cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel 2-D Convolution on a Mesh Connected Array Processor

In this correspondence, a parallel 2-D convolution scheme is presented. The processing structure is a mesh connected array processor consisting of the same number of simple processing elements as the number of pixels in the image. For most windows considered, the number of computation steps required is the same as that of the coefficients of a convolution window. The proposed scheme can be easily extended to convolution windows of arbitrary size and shape. The basic idea of the proposed scheme is to apply the 1-D systolic concept to 2-D convolution on a mesh structure. The computation is carried out along a path called a convolution path in a systolic manner. The efficiency of the scheme is analyzed for windows of various shapes. The ideal convolution path is a Hamiltonian path ending at the center of the window, the length of which is equal to the number of window coefficients. The simple architecture and control strategy make the proposed scheme suitable for VLSI implementation.
Essential Elements in Oysters (Caassostrea virginica) as Affected By Processing Method

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of three processing methods currently used in the commercial processing of oysters on the concentration of 15 essential elements in oysters. The processing methods evaluated were: traditional hand shucking, steam tunnel, and retorting. Significant differences were observed in the retention of some of the essential elements as the result of processing.
Cirrhosis with microscopic hematuria and pelvic congestion syndrome.

A 42-year-old white male presented with microscopic hematuria and 5 to 10 red blood cells per high power field on 3 consecutive examinations. History revealed advanced cirrhosis of the liver secondary to ethanol abuse. Aspartate transaminase was increased, aspartate transaminase-to-alanine transaminase ratio was 2.6, alkaline phosphatase was increased, white blood cell count was 12,000, creatinine was 1.9, blood urea nitrogen was 30 and cystoscopy was negative. Ultrasound showed no abnormalities of the upper urinary tract. Multiphase computerized tomography confirmed the presence of massive esophageal varices but also revealed hugely dilated collateral splenic veins (fig. 1) and massive splenorenal shunts, resulting in significant dilatation of the left renal vein (fig. 2). The pathophysiology of this process causes increased left renal vein pressure similar to that seen
Equations for the viscosity and thermal conductivity coefficients of methane

Abstract An equation is proposed to calculate the viscosity and thermal conductivity coefficients of methane from the dilute gas to the dense liquid. The range of validity of the equation is approximately 95–400 K for pressures up to 50 MPa (∼500 atm). The reliabilities of the coefficients calculated are estimated at approximately 2% and 5% for the viscosity and thermal conductivity coefficients, respectively. The equation includes a contribution for the thermal conductivity enhancement in the critical region.
Angiographic patterns and the natural history of the vulnerable plaque.

Abstract Coronary angiography is the gold standard for the identification of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). The use of this diagnostic test in the evaluation of many clinical syndromes of CAD has yielded a wealth of angiographic data relative to the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. This chapter reviews these important data including the limitations of the angiogram in vulnerable plaque detection, angiographic patterns of complex plaques or “culprit lesions,” and the natural history of the complex angiographic lesion. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Benthic fish and invertebrate assemblages within the National Marine Fisheries Service US west coast triennial bottom trawl survey

Abstract This project sought to derive the ecological boundaries within a bottom trawl survey by treating benthic fish and invertebrate species as biological indicators in assemblage analyses. A secondary goal was to determine if these ecological boundaries match the strata boundaries of the bottom trawl survey. Most fishery-independent bottom trawl surveys are driven by management needs for relative biomass estimation of commercial stocks within certain strata, and the strata boundaries are often abiotic features such as political borders, capes and submarine canyons, or arbitrary depths. However, these surveys also generate a great deal of under-utilized data—such as the abundance of non-commercial benthic species and the occurrence of size-groups of commercial species—that can be used for defining ecological boundaries that are independent of the strata boundaries. For an example data set, this analysis used the National Marine Fisheries Service US west coast bottom trawl survey, which has sampled the same 610 stations in three surveys (1995, 1998, and 2001). This analysis determined the geographic extent of three biologically distinct assemblages which occurred in a total of 9 analyses across three bottom trawl surveys and across three assemblage analysis methods: hierarchical clustering, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS). Most trawl survey stations were consistently grouped into the same assemblage in a majority of the 9 analyses, indicating that the assemblages were stable with respect to time and to interpretation from the different assemblage analyses. Kriging on the percent agreement of the 9 analyses at each station defined boundaries of agreement (edges of assemblages), areas of disagreement (transition zones between assemblages), and clear differences from the arbitrary latitude/depth bottom trawl survey stratification scheme. The temporal and statistical consistency, and the geographical continuity of the assemblages, along with significant differences in depth and bottom water temperature among assemblages, indicated the utility of using benthic species for deriving the number and geographic extent of ecological boundaries within the bottom trawl survey area.
Coarctation of the abdominal aorta in pregnancy: diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Coarctation of the aorta is rare, affecting one per 2000-3000 women. Abdominal coarctation is more commonly identified in women than in men, but only two cases have been reported in pregnancy. Case: A 26-year-old woman was diagnosed with hypertension at 15 years of age. Her blood pressure was controlled adequately with beta-blockers. During her pregnancy, she was found to have coarctation of the abdominal aorta by magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging is a safe, reliable means by which to confirm clinically suspected coarctation of the aorta during pregnancy.
Soviet and Yugoslavian Criminology

Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union have created very different criminologies in the post-war period. The criminologies of these two countries differ in terms of quality, diversity of subject matter and the level of analytical sophistication. Yugoslavia, with many fewer criminologists in proportion to its population than the Soviet Union, has achieved international recognition for its crime research, a distinction that eludes Soviet scholars despite the significant commitment of financial and human resources by the Soviet state to the study of crime. Soviet and Yugoslavian criminology differ significantly in regard to their organizational structure, internal distribution of their research centers, the training and affiliation of their criminologists and the purpose and nature of their criminological research. These differences, discussed in this paper, are attributable to the historical heritages of the criminologies, the extent of freedom allowed researchers, the degree of ideological commitment and the part...
Ontogeny of adherent cells. I. Distribution and ontogeny of A cells participating in the response to sheep erythrocytes in vitro.

An adherent (A) cell function required for the in vitro antibody-forming response to sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) antigen has been demonstrated in a culture medium enriched with nucleic acid precursors and 2-mercapto-ethanol. The essential function is fulfilled best by adult adherent cells of the spleen, to some extent by bone marrow and perhaps lymph node A cells, and poorly or not at all by peritoneal or lung A cells. Ontogenetic studies reveal the absence or inhibition of neonatal A cell synergistic function in the in vitro response to SRBC. The capacity of splenic adherent cells to collaborate with column-separated nonadherent cells appears only from the third or fourth day after birth, with ratio indices reaching levels significantly greater than nonsynergistic background by the fifth day and showing little further increase until the second week of age.
Synthesis of the Cytostatic Cyclic Tetrapeptide, Chlamydocin

Abstract Chlamydocin has been synthesized by a route utilizing allylic hydroxylation and epoxidation of the DL-2-amino-9-decenoic acid residue to form the 2-amino-8-oxo-9,10-epoxydecanoic acid residue.
Spirited Accidents: An Autoethnography of Possibility:

Kierkegaard says, "A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation …" This understanding of spirit-as-self-in-relation, leads, inevitably, to concerns for personal fulfillment, dialogue, community, and social justice in our world. To engage spirit in our ethnographic practice is to engage the self in relation —with the world, with others, with the very frames and possibilities of our being. The accidental ethnographer, open to the driving pulse of spirited searching, may stumble into openings never anticipated. Following these openings may lead to transcendent experiences that bring new relational possibilities into view.
Is lower extremity revascularization worthwhile in patients with end-stage renal disease?

Abstract Background. The purpose of this study was to review the results of lower extremity revascularization in patients with end-stage renal disease and to determine in these patients the functional benefit and cost of an aggressive approach to limb preservation. Methods. During a 5-year period at our institution, 33 bypass operations were performed on 31 limbs of 23 dialysis-dependent patients. Indications for revascularization were limited (18) or extensive (12) tissue loss or ischemia without tissue loss (3). Procedures included aortobifemoral bypass (1), femoropopliteal bypass (10), and femorotibial/pedal bypass (22). A digital or transmetatarsal amputation was performed in 57% of limbs. Results. The 30-day primary patency was 100%. Cumulative primary and secondary patency rates at 2 years were 65% and 79%, respectively. Limb salvage was 67% and 59% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Patient survival was poor (47% at 2 years). Peritoneal dialysis was predictive of poor survival ( P P =.027). Only 39% of limbs with extensive tissue loss were salvaged at 1 year compared with 78% and 100% of limbs with limited and no tissue loss, respectively. The average hospital cost was $44,308 per year of limb salvage. Conclusions. Although revascularization of ischemic limbs in dialysis patients can be achieved with an excellent initial graft patency and reasonable limb salvage, patient survival is poor and costs are high. A selective approach to revascularization in these complicated patients may be indicated. For patients treated with peritoneal dialysis and for those with extensive tissue loss, primary amputation may be the preferred approach. (Surgery 2000;128:472–9.)
Differences in readers' response towards advertising versus publicity.

