cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypertension and stroke

The longitudinal analysis of the adult population of Framingham, Massachusetts has clarified the pivotal role of hypertension in the epidemiology of stroke. Stroke incidence increases in men and women as arterial blood pressure, either systolic or diastolic, increases. Isolated systolic hypertension increases the risk of stroke in the elderly. Successful antihypertensive therapy decreases stroke incidence in asymptomatic persons, hypertensive patients with transient ischemic attacks and survivors of hypertensive stroke. A stepped care approach to antihypertensive therapy utilizing diuretic drugs, antiad-renergic agents and vasodilators is well tolerated in the vast majority of patients with established cerebrovascular disease. Agents with a propensity to cause orthostatic hypotension should be avoided. Reduction of blood pressure should be gradual with dose increments at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks. Mild hypertension may be left untreated during the acute phase of atherothrombotic brain infarction. A trial of blood pressure reduction with sodium nitroprusside to normotensive or mildly hypotensive levels is indicated in patients with acute intracranial hemorrhage. If neurologic deterioration occurs, the infusion rate of sodium nitroprusside can be reduced and blood pressure will rapidly rise. Successful management of hypertension has undoubtedly contributed to the decreasing death rate from stroke in the United States.
The Presence and Predictive Value of Astereognosis and Agraphesthesia in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Sensory and motor functions are good markers of neurocognitive decline due to their proximity and hierarchical relationship to high-order processes. The current study investigated if patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) differed from a healthy control group in two tactile perceptual processes: astereognosis and agraphesthesia. Analyses were also conducted to see if these tactile processes were predictive of higher-order cognitive functioning. Twenty-eight patients with AD (mean age = 75.86) were compared to 28 healthy control subjects (mean age = 76.38) and were administered the Dean-Woodcock Sensory Motor Battery and the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised. Results suggest the patients with AD demonstrated significantly higher levels of tactile disturbance and astereognosis while agraphesthesia was able to predict a substantial portion of the variance in 3/7 cognitive tests and 4/7 cognitive tests, respectively. This included measures of fluid reasoning, visual processing, crystallized language, short-term memory, and auditory processing. These results suggest that astereognosis and agraphesthesia may be good markers of the extent of cognitive impairment in AD and should be included in neuropsychological evaluations due to their functional importance.
Autobiographical memory: unpleasantness fades faster than pleasantness over time

Kansas State University, USASUMMARYWe examined the effects of retention intervals on the recollection of the emotional content ofevents. Memory for personal events was tested for three retention intervals: 3 months, 1 year,and 4.5 years. Participants made pleasantness ratings both at the time of recording the eventand during testing of the events. Analyses of the data show that judgments of pleasantness orunpleasantness of an event became less extreme as retention interval increased. This effect waslarger for unpleasant events than for pleasant events. Subsequent memory ratings of pleasantand unpleasant events showed a modest effect of pleasantness with pleasant eventsremembered slightly better than unpleasant events. The theoretical implications of thesedata are discussed. & 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 11: 399–413 (1997)No. of Figures: 1 No. of Tables: 2 No. of References: 23
Vertex Operators of Closed Bosonic String

Abstract A closed bosonic string emission and absorption vertex operator is constructed in the framework of the path-integral formulation of string theories. The vertex operator is a functional of an external string wave function as well as a string coordinate and a metric variable. Conformal invariance is the guiding principle of the construction. By demanding the metric variable to be decoupled from the theory a set of Virasoro conditions is obtained for the external string wave function and a number of conformal breaking terms to be added to the generating functional.
Boundary-trapped, inhalant siphon and drain flows: Pipe entry revisited numerically

Flows produced in suspension feeding and tube and burrow ventilation cause and influence many exchange processes and chemical reactions. I investigated two geometries, a capillary drawing water far from any other boundary and a constant-diameter drain flush with the bottom. Flow descriptions just inside these inlets have relied on solutions to pipe entry that posit uniform entrance velocity. I substituted the more realistic boundary condition of constant volumetric outflow rate in finite-element models for 0.01 ≤ Re ≤ 2000. Re is the pipe Reynolds number, the product of mean capillary flow speed and capillary inside diameter (D) divided by kinematic viscosity of the fluid. For the smallest Re in both geometries, axial velocity reached 99% of its maximal value at a distance 0.2725D into the entry—not the 0.619 D found with uniform entrance velocity—and flow entering the capillary originated from a small, cylindrical region centered on the pipe axis. Axial flow velocities approaching the inlets therefore decreased away from the opening more slowly than predicted by simple convergence. For Re >330, flow converging on the capillary found traction on its outer wall (an apparent Coanda effect), and flow separation had major effects inside. Flow entering the siphon at these high Re values originated below the capillary entrance, and subsequent decrease in Re failed to dislodge the flow from its boundary-trapped state. Such hysteresis and flow bifurcation is unusual at low Reynolds numbers and could affect suspension feeders that deploy siphons and water samplers that use suction.
Specialization and Authority Acceptance: The Supreme Court and Lower Federal Courts

