cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systemic Racism and the Dispossession of Indigenous Wealth in the United States

This paper was presented as part of the Federal Reserve Bank's event, "Racism and the Economy: Focus on the Wealth Divide." In relation to the Indigenous people and nations within (and without) its borders, the United States’ national policy was geared toward efficiently and completely dispossessing Indian people and tribes of their lands and resources. For the most part, that national policy prevailed, although the efforts were far from efficient and far from complete. This section surveys the dispossession of Indigenous peoples and nations of their wealth. Structural racism played a critically important role in the dispossession of Indigenous peoples of their wealth throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Democracy and the "Kingdom of God"

The Israel of the early days in Palestine was not at all a nation as we would understand the term. On the contrary, she was a tribal league, a loose confederation of clans united to one another about the worship of God.... Society exhibited no class distinction, no wide rift between rich and poor, ruler and subject, but that rather complete democracy characteristic of nomadic life. —John Bright, The Kingdom of God
Granular computing in neural networks

The basic premise of granular computing is that, by reducing precision in our model of a system, we can suppress minor details and focus on the most significant relationships in the system. In this chapter, we will test this premise by defining a granular neural network and testing it on the Iris data set. Our hypothesis is that the granular neural network will be able to learn the Iris data set, but not as accurately as a standard neural network. Our network is a novel neurofuzzy systems architecture called the linguistic neural network. The defining characteristic of this network is that all connection weights are linguistic variables, whose values are updated by adding linguistic hedges. We define two new hedges, whose semantics require a generalization of the standard definition of linguistic variables. These generalized linguistic variables lead naturally to a linguistic arithmetic, which we prove forms a vector space. The node functions of the linguistic neural network are defined in terms of this linguistic arithmetic. The learning method used for the network is a modified Backpropagation algorithm, with the original arithmetic operations replaced by their linguistic equivalents. In a simulation experiment, this granulated version of the multilayer perceptron achieved 90% accuracy on the Iris data set, using a coarse granulation. This result supports our hypothesis.
An Annotated Guide to International Trends in Teacher Education

(1993). An Annotated Guide to International Trends in Teacher Education. Teaching Education: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 185-193.
War Games: Odysseus at Troy

T HIS paper examines two aspects of Odysseus' behavior that fundamentally set him apart from the other Greek heroes in the Iliad. Odysseus at Troy superficially appears to share many traits with the other Homeric heroes: he is a prominent participant both in assemblies and in combat, and he takes part in many of the decisive episodes of the narrative. He shares in the kleos ("glory") of the other renowned warriors by association, but closer examination shows that he speaks and behaves in an idiosyncratic, often unconventional, manner, and that many of his words and deeds reflect a stance of ambivalence towards the war and his role in it. Just as his words and deeds are often incon-
Government control over technology acquisition and firms' entry into new sectors: the experience of Japan's synthetic-fibre industry

Japan succeeded in developing its synthetic-fibre industry with extraordinary swiftness in the early 1950s, a period during which the rest of the country's economy was still in the early postwar stages of reconstruction and industrialisation. In 1953, for instance, Japan's output of synthetic fibres surpassed West Germany's, then third-ranking in the world; in 1956 it surpassed England's, and Japan attained the position of the second largest producer, after the United States. Throughout the 1960s, Japan's synthetic fibre industry continued to grow by leaps and bounds at an average annual rate of 26-3% in terms of physical output, narrowing the gap with the United States. Moreover, Japan quickly emerged as the world's top exporter of synthetic fibres because of the combined effect of its relatively large domestic output and its high propensity to export, f Major synthetic fibres were invented in the West (for example, nylon in the United States and polyester in England), and the technologies involved were transferred to Japanese firms, which in turn made many significant improvements. Japan's prowess in technology borrowing is well known ; in fact, many developing countries seem eager to learn from the Japanese experience. Several studies have examined, mostly in general macroeconomic terms, Japan's official control mechanisms for technology imports, the overall impact of technology absorption on the competitiveness of Japanese industry, and Japan's science and technology policies. J The purpose of this paper is to focus more narrowly on the experience of one particular industry, whose postwar acquisition of foreign technology in its developmental process has been closely controlled by the government. We will examine a unique control system (a system called 'a staggered-entry' formula) as it was applied to the entry of Japanese firms into the synthetic-fibre industry.
Subdural hematoma after microdiscectomy: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Background context Subdural hematomas (SDHs) have been described as a rare complication from durotomy after lumbar spine surgery. In half of the reported cases, the durotomy was unnoticed intraoperatively. The most common presenting symptom was persistent headache. Purpose To report a case of SDH after routine microdiscectomy and to review the literature. Study design Case report and review of the literature. Methods Retrospective review of patient's history and imaging studies. Results A 39-year-old female underwent routine microdiscectomy for L5–S1 herniated disc. There were no complications, and no dural tear was noted. Approximately 1 week postoperatively, the patient complained of severe headaches. Imaging revealed a right intracranial chronic SDH and a lumbar pseudomeningocele. Operative exploration of her lumbar wound revealed a dural tear, which was closed primarily. The patient had subsequent resolution of her SDH. Conclusions The authors present a case of a routine microdiscectomy complicated by delayed cerebrospinal leak causing a chronic SDH. This report illustrates the need for a comprehensive evaluation of headaches after spine surgery.
Pseudo-analog electrostatic piston micromirror

