cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global Well-posedness and Asymptotic Behavior of a Class of Initial-boundary-value Problems of the KdV Equation on a Finite Domain

In this paper, we study a class of initial boundary value problem (IBVP) of the Korteweg-de Vries equation posed on a finite interval with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions. The IBVP is known to be locally wellposed, but its global L2− a priori estimate is not available and therefore it is not clear whether its solutions exist globally or blow up in finite time. It is shown in this paper that the solutions exist globally as long as their initial value and the associated boundary data are small, and moreover, those solutions decay exponentially if their boundary data decay exponentially
Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA (TN)

Mina O'Reilly, an officer at Logan Airport's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in Boston, must discipline an employee responsible for a security breach that resulted in a 45-minute terminal closure during peak hours, a potential threat to traveler safety, and travel delays across the U.S. O'Reilly considers the impact of her decision on a shifting labor force: the growing divide between those employees deeply committed to the mission and those joining to simply find a job. The senior TSA staff and airlines are calling for accountability, but the person responsible for the breach is a passionate and valued employee who has been with TSA since its formation. As his shift approaches, O'Reilly must decide whether or not he can clock in as usual.
Treatment of locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer: a 10-year experience.

Purpose: We retrospectively analyzed the results of patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC) treated with either chemoradiation (CRT) or chemotherapy alone over the past decade. Methods and materials: Between December 1998 and October 2009, 116 patients with LAPC were treated at our institution. Eighty-four patients received concurrent chemoradiation [RT (+) group], primarily 5-flourouracil based (70%). Thirty-two patients received chemotherapy alone [RT (-) group], the majority gemcitabine based (78%). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from date of diagnosis to date of first recurrence and to date of death or last follow-up, respectively. Univariate statistical analysis was used to determine significant prognostic factors for overall survival. Results: Median patient age was 67 years. Sixty patients were female (52%). Median follow-up was 11 months (range, 1.6-59.4 months). The RT (+) group received a median radiation dose of 50.4 Gy, was more likely to present with ECOG 0-1 performance status, and experienced less grade 3-4 toxicity. PFS was 10.9 versus 9.1 months (P=0.748) and median survival was 12.5 versus 9.1 months (P=0.998) for the RT (+) and RT (-) groups respectively (P=0.748). On univariate analysis, patients who experienced grade 3-4 toxicity had worse overall survival than those who did not (P=0.02). Conclusions: Optimal management for LAPC continues to evolve. Patients who developed treatmentrelated grade 3-4 toxicity have a poorer prognosis. Survival rates were not statistically significant between chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups.
Rape Myths, Rape Scripts, and Common Rape Experiences of College Women Differences in Perceptions of Women Who Have Been Raped

Rape is prevalent at colleges. Although research suggests commonalities across many college women's rape experiences (e.g., perpetrators using multiple coercive strategies), vignettes used to assess rape perceptions often reflect false beliefs. Two studies varying a perpetrator's coercive tactics examine rape perceptions using vignettes reflecting rape myths, rape scripts, or many college women's common rape experiences. Participants perceive a woman who was raped more positively in vignettes reflecting common rape experiences versus those reflecting rape myths or scripts. Theoretical, educational, and research implications are discussed.
Absence of manganese superoxide dismutase delays p53-induced tumor formation.

Abstract Background Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme that is down-regulated in a majority of cancers. Due to this observation, as well as MnSOD′s potent antioxidant enzymatic activity, MnSOD has been suggested as a tumor suppressor for over 30 years. However, testing this postulate has proven difficult due to the early post-natal lethality of the MnSOD constitutive knock-out mouse. We have previously used a conditional tissue-specific MnSOD knock-out mouse to study the effects of MnSOD loss on the development of various cell types, but long-term cancer development studies have not been performed. We hypothesized the complete loss of MnSOD would significantly increase the rate of tumor formation in a tissue-specific manner. Results Utilizing a hematopoietic stem cell specific Cre-recombinase mouse model, we created pan-hematopoietic cell MnSOD knock-out mice. Additionally, we combined this MnSOD knock-out with two well established models of lymphoma development: B-lymphocyte specific Myc over-expression and conditional pan-hematopoietic cell p53 knock-out. Mice were allowed to age unchallenged until illness or death had occurred. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, the loss of MnSOD alone was insufficient in causing an increase in tumor formation, but did cause significant life-shortening skin pathology in a strain-dependent manner. Moreover, the loss of MnSOD in conjunction with either Myc overexpression or p53 knock-out did not accelerate tumor formation, and in fact delayed lymphomagenesis in the p53 knock-out model. Conclusions Our findings strongly suggest that MnSOD does not act as a classical tumor suppressor in hematological tissues. Additionally, the complete loss of MnSOD may actually protect from tumor development by the creation of an unfavorable redox environment for tumor progression. In summary, these results in combination with our previous work suggest that MnSOD needs to be tightly regulated for proper cellular homeostasis, and altering the activity in either direction may lead to cellular dysfunction, oncogenesis, or death.
Linking early ADHD to adolescent and early adult outcomes among African Americans