Research on organizational behavior suggests that the authority of higher officials for their subordinates is relatively low for subordinates whose work is highly specialized. If this proposition is valid, the Supreme Court should have more limited authority for specialized federal courts than for their generalist counterparts. To test this expectation, citations to the Court's decisions in patent law were analyzed. It was posited that the former Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (CCPA), a specialized court, cited the Supreme Court in patent cases less often than did the generalist federal courts of appeals. This hypothesis was strongly supported according to several measures of citation frequency The results emphasize the potential impact of specialization on hierarchical authority in organizations and underline the consequences of specialization for judicial behavior. Some students of organizational behavior argue that higher officials face special difficulty in leading subordinates who carry out highly specialized tasks, primarily because of the impact of specialization on acceptance of authority. But we have little empirical evidence on the relationship between specialization and authority, chiefly because of the dearth of research that compares specialists and nonspecialists who hold similar organizational positions. This article undertakes such a comparison by examining the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court in patent law for generalist and specialized judges; authority is measured through citations to decisions of the Supreme Court and of other courts.
The Argument from Moral Experience

It is often said that our moral experience, broadly construed to include our ways of thinking and talking about morality, has a certain objective-seeming character to it, and that this supports a presumption in favor of objectivist moral theories (according to which morality is a realm of facts or truths) and against anti-objectivist theories like Mackie's error theory (according to which it is not). In this chapter, I argue that our experience of morality does not support objectivist moral theories in this way. I begin by arguing that our moral experience does not have the uniformly objective-seeming character it is typically claimed to have. I go on to argue that even if moral experience were to presuppose or display morality as a realm of fact, we would still need a reason for taking that to support theories according to which it is such a realm. I consider what I take to be the four most promising ways of attempting to supply such a reason: (A) inference to the best explanation, (B) epistemic conservatism, (C) the principle of credulity, and (D) the method of wide reflective equilibrium. In each case, I argue, the strategy in question does not support a presumption in favor of objectivist moral theories.
Regioselectivity in catalytic cyclopropanation reactions

Abstract Regioselectivities of cyclopropanation reactions with ethyl diazoacetate and monosubstituted dienes correlate linearly with the reaction catalyst and provide definition of the “metal carbene regioselectivity index”.
Fuzzy Adaptive Control for a UAV

In this paper a combination of Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC) and Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) will be developed to stabilize and control a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The control must be able to direct the airplane towards different waypoints while at the same time maintaining the UAV stable. Also, the control should be transferable to similar UAV models with little to no change to the algorithm.
Hepatic monooxygenase induction and promutagen activation in channel catfish from a contaminated river basin.

To better understand the etiology of cancer in fish from polluted waters, the impact of environmental contaminants on xenobiotic metabolism of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) from a highly polluted water body, Devil's Swamp in southeastern Louisiana, has been investigated. Fish from Devil's Swamp bioaccumulated polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides (CHI), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in fat tissue, the latter exceeding 7000 ppb. Reference catfish from the University farm, Ben Hur, were virtually devoid of PAH, CHI, and PCB. Liver microsomal enzymes (MFO) from Devil's Swamp fish were markedly induced. The specific content of cytochromes P450 and b5 and the specific activities of NAD(P)H-cytochrome c reductase were two to three times higher than those of Ben Hur fish. Consistent with this induction, a 9000g supernatant from Devil's Swamp but not Ben Hur fish activated 2-aminofluorene and benzo(a)pyrene (BP) to mutagens in the Ames test. BP metabolism by Devil's Swamp fish liver microsomes was inhibited to a greater extent by alpha-naphthoflavone than was BP metabolism by Ben Hur fish microsomes. This finding indicates that the induced activity in the Devil's Swamp fish liver was the result of P450 isozymes characteristic of PAH/PCB induction. Thus, exposure of fish to environmental pollutantsmore » can alter MFO leading to enhanced metabolic activation of promutagens to mutagens.« less
Texture evolution rate in continuous cast AA5052 aluminum alloy during single pass hot rolling

Abstract Continuous cast AA5052 Al alloy slab was hot rolled by a single pass with entrance and exit temperatures of 482 °C and 400 °C, respectively. The thickness of the slab was reduced from 21.5 mm to 8.6 mm. The evolution of texture and microstructure during the rolling was investigated by X-ray diffraction, SEM and optical microscopy. It was found that the grain structure changed from equiaxed to elongated in shape in the alloy at a rolling reduction over 38%. With increase in rolling reduction, the β-fiber texture was increased rapidly in the expense of the remainder component, while the rest of the texture components were only changed slightly during the hot rolling. The evolution of different texture components during the hot rolling process was quantified using modified Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov-type equations. The corresponding evolution rates were also computed from these equations. Among the three main components (copper, brass and S) in β-fiber, the copper component was the strongest, having the fastest evolution rate, and S the weakest, during hot rolling.
Whole-exome sequencing and functional studies identify RPS29 as a novel gene mutated in multicase Diamond-Blackfan anemia families.