We report on the design, simulation, fabrication and testing of pseudo-analog micromirrors. Electrostatically actuated piston micromirrors were fabricated using the SUMMiT V process with a goal of achieving nearly analog displacement using digital voltage control. A mirror is controlled by multiple electrodes with varying areas that correspond to a binary system. As an example, a mirror is actuated using four electrodes with unit areas of 1, 2, 4 and 8. The same voltage level is applied to one or more of the electrodes to control the vertical displacement. This arrangement will allow up to 16 different displacements, with more levels possible with a larger number of electrodes. The system is amenable to digital control and can be scaled to large arrays. Parametric numerical models built in ANSYS simulations were used to predict performance and further refine the design parameter values derived from the theoretical models. An interferometric microscope has been used to measure the vertical displacement of the mirrors as voltage is applied. Experimental results show that mirror displacement is proportional to the total electrode area used to actuate the mirror. Reasonable repeatability in displacement has been seen for a mirror actuated by the same total electrode area and voltage.
A model for quantitative evaluation of an end-to-end question-answering system

We describe a procedure for quantitative evaluation of interactive question-answering systems and illustrate it with application to the High-Quality Interactive Question-Answering (HITIQA) system. Our objectives were (a) to design a method to realistically and reliably assess interactive question-answering systems by comparing the quality of reports produced using different systems, (b) to conduct a pilot test of this method, and (c) to perform a formative evaluation of the HITIQA system. Far more important than the specific information gathered from this pilot evaluation is the development of (a) a protocol for evaluating an emerging technology, (b) reusable assessment instruments, and (c) the knowledge gained in conducting the evaluation. We conclude that this method, which uses a surprisingly small number of subjects and does not rely on predetermined relevance judgments, measures the impact of system change on work produced by users. Therefore this method can be used to compare the product of interactive systems that use different underlying technologies. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improved algorithm for corner-cutting tunneling calculations

We present an improved version of the large-curvature tunneling method that more accurately treats the anharmonic potentials encountered along low-energy corner-cutting tunneling paths. The method is illustrated by applications to the reaction CH3+H2→CH4+H and to the double proton transfer in formamidine hydrate.
Downstream Hospital Charges Generated From Endoscopic Ultrasound Procedures Are Greater Than Those From Colonoscopies

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound is a clinically valuable endoscopic platform, although a potential barrier to its widespread use is the modest reimbursement to the hospital, compared with that of standard endoscopy. However, the downstream procedures generated by endoscopic ultrasound findings might offset its modest procedural reimbursement for a hospital or health care system. We compared the number of hospital procedures that resulted from endoscopic ultrasound findings with those from colonoscopy findings and also compared the downstream hospital charges generated by endoscopic ultrasounds with those from colonoscopies. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 920 consecutive endoscopic ultrasounds and 920 consecutive colonoscopies performed at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio to determine the downstream procedures generated within 18 months of the index procedure. Total hospital charges were determined for the index procedures, as well as all downstream surgeries, endoscopic procedures, and radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and interventional radiology procedures. RESULTS: Endoscopic ultrasounds led to a greater number of downstream procedures than colonoscopies (198 vs 34). Hospital charges for downstream procedures that arose from endoscopic ultrasounds were 2.63-fold greater than those of colonoscopies ($4,068,115 vs $1,546,291). Hospital charges that resulted from the 920 index endoscopic ultrasounds were 1.34-fold greater than those of the index colonoscopies ($3,194,715 vs $2,381,745). Thus, the total hospital charges (index procedures plus downstream procedures) that arose from endoscopic ultrasounds were 1.85-fold greater than those of colonoscopies ($7,262,830 vs $3,928,036). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic ultrasounds generate greater downstream hospital charges than colonoscopies. These downstream charges attenuate the higher procedure-related charges of colonoscopy for a hospital.
Infection of human urethral epithelium with Neisseria gonorrhoeae elicits an upregulation of host anti-apoptotic factors and protects cells from staurosporine-induced apoptosis

