cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF EMULSIFIER AND SOY FIBER ADDITION ON SENSORY PROPERTIES OF CORN MEAL EXTRUDATE

Yellow dent corn meal was extruded in a twin-screw extruder with a monoacylglycerol (MAG) and soybean fiber. A ten member descriptive analysis panel was employed to study the effects of four extrusion treatment variables on the textural properties and microstructure of extruded corn meal products. The treatment variables studied included MAG and soybean fiber contents in the feed, extruder screw speed, and feed rate. The microstructure of extruded samples was also studied to support the sensory texture evaluations. MAG addition was found to be the most significant factor affecting texture. Low levels of MAG (0.375%) and soybean fiber additions (5%) resulted in improved overall texture quality. Higher screw speeds were associated with higher cohesiveness and adhesiveness, and feed rate had the least influence. Most of these effects could be attributed to the microstructural property changes under the treatments.
Residual Toxicity Following Dilute or Low-Volume Applications of Insecticides Used for Control of California Red Scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae) to Four Beneficial Species in a Citrus Agroecosystem

Impact of field-weathered residues of four pesticides (carbonyl, chlorpyrifos, mediation, and parathion) applied as either low-volume or dilute treatments was evaluated for four beneficial species ( Phylis felines detach, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Multan, Eugenius stipulates Athias-Henriot, and Metaphycus hellholes (Compeer)). Chemical assays indicated generally rapid dissipation of materials (9- to 150- fold decrease in 7 d). In general, low-volume applications resulted in greater pesticide residue levels and greater natural enemy mortality than did dilute treatments. Of the four species evaluated, C. montrouzieri was the least affected by residues; only carbonyl caused high initial mortality. For the remaining three species, mortality dropped below 50% after 3 d for dilute treatments and after 3-27 d for low-volume applications.
Variational Calculations on Electron-Helium Scattering

Calculations have been made on the elastic scattering of low-energy electrons by helium using a variational procedure which takes polarization and correlation effects into account by means of continuum Bethe-Goldstone equations. The convergence of the results is examined using two methods to obtain a complete set of basis functions. Results for the $s$, $p$, $d$, and $f$ waves are presented. The width of the $^{2}S$ closed-channel resonance below the $n=2$ threshold is found to be 0.015 eV, in comparison with the 0.015-0.020-eV estimates of Andrick and Ehrhardt from experiment and the 0.01-eV estimate of Simpson and Fano.
Off-resonant transient birefringence in liquids

Off‐resonant transient birefringence measurements are analyzed using a reduced equation of motion for the ground state density matrix, which is expanded using an effective Hamiltonian. Assuming that the pump field is weak, we express the polarization relevant for the birefringence signal in terms of a convolution of the tensorial polarizability response function with the external fields. The homodyne‐detected birefringence signal is directly compared with the coherent Raman signal. The relationship between off‐resonant birefringence and spontaneous Raman experiments is discussed. By expanding the polarizability in powers of the nuclear coordinates and applying the Brownian oscillator model to the coordinate response function, we separate the birefringence signal into intra‐ and intermolecular coordinate response functions. Off‐resonant transient birefringences of acetonitrile, chloroform, dimethylsulfoxide, and a series of alcohols were measured. The data are transformed to the frequency domain by using a model independent analysis method. The spectra are discussed in the context of various models for the distribution of intermolecular modes (spectral density) in liquids.
The construction of women's social identity in medieval Douai: Evidence from identifying epithets

Abstract In documents throughout medieval Europe, references to persons were frequently augmented by concise phrases that provided identifying information beyond personal names. Most of these appositive references described the subject with reference to familial association; `daughter of', `wife of', and `son of' were among the most frequent. Such phrases were more commonly appended to women's names than to men's. In some regions, familial associations were virtually the only type of epithet appended to women's names, and it has become common to assume that women who were identified without any such appositives must have been single or widowed. An examination of the documentary record for Douai, a commercial city located near the border between the French kingdom and the county of Flanders, however, demonstrates that appositives attached to women's names were by no means limited to detailing familial connections, and that identification with reference to marital or family relationships does not in any case imply incapacity to transact public business on one's own behalf. A lack of appositives should not, therefore, be assumed to signify single or widowed status. The fluidity of the formulas used in identifying women, including the frequent failure in particular instances to note familial associations that can be inferred from elsewhere in the documentary record, may well attest to the breadth of opportunities the city offered to women.
Social Disadvantage and Economic Hardship as Predictors of Follow-Up Addiction Severity after Substance Abuse Treatment: Does Referral to Treatment by the Criminal Justice System Matter?