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a cancer-prone inherited bone marrow failure syndrome. Approximately half of DBA patients have a germ-line mutation in a ribosomal protein gene. We used whole-exome sequencing to identify disease-causing genes in 2 large DBA families. After filtering, 1 nonsynonymous mutation (p.I31F) in the ribosomal protein S29 (RPS29[AUQ1]) gene was present in all 5 DBA-affected individuals and the obligate carrier, and absent from the unaffected noncarrier parent in 1 DBA family. A second DBA family was found to have a different nonsynonymous mutation (p.I50T) in RPS29. Both mutations are amino acid substitutions in exon 2 predicted to be deleterious and resulted in haploinsufficiency of RPS29 expression compared with wild-type RPS29 expression from an unaffected control. The DBA proband with the p.I31F RPS29 mutation had a pre–ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing defect compared with the healthy control. We demonstrated that both RPS29 mutations failed to rescue the defective erythropoiesis in the rps29−/− mutant zebra fish DBA model. RPS29 is a component of the small 40S ribosomal subunit and essential for rRNA processing and ribosome biogenesis. We uncovered a novel DBA causative gene, RPS29, and showed that germ-line mutations in RPS29 can cause a defective erythropoiesis phenotype using a zebra fish model.
Addressing a standards creation process: a focus on ebXML

Current trends in e-business are creating opportunities for automation of business processes across business boundaries. However, lack of standards has caused difficulties for industry players in exploiting resources and coordinating activities in the context of e-business. ebXML--an emerging e-business standard framework to unite competing factions under a banner of international trade--has been developed within an industry consortium using an open, collaborative process with no barriers to entry, whose approach is very different from traditional approach to create standards. Drawing on socio-technological perspective, this paper attempts to gain deeper understanding of such phenomenon by using a case study methodology. This paper uses data drawn mostly from email discussions and minutes of teleconference and face-to-face meeting. Our exploration of the ebXML standardization process generates specific propositions. In summary, our analysis found that the 'openness' of standardization process helps to create a more comprehensive standard than proprietary standards--effectively leading to convergence of technologies, and that the unfolding dynamics of standardization process varies depending on the characteristics of standards to be developed. We also discuss user participation as an important factor that influences the dynamics of standardization process in such an open, collaborative standardization process. Surprisingly, user participation seems to be more effective in creating technical infrastructure oriented standards rather than business process oriented standards.
Inverse scattering of strongly scattering targets using redundant data sets

For weakly scattering permittivities, each measurement of the scattered far field can be interpreted as a sampling point of the Fourier transformation of the object. Furthermore, each sampling point can be accessed by more than one combination of wavelength, propagation direction, and polarization of the incident field. This means, a set of measurements which access the same sampling point can be regarded as being redundant. For strongly scattering objects the Fourier diffraction slice theorem does not apply. We show that measurements which are redundant in the weakly scattering case can be exploited to resolve difficulties associated with imaging of the strongly scattering objects. One dimensional geometries are investigated to estimate the potential redundant data sets offer for addressing the inverse scattering problem of strongly and multiply scattering objects. In addition, we discuss preliminary results for solving 2D imaging problems.
Self-Assembly and Crystallization of Hairy (f-Star) and DNA-Grafted Nanocubes

Nanoparticle superlattices are key to realizing many of the materials that will solve current technological challenges. Particularly important for their optical, mechanical or catalytic properties are superlattices of anisotropic (nonspherical) nanoparticles. The key challenge is how to program anisotropic nanoparticles to self-assemble into the relevant structures. In this Article, using numerical simulations, we show that “hairy” (f-star) or DNA grafted on nanocubes provides a general framework to direct the self-assembly into phases with crystalline, liquid crystalline, rotator, or noncrystalline phases with both long-range positional and orientational order. We discuss the relevance of these phases for engineering nanomaterials or micromaterials displaying precise orientational order, realization of dry superlattices as well as for the field of programmed self-assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles in general.
Chorus tenure of male barking treefrogs, Hyla gratiosa

Abstract Abstract. This study examined attendance by male barking treefrogs in breeding choruses. During four study seasons lasting 49-96 nights, median chorus tenure (the number of nights that a male participated in a breeding chorus) was only 2-3 nights. Males with chorus tenures of 2 nights or more were present for a median of 40-77% of the nights between their first and last night in the chorus. Both mating success (number of mates) and mating efficiency (nightly probability of obtaining a mate) were positively correlated with chorus tenure, but body size was not. Males whose condition declined less rapidly had both longer chorus tenures and higher mating efficiencies than males whose condition declined more rapidly. Males that spent intermediate amounts of time in the chorus each night had longer chorus tenures than did males that were present for either shorter or longer periods each night. Chorus tenure and mating efficiency made similar contributions to variance in male mating success based on a partitioning of the opportunity for selection on seasonal mating success.
LOCAL ADSORBATE-INDUCED EFFECTS ON DYNAMICAL CHARGE TRANSFER IN ION-SURFACE INTERACTIONS

