cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical rotatory dispersion of chloroplast-lamellae fragments.

Abstract The optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) of the chloroplast-lamellae fragments shows Cotton effects corresponding to all the pigment-absorption peaks in the visible region and a negative trough at 235 mμ. The ORD spectrum in the visible region shows considerably more complexity and intensity than that of the isolated chlorophylls or xanthophylls in an organic solvent. The enhancement of the intrinsic Cotton effects of the pigments in the lipoprotein suggests a strong interaction between the pigment molecules themselves and/or between the pigment molecules and the attached lipoprotein macromolecules. The major contribution to the 235 mμ trough was attributed to protein conformation. Under this assumption, the protein in the chloroplst lamellae was estimated to contain approximately 17% helix. Heating the chloroplast lamellae reduced the magnitude of the 235 mμ trough and shifted the characteristic ORD spectrum of the native lamellae to one resembling that of the free pigments. On the other hand, urea treatment of the lamellae protein only reduced the 235 mμ trough but did not affect the visible-region Cotton effects. Heating the lamellae possibly caused a disruption of the organizational relationship between the pigment and the lipoprotein as well as the helical conformation.
Intraorbital tumor as the initial symptom of childhood acute lympoblastic leukemia magnetic resonance imaging findings

Orbital involvement in leukemia is usually of myelogenous origin and is frequently the initial presentation. Orbital tumor due to lymphocytic leukemia is rare and only one case has been reported as the initial symptom. We report magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of a case of acute lymphocytic leukemia with orbital mass as the initial symptom. The usefulness of MRI, including signal intensity and extent of involvement, is discussed.
Jejunal myomucosal graft reconstruction of the pharyngeal and esophageal walls without microvascular anastomosis

The pharyngoesophageal defect is a common reconstructive challenge following oncological ablative surgery or trauma. Free flaps are often excellent choices for these cases, but one often needs to consider good alternatives with lower operative time. These other considerations are needed in certain circumstances such as in the elderly, the medically compromised, or after unsuccessful free flaps. One such option is jejunal myomucosal graft, which avoids the time of a microvascular anastomosis set-up, completion, and monitoring. Moreover, it is an enduring and recipient-site-compatible graft if performed properly. The technique is described in this article.
Analysis of a Commuter Carpooling Survey

The Knoxville, Tenn. employer-based carpooling program is examined to see how work-residence matching information was gathered and analyzed through questionnaires. The matching program, consisting of a master list, individual survey, and a density matrix, was funded by the Federal Highway Administration. Information was displayed graphically by syngraphic mapping (SYMAP) to identify areas of work-residence separation of participating plants and workers. Information developed in this way can be used to plan ride-sharing programs and commuter transportation in newly impacted rural areas surrounding large construction projects. Carpool data can be used to minimize relocation of the labor force as well as disruption of the communities near the site. 11 references.
Octonionic superstring solitons.

An extended-soliton solution to the low-energy heterotic-field-theory equations of motion is constructed from an eight-dimensional octonionic instanton. The soliton describes a string in ten-dimensional Minkowski space, and preserves only one of the sixteen spacetime supersymmetries.
Keeping it in the Family: Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in Cebu, Philippines

While witnessing violence between parents is one of the most consistent correlates of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in later life, little research exists in developing countries on the effects of witnessing interparental IPV on young adults’ involvement with family violence. This study examines the relation between witnessing interparental IPV and young adults’ subsequent use and experience with family intimidation and physical abuse (FIPA) in Cebu, Philippines. Using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey, recent use and experience of FIPA among 21–22 year old young adults was assessed through self-reports from the 2005 survey, and childhood witnessing of interparental IPV assessed from the 2002 survey. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the effect of witnessing interparental IPV on young adults’ use and experience of FIPA. Among all young adults, witnessing paternal perpetration of IPV predicted using FIPA, and witnessing maternal perpetration predicted experiencing FIPA. Among young adult females only, witnessing reciprocal IPV between parents predicted experiencing FIPA. Witnessing paternal perpetration of IPV among young adult males, maternal perpetration among young adult females, and reciprocal interparental IPV among all young adults predicted young adults both using and experiencing FIPA. Violence prevention efforts should reach all family members through family centered interventions. School based curricula, which largely focus on intimate partner and peer violence, should recognize adolescents’ use and experience of violence with family members, and design modules accordingly. Further research on gender differences in family violence is recommended.
Catamenial psychosis in an adolescent girl.

