cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meta-analyses of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain 195 transcriptomic profiles identify a respiration rate-related gene expression transition point and interoperon recruitment of a key oxidoreductase subunit.

A cDNA-microarray was designed and used to monitor the transcriptomic profile of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain 195 (in a mixed community) respiring various chlorinated organics, including chloroethenes and 2,3-dichlorophenol. The cultures were continuously fed in order to establish steady-state respiration rates and substrate levels. The organization of array data into a clustered heat map revealed two major experimental partitions. This partitioning in the data set was further explored through principal component analysis. The first two principal components separated the experiments into those with slow (1.6 ± 0.6 μM Cl−/h)- and fast (22.9 ± 9.6 μM Cl−/h)-respiring cultures. Additionally, the transcripts with the highest loadings in these principal components were identified, suggesting that those transcripts were responsible for the partitioning of the experiments. By analyzing the transcriptomes (n = 53) across experiments, relationships among transcripts were identified, and hypotheses about the relationships between electron transport chain members were proposed. One hypothesis, that the hydrogenases Hup and Hym and the formate dehydrogenase-like oxidoreductase (DET0186-DET0187) form a complex (as displayed by their tight clustering in the heat map analysis), was explored using a nondenaturing protein separation technique combined with proteomic sequencing. Although these proteins did not migrate as a single complex, DET0112 (an FdhB-like protein encoded in the Hup operon) was found to comigrate with DET0187 rather than with the catalytic Hup subunit DET0110. On closer inspection of the genome annotations of all Dehalococcoides strains, the DET0185-to-DET0187 operon was found to lack a key subunit, an FdhB-like protein. Therefore, on the basis of the transcriptomic, genomic, and proteomic evidence, the place of the missing subunit in the DET0185-to-DET0187 operon is likely filled by recruiting a subunit expressed from the Hup operon (DET0112).
Multiparticle diffusive fractal aggregation

Kinetic fractal aggregation in a particle bath where a fraction $f$ of the sites are initially occupied is studied with $d=2$ computer simulations. Independent particles diffusing to a fixed cluster produce an aggregate with fractal dimension $D\ensuremath{\simeq}1.7$ up to a correlation length $\ensuremath{\xi}(f)$. At larger lengths $D\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2$. $\ensuremath{\xi}(f)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ as $f\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. When the particles remain fixed but the cluster undergoes a rigid random walk, $D$ appears constant at larger scales but varies with $f$. $D\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1.95$ at large $f$ and $D\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1.7$ as $f\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. In both cases, the aggregate size $N(t)$ grows with time $t$ as ${t}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}(f)}$.
Properties and substrate specificity of a purine phosphoribosyltransferase from the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

The properties of a purine phosphoribosyltransferase from late trophozoites of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, are described. Enzyme activity with hypoxanthine, guanine and xanthine as substrates eluted in parallel during hydroxylapatite, size exclusion and DEAE-Sephadex chromatography as well as during chromatofocusing experiments. Furthermore, enzyme activity with all three purine substrates changed in parallel during heat inactivation of enzyme preparations and upon cold storage (4°C) of the enzyme. When considered together, these results support the view that the phosphoribosyltransferase is capable of utilizing all three purine bases as substrates. Additional characterization revealed that the apparent molecular weight and isoelectric point of this enzyme are 55 500 and 6.2, respectively, and that the apparent Km for 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophospate ranges from 13.3 to 21.4 μM, depending on the purine base serving as substrate. The apparent Km values for hypoxanthine, guanine and xanthine were found to be 0.46, 0.30 and 29 μM, respectively. Other experiments showed that several divalent cations and sulfhydryl reagents produce a marked reduction of enzyme activity whereas dithiothreitol activates the enzyme. It should be noted that the ability to utilize xanthine as a substrate serves to distinguish the P. falciparum enzyme from its counterpart in the parasite's host cell, the human erythrocyte. The human enzyme shows only barely detectable activity with xanthine while the parasite enzyme displays similarly high levels of activity with all three purine substrates. Thus, the parasite enzyme might prove to be selectively susceptible to inhibition by xanthine analogs and related compounds.
Schistosoma haematobium and S. japonicum : analysis of the ribosomal RNA genes and determination of the gap boundaries and sequences

We have determined the intragenic organization of the rRNA genes of Schistosoma haematobium and S. japonicum and found them to be similar to that of S. mansoni and other eukaryotes. An entire ribosomal repeat approximately 10 kbp in size from each species was isolated as a SalI fragment from a genomic library constructed in bacteriophage lambda. The segments encoding both the small and large rRNAs have been identified using three cloned EcoRI fragments of S. mansoni as