Few studies have examined the effects of social disadvantage and economic hardship on addiction severity after treatment, and no known studies have examined these relationships in participants referred to treatment by the criminal justice system. This study used multiple regression analysis to examine the role of social disadvantage, economic hardship, and perceived stress on follow-up addiction severity among a group of substance abuse treatment participants referred by the criminal justice system and a comparison group. The hypothesized model was partially supported in both groups. Implications for treatment providers working with clients referred by the criminal justice system are discussed.
Amidoglycosylation via Metal-Catalyzed Internal Nitrogen Atom Delivery

Rhodium and copper acyl nitrenoids are likely intermediates in amidoglycosylation reactions of allal 3-carbamates. Iodine(III)-mediated nitrenoid formation, interaction of this species with the glycal enol ether π-system, and highly β-stereoselective glycosylation occur in a one-pot process that requires no additional Lewis acid activation.
The problem of induction

This article is the thirtieth of a series of articles discussing various open research problems in automated reasoning. The problem proposed for research asks for criteria for accurately determining when an induction argument is the appropriate form of argument for an automated reasoning program to employ. This research problem also asks for criteria for choosing well the property on which to conduct the induction argument.
Photodegradation of poly(α-methylstyrene) in solution

Apparent quantum yields for the random scission of poly(α-methylstyrene) in solution by 2537 A. radiation were shown to be solvent-dependent, indicating that processes other than the direct photolysis of the polymer are taking place. Quantum yields on the order of 10−3 scissions per quantum absorbed by the polymer were found in benzene, dioxane, cyclohexane, and methylene chloride and about 0.2 in chloroform and carbon tetrachloride; the quantum yields were unaffected by oxygen. In carbon tetrachloride, the quantum yields decreased slightly with increasing polymer concentration. Ethanol and cyclohexane were inhibitors for the photolysis in carbon tetrachloride, while the latter solvent acted as a sensitizer in cyclohexane. By comparison with model compounds irradiated in carbon tetrachloride, it was shown that an early step in the photolysis of poly(α-methylstyrene) in this solvent involves reaction with a main-chain methylene group and eventual substitution with a trichloromethyl group.
The effect of interpenetrating polymer network formation on polymerization kinetics in an epoxy‐acrylate system

Abstract The kinetics of thermally initiated cationic epoxy polymerization and free radical acrylate photopolymerization were studied using photo-differential scanning calorimetry. The reactions of the neat monomers and diluted monomers as well as interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were studied as a function of dilution by the other monomer and temperature. The reaction sequence was also varied to study its effect on the kinetics of formation of the simultaneous IPN's. Both reactions quickly become diffusion controlled. The effects of increasing temperature and dilution on the acrylate polymerization rate profiles are similar, leading to reduced polymerization rate and longer polymerization times. The dilution effect on the epoxy polymerization is similar to that of the acrylate. However, unlike the acrylate reaction the epoxy polymerization rate increases strongly with temperature. The preexistence of one polymer has a significant effect on the polymerization of the second monomer. This effect is larger for the acrylate than for the epoxy polymerization. New kinetic models are needed to capture these complex behaviors.
Comparison between two controlled-release fertilizers on selected foliage plants in an artificial potting mix

A series of trials compared Osmocote® and a recently available controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) product, Nutricote®, at the same rates of N per container. Comparable formulations (e.i. 3–4 months) were compared on a variety of tropical foliage plants including:Impatiens, palms (Chamaedorea seifrizii, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, Phoenix roebelinii, Rhapis excelsa andChamaedorea elegans) andSpathiphyllum; at 10 rates of N from 0 to 2–3 times the manufacture's recommended rate in a 1:1 (v:v) peat:perlite mix amended with dolomitic lime and a commercial micronutrient mixture. The plants were grown in a shade house, watered with overhead spray stakes and pest control measures used as required. Growth parameters used were plant height, growth index and top dry weight, along with tissue analysis and NO3- concentrations. Overall plant height of the majority of plants tested was found to be comparable for the two CRF sources. However, there were some differences in top dry weight and leaf green color which were species specific. These results suggest that the release rate and availability of specific nutrients during the various plant growth phases may be more important for optimum plant growth and quality than the fertilizer formulation used. In general, both CRF products resulted in satisfactory plant growth and quality under the conditions of these trials.
Therapist Self-Care and Style of Life

This chapter provides a comprehensive self-care plan for therapists and helping professionals that includes formal meditation, including vipassana, at-work mindfulness practices, community building, and spiritual development. Readers are also invited to reflect upon the intersection of personal and professional life as it relates to one’s overall well-being.
The repressor activity of Even-skipped is highly conserved, and is sufficient to activate engrailed and to regulate both the spacing and stability of parasegment boundaries