We have measured positive-ion survival probabilities for K{sup +} scattered from clean and alkali-metal-adsorbate-covered Cu(100) and Cu(110). As expected from most models of resonant charge transfer, we find that very small coverages of alkali-metal adsorbates on the surface can dramatically decrease the ion survival probability. However, the dependence of the ion survival probability on adsorbate coverage is qualitatively different from that expected on the basis of the adsorbate-induced work-function change. We find that a treatment of the charge transfer based on the spinless Newns-Anderson Hamiltonian explains the data only if the local electrostatic potential of the adsorbate overlayer is included in the calculations.
Uptake and subcellular localization of tritiated dihydro-microcystin-LR in rat liver

Abstract S. B. Hooser , M. S. Kuhlenschmidt , A. M. Dahlem , V. R. Beasley , W. W. Carmichael and W. M. Haschek . Uptake and subcellular localization of tritiated dihydro-microcystin-LR in rat liver. Toxicon29, 589–601, 1991.—Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxin (mol. wt = 994) produced by the blue-green alga (cyanobacterium), Microcystis aeruginosa, was reduced with tritium labeled sodium borohydride, converted to [3H]-dihydro-microcystin-LR ([3H]-2HMC-LR), and purified to > 99% purity by C-18 reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The uptake and subcellular distribution of [3H]-2HMC-LR were determined in suspensions of hepatocytes at 0° and 37°C, or following rifampicin pretreatment, and in perfused rat liver. The remaining cells were homogenized and subfractionated using sucrose gradient centrifugation. Suspensions of 7.5 × 106 hepatocytes also were incubated with 10 μg/ml of toxin, solubilized in Triton X-100, and ultracentrifuged to pellet the detergent insoluble fraction (containing actin). Isolated rat livers were perfused with media containing [3H]-2HMC-LR and the uptake of radiolabel was determined. Sequential biopsy samples were collected for histologic examination. The remaining liver was homogenized and subcellular fractions prepared. Uptake of radiolabel was rapid in both cell suspension at 37°C and perfused liver; however, uptake in cell suspensions was reduced by about 50% at 0°C and by rifampicin (50 μg/ml) pretreatment. Hepatocyte necrosis was observed in isolated perfused livers 45 min after initiation of perfusion with [3H]-2HMC-LR. In both hepatocyte suspensions and perfused livers 65 to 77% of the radiolabel was in the cytosolic fraction. In the hepatocyte suspensions, 13 to 18% of the radiolabel was present in the plasma membrane/nuclear fraction with lesser amounts in the other fractions. Trichloroacetic acid treatment of cytosolic fractions indicated that in hepatocyte suspensions, 50–60% of the radiolabel was bound to cytosolic protein. Studies using the perfused liver confirmed that the majority of the radiolabeled MCLR (78–88%) was bound to cytosolic protein. These data suggest that the uptake of [3H]-2HMC-LR occurs primarily by an energydependent transport process involving the rifampicin-sensitive hepatic bile acid carrier and that once inside the hepatocyte, the toxin binds to a cytosolic protein(s).
Selenography and selenodesy with Apollo whole-disk lunar photographs I. Selenography

Abstract The Apollo whole-disk lunar photographs, with spacecraft lunar nadirs about 70° from the center of mean face, have considerable selenodetic potential provided that the requirements of resolution and precision can be met. Uncertainties in the internal camera geometry degrade the precision and make selenodetic applications doubtful, but selenographic work based on the assumption of a rigorously spherical moon makes lesser demands on the data and is still possible with useful accuracy. The selenographic method is fully developed here and applied to photographs 2505 and 2506 of Apollo 8 to produce a catalog of 635 positions. Of these 206 are farside and extend to 130° East Longitude. A new type of 5-character position word, appropriate for the entire lunar sphere, is used to define sequence in the catalog.
Escherichia coli K5 heparosan fermentation and improvement by genetic engineering

N-acetyl heparosan is the precursor for the biosynthesis of the important anticoagulant drug heparin. The E. coli K5 capsular heparosan polysaccharide provides a promising precursor for in vitro chemoenzymatic production of bioengineered heparin. This article explores the improvements of heparosan production for bioengineered heparin by fermentation process engineering and genetic engineering.
Catechol Estrogen-Forming Enzyme of Brain: Demonstration of a Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase

A catechol estrogen-forming enzyme has been demonstrated in rat brain microsomes using a sensitive radioenzymatic assay. This method is based on conversion of the relatively labile catechol estrogens to their stable O-methylated derivatives. By employing a methyl donor of high specific activity (S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine), a partially purified preparation of catechol- O-methyltransferase (COMT), and selective solvent extraction this method has proven to be extremely sensitive. The specificity of the assay was established by subjecting the O-methylated product to thin layer chromatography in several solvent systems and further confirmed by mass spectral analysis of the chromatographed product. The enzymatic activity of rat brain is optimal using reduced NADP and is inhibited by well known inhibitors of P450-dependent mixed function oxidases, CO and SKF- 525A. The subcellular distribution, cofactor requirements, and the effects of various inhibitors strongly suggest that the enzymatic activity of b...
α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of Syzygium cumini (Linn.) Skeels seed kernel in vitro and in Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats

Syzygium cumini seed kernel extracts were evaluated for the inhibition of alpha-glucosidase from mammalian (rat intestine), bacterial (Bacillus stearothermophilus), and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, baker's yeast). In vitro studies using the mammalian alpha-glucosidase from rat intestine showed the extracts to be more effective in inhibiting maltase when compared to the acarbose control. Since acarbose is inactive against both the bacterial and the yeast enzymes, the extracts were compared to 1-deoxynojirimycin. We found all extracts to be more potent against alpha-glucosidase derived from B. stearothermophilus than that against the enzymes from either baker's yeast or rat intestine. In an in vivo study using Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, the acetone extract was found to be a potent inhibitor of alpha-glucosidase hydrolysis of maltose when compared to untreated control animals. Therefore, these results point to the inhibition of alpha-glucosidase as a possible mechanism by which this herb acts as an anti-diabetic agent.
Neuronal activity in the lateral geniculate body and the nucleus reticularis of the thalamus

Abstract Recordings of neuronal activity from the lateral geniculate body pars dorsalis and the nucleus reticularis of the thalamus were obtained, by means of single and multiple microelectrodes in cats immobilized with flaxedil and maintained with artificial respiration. Comparisons were made between the patterns of activity which occur, in the two nuclei, spontaneously or as a result of visual stimulation with brief flashes of light. It was found that patterns of activity—spontaneous or evoked—were different in the two nuclei, in terms of frequency of spikes, grouping and temporal distribution of bursts of spikes, average neuronal activity and latency of response. It is suggested that these differences may be related to different pathways carrying the information from the retina to the two nuclei and to differences in the pathways followed by impulses circulating through their neuronal networks.
Overproduction and Purification of σS, theEscherichia coliStationary Phase Specific Sigma Transcription Factor

Abstract This paper reports the overproduction and the details of a rapid method to purify active σ S monomers from a T7 RNA polymerase-based protein expression system. This 2-day procedure involves solubilizing inclusion bodies in sarkosyl detergent, removal of sarkosyl by dialysis, and a single gel filtration column chromatography step. The final yield of σ S is about 9 mg of approximately 92% purity from 0.5 g of wet weight cells. Overproduced σ S binds to core RNA polymerase and supports transcription from the bolA p1 promoter, a σ S -dependent promoter.
Electromyographic studies of the syrinx in parrots (Aves, Psittacidae)

The vocal organ (syrinx) of a bird may contain either extrinsic muscles alone or both extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The former arise and insert on the trachea and affect the syrinx only indirectly; the latter also arise on the trachea but insert directly on syringeal elements. It is widely supposed that syringeal muscles can affect modulations of the sounds the birds make, and further, that the intrinsic muscles are closely associated with such a function. However, the exact roles of the two groups of muscles have not been directly observed. The psittacid syrinx, which has one (for practical purposes) pair of extrinsic and two pairs of intrinsic muscles, is about as simple as one can find in birds capable of uttering a wide variety of sounds. We have taken electromyograms from the syringeal muscles of five species of parrots. In all of these, the extrinsic sternotrachealis showed the simple “activation” pattern activity previously described from several non-passerine species that possess only extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles, however, showed a variety of activity patterns. The relatively simple call of Cyanoliseus patagonus again showed the simple activation pattern. In Myiopsitta monachus, the muscles showed a string of pulses that matched to pulses of sound in a strongly amplitude modulated call. Agapornis roseicollis used at least two distinct patterns, each associated with a different call. The results are consistent with an hypothesis that, because of their indirect attachment of the syrinx, extrinsic muscles are poorly suited to the production of precise, rapid changes in syringeal action, but rather will function in an “on-off switch” capacity. Intrinsic muscles are so situated that, given proper neurological stimulus, they can effect a variety of alterations in the sound pattern. Hence, intrinsic muscles are necessary for the evolution of large vocabularies and variable vocal behavior.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Resistance of Chicken Escherichia coli, Salmonella SPP., and Pasteurella multocida Isolates

Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, and Pasteurella multocida are the major bacterial pathogens isolated from poultry. Difference in susceptibility to antibiotics by microorganisms has become a major factor in drug choice and success of treatment. Great concerns have been raised regarding emerging antimicrobial resistance among bacteria that may result in unpredictable antimicrobial susceptibility and failure of therapy. The primary objective of the present study was to determine the levels of antimicrobial susceptibility/resistance of E. coli, Salmonella species, and P. multocida isolated from diseased chickens. A total of 445 E. coli isolates, 387 Salmonella spp. isolates, and 80 P. multocida isolates from diseased chickens during the period ranging from 2001 to 2003 were obtained. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of 14 antimicrobial agents against each bacterial isolate were determined using a microbroth dilution assay described by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Resistance of E. coli isolates measured as follows: 98.20% were resistant to tilmicosin, 79.33% to tetracycline, 51.46% to spectinomycin, 44.04% to gentamicin, and 40% to ampicillin. Resistance to tetracycline was found in 72.61% of Salmonella spp. isolated, followed by resistance to spectinomycin (68.48%), ampicillin (63.57%), gentamicin (63.31%), and ticarcillin (61.76%). The resistance rate of P. multocida isolates to all antimicrobials tested was less than 5%, except for tetracycline (6.25%). In summary, E. coli and Salmonella isolates were sensitive to ceftiofur and fluoroquinolones but were resistant to other antimicrobials tested, while P. multocida isolates remained sensitive to all the antimicrobial agents tested in a 3-yr analysis.
A polarimeter for measurement of transient retardation changes.

An electronic polarimeter is described in which a signal-sampling technique and feedback are used together to measure periodic retardation changes. A Faraday cell is arranged to feed back a rotation just sufficient to cancel that caused by the unknown retardation, so that the Faraday cell current provides the quantitative measure desired. The photomultiplier output is fed to a sampling oscilloscope in the feedback loop. The instrument is best suited for the measurement of small retardation changes, of the order of 50 mrad or less. The 6-nsec time resolution obtained was limited by the photomultiplier response; a faster detector could improve it considerably. The repeatability obtained of 10−4 rad was determined by the usual compromise between noise, primarily photon noise, and averaging time. However, other factors limit the accuracy attainable to, at best, ±3%, for a retardation change of ∼20 mrad, while a more typical accuracy was ±5%. Either Faraday rotation, or small rotations of the optical ellipsoid of a specimen, could also be observed.
The Voyager 2 Encounter with the Neptunian System

An overview of the Voyager 2 encounter with Neptune is presented, including a brief discussion of the trajectory, the planned observations, and highlights of the results described in the 11 companion papers. Neptune's blue atmosphere has storm systems reminiscent of those in Jupiter's atmosphere. An optically thin methane ice cloud exists near the 1.5-bar pressure level, and an optically thick cloud exists below 3 bars. Neptune's magnetic field is highly tilted and offset from the planet's center; it rotates with a period of 16.11 hours. Two narrow and two broad rings circle the planet; the outermost of these rings has three optically thicker arc segments. Six new moons were discovered in circular prograde orbits, all well inside Triton's retrograde orbit. Triton has a highly reflective and geologically young surface, a thin nitrogen atmosphere, and at least two active geyser-like plumes.
Chemoselective Nanowire Fuses: Chemically Induced Cleavage and Electrical Detection of Carbon Nanofiber Bridges

A new type of nanoscale bioswitch based on the electrical detection of chemically induced cleavage of chemical bonds, which bind individual nanowires across a pair of electrodes is demonstrated. Carbon nanofibers are manipulated using dielectrophoresis to form single-nanowire bridges across microelectrode junctions, and are anchored through a biomolecular interaction. Once in place, chemically induced cleavage of a recognition site along the bonds linking the nanowire to the electrodes allows the nanowire to be easily removed by a flow of fluid; this removal can be detected in real time via changes in the AC electrical response. This form of sensing is inherently digital in nature as the removal of a single nanowire produces a sudden decrease in the current between electrodes and is essentially a chemoselective fuse. These results suggest that this sensing principle could be a general method for digital chemical and/or biological sensing using individual nanowires.
Thalamic ependymoma presenting as recurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage.

We describe a 65-year-old woman who presented with recurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a pathologically proven thalamic ependymoma. This is the first report of such a case. Cerebral angiography and initial imaging studies did not reveal a source of bleeding. Our case emphasizes the importance of periodically following patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage of undetermined etiology.
About origin of tight sandstone gas: To discuss with Academician Dai Jinxing

Abstract Tight sandstone gas belongs to unconventional natural gas. There is no unanimous agreement about the source of tight sandstone gas source. Both the Yuanba and Tongnanba gas fields in the Sichuan Basin produce tight sandstone gas from Xujiahe Formation gas reservoirs. The geochemical data such as the carbon and helium isotopes of the 14 gas samples from the Xujiahe Formation of 9 wells in the Yuanba gas field show that the gas mainly consists of coal-derived gas from the self-source type, oil-type gas from other source, and a small amount of abiogenic gas, suggesting combination gas sources. The similar geochemical data of 5 gas samples from the Xujiahe Formation of 5 wells in the Tongnanba gas field indicate that the gas consists of oil-type gas from other source, accompanied by a small amount of abiogenic gas, also being of mixed origins. Therefore the Xujiahe Formation tight sandstone gases of the Yuanba and Tongnanba gas fields do not come from coal measure alone. They have a variety of sources, mainly the coal-derived gas or oil-type gas of organic origin or the mixture of them.
Enzymic studies of the gelatin → collagen-fold transition