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose a mediational model for the mechanisms through which a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder between the ages of 10 and 12 predicts positive and negative early adult outcomes for African Americans. Methods The study sample ( n = 211) was drawn from the Des Moines, Iowa subsample of the Family and Community Health Study. Participants were first assessed between the ages of 10 and 12, again between the ages of 12 and 18, and finally at 18 to 23. Results Findings indicate that a diagnosis of ADHD before age 13 indirectly predicted subsequent exclusionary school discipline and juvenile arrest in adolescence, and both arrests and educational attainment in young adulthood. Conclusions These findings offer support for the School to Prison Pipeline model, showing that for some African American children, a childhood diagnosis of ADHD can lead to negative school experiences that result in harsh school-based discipline, which in turn open the door to justice system involvement spanning several developmental stages.
National culture and global diffusion of business‐to‐consumer e‐commerce

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of national culture on the diffusion process of business‐to‐consumer (B2C) e‐commerce using Hall's cultural classifications and Hofstede's multicultural framework.Design/methodology/approach – Time‐series secondary data across 58 countries were utilized and independent samples t‐test and nonparametric correlation analyses were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses.Findings – Results of the study suggest that high‐context and polychronic cultures are more conducive to the adoption and diffusion of internet retailing. An unexpected finding is evidence of the significant positive impact of uncertainty avoidance on B2C e‐commerce adoption.Practical implications – Based on the empirical findings of the study, managerial implications are derived. These insights may help global internet marketers predict B2C e‐commerce adoption and diffusion across countries and formulate more effective online marketing and communication strategies by accommod...
Single cell mechanics of keratinocyte cells

Keratinocytes represent the major cell type of the uppermost layer of human skin, the epidermis. Using AFM-based single cell compression, the ability of individual keratinocytes to resist external pressure and global rupturing forces is investigated and compared with various cell types. Keratinocytes are found to be 6-70 times stiffer than other cell types, such as white blood, breast epithelial, fibroblast, or neuronal cells, and in contrast to other cell types they retain high mechanic strength even after the cell's death. The absence of membrane rupturing peaks in the force-deformation profiles of keratinocytes and their high stiffness during a second load cycle suggests that their unique mechanical resistance is dictated by the cytoskeleton. A simple analytical model enables the quantification of Young's modulus of keratinocyte cytoskeleton, as high as 120-340 Pa. Selective disruption of the two major cytoskeletal networks, actin filaments and microtubules, does not significantly affect keratinocyte mechanics. F-actin is found to impact cell deformation under pressure. During keratinocyte compression, the plasma membrane stretches to form peripheral blebs. Instead of blebbing, cells with depolymerized F-actin respond to pressure by detaching the plasma membrane from the cytoskeleton underneath. On the other hand, the compression force of keratinocytes expressing a mutated keratin (cell line, KEB-7) is 1.6-2.2 times less than that for the control cell line that has normal keratin networks. Therefore, we infer that the keratin intermediate filament network is responsible for the extremely high keratinocyte stiffness and resilience. This could manifest into the rugged protective nature of the human epidermis.
Some remarks on the stability of time-varying systems

An illustration is presented, via examples, of the advantages and difficulties of some of the more recent techniques for the determination of stability conditions of some linear time-varying systems.
Quantum Interference by Two Temporally Distinguishable Pulses

We report a two-photon interference effect, in which the entangled photon pairs are generated from two laser pulses well-separated in time. In a single pump pulse case, interference effects did not occur in our experimental scheme. However, by introducing a second pump pulse delayed in time, quantum interference was then observed. The visibility of the interference fringes shows a dependence on the delay time between two laser pulses. The results are explained in terms of indistinguishability of biphoton amplitudes which originates from two temporally separated laser pulses.
Credentialing: A Current Perspective and Legal Background

This article reviews the development of physician credentialing for hospital privileges over the last 30 yr. Important developments are discussed in the ad mitting and clinical privilege areas. The second part of the article considers the legal aspects to creden tialing and the avenues for challenging credentialing denials. Finally, a generic credentialing form for phy sicians is presented for use by health care organiza tions.
Isolation and purification of the fourth component of guinea-pig complement

Abstract An immunologically homogeneous protein was isolated from guinea-pig serum by means of ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and electrophoresis. The purified protein was shown to exhibit the C′4 activity of hemolytic complement in guinea-pig serum.
Communicating the Risk of Side Effects to Rheumatic Patients