During segmentation of the Drosophila embryo, even skipped is required to activate engrailed stripes and to organize odd-numbered parasegments. A 16 kb transgene containing the even skipped coding region can rescue normal engrailed expression, as well as all other aspects of segmentation, in even skipped null mutants. To better understand its mechanism of action, we functionally dissected the Even-skipped protein in the context of this transgene. We found that Even-skipped utilizes two repressor domains to carry out its function. Each of these domains can function autonomously in embryos when fused with the Gal4 DNA-binding domain. A chimeric protein consisting only of the Engrailed repressor domain and the Even-skipped homeodomain, but not the homeodomain alone, was able to restore function, indicating that the repression of target genes is sufficient for even skipped function at the blastoderm stage, while the homeodomain is sufficient to recognize those target genes. When Drosophila Even skipped was replaced by its homologs from other species, including a mouse homolog, they could provide substantial function, indicating that these proteins can recognize similar target sites and also provide repressor activity. Using this rescue system, we show that broad, early even skipped stripes are sufficient for activation of both odd- and even-numbered engrailed stripes. Furthermore, these ‘unrefined’ stripes organize odd-numbered parasegments in a dose-dependent manner, while the refined, late stripes, which coincide cell-for-cell with parasegment boundaries, are required to ensure the stability of the boundaries.
Mathematical modeling of liquid crystal devices

Mathematical modeling of liquid crystal (LC) devices is demonstrated through LC directors' reorientation and electro-optical modeling. For director distribution simulation, 3-D finite difference and finite element methods have been developed. In optical simulation, a new derivation of extended Jones matrix is given. Besides, research has demonstrated that the evolutionary algorithms (EA) can yield robust globally optimized solutions. Application examples using the modeling and optimization methods to design LCDs will also be presented.
ARIES/LHS: A concurrency control and recovery method using write-ahead logging for linear hashing with separators

The algorithm for recovery and isolation exploitation semantics for linear hashing with separators (ARIES/LHS) that controls concurrent operations on storage structures by different users is presented. The algorithm uses fine granularity locking, guarantees serializability, and prevents rolling back transactions from getting involved in deadlocks. >
Impact of the number of control points has on isodose distributions in a dynamic multileaf collimator intensity-modulated radiation therapy delivery

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a powerful technique in planning the delivery of dose. The most common IMRT delivery requires the use of moving multileaf collimators (MLCs) to deliver the requested fluence pattern. A dynamic delivery IMRT field file will contain several control points that are defined MLC shapes at a marked fraction of the delivered monitor units. The size of this file and the fidelity of the deliverable fluence are proportional to the number of control points defined. This study investigates the effect of reducing the number of control points has on the resultant dose distribution quality in complex IMRT in efforts to reduce transfer times, loading times, check sum times and file storage. Analysis was performed with 6 head and neck patients on an Eclipse version 8.5 treatment planning system (Varian, Palo Alto, CA). To ensure the quality of all treatments, Eclipse defines a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 320 control points per subfield (Eclipse Algorithms Reference guide). All 6 patients' plans were calculated with fixed 64, 166, and 320 control points using the sliding window technique. In addition, each plan was calculated in variable mode (Normal mode) in which the planning system determined the required number of control points. Each of the 4 plans for each patient was renormalized to provide the same mean planning target volume (PTV) 70 dose. Dose values for critical and target structures were examined for each patient. When examining the minimum, maximum, and mean doses to all target structures, it was noted that the greatest reduction in target dose coverage caused by reduced number of control points was 0.5%, which occurred for the minimum dose to the PTV56 structure in one plan." Dose analysis for critical structures showed no clinically significant increase in dose when compared with the 320 control point plan.
Developmental Language Disorders: Challenges and Implications of Cross-Group Comparisons

Historically, specific language impairment (SLI) and language deficits associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been viewed as distinct developmental language disorders. However, over the last decade or so, a considerable amount of research has explored general similarities or specific areas of overlap between children with SLI and ASD based on language and cognitive profiles, neuroimaging findings, and genetic research. The clinical classification schemes that are used to identify the children necessarily influence the extent to which SLI and ASD are viewed as overlapping or distinct conditions. Yet, the criteria used to diagnose these two populations vary across countries and even across investigators within a given country. This necessarily impacts the findings from comparative investigations of these groups. With these challenges in mind, clinical implications of evidence for similarities and distinctions between children with SLI and ASD will be discussed with respect to differential diagnosis and treatment.
"Unselling" Drugs: The Marketing of Prevention

By borrowing from the field of social marketing, the examination and execution of drug prevention strategies should be more rigorous and disciplined by the year 2000. This article briefly describes marketing strategies and techniques which can assist in the maximization of drug prevention communications and programs.
Distributed consensus with general omission failures and timing uncertainty