Publicity is assumed to have higher credibility than advertising prompting communication specialists to call for its use alongside traditional advertising to achieve overall communication goals. To test the differences in readers' response towards advertisements and publicity, a sample of students (N = 104; 52 men and 52 women) were shown printed messages identified as advertising or publicity. The publicity format appeared to be associated with deeper processing because participants had higher recall, more message-relevant thoughts, and better discrimination for the publicity message. In addition, participants rated the publicity message higher on Source Credibility, Brand Attitude, and Purchase Intent than a comparable advertisement.
A Golgi-associated protein 4.1B variant is required for assimilation of proteins in the membrane.

The archetypal membrane skeleton is that of the erythrocyte, consisting predominantly of spectrin, actin, ankyrin R and protein 4.1R. The presence in the Golgi of a membrane skeleton with a similar structure has been inferred, based on the identification of Golgi-associated spectrin and ankyrin. It has long been assumed that a Golgi-specific protein 4.1 must also exist, but it has not previously been found. We demonstrate here that a hitherto unknown form of protein 4.1, a 200 kDa 4.1B, is associated with the Golgi of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. This 4.1B variant behaves like a Golgi marker after treatment with Brefeldin A and during mitosis. Depletion of the protein in HBE cells by siRNA resulted in disruption of the Golgi structure and failure of Na+/K+-ATPase, ZO-1 and ZO-2 to migrate to the membrane. Thus, this newly identified Golgi-specific protein 4.1 appears to have an essential role in maintaining the structure of the Golgi and in assembly of a subset of membrane proteins.
Novel role for the N-terminus domain of the a2 isoform of vacuolar ATPase in interleukin-1β production

Summary Interleukin–1β (IL-1β) is a mediator cytokine that is released by macrophages and epithelial cells in pregnancy and tumorigenesis before antigen recognition. a2V-ATPase is a protein expressed during pregnancy and tumorigenesis and has a novel role in immune regulation. It is expressed as a 70 kDa molecule in intracellular vesicles. Upon cell stimulation it migrates to the surface followed by the cleavage of a 20 kDa portion (a2 N-terminus domain, a2NTD). This study aimed to determine whether a2NTD could induce IL-1β production in immune cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) were stimulated with a2NTD and analyzed for cytokine gene expression by gene arrays. Supernatants were analyzed for IL-1β by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and cells were analyzed for intracellular expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNF-α by flow cytometry. When PBMC were cultured with a2NTD, there was a 2.5-fold increase in IL1A and IL1B gene expression and no induction of TNF gene expression. There was a 72-fold increase in IL-1β in supernatants of PBMC cultured with a2NTD. Finally, there was a 204-fold increase in intracellular expression of IL-1β in monocytes incubated with a2NTD. These results indicate a regulatory role for a2NTD in IL-1 cytokine production and suggest a unique role for this molecule in inflammation.
A new preconditioning technique for the GMRES algorithm in power flow and P-V curve calculations

Abstract The application of iterative methods for the solution of the linear system in the power flow problem and P – V curve calculations is investigated in this paper. The general minimal residual (GMRES) method and an improvement on this method proposed by Morgan (GMRES-E) are used and compared with the popular LU factorization. Furthermore, the fundamental problem of preconditioning is addressed here within the framework of the power flow problem. Results are presented on 3887, 3911 and 4700 bus test systems based on real data.
Bridging the Disciplinary Divide: Co-Creating Research Ideas in eScience Teams

Collaboration within eScience teams depends on participants learning each others' disciplinary perspectives sufficiently to generate cross-disciplinary research questions of interest. Participants in new teams often have a limited understanding of each other's research interests; hence early team interactions must revolve around exploratory cross-disciplinary learning and the search for interesting linkages between disciplines. This article investigates group learning and creative processes that impact the efficacy of early team interactions, and the impact of those interactions on the generation of integrated conceptual frameworks from which co-created research problems may emerge. Relevant learning and creativity theories were used to design a management intervention that was applied within the context of an incipient eScience team. Project evaluation indicated that the intervention enabled participants to effectively cross disciplines, integrate conceptualizations, and generate research ideas. The findings suggest that attention to group learning and creativity issues may help overcome some barriers to collaboration on eScience teams.
Internationalization, Globalization, and Capability-Based Strategy

Current trends appear to suggest that globally integrated strategies are the wave of the future for many industries, but no theoretically sound, firm-level model explains this situation. International business models explain industry trends from economic perspectives, and organizational theory is beginning to examine the organizing principles of multinational firms, but a gap exists in explaining the strategic motivations of multinational firms as they expand and integrate worldwide. This article develops a capability-driven, as opposed to market-driven, framework of multinational strategy. This contingent framework explains the organizational consequences of international expansion and global integration depending on the capability types, capability strategies, and multinational strategies of the multinational firm.
Falsification of temporal properties of hybrid systems using the cross-entropy method