Summary In order to better understand the host response to an infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, microarray technology was used to analyse the gene expression profile between uninfected and infected human urethral epithelium. The anti-apoptotic genes bfl-1, cox-2 and c-IAP-2 were identified to be upregulated approximately eight-, four- or twofold, respectively, following infection. Subsequent assays including RT-PCR, real time RT-PCR and RNase protection confirmed the increased expression of these apoptotic regulators, and identified that a fourth anti-apoptotic factor, mcl-1, is also upregulated. RT-PCR and RNase protection also showed that key pro-apoptotic factors including bax, bad and bak do not change in expression. Furthermore, our studies demonstrated that infection with the gonococcus partially protects urethral epithelium from apoptosis induced by the protein kinase inhibitor, staurosporine (STS). This work shows that following infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, several host anti-apoptotic factors are upregulated. In addition, a gonococcal infection protects host cells from subsequent STS-induced death. The regulation of host cell death by the gonococcus may represent a mechanism employed by this pathogen to survive and proliferate in host epithelium.
Neutron Damage Effects In Laser Diodes

The effects of neutron irradiation on a variety of semiconductor laser diodes have been studied as a function of temperature between 200K and 320K. Total light output was measured as a function of current from well below threshold to the maximum operating point. The results show that the radiation sensitivity of all the laser types examined is less at lower temperatures. As long as the operating current is well above threshold following irradiation, the light output is relatively insensitive to neutron irradiation. In one of the laser types, neutron-enhanced operational degradation was also observed. Because of the complex structure of these laser diodes, it is difficult to associate particular device parameters with the degree of neutron sensitivity. However, in general the responses of the lasers to irradiation are similar. From the applied point of view, the results indicate that laser diodes with maximum operating currents well above their threshold currents are appropriate for radiation environment applications.*
Characterization of hyperthyroidism enhancement of halothane-induced hepatotoxicity

Abstract Administration of anesthetic doses of halothane to hyperthyroid male rats results in the development of hepatic necrosis. The severity of the hepatic lesion was dependent on the dose of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and the length of time it was administered. Pretreatment of rats with iodinated metabolites of thyroxin which do not induce hyperthyroidism did not result in any signs of hepatotoxicity after halothane exposure. The administration of halothane to hyperthyroid female rats or mice of either sex did not result in the development of any overt hepatotoxicity. Likewise, hyperthyroidism did not enhance the hepatotoxicity of another hepatotoxin bromobenzene. The in vitro enzymatic activities associated with cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolism and glutathione S -transferase conjugation activity were markedly altered in hyperthyroid rats. Cytochrome P-450 levels, aminopyrine N -demethylase activity, glutathione levels and glutathione S -transferase activity were all significantly lower in hyperthyroid rats. However, other enzyme activities were stimulated by T 3 pretreatment; aniline hydroxylase activity was increased by 45% and cytochrome c reductase activity was increased by 54% in hyperthyroid rats. Glutathione levels were also reduced significantly in hyperthyroid male rats. Maximal changes in both the cytochrome P-450 system and in the glutathione detoxification system were required before halothane demonstrated its hepatotoxic effects. Thus. a new balance between cvtochrome P-450-dependent bioactivation and glutathione conjugation of halothane may be necessary for the exaggerated hepatotoxicity of halothane seen in hyperthyroid male rats.
Formation kinetics of MoSi2 and Mo5Si3 by the reactive diffusive siliciding of molybdenum

The formation kinetics of products formed by the reaction between dense molybdenum and vapor-supplied silicon at an activity approximating that of solid silicon under open flowing gas conditions was studied at 1200°C. An outer MoSi 2 layer overlaid the much thinner Mo 5 Si 3 that formed on the molybdenum. Both phases obeyed parabolic growth laws over a 22 h period, having parabolic rate constants of 6.8 x 10 -10 cm 2 /s for the MoSi 2 and 1.3 x 10 -13 cm 2 /s for the Mo 5 Si 3 phases. These results were ∼2 orders of magnitude less than prior results, mostly obtained by another processing route. Possible explanations include enhanced growth rates from chemical contamination. Gross distortion and abnormal layer thicknesses at specimen edges and the 159% volume increase during siliciding suggest that the kinetics also are strain dependent.
Effects of phorbol myristate and ionomycin on in vitro growth of aged Peyer's patch T and B cells.

The proliferative responses of Peyer's patch (PP) T cells from aged BALB/c mice to concanavalin A (Con A) are considerably reduced, as compared to those of the young (P 0.05). The proliferative responses of PP B cells to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) do not differ from those of the young (P > 0.05), but the spontaneous proliferation of aged (unstimulated) B cells is enhanced nearly twofold versus that of the young (P 0.05), whereas LPS remediates the reduced response of aged B cells to PMA plus ionomycin. Thus, T and B cells from senescent PP demonstrate an impaired proliferative responsiveness via the Ca-dependent PKC pathway. A T cell mitogen and B cell stimulatory cytokines did not alter this activation pathway, once optimally stimulated. Whereas, T cell stimulatory cytokine IL-2 and B cell mitogen LPS could restore the age-associated decline of the corresponding lymphocyte subsets, T and B cells, in activation of the Ca-dependent pathway. The altered transmembrane signal transduction appears to be intrinsically defective in these aged PP T and B cells.
Cross-language information retrieval using PARAFAC2

