cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can we talk? The association between language and preoperative wait times for gynecologic oncologic patients

Objectives: The literature shows that non-English speakers have challenges in the perioperative setting when compared to English speaking patients. There is a lack of research within the field of gynecologic oncology regarding how patients’ preoperative wait time and preoperative experience is influenced by their primary spoken language. The purpose of this study is to compare perioperative wait times in gynecologic oncology for English and non-English speaking patients at large public and private institutions. Methods: This is a retrospective review of women who underwent elective surgery for a gynecologic malignancy at both a large public safety-net hospital or a large private hospital between January 2018 and September 2019. Data collection included demographic data, baseline health characteristics, pre-operative information including dates of outpatient visits and surgical date. Statistical analysis included two-tailed T tests and chi-square tests. Results: 211 charts were reviewed, with 184 patients included in the final analysis. Charlson comorbidity indices were similar for English and non-English speaking patients (p=0.39). The most common non-English spoken languages were Spanish (55%), Mandarin (8%), Cantonese (8%), Polish (7%), and Russian (4%). Overall, the mean wait time from booking appointment to surgery for English speaking patients was 25.5 days compared to 33.6 days in non-English speaking patients (p=0.12). The majority (90%) of the non-English speaking patients included in the analysis received their care at the public hospital (p Download : Download high-res image (192KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Non-English speaking patients had an 8 day increase in perioperative wait times compared to English speaking patients. This increase is largely attributable to the increased wait time for all patients in the public hospital system when compared to the private hospital. Further investigation of the structural differences between the public and university hospital systems is warranted.
The syntax of idioms

This paper proposes that idioms are subject to the Continuity Constraint, a grammatical principle that defines their general architecture in terms of a chain of head-to-head relations. The Continuity Constraint accurately describes the organization of extant idioms, including non-constituent idioms, while at the same time correctly predicting that certain types of patterns are impossible. In addition, it sheds new light on the relevance of argument structure to idiom creation, uncovering asymmetries in the composition of idioms that appear to involve thematic hierarchy effects.
Martian surface/near-surface water inventory: Sources, sinks, and changes with time

Today, a 34 m global equivalent water layer (GEL) lies in the Martian polar-layered deposits and shallow ground ice. During the Amazonian, 3 m was outgassed, and 31 m was lost to space and to the surface, leaving 62 m at the end of Hesperian. During the Hesperian, volcanic outgassing added 5 m, 7 m was lost, and 40 m GEL of groundwater was added to form outflow channels, leaving 24 m carryover of surface water from the Noachian into the Hesperian. The Hesperian budget is incompatible with a northern ocean during this era. These figures are for near-surface water; substantial amounts of water may have existed as deep ground ice and groundwater. Our estimate of approximately 24 m near-surface water in the Late Noachian is insufficient to support an ocean at that time also and favors episodic melting of an icy highlands to produce the fluvial and lacustrine features.
Origin and direction of bacteriophage T4 DNA replication. II. A gradient of marker frequencies in partially replicated T4 DNA as assayed by transformation.

One class of small particles of bacteriophage T4 contains incomplete chromosomes which measure two-thirds of the normal T4 chromosome length. These incomplete chromosomes represent continuous, random segments of the T4 genome. After single infection of Escherichia coli, some incomplete chromosomes initiate a single, incomplete cycle of replication. The pattern of this partial replication has suggested that replication of incomplete chromosomes starts at a genetically fixed origin and proceeds in one direction to the end of the chromosome (Mosig & Werner, 1969). In the present study, parental and newly synthesized progeny strands of partially replicated incomplete chromosomes were isolated and assayed separately for marker frequencies by transformation. When all markers in the parental strands are recovered with equal frequency, the frequency of markers in the progeny strands decreases with their increasing distance from gene 43 in a clockwise direction on the genetic map. Because an analogous pattern of frequencies of markers from incomplete chromosomes has been observed by Mosig (1970a) among progeny particles after co-infection with complete and incomplete chromosomes, we conclude that this pattern of replication is not due to a lack of some essential genes on incomplete chromosomes but due to lack of terminal redundancies, resulting in inability to circularize, and to the fact that normal T4 DNA replication starts near the gene for DNA polymerase (43) and proceeds only in the clockwise direction on the genetic map. Our experiments show that DNA molecules need not be circular to initiate the first cycle of replication. However, incomplete chromosomes do not replicate repeatedly. It appears that for continuous replication, circularization is required. The region encompassing genes 40 through 42 has the following unique properties which appear to be correlated with its involvement in initiation of DNA replication: (1) under certain lysis conditions, the parental strands containing these genes remain preferentially attached to cellular components; and (2) under non-denaturing isolation conditions, progeny strands containing markers in these genes dissociate from the parental strands while progeny strands in all other genetic regions remain base-paired to the parental strands.
Comments on privacy and medicine.