Randomized testing is a popular approach for checking properties of large embedded system designs. It is well known that a uniform random choice of test inputs is often sub-optimal. Ideally, the choice of inputs has to be guided by choosing the right input distributions in order to expose corner-case violations. However, this is also known to be a hard problem, in practice. In this paper, we present an application of the cross-entropy method for adaptively choosing input distributions for falsifying temporal logic properties of hybrid systems. We present various choices for representing input distribution families for the cross-entropy method, ranging from a complete partitioning of the input space into cells to a factored distribution of the input using graphical models.Finally, we experimentally compare the falsification approach using the cross-entropy method to other stochastic and heuristic optimization techniques implemented inside the tool S-Taliro over a set of benchmark systems. The performance of the cross entropy method is quite promising. We find that sampling inputs using the cross-entropy method guided by trace robustness can discover violations faster, and more consistently than the other competing methods considered.
Anion-exchange separation of molybdenum and technetium and of Tungsten and rhenium

Abstract The present work was designed to meet a need in radiochemistry for the ready separation of molybdenum and technetium and of tungsten and rhenium. The distribution coefficients for these elements on an anion-exchange resin have been determined in hydrochloric- and nitric-acid solutions of varying concentration. These values were used to determine suitable conditions for separating these elements and recovering them in small volumes free of material which would interfere in measuring their activities.
Temporal lobe epilepsy surgery: what do patients want to know?

Abstract Patients with pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) contemplating brain surgery must make a complex treatment decision involving trade-offs. Patient decision aids, containing information on the risks and benefits of treatment interventions, increase patient knowledge and facilitate shared decision making between patients and physicians. We conducted five focus groups to describe the information patients need to make informed decisions about TLE surgery. Twenty patients who had undergone TLE surgery described the information used in their decision-making process, and evaluated the potential for a patient decision aid to assist other patients who are considering surgery. Thematic analysis revealed information needs that were both experiential (i.e., learning about other patients’ experiences through testimonials) and factual (i.e., individualized statistical information). Patients also made suggestions on how this information should be delivered to patients. These data will accelerate the development of a patient decision aid designed to assist TLE patients in their decision making about epilepsy surgery.
Curves Dy=x-x of Odd Analytic Rank

For nonzero rational D, which may be taken to be a square-free integer, let ED be the elliptic curve Dy2 = x3 - x over Q arising in the "congruent number" problem. It is known that the L-function of ED has sign -1, and thus odd analytic rank ran(ED), if and only if |D| is congruent to 5, 6, or 7 mod 8. For such D, we expect by the conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer that the arithmetic rank of each of these curves ED is odd, and therefore positive. We prove that ED has positive rank for each D such that |D| is in one of the above congruence classes mod 8 and also satisfies |D| 1, which raises several new questions.
Thermal degradation of poly {[4-(t-butoxycarbonyloxy)phenyl]methyl acrylate}

Comonomers contraining the phenyl t-butyl carbonate moiety have previously been incorporated into acid-producing polymers to act as traps for acid evolved and thereby lend stability to the polymer. To better understand the thermal fragmentation of such materials, a homopolymer, poly{[4-(t-butyoxycarbonyloxy)phenyl]methyl acrylate}(PBPMA), has been prepared, fully characterized, and subjected to examination by thermogravimetry (TGA). In the main, this polymer undergoes multistep degradation to evolve isobutylene and carbon dioxide, to extrude a quinoid aryl fragment and to form a residue of poly(acrylic acid) which may degrade further with the evolution of water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
Enhanced external counterpulsation treatment improves arterial wall properties and wave reflection characteristics in patients with refractory angina.

Objectives To determine if arterial properties and wave reflection characteristics are favorably altered after enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) treatment in patients with refractory angina. Background Early return of reflected waves from the lower body, resulting from increased arterial stiffness, augments central aortic pressure and increases left ventricular (LV) afterload and myocardial oxygen demand. EECP acutely enhances coronary perfusion (supply) and reduces LV afterload (demand). However, the mechanisms responsible for the sustained beneficial effects of EECP treatment are unclear. Methods Radial artery pressure waveforms were recorded by applanation tonometry and central aortic pressure waveforms generated using a mathematical transfer function in 20 patients with stable refractory angina. Data were collected before and after 34 1-h EECP sessions. Augmentation index (AIa) and timing of the reflected pressure wave were calculated from the aortic waveform. Results EECP treatment caused a decline in AIaand an increase in reflected wave travel time. These modifications in wave reflection characteristics caused a decrease in aortic systolic pressure and wasted LV pressure energy. The average number of angina episodes and Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class, both decreased in concordance with the physiologic changes due to EECP treatment. Conclusions EECP treatment reduces arterial stiffness and improves wave reflection characteristics in patients with refractory angina. These changes decrease LV afterload and myocardial oxygen demand and reduce the number of angina episodes, therefore enabling patients to participate in continuous exercise programs which in turn may provide long-term benefits and sustained improved quality of life.
Local Opposition to the Transfer of Water SUPPLIES:AN Oklahoma Case Study