We report the case of an adolescent girl who was 14 years old at initial presentation. A shy, immature and timid individual, she began to have recurring, progressive episodes characterised by insomnia, paranoia, distorted thinking and mood instability with a mix of depressive and manic-like symptoms. An extensive medical work up was unrevealing. Her family noted a pattern that coincided with her menstrual cycle. An endocrine consult was obtained, and the diagnosis of catamenial psychosis was performed. After treatment with leuprolide, resulting in a shutdown of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, the patient’s symptoms were resolved completely.
Determination of safrole and isosafrole in ham by HPLC with UV detection

An improved method has been developed for the determination of safrole and isosafrole in meat. To ham were added known amounts (5–100 ppm) of either compound or mixtures of both. The samples were extracted with hexane/ethyl acetate (95/5, v/v) by a dry column procedure, and the eluate was analyzed by HPLC with UV detection. Recoveries ranged from 91–102% for the individual components and from 93–100% for mixtures. The improved method requires less analysis time and instrumentation and is more sensitive than a previous method.
Intracranial Hemorrhage Following Thrombolytic Use for Stroke Caused by Infective Endocarditis

Background and Purpose Stroke is one of the most common neurological manifestations of infective endocarditis. The use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the management of acute ischemic stroke is the accepted standard of practice. Current guidelines for intravenous (IV) t-PA therapy in acute ischemic stroke do not exclude patients with infective endocarditis.
Interactions of pentazocine and naloxone on the monoamine content of discrete regions of the rat brain

Abstract Pentazocine, 5.6 to 56 mg/kg, caused dose-related decreases in the catecholamine content of discrete regions of the rat brain. Norepinephrine levels were lowered in all brain regions examined, whereas the depletion of dopamine was restricted to the cortex and striatum. Serotonin levels were relatively unaffected by pentazocine. Pretreatment with naloxone antagonized the pentazocine-induced depletion of brain dopamine. Naloxone also blocked the pentazocine-induced depletion of norepinephrine in the cortex and midbrain, but failed to affect the depletion of norepinephrine in the medulla and actually enhanced the depletion of hypothalamic norepinephrine. A significant depletion of medullary serotonin was observed only in rats pretreated with naloxone. These findings are consistent with the concept that pentazocine's agonistic spectrum of activity involves two components: one which is blocked by naloxone and one which is not.
Contiguous bilateral head and neck paragangliomas in a carrier of the SDHB germline mutation

Paragangliomas are extremely rare neoplasms with multicentric presentation usually linked to familial tumor syndromes. This patient presented with the uncommon combination of concurrent bilateral carotid body tumors and a unilateral glomus jugulare mass that demonstrated vascular continuity. During treatment, the patient was found to be heterozygous for the SDHB germline mutation, an autosomal dominant genotype of the familial paraganglioma syndromes associated with increased malignancy. The unique profile of the SDHB patient as regards primary evaluation, surgical considerations, and extended surveillance was explored and has led to a proposed treatment algorithm for these patients.
Fetal toxicity of cadmium in the rat: Decreased utero-placental blood flow

Abstract Previous studies have shown that fetuses can tolerate direct injections of CdCl 2 in amounts greater than those which cross the placenta following maternal injections. Thus, fetal death is not the result of direct effects of cadmium on the fetus. Alterations in utero-placental blood flow were investigated as a possible mechanism of fetal toxicity. Organ blood flow was measured using the microsphere technique. Utero-placental blood flow was unchanged from control values 8–10 hr following 40 μmol/kg CdCl 2 on Day 18 but was reduced 40 and 73% from control values at 12–16 and 18–24 hr, respectively. Fetal death increased from 5 to 20 to 60% during the same time periods. Blood flow to maternal organs was unchanged from control values with the exception of the adrenal after 12–16 hr and myometrium at 18–24 hr. Histologic examination of placentae indicated that the placental necrosis, fetal death, and utero-placental blood flow alterations occurred over a similar time period. Thus, a decrease in placental blood flow was associated with placental necrosis and fetal death. However, it is not apparent whether placental necrosis was a cause or an effect of the decrease in utero-placental blood flow.
Modelling of Statistical Investigation

Summary The conventional approach for introducing statistics to beginning students is to start with descriptive measures such as histograms, means and standard deviations, followed by other technical notions. The problem of such an approach is lack of motivation. It is useful to introduce students, at an early stage, to an overview of the statistical approach used to obtain the desired information. Accordingly, schematic models for the purpose of introducing two fundamental designs for statistical investigation are presented in this article.
Overgeneralizing Belonging: Limited Exposure to Baby-Faced Targets Increases the Feeling of Social Belonging

We tested the hypothesis that exposure to babyish faces can serve a social surrogacy function, such that even limited exposure to babyish faces can fulfill social belongingness needs. We manipulated the sex and facial maturity of a target face seen in an imagined social interaction, on a between-participants basis. Regardless of target sex, individuals indicated greater satisfaction of social belongingness needs following an imagined interaction with a babyish face, compared to a mature adult face. These results indicate that brief exposure to babyish (relative to mature) faces, even without an extensive interaction, can lead to the satisfaction of social belongingness needs.
Correction of the effects of acoustic heterogeneity on thermoacoustic tomography using transmission ultrasound tomography