Abstract The ease of access to medical data on the one hand and the privacy rights of the individual on the other coexist in a delicate balance. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider the trade‐offs between the two. One approach might be to consider the nature of possible violations of privacy and determine the costs and benefits of avoiding those violations. Not all violations are equally dangerous. Moreover, some violations of privacy are sanctioned by policy (for example, preexisting medical conditions). Society needs to be careful to distinguish between these kinds of privacy issues and those that require technical solutions. Technical solutions tend to be expensive and can create other dangers by impeding access to important medical information.
Stochastic Integration with Jumps

Preface 1. Introduction 2. Integrators and martingales 3. Extension of the integral 4. Control of integral and integrator 5. Stochastic differential equations Appendix A. Complements to topology and measure theory Appendix B. Answers to selected problems References Index.
Quality Assessment of Professional Degree Programs

Based on a completed study of alumni of a master's degree teacher education program at a large northeastern university, this article demonstrates how alumni research can be designed to focus assessment on student outcomes and be responsive to program goals, policy concerns of administrators, instructional values of the faculty, and standards of professional practice. The article presents a conceptual framework, a research design plan, identification of relevant issues, appropriate analytical techniques, and selected findings with substantial relevance to other professional degree programs. Results confirm the importance of satisfaction with courses, perception of professional growth, and level of intellectual challenge on graduates' overall evaluation of the program. The methodological approaches and substantive issues raised in this study potentially enhance researchers' ability to design future assessment studies that will impact the policy development and program planning of other professional degree programs.
Pulse Width Evolution of Late-Time X-Ray Flares in Gamma-Ray Bursts

We study the duration and variability of late-time X-ray flares following gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the narrow-field X-ray telescope (XRT) aboard the Swift spacecraft. These flares are thought to be indicative of late-time activity by the central engine that powers the GRB and produced by means similar to those which produce the prompt emission. We use a nonparametric procedure to study the overall temporal properties of the flares and a structure function analysis to look for an evolution of the fundamental variability timescale between the prompt and late-time emission. We find a strong correlation in 28 individual X-ray flares in 18 separate GRBs between the flare duration and their time of peak flux since the GRB trigger. We also find a qualitative trend of decreasing variability as a function of time since trigger, with a characteristic minimum variability timescale Δt/t = 0.1 for most flares. The correlation between pulse width and time is consistent with the effects of internal shocks at ever-increasing collision radii, but could also arise from delayed activity by the central source. Contemporaneous detections of high-energy emission by GLAST could test between these two scenarios, as any late-time X-ray emission would undergo inverse Compton scattering as it passes through the external shock. The profile of this high-energy component should depend on the distance between the emitting region and the external shock.
Description of Risk and Resilience Factors among Military Medical Personnel before Deployment to Iraq

ABSTRACT Military medical personnel preparing for deployment to Iraq (N = 328) participated in a survey concerning predeployment risk and resilience factors. Participants reported exposure to an average of 2.5 potentially traumatic events before deployment and 76% (n = 229) reported at least two current concerns about predeployment stressors. Military personnel also endorsed a series of positive appraisals of the military, the mission, and their unit. Fairly low levels of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms before deployment were reported and positive affect was significantly higher than reported negative affect. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms that were present before deployment were most strongly associated with risk factors, whereas positive affect was most strongly associated with resilience factors. Predeployment negative affect was associated with a combination of risk and resilience factors. These findings have implications for possible interventions and preparation of medical personnel...
The origin of sulfide-rimmed metal grains in ordinary chondrites

Abstract We report results from an experimental study of sulfide chemistry during metamorphism on ordinary chondrite parent bodies. Artificial LL-chondrite material, composed of silicate, iron metal, and sulfide grains, was placed in sealed, evacuated silica tubes and heated to either 500°C or 900°C. These temperatures are representative peak metamorphic temperatures experienced by type 3 and type 6 ordinary chondrites, respectively. Rapid sulfur mobilization occurs during heating and results in the formation of sulfide rims around the metal grains and sulfur loss from the original sulfide crystals. The newly formed sulfide rims have two distinct layers that incorporate nearby silicate grains. We also observe narrow sulfide trails that follow silicate grain boundaries and connect separate sulfide-rimmed metal grains. The morphologies of the sulfide rims suggest that vapor transport is the main mechanism for sulfur mobilization. Sulfur loss is observed along cracks and crystal boundaries of the initial sulfide grains. After extensive reaction, patches of iron metal appear at the outer edges of the sulfide crystals and large pore spaces form throughout the original sulfides. The experimental metal-sulfide assemblages resemble those found in low metamorphic grade ordinary chondrites. This suggests metamorphism is mainly responsible for the observed metal-sulfide textures in these chondrites.
Iodine-131 Fallout from Underground Tests II.