Interregional conflicts over the allocation and transfer of water supplies have occurred with increasing frequency in the contemporary United States. This paper presents the results of a case study of citizen opposition to a proposal to transfer water supplies within Oklahoma. Residents of the area adjacent to Lake Tenkiller in eastern Oklahoma were surveyed concerning their reactions to a proposal of the City of Tulsa to transfer large volumes of water from the reservoir to the city. Results of the survey indicated that a community based concern for preserving local water levels transcended individual self-interests in maintaining Tenkiller's water levels. The results support the recently developed concept of “turf politics,” which suggests that regional and community based considerations tend to dominate interregional locational conflict resolution.
Sorting and Statistical Discrimination in Schools

The rigorous economic analysis of peer group formation is a burgeoning subject. Much has been written about how peers influence an individual’s behavior, and these effects are quite prevalent. However, less has been written on how exactly these peer groups begin and the resulting consequences of their formation. A reason for the dearth of knowledge on peer group formation is the lack of quality data sets that clearly define one’s peers. To resolve this issue, this paper explores data which allows a peer group to be defined openly through self nominations. Using these nominations as well as characteristics of the students and their friends, it is possible to see on what dimensions these individuals are sorting into friendships. The data suggests that there is heavy sorting within race and academic ability. Additionally, tests for statistical discrimination on race and academics show that it is exhibited towards blacks and Hispanics. There is also weak evidence of statistical discrimination against whites. Empirical analysis also shows that the degree of statistical discrimination decreases for blacks and Hispanics over a year. however, there is little change for whites over the same period.
High-optical-density out-of-band spectral transmittance measurements of bandpass filters

We have measured the out-of-band transmittance (attenuation) for several narrow-band filters using two Fourier-transform infrared spectrometers in the wavelength range of 2–25 μm. Band-rejection filters are used to eliminate the power transmitted in the main band of the filter under investigation. Neutral-density filters are used for the reference measurement to reduce the effect of nonlinearity. Results from different optical arrangements are compared and discussed. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using Fourier-transform infrared instruments to measure a spectral transmittance of 10−6.
Discussion summary: characteristics of web services and their impact on testing, analysis and verification

This is a summary of the comments from a discussion session at the end of the Workshop on Testing, Analysis and Verification of Web Services (TAV-WEB) 2004. The comments were made by the workshop participants, and were compiled and edited by the workshop organizers.TAV-WEB 2004 was held in conjunction with ISSTA 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts on July 11, 2004. The abstracts of the papers presented in TAV-WEB 2004 appear in the September issue of SEN.
The several qualities of attention in schizophrenia

EVER since systematic observation of madness began-and history records ancient descriptions of syndromes quite similar to those we know today-disturbances in the ability to attend have been given a prominent place either in explanations or descriptions of the abnormalities. In this paper we present evidence for an impairment of a non-voluntary form of attending in schizophrenia, the study of which has important implications for exploring the psychological and neurophysiological aspects of schizophrenia.
Comments: Improving Weighting Methods for Causal Mediation Analysis

I begin this discussion by thanking Larry Hedges, the editor of the journal, for giving me an opportunity to provide a commentary on this stimulating article. I also would like to congratulate the ...
Pre-Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers

Abstract Less attention has been devoted to the thorough characterization of monolayer states that lead to good Langmuir-Blodgett deposition than to finding ad hoc process conditions that yield good foils. We believe that it is time to analyze carefully monolayer states at the molecular level both experimentally and theoretically. We focus on simulation techniques that use brownian dynamic algorithms. It is possible to define molecular interactions well enough to yield detailed pictures of monolayer states along the entire isotherm. While providing difficulties for the simulation, phase transitions can be observed. Useful thermodynamic quantities can be estimated including the surface pressure tensor, elastic moduli and various distribution functions. We show the evolution of a simulation from the initial state (perfect crystal) to the equilibrium state for π = 37.5 mN m-1. A systematic tilt is observed for the molecules in the equilibrium state. Aggregation is observed in simulations of more expanded films. New X-ray diffraction methods for determining monolayer structure are summarized. Experimental methods for determining visco-elastic moduli using capillary waves are summarized. We discuss the integration of these methodologies in developing an understanding of Langmuir-Blodgett deposition.
Time course of discriminative stimulus effects of bretazenil and chlordiazepoxide in rats