In a distributed concensus protocol, a number of processors communicating by message passing start with some initial values. The protocol terminates with all nonfaulty processors agreeing on one of these values. The authors investigate the time needed to reach consensus in partially synchronous systems under various classes of processor failures. They provide the first asymptotically optimal distributed consensus protocol for semi-synchronous systems that tolerates general omission failures. When the failures occurring are restricted to omission and crash failures, the protocol terminates faster, matching the best known protocols for these failure classes. >
Uniformity testing of variable-rate center pivot irrigation control systems

As water supplies become limited, agricultural water use needs to become more efficient to maintain current productivity levels. The efficiency of center pivot and linear move irrigation systems can be increased by matching the amount and rate of water application to specific soil conditions that vary in the field. Such site-specific application can be achieved by variable-rate control systems. Although such systems are being developed, their effects on center pivot and linear move uniformity have not been documented. The uniformity along the length of a center pivot and a linear move irrigation system was measured at two system movement speeds and three variable-rate settings. One variable-rate system is commercially available using pneumatically actuated solenoid valves to turn groups of sprinklers ON and OFF at fractions of a minute corresponding to the cycle rate, for example a 50% cycle rate is 30 s ON and 30 s OFF. The other variable-rate system used commonly available electric solenoid valves to accomplish the same task. Overall, the coefficient of uniformity and low quarter distribution uniformity averaged 93% and 0.90, respectively for the center pivot irrigation system; 84% and 0.74 for the linear move system. The results were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by wind speed, cycling rate, or system movement speed. The type of nozzle did influence the uniformity because of the distinctly different application characteristics of rotator, fixed plate, and wobbling low pressure sprinklers. Thus, the variable-rate technologies tested under the conditions presented in this paper had at least as good uniformity as the center pivot and linear move systems when functioning in non-variable-rate mode.
Reply to Mokany et al: Comprehensive measures of biodiversity are critical to investigations of ecosystem multifunctionality

Mokany et al. (1) reiterate an important consideration about the interpretation of results in our PNAS report (2). The authors suggest that the use of a different metric of β diversity might reveal a larger effect of β diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality. We agree, and reiterate that our reported effects of β diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality are likely conservative for a number of reasons. We also emphasize the importance of our findings despite these conservative results, and encourage future studies to explore creative methods for capturing more biodiversity effects.
QoS-based manycasting over optical burst-switched (OBS) networks

Many distributed applications require a group of destinations to be coordinated with a single source. Multicasting is a communication paradigm to implement these distributed applications. However in multicasting, if at least one of the members in the group cannot satisfy the service requirement of the application, the multicast request is said to be blocked. On the contrary in manycasting, destinations can join or leave the group, depending on whether it satisfies the service requirement or not. This dynamic membership based destination group decreases request blocking. We study the behavior of manycasting over optical burst-switched networks (OBS) based on multiple quality of service (QoS) constraints. These multiple constraints can be in the form of physical-layer impairments, transmission delay, and reliability of the link. Each application requires its own QoS threshold attributes. Destinations qualify only if they satisfy the required QoS constraints set up by the application. We have developed a mathematical model based on lattice algebra for this multiconstraint problem. Due to multiple constraints, burst blocking could be high. We propose two algorithms to minimize request blocking for the multiconstrained manycast (MCM) problem. Using extensive simulation results, we have calculated the average request blocking for the proposed algorithms. Our simulation results show that MCM-shortest path tree (MCM-SPT) algorithm performs better than MCM-dynamic membership (MCM-DM) for delay constrained services and real-time service, where as data services can be better provisioned using MCM-DM algorithm.
Television Market Shares, Station Characteristics, and Viewer Choice

An understanding of the determinants of viewer choice is fundamental to an analysis of the structure and profitability of the television broadcasting industry. This study approaches the question by broadly analyzing the distribution of audiences among programs and stations. Examination of national television ratings reveals that the share of the market captured by a given program varies widely across the nation. Since the factors that influence market shares seem to be very diverse and include such broad categories as program characteristics, station characteristics, and market characteristics, it seems instructive to first carefully analyze the data to identify the relative importance of the various factors. Factor analysis provides a convenient method for analyzing the vast array of television ratings data. This method transforms the data into a small number of principal components that help clarify the relationship among the many determinants of market shares. On examination the results indicated that ...
Realizations of two-dimensional recursive digital filters

Algorithms are derived for realization of two-dimensional recursive digital filters using direct forms and continued fraction expansions. Included is a test for continued fraction expansion which at the same time determines the expansion coefficients. Transposed structures are also discussed, and a comparison is made of the various realizations.
Introduction to the special section on forensic publishing: an examination.