Evidence that the fallout of iodine-131 in the Midwest during May 1962 originated in Nevada is provided by data on air trajectories, radioactivity in milk, and other findings. Selective escape of radioiodine from vented explosions, and the rapid transfer of iodine from the lower atmosphere to the biosphere, place, significance on even minor releases of radioactive fission products from subsurface nuclear explosions.
Raman scattering from excitons and from photoexcited electrons and holes

Raman spectroscopy has been performed on a variety of ‘hot’ photoexcited electron systems. In p-type ZnTe large densities of photoexcited electrons can be produced in a steady-state fashion with only milliwatts of laser excitation well below the bandgap. Spin-flip Raman scattering from these photoexcited minority carriers is easily detected and is in fact often more intense than the majority carrier transitions. In addition, ‘hot’ hole transitions are observed in the hydrogenic As acceptor series in ZnTe; transitions originating on the 2P5/2 or vibronic 1S3/2 + LO states are observed under similar conditions. These transitions give electron/hole temperatures at several hundred degrees at lattice temperatures of 1.6 K. Raman scattering from photoexcited excitions is observed and analyzed in p-InSb.
Introduction: Special Focus on Music Teacher Preparation:

I first proposed this special issue to the editorial committee of the Music Educators Journal shortly after attending the June 2001 event, Music Education for This Century: A Working Institute for Change and Innovation in Our Profession, sponsored by MENC and the College Music Society and held at Northwestern University in Evansville, Indiana. I was fortunate to have been a participant and part of the facilitating process, but I left the meeting feeling frustrated by the seeming monumentality of the task of reforming music teacher education. The need for music education students to acquire an overwhelming amount of musical information and pedagogical skill, the demands of various accrediting agencies, and the force of accumulated traditions made any kind of fundamental change in teacher preparation seem nearly impossible. The very thought of transforming music teacher education into a program that reflected current and emerging sociological, psychological, and philosophical perspectives seemed numbing. Many of the needed reforms, as the institute leaders pointed out, run counter to the prevailing methods and ensemble traditions that characterize our education programs today. Furthermore, as David Teachout has observed, our current professional culture provides few rewards for the "successful music teacher," but many for the successful "music director."I Transformation seemed out of the
Third trimester fetoscopic laser ablation of type II vasa previa

Objective. Vasa previa is associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality because of fetal exsanguination at time of membrane rupture. We report our experience in the treatment of type II vasa previa via in utero laser ablation in the third trimester.Methods. Two cases of type II vasa previa were identified via endovaginal ultrasound in the second trimester and treated via third trimester fetoscopic laser ablation.Results. In case 1, fetoscopic laser ablation of the vasa previa was performed without complication at 28 3/7 weeks' gestation as a prophylactic measure. The patient delivered at 33 3/7 weeks' gestation after rupture of membranes without sequelae with good perinatal outcome. In case 2, expectant management of twins with a vasa previa was planned. However, significant cervical shortening and funneling was documented at 30 5/7 weeks', and the risk of membrane rupture was deemed relatively high. As a therapeutic alternative to outright preterm delivery, the patient underwent uncomplicat...
Hydrogen compression characteristics of a dual stage thermal compressor system utilizing LaNi5 and Ca0.6Mm0.4Ni5 as the working metal hydrides

Abstract The research performed herein consisted of the design, construction, and testing of a dual stage metal hydride hydrogen compression system intended to be used with lower grade geothermal or waste energy sources. The metal hydrides used in this study were LaNi5 and Ca0.6Mm0.4Ni5. A Finite Time Thermodynamics (FTT) model was also developed and the model proved useful in determining how the compression results and energy requirements for the system change with variations in the system parameters. Dual stage system results showed a final compression ratio of approximately 12 when using cooling and heating temperatures of 10 °C and 90 °C, respectively. The final output pressures and compression ratios were found to follow an upward trend when increasing the heating bath temperatures. It can be concluded from the experimental results, that though the dual stage hydrogen compression system has room for improvement, it is an effective way of compressing the hydrogen from low initial pressures while using low grade energy sources.
Simulation and analysis of using deflecting cavities to produce short x-ray pulses with the Advanced Photon Source

We present detailed simulations and analysis of Zholents’s [A. Zholents, P. Heimann, M. Zolotorev, and J. Byrd, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 425, 385 (1999).] concept for using deflecting cavities in a synchrotron light source storage ring for the purpose of producing short x-ray pulses. In particular, we look at the optimization and performance of such a system for the Advanced Photon Source. We find the concept is practical and that x-ray pulse durations of about 1.5 ps FWHM should be achievable with more than 15% of the original intensity retained. Issues covered include lattice design, emittance degradation, lifetime, photon beam modeling, errors, and optimum choice of rf parameters.
The IFA-2 Collective Accelerator