The effects of acoustic heterogeneities on thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) are examined and corrected. One assumption made in the existing reconstruction algorithms for thermoacoustic tomography is that biological tissue is acoustically homogeneous. In medical imaging applications, this assumption can cause blurring and distortion in the reconstructed images. This degradation of image quality can be compensated for by using an approximate distribution of the acoustic speed in the tissue. A method based on transmission ultrasound tomography, which is compatible with our thermoacoustic imaging setup, is developed to correct those effects. Experiments verify the validity of this method. The technique can be used to improve the image quality of thermoacoustic tomography.
Procedures to Simulate Missing Soil Parameters in the Florida Soils Characteristics Database

In this study, the Florida Soils Characterization Database (FSCD, http:// flsoils.ifas.ufl.edu/) was used as source of physical and chemical soil parameters for the development of a soils characteristics data set to be used for crop growth models. Because this database has missing soil parameters within the various soil horizons, a study was undertaken to fill in missing data using statistical estimation procedures. Three main objectives of this study were to: (i) develop procedures to extract soil characteristics data from available soil data sources; (ii) convert soil profile data into a format usable by simulation models; and (iii) create and evaluate multiple regression models to simulate missing soil parameters. We used the conditional distribution model to investigate empirical relationships within the available measured soil data. A multiregression model is a valuable tool that can be used to fill singular or multiple missing soil data in the incomplete list of the FSCD. Statistical indexes such as the RMSE and the RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR) were used to test the behavior of a multiregression model in simulating missing soil values in the 0- to 20-cm horizon. The results showed that silt, clay, organic C, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, and sand could be predicted with a model performance that ranged from very good to satisfactory. However, pH and saturated hydraulic conductivity were not simulated with satisfactory performance levels. The approach taken in this study to simulate missing soil parameters is universal, meaning that it can be developed anywhere having available a representative source of measured soil data of the study area.
Fine-scale spatial genetic structure of two red oak species, Quercus rubra and Quercus ellipsoidalis

Peripheral populations located at their range edge, may be at risk due to geographical isolation, environmental changes, human disturbances or catastrophic events such as wildfires. Fine-scale spatial genetic structure (SGS) investigations provide a way to examine the spatial arrangement of genetic variation within populations. SGS can result from restricted seed and pollen dispersal and might be affected by geographic isolation and environmental changes and disturbances even in outcrossing wind-pollinated species like oaks. Studying the SGS of peripheral populations provides information that can be used to develop improved conservation and management plans at the species’ range edge. We assessed the level of genetic variation and SGS in twelve range edge populations in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (USA): eight Quercus rubra and four Quercus ellipsoidalis populations that were subject to different management regimes and natural disturbances. In contrast to Q. rubra populations, the drought tolerant Q. ellipsoidalis populations are isolated from the species’ main distribution range. These populations are not actively managed but are especially prone to recurring fire events. The four managed and four old growth (“unmanaged”) Q. rubra populations displayed similar levels of genetic variation. Likewise the Sp statistic showed similar SGS levels in managed and unmanaged Q. rubra populations (Sp = 0.005) comparable to other Quercus species (European Q. robur: Sp = 0.003). Q. ellipsoidalis populations showed similar or more pronounced SGS than neighboring Q. rubra populations extending up to 83 m in one population. A significant excess of homozygotes across markers in two of the Q. ellipsoidalis populations suggests potential inbreeding. In summary, diverse management activities combined with various natural disturbances are likely both influencing SGS patterns. Outcrossing forest trees like oaks hold large amounts of genetic diversity allowing adaptation to environmental changes over their long life spans. Reductions of these genetic stores, through inbreeding for example, can inhibit a species’ ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Road sign detection and recognition

Road sign detection is important to a robotic vehicle that automatically drives on roads. In this paper, road signs are detected by means of rules that restrict color and shape and require signs to appear only in limited regions in an image. They are then recognized using a template matching method and tracked through a sequence of images. The method is fast and can easily be modified to include new classes of signs. The road sign detection is used as part of a control system that autonomously drives a vehicle over paved roads. The primary application is to detect intersections, which are usually marked with street name signs or stop signs. An estimate of the range to the sign is computed based on the size of the sign and provides a cue to intersection detection software and driving control.
Buckling and debond growth of partial debonds in adhesively bonded composite splice joints

