cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sulfuric acid effects on iron and phosphorus availability in two calcareous soils

Abstract An attempt was made to study the effects of sulfuric acid additions to iron (Fe)‐ and phosphorus (P)‐deficient calcareous soils. Several greenhouse experiments were conducted with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) grown in two calcareous soils. Addition of sulfuric acid to soils increased soil acidity, salinity, DTPA‐extractable Fe, available P (NaHCO3‐extractable), and crop yield. The change in soil pH is the primary cause of increased nutrient availability and thus crop yield. Leaching after acid application is highly beneficial in decreasing salinity during germination and seedling stages and therefore has a direct impact on the yield. The beneficial effects of acid carried over for at least two greenhouse cropping seasons (approximately 4.5 months).
Monogenic causes of inflammatory disease in rheumatology.

Purpose of reviewTo review the single-gene defects that can mimic rheumatologic diseases.Recent findingsMonogenic disorders can cause a variety of diseases that may be seen by a rheumatologist. Many of these illnesses present with recurrent episodes of arthritis, rash, fever and inflammation, and se
Hydroisomerization of n-Hexadecane Over Anion Modified Pt/HfO2 Catalysts

Pt-promoted tungsten-hafnia catalysts containing different amounts of tungsten (15 and 20 wt% WO3) were prepared and tested for hydroisomerization of n-hexadecane in a trickle-bed reactor. All catalysts were calcined under dry air flow at 723 K for 3 h. Pt-promoted sulfated hafnia was also prepared for the purpose of comparison. The catalysts were characterized using BET surface area, X-ray diffraction, and DRIFTS for the adsorption of pyridine. Tungsten-based hafnia catalysts exhibit moderate activity ( 95 %), which had an operating temperature of 493 K. However, tungsten-based hafnia catalysts were more selective towards iso-C16 even at higher n-hexadecane conversions. More cracking products were obtained with sulfated hafnia in which the selectivity to iso-C16 decreases exponentially with n-hexadecane conversion. The less acidic tungsten–hafnia catalysts may be suitable for producing more isomerized products compared to the sulfated analog.
Joining Together to Alleviate the Burdens of Cancer

Welcome to volume 25, issue 3 of the Journal of Cancer Education—our third with our new publisher, Springer. We are deeply indebted to them for all they have done to help us with our backlog, get accepted articles up online as quickly as possible, help modernize and streamline the submission and review process, and all in all, for being very supportive and helpful partners in the growth of the journal, the AACE, the EACE, and CPEN. We are experiencing a record number of submissions and although I haven’t gotten all the bugs quite worked out yet, the processes seem more manageable, and I promise they will get better. You receive this issue at the time of the 2010 annual AACE/CPEN/EACE meeting in beautiful San Diego, where we will focus on The Impact of Cancer Education on Patients, Practitioners and the Public. Have a look at the abstracts—and turn them into articles! Use the articles for ideas to improve cancer education and cancer outcomes in your locale! This San Diego meeting will be the third joint endeavor with AACE, EACE, and CPEN. The wealth of talent and ideas and good people doing good things is a treasure for all of us! If you can’t come to San Diego, mark down Buffalo for the fall of 2011 and Nicosia, Cyprus for an unforgettable EACE meeting in March 2011. Just as Springer has been very helpful in getting our act together for the journal, the leadership group of AACE, and especially the indomitable Frank Ferris with executive secretary Paula Frampton Brown at his side, have been pushing AACE to new clarity, purpose, and value for members. Frank, with the help of others, has redone the website—I urge you to visit it at http://www.aaceonline. com. He led us to develop a new mission and vision statement, which I include:
Evidence that the stimulus properties of apomorphine are mediated by both D1 and D2 receptor activation.

Abstract Male and female rats were trained to discriminate between the stimulus properties of apomorphine (0.16 mg/kg i.p.) and saline in a two-lever, food-motivated operant procedure. Apomorphine, at doses different than the training dose, produced a similar dose-dependent relationship in both sexes. Consistent with the hypothesis that the behavioral effects of apomorphine are mediated by D2 activation, the apomorphine interoceptive cue generalized to bromocriptine, a drug considered to be a preferential D2 agonist. In addition, the dose-response curve after 5–15 mg/kg bromocriptine administration was parallel to that of apomorphine. Consistent with the biochemical evidence that apomorphine's effects are mediated, to a lesser extent, by D1 activation, the apomorphine cue partially generalized to the selective D1 agonist SKF 38393. Furthermore, the apomorphine cue was not blocked by the selective D1 antagonist SCH 23390. Somewhat surprising was the partial generalization of the apomorphine cue to SCH 23390. However, this is not the first time that the administration of SCH 23390 has resulted in unexpected behavioral responses. Other novel findings include the lack of sex differences in acquisition training to the apomorphine cue and in the generalization tests to the selective agonists. The behavioral results are consistent with previous biochemical evidence that the effects of apomorphine are mediated by both D1 and D2 activation and is further behavioral support that apomorphine's effects are not the result of D2 activation alone, as previously hypothesized.
Light-induced effects in amorphous silicon material and devices

