A KU KLUX KLAN CIPHER

Discussion of a cipher system used by the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920's     

Shadow series in the Munsell system

Using an inversion of the Munsell renotation, this article calculates that a colour's shadow series is approximately a straight line in the Munsell system. The line starts at the colour's Munsell specification and ends about one value step below N0, on the neutral axis. The colour's hue in shadow shifts slightly towards the yellow part of the spectrum. The calculations suggest that ideal black belongs at about N(?1) in the Munsell system, rather than at N0, if equality of perceptual steps is to be maintained. Similarly, ideal white should be slightly lighter than N10. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2013     

Reply to Sprott.

Replies to comments by D. A. Sprott (see record 2005-09606-003) on the current author's original article (see record 1968-09688-001). The original purpose of the illustration was to show that analysis of covariance could leave a statistically significant residual treatment effect even though there was no treatment effect in the variate not predictable from the covariate. As to our statement that there is a "significant effect even when none was present," the context of the paragraph should make it clear that the word none refers to "no treatment effect in the variate not predictable from the covariate." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hen Egg‐White Lysozyme Crystallisation: Protein Stacking and Structure Stability Enhanced by a Tellurium(VI)‐Centred Polyoxotungstate

As synchrotron radiation becomes more intense, detectors become faster and structure‐solving software becomes more elaborate, obtaining single crystals suitable for data collection is now the bottleneck in macromolecular crystallography. Hence, there is a need for novel and advanced crystallisation agents with the ability to crystallise proteins that are otherwise challenging. Here, an Anderson–Evans‐type polyoxometalate (POM), specifically Na₆[TeW₆O₂₄] ? 22 H₂O (TEW), is employed as a crystallisation additive. Its effects on protein crystallisation are demonstrated with hen egg‐white lysozyme (HEWL), which co‐crystallises with TEW in the vicinity (or within) the liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) region. The X‐ray structure (PDB ID: 4PHI) determination revealed that TEW molecules are part of the crystal lattice, thus demonstrating specific binding to HEWL with electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The negatively charged TEW polyoxotungstate binds to sites with a positive electrostatic potential located between two (or more) symmetry‐related protein chains. Thus, TEW facilitates the formation of protein–protein interfaces of otherwise repulsive surfaces, and thereby the realisation of a stable crystal lattice. In addition to retaining the isomorphicity of the protein structure, the anomalous scattering of the POMs was used for macromolecular phasing. The results suggest that hexatungstotellurate(VI) has great potential as a crystallisation additive to promote both protein crystallisation and structure elucidation.     

Investigation of steel corrosion in cracked concrete: Evaluation of macrocell and microcell rates using Tafel polarization response

Inhomogeneous corrosion in reinforced concrete is investigated using a beam with a flexural crack intersecting the reinforcement. An Evans diagram representation of the macrocell corrosion system is developed. The relationship between the current density and the potentials relative to the crack obtained from the Tafel polarization responses of active and passive steel in concrete compares favorably with the experimental values. When both microcell and macrocell mechanisms contribute to metal loss at the crack, the Evans diagram representation indicates that an increase in the macrocell current density results in a decreasing contribution from the local microcell at the macrocell anode.     

Young Investigator Award Presentation at the 13th Annual Meeting of the ESMRMB, September 1996, Prague Quantification of pulmonary water compartments by magnetic resonance

The purpose of this study was to quantify pulmonary water compartments of total, intravascular, and extravascular lung water in excised and perfused sheep lungs with the use of magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Total lung water was measured by proton density maps calculated from multi-spin-echo images. Intravascular lung water was evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography before and after injection of gadolinium diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid polylysine, a macromolecular paramagnetic contrast agent. Intravascular lung water was calculated from signal intensity histogram changes comparing pre- and postcontrast angiograms. Extravascular water was calculated as the difference between total and intravascular lung water. Quantities of total and intravascular lung water measured by magnetic resonance techniques were compared to reference results obtained from wet/dry weight gravimetry and Evans blue dilution performed after imaging. Magnetic resonance and reference results correlated significantly (total lung water:r=0.93,p<0.001; intravascular lung water:r=0.80,p<0.001; extravascular lung water:r=0.89,p<0.001). Therefore, we conclude that quantitative magnetic resonance techniques are potentially useful for the clinical evaluation of pulmonary water compartments.     

Methane formation from successive hydrogenation of C over stepped Ni and Ni3Fe surfaces: Effect of surface composition

As an integral part in methanation, CH₄ formation from successive hydrogenation of atomic C was systematically studied over stepped Ni(211) and Ni₃Fe(211) surfaces via periodic density functional theory calculations. The effect of surface composition was explicitly examined by taking into account of two termination structures of Ni₃Fe(211) (the surfaces with NiNi- and NiFe-type step are denoted as Ni₃Fe(211)-AA and Ni₃Fe(211)-AB, respectively). Both alloyed surfaces are found to benefit the initial C hydrogenation through enhancing H adsorption as well as weakening the binding strength of C. Because CH₂ generation and subsequent CH₂ hydrogenation favor different sites over such stepped surfaces, the step of CH₂ migration was proposed and incorporated into the mechanism. The hydrogenation reactions manifest significant structural sensitivity since Ni₃Fe(211)-AB is superior to Ni₃Fe(211)-AA in lowering the overall potential energy surfaces towards CH₄ formation. In combination with our previous work focusing on CO activation and dissociation, the present results confirmed the improved activity of Ni₃Fe alloy catalyst for CO methanation suggested experimentally and the Ni₃Fe(211)-AB termination is further identified to dominate the promoting effect. A newly proposed Brønsted–Evans–Polanyi relationship is also found to hold for the successive hydrogenation steps herein.     

Comment on Misuse of Covariance.

Responds to comments made by D. R. Harris, C. T. Bisbee, and S. H. Evans (see record 1971-09169-001) on the original article "Note on Evans and Anastasio on the Analysis of Covariance," by D. A. Sprott (see record 1970-09565-001), which corrected data in the article by S. H. Evans and L. J. Anastasio (see record 1968-09688-001). The purpose of the current author's note was to show that there is no substitute for thought. The analysis of covariance, even when treatment and covariate are correlated, can be useful and valid when in the hands of a scientist who knows his data, knows what he is doing, and is prepared to think about the interpretation of his analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Vitality of Matter and the Instrumentalisation of Life

Artists and researchers Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr of SymbioticA, based at the School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia, are internationally renowned as pioneers in the field of biological arts, challenging audiences with their tissue engineering projects. Catts and Zurr discuss how synthetic biology has increasingly become ‘the new frontier for exploitation’ and why there is currently ‘a resurgence of the application of engineering logic in the fields of the life sciences’ in which life itself becomes a raw material.