Abstract The molecular configuration of ichthyocol gelatin has been examined at various temperatures, using the proteolytic enzyme collagenase as a structural probe. The kinetics of proteolysis were followed by a combination of pH-stat and optical rotation methods. Above 27°, where ichtyocol gelatin exists in solution as a single-chain, randomly-coiled molecule, proteolysis follows simple first-order kinetics as measured by both of the above methods. On lowering the temperature, the kinetics become more complex, proteolysis now following the sum of two parallel first-order reactions proceeding at markedly different rates. On the basis of these studies (and supporting optical rotation, viscosity and light-scattering experiments on temperature and dilution effects), the following model for the gelatin → collagen-fold transition emerges: (a) the primary step appears to be a local intra-chain configurational change involving the locking of proline residues into the poly- L -proline II configuration; (b) this is a necessary precursor of, and leads directly to, the development of a loose, poly- L -proline II-type helix along the gelatin molecules; which (c) then permits the close packing required for inter-chain associations.
Further observations on rangiferine brucellosis in Alaskan carnivores.

Antibodies against rangiferine brucellosis, Brucella suis type 4, are commonly found in the serum of various domestic and wild Alaskan carnivores which feed on caribou, Rangifer tarandus granti, in arctic Alaska. Sled dogs from five native villages on the range of the Arctic caribou herd, but not from two villages on the range of the Porcupine caribou herd, are commonly infected. Wolves (Canis lupus) and red foxes (Vulpes fulva) are less commonly infected. About 90% of the grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) associated with the Arctic caribou herd and 30% of those associated with the Porcupine caribou herd show serologic signs of exposure to Brucella, presumably the enzootic strain present in Alaska caribou. This is the first evidence of natural Brucella infection in bears. It is concluded that infection of predators by enzootic strains of Brucella present in prey species (e.g., ruminants) is common to many areas of the world. Evidence from the literature and unpublished experimental data suggest that...
Analytical redundancy based predictive fault tolerant control of a steer-by-wire system using nonlinear observer

In this paper, a nonlinear observer based analytical redundancy methodology is presented for fault tolerant control of a steer by wire (SBW) system. A long-range predictor based on Diophantine identity has been utilized to improve the fault detection efficiency. The overall predictive fault tolerant control strategy was then implemented and validated on a steer by wire hardware in loop bench. The experimental results showed that the overall robustness of the SBW system was not sacrificed through the usage of analytical redundancy for sensors along with the designed FDIA algorithm. Moreover, the experimental results indicated that the faults could be detected faster using the developed analytical redundancy based algorithms for attenuating-type faults.
Resistance of Commercial Cruciferous Varieties to Larvae of the Diamondback Moth in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina

Cruciferous varieties encompassing 10 different crops were compared in the field in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina for resistance to larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella maculipennis (Curtis). The most resistant varieties were radish, turnip, mustard, and some varieties of cabbage, kale, and collard. The most susceptible varieties were broccoli, rutabaga, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and some varieties of cabbage, collard, and kale. Vates kale was among the most resistant crucifers and Dwarf Siberian kale was one of the most susceptible to diamondback back moth larvae. In the laboratory, newly hatched larvae were observed to enter the lower leaf epidermis and live as miners. Vates kale showed a higher antibiosis to these larvae than Dwarf Siberian kale. An examination of the leaf tissue showed Vates kale to have densely compact cells without air spaces, while Dwarf Siberian kale had loosely arranged cells and an abundance of air spaces. None of the young larvae survived on old hardened leaves of either variety.
Is guilt an emotion

Abstract When unequivocal examples of emotion adjectives occur in the linguistic context of “being” (e.g. being angry) they can be seen to refer to emotions as readily as when they occur in the linguistic context of “feeling” (e.g. feeling angry). This is not true of poor 'or non-examples of emotion words. A psycholinguistic analysis of this phenomenon is proposed, in the light of which it is suggested that words such as “abandoned” and “guilty” do not refer to emotions. The possibility that the word “guilty” has a distinct emotional sense meaning “feeling guilty” is discussed, and the implications of this proposal for theories of emotions are examined. Also discussed are the implications of the inclusion of poor or non-examples of emotions in lists of “basic” emotions. Data are presented indicating that many of the states that emotion theorists have included as emotions, and in some cases as “basic” emotions, are not generally rated as such, and that they fail to exhibit the patterns using the feel-be te...
A probabilistic-deterministic analysis of one-dimensional ice segregation in a freezing soil column