Abstract We have studied the stability of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) using several new techniques such as diffusion length measurements, photovoltage profiling and IR absorption via multiple internal reflections. We find that prolonged illumination generally causes a decrease in the diffusion length and an increase in the space charge density of undoped a-Si:H films.
Effect of Promazine Hydrochloride and Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride on the Motility and Fertility of Bovine Semen

Summary Promazine hydrochloride (Sparine) and chlorpromazine hydrochloride (Thorazine) were incorporated in 20% egg yolk extenders of the CU-16 type at levels as high as 2,000 µg. per milliliter of extender. None of the levels of promazine tested improved sperm survival, and the highest levels of both drugs were spermicidal (P 0.05). While all three extenders gave highly acceptable fertility, there appears to be no advantage in replacing sulfanilamide with chlorpromazine in the extenders used in these experiments.
Maltreatment perpetrators: a 54-month analysis of recidivism☆

OBJECTIVE: This study compared recidivism rates for alleged maltreatment perpetrators whose initial report was substantiated and those whose initial report was not substantiated, to determine whether they returned to the child welfare system at differing rates. METHOD: Statewide administrative child welfare services data over a period of 4 1/2 years was analyzed. The sample included 31,531 perpetrators of intrafamilial maltreatment. Separate analyses were conducted for each type of maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect). RESULTS: Bivariate relationships (substantiation status and recidivism) were analyzed using survival curves, and the study found that recidivism patterns differed by type of maltreatment and by substantiation status at the index event. Multivariate analyses using Cox Proportional Hazards models found that bivariate relationships held true even when controlling for neighborhood mean income, ethnicity, and gender. CONCLUSIONS: The study's finding that perpetrators whose index event was not substantiated return to the child welfare system at a high rate suggests the need to learn how to discriminate those unsubstantiated alleged perpetrators who are most at risk for recidivism. The finding of frequent cross-type recidivism indicates that intervention should focus on common themes across maltreatment types. Language: en
ApoA1: Mimetic peptide reverses adipocyte dysfunction in vivo and in vitro via an increase in heme oxygenase (HO-1) and Wnt10b

Insulin resistance is a risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes and is a major cause of atherosclerosis. Reduction in heme oxygenase (HO-1) has been shown to exacerbate vascular dysfunction and insulin resistance in obese mice and involves a decrease in adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is released from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived adipocytes, its levels are decreased in type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that the apoA1 mimetic peptide, L-4F, will target the expression of the HO-1-adiponectin axis and reverse adipocyte dysfunction both in vivo and in vitro. The administration of L-4F [2 mg/Kg/daily (i.p.) for 4-week to 8-week-old obese (ob) mice restored adipocyte function, increased adiponectin release (p < 0.05) and decreased the levels of IL-1 and IL-6 (p < 0.05)]. These perturbations were associated with an increase in insulin sensitivity (p < 0.01 vs. untreated ob mice) and decreased glucose levels (309 + 42 vs. 201 + 8 mg/d after L-4F treatment). Treatment of both mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived adipocytes with L-4F (50 µg/ml) increased adiponectin (p < 0.05), decreased IL-1 and IL-6 (p < 0.05) levels and increased MSC-derived adipocyte cell numbers by 50% in S phase (p < 0.05). MSC-derived adipocytes treated with L-4F increased WNT10b and decreased Peg 1/Mest. Inhibition of HO activity reversed the decrease in the adipogenic response gene, Peg 1/Mest. An increase of HO-1 expression by L-4F increased insulin-receptor phosphorylation. These findings support the hypothesis that L-4F increases early adipocyte markers, HO-1-adiponectin, WNT10b and decreases Peg1/Mest, negative regulators of adipocyte differentiation.
Effect of age on angiotensin II-mediated downregulation of adrenomedullary catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes

Abstract Expression of catecholamine biosynthesizing enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta hydroxylase (DβH) increase with age in the adrenal medulla, however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In the present study, we examined the effect of peripheral angiotensin II (AngII) on the expression of TH and DβH, in the adrenal medulla of young (6 mo) and old (23 mo) Fischer-344 rats. Saline or AngII (230 ng/kg/min sc) was infused for 3 days using osmotic minipumps. Adrenomedullary TH and DβH mRNA levels increased significantly with age, and while AngII reduced the expression of these enzymes in young animals, it had no such effect in the old animals. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is co-released with catecholamines in the adrenal medulla and stimulates the synthesis of TH and DβH, was also upregulated with age and downregulated in response to AngII in young rats. However, in the old animals, the already elevated NPY expression remained unchanged following AngII treatment. This data indicate that the hypertensive effect of peripheral AngII is compensated by an inhibition of adrenomedullary catecholamine biosynthesis in young animals, but this mechanism is impaired in senescence, potentially contributing to the age-related increase in catecholamine biosynthesis.
On the necessary use of abstract set theory