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law is published four times a year. But it is created every day in a series of countless individual and often unremarkable steps. A network of authors, reviewers, editorial board members, office staff, publishing staff, and senior editors
Fetal fibular hemimelia : Case report and review of the literature

The AIUM Practice Guideline for the Performance of an Antepartum Obstetric Ultrasound Examination 1 recommends documenting the presence or the absence of the fetal extremities during the second trimester of pregnancy. At times both upper and lower extremities may be present, and an obvious fetal malformation may not be apparent until all the long bones are carefully measured and evaluated. This can further be challenging when only 1 limb or part of a limb is affected. In the obstetric literature, there are only a handful of case reports dealing with the prenatal diagnosis of fibular hemimelia (FH; or longitudinal deficiency of the fibula or postaxial hypoplasia of the lower extremity) as an isolated finding or as part of a syndrome.2-9 Typically, it has been diagnosed at birth, when the neonate is seen to have lower limb shortening, a foot deformity (missing 1 or 2 of the lateral toes), or both. However, in the orthopedic literature, there are many case series dealing with the surgical treatment of this entity. We report a case of FH diagnosed prenatally during a "routine" anatomic survey.
Motor Outputs in a Multitasking Network: Relative Contributions of Inputs and Experience-Dependent Network States

Network outputs elicited by a specific stimulus may differ radically depending on the momentary network state. One class of networks states-experience-dependent states-is known to operate in numerous networks, yet the fundamental question concerning the relative role that inputs and states play in determining the network outputs remains to be investigated in a behaviorally relevant manner. Because previous work indicated that in the isolated nervous system the motor outputs of the Aplysia feeding network are affected by experience-dependent states, we sought to establish the behavioral relevance of these outputs. We analyzed the phasing of firing of radula opening motoneurons (B44 and B48) relative to other previously characterized motoneurons. We found that the overall pattern of motoneuronal firing corresponds to the phasing of movements during feeding behavior, thus indicating a behavioral relevance of network outputs. Previous studies suggested that network inputs act to trigger a response rather than to shape its characteristics, with the latter function being fulfilled by network states. We show this is an oversimplification. In a rested state, different inputs elicited distinct responses, indicating that inputs not only trigger but also shape the responses. However, depending on the combination of inputs and states, responses were either dramatically altered by the network state or were indistinguishable from those observed in the rested state. We suggest that the relative contributions of inputs and states are dynamically regulated and, rather than being fixed, depend on the specifics of states and inputs.
Penile Rehabilitation Following Radical Prostatectomy: Predicting Success

INTRODUCTION: It has been suggested that the institution of a pharmacologically based penile rehabilitation program in the early stages after radical prostatectomy (RP) may benefit some patients. AIM: This analysis was conducted to define if predictors of successful outcome with pharmacological penile rehabilitation following RP could be identified. METHODS: Retrospective statistical analysis was performed on a large database of patients who had participated in a post-RP rehabilitation program. Inclusion criteria included: presence of functional erections permitting sexual intercourse pre-RP and commencement of rehabilitation within 12 months of RP. Patients were instructed to obtain a penetration-rigidity erection on at least three occasions per week and to continue this regimen until at least 18 months after RP using either sildenafil or intracavernosal injection therapy (if oral therapy failed). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and visual analog scale erectile rigidity assessment. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to generate predictors of erectile function (EF) outcomes with penile rehabilitation. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients constituted the study population. Mean patient age and duration post-RP at commencement of the rehabilitation program were 59 +/- 10 years and 7 +/- 3 months, respectively. Sixty-seven percent of operations were bilateral nerve sparing (BNS), 11% unilateral nerve sparing (NS), and 22% non-NS. Comorbidities included hypertension 22%, dyslipidemia 30%, coronary artery disease 7%, and diabetes 2%. Preoperative mean self-reported, partner-corroborated erectile rigidity during relations was 90 +/- 20%. At 18 months post-RP, 57% patients had partner-corroborated functional erections without phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors with a mean erectile rigidity during relations of 72 +/- 16% compared with 45 +/- 22% for those who denied functional erections postoperatively (P > 0.01). The IIEF-EF domain scores in these two cohorts were 21 +/- 7.5 and 13 +/- 9, respectively (P > 0.01). On multivariate analysis, factors that predicted failure of return of natural erections after RP having followed a rehabilitation program were age >60 years (relative risk [RR] = 1.3), non-BNS surgery (RR = 1.6), presence of >1 vascular comorbidity (RR = 2.1), commencement of rehabilitation >6 months post-RP (RR = 2.8), unsuccessful response to sildenafil at 12 months post-RP (RR = 4.5), and the use of trimix dose >50 units (RR = 8.1). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the patients committing to a pharmacological rehabilitation program had return of functional natural erections. Predictors of successful outcome included NS surgery, early post-RP presentation, young age, and absence of vascular comorbidities.
Foreign-born academic scientists and engineers: producing more and getting less than their U.S.-born peers?