The time course of the discriminative stimulus effects of a benzodiazepine partial agonist, bretazenil, and a benzodiazepine full agonist, chlordiazepoxide, were determined in rats after administration of two doses of either drug. As in man, bretazenil was considerably shorter-acting than chlordiazepoxide, with 0% drug-appropriate responding at the 2-h time point after the training dose of 7 mg/kg and <20% drug-appropriate responding at 9 h after the 14 mg/kg dose. With chlordiazepoxide, responding on the water-appropriate lever did not occur in all rats until 7 h after administration of the training dose of 7 mg/kg, compared to 17 h after administration of 14 mg/kg. Although there was considerable individual variability with both drugs, it would appear that the drug discrimination procedure can be a valuable tool for studying the time course of the interoceptive effects of psychoactive drugs.
Synthesis and characterization of alt-copoly(carbosiloxane)s containing oligodiphenylsiloxane segments

Novel α,ω-divinyloligodiphenylsiloxanes (1,9-divinyldecaphenylpentasiloxane, 1,7-divinyloctaphenyltetrasiloxane, 1,5-divinylhexaphenyltrisiloxane, and 1,3-divinyltetraphenyldisiloxane) were prepared and copolymerized by Pt-catalyzed hydrosilylation with α,ω-dihydridopentasiloxanes. The molecular weights of the copolymers were measured with gel permeation chromatography, and their thermal properties were characterized with differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The polymers had high thermal stability in air and nitrogen. The oligomer and polymer structures were determined with 1H, 13C, 19F, and 29Si NMR and IR spectrometry. The molecular weights of the oligomers were measured with high-resolution mass spectrometry. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2155–2163, 2005
Splitting Theorems for Submanifolds of Nonnegative Isotropic Curvature

We study isometric immersions of complete manifolds of nonnegative isotropic curvature that have spaces of relative nullity. These manifolds decompose into a Riemannian product $${\bar{M}\times \mathbb R^k}$$ . In the case that k ≥ 2, we use recent results of Brendle-Schoen to completely classify these manifolds. We then apply this classification to study complete non-compact Kahler submanifolds with relatively low codimension.
Buckling of a Circular Plate with Internal Elastic Ring Support

The buckling from radial edge pressure of a thin circular plate with internal concentric elastic ring support is studied. The buckling load obtained from the exact characteristic equation shows complicated mode switches between axisymmetric and asymmetric buckling modes. The optimum radius of the internal support is also found.
Compressive properties of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride foams at low and high strain rates: Experimental investigation and critical review of state of the art

Abstract Closed-cell foams are widely used in marine vessel and ground transportation applications due to their compressive energy absorption capabilities, especially as the core material in sandwich composites. In the present work, a set of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foams with different densities is studied for compressive response at a wide range of quasi-static and high strain rates. The results show that the mechanical properties depend on the foam density and are strain rate sensitive. The compressive strength and modulus increase with the foam density. Cell wall buckling is observed prominently in high density foams, whereas low density foams show wrinkling and stretching of cell faces. An extensive literature survey on PVC foams is presented in this work and the mechanical properties reported in published studies are analyzed to understand trends and future directions. It is found that within the quasi-static strain rate regime, the compressive strength of PVC foams can be up to 50% higher at 10−1 s−1 compared to 10−4 s−1. At strain rates of 2000 s−1, the strength can be 200% higher than the quasi-static values noted at 10−4 s−1. Absence of experimentally measured mechanical properties in the intermediate strain rate range of 1–500 s−1 is noticed for PVC foams. Scanning electron micrographs show cell wall buckling followed by folding as the compressive failure mechanism.
Oxygen uptake in tobacco budworm larvae (Heliothis virescens) infected with cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus

Abstract We measured oxygen uptake in 3- to 13-day-old Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm) larvae. The “test” group was infected with cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV) while the “control” group was not. The healthy budworms had an average oxygen uptake of 7.64 μl of O 2 /mg body weight, while those infected with CPV had an average uptake of 47.11 μl of O 2 /mg body weight/hr. The weights of larvae from the two groups were likewise recorded. Budworms from the “control” group showed an average weight of 186.9 mg, while larvae infected with CPV had an average weight of 18.3 mg.
Environmental Cues Dictate the Fate of Individual CD8+ T Cells Responding to Infection