Abstract The strains at which buckling and debond growth occur in adhesively bonded composite flanges containing an initial debond were experimentally measured. Test parameters including initial debond geometry, flange material stiffness, and the adhesive critical strain energy release rate ( G c ) were investigated. Debond growth was found to be strongly dependent on initial debond length but weakly dependent on flange width; i.e., debonding resistance did not increase in direct proportion with the bonded overlap dimension. Flanges having higher bending stiffness exhibited significantly lower debonding strain. Finally, the effect of G c was evaluated at three levels by controlling the adhesive cure temperature and bondline thickness. Lower values of G c (207 and 552 J/m 2 ) allowed debond growth to occur while at the highest value of G c (1500 J/m 2 ), alternate failure modes occurred prior to debond growth. Ultrasonic C-scans revealed that debond growth occurred along a curved front, as dictated by the post-buckling deformation of the flanges.
Linear trends in salinity for the World Ocean, 1955-1998

[1] Quality controlled oceanographic profile salinity measurements from the World Ocean Database 2001 (WOD01) were used to calculate linear trends of zonally averaged salinity anomalies for running five year periods from 1955–1959 through 1994–1998 for the World Ocean and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean basins from the surface to 3000 meters depth. Each basin exhibits large-scale, coherent trends. Most of the Pacific is freshening with the exception of the subtropical South Pacific. The Atlantic exhibits a deep freshening in the subpolar gyre and a shallower, more intense increase in salinity in the tropics and subtropics. The Indian Ocean is becoming more saline at all latitudes in the upper 150 meter layer, with a subsurface freshening between 40°S and the equator in the 250–1000 meter layer. There is freshening in both the Weddell and Ross Seas.
1244 PERIPHERAL BLOOD FLOW AFTER TRANSFUSION IN INFANTS WITH HMD

15 infants were studied before and after transfusion of 10 cc per kg of packed RBC (8 infants) or 5 cc/kg of 25% salt-poor albumin (8 infants). Measurements were made immediately before and 1 hour after transfusion and included aortic blood pressure,PaO2 PaCO2,pH,arterial lactate,arterial/alveolar O2 ratio,and limb blood flow. Indications for transfusion included observed blood loss, anemia, low blood pressure, and metabolic acidosis. Significant changes,pre- vs post- transfusion, paired t-test, with p<
Purification and characterization of a nonvesicular vesamicol-binding protein from electric organ and demonstration of a related protein in mammalian brain.

A protein that binds vesamicol has been purified from a soluble fraction of the Torpedo electric organ homogenate that does not contain synaptic vesicles. The purified vesamicol-binding protein (VBP) has a molecular mass of 470 kDa composed of 30- and 24-kDa subunits. Chemical deglycosylation yielded a single, heterogeneous protein of 24 kDa. The 30-kDa subunit is also sensitive to endo-beta-galactosidase. The dissociation constant of the VBP.vesamicol complex is 0.9 microM, and the Bmax is 5,500 pmol/mg. Antiserum raised to the 30-kDa subunit cross-reacts with the 24-kDa subunit, but not with synaptic vesicles. Drug binding studies and Western blot analysis show that VBP is present in other Torpedo tissues as well as mammalian brain. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrates that VBP-like immunoreactivity is not localized exclusively to the nerve terminal regions of the electric organ. Thermal stability, the pH dependence of vesamicol binding, and pharmacological comparisons demonstrate that the VBP is not the cholinergic synaptic vesicle receptor for vesamicol. The implications of this finding for current efforts to develop in vivo diagnostics of cholinergic nerve terminal status based on vesamicol are discussed.
249 INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION OF ELAND (TAUROTRAGUS ORYX) AND BONGO (TRAGELAPHUS EURYCERUS)ANTELOPE OOCYTES

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an assisted reproductive technique applicable in cases of limited male gamete availability. Moreover, it bypasses barriers of the oocyte, thus avoiding poorly understood species-specific capacitation events affecting sperm–egg interaction. In the present study, we evaluated the application of conventional and piezo drill-assisted ICSI and whether subsequent chemical activation is required for initiating embryonic development in eland (Taurotragus oryx) and bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus) oocytes. Oocytes were collected using transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration after gonadotropin-induced ovarian stimulation and incubated in modified TCM-199 medium (Gomez et al. 2000 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 12, 423) containing 10% FBS. After 3 to 24 h, the cumulus cell layers were removed either by repeated mouth-pipetting and/or by using hyaluronidase. Oocytes with an extruded first polar body were used for ICSI and the other oocytes were returned to culture and evaluated every six hours Piezo drill-assisted (Kimura and Yanagimachi 1995 Biol. Reprod. 52, 709) or conventional (Gomez et al.) ICSI were done as described previously using glass pipettes with internal tip diameters of 9–10 µm. We used frozen–thawed or freshly collected spermatozoa that were kept in HEPES-buffered Tyrode's medium (Gomez et al.) for up to 24 h. Four to 6 h after ICSI, 3 activation treatments were examined: (1) none; (2) 7% ethanol, 5 min; or (3) calcium ionophore (5 µM, 5 min) followed by DMAP (2 mM, 4 h). Then we cultured oocytes in a humidified atmosphere of 5% O2, 5% CO2, and 90% N2 at 38.5°C in one of 3 media: SOF, α-MEM, or CR1aa containing essential and nonessential amino acids and FBS. Fifty-three of 70 (76%) eland oocytes survived after piezo-ICSI, and 13 of 16 (81%) survived after conventional ICSI. For bongo oocytes, 27 of 30 (90%) survived piezo-ICSI and all (n = 8) survived after conventional ICSI. Table 1 outlines cleavage data on Day 2. Generally, embryonic development was arrested at about 10 cells. In summary, eland and bongo oocytes can survive both conventional and piezo drill-assisted ICSI. Activation treatments do not appear to be a prerequisite for initiating cleavage after ICSI in eland and bongo antelope oocytes. Table 1.Cleavage of eland and bongo antelope oocytes after conventional or piezo-ICSI and three activation treatments
Hydrogenation and Charge States of PAHs in Diffuse Clouds. I. Development of a Model

