.

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder involving a characteristic cardiac defect, typical facial appearance, and an uneven profile of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. WS is caused by a hemizygous deletion in chromosome band 7q11.23, including the gene for elastin (ELN). Typically, individuals with WS seem driven to greet and interact with strangers. The goal of the present study was to investigate age-related changes in the expression of hypersociability in WS. Parents of 64 children with WS, 31 children with Down syndrome (DS), and 27 normal controls (NC) provided data concerning specific aspects of their children's social behavior using the Salk Institute Sociability Questionnaire (SISQ). Children ranged in age from 1 year, 1 month to 12 years, 10 months. Consistent with earlier findings, whole group analyses showed the WS group to be significantly higher on all aspects of sociability studied. Comparisons among the groups at different ages revealed that hypersociability is evident even among very young children with WS, and, significantly, children with WS exceed children with DS with respect to Global Sociability and Approach Strangers in every age group. The findings from children who have the typical deletion for WS are contrasted with data obtained from a young child with WS who has a smaller deletion and many physical features of WS, but who does not demonstrate hypersociability, providing intriguing clues to a genetic basis of social behavior in this syndrome. These data suggest the involvement of a genetic predisposition in the expression of hypersociability in WS. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Compassion and the Hippocratic Oath

Abstract A physician faces a difficult decision when her terminally ill patient wants to die. Her compassion and the Hippocratic Oath pull her in different directions. A bargaining model offers an explanation of how she balances these emotions. The model has simple and powerful implications for the patient.
Hume and Frege on identity

I'll call this 'the uncertainty problem'. This difficulty about identity takes a rather special form within Hume's philosophy, but the problem, Baxter says, is real and not specific to Hume, and remains unresolved. And he says, it is quite distinct from Frege' s problem about identity. In the first part of this essay, I will argue that Hume does provide an answer to the problem, so long as we exempt the uncertainty problem from what I will call the "subject matter condition". In the second part, I'll argue that Frege dealt with the same problem, and, as different as the concerns of the two philosophers were, his solution is, in a recognizable sense, Humean.
Effects of cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, on mouse brain catecholamine biochemistry

Cycloheximide (CXM), a protein synthesis inhibitor, has been shown to result in a marked inhibition of central catecholamine (CA) synthetic mechanisms at doses that cause amnesia in animals. Unlike other inhibitors of CA synthesis no significant depletion of whole brain NE or DA concentrations was observed 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 17, or 24 hours after administration of CXM (120 mg/kg) to C57BL/6J mice. In order to investigate the underlying basis of maintenance of CA levels in face of CA synthesis inhibition, the effects of CXM on in vitro release of 3H-NE was studied in mouse hypothalamic slices. CXM, in a dose related manner, significantly inhibited the potassium stimulated release of NE from hypothalamic slices. Anisomycin, another protein synthesis inhibitor, similarly inhibited NE release. These studies further document the effects of protein synthesis inhibitors on CA mechanisms and suggest that disruption of CA biochemistry may play a role in the amnesia observed after administration of protein synthesis inhibitors.
Erratum to: An update on spinal cord injury research

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a few mistakes. The presentation of “local protein thesis” in the 3rd line from bottom in right column on page 399 is incorrect. The corrected should be “local protein synthesis”. The word “Chondrotinase” in the 13th line from top in right column on page 400 is mis-spelled. The corrected should be “Chondroitinase”. The expression “A more severe and rapidly growing condition, traumatic brain injury, poses everincreasing challenges” in the 13th line of the last paragraph should be corrected to “A more severe and complex condition, traumatic brain injury, is being increasingly recognized”.
Exploring a Complicated Labyrinth: Some Tips on Using Patent Data to Measure Urban and Regional Innovation:

The ability to generate and exploit new knowledge is becoming the hallmark of a region’s economic strength, but unlike typical economic measures, innovation and knowledge production do not have accessible and obvious indicators. Because inventors frequently seek patent protection for new knowledge or processes, patents serve as a proxy for innovative activity. Patent data published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office offer a circuitous look at the activities of firms, both in the United States and internationally, in the generation of knowledge. These data, however, are often difficult to understand and manipulate. This article describes the patent data most easily available to researchers and presents a starting point for collecting, manipulating, and using patent data as a measure of innovative activity within a geographical region. The methods described here were employed in the Indiana metropolitan statistical area case study that also appears in this issue.
A Study of the Polarization-Direction Correlation of Successive Gamma-Ray Quanta

A gamma-ray polarimeter utilizing Compton scattering as the analyzing process is described. Measurements of the polarization-direction correlations of the gamma-rays emitted in the disintegration of ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{46}$, ${\mathrm{Co}}^{60}$, ${\mathrm{Rh}}^{106}$, and ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{134}$ are reported.
Null-plane invariance of Hamiltonian null-plane dynamics.

Relativistic Hamiltonian few-body dynamics [1, 2] involves two unitary representations of the Poincare group on the Hilbert space H of physical states, with and without interactions. These two representations, U(Λ, a) and U 0(Λ, a), coincide for a kinematic subgroup H. The “Hamiltonians” are the generators not in the Lie algebra of the kinematic subgroup. The kinematic subgroup of null-plane dynamics leaves the null-plane z·x≡x 0 + x 3 = 0 invariant.
Propranolol for patients with mitral valve prolapse

This study evaluates propranolol's effect on symptoms, arrhythmias, and exercise tolerance in 16 patients with mitral valve prolapse. Three patients (19 per cent) experienced symptomatic deterioration with propranolol therapy, seven (44 per cent) were unchanged, and six (37 per cent) noted an over-all symptomatic improvement, primarily due to a reduction in palpitation. Symptomatic improvement continues in these six patients an average of 12.5 months after beginning propranolol therapy. Treatment with propranolol alleviated chest pain in only two of eight patients and it did not improve the ability to perform treadmill exercise. Fatigue did not improve, and in three patients appeared for the first time during propranolol therapy. Premature ventricular contractions were reduced by at least 75 per cent in five of nin patients (56 per cent), and paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia was eliminated in three of four patients. We conclude that propranolol is not uniformly effective in patients with mitral vale prolapse. A trial of propranolol may be instituted fro patients with mitral valve prolapse who have severe symptoms and/or arrhythmias, but the drug should only be continued in those who demonstrate clinical and/or antiarrhythmic response.