Many studies have examined pathways controlling effector T cell differentiation, but less is known about the fate of individual CD8+ T cells during infection. Here, we examine the antiviral and antibacterial responses of single CD8+ T cells from the polyclonal repertoire. The progeny of naive clonal CD8+ T cells displayed unique profiles of differentiation based on extrinsic pathogen-induced environmental cues, with some clones demonstrating extreme bias toward a single developmental pathway. Moreover, even within the same animal, a single naive CD8+ T cell exhibited distinct fates that were controlled by tissue-specific events. However, memory CD8+ T cells relied on intrinsic factors to control differentiation upon challenge. Our results demonstrate that stochastic and instructive events differentially contribute to shaping the primary and secondary CD8+ T cell response and provide insight into the underlying forces that drive effector differentiation and protective memory formation.
Reaction of three cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars to single and mixed isolates of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum

Cotyledons of resistant and susceptible cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars were inoculated artificially with four isolates of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum from Africa (H V1, HV3, H V7 and Sudan) and USA race 18. Each isolate was used as single inoculum and in combinations of mixed inoculum. Disease reactions were graded 15 days after inoculation on a scale of I (immunity) to 10 (fully susceptible). Inoculation with HVI alone produced the highest disease grade of all inoculum treatments. When HVI was included in a mixed inoculum, disease grades were greatly reduced compared to HVI alone. Disease grades were highest for the inoculum mixture of the most virulent isolates HVI and race 18, but were still reduced compared to those from HVI alone. The efficiency of selection when screening cotton germplasm for bacterial blight resistance may be reduced if the highly virulent HVI isolate is included in an inoculum mixture composed of non-virulent isolates.
Power-Laws in Interferon-B mRNA Distribution in Virus-Infected Dendritic Cells

Interferon-beta (IFNB1) mRNA shows very large cell-to-cell variability in primary human dendritic cells infected by Newcastle disease virus, with copy numbers varying from a few to several thousands. Analysis of data from the direct measurement of the expression of this gene in its natural chromatin environment in primary human cells shows that the distribution of mRNA across cells follows a power law with an exponent close to −1, and thus encompasses a range of variation much more extensive than a Gaussian. We also investigate the single cell levels of IFNB1 mRNA induced by infection with Texas influenza A mutant viruses, which vary in their capacity to inhibit the signaling pathways responsible for activation of this gene. Here as well we observe power-law behavior for the distribution of IFNB1 mRNA, albeit over a truncated range of values, with exponents similar to the one for cells infected by Newcastle disease virus. We propose a model of stochastic enhanceosome and preinitiation complex formation that incorporates transcriptional pulsing. Analytical and numerical results show good agreement with the observed power laws, and thus support the existence of transcriptional pulsing of an unmodified, intact gene regulated by a natural stimulus.
Ultrastructural study of hereditary benign intraepithelial dyskeratosis

Specimens taken from the buccal mucosa of two patients with hereditary benign intraepithelial dyskeratosis (HBID) were studied with the transmission electron microscope. Ultrastructural features were described and compared with those of white sponge nevus and Darier's disease. Ultrastructural findings in HBID revealed the presence of numerous vesicular bodies in immature dyskeratotic cells, densely packed tonofilaments filling the cytoplasm of mature dyskeratotic cells, and the disappearance of cellular interdigitations and desmosomes in mature dyskeratotic cells.
Correlations between solvent polarity scales and electron transfer kinetics and an application to micellar media

Correlations of a series of solvent polarity scales with apparent standard heterogeneous rate constants k′ for electro-oxidation of ferrocene at Pt in 16 solvents covering a wide range of properties were evaluated. Single-parameter scales, including the dielectric continuum model, gave poor correlations. The best correlation was found for the Taft model, which accounts for solvent polarizability and hydrogen bond donor and acceptor properties. Correlations with Taft parameters were used for comparison with electron transfer (ET) rates of ferrocene in micellar solutions. ET rates for ferrocene in cetyltrimethylammonium (CTAB) and sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) micelles were slightly smaller than in alcohols and much smaller than predicted for water by using Taft coefficients. The ET rate in micellar SDS was somewhat smaller than in CTAB. If, as a first approximation, equal ET distances are assumed, results suggest apparent average microenvironments for ferrocene during ET in aqueous micellar CTAB and SDS that are more polar than in many apolar solvents, but less polar than in water.
Phase II study of the Src kinase inhibitor saracatinib (AZD0530) in metastatic melanoma.