A model of the hydrogenation and charge states of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in diffuse clouds is presented. The main physical and chemical processes included in the model are ionization and photodissociation in the interstellar UV field, electron recombination with PAH cations, and chemistry between PAH cations and major interstellar species present in the diffuse medium, such as H2, H, O, and N atoms. A statistical model of photodissociation is presented, which is a simplified version of the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory. The predictions of this new approach have been successfully compared to experimental results for small PAH cations, justifying the application of the model to larger PAHs for which no experimental data are available. This simplified statistical theory has also been used to estimate the importance of the dissociative recombination channel in the reaction between PAH cations and electrons. Recent experimental results obtained on the chemistry between PAH cations and H2, H, O, and N atoms are discussed and included in the model. Finally, a discussion is presented on other important processes which may affect the PAH distribution in the interstellar medium, such as electron attachment, photodetachment, photofragmentation with carbon loss, double ionization, and chemistry between PAH cations and minor species present in diffuse clouds. The results obtained with this model for compact PAHs ranging from benzene to species bearing up to 200 carbon atoms are discussed in a separate paper.
Steroid- and retinoid-mediated growth arrest and apoptosis in WEHI-231 cells: role of NF-κB, c-Myc and CKI p27Kip1

IgM cross-linking induces NF-kappaB inactivation, c-Myc down-regulation, and cyclin kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) accumulation in WEHI-231 murine B lymphoma cells. p27(Kip1) up-regulation leads to a decreased cyclin-dependent kinase 2 activity, retinoblastoma protein hypophosphorylation, G1 arrest and apoptosis. Similar to membrane (m) IgM cross-linking in B lymphoma cells, steroids and retinoids down-regulate c-Myc (via NF-kappaB inactivation) and induce apoptosis in T cell hybridomas and thymocytes. In this study, we determined if steroids and retinoids have similar effects in WEHI-231 cells. Our results show that steroids and retinoids induce NF-kappaB inactivation, c-Myc down-regulation, p27(Kip1) up-regulation, G1 arrest, and apoptosis. Importantly, these hormones enhance anti-IgM-induced apoptosis in WEHI-231 cells. Similar to mIgM signaling, all these effects are prevented by treatment with CD40 ligand. Caspase inhibition, on the other hand, rescues cells from steroid/retinoid-induced apoptosis, but has no effect on growth arrest, p27(Kip1), and c-Myc. Together, these findings suggest that steroids/retinoids and mIgM cross-linking share a common signal transduction pathway leading to G1 arrest and cell death.
Preparation of Digilanide-A

A method for the convenient isolation of digilanide-A from Digitalis mertonensis is described.
Defects in boron carbide: First-principles calculations and CALPHAD modeling

Abstract The energetics of defects in B 4+ x C boron carbide and β -boron are studied through first-principles calculations, the supercell phonon approach and the Debye–Gruneisen model. It is found that suitable sublattice models for β -boron and B 4+ x C are B 101 (B,C) 4 and B 11 (B,C) (B,C,Va) (B,Va) (B,C,Va), respectively. The thermodynamic properties of B 4+ x C, β -boron, liquid and graphite are modeled using the CALPHAD approach based on the thermochemical data from first-principles calculations and experimental phase equilibrium data in the literature. The concentrations of various defects are then predicted as a function of carbon composition and temperature.
Cellular Structures in the Flow Over the Flap of a Two-Element Wing

Flow visualization information and time dependent pressure coefficients were recorded for the flow over a two-element wing. The investigation focused on the stall onset; particularly at a condition where the flow is attached on the main element but separated on the flap. At this condition, spanwise separation cells were visible in the flow over the flap, and time dependent pressure data was measured along the centerline of the separation cell. The flow visualizations indicated that the spanwise occurrence of the separation cells depends on the flap (and not wing) aspect ratio.
Optimized pin assignment for lower routing congestion after floorplanning phase

A technique for the early estimation of congestion after the floorplanning phase is proposed in this paper, based on which an optimized pin assignment algorithm is implemented, aiming at reducing the routing congestion. Experiments show that the optimized pin locations will effectively reduce the total routing congestion violations, and the algorithm complexity is reasonable for application to benchmark circuits.
Review article: a conceptual model for the relationship of nocturnal acidity and extra‐oesophageal manifestations of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease ‐ where are we now?