A standard approach to cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) uses Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) in conjunction with a multilingual parallel aligned corpus. This approach has been shown to be successful in identifying similar documents across languages - or more precisely, retrieving the most similar document in one language to a query in another language. However, the approach has severe drawbacks when applied to a related task, that of clustering documents "language-independently", so that documents about similar topics end up closest to one another in the semantic space regardless of their language. The problem is that documents are generally more similar to other documents in the same language than they are to documents in a different language, but on the same topic. As a result, when using multilingual LSA, documents will in practice cluster by language, not by topic.We propose a novel application of PARAFAC2 (which is a variant of PARAFAC, a multi-way generalization of the singular value decomposition [SVD]) to overcome this problem. Instead of forming a single multilingual term-by-document matrix which, under LSA, is subjected to SVD, we form an irregular three-way array, each slice of which is a separate term-by-document matrix for a single language in the parallel corpus. The goal is to compute an SVD for each language such that V (the matrix of right singular vectors) is the same across all languages. Effectively, PARAFAC2 imposes the constraint, not present in standard LSA, that the "concepts" in all documents in the parallel corpus are the same regardless of language. Intuitively, this constraint makes sense, since the whole purpose of using a parallel corpus is that exactly the same concepts are expressed in the translations.We tested this approach by comparing the performance of PARAFAC2 with standard LSA in solving a particular CLIR problem. From our results, we conclude that PARAFAC2 offers a very promising alternative to LSA not only for multilingual document clustering, but also for solving other problems in cross-language information retrieval.
Characterization of BK Channels Cloned from Mouse Sinoatrial Node Cells

BK currents are well-established modulators of neural and smooth muscle excitability and recently we reported that BK currents alter the excitability of mouse sinoatrial node (SAN) cells, the predominant cardiac pacemaking cells (Lai et al. 2014, AJP- Heart & Circ Physiol). Because of the relatively small amplitude of native BK currents in SANCs, and the inability to record native BK currents under different Ca2+ conditions, we characterized currents produced by two BK channel variants cloned from SAN cells (BKVYR and BKQEERL). BK currents were recorded from inside-out patches from HEK293T cells in symmetrical K+. Analysis of the conductance-voltage relationships revealed similar V1/2s between BKVYR and BKQEERL currents (approximately 142 mV, 55 mV, and −27 mV at 1, 10, and 100 μM Ca2+, respectively). To gain insight on the mechanism underlying the role of BK currents in the SAN action potential, we also characterized BKVYR and BKQEERL currents at nominal, 1 μM, and 50 μM Ca2+ in physiological K+. Under physiological ionic conditions, BKVYR and BKQEERL currents began to activate at voltages near the maximum diastolic potential (MDP), approximately −60 mV, when the intracellular Ca2+ was 50 μM. By comparison, we previously reported that the native SAN cell BK currents activate at potentials positive to the MDP. These data suggest that native SAN BK currents require a significant elevation in intracellular Ca2+ to achieve meaningful BK current activation at physiological membrane potentials, and suggest close functional coupling of BK channels with Ca2+ sources in SAN cells.
Powder X-ray diffraction identification of some new phases in the Na2SAl2S3 system

Abstract Four new phases in the Na 2 SAl 2 S 3 system have been identified by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. All four phases have Na 2 S:Al 2 S 3 ratios greater than 1:1. Analysis with X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy with a scanning electron microscope indicated provisional stoichiometries of α-Na 3 AlS 3 , β-Na 3 AlS 3 , and Na 5 AlS 4 for three of the new phases. The fourth phase has yet to be identified.
An IgG3-IL-2 fusion protein has higher affinity than hrIL-2 for the IL-2R alpha subunit: real time measurement of ligand binding.

The alpha subunit of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (IL-2Rα)3 has the highest individual affinity for IL-2 and is the only subunit not known to bind other cytokines. The interactions between IL-2 and IL-2Rα studied in cell binding assays have revealed a number of factors which may vary significantly in different cell lines used for these assays in different laboratories. In order to avoid the problems associated with cellular assays we used an optical biosensor to examine the interaction between IL-2Rα and hrIL-2. Real-time measurement of association and dissociation resulted in a calculated KD of 1.9 × 10−7 M for this interaction. We then examined the IL-2Rα binding of a potentially bivalent IgG3-IL2 fusion protein previously shown to have a higher affinity than hrIL-2 for the high affinity IL-2R but not the intermediate affinity IL-2R. Biosensor measurements of association and dissociation of IgG3-IL2 to IL-2Rα yielded a similar association rate but a decreased dissociation rate compared to hrIL-2, resulting in a KD of 5.3 × 10−8 M. This system is applicable to the numerous IL-2 mutants with different affinities and activities and is generalizable to other cytokine/receptor interactions.
A Biliary Endoprosthesis Functioning After Six Years