Background Src kinases are activated in melanoma, and inhibition of Src kinase activity has pre-clinical anti-tumor effects. Targeting this pathway could therefore have therapeutic activity in patients with metastatic melanoma. Patients and methods We conducted a multi-center, open-label study of the Src kinase inhibitor saracatanib (AZD0530) in patients with metastatic melanoma. Twenty-three patients received saracatanib at a dose of 175 mg daily. The primary objectives were to determine whether this agent had clinical activity in patients with advanced melanoma and whether it increased progression free survival. Functional effects on circulating T cells were also assessed. Results Twenty-three patients received oral saracatanib on a continuous daily dosing regimen. There were no objective clinical responses. Saracatanib was generally well tolerated with few grade 3–4 adverse events. T cell function was inhibited in most patients, based on decreased superantigen-induced IL-2 production in post- versus pre-treatment samples. Conclusions Saracatanib has minimal clinical activity as a single agent in an unselected population of patients with advanced melanoma, as evidenced by a lack of objective responses in this study. Reduced T cell cytokine production in most treated patients suggests potential immune suppressive activity by this agent.
Simple biogalvanic current sources for growth control

Bimetallic implants have been used successfully to stimulate regeneration in frogs and rats and promote repair in damaged joint cartilage in rabbits. We report here some of the electrochemical characteristics of such devices under physiological conditions in an attempt to discover which of their properties might be relevant to the control of cellular activity. Ag-Pt couples in culture media have open circuit potentials of about 240 mV and generate current densities of the order of I × 10−9 A/mm2 or less.The advantages of a high internalized load resistance and other parameters of these generators are discussed. Implants of such devices in normal rabbit long bones for I week gave no significant tissue growth response different from controls. This suggests that small d.c. currents and potentials may only be operative when thresholds for cellular response are lowered by severe injury or other systematic factors.
Safety verification of fault tolerant goal-based control programs with estimation uncertainty

Fault tolerance and safety verification of control systems that have state variable estimation uncertainty are essential for the success of autonomous robotic systems. A software control architecture called mission data system, developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, uses goal networks as the control program for autonomous systems. Certain types of goal networks can be converted into linear hybrid systems and verified for safety using existing symbolic model checking software. A process for calculating the probability of failure of certain classes of verifiable goal networks due to state estimation uncertainty is presented. A verifiable example task is presented and the failure probability of the control program based on estimation uncertainty is found.
A novel data assimilation technique for the plasmasphere

We present a novel technique for imaging and data assimilation of the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere. The methodology is based upon the 3 dimensional variational technique (3DVAR), where an empirical background model is utilized. However, to prevent non-physical vertical variation in density estimates, we devise statistical methods to enforce a roughness penalty in the traditional 3DVAR optimization. The upward looking total electron content (TEC) observations from the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver onboard Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) satellites are utilized in the assimilation algorithm. The estimation results show reasonable agreement with in-situ density measurements of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites and Van Allen Probes derived densities during geomagnetically quiet and severe storm-time conditions, respectively. These preliminary results demonstrate great potential for the use of GPS TEC measurements from low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites in monitoring and studying the morphology and dynamics of large-scale structures of the electron density in the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere.
Distributed detection of moving target using MIMO radar in clutter with non-homogeneous power

Previously, we studied moving target detection (MTD) using a distributed MIMO radar, where the multi-static transmit-receive configuration causes non-homogeneous clutter. By representing the non-homogeneous clutter in a low-rank subspace with different subspace coefficients for different transmit-receive pairs, a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT), which is referred to as the MIMO-GLRT, was introduced. The MIMO-GLRT, however, is a centralized detector requiring the distributed receivers to send their local observations to a fusion center, which performs parameter estimation and computes a global test variable. In this paper, we consider distributed detection for the moving target problem. The goal is to reduce the communication overhead as well as power/bandwidth consumptions from the receivers to the fusion center. We consider two distributed implementations of the MIMO-GLRT, with or without local data aggregation. Specifically, the one that performs local aggregation computes a single local test statistic at each receive antenna, by using the outputs of all matched filters (each matched to a waveform unique to one transmit antenna); meanwhile, the one that does not perform local aggregation computes multiple local test statistics, one for each matched filter output. In both cases, the local unquantized test statistics from all receive antennas are forwarded to the fusion center and non-coherently combined to form a final test variable. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the performance loss with respect to the centralized MIMO-GLRT and compare with another distributed MIMO moving target detector based on a homogeneous assumption.
Some Physical Parameters of Young Autistic Children

Abstract This paper provides information relevant to growth and development in a sample (N = 101) of young autistic children. Though birth weights of patients did not deviate from normative findings or from those of their own siblings, the distribution of heights between ages 2 and 7 years was significantly different from the normal population. Certain additional measures were available in a subgroup of patients: severity of illness and blood lead levels were negatively correlated with language DQ and IQ levels. A significant number had elevated T 3 and T 4 levels, and the latter were positively correlated with minor physical anomaly scores. These results are discussed as they relate to the concepts of biological age and hypothalamic dysfunction.