Summary A number of extra-oesophageal abnormalities ranging from otolaryngologic disorders and dysphonia to non-cardiac chest pain and sleep disturbances have been attributed to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. A significant degree of uncertainty and confusion continues to exist with regard to the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. The following conceptual model could be proposed for the pathogenesis of the extra-oesophageal manifestations of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and, consequently, the likely response to therapy. This model suggests that these disorders are, in fact, multifactorial and that the contributions of refluxed gastric contents comprise only part of the pathogenesis. In the case of asthma, for example, factors that influence airway resistance and symptom production include basal airway resistance, intra-oesophageal events, such as acid reflux-stimulating vagal afferent fibres and inducing further airway changes, and extra-oesophageal, allergic and other pulmonary factors that can influence airway resistance. This model allows for different degrees of influence from these three main contributors. In this model, if gastro-oesophageal reflux disease-related events contribute minimally to the changes in airway resistance compared with other factors, treating gastro-oesophageal acid reflux would result in minimal or no change in symptoms and vice versa. At present, as it is difficult to identify prospectively those patients in whom reflux comprises the main pathological factor, and who might therefore respond to acid suppression, a trial of empiric proton-pump inhibitor therapy with reflux precautionary measures seems appropriate and has been suggested by some expert panels.
Tracking targets through occlusions in outdoor videos

In real-world outdoor video, moving targets such as vehicles and people may be partially or fully occluded by background objects such as buildings and trees, which makes tracking them continuously a very challenging task. In the present work, we present a system to address the problem of tracking targets through occlusions in a motion-based target detection and tracking framework. For an existing track that is fully occluded, a Kalman filter is applied to predict the target's current position based upon its previous locations. However, the prediction may drift from the target's true trajectory due to accumulated prediction errors, especially when the occlusion is of long duration. To address this problem, tracks that have disappeared are checked with an extra data association procedure that evaluates the potential association between the track and the new detections, which could be a previously tracked target that is just coming out of occlusion. Another issue that arises with motion-based tracking is that the algorithm may consider the visible part of a partially occluded target as the entire target region. This is problematic because an inaccurate target motion trajectory model will be built, causing the Kalman filter to generate inaccurate target position predictions, which can yield a divergence between the track and the true target trajectory. Accordingly, we present a method that provides reasonable estimates of the partially-occluded target centers. Experimental results conducted on real-world unmanned air vehicle (UAV) video sequences demonstrate that the proposed system significantly improves the track continuity in various occlusion scenarios.
Acoustic adaptation in pygmy marmoset contact calls: Locational cues vary with distances between conspecifics

1. The pygmy marmoset, Cebuella pygmaea, has four trill variants in its vocal repertoire. One of these trills has a different behavioral message from the other three. However, the remaining trills, which were physically different from each other, did not seem to differ in their behavioral messages. 2. The three trills can be ordered according to their acoustic cues for sound localization. This suggested that the most localizable trill is used when caller and recipient are far apart, while the least localizable trill is used only when animals are close together. 3. A field study in the Peruvian Amozon showed that this was correct. Thus, pygmy marmosets seem to use selectively the variations in trill structure to minimize locatability when other cues are available for determining location and to maximize locatability when other means of determining location are absent. 4. Pygmy marmoset trills contain mostly high frequency components which decay rapidly over short distances in humid, forested environments. However, these high frequencies are shown to be above the major frequencies of ambient noise in the environment, thus giving the pygmy marmoset a frequency window for communication. Furthermore, the frequencies of the marmoset trills are above the maximum auditory sensitivity of their major predators.
30. Influence of wind and windbreaks on local dispersal of insects

Abstract Insect dispersal is affected by the wind and as a result, influenced by the presence of windbreaks. Wind reductions, microclimate modifications and vegetative diversity, influence insect distribution in sheltered areas. Wingless insects and very small insects generally depend on air currents to carry them to new sites, but they tend to settle in areas with low windspeeds. It is often more advantageous for a flying insect to remain within its boundary layer where windspeeds are lower than the insect's flight speed. Flying insects tend to accumulate in areas of reduced windspeed where they have greater control of flight; however, distribution patterns can be modified by directed movements in response to olfactory and visual stimuli. Many insect species are attracted to food and shelter within windbreaks. Windbreaks can concentrate insects in particular areas. Insects accumulate leeward of windbreaks as compared with unsheltered sites. The pattern of distribution may be affected by windspeed, angle of incidence of the wind, permeability of the windbreak, turbulence, source of insects (windbreak, local fields, upwind sites), insect behavior, insect species and vegetative composition. Windbreak vegetation may serve as a source of insect pests and their natural enemies and infestation levels in adjacent fields will be affected by their relative abundance. Knowledge of these distribution patterns should be considered when designing pest-management control strategies.
Symmetric conditions for a weighted Fourier transform inequality