IFA proof-of-principle experiments (completed on the IFA-1 system) have already demonstrated accurately-controlled motion of the potential well at the head of an IREB, and IFA ion data sets (H+,D+,He++) imply that controlled accelerating fields of 50 MV/m have been achieved over 10 cm. A new system, IFA-2, is being developed to demonstrate controlled accelerating fields of 100 MV/m over 1 meter. For IFA-2, a new working gas (N,N dimethyl aniline) has been found that operates at room temperature and requires only one laser (XeCl-307 nm). This new working gas represents a major breakthrough for the IFA in regard to simplicity and ease of operation. Research on this new working gas (IREB-induced ionization cross section experiments, photoionization cross section experiments), and the status of the IFA-2 system, are discussed.
Campaign contributions and voting on the cargo preference bill: A comparison of simultaneous models*

A variety of single equation and simultaneous equation models have been employed to test the hypothesis that interest group campaign contributions influence congressional voting. Although contributions exhibited the anticipated positive effect in all models, the simultaneous equations estimates generally indicated much lower significance levels for the contribution coefficients than did the single equation models. The lower significance levels are apparently attributable to a lack of precision of the simultaneous model estimates (indicated by large standard errors) as well as possible bias of the single equation models. It was also found that qualitative results from the more sophisticated simultaneous probit-Tobit models were quite similar to those obtained from 2SLS estimation of the linear probability model.
Suburban Encroachment on the Old North 40: The Search for Effective Measures to Preserve Agricultural Land

. Since 1956, more than 40 states have passed some form of legislation to preserve agricultural land. These statutes or constitutional amendments invoke a variety of economic and/or legal strategies to obtain their objectives, but the most common strategy is that of the differential tax. None of the various strategies is entirely effective, however, although land resource allocation problems have prompted some economists to reexamine the merits of land value taxation. A survey of pertinent literature on land value taxation is examined in an effort to determine whether a system based on single tax principles might offer a simpler, more equitable, and therefore preferable solution to the problem of land resource allocation according to criteria believed to foster environmental conservation or social goals.
Technologies and social learning in an urban after-school center

In this paper we explore this relationship between social learning environments and the technological ecologies that practitioners, learners, and researchers develop to sustain them. Through an examination of ethnographic research conducted at an urban after-school learning program we gain insight into social, technological and power infrastructures that influence learning and interaction in this setting. Adopting a holistic approach we examine how technologies are integrated into activities in this program to support the learning of the after-school youth. We emphasize both positive and negative infrastructures that contribute to the learning environment and discuss how identifying these infrastructures are one of the first steps towards understanding and informing technology design in informal learning settings.
Nanosecond pulsed discharge in high density polymer liquid (PDMS)

Summary form only given. Generation of discharges in water has been previously investigated, with formation mechanisms being attributed to ionization of vapour within bubbles formed through localized heating or cavitation, and within which plasma is sustained1. More recently, the possibility of plasma formation in liquid phase in the absence of bubble formation has been reported, with experiments performed in liquid water2. This work reports the generation of non-equilibrium nanosecond discharges in liquid phase without bubbles. We studied the effects of dielectric properties of the liquid, discharge gap, and electrode size. In our experiments we compared discharges ignited in liquid water and PDMS, a comparatively non-polar liquid with dielectric constant of 2.3 and three orders of magnitude higher viscosity than water. Nanosecond high voltage pulses (+15.5 kV) with ∼2 ns rise times and 12 ns duration are applied to submerged electrodes arranged in a pin-to-plate geometry, with the positive potential applied to the pin with radius of curvature of 5 um and 20 um. The positive polarity of the pin rules out electron emission as a mechanism for plasma formation. Time resolved images of the plasma discharge are achieved down to 2 ns exposure resolution using the 4picos high-speed camera, demonstrating the filamentary structure of the plasma. The effects of dielectric properties of liquid and electrode diameter on plasma discharge size and lifetime are demonstrated to be negligible. Shadowgraphy and spectroscopy studies are also performed and reported.
Norvaline: a growth factor for excised tomato roots.

EARLY reports1 that norvaline, a synthetic amino-acid, was detectable in protein hydrolysates have not been confirmed using modern techniques2. No reports are known to me of the detection of norvaline as a free amino-acid in tissues. It has, however, been reported3 that on addition of α-ketovaleric acid and glutamine to extracts of rat liver, the α-ketovaleric acid was converted to norvaline. A number of other α-keto acids were converted to the corresponding amino-acid by the extract. The conversion to norvaline, therefore, could be attributed to low specificity of the postulated enzyme. In spite of this, it was decided to include DL-norvaline in a series of amino-acids tested for ability to replace pyridoxine in the nutrition of a clone of excised tomato roots. Some nutritional requirements of this clone and the experimental techniques are given elsewhere4.
mRNA decay in prokaryotes and eukaryotes : Different approaches to a similar problem

Over the past 15 years considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms of mRNA decay in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Interestingly, unlike other important biological reactions such as DNA replication and repair, many features of mRNA decay differ between prokaryotes or eukaryotes. Even when a particular enzyme like poly(A) polymerase has been conserved, polyadenylation of mRNAs in prokaryotes appears to serve a very different function than it does in eukaryotes. Furthermore, while mRNA degrading multiprotein complexes have been identified in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, their composition and biochemical mechanisms are significantly different. Accordingly, this review seeks to provide a concise comparison of our current knowledge regarding the pathways of mRNA decay in two model organisms, the prokaryote Escherichia coli and the eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Computing components of the gravity field induced by distant topographic masses and condensed masses over the entire Earth using the 1-D FFT approach