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported that the number of doctoral degrees awarded in the U.S. rose 3.4 percent in 2004, largely because of an increase in foreign students [Smallwood (2005). Doctoral degrees rose 3.4% in 2004, survey finds. The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 9, 2005]. Currently, 20.9 percent [National Science Board (2003). The science and engineering workforce realizing America’s potential. NSB, vol. 3, National Science Foundation] of all science and engineering faculty positions at U.S. universities are held by foreign-born scientists (with even larger percentages in computer science and engineering)—and we can expect higher numbers of foreign-born faculty at U.S. universities in the future. In this paper, we use 2001 Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR) data from the National Science Foundation to compare productivity levels, work satisfaction levels and career trajectories of foreign-born scientists and U.S.-born scientists. The results indicate that foreign-born academic scientists and engineers are more productive than their U.S.-born peers in all areas. Yet, average salaries and work satisfaction levels for foreign-born scientists are lower than for U.S.-born scientists.
Poetic Schizophrenia: Regarding the Performative Process of Composition

SUMMARY Colonized by language, the body becomes written over and familiarized, possessed by the ego. When one pays attention to what is not yet familiarized, part of oneself becomes “other-ized,” causing dread. Hence, the “performance anxiety.” One feels invaded and feels the need to take possession. Writing schizophrenically is a way of exploring the unknown, the gaps between body and its impulses, and definition in an attempt to sketch a map without the usual epistemological systems possessing the ground. A free-play form of experimentation tends to take place more often in poetry than in narrative or expository prose, simply because it is often its own subject, as well as proceeding closer to primary processes. John Ashbery is an example of a poet who writes-in his words-from free association, while Michael Palmer seems to engage the network of signifiers more purposefully. Both explore the points at which language and identity dismantle each other in an attempt to open further ground.
Enzymatic Production of Ribavirin from Purine Nucleosides by Brevibacterium acetylicum ATCC 954

Ribavirin (l-β-D-ribofuranosyl-l, 2, 4-triazole-3-carboxamide; Virazole®), which is known as a potent antiviral agent, was synthesized directly from purine nucleosides and l, 2, 4-triazole-3-carboxamide (TCA) by a newly selected bacterium, Brevibacterium acetylicum ATCC 954. Among the purine nucleosides tested, guanosine and xanthosine were selected as the best substrates as to ribavirin production. The highest amount of ribavirin produced was 229 mM from 300 mM guanosine and 300 mM TCA on 96 hr reaction at 60°C. In this system involving ATCC 954, ribavirin was effectively even produced at a limited concentration of phosphate (about 10mM). ATCC 954 could also produce ribavirin directly from inosine and TCA in a high yield, but could hardly produce it directly from adenosine and TCA. In contrast, a bacterium belonging to the genus, Bacillus, could produce ribarivin directly from adenosine and TCA in a high yield.
Abstract 1884: Serological testing along with epidemiological data establishes a trend of pylori's association with colon polyps

Background: It has become common wisdom that Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is linked to gastric cancer. However, its involvement in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still under investigation. The trophic effects of induced hypergastrinemea on colon homeostasis as well as HP direct effects on the colon mucosa might play a role in CRC. Methods: We previously reported that epidemiological data in African American patients (n=1262, >40 years old) who underwent bidirectional gastrointestinal endoscopy show an HP association with colon polyps formation. To substantiate this linkage, we used serological testing on healthy (n=94) and colon polyp (n=95) patients for anti-HP and anti-CagA antibodies to further confirm our epidemiological findings. Microarray used to detect the Gut flora including HP using 16rDNA from stool (n=12) of healthy and colon adenomas. Results: The healthy individuals had an average age of 63.7 (SD=9.80) while the polyp patients had an average age of 62.8 (SD=9.7). The gender distribution was 42/52 and 41/54 in the two groups for males and females, respectively. As such, the two groups were age and sex matched. In the polyp patients, 55.6% was HP-positive while there was only 48.8% positive in the control group (p=0.30 for this difference). Cag A positive samples were 73.3% in polyp patients and 67.5% in healthy individuals (p = 0.5). Gut flora analysis using a 16S rDNA microarray from stool (n=12) samples revealed the presence of HP signals in healthy and colon adenomas analyzed samples. Conclusion: HP seems to be associated with an increased risk of colon adenoma. However, whether HP is a colon inhabitant and participant in colon carcinogenesis or just a gastric wash-out is under investigation in normal and tumor colon biopsies’ gut flora studies. Large sample size is needed to confirm the above observed trend of a possible association of HP with CRC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1884. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1884
Singly-polarized reconfigurable slot-ring antenna/array with fractal shapes