We discuss conditions on weight functions, necessary or sufficient, so that the Fourier transform is bounded from one weighted Lebesgue space to another. The sufficient condition and the primary necessary condition presented are similar, one being phrased is terms of arbitrary measurable sets and the other in terms of cubes. We believe that the symmetry amongst the two conditions helps frame how a single condition, necessary and sufficient, might appear.
The Crystal and Molecular Structures of Bridged Spherands: The Host C52H52O8, Its Complex C52H52O8 Li+, and the Complexes C50H48O6⋅Li+ and C52H52O6⋅Li+

The structures of the title novel hosts and host-guest complexes, synthesized by D. J. Cram and his colleagues, were determined by direct methods from diffractometer data and refined by least-squares. The hosts C52H52O8 I, C50H48O6 II, and C52H52O6 III, are di-bridged derivatives of the prototype spherand C48H48O6, IV. In IV, six 4-methylanisole units are joined in the 2,6 positions. In I two -CH2CH2OCH2CH2 - bridges replace four of the methoxy methyl groups, joining pseudo-meta oxygen atoms; these two bridges are on the same face of the macrocycle (syn). In II and III, trimethylene and tetramethylene bridges, respectively, are similarly situated, again replacing four methoxy methyls of IV. Compounds Ia, IIa and IIIa are Li+ complexes of these hosts. The lithium ion is essentially hepta-coordinated in Ia, penta-coordinated in IIa and hexa-coordinated in IIIa. These structures are extremely rigid, and the aromatic rings in them are greatly deformed. There are intramolecular oxygen contacts in each complex only slightly greater than 2.S A, about 10 percent shorter than the sum of the usual van der Waals radii for oxygen atoms. Thus the structures provide useful data for parameterizing potential functions for molecular mechanics calculations.
Reply to Paul Davidson, Servaas Storm, and Lance Taylor

(2014). Reply to Paul Davidson, Servaas Storm, and Lance Taylor. International Journal of Political Economy: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 38-42.
Aspirin use, cancer, and polyps of the large bowel

Background. The effect of aspirin use on 490 patients with cancer of the colon, 340 with cancer of the rectum as the first primary site, and 212 patients with polyps having no coexisting malignancies was compared with that of two groups of control subjects that consisted of 524 hospital patients having no cancers and no diseases of the digestive organs and 1138 healthy visitors to the screening clinic. All subjects entered Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1991. Methods. After adjustment for adulthood lifetime duration of aspirin use, sex, age, residence, and education, the risk of having cancers and polyps of the colon or the rectum among people who had been using aspirin at least for 1 year before the illness relative to that of nonusers was estimated using multiple logistic regression procedure. Results. The odds ratio estimates showed that the risk of colorectal cancers declined progressively as the frequency of aspirin use increased compared with control groups. Among patients reporting use of aspirin two or more times a day, the odds ratio estimates for colorectal cancers were 0.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–0.15) and 0.44 (95% CI, 1.10–0.18) compared with those of screening clinic visitors and hospital control subjects, respectively. The odds ratio for patients with polyps who had used aspirin less than once a day relative to that of nonusers was 0.28 (95% CI, 0.62–0.13) and 0.43 (95% CI, 1.09–0.17) compared with screening clinic visitors and hospital control subjects, respectively. Conclusions. There is a risk reduction effect of aspirin use on the incidence of colorectal cancers and polyps, and this effect is dose related.
Alcohol expectancies: effects of gender, age, and family history of alcoholism.

Abstract To explore the effects of gender, age, and positive (FH + ) and negative (FH − ) family history of alcoholism on alcohol-related expectancies, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ) was administered to 627 college students (female n = 430). In an attempt to control for consumption effects, only individuals who described themselves as heavy drinkers were included in the study. A 2 (Family History) × 2 (Gender) × 2 (Age Range) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted on the six scales of the AEQ. Results indicated that FH + females under the age of 20 years reported stronger expectancies of social and physical pleasure than did FH− females. Results also suggested that females over the age of 20 reported significantly lower expectancies of global, positive effects compared to all other subjects, regardless of family history of alcoholism. Finally, both male and female subjects under the age of 20 reported greater expectancies of global, positive effects, sexual enhancement, feelings of increased power and aggression, and social assertion compared to individuals over the age of 20. These results indicate that alcohol-related expectancies vary as a function of age, gender, and family history of alcoholism.
Characterization of crystals of a cytochrome oxidase (nitrite reductase) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy.