In this paper we present some independence results from the Zermelo-Frankel axioms of set theory with the axiom of choice (ZFC) which differ from earlier such independence results in three major respects. Firstly, these new propositions that are shown to be independent of ZFC (i.e., neither provable nor refutable from ZFC) form mathematically natural assertions about Bore1 functions of several variables from the Hilbert cube I” into the unit interval, or back into the Hilbert cube. As such, they are of a level of abstraction significantly below that of the earlier independence results. Secondly, these propositions are not only independent of ZFC, but also of ZFC together with the axiom of constructibility (V = L). The only earlier examples of intelligible statements independent of ZFC + V= L either express properties of formal systems such as ZFC (e.g., the consistency of ZFC), or assert the existence of very large cardinalities (e.g., inaccessible cardinals). The great bulk of independence results from ZFCLthe ones that involve standard mathematical concepts and constructions-are about sets of limited cardinality (most commonly, that of at most the continuum), and are obtained using the forcing method introduced by Paul J. Cohen (see [2]). It is now known in virtually every such case, that these independence results are eliminated if V= L is added to ZFC. Finally, some of our propositions can be proved in the theory of classes, as formalized by the Morse-Kelley class theory with the axiom of choice for sets (MKC), but not in ZFC. MKC still formalizes only commonly accepted principles of mathematical reasoning. Thus these propositions provide examples of interesting theorems whose proofs necessarily involve the outer limits of what is commonly accepted as valid principles of mathematical reasoning. The starting point for the development of these new propositions was our consideration, in 1976, of certain aspects of Cantor’s basic theorem that the set of all real numbers is not countable. Thus given any sequence of real numbers, there is a real number which is not a term of the sequence. By using nested sequence of closed intervals with rational endpoints, it is easy to
High (K+) effects on the molecular weight distribution of proteins synthesized in Aplysia nervous tissue.

Summary To study possible coupling between membrane polarization and protein synthesis, elevated external K+ levels were used to depolarize the cell membranes in isolatedAplysia californica parieto-visceral ganglia (PVG). The effect of this treatment on the incorporation of labeled leucine into proteins in the ganglion was analyzed on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels. PVCs were preincubated 3 h and then incubated for 4 h in either control medium ([14C]leucine, 10mM [K+]) or experimental medium ([3H]leucine, 10 + x mM [K+] with equimolar [Na+] reduction). These were homogenized together, separated into aqueous soluble and aqueous insoluble fractions, and run on gels. In the aqueous soluble fraction of the PVG high [K+] (90–110mM [K+]) caused relative increases in incorporation in distinct peaks at 50 K (K= 1000 daltons) and 40 K. The relative increases at 50 K and 40 K occurred when [14C]leucine (instead of the usual [3H]leucine) was incorporated in high [K+]. Using a prelabeling technique, it was shown that these probably were not post-synthesis effects. The relative increases at 50 K and 40 K did not occur (1) with [K+] raised to only 50mM; (2) with [Na+] reduced by 80mM, and Tris+ (HCl to neutralize) substituted instead of K+; and (3) in the aqueous insoluble fraction of the PVG. In pleuro-visceral connective (PVC) nerve exposed to high [K+], a relative increase occurred at 40 K but not at 50 K. Both the PVC nerve and the PVG contain glia and connective tissue, but only the PVG contains nerve cell bodies. This suggests that the 50 K effect may have its origins in nerve cells, whereas the 40 K effect occurs in glia and/or connective tissue. High [K+] caused a relative decrease in incorporation at higher molecular weights compared to lower molecular weights in the PVG. This effect was most pronounced in the aqueous insoluble fraction but was also present in the aqueous soluble fraction. High [K+] caused a 50% decrease in total incorporation into the PVG, and an 85% decrease in total incorporation into PVC nerve. Comparison of staining and incorporation patterns of nerve and ganglion with each other and with the work of Jacobset al.11 onAplysia tubulin supports the hypothesis that much of the 50 K material found in nerves is actually synthesized in ganglia and transported into the nerve in the form of microtubules.
Mining TV broadcasts for recurring video sequences

We introduce an algorithm and a real-time system for mining TV broadcasts for recurring video sequences. The algorithm is frame-accurate, i.e., it exactly identifies with which frame a repeating sequence starts and ends resulting in a temporal accuracy of 40ms for PAL videos and 33ms for NTSC videos. The algorithm is also efficient. A 24-hour live-stream can be processed on a standard PC in less than 4 hours including the computational expensive video decoding. This efficiency is partially achieved by means of an inverted index for identifying similar frames rapidly. Images are mapped to the index by first calculating a gradient-based image feature, which in turn is mapped to the index via a hash function. The search algorithm consists of two steps: (1) searching for recurring short segments of e.g. 1 second length (called clips), and (2) assembling these small segments into sets of repeating long and complete video sequences. In our experiments we investigate the sensitivity of the algorithm concerning all system parameters and apply it to the detection of unknown commercials within 24 and 48 hours of various TV channels. It is shown that the method is an excellent technique for searching for unknown commercials. Currently, the system is used 24 hours 7 days a week in various countries to log all broadcast commercials fully automatically.
Transference in Interpersonal Relations: Inferences and Affect Based on Significant‐Other Representations