When proposing a new therapy, rheumatologists must inform patients of a range of therapeutic options and support them towards making an informed decision. This article introduces definitions of equipoise and a good decision, contrasts persuasion from informed patient choice, and discussed the effects of patient characteristics including cognition on decision making. It also describes and offers examples of techniques and visual formats utilized in patient decision aids to present risk estimates to reduce cognitive bias and maximize patient comprehension.
The Clinical Development of Vandetanib: Updates on Ongoing Phase III Clinical Trials in Advanced Non—Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract Vandetanib is a once-daily oral anticancer agent that selectively inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor—dependent tumor angiogenesis and epidermal growth factor receptor—dependent tumor cell proliferation and survival. In second/third—line NSCLC, significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) were observed in 2 phase II studies of vandetanib versus gefitinib (median PFS, 11.9 weeks vs. 8.1 weeks; hazard ratio [HR], 0.63; 1-sided P = .013) and docetaxel ± 100 or 300 mg vandetanib (median PFS, 18.7 weeks for vandetanib 100 mg plus docetaxel versus 12 weeks for docetaxel (HR, 0.64; 1-sided P = .037; for the 300-mg arm, HR, 0.83; P = .231). Higher objective response rates and disease control rates were also observed in the vandetanib arms, although overall survival was not significantly prolonged. In these studies, vandetanib has been generally well tolerated in clinical trials at daily doses of ≥ 300 mg, with common adverse events including rash, diarrhea, and QTc prolongation. Currently in NSCLC, 3 phase III registration trials have completed accrual, and 1 remains in progress. Each of these trials aims to further establish the efficacy and safety of vandetanib in the second/third—line setting (Table 1). Information on these studies, including their design, endpoints, and current status, will be presented. Ongoing work is also addressing the role of various biomarkers in the efficacy of vandetanib in NSCLC. Individualized treatment based on the presence of certain biomarkers might enhance efficacy of targeted therapies like vandetanib. A summary of planned biomarker analyses will also be presented.
Investigation of Network Heterogeneities in Filled, Trimodal, Highly Functional PDMS Networks by 1H Multiple Quantum NMR

The segmental order and dynamics of polymer network chains in a filled, tri-modal silicone foam network have been studied by static 1H Multiple Quantum (MQ) NMR methods to gain insight into the structure property relationships. The foam materials were synthesized with two different types of crosslinks, with functionalities, {phi}, of 4 and near 60. The network chains were composed of distributions of high, low, and medium molecular weight chains. Crosslinking was accomplished by standard acid catalyzed reactions. MQ NMR methods have detected domains with residual dipolar couplings ( ) of near 4 kRad/s and 1 kRad/s assigned to (a) the shorter polymer chains and chains near the multifunctional (f=60) crosslinking sites and to (b) the longer polymer chains far from these sites. Three structural variables were systematically varied and the mechanical properties via compression and distributions of residual dipolar couplings measured in order to gain insight in to the network structural motifs that contribute significantly to the composite properties. The partitioning of and the average values of the residual dipolar couplings for the two domains were observed to be dependent on formulation variable and provided increased insight into the network structure of these materials which are unavailable from swelling and spin-echo methods. The results of this study suggest that the domains with high crosslink density contribute significantly to the high strain modulus, while the low crosslink density domains do not. This is in agreement with theories and experimental studies on silicone bimodal networks over the last 20 years. In-situ MQ-NMR of swollen sample suggests that the networks deform heterogeneously and non-affinely. The heterogeneity of the deformation process was observed to depend on the amount of the high functionality crosslinking site PMHS. The NMR experiments shown here provide increased ability to characterize multimodal networks of typical engineering silicone foam materials and to gain significant insight into structure-property relationships.
Do Farmers Overuse Nitrogen Fertilizer to the Detriment of the Environment

Increasing use of nitrogen fertilizer in U.S. agriculture has led to nitrate contamination of water resources. The main objective of the study is to determine if the current use of nitrogen exceeds the profit-maximizing level, since reducing such discrepancy, if any, could raise farmers' profitability and enhance water quality making it a win-win situation. Specific objectives of the study, however, are two-fold. First, develop an appropriate methodology for estimation of an agronomic production function utilizing panel data with several treatments from experimental plots. Second, using experimental data from 1987 through 1990 for three farm sites in southeastern Minnesota, empirically estimate the production function and profit maximizing level of nitrogen application.
Dialysis tubing implant assay in the rat: A novel in vivo method for identifying inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases

A novel model to assess the in vivo bioactivity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors is described. A solution containing the target enzyme, either stromelysin (MMP-3) or collagenase (MMP-1), was put inside dialysis tubing which was then implanted either intraperitoneally or subcutaneously in the back of a rat. The rat was dosed with inhibitor, the dialysis tubing was recovered after a set period of time, and its contents were analyzed for inhibition of enzyme activity. The MMP inhibitors tested were each able to significantly block enzyme activity after either intravenous or oral administration. In vitro, a minimum of 30 min was required for the drugs to maximally equilibrate across the dialysis membrane and inhibit enzyme activity. In the rat, significant inhibition of stromelysin activity was observed at 45 min after intravenous drug administration but was maximal at 60 min. Dialysis tubing of various molecular weight cutoffs from 3,500 to 14,000 did not affect the amount of inhibition exerted by the compounds. The enzyme activity recovered from the dialysis tubing was quantitated by either spectrophotometric or fluorometric assays using specific substrates. This model determined the bioactivity of different chemical classes of known inhibitors of stromelysin and collagenase in a rapid and convenient manner. The dialysis tubing implant model can be expanded to assess the pharmacodynamic bioactivity of a diverse group of drugs using various targets inside the dialysis tubing.
Naloxone Fails to Antagonize the Righting Response in Rats Anesthetized with Halothane