Abstract Cytochrome oxidase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been crystallized from 2 m -ammonium sulfate. The crystals occur principally as thin diamond-shaped plates of space group P 2 1 2 1 2 with unit cell dimensions of 92 A × 115 A × 76 A. Determination of the density of glutaraldehyde-fixed, water-equilibrated crystals (1.167 g/cm 3 ), coupled with the unit cell volume (804,000 A 3 ), indicates that there is one subunit (~63,000 M r) per asymmetric unit. X-ray diffraction data which were limited to 12 A resolution due to small crystal size were obtained for the hk 0 and 0 kl zones using precession photography. Amplitude and phase data for the hk 0, 0 kl , and h 0 l zones were obtained from computer-based Fourier analysis of appropriate micrographs recorded from negatively stained microplates and thin sections of larger crystals using minimal beam electron microscopy. For crystals embedded in the presence of tannic acid it was possible to achieve 20 A resolution which is comparable to the resolution achieved with negative staining of thin crystalline arrays. In addition, unstained electron diffraction on glutaraldehyde-fixed, glucose-stabilized plates was recorded to a resolution of 9 A. The three-dimensional packing of the cytochrome oxidase dimer in the unit cell has been deduced from computer reconstructed images of the three principal projections along the crystallographic axes. The cytochrome oxidase dimer is located in the unit cell with the dimer axis coincident with a crystallographic 2-fold axis; thus within the resolution of the present data in projection (9 A) the two subunits are identical, in agreement with biochemical evidence. The crystals have been prepared with the enzyme in the fully oxidized state and upon reduction a progressive cracking of the crystals is observed, possibly due to a conformational change dependent on the oxidation state of the heme iron.
Bisimilar linear systems

The notion of bisimulation in theoretical computer science is one of the main complexity reduction methods for the analysis and synthesis of labeled transition systems. Bisimulations are special quotients of the state space that preserve many important properties expressible in temporal logics, and, in particular, reachability. In this paper, the framework of bisimilar transition systems is applied to various transition systems that are generated by linear control systems. Given a discrete-time or continuous-time linear system, and a finite observation map, we characterize linear quotient maps that result in quotient transition systems that are bisimilar to the original system. Interestingly, the characterizations for discrete-time systems are more restrictive than for continuous-time systems, due to the existence of an atomic time step. We show that computing the coarsest bisimulation, which results in maximum complexity reduction, corresponds to computing the maximal controlled or reachability invariant subspace inside the kernel of the observations map. These results establish strong connections between complexity reduction concepts in control theory and computer science.
Limits to Democratic Development in Civil Society and the State: The Case of Santo Domingo

Some scholars see civil society as key to democratization of the political system. In this view, pressure from civil society forces democratization of the state. However, this disregards the fact that changes in civil society's behaviour require changes in political society — changes are reciprocal. The demand–making strategies of grassroots organizations in the Dominican Republic in 1999 provide a good example of this dynamic: the incomplete nature of the democratic transition (specifically, the persistence of paternalism and clientelism) constrained the democratic strategy choices of the civil society organizations. Just as democratization within political society is inconsistent and incomplete, so will be the demand–making strategies of the grassroots towards the state. The Dominican case is of particular interest as it illustrates the blend of personalized and institutionalized elements characteristic of democratic transition.
Variational Mixture of Gaussian Process Experts

Mixture of Gaussian processes models extended a single Gaussian process with ability of modeling multi-modal data and reduction of training complexity. Previous inference algorithms for these models are mostly based on Gibbs sampling, which can be very slow, particularly for large-scale data sets. We present a new generative mixture of experts model. Each expert is still a Gaussian process but is reformulated by a linear model. This breaks the dependency among training outputs and enables us to use a much faster variational Bayesian algorithm for training. Our gating network is more flexible than previous generative approaches as inputs for each expert are modeled by a Gaussian mixture model. The number of experts and number of Gaussian components for an expert are inferred automatically. A variety of tests show the advantages of our method.
A software test process stochastic control model based on CMM characterization

The state variable model of the software test process has shown to be a promising approach for the control of the system test phase of the software test process. However, the presence of unforeseen perturbations and noise in the data collection process impacts the accuracy of the predictions of the model and motivates the application of a stochastic control approach. This article explores a stochastic model construct upon the deterministic state variable model of the software test process. The Capability Maturity Model is used to identify levels of disturbance and noise that can be associated with the maturity level of processes. Simulation results are presented as an indication of the applicability of the stochastic state model. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Types and Sources of Victimization Inside Prison

Interracial patterns in sexual violence between inmate groups are well documented. Considerably less is known about the interracial pattern of sexual violence as well as physical violence between s...