ABSTRACT Based on an information-processing model of transference and a recent experimental demonstration of transference, defined in terms of “biased inference and memory” (Andersen & Cole, 1990), the present research examined the transfer of affective responses to a new individual, as in schema-triggered affect (Fiske, 1982). Using idiographic stimulus-generation procedures and a nomothetic experimental design, we exposed subjects to a description of a new, unknown person, allegedly seated next door. The description resembled either a positively or negatively toned significant other from the subject's own life or from another subject's life. As predicted, and replicating previous work, subjects misremembered the target person as having more representation-consistent features when the target resembled their own significant other rather than someone else's. Moreover, and also as predicted, subjects transferred more representation-consistent affect to this same target person. The data are discussed in terms of conceptions of transference and basic aspects of social cognition.
Synthetic smooth muscle cell phenotype is associated with increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity: Effect on collagen secretion

Objective Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from prosthetic vascular grafts secrete higher levels of collagen than aortic SMCs under basal conditions and during incubation with oxidized low-density lipoprotein. We postulated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributed to the observed difference. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of ROS on collagen secretion by aortic and graft SMCs and explore the mechanism involved. Methods SMCs isolated from canine aorta or Dacron thoracoabdominal grafts were incubated with 6-anilinoquinoline-5,8-quinone (LY83583), an agent that induces superoxide production. Type I collagen in the conditioned medium was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and superoxide anion production was measured by lucigenin assay. Results LY83583 stimulated a rapid increase in collagen production by graft SMCs that paralleled the LY83583-induced increase in superoxide production. The increase in both collagen and superoxide was greater in graft SMCs than aortic SMCs. Collagen and superoxide production were inhibited by superoxide scavengers. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) induced significantly more superoxide production by graft SMCs than aortic SMCs, suggesting that the NADPH oxidase system was more active in graft SMCs. NADPH oxidase inhibitors blocked the superoxide and collagen production induced by LY83583. Conclusion In SMCs, the synthetic phenotype is associated with increased NADPH oxidase activity and elevated superoxide production in response to an oxidative stress. Superoxide, in turn, leads to increased collagen production.
Preparation and properties of high quality crystalline silicon films grown by ECR plasma deposition

A process for growing high quality epitaxial silicon on heavily doped silicon (100) wafers at temperatures below 525/spl deg/C has been developed using a high vacuum electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma deposition system. Plasma diagnostic work was done in order to optimize the growth conditions. The crystalline quality of our films has been verified using TEM, Raman and UV reflectance. Spreading resistance profiles (SRP) indicate that our undoped films are n-type with free carrier concentrations between 3/spl times/10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ and 3/spl times/10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/. The junction between the heavily doped wafer and the undoped epi layer is shown to be abrupt. The mobilities of the carriers were measured using Hall measurements, and were found to be as high as in the best crystalline materials. This new technique may have significant applications for low cost Si solar cells.
Relative dynamic muscular endurance of patients with neuromuscular disorders and of healthy matched control subjects.

This study was undertaken to determine whether the relative muscular endurance of patients with paresis secondary to neuromuscular disorders was different from that of comparable healthy persons. Using an isokinetic dynamometer, I measured the peak knee extension torque of five patients with neuromuscular disorders and of five matched controls. Torque was measured during an initial and 40 subsequent maximal knee extensions at 180°/sec. Gravity-corrected peak torques of the initial repetition and every fifth subsequent repetition were compared between groups, as were the percentages of decrease in torque (calculated relative to the initial torque) using two-way analysis of variance procedures. The results of these procedures demonstrated that the healthy subjects were significantly stronger than the patients with paresis ( p < .01) but that the patients had significantly better relative muscular endurance (ie, smaller percentages of decrease in torque) than the healthy subjects ( p < .05). These findings suggest that, for the patients tested, the relative muscular endurance of patients with paresis is not compromised. This finding does not preclude patients with paresis being unable to complete multiple repetitions of specific functional tasks requiring some critical level of muscular strength.
Recent progress towards development of effective systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant brain tumors

Systemic chemotherapy has been relatively ineffective in the treatment of malignant brain tumors even though systemic chemotherapy drugs are small molecules that can readily extravasate across the porous blood-brain tumor barrier of malignant brain tumor microvasculature. Small molecule systemic chemotherapy drugs maintain peak blood concentrations for only minutes, and therefore, do not accumulate to therapeutic concentrations within individual brain tumor cells. The physiologic upper limit of pore size in the blood-brain tumor barrier of malignant brain tumor microvasculature is approximately 12 nanometers. Spherical nanoparticles ranging between 7 nm and 10 nm in diameter maintain peak blood concentrations for several hours and are sufficiently smaller than the 12 nm physiologic upper limit of pore size in the blood-brain tumor barrier to accumulate to therapeutic concentrations within individual brain tumor cells. Therefore, nanoparticles bearing chemotherapy that are within the 7 to 10 nm size range can be used to deliver therapeutic concentrations of small molecule chemotherapy drugs across the blood-brain tumor barrier into individual brain tumor cells. The initial therapeutic efficacy of the Gd-G5-doxorubicin dendrimer, an imageable nanoparticle bearing chemotherapy within the 7 to 10 nm size range, has been demonstrated in the orthotopic RG-2 rodent malignant glioma model. Herein I discuss this novel strategy to improve the effectiveness of systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant brain tumors and the therapeutic implications thereof.
Therapeutic Enzyme-Responsive Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery and Accumulation in Tumors