The functional lifetime for biliary endoprostheses has typically been 7 months. When combined with sphincterotomy for common bile duct stones, it affords an alternative to surgery in high risk patients. Biliary endoprostheses often require replacement in these patients, though recent reports suggest they are functioning longer. We present an 85-year-old asymptomatic woman with a 6-year-old biliary endoprosthesis, believed to be the longest functioning stent reported in the literature.
Wealth effects and committed cost allocation: An agency theory perspective

In this article we examine the effects of committed costs (CC) on compensation and effort (production) decisions in a principal-agent (P-A) setting. In the case where moral hazard is present, the compensation and effort (production) decisions are independent of CC whenever P has constant absolute risk aversion. When P has decreasing absolute risk aversion, he demands as increased risk premium, therefore increases the spread of the compensation schedule, and induces A to increase effort (production) and vice versa. The optimal compensation scheme can be decomposed to conform to incentive schemes that are generally observed in practice. In particular, we decompose the optimal compensation scheme that depends on CC into two parts—a part that is based on cash flows and a part that is based on income (after allocating committed costs). In the case where effort is observable, CC does not effect the compensation scheme and effort decisions, when P has constant absolute risk aversion. In contrast to earlier studies that examine the owner-manager case, when P has decreasing absolute risk aversion, effort (production) could either increase or decrease. The presence of moral hazard affects the effort (production) decision differently than when risk-sharing considerations alone exist. The reduction in A's compensation induced by increased CC never exceeds the amount of CC.
PREDICTING FAULT-PRONE MODULES IN EMBEDDED SYSTEMS USING ANALOGY-BASED CLASSIFICATION MODELS

Embedded systems have become ubiquitous and essential entities in our ever growing high-tech world. The backbone of today's information-highway infrastructure are embedded systems such as telecommunication systems. They demand high reliability, so as to prevent severe consequences of failures including costly repairs at remote sites. Technology changes mandate that embedded systems evolve, resulting in a demand for techniques for improving reliability of their future system releases. Reliability models based on software metrics can be effective tools for software engineering of embedded systems, because quality improvements are so resource-consuming that it is not feasible to apply them to all modules. Identification of the likely fault-prone modules before system testing, can be effective in reducing the likelihood of faults discovered during operations. A software quality classification model is calibrated using software metrics from a past release, and is then applied to modules currently under development to estimate which modules are likely to be fault-prone. This paper presents and demonstrates an effective case-based reasoning approach for calibrating such classification models. It is attractive for software engineering of embedded systems, because it can be used to develop software reliability models using a faster, cheaper, and easier method. We illustrate our approach with two large-scale case studies obtained from embedded systems. They involve data collected from telecommunication systems including wireless systems. It is indicated that the level of classification accuracy observed in both case studies would be beneficial in achieving high software reliability of subsequent releases of the embedded systems.
Electron microscopic studies of mitosis in amebae. II. The giant ameba Pelomyxa carolinensis.

Dividing nuclei from the giant ameba Pelomyxa carolinensis were fixed in osmium tetroxide solutions buffered with veronal acetate to pH 8.0. If divalent cations (0.002 M calcium, magnesium, or strontium as chlorides) were added to the fixation solution, fibrils that are 14 mµ in diameter and have a dense cortex are observed in the spindle. If the divalent ions were omitted, oriented particles of smaller size are present and fibrils are not obvious. The stages of mitosis were observed and spindle components compared. Fibrils fixed in the presence of calcium ions are not so well defined in early metaphase as later, but otherwise have the same diameter in the late metaphase, anaphase, and early telophase. Fibrils are surrounded by clouds of fine material except in early telophase, when they are formed into tight bundles lying in the cytoplasm unattached to nuclei. Metaphase and anaphase fibrils fixed without calcium ions are less well defined and are not observably different from each other. The observations are consistent with the concept that spindle fibrils are composed of polymerized, oriented protein molecules that are in equilibrium with and bathed in non-oriented molecules of the same protein. Partially formed spindle fibrils and ribosome-like particles were observed in the mixoplasm when the nuclear envelope had only small discontinuities. Remnants of the envelope are visible throughout division and are probably incorporated into the new envelope in the telophase. Ribosome-like particles are numerous in the metaphase and anaphase spindle but are not seen in the telophase nucleus, once the envelope is reestablished, or in the interphase nucleus.
Lysergic acid diethylamide and serotonin: direct actions on serotonin-containing neurons in rat brain.

Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and serotonin (5HT) were applied directly by microiontophoresis to 5HT-containing neurons in the midbrain raphe nuclei. The firing of these neurons was markedly inhibited by both LSD and 5HT. The effects of LSD given systemically and microiontophoretically were similar. This suggests that the inhibition of raphe neurons which occurs after the systemic administration of LSD could be due to a direct action of the drug.
Short Synthesis of the CDEF Ring System of Lactonamycin

[reaction: see text]. A synthesis of the CDEF fragment of lactonamycin is achieved in eight steps (six pots) from the known and readily available anhydride 4 via a Diels-Alder reaction between tricycle 13 and 2,3-dimethylbenzoquinone.
The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold. Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy

(2004). The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold. Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy. Eurasian Geography and Economics: Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 465-469.
Critical point scaling in the Percus-Yevick equation

Abstract It is pointed out that the solution of the Percus-Yevick equation for sticky hard spheres, obtained by Baxter, scales exactly in the critical region with classical, Van der Waals exponents. However, even though the correlation functions achieve the Ornstein-Zernike forms, the scaling functions for the equation of state are not classical: in particular, the usual asymptotic gas-liquid symmetry is strongly violated; there is a spinodal curve only for the liquid phase; the specific heat, C v , on the critical isochore is logarithmically divergent, and, quite unphysically, C v is also logarithmically divergent on the critical isotherm above the critical density. Finally, comparison with numerical calculations for Lennard-Jones interactions suggests that the scaling functions are, in general, nonuniversal for the PY equation.
Accelerated Hypertension With Encephalopathy Due to an Isolated Dissection of a Renal Artery Branch Vessel

Typical causes of renovascular hypertension include intramural atherosclerotic lesions of the main renal arteries or their branches and fibromuscular dysplasia of the renal arterial wall with luminal narrowing. We report a patient with new-onset, accelerated hypertension (blood pressure 220/140 mm Hg, status epilepticus, retinal hemorrhages) secondary to a dissection of the anterior division of the right renal artery that was accompanied by hyperreninemia, hyperaldosteronism, and hypokalemia. At presentation in the untreated state, unstimulated plasma renin activity and the serum aldosterone level were markedly elevated. Following right nephrectomy, blood pressure levels normalized without anti hypertensive therapy, and plasma renin activity, serum aldosterone and potassium levels normalized. Histologic study of the right renal artery showed an isolated dissection of the anterior branch of the vessel between the muscularis and adventitia that created marked reduction in luminal diameter and renal ischemia. There was no evidence of any other vascular abnormalities, atherosclerosis, or fibromuscular dysplasia. These findings demonstrate that an isolated dissection of a branch of the renal artery may induce profound hyperreninemia and represents a rare, reversible etiology for accelerated hypertension associated with acute encephalopathy.
BLADE ABANDONMENT/PROLIFERATION: A NOVEL MECHANISM FOR RAPID EPIPHYTE CONTROL IN MARINE MACROPHYTES

The strategy of blade abandonment and simultaneous rapid proliferation (via protoplasmic translocation) is unique to siphonaceous macroalgae owing to their lack of restrictive crosswalks. Siphonalean green algae often dominate the standing stocks and productivity of Caribbean mangrove island environs and are also abundant in virtually all calm-water reef habitats. The experimental organism Avrainvillea longicaulis is particularly abundant in the study sites west of Carrie Bow Cay and Curlew Cay, Belize. The recycling of protoplasm out of older epiphytically impaired blades of A. longicaulis, and simultaneous formation of apical siphon extensions elsewhere, leads to rapid proliferation of new blades- hypothetically, at relatively low energy cost to the plant. The rapidity of siphon extension occurs at least an order of magnitude faster than that possible by photosynthetic production alone, resulting in fully formed proliferations within 3 d. At the same time, the older epiphytized blades become empty, first at the tips, then progressively toward the holdfast, appearing translucent-brown and flaccid within 3 d, followed by senescence. We hypothesize that A. longicaulis rapidly responds to epiphyte colonization/impairment by reallocating protoplasm for new growth through protoplasmic streaming. The alternative hypothesis, that the herbivorous crab Thersandrus compresses might beneficially control epiphytes on A. longicaulis, was falsified by its strong negative effects (i.e., decreased growth and increased host mortality). The hypothesis that allelopathic secondary chemicals may play an antifouling role also was not supported by our experiments; i.e., the consistently vigorous growth rates of the five dominant epiphyte species attached to A. longicaulis were not significantly less than populations of the same species attached to carbonate rock. All of the manipulative results (i.e., experimental induction of blade abandonment followed by new proliferation), as well as the populational survey findings (i.e., greater proliferation by epiphytized plants) and physiological data (i.e., photosynthetic inhibition by epiphytes), support the blade abandonment/proliferation hypothesis, thereby documenting an effective epiphyte-control strategy.
Renal injury is associated with operative mortality after cardiac surgery for women and men

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine whether acute renal injury develops more frequently in women than in men after cardiac surgery and whether this complication is associated with operative mortality in women. Methods Prospectively collected data were evaluated from 9461 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, cardiac valve surgery, or both (3080 women) and not receiving preoperative dialysis. The glomerular filtration rate was estimated by using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equations with the last plasma creatinine level before surgical intervention (baseline) and the highest level of the first postoperative week. The primary renal injury outcome was the composite end point of renal injury according to RIFLE criteria (estimated glomerular filtration rate decrease >50% from baseline value) or failure. Results Thirty-day operative mortality and renal injury were more common in women than in men (5.9% vs 2.8%, P = .01; 5.1% vs 3.6%, P P P P P Conclusions Postoperative renal injury is independently associated with 30-day mortality regardless of patient sex. Higher rates of renal injury in women compared with men might be explained in part by a higher prevalence of low estimated glomerular filtration rate before surgical intervention.
Polarization discrimination in a phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer intrusion-sensor system