The righting responses of 75 Wistar rats during exposure to halothane, 0.5 per cent, 10 min after subcutaneous injection of naloxone, 10 or 20 mg/kg, or saline solution were examined. There was no difference in recoveries of the righting responses among the three groups. It is concluded that naloxone does not antagonize the loss of righting response produced by halothane anesthesia in the rat.
Magic lens augmented reality: table-top and augmentorium

Augmented Reality (AR) brings virtual objects into the real world instead of making people go into the computer world. With AR, virtual objects appear to coexist with the real in the user's real environment [Bier et al. 1993].
Final remarks—do we need a Global Universal Aging Research & Development (GUARD) facility?

A small new research facility dedicated to aging studies for gaseous detectors is proposed with the goal of overcoming current shortcomings in this research area. The general framework and a possible path towards such a facility are outlined.
CRYSTAL STRUCTURES OF TWO PHENYL SPIROARSORANES. THE FIRST TRULY RECTANGULAR-PYRAMIDAL ARSENIC(V) COMPOUND

Abstract Single-crystal X-ray analysis of 2-phenyl-2,2′-spirobi(1,3,2-benzodioxarsole), (C6H4O2)2AsPh (5), and 2-phenyl-2,2′(3H,3′H)-spirobi(1,3,2-benzoxazarsole), (C6H2ONH)2AsPh (6), reveals, respectively, a rectangular-pyramidal structure and a trigonal-bipyramidal structure. 5 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group, P21/c, with a = 16.787 (5) A, b = 6.767 (3) A, c = 27.374 (6) A, β = 90.37 (2)°, and Z = 8. The structure was refined to R = 0.041, R w = 0.060 and showed two independent molecules per asymmetric unit. The displacement along the Berry coordinate for the two molecules, based on unit bond distances, is 99.2% and 94.8% from the trigonal bipyramid toward the rectangular pyramid. For 6, the orthorhombic space group, Pbca, is obtained with a = 10.933 (1) A, b = 10.726 (1) A, c = 26.710 (3) A, and Z = 8. The structure refined to R = 0.032, Rw = 0.043 and is displaced 22.9% from the trigonal bipyramid toward the rectangular pyramid. Comparisons between related group 5A pentacoordinated compound...
Can Web Courses Replace the Classroom in Principles of Microeconomics

The proliferation of economics courses offered partly or completely online (Arnold Katz and William E. Becker, 1999) raises important questions about the effects of the new technologies on student learning. Do students enrolled in online courses learn more or less than students taught face-to-face? Can we identify any student characteristics, such as gender, race, ACT scores, or grade averages, that are associated with better outcomes in one technology or another? How would the online (or face-to-face) students fare if they had taken the course using the alternative technology? This paper addresses these questions using student data from our Principles of Microeconomics courses at Michigan State University.
Evidence of perchlorate (ClO4-) reduction in plant tissues (poplar tree) using radio-labeled 36ClO4-.

Phytoremediation of perchlorate (ClO4-) by poplar trees Populus deltoide x nigra was investigated using small cuttings growing in hydroponic Hoagland solution and plant tissue cultures, consisting of spherical photosynthetic cell aggregates (i.e. nodules) developing in Murashige and Skoog culture medium. Both plants and nodules were grown under a 16 h/8 h photoperiod cycle and under sterile conditions. Degradation experiments, performed by the incubation of pregrown plants and nodules in the presence of 36Cl radio-labeled ClO4- (25 mg L-1), showed a reduction of the initial ClO4- concentration in the solution of about 50% after 30 d of incubation. Analysis of the distribution of radioactivity in different plant fractions indicated that 27.4% of the total was translocated to the leaves, while 66.9% remained in the solution. Very little radioactivity (less than 3.0%) was detected in the other parts of the plants. 32.0% of the radioactivity recovered in the solution was shown to consist of 36Cl- and 68.0% of...
Causal Discovery from Spatio-Temporal Data with Applications to Climate Science

Causal discovery algorithms have been used to identify potential cause-effect relationships from observational data for decades. Recently more applications are emerging, for example in climate science, that extend over large spatial domains and require temporal models. This paper first reviews how the causal discovery problem can be set up for such spatiotemporal problems using constraint-based structure learning, then discusses pitfalls we encountered and some solutions we developed. In particular, we consider how to handle temporal and spatial boundaries (which often result in causal sufficiency violations) and discuss the effects of temporal resolution and grid irregularities on the resulting model.
Ultrafast Dynamics and Excited State Spectra of Open-Chain Carotenoids at Room and Low Temperatures

Many of the spectroscopic features and photophysical properties of carotenoids are explained using a three-state model in which the strong visible absorption of the molecules is associated with an S0 (11 ) → S2 (11 ) transition, and the lowest lying singlet state, S1 (21 ), is a state into which absorption from the ground state is forbidden by symmetry. However, semiempirical and ab initio quantum calculations have suggested additional excited singlet states may lie either between or in the vicinity of S1 (21 ) and S2 (11 ), and some ultrafast spectroscopic studies have reported evidence for these states. One such state, denoted S*, has been implicated as an intermediate in the depopulation of S2 (11 ) and as a pathway for the formation of carotenoid triplet states in light-harvesting complexes. In this work, we present the results of an ultrafast, time-resolved spectroscopic investigation of a series of open-chain carotenoids derived from photosynthetic bacteria and systematically increasing in their num...
Acute Lung Injury Regulation by Hyaluronan.