An enzyme-responsive, paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticle is described and assessed in vivo in a human fibrosarcoma murine xenograft. This work represents a proof-of-concept study demonstrating the utility of enzyme-responsive nanoscale drug carriers capable of targeted accumulation and retention in tumor tissue in response to overexpressed endogenous enzymes.
Object Model Framework for Interface Modeling and IT-Oriented Interface Management

The intense complexity of interfaces in a construction project makes information technology (IT) applications a must for effective interface management (IM). This largely requires a unified, accurate, and efficient way of modeling interface information. Conventionally, interfaces are simply modeled as dependencies/relationships between project entities; various interface information is loosely presented in different ways, which reduces the accuracy and completeness of interface information as well as the efficiency in information exchange and application. This paper introduces an object view of interfaces and its inherent interface object modeling technique, and then presents an interface object model (IOM) framework. The IOM is the first in the literature that aims to systematically define the data structure and dependencies of interface information for modeling. It is at the core of a conceptually proposed systematic model-based IM strategy. When fully developed, the IOM can be used to accurately model ...
Life-threatening brain failure and agitation in the intensive care unit

The modern intensive care unit (ICU) has evolved into an area where mortality and morbidity can be reduced by identification of unexpected hemodynamic and ventilatory decompensations before long-term problems result. Because intensive care physicians are caring for an increasingly heterogeneous population of patients, the indications for aggressive monitoring and close titration of care have expanded. Agitated patients are proving difficult to deal with in nonmonitored environments because of the unpredictable consequences of the agitated state on organ systems. The severe agitation state that is associated with ethanol withdrawal and delirium tremens (DT) is examined as a model for evaluating the efficacy of the ICU environment to ensure consistent stabilization of potentially life-threatening agitation and delirium.
Parental Racial Socialization as a Moderator of the Effects of Racial Discrimination on Educational Success Among African American Adolescents

This study investigated whether parental racial socialization practices moderated the relation between racial discrimination in school and adolescents’ educational outcomes. Using data from a longitudinal study of an economically diverse sample of 630 African American adolescents (mean age = 14.5) from a major East Coast metropolis, the results revealed that cultural socialization attenuated the effect of teacher discrimination on grade point average (GPA) and educational aspirations, as well as the effect of peer discrimination on GPA. Also, preparation for bias and cultural socialization interacted to make unique contributions to African American adolescents’ educational outcomes. Finally, there was some evidence that teacher discrimination was more detrimental to the academic engagement of African American males than females. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Stress Testing an AI Based Web Service: A Case Study

The stress testing of AI-based systems differs from the approach taken for more traditional Web services, both in terms of the design of test cases and the metrics used to measure quality. The expected variability in responses of an AI-based system to the same request adds a level of complexity to stress testing, when compared to more standard systems where the system response is deterministic and any deviations may easily be characterized as product defects. Generating test cases for AI-based systems requires balancing breadth of test cases with depth of response quality: most AI-systems may not return a perfect answer. An example of a machine learning translation system is considered, and the approach used for stress testing it is presented, alongside comparisons with a more traditional approach. The challenges of shipping such a system to support a growing set of features and language pairs necessitate a mature prioritization of test cases. This approach has been successful in shipping a Web service that currently serves millions of users per day.
A comparison of two theories of perceived distance on the ground plane: The angular expansion hypothesis and the intrinsic bias hypothesis

Two theories of distance perception—ie, the angular expansion hypothesis (Durgin and Li, 2011 Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 73 1856-1870) and the intrinsic bias hypothesis (Ooi et al, 2006 Perception 35 605-624)—are compared. Both theories attribute exocentric distance foreshortening to an exaggeration in perceived slant, but their fundamental geometrical assumptions are very different. The intrinsic bias hypothesis assumes a constant bias in perceived geographical slant of the ground plane and predicts both perceived egocentric and exocentric distances are increasingly compressed. In contrast, the angular expansion hypothesis assumes exaggerations in perceived gaze angle and perceived optical slant. Because the bias functions of the two angular variables are different, it allows the angular expansion hypothesis to distinguish two types of distance foreshortening—the linear compression in perceived egocentric distance and the nonlinear compres- sion in perceived exocentric distance. While the intrinsic bias is proposed only for explaining distance biases, the angular expansion hypothesis provides accounts for a broader range of spatial biases.
Role of peptidases in bradykinin-induced increase in vascular permeability in vivo