A reconfigurable fractal-shaped slot-ring antenna with wide bandwidth is presented. The antenna is able to switch between two modes using 8 PIN diode switches. In the first mode, the proposed antenna operates at S band with 70% fractional bandwidth (FBW). In the second mode of operation, the antenna covers C band with 67% FBW. Fractal shapes are incorporated into the antenna structure to significantly increase the bandwidth at both operating modes. Good radiation parameters over the entire bandwidth are also obtained for both modes.
General statistical approaches to procedural map generation

Procedural content generation (PCG) studies the algorithmic creation of content (e.g., textures, maps), typically for games. PCG has become a popular research topic in recent years, but little has been done in terms of generalized content generators: approaches that can generate content for a variety of games without hand-tuning. We are interested in exploring statistical algorithms that could lead to generalized procedural map generators.
Evaluating the fit of the Erlang A model in high traffic call centers

We consider the Erlang A model, a queuing model often applied to analyze call center performance. While not a new model, Erlang A is becoming a popular alternative to the widely used Erlang C model. In this paper we analyze the accuracy of Erlang A predictions in high traffic environments, a situation where the Erlang C model is not applicable. Our findings indicate that in this high traffic region the Erlang A model is subject to a moderate to high level of error that has a strong pessimistic bias; that is the system tends to perform better than predicted. This is in sharp contrast to lower volume scenarios where the model tends to be optimistically biased. We find that in addition to utilization, the model is most sensitive to arrival rate uncertainty and balking.
Free component analysis

We describe a method for unmixing mixtures of ‘freely’ independent random variables in a manner analogous to the independent component analysis (ICA) based method for unmixing independent random variables from their additive mixture. Random matrices play the role of free random variables in this context so the method we develop, which we call Free component analysis (FCA), unmixes matrices from an additive mixture of matrices. We describe the theory — the various ‘contrast functions’, computational methods and compare FCA to ICA on data derived from real-world experiments.
Demand for public good as a correspondence of cost shares

In this paper, I study optimal demand by an agent who faces a budget constraint that may not be linear. This situation arises in public good economies in which the production of the public good does not exhibit constant returns to scale and in which each agent is responsible for a fixed proportion of the cost of whatever quantity of the public good is provided. I define an agent’s demand for public good as a correspondence of the cost share so that I include economies in which production of public good exhibits constant returns to scale or the public good is perfectly substitutable by private good. I demonstrate that an agent’s demand for the public good decreases as their share of the costs increases and thus extend the law of demand beyond a setting in which agents pay personalized prices for the public good.
Legionella Effector AnkX Disrupts Host Cell Endocytic Recycling in a Phosphocholination-Dependent Manner

The facultative intracellular bacterium Legionella pneumophila proliferates within amoebae and human alveolar macrophages, and it is the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, a life-threatening pneumonia. Within host cells, L. pneumophila establishes a replicative haven by delivering numerous effector proteins into the host cytosol, many of which target membrane trafficking by manipulating the function of Rab GTPases. The Legionella effector AnkX is a phosphocholine transferase that covalently modifies host Rab1 and Rab35. However, a detailed understanding of the biological consequence of Rab GTPase phosphocholination remains elusive. Here, we broaden the understanding of AnkX function by presenting three lines of evidence that it interferes with host endocytic recycling. First, using immunogold transmission electron microscopy, we determined that GFP-tagged AnkX ectopically produced in mammalian cells localizes at the plasma membrane and tubular membrane compartments, sites consistent with targeting the endocytic recycling pathway. Furthermore, the C-terminal region of AnkX, was responsible for association with the plasma membrane, and we determined that this region was also able to bind the phosphoinositide lipids PI(3)P and PI(4)P in vitro. Second, we observed that mCherry-AnkX co-localized with Rab35, a regulator of recycling endocytosis and with major histocompatibility class I protein (MHC-I), a key immunoregulatory protein whose recycling from and back to the plasma membrane is Rab35-dependent. Third, we report that during infection of macrophages AnkX is responsible for the disruption of endocytic recycling of transferrin, and AnkX’s phosphocholination activity is critical for this function. These results support the hypothesis that AnkX targets endocytic recycling during host cell infection. Finally, we have demonstrated that the phosphocholination activity of AnkX is also critical for inhibiting fusion of the Legionella-containing vacuole with lysosomes.
The Isolation and Preliminary Characterization of Endonoclease VIII from Escherichia Coli