A distributed sensor system for detecting and locating intruders based on a phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (phi-OTDR) that utilizes polarization discrimination is described. The sensing element is a single-mode telecommunications fiber in a 3 mm diameter cable buried along a monitored perimeter in a 20-46 cm deep, 10 cm wide trench in clay soil. Light pulses from a continuous-wave Er fiber Fabry-Perot laser with a narrow (< 3 kHz) instantaneous linewidth and low (a few Kilohertz per second) frequency drift are injected into one end of the fiber, and the orthogonal polarizations of the backscattered light are monitored with separate receivers. Localized phase changes in the optical carrier are sensed by subtraction of a phi-OTDR trace from an earlier stored trace. In field tests with a monitored length of 12 km, detection of intruders on foot as far as 4.5 m from the cable line was consistently achieved.
The effects of argon and argon-helium mixtures on the direct current arc

The use of argon as an environment for the dc arc results in marked prolongation of volatilization, increased initial electrode currents, and enhancement of lines of many elements, particularly volatile ones, when samples are burnt to extinction and compared to helium and argon-helium mixtures. An interdependent relationship between total time necessary for complete volatilization of samples, percentage helium and argon composition of the atmosphere, and sample concentrations is demonstrated. Independently, a relationship between the electrode current, percent helium and argon, and concentration of the sample exists.
Measurement of Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Associated with a Size-Segregated Urban Aerosol

Size-segregated atmospheric particles were collected in Boston, MA, using a micro-orifice impactor. The samples were analyzed for oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAH) using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Seven PAH ketones (1-acenaphthenone, 9-fluorenone, 11H-benzo[a]fluoren-11-one, 7H-benzo[c]fluoren-7-one, 11H-benzo[b]fluoren-11-one, benzanthrone, and 6H-benzo[cd]pyrene-6-one), four PAH diones (1,4-naphthoquinone, phenanthrenequinone, 5,12-naphthacenequinone, and benzo[a]pyrene-6,12-dione), and one PAH dicarboxylic acid anhydride (naphthalic anhydride) were identified. Seven additional compounds with mass spectra typical of OPAH were tentatively identified. OPAH were generally distributed among aerosol size fractions based on molecular weight. Compounds with molecular weights between 168 and 208 were ap proximately evenly distributed between the fine (aerodynamic diameter, Dp, 2 μm) particles. OPAH with molecular weights of 248 and greater were associated pri...
A Primary Care Intervention for Weight Loss: Results of a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Most primary care providers (PCPs), constrained by time and resources, cannot provide intensive behavioral counseling for obesity. This study evaluated the effect of using medical assistants (MAs) as weight loss counselors. The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in two primary care offices at an academic medical center. Patients (n = 50) had a BMI of 27-50 kg/m(2) and no contraindications to weight loss. They were randomized to quarterly PCP visits and weight loss materials (Control group) or to the same approach combined with eight visits with a MA over 6 months (Brief Counseling). Outcomes included change in weight and cardiovascular risk factors (glucose, lipids, blood pressure, and waist circumference). Patients in the Brief Counseling and Control groups lost 4.4 +/- 0.6 kg (5.1 +/- 0.7% of initial weight) and 0.9 +/- 0.6 kg (1.0 +/- 0.7%), respectively, at month 6 (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups for changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Brief Counseling patients regained weight between month 6 and month 12, when MA visits were discontinued. Attrition was 10% after 6 months and 6% after 12 months. Brief Counseling by MAs induced significant weight loss during 6 months. Office-based obesity treatment should be tested in larger trials and should include weight loss maintenance counseling.
Physicochemical changes and rheological properties of starch during extrusion. (A review)

Among all flour components, starches play a key role during extrusion. Starch undergoes several significant structural changes, which include gelatinization, melting, and fragmentation. This review focuses on transformations in starch during extrusion and their effect on rheological properties. The effect of extrusion operating parameters, such as residence time distribution, thermal and mechanical energy input and pressure inside the die, and their effect on rheological properties are reviewed. The relationships between rheological properties and extrudate expansion and final extrudate texture are discussed. The dependence of starch viscosity on temperature, moisture content, time-temperature history, shear rate, gelatinization, and fragmentation kinetics during extrusion are reviewed.
The Impact and Nature of Inflammation in the Olfactory Cleft On Olfaction in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis

S A T U R D A Y 210 Excessive Fibrin Deposition Caused by a Fibrinolytic Disorder Associated with Reduction of Tissue Plaminogen Activator Expression in Nasal Polyps Tetsuji Takabayashi, MD, Atsushi Kato, PhD, Anju Peters, MD, Kathryn E. Hulse, PhD, Lydia Suh, BSc, Roderick Carter, BSc, James Norton, MS, Leslie C. Grammer, MD, FAAAAI, Seong Ho Cho, MD, Bruce Tan, MD, Rakesh Chandra, MD, David Conley, MD, Robert Kern, MD, Shigeharu Fujieda, MD, Robert P. Schleimer, PhD, FAAAAI; Northwestern University Feinberg School Medicine, Chicago, IL, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. RATIONALE: Nasal polyps (NP) are characterized by intense edema or pseudocyst formation with a high content of plasma proteins, mainly albumin. However, the mechanisms underlying NP retention of plasma proteins in submucosa remain unclear. We hypothesized that formation of fibrin mesh retains plasma proteins in NP.We assessed the fibrin deposition and expression of the fibrinolytic components in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). METHODS: We collected nasal tissue from patients with CRS and control subjects. We assessed fibrin deposition by means of immunofluorescence. Fibrinolytic components, d-dimer and plasminogen activators were measured using ELISA, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry. We also performed gene expression and protein quantification analysis in primary airway epithelial cells. RESULTS: Immunofluorescence data showed profound fibrin deposition in NP compared with uncinate tissue (UT) from CRS and control subjects (6.6 fold increase, p<.001). Levels of the cross-linked fibrin cleavage product d-dimer were significantly decreased in NP compared with UT from CRS and control, suggesting reduced fibrinolysis (4.3 fold, p<.01). Expression levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) mRNA and protein were significantly decreased in NP compared with UT from CRS and control (P < .001). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated clear reduction of t-PA in NP, primarily in the epithelium and glands. Additionally, plasminogen activator protein levels in UT were lower than inferior turbinate tissue from both CRS and control. Th2 cytokine stimulated cultured airway epithelial cells showed downregulation of t-PA. CONCLUSIONS: A reduction of t-PA might lead to excessive fibrin deposition in the submucosa of NP, possibly contributing to the tissue remodeling and pathogenesis of CRSwNP.
Reproductive success in varying light environments: direct and indirect effects of light on plants and pollinators

Plant populations often exist in spatially heterogeneous environments. Light level can directly affect plant reproductive success through resource availability or by altering pollinator behavior. It can also indirectly influence reproductive success by determining floral display size which may in turn influence pollinator attraction. We evaluated direct and indirect effects of light availability and measured phenotypic selection on phenological traits that may enhance pollen receipt in the insect-pollinated herb Campanulastrum americanum. In a natural population, plants in the sun had larger displays and received 7 times more visits than plants in the shade. Using experimental arrays to separate the direct effects of irradiance on insects from their response to display size, we found more visits to plants in the sun than in the shade, but no association between number of visits each flower received and display size. Plants in the sun were not pollen limited but pollen-augmented shade flowers produced 50% more seeds than open-pollinated flowers. Phenological traits, which may influence pollen receipt, were not under direct selection in the sun. However, earlier initiation and a longer duration of flowering were favored in the shade, which may enhance visitation in this pollen-limited habitat.
Targeting of HIV- and SIV-infected cells by CD4-chemokine receptor pseudotypes

Retroviral vectors containing CD4 and an appropriate chemokine receptor were evaluated for the ability to transduce cells infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). These CD4-chemokine receptor pseudotypes were able to target HIV- and SIV-infected cell lines and monocyte-derived macrophages in a manner that corresponded to the specificity of the viral envelope glycoprotein for its CD4-chemokine receptor complex. This approach could offer a way to deliver antiviral genes directly to HIV-infected cells in vivo and could provide an additional treatment strategy in conjunction with existing antiviral therapies.
226 Ra excesses in mid-ocean-ridge basalts and mantle melting

The discovery of radioactive disequilibrium among isotopes of the 238U decay chain in recent volcanic rocks1–7 has enhanced our understanding of both the timescale and processes of melting in the mantle. Excesses of 230Th (half life 75,200 yr) relative to its parent 234U in some of these rocks indicate that thorium is preferentially partitioned into the melt phase, and constrain the combined duration of melting and magma transport to less than a few hundred thousand years. Recent observations of 226Ra and 228Ra excesses over their respective parents 230Th and 228Th in individual subaerial volcanoes have led to even more precise determinations of the timescale of magmatic processes3,6. Here we report the observation and implications of 226Ra (half life 1,620 yr) excesses in mid-ocean-ridge basalts. These excesses are probably produced during melting in the mantle, and the timescale they impose suggests that they are controlled by kinetic processes, rather than chemical equilibrium. Regardless of the process, the 226Ra excesses constrain the length of the magma transfer times from melting through eruption (and sample collection) to less than about a thousand years.
The Infection of Rye Callus With Claviceps purpurea

Abstract The methods and results of inoculating callus cultures of rye( Secale cereale ) with ergot ( Claviceps purpurea ) are described. The fungus grows intercellularly and invades some cells, but does not produce alkaloids.