The purpose of this study was to examine whether neutral endopeptidase and angiotensin I-converting enzyme, two membrane-bound metalloenzymes that are widely distributed in the microcirculation, play a role in bradykinin-induced increase in vascular permeability in the hamster cheek pouch. Changes in vascular permeability were quantified by counting the number of leaky sites and by calculating the clearance of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran (molecular mass, 70,000 d) during suffusion of the cheek pouch with bradykinin. Bradykinin produced a concentration- and time-dependent increase in the number of leaky sites and clearance of FITC-dextran. The selective, active site-directed neutral endopeptidase inhibitors phosphoramidon (1.0 microM) and thiorphan (10.0 microM) and the selective angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril (10.0 microM) each shifted the concentration-response curve to bradykinin significantly to the left. During suffusion with bradykinin (1.0 microM) and phosphoramidon, the number of leaky sites increased significantly from 17 +/- 2 to 27 +/- 4 sites per 0.11 cm2 (mean +/- SEM, p less than 0.05), and FITC-dextran clearance increased significantly from 1.0 +/- 0.2 to 2.1 +/- 0.3 ml/sex x 10(-6).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Early complications following penetrating wounds of the brain

The experience of an evacuation hospital in Japan in treating 506 consecutive patients from Vietnam with penetrating wounds of the brain is reported with particular reference to early complications. Sixty-eight patients were operated on for still retained intracranial foreign bodies. Thirty-five of the 62 patients with retained intracranial bone fragments had positive microbial cultures of the fragment, which in 63% showed Staphylococcus epidermis. All of the metallic fragments cultured revealed microbial growth. Superficial infections were noted in 32 patients. Superficial plus deep infections were found in eight patients with no retained bone fragments. Eighteen patients had meningitis proven by culture, while an additional 12 patients with CSF sugars of less than 40 mg% were assumed to have meningitis. Twelve patients developed CSF leaks requiring surgery. Twenty-three patients (4.54%) died as a result of their wounds. The neurosurgical treatment recommended for these patients is described.
Effect of music on state anxiety scores in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Objective: To study the effect of music on state anxiety levels in patients undergoing flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB). Design: Randomized clinical trial using pretests, posttests, and two groups. Setting: Pulmonary special-procedures unit of a tertiary-care referral center. Patients: Sixty adult patients: 30 patients received music during bronchoscopy and 30 control subjects received no music. Results: The study population had baseline state anxiety levels similar to those previously reported in surgical patients (42.6 6 13 vs 42.7 6 14; p value, not significant [NS]) and higher than those reported in normal working adults (42.6 6 13 vs 34.4 6 10; p < 0.001). Experimental and control groups were similar in patient and procedure-related characteristics and baseline pre-FFB state and trait anxiety scores. Although trait anxiety scores decreased significantly after the procedure (pooled post-FFB scores of 32.6 6 10 vs pre-FFB scores of 35.5 6 11; p < 0.001), no reductions were noted in state anxiety (pooled post-FFB scores of 42.8 6 13 vs pre-FFB scores of 42.6 6 13; p value, NS). More importantly, playing music through headphones during FFB did not result in a statistically or clinically significant reduction in either state or trait anxiety when compared to control subjects. Conclusion: Relaxation music administered through headphones to patients during flexible bronchoscopy does not decrease procedure-related state anxiety. (CHEST 1999; 116:819 ‐ 824)
Fast gain-adaptive KLT tracking on the GPU

High-performance feature tracking from video input is a valuable tool in many computer vision techniques and mixed reality applications. This work presents a refined and substantially accelerated approach to KLT feature tracking performed on the GPU. Additionally, a global gain ratio between successive frames is estimated to compensate for changes in the camera exposure. The proposed approach achieves more than 200 frames per second on state-of-the art consumer GPUs for PAL (720 times 576) resolution data, and delivers real-time performance even on low-end mobile graphics processors.
3D Analysis of Radiofrequency-Ablated Tumors in Liver: A Computer-Aided Diagnosis Tool for Early Detection of Local Recurrences

Radiofrequency ablation is being used increasingly in the treatment of liver tumors, and the detection of local recurrences on follow-up imaging is an important and occasionally challenging task. When the tumor is not associated with nodular enhancement, recurrence detection only relies on a precise identification of shape changes in the post-ablation area. In order to better characterize subtle shape changes, we present a computer-aided diagnosis tool based on a semi-automatic segmentation of CT data with a watershed algorithm. The 3D moment of inertia of the segmented area is computed and provides a quantitative criterion for the study of post-ablation changes over time. Preliminary results on two clinical cases demonstrate that our tool can effectively improve the radiologist’s ability to detect early tumor recurrence.
Influenza A Viruses Lacking Sialidase Activity Can Undergo Multiple Cycles of Replication in Cell Culture, Eggs, or Mice