Free radicals are highly reactive chemical species that are generated by a number of different mechanisms, including x-rays, certain chemical carcinogens and even aerobic metabolism. In order to survive the damages caused by free radical species, cells have evolved a number of protective mechanisms (5). Since DNA is an important target for free radicals, the ability to repair radical-induced DNA damages should constitute a significant cellular survival response. For a number of years our laboratory has been involved in identifying, quantitating, and assessing the biological impact of X-ray-induced DNA damages (26, 27), many of which are produced by free radicals (2,10). Since the 5–6 double bond of thymine is particularly susceptible to free radical attack (5), enzymatic, chemical and immunological methods have been used to focus our efforts on radical-induced oxidation products of thymine (26, 27). Endonuclease III from E. coli has been used as a tool to probe x-irradiated DNA for thymine ring saturation (15) and fragmentation (16) products. Furthermore, both thymine glycols and urea residues (a fragmentation product of thymine hydroperoxides) act as replicative blocks in vitro (4,9,12,25) and are lethal lesions in vivo (12,23).
The Progressive Nature of Menière's Disease: Stress Projections and Lesion Analysis.

HYPOTHESIS:An engineering model of the labyrinth can provide a mechanism that accounts for the pattern of lesion development observed in Meniere's disease. BACKGROUND:Membrane lesions in Meniere's disease can occur in virtually every part of the membranous labyrinth. How these lesions are induced is unclear and their mode of distribution uncertain. Pressure induced stress in the membranous labyrinth may play a mechanistic role in lesion formation and distribution. METHODS:An engineering model of the labyrinth was used to provide membrane stress formulations and projections for lesion induction in the several chambers using membrane theory. These were compared with an analysis of actual lesions observed in Meniere's disease to evaluate the model's accuracy. RESULTS:The model projects that lesions in the membranous labyrinth will be induced progressively because of stress differentials among the chambers, with a chain of lesion pattern that follows the serial anatomic order and occurs with a frequency commensurate with chamber stress level. An analysis of lesions observed in actual cases of Meniere's disease reveals a pattern of lesion development that is progressive, sequential, commensurate, and concordant with the model's stress projections. CONCLUSIONS:The concordance between the stress projections and the lesion analysis strengthens the hypothesis that Meniere's is a progressive disease that follows a chain of lesions paradigm based on pressure-induced stress differentials in the variously configured chambers of the membranous labyrinth.
Nitrospirae phy. nov.

Ni.tro.spi' rae. M.L. fem. n. Nitrospira genus of the phylum; ending to denote a phylum; M.L. fem. pl. n. Nitrospirae the phylum of Nitrospira. Nitrospirae Keywords: Nitrospirae phy. nov.; Thermodesulfovibrio
Methods for Channel Sounder Measurement Verification

We describe an activity of the 5G mmWave Channel Sounder Alliance to verify the hardware performance of channel sounders operating at mmWave frequencies. Such verification procedures are critical when attempting to compare data from sounders having different architectures in various environments. Two different methods are described and illustrated with simple measurement examples.
Engineering the Financialization of Urban Entrepreneurialism: The JESSICA Urban Development Initiative in the European Union

Urban entrepreneurialism and neoliberal urban governance are assuming new forms under finance‐dominated accumulation. We examine and contribute to theorizing the mechanisms through which urban governance is financialized, taking as a case study JESSICA, one of the European Union's initiatives to implement an ‘urban sensitive’ policy for sustainable and integrated development. Like other initiatives promoting financialization, JESSICA deploys the logic of finance to select and fund urban social initiatives and development projects on the basis of their potential return on investment (ROI). Understanding this process requires placing questions of political economy—how urban governance is shaped by the broader political‐economic context—with questions of governmentality—how stakeholders are enrolled in and come to take for granted new governance initiatives. Following the multi‐scalar institutional infrastructure is crucial to understanding how this works. Taking a relational multi‐scalar approach, we trace how changes at the supranational scale filter down to shape urban policy selection and performance in Sofia, Bulgaria, where we document how ROI calculations conflict with social welfare priorities. Contrasts between the trajectory of financialization of urban governance in the European Union and the United States demonstrate how this is geographically variegated, shaped by the broader context/conjuncture within which such financialization is embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Fusion Proteins Could Generate False Positives in Peptide Phage Display

Fusion proteins are frequently used in the functional characterization of newly discovered proteins and to identify interacting partners. In our study of hPTP1E, a cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase, we used glutathione S-transferase (GST)-fusion protein of the second PDZ domain to identify interacting peptide motifs by peptide phage display. A consensus motif G X X V W L G was identified and found to be specific for binding to GST-PDZ2 as determined by ELISA, peptide displacement and by protein overlay. However, using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), no interaction of the peptide was observed with PDZ2 alone. In co-precipitation experiments using the consensus peptide cross-linked to Affi-Gel, only GST-PDZ2 (but not PDZ2 or GST alone) could be precipitated. These data suggest that there is a potential for identification of artifacts when using fusion proteins in peptide phage display, and one should exercise caution in interpreting these results. It is critical that the interaction be verified using a second, independent system.