Abstract A deterministic model of frost heave based upon simultaneous analysis of coupled heat and moisture transport is cascaded with a probabilistic model of parameter variations. The multiparameter, deterministic model is based upon submodels of moisture transport, heat transport, and lumped isothermal freezing processes. The probabilistic model is based upon Rosenblueth's method which only requires knowledge of parameter means and their coefficients of variation. The deterministic model is relatively insensitive to thermal parameter variations because the phase change process dominates the thermal regime of a freezing moist soil. The model is sensitive to hydraulic parameters which control the rate mobile liquid water is drawn into the freezing soil region. Four hydraulic parameters were varied within reported and assumed levels of parameter variation for two soils; a frost-susceptible silt and a marginally frost-susceptible dirty gravel for which laboratory data on parameters and frost heave were available. The resulting frost heave variations were fit to a beta distribution and confidence limits of at least 95% were predicted within two sigma bounds. The coefficient of variation of unfrozen hydraulic conductivity primarily determines the coefficient of variation of simulated frost heave. Comparison of these results with two detailed field cases indicates a close comparison with beta distribution parameters.
Population coverage by HLA class-I restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes

Vaccination using cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes has become a widely used immunization strategy, especially because their structure makes them an attractive alternative to the delivery of whole proteins as immunogens. Nonetheless, their use is limited, in particular because of their specificity, being recognized only by cognate HLA alleles. The potential for immunizing a substantial portion of an ethnically diverse population using a modest number of peptides has been aided by the identification of HLA supertypes. However, the derivation of epitopes is often guided by methods that do not guarantee cross-reactivity, so we consider the feasibility of providing vaccine coverage to a multi-ethnic population under different assumptions. In particular, two large datasets are used to estimate the number of peptides needed to provide > or =90% group-specific coverage of a multiethnic population, when specificity is assumed to be either to a single serologic or molecular type. These assumptions are evaluated utilizing a clinically important epitope repertoire derived from two human cytomegalovirus proteins, and data on the in vitro memory response elicited by these peptides is presented. In summary, our combined theoretical and empiric studies suggest that 90% coverage of some ethnic groups is attainable with 11 uniquely defined HLA-restricted CTL epitopes. The derivation of four or more additional CTL epitopes is needed to attain 90% coverage of Blacks or Asians, the minimally covered groups. Ninety percent coverage of all major ethnic groups in a multi-ethnic population appears feasible without relying on cross-reactivity, but may require two to three times more CTL epitopes than estimated for serologic data, homogenous populations, or HLA alleles grouped as supertypes.
Ideology, Perspective, and Praxis

has political utility as well as some consistency of meaning. The pejorative uses of "ideology" point to elements of practical political life which social scientists might designate by an alternative term but which nonetheless remains "ideology" in everyday terms. "Ideology" invites not terminological attention, then, but concern with the epistemological (and other philosophical) assumptions of social scientists. Social-scientific uses of "ideology" may rest on epistemological assumptions that obscure distinctions between ideologies and other types of belief systems. Terminological shifts only gloss such naivete.2
Rumour and Other Narratives of Political Violence in West Papua

This article addresses the neglected subject of political violence in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, known locally as West Papua. It asks how this regime of political violence is reproduced in and through representations of culture, gender and difference. It argues that rumours about state-sponsored violence contribute to both the experience and expression of terror. It examines how West Papuans understand, subvert and imagine alternatives to the political and symbolic forms of violence in which they are enmeshed. Finally, it compares rumour to ethnographic accounts and human rights reports, arguing that anthropologists have both political and ethnographic responsibilities to `bear witness' to political violence and the mechanisms through which it is reproduced as terror.
An overview of the theories used in compton scattering calculations

This paper discusses theoretical approaches for investigating Compton scattering from bound atomic electrons. It particularly emphasizes the understanding of methods currently used to obtain the scattered photon energy distribution at fixed scattering angle. This distribution is dominated by three features: the Compton line or peak, the resonant-Raman-Compton scattering and the infrared divergence at soft scattered photon energies. No single common approximation accesses all three regions, though they are all exhibited analytically in the nonrelativistic hydrogenic case. S-matrix calculations describe all of these features. The usual approximations utilized for Compton scattering are discussed and assessed in comparison with the more exact, relativistic S-matrix calculations. Finally, some recent developments in the theory of Compton scattering from bound electrons are noted. These include the effort to describe the double ionization of helium by Compton scattering and the theoretical analysis of the more completely differential Compton scattering experiment in which the ejected electron is also observed.
Detection of methane in air using diode-laser pumped difference-frequency generation near 3.2 μm

Spectroscopic detection of the methane in natural air using an 800 nm diode laser and a diode-pumped 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser to produce tunable light near 3.2 µm is reported. The lasers were pump sources for ring-cavity-enhanced tunable difference-frequency mixing in AgGaS2. IR frequency tuning between 3076 and 3183 cm−1 was performed by crystal rotation and tuning of the extended-cavity diode laser. Feedback stabilization of the IR power reduced intensity noise below the detector noise level. Direct absorption and wavelength-modulation (2f) spectroscopy of the methane in natural air at 10.7 kPa (80 torr) were performed in a 1 m single-pass cell with 1 µW probe power. Methane has also been detected using a 3.2 µm confocal build-up cavity in conjunction with an intracavity absorption cell. The best methane detection limit observed was 12 ppb m (Hz.)−1/2.