Influenza A viruses possess both hemagglutinin (HA), which is responsible for binding to the terminal sialic acid of sialyloligosaccharides on the cell surface, and neuraminidase (NA), which contains sialidase activity that removes sialic acid from sialyloligosaccharides. Interplay between HA receptor-binding and NA receptor-destroying sialidase activity appears to be important for replication of the virus. Previous studies by others have shown that influenza A viruses lacking sialidase activity can undergo multiple cycles of replication if sialidase activity is provided exogenously. To investigate the sialidase requirement of influenza viruses further, we generated a series of sialidase-deficient mutants. Although their growth was less efficient than that of the parental NA-dependent virus, these viruses underwent multiple cycles of replication in cell culture, eggs, and mice. To understand the molecular basis of this viral growth adaptation in the absence of sialidase activity, we investigated changes in the HA receptor-binding affinity of the sialidase-deficient mutants. The results show that mutations around the HA receptor-binding pocket reduce the virus's affinity for cellular receptors, compensating for the loss of sialidase. Thus, sialidase activity is not absolutely required in the influenza A virus life cycle but appears to be necessary for efficient virus replication.
Spin‐Bahn‐Kopplung versus VSEPR‐Methode: Hat das Tetrafluorid des überschweren Edelgases 118 eine nichtplanare Struktur?

Erst unter relativistischer Betrachtung wird wahrscheinlich, das das Tetrafluorid des Edelgaselements 118 nicht wie die leichteren Homologe XeF4 und RnF4 eine quadratisch-planare, sondern infolge groser Spin-Bahn-Effekte eine tetraedrische Geometrie bevorzugt (siehe Bild).
The Contribution of Norm Familiarity to Race Differences in Tipping A Replication and Extension

A large web-based survey found that (a) awareness of the 15% to 20% tipping norm partially mediates Black–White and Hispanic–White differences in restaurant tip size and (b) norm awareness predicts restaurant tip size for Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites alike. These findings replicate and extend previous research results reported by Lynn and suggest that race differences in tipping can be reduced by reducing race differences in awareness of the 15% to 20% restaurant tipping norm.
Glycolysis and Mitochondrial Respiration in Mouse LDHC-Null Sperm

We demonstrated previously that a knockout (KO) of the lactate dehydrogenase type C (Ldhc) gene disrupted male fertility and caused a considerable reduction in sperm glucose consumption, ATP production, and motility. While that study used mice with a mixed genetic background, the present study used C57BL/6 (B6) and 129S6 (129) Ldhc KO mice. We found that B6 KO males were subfertile and 129 KO males were infertile. Sperm from 129 wild-type (WT) mice have a lower glycolytic rate than sperm from B6 WT mice, resulting in a greater reduction in ATP production in 129 KO sperm than in B6 KO sperm. The lower glycolytic rate in 129 sperm offered a novel opportunity to examine the role of mitochondrial respiration in sperm ATP production and motility. We observed that in media containing a mitochondrial substrate (pyruvate or lactate) as the sole energy source, ATP levels and progressive motility in 129 KO sperm were similar to those in 129 WT sperm. However, when glucose was added, lactate was unable to maintain ATP levels or progressive motility in 129 KO sperm. The rate of respiration (ZO2) was high when 129 KO or WT sperm were incubated with lactate alone, but addition of glucose caused a reduction in ZO2. These results indicate that in the absence of glucose, 129 sperm can produce ATP via oxidative phosphorylation, but in the presence of glucose, oxidative phosphorylation is suppressed and the sperm utilize aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon known as the Crabtree effect.
Mapping giant salvinia with satellite imagery and image analysis

QuickBird multispectral satellite imagery was evaluated for distinguishing giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell) in a large reservoir in east Texas. The imagery had four bands (blue, green, red, and near-infrared) and contained 11-bit data. Color-infrared (green, red, and near-infrared bands), normal color (blue, green and red bands), and four-band composite (blue, green, red, and near-infrared bands) images were studied. Unsupervised image analysis was used to classify the imagery. Accuracy assessments performed on the classification maps of the three composite images had producer's and user's accuracies for giant salvinia ranging from 87.8 to 93.5%. Color-infrared, normal color, and four-band satellite imagery were excellent for distinguishing giant salvinia in a complex field habitat.
Why conference committees? A theory of conference use in structuring bicameral agreement:

Little scholarly literature has examined why the chambers of the US Congress use conference committees to reconcile inter-cameral legislative differences. Historically, conference committees handle the most important legislation. Why would the chambers be willing to delegate conciliation authority to a subset of the membership that is then granted wide leverage in shaping the policy choices on legislation with such broad implications for the membership? We theorize that conference committees, by way of an information advantage, offer a means of promoting bicameral agreement and avoiding the risk of failure associated with bargaining between the chambers. We develop a formal model of two-sided incomplete information and find that certain conditions on preferences and information yield the chambers, who must be complicit in the decision to go to conference, higher expected policy returns to delegating this authority to utility maximizing conferees. The results of this model suggest that centrally located co...
When Partisans and Minorities Interact: Interpersonal Contact, Partisanship, and Public Opinion Preferences on Immigration Policy*