A new method for computing gravitational potential and attraction induced by distant, global masses on a global scale has been developed. The method uses series expansions and the well known one-dimensional fast Fourier transform (1-D FFT) method. It has been proven to be significantly faster than quadrature while being equally accurate. Various quantities were studied to cover the two primary applications of the Stokes–Helmert scheme of modeling effects. These two applications (or paths), given the names R/r/D and R/D/r, are briefly discussed, although the primary objective of the paper is to provide computational information to either path, rather than choosing one path as preferable to the other. It is further shown that the impact of masses outside a 4-degree cap can impact the absolute computation of the geoid at more than 1 cm, and should therefore be included in all local geoid computations seeking that accuracy.
Numerical evaluation of resonant states

Abstract The quantized states formed by semiconductor heterostructures are often resonant states, in the sense that they are not asymptotically confined and thus have a finite tunneling lifetime. These states may be readily located and characterized by finding the poles of a discretized single-particle Green's function. The denominator of the Green's function is constructed from the discrete Hamiltonian matrix, augmented by terms which describe transmitting boundary conditions and which thus render the operator non-Hermitian. The resonances are the complex-valued eigenvalues of this operator. The boundary terms are energy-dependent, and thus the eigenvalue problem is nonlinear. The eigenvalues are located using a combination of linear searching and Newton iteration in the complex energy plane. For one-dimensional problems, this technique is fast enough to be used in an interactive mode, and it has been incorporated into a general-purpose interactive heterostructure modeling program. Using such a program one may rapidly examine a variety of structures and bias conditions.
Oxidized carbon nanofiber/polymer composites prepared by chaotic mixing

Abstract Composites of oxidized carbon nanofibers (ox-CNFs) and polymethyl methacrylate and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were prepared in a chaotic mixer and their electrical and mechanical properties were compared with those prepared using untreated carbon nanofibers (CNFs). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data of ox-CNFs showed higher oxygen to carbon ratio than CNFs indicating the presence of polar functional groups on the surfaces of ox-CNFs. Consequently, dispersion of ox-CNFs improved in both polymers and the resultant composites showed improved thermal-oxidative stability, higher storage modulus, and higher glass transition temperature. The electrical conductivity, however, decreased with improved nanofiber dispersion. In the case of TPU/ox-CNF composites, maximum values of tensile strength and Young’s modulus were obtained with 1 wt.% fiber content; higher amounts of ox-CNFs promoted phase mixing of soft and hard segment domains and consequently caused a reduction in tensile properties.
Data compression for complex ambiguity function for emitter location

The Complex Ambiguity Function (CAF) used in emitter location measurement is a 2-dimensional complex-valued function of time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) and frequency-difference-of-arrival (FDOA). In classical TDOA/FDOA systems, pairs of sensors share data (using compression) to compute the CAF, which is then used to estimate the TDOA/FDOA for each pair; the sets of TDOA/FDOA measurements are then transmitted to a common site where they are fused into an emitter location. However, in some recently published methods for improved emitter location methods, it has been proposed that after each pair of sensors computes the CAF it is the entire CAFs that should be shared rather than the extracted TDOA/FDOA estimates. This leads to a need for methods to compress the CAFs. Because a CAF is a 2-D functions it can be thought of as a form of image - albeit, a complex-valued image. We apply and appropriately modify the Embedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZW) to compress the Ambiguity Function. Several techniques are analyzed to exploit the correlation between the imaginary part and real part of Ambiguity Function and comparisons are made between the approaches. The impact of such compression on the overall location accuracy is assessed via simulations.
The stability of a water drop oscillating with finite amplitude in an electric field

By assuming that an uncharged drop situated in a uniform electric field E retains a spheroidal shape while oscillating about its equilibrium configuration, two approximate equations of motion are derived for the deformation ratio γ expressed as the ratio a/b of the major and minor axis of the drop. Solutions of these equations of motion indicate that the stability of a drop of undistorted radius R and surface tension T depends upon E(R/T)½ and the initial displacement of γ from its equilibrium value. The predictions of the two equations are compared to assess the accuracy of the spheroidal assumption as applied to such a dynamical situation. The analysis is used to determine the stability criterion of a drop subject to a step function field. Finally, the limit of validity of the spheroidal assumption is discussed in terms of Rayleigh's criterion for the stability of charged spherical drops. By applying Rayleigh's criterion to the poles of a spheroidal drop, the stage at which the drop departs from spheroidal form to form conical jets was approximately determined.
Remote sensing of spring phenology in northeastern forests: A comparison of methods, field metrics and sources of uncertainty

Abstract Current remote sensing studies of phenology have been limited to coarse spatial or temporal resolution and often lack a direct link to field measurements. To address this gap, we compared remote sensing methodologies using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery to extensive field measurements in a mixed northern hardwood forest. Five vegetation indices, five mathematical fits to model a continuous temporal response, and a suite of threshold estimates for “start of spring/season” (SOS) assessments were compared to field measurements of bud burst stage and hemispherical photo derived canopy structural metrics (transparency, leaf area index, greenness). Results indicated that a four-parameter logistic model based on at least five spring coverages of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and a SOS threshold of 0.3 was most closely related to field metrics and most accurate in predicting the date of full leaf out. Plot level SOS was predicted with a mean absolute error of 11 days for all species and elevation combinations, but improved to 9 days for hardwood dominated plots and 7 days for sugar maple dominated plots. Mean absolute error was improved to 8 days when forest type (mixed, conifer hardwood) was used to refine predictions. The consistency of prediction errors across forest types indicates that while overall accuracy across pixels may be low, inter-annual comparisons of changes in phenology on a pixel basis may provide accurate assessments of changes in phenology over time. This was confirmed by application to seven years of independent phenology data predicted with 12 days of mean absolute error. However, image availability will be a limiting factor in areas of frequent cloud cover.
Translation of nanoantenna field enhancement by a metal-dielectric composite superlens

Our simulations show that highly localized field enhancement produced by a periodic array of silver nanoantennas can be translated to the far side of a metal-dielectric composite superlens composed of silver and silica components.
Myotrophin/V-1, a Protein Up-regulated in the Failing Human Heart and in Postnatal Cerebellum, Converts NFκB p50-p65 Heterodimers to p50-p50 and p65-p65 Homodimers

Myotrophin/V-1 is a cytosolic protein found at elevated levels in failing human hearts and in postnatal cerebellum. We have previously shown that it disrupts nuclear factor of κB (NFκB)-DNA complexes in vitro. In this study, we demonstrated that in HeLa cells native myotrophin/V-1 is predominantly present in the cytoplasm and translocates to the nucleus during sustained NFκB activation. Three-dimensional alignment studies indicate that myotrophin/V-1 resembles a truncated IκBα without the signal response domain (SRD) and PEST domains. Co-immunoprecipitation studies reveal that myotrophin/V-1 interacts with NFκB proteinsin vitro; however, it remains physically associated only with p65 and c-Rel proteins in vivo during NFκB activation. In vitro studies indicate that myotrophin/V-1 can promote the formation of p50-p50 homodimers from monomeric p50 proteins and can convert the preformed p50-p65 heterodimers into p50-p50 and p65-p65 homodimers. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of myotrophin/V-1 resulted in elevated levels of both p50-p50 and p65-p65 homodimers exceeding the levels of p50-p65 heterodimers compared with Adβgal-infected cells, where the levels of p50-p65 heterodimers exceeded the levels of p50-p50 and p65-p65 homodimers. Thus, overexpression of myotrophin/V-1 during NFκB activation resulted in a qualitative shift by quantitatively reducing the level of transactivating heterodimers while elevating the levels of repressive p50-p50 homodimers. Correspondingly, overexpression of myotrophin/V-1 resulted in significantly reduced κB-luciferase reporter activity. Because myotrophin/V-1 is found at elevated levels during NFκB activation in postnatal cerebellum and in failing human hearts, this study cumulatively suggests that myotrophin/V-1 is a regulatory protein for modulating the levels of activated NFκB dimers during this period.
CHLOROPLAST STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN ac-20, A MUTANT STRAIN OF CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDI I. CO2 Fixation and Ribulose-1,5-Diphosphate Carboxylase Synthesis

A mutant strain of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi, ac-20 , is described in which both the rate of CO 2 fixation by whole cells and the rate of carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-diphosphate in cell-free extracts are reduced, particularly when sodium acetate is present in the growth medium. Of the enzymes of the reductive pentose phosphate cycle tested, only ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase activity is reduced in the mutant strain, and it appears that the low carboxylase activity limits the strain9s rate of photosynthetic carbon metabolism. Evidence is presented to show that the fluctuation in the level of the enzyme activity in the presence or absence of acetate results from the fluctuation in the level of some factor(s) limiting the rate of synthesis of the protein.
The heat produced by the enzymatic action of the sucrose-invertase and urea-urease systems.

Summary o 1. The heat produced during the inversion of sucrose by invertase was determined by two methods: the one using thermistors, the other using thermocouples. With the thermistor method the average value was 3.28 kcal./mole; with the thermocouple method, the average value was 3.37 kcal./mole. 2. The heat produced during the hydrolysis of urea by urease was 13.52 kcal./mole as determined by the thermistor method.
Measurements at millimeter and micrometer wavelengths

Insertion loss measurements of waveguide components have been made with an accuracy 0.2 dB at the 10-dB level and 2.8 dB at the 30-dB level. Attenuation measurements of 60-mm TE 10 circular waveguide have been made over the frequency range 33 to 110 GHz with total uncertainty of 0.4 dB. Intercomparison between calorimeters developed by national laboratories at 100 GHz resulted in differences less than 0.5 percent. In measuring optical fibers calorimetry was used to measure loss and power with an accuracy of 1 to 2 percent. Loss measurements by comparison with a standard have resulted in accuracies of 0.5 dB in losses of 40 dB/km in the 1.0- to 1.6-µm range. Shuttle pulse measurement of pulse spreading indicates that pulsewidths of 0.4 ns are increased to 4.0 ns by passing through 2 km of fiber at a wavelength of 0.9 µm. Interferometer techniques were developed for determination of the complex permittivity of liquids and solids over a wide temperature range in the frequency range from 10.0 GHz to 18 THz. Complex permittivities have been measured at 94 GHz by transmission through a dielectric slab. Errors reported in relative permittivity and loss tangent are 0.2 and 2.5 percent, respectively.
Evolution and stability of altruist strategies in microbial games.

for the bacterial “suicide bomber” game in terms of the phase portraits of population dynamics, for parameter combinations that cover all interesting games for two-players, and seven of the 38 possible phase portraits of the three-player game. We compare these predictions to simulations of these competitions in finite well-mixed populations, but also allowing for probabilistic rather than pure strategies, as well as Darwinian adaptation over tens of thousands of generations. We find that Darwinian evolution of probabilistic strategies stabilizes games of the rock-paper-scissors type that emerge for parameters describing realistic bacterial populations, and point to ways in which the population fixed point can be selected by changing those parameters.
Promoter recognition by the RNA polymerase from vegetative cells of the cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120

The transcription start points (tsp) of seven genes of Anabaena 7120 were previously identified by S1 nuclease protection and primer extension experiments using RNA extracted from cells. In the present work, these tsp were confirmed, with one exception, by in vitro transcription using purified RNA polymerases of Anabaena 7120 and Escherichia coli, and crude extracts of Anabaena 7120 active in transcription. In all cases, the template for transcription consisted of closed circular plasmid DNA in which the putative promoter-containing fragment was cloned in front of a strong terminator, which resulted in defined 'pseudo-runoff' transcripts whose sizes correspond (with one exception) to those expected on the basis of the tsp determined for in vivo RNA. These results, together with others obtained with templates containing bacteriophage T4 or cyanophage N1 promoters, led to the conclusion that the principal Anabaena 7120 RNA polymerase prefers promoters whose sequence and spacing approximate that of the E. coli consensus promoter, and that the Anabaena 7120 genes expressed in vegetative cells, characterized to date, have relatively weak promoters.
Managerial Achievement: Action Strategies

The article reviews the book “Managerial Achievement: Action Strategies,” by Dalton E. McFarland.
Ectopic Ventricular Beats Originating in Ischemically‐Injured Left Ventricular Epicardium, 24 Hours Following Coronary Artery Occlusion in the Dog

Epicardial Ectopics. Introduction: Ventricular ectopic beats demonstrating: (1) depolarization in ischemically-injured anterior epicardium preceding His-Purkinje activation by more than 25 msec; (2) initial delta waves on the anterior chest leads of the surface ECG coincident with presystolic epicardial activation; and (3) a left bundle branch block morphology were observed in 46 of 256 anesthetized dogs evaluated 18–24 hours following anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Methods and Results: In 18 experiments, endocardial and epicardial recordings, and signal-averaged recordings from the left ventricle were used to determine the earliest activation time/site for epicardial ectopic beats. In these ventricular ectopic beats, early epicardial activation was coupled to the preceding beat by a constant, fixed coupling interval. Electrical activity during the interectopic interval was not detected with composite or multiple bipolar recordings, or with signal averaging from the heart. The mean coupling interval was prolonged by lidocaine from 385 ± 24to 409 ± 45 msec (P < 0.01), and was decreased by epinephrine (364 ± 7 msec) and D-600 (324 ± 32 msec)(P < 0.05). Spontaneous ventricular beats of epicardial origin could be reversibly suppressed by epicardial lidocaine administration or permanently suppressed with intracoronary latex injection, eliminating presystolic potentials. Histologic examination of the epicardium revealed surviving tissue bands (0.5–2.0 mm) distributed throughout transmural infarcted epicardium. Conclusion: The present experiments demonstrate constant-coupled ectopic ventricular beats of epicardial origin, 18–24 hours following myocardial infarction. The ventricular ectopic beats may result from abnormal automaticity or electrotonic excitation from an initiating beat across an unexcitable gap with slow conduction from the “site of origin’ to reactivate the left ventricle. (JCardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 3, pp. 315–333, August 1992)
Diffusion in supercritical mixtures: CO2+ cosolvent + solutes

Abstract Diffusion coefficients are measured for acridine, phenanthrene, and benzoic acid at infinite dilution in either supercritical carbon dioxide, or a mixture of supercritical carbon dioxide with 5.5 mol % methanol as entrainer. These data indicate that diffusion of acridine and benzoic acid are markedly reduced by the presence of small amounts of methanol. Phenanthrene is not affected to as great an extent. These observations are in qualitative agreement with equilibrium solubility and spectroscopic measurements for these same systems, indicating the formation of clusters of the entrainer (methanol) about benzoic acid and acridine. It is proposed that the size of the diffusing cluster, not the size of the solute molecule, should be considered when predicting diffusion rates.
Antiforeign Sentiment in Germany: Power Theory versus Symbolic Explanations of Prejudice

Two theories are most frequently advanced to explain relationships between majority and minority groups: power theory and the symbolic theory of prejudice. A measure of "economic satisfaction" is used to tap the power threat of foreigners in Germany. It is tested against a measure of "German identity" which is a more symbolic measure of prejudice. Overall, a linear structural relations analysis demonstrates that although the power variable does perform as hypothesized, its effects are much smaller than the symbolic measure of German identity. The results challenge the assertion by some that prejudicial or racist attitudes play minor roles in explaining conflict between groups.
All Terrorism Is Local: Resources, Nested Institutions, and Governance for Urban Homeland Security in the American Federal System

This article examines the conditions under which local jurisdictions make effective use of U.S. homeland security resources. It analyzes how resources, institutional context, and governance influen...
Fragmentation of thin films bonded to solid substrates: Simulations and a mean-field theory

We perform simulations of crack growth in a brittle-elastic two-dimensional film bonded to a rigid substrate and subjected to an isotropic tensile stress. We find that the resulting fracture patterns can be classified according to the applied tensile stress. For a significant range of stresses, the crack interactions are extremely short range. The resulting fracture patterns are independent of stress and depend only on the initial distribution of crack nuclei. In this regime, the fracture process is well described by a fragmentation model in which a random distribution of seeds nucleates pairs of oppositely directed rays which grow until encountering other rays. Using a mean-field approach, we obtain approximate analytical results for this model which compare well with both the simulations of the fragmentation model, and with the fracture simulation results. Our approach is extensible to other models of fracture, and where numerical results exist in the literature, our mean-field solutions agree well with them. @S1063-651X~97!02705-0# PACS number~s!: 03.40.2t, 61.43.Bn, 62.20.Mk, 81.30.Kf
Reply to the comment by Cabello and Santos on “Experimental demonstration of the violation of local realism without Bell inequalities”

Abstract We respond to the Commenth [Phys. Lett. A 214 (1996)] on our paper [Phys. Lett. A 204 (1995) 323] by pointing out that we have made no claims about performing an experiment that avoids the fair sampling assumption, and we derive the relation used in the final part of the paper that was criticized.
Magnetic Properties of Eu3O4

A new Eu3O4 preparation method is described. Eu3O4 is produced by the solid state reaction between Eu and Eu2O3. Static magnetic susceptibility measurements were made by the Faraday method from 6 to 300°K. Eu3O4 was found to be ferrimagnetic with a Curie point of 77 °K. Eine neue Darstellungsmethode fur Eu3O4 wird beschrieben. Eu3O4 wird durch eine Festkorperreaktion zwischen Eu und Eu2O3 erzeugt. Mit der Faradaymethode wird die statische magnetische Suszeptibilitat im Temperaturbereich von 6 bis 300 °K gemessen. Es wird gefunden, das Eu3O4 ferrimagnetisch ist mit einem Curiepunkt von 77 °K.
Review of A. B. Nikolaev, Revoliutsiia i vlast’: How Has Nikolaev Changed the Interpretation of the February Revolution?

A.B. Nikolaev’s book has not received much attention either in the West or in Russia, but it is an important book that has significantly changed our understanding the February Revolution of 1917. Nikolaev’s meticulously researched monograph, based on a wide array of new sources, challenges the previously dominant interpretation that the Provisional Committee of the State Duma (Duma Committee) was forced to seize power only to stem the tide of the insurgency from below. He argues that the Duma Committee was from its inception clear about its intention to overthrow the old regime and to create a new power to replace it even before the Petrograd Soviet was formed. The Duma Committee played a crucial role in prompting military units to take the side of the revolution, in steering the insurgents to the State Duma, in creating the Military Commission to organize insurgents to occupy strategic positions in the city, in taking over the food supply commission to feed the insurgents, in attacking and destroying the tsarist police, while preventing and suppressing potentially dangerous anarchical pogroms, and in taking control over the imperial bureaucracy. Nikolaev also raises an interesting question about the relationship between the Duma Committee, the State Duma and the Provisional Government by arguing that the Provisional Government made a hasty and cardinal mistake in cutting its relationship with the State Duma. This book is a landmark in the interpretation of the February Revolution, and especially of the role of the Duma liberals in the revolution.