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its more severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), have high mortality rates with few treatment options. An important regulatory factor in the pathology observed in ALI/ARDS is a disruption of the pulmonary endothelial barrier which, in combination with epithelial barrier disruption, causes leakage of fluid, protein and cells into lung airspaces. Degradation of the glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan (HA), is involved in reduction of the endothelial glycocalyx, disruption of endothelial cell-cell contacts and activation of HA binding proteins upregulated in ALI/ARDS which promote a loss of pulmonary vascular integrity. In contrast, exogenous administration of high molecular weight HA has been shown to be protective in several models of ALI. This review focuses on the dichotomous role of HA to both promote and inhibit ALI based on its size and the HA binding proteins present. Further, potential therapeutic applications of high molecular weight HA in treating ALI/ ARDS are discussed.
Dissecting the components of the central response to stress.

Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is a critical integrator of the central stress response. A new study now provides conclusive evidence that CRF-mediated forebrain activation underlies the behavioral response, such as anxiety, to stress.
Low-temperature properties of rare-earth ethyl sulfates

Abstract I calculate the heat capacity and susceptibility of a set of rare-earth ethyl sulfates (RES) above the critical point. The set consists of all “odd” RES and also the compound PrES. For the same set I calculated the ground state at zero temperature using the Luttinger-Tisza approximation. An estimate of the critical temperatures is given for the compounds listed above. A comparative study is made of the dipolar behavior as a function of the anisotropy of the g-factor.Below a given limit all compounds will be antiferromagnetic. A critical evaluation is given of the second-order high-temperature correction to the susceptibility.
Fullerene-terminated alkanethiolate SAMs on gold generated from unsymmetrical disulfides

We report the generation of new multicomponent self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) from the adsorption of unsymmetrical disulfides R(CH2)4SS(CH2)6NC60 (where R = CH3CH2− or CH3O− and C60 = Buckminsterfullerene) onto the surface of gold. These new SAMs expose a high coverage of fullerene moieties as judged by ellipsometric thickness, contact angle measurements, and imaging with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The contact angle measurements suggest a more robust coverage than fullerene-terminated SAMs generated from other approaches. Furthermore, the STM measurements represent, to our knowledge, the first direct molecular-scale images of fullerene moieties attached to the surface of a SAM.
Colchicine, cycloheximide and serotonin inhibition of intestinal fluid production caused by toxin

Abstract COLCHICINE inhibited the production of intestinal fluid induced by cholera toxin when given as long as 45 min after the toxin. Marked inhibition by cycloheximide occured only when the drug was given 90 min before the toxin while serotonin inhibited fluid production when given as long as 90 min after the toxin. It is suggested that colchicine inhibited the intracellular transport of cholera toxin while it appears that cycloheximide and serotonin inhibit the effect of cholera toxin at other steps in the pathogenesis of cholera.
Efficient point coverage in wireless sensor networks

We study minimum-cost sensor placement on a bounded 3D sensing field, R, which comprises a number of discrete points that may or may not be grid points. Suppose we have l types of sensors available with different sensing ranges and different costs. We want to find, given an integer σ ≥ 1, a selection of sensors and a subset of points to place these sensors such that every point in R is covered by at least σ sensors and the total cost of the sensors is minimum. This problem is known to be NP-hard. Let ki denote the maximum number of points that can be covered by a sensor of the ith type. We present in this paper a polynomial-time approximation algorithm for this problem with a proven approximation ratio \({\gamma = \sum_{i=1}^{\ell} k_{i} -\sigma+1}\). In applications where the distance of any two points has a fixed positive lower bound, each ki is a constant, and so we have a polynomial-time approximation algorithms with a constant guarantee. While γ may be large, we note that it is only a worst-case upper bound. In practice the actual approximation ratio is small, even on randomly generated points that do not have a fixed positive minimum distance between them. We provide a number of numerical results for comparing approximation solutions and optimal solutions, and show that the actual approximation ratios in these examples are all less than 3, even though γ is substantially larger.
Overview of optical pattern recognition: progress and recent advances

This article addresses the development and progress in the rapidly growing area of optical pattern recognition. In optical pattern recognition there are two basic approaches; namely, matched filtering and associative memories. The first employs optical correlators and the later uses neural networks. This paper reviews various types of optical correlators and neural networks as applied to real-time optical pattern recognition for which some of the recent advances are included.
Electrical conduction in sulfonated polystyrene films