Objective Many studies investigating contact theory have suggested that contact effects are not universal but rather conditional. In this article, we test one form of conditional contact effects. Our approach posits that contact with out-groups produces support for pro-minority public policies only when in-group members are not subject to contrary messages from co-partisans. Methods We use data from an original survey to test this theory in the immigration policy domain. Results We find strong confirmatory evidence that the emergence of contact effects on support for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants is dependent on party identification. Conclusion When information from the social environment and that from the party coincide, they reinforce each other, producing more tolerant policy preferences. However, when the two are not congruent, individuals may use partisanship to help interpret contextual information, thus canceling out the positive effects of intergroup contact on policy opinions.
Regulation of the yeast metabolic cycle by transcription factors with periodic activities

When growing budding yeast under continuous, nutrient-limited conditions, over half of yeast genes exhibit periodic expression patterns. Periodicity can also be observed in respiration, in the timing of cell division, as well as in various metabolite levels. Knowing the transcription factors involved in the yeast metabolic cycle is helpful for determining the cascade of regulatory events that cause these patterns. Transcription factor activities were estimated by linear regression using time series and genome-wide transcription factor binding data. Time-translation matrices were estimated using least squares and were used to model the interactions between the most significant transcription factors. The top transcription factors have functions involving respiration, cell cycle events, amino acid metabolism and glycolysis. Key regulators of transitions between phases of the yeast metabolic cycle appear to be Hap1, Hap4, Gcn4, Msn4, Swi6 and Adr1. Analysis of the phases at which transcription factor activities peak supports previous findings suggesting that the various cellular functions occur during specific phases of the yeast metabolic cycle.
NNK-induced DNA damage as measured by the comet assay is a marker of lung cancer risk

1887 Purposes: Reduced capacity to repair mutagen-induced DNA damage is implicated in susceptibility to cancer development. The nicotine-derived nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) induced lung adenocarcinogen through formation of DNA adducts. Methods: We used the comet assay to assess whether susceptibility to NNK-induced DNA damage was associated with increased risk of lung cancer in a hospital-based case-control study. We measured baseline and NNK-induced DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocyte assays from 401 previously untreated Caucasian lung cancer cases and 388 matched healthy controls. DNA damage using NNK as the mutagen challenge was visualized with the comet assay and quantified by the Olive tail moment parameter. Multivariable analysis was used to assess risks for lung cancer associated with level of DNA damage. Results: The baseline levels of DNA damage were statistically significantly higher in cases than in controls (tail moments: 1.22±0.57 vs. 1.14±0.50, P =0.025), as were NNK-induced DNA damage (2.42±1.15 vs. 2.16±1.07, P =0.001). The net NNK-induced DNA damage (NNK-induced subtracted by baseline) was also significantly higher in cases compared with controls (1.20 vs. 1.03, P = 0.018). When data were dichotomized at the median value of olive tail moments in the controls and adjusted for age, sex, and smoking status, higher levels of net NNK-induced DNA damage were associated with a significantly increased lung cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.94). In addition, there was also a significant dose effect. Compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of damage, the ORs for individuals in the second, third and fourth quartiles were 1.32 (95% CI: 0.86-2.03), 1.59 (95% CI: 1.04-2.43), and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.17-2.70), respectively (P-for trend =0.005). In stratified analysis, the elevated risk appeared to be higher in adenocarcinoma (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.05-2.13) than in other histologies (OR=1.38, 95% CI, 0.95-2.00), and higher in heavy smokers (OR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.09-2.47) than in light smokers (OR=1.49, 95% CI, 0.79-2.79). Conclusions: This is the first study to use NNK as a challenge mutagen in the comet assay. The results suggest that NNK-induced DNA damage is associated with an increased risk of lung adenocarcinoma and the net NNK-induced olive tail moment measure may serve as a useful predictor of lung cancer risk. Supported by NCI grants CA 55769, CA 70907 and CA 86390.
The Impact of Donor and Recipient Renal Dysfunction on Cardiac Allograft Survival: Insights into Reno-Cardiac Interactions

Abstract Background Renal dysfunction (RD) is a potent risk factor for death in patients with cardiovascular disease. This relationship may be causal; experimentally induced RD produces findings such as myocardial necrosis and apoptosis in animals. Cardiac transplantation provides an opportunity to investigate this hypothesis in humans. Methods and Results Cardiac transplantations from the United Network for Organ Sharing registry were studied (n = 23,056). RD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate 2 . RD was present in 17.9% of donors and 39.4% of recipients. Unlike multiple donor characteristics, such as older age, hypertension, or diabetes, donor RD was not associated with recipient death or retransplantation (age-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94–1.07, P = .92). Moreover, in recipients with RD the highest risk for death or retransplantation occurred immediately posttransplant (0–30 day HR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.54–2.02, P P = .33). Conclusions The risk for adverse recipient outcomes associated with RD does not appear to be transferrable from donor to recipient via the cardiac allograft, and the risk associated with recipient RD is greatest immediately following transplant. These observations suggest that the risk for adverse outcomes associated with RD is likely primarily driven by nonmyocardial factors.