The d.c. electrical conductivity of 14% (by weight) sulfonated polystyrene films was measured as a function of temperature from 20° to 60°C in a 25-micron vacuum. Sulfonated films in the silver, cadmium, and methylene blue sorbed forms were prepared for these electrical measurements. Plots of log specific conductance versus reciprocal temperature gave straight lines with activation energies of 0.49 eV for methylene blue, 0.60 eV for Ag, and 0.98 eV for Cd. Large conductivity ansiotropies were also measured for the sulfonated polystyrene films in the Ag and methylene blue forms. Attempts with Hall-effect measurements to determine the sign and concentration of the charge carriers were unsuccessful. Photoconduction studies were also carried out with Ag-, Cd-, and methylene blue-doped sulfonated polystyrene films in the film lateral direction of highest photocurrent. Rise of photocurrent under d.c. illumination was found to be exponential with time constants of 29, 3.5, and 1.0 sec for Ag-, Cd-, and methylene blue-doped samples. The rise and decay of photocurrent in these films exhibited similar responses. Photocurrent was ohmic up to 400 V and varied linearly with light intensity up to 200 milliwatts.
Targeted gene evolution in Escherichia coli using a highly error-prone DNA polymerase I

We present a system for random mutagenesis in Escherichia coli for the evolution of targeted genes. To increase error rates of DNA polymerase I (Pol I) replication, we introduced point mutations in three structural domains that govern Pol I fidelity. Expression of error-prone Pol I in vivo results in strong mutagenesis of a target sequence encoded in a Pol I-dependent plasmid (8.1 x 10-4 mutations per bp, an 80,000-fold increase), with a preference for plasmid relative to chromosome sequence. Mutagenesis is maximal in cultures maintained at stationary phase. Mutations are evenly distributed and show a variety of base pair substitutions, predominantly transitions. Mutagenesis extends at least 3 kb beyond the 400-500 nt reportedly synthesized by Pol I. We demonstrate that our error-prone Pol I can be used to generate enzymes with distinct properties by generating TEM-1 beta-lactamase mutants able to hydrolyze a third-generation lactam antibiotic, aztreonam. Three different mutations contribute to aztreonam resistance. Two are found in the extended-spectrum beta-lactamases most frequently identified in clinical isolates, and the third (G276R) has not been previously described. Our system of targeted mutagenesis in E. coli should have an impact on enzyme-based applications in areas such as synthetic chemistry, gene therapy, and molecular biology. Given the structural conservation between polymerases, this work should also provide a reference for altering the fidelity of other polymerases.
14N Nuclear quadrupole resonance in substituted isatin compounds

14N nuclear quadrupole resonances have been found for eight substituted isatin compounds. Variations in the electric field gradient (EFG) and asymmetry parameter, η, have been attributed to inductive rearrangement of the electron distribution at the nitrogen site. A correlation between the inductive Taft parameter, σ*, of the substituent and the charge density difference between the hybridized nitrogen bonding orbitals, σNHσNc, has been established. Implications of the results with respect to the available biological data on substituted isatins are discussed.
Syntaxial Growth of Ge/Mn-Germanide Nanowire Heterostructures

We report the growth of free-standing one-dimensional Ge/Mn-germanide nanowire heterostructures by chemical vapor deposition and provide a detailed description of the growth mechanism. Self-assembled manganese-germanide particles seed the growth of Ge nanowires (GeNWs) and simultaneously elongate along a parallel axis, resulting in syntaxial growth of the two phases. The GeNW growth is limited by GeH4 decomposition, whereas the germanide growth is limited by reaction of Mn at the growth interface. This syntaxial growth mechanism provides a novel route to axial metal/semiconductor nanowire heterostructures.
Current situation on the use of computers in the education of chemical engineers in the U.S.A.

Abstract A survey of the impact of computer technology on Chemical Engineering education in the United States from the smallest scale (hand-held calculators) to the largest (flowsheeting on computer networks).
Soft soil stabilization designs using geosynthetics

Abstract Numerous facilities are currently being constructed world wide on very soft soils using geosynthetics. Often the foundation soils are at such low shear strengths (often less than 5–10 kPa), that the geosynthetic reinforcement material clearly must be in the high strength classification. A series of design elements leading to the required geosynthetic strength, modulus, anchorage length and surface friction are illustrated in this paper, many with design charts. These quantitative design elements are then augmented by numerous qualitative considerations, such as fabric specific gravity, its stiffness, and the size and weight of the rolls. Finally, an attempt at integrating the above mentioned technical considerations into the actual fabric's manufacture is presented. A concluding flow chart showing each element along the entire design sequence is described which will hopefully aid in affording owners both a safe and economical solution for soft soil stabilization projects.
Loss of Taste Responds to High-Dose Biotin Treatment

Background and Objective: We saw 2 patients who lost their sense of taste, which was restored by pharmacologic doses of biotin. The key objective is to describe the 2 case reports and suggest a potential treatment for unexplained loss of taste.Methods and Design: The first patient was a 67-year-old woman who lost her sense of taste taking Juvenon, a dietary herbal supplement containing acyl-L-carnitine, lipoic acid, calcium, phosphorus, and biotin 300 μg per day. The second patient was a 60-year-old man who lost his sense of taste after a sleeve gastrectomy for obesity.Results: The first patient did not respond to 5 mg per day of biotin, but taste was restored with 10 mg of biotin per day. Biotin was prescribed based on information that lipoic acid bound to the biotin transporter. Baseline urine gave no evidence of a pre-existing biotin deficiency. The second patient did not have restoration of taste after taking biotin 5 mg per day for 7 weeks but did have taste restoration on biotin 20 mg per day. Neith...
Differential Item Functioning in Attitude Assessment

Differential item functioning (DIF) is not often seen in the literature on attitude assessment. A brief discussion of DIF and methods of implementation is followed by an illustrative example from a program evaluation, using an attitude-towards-science scale with 1550 children in grades one through six. An item exhibiting substantial DIF with respect to gender was detected using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. In a second example, data from workshop evaluations with 1682 adults were recoded to a binary format, and it was found that an item suspected of functioning differentially with respect to age groups was, in fact, not doing so. Implications for evaluation practice are discussed.
Shopping Orientations, Product Types and Internet Shopping Intentions

Shopping orientations are useful in the study of patronage behaviour including store loyalty, brand loyalty, in-home shopping, and out-shopping. This paper describes an empirical study that examined the relationship between shopping orientations, product types, and consumer intentions to use the Internet for shopping. Analyses of data collected from over 750 survey respondents reveal that home, economic, and local shopping orientations are related to online shopping intentions. Product types, based on cost and tangibility, do not have a moderating influence on the relationship between shopping orientations and intentions to shop using the Internet, but do have a direct effect on the latter. And, the incremental contribution of demographic indicators in predicting online shopping intentions is minimal. Implications of the findings and the association between shopping orientations and the more easily ascertainable demographic indicators are discussed.
Antimicrobial efficiency of essential oil and freeze-thaw treatments against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica Ser. Enteritidis in strawberry juice.

This study investigated the antimicrobial efficiency of 3 essential oils (EOs), lemongrass, cinnamon leaf, and basil, and freeze-thaw treatment, alone or in combination, against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica Ser. Enteritidis inoculated in strawberry juice stored at 7 degrees C. EO of lemongrass or cinnamon leaf at 0.1 to 2 microL/mL and freezing at -23 degrees C for 24 or 48 h followed by thawing at 7 degrees C for 4 h all showed significant antimicrobial activities (P 0.05). EO of lemongrass or cinnamon leaf at 0.1 microL/mL and freeze-thaw treatment alone obtained a 5 log(10) reduction in the population of S. Enteritidis, while EOs at 0.1 to 0.3 microL/mL or freeze-thaw alone could not achieve a satisfactory protection against E. coli O157:H7 in strawberry juice. Combined EO and freeze-thaw treatment enhanced the overall antimicrobial effect against E. coli O157:H7, with adding EO before the freeze-thaw treatment showed a faster decontamination rate than when added EO after the freeze-thaw. EOs of lemongrass and cinnamon leaf at 0.1 or 0.3 microL/mL followed by the freeze-thawing resulted in a 5 log(10) reduction in E. coli O157:H7 on the 5th and 2nd day of storage, respectively. This study suggested that combined EO and freeze-thaw treatment may be a suitable and inexpensive method to eliminate microorganisms that can be a hazard for the consumers of unpasteurized berry juices.
The equilibrium morphology of grain boundary phases

Abstract The extent of spreading by partially wetting grain boundary phases, i.e., dihedral angles between 0 and 60°, is predicted from the dihedral angle and the volume fraction of the grain boundary phase. A matrix of equiax grains is assumed, modeled as tetrakaidecahedrons, and the grain boundary phase is assumed to have a uniform cross section. The results are compared with published values.
First experience with a paracorporeal artificial lung in a small child with pulmonary hypertension.

Stabilizing children with decompensating refractory pulmonary hypertension may require extracorporeal circulatory support. Currently, options in this regard are limited to use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), but this approach is frequently fraught with complications. Alternatively, the interventional pumpless lung-assist membrane ventilator (Novalung GmbH, Heilbronn, Germany) can be used through a femoral artery to femoral vein shunt in patients with end-stage lung disease and hypercapnia or hypoxemia refractory to mechanical ventilation and through a pulmonary artery to left atrium shunt in patients with refractory pulmonary hypertension. The latter configuration has several advantages for children with pulmonary hypertension: (1) It provides a parallel low resistance circuit that drastically decreases right ventricular (RV) afterload and native pulmonary pressure, allowing RV recovery and pulmonary vascular remodeling. (2) It may serve as a long-term pulmonary assist device or as a bridge to lung transplant or a bridge to recovery. (3) It allows physical rehabilitation. Here we report the first successful use of the Novalung surgical lung-assist (sLA) device in a small child with pulmonary hypertension.
Information Technology and Cattle-Beef Supply Chains

appropriately shared. Information technology itself changes tremendously and rapidly. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan explains that "... the pace of innovation will continue to quicken in the next few years, as companies exploit the still largely untapped potential for e-commerce, especially in the business-to-business arena, where most observers expect the fastest growth (page 2)." Just a few years ago, the Internet was hardly used in cattle-beef businesses. Now, businessto-business ("B2B") electronic commerce via the web is the trendiest item in hightech and it has surfaced in the beef sector.
Spatial distribution of extractable phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium as influenced by fertilizer and tall fescue endophyte status.

Animals influence nutrient cycling within grazed systems, and the effect may be greater with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) because of endophyte-produced alkaloids that cause fescue toxicosis and alter animal behavior. Twelve grazed tall fescue pastures, established in a Cecil sandy loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludult) soil near Watkinsville, GA were used to measure fertility (134-15-56 and 336-37-139 kg N-P-K ha -1 yr -1 ) and endophyte (low, 0 to 29% and high, 65 to 94%) effects on P and K distribution. Soil samples were collected in winter 1997 at distances of 1, 10, 30, 50, and 80 m from permanently located shade and water sources at eight depth increments down to 1.5 m. Nutrient accumulation was greatest 1 m from shade and water sources where P, K, and Mg concentrations were 1.7 to 8, 2.5 to 15, and 1.1 to L5 times greater than average concentrations at the remaining distances, depending on depth and fertility level. Accumulation of P, K, and Mg in the area 10 to 80 m from shade and water was limited. When summed for the 0- to 300-mm depth and estimated on a per hectare basis, extractable P was 64% greater in high than in low endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures at 1 m from shade and water sources (703 vs. 428 kg ha -1 , LSD = 93) and averaged 252 kg ha -1 for remaining distances. Endophyte levels did not affect K distribution and only affected Mg distribution under the low-fertility treatment. Endophyte effects accrued over a long time period, which would indicate that altering grazing and pasture management (movement of animals, fertilizer and lime applications, and location of shade and water sources) to reduce these effects would be needed only occasionally to reduce potential environmental risks.
Audiovisual Speech Web-Lab: an Internet teaching and research laboratory.

Internet resources now enable laboratories to make full-length experiments available on line. A handful of existing web sites offer users the ability to participate in experiments and generate usable data. We have integrated this technology into a web site that also provides full discussion of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the experiments using text and simple interactive demonstrations. The content of the web site (http://www.psych.ucr.edu/avspeech/lab) concerns audiovisual speech perception and its relation to face perception. The site is designed to be useful for users of multiple interests and levels of expertise.
Polarization from Thomson scattering of the light of a spherical, limb-darkened star

The polarized flux produced by the Thomson scattering of the light of a spherical, limb-darkened star by optically thin, extrastellar regions of electrons is calculated and contrasted to previous models which treated the star as a point source. The point-source approximation is found to be valid for scattering by particles more than a stellar radius from the surface of the star but is inappropriate for those lying closer. The specific effect of limb darkening on the fractional polarization of the total light of a system is explored. If the principal source of light is the unpolarized flux of the star, the polarization is nearly independent of limb darkening.
Response by the neurotensin systems of the basal ganglia to cocaine treatment

Abstract Multiple administrations of high doses of cocaine had profound effects on the neurotensin (NT) systems of the basal ganglia. Approximately 200–300% increases in striatal content of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity (NTLI) were observed 1–8 h following five doses of 30 mg/kg per dose of cocaine. The effect subsided by 48 h after treatment. Significant changes in striatal NTLI levels were not observed after a single dose of this stimulant. The nigral NT systems appeared to be even more sensitive to cocaine administration. Compared to striatal changes, increases in nigral NTLI content were greater (as much as 455% of control), required lower cocaine doses (20 mg/kg per dose), lasted longer (still elevated to 200% of control after 48 h) and were significant following a single cocaine exposure. The response of the striatal NT systems to cocaine appeared to be mediated principally by dopamine D-1 receptors, while both D-1 and D-2 receptors contributed to the response by the nigral NT projections. Specific dopamine, but not serotonin, uptake blockers caused increases in striatal and nigral NTLI concentrations similar to that seen with cocaine treatments, suggesting that interference with the dopamine uptake carrier complex by cocaine was responsible for its actions on extrapyramidal NT systems.
Polycyclic hydrocarbon metabolism: a plethora of phenomena.

Studies of benzo(a)pyrene metabolism by liver microsomes have revealed a complex pattern of products formed. The distribution of products generated depends on the types of cytochromes P-450 present and the mechanism of oxidation reactions catalyzed. It is proposed that cytochrome P-450 may function to catalyze the oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene not only by a NADPH-dependent monooxygenation type reaction, but also concomitantly by a peroxidatic type reaction. In particular, attention is directed to the role of the latter type of reaction for the formation of benzo(a)pyrene quinones. The pathways for the metabolic generation of quinones, as well as the reactivity of hydroquinones with oxygen, provide additional pathways for the formation of highly reactive, toxic products which may contribute to the alterations of cellular characteristics that result in either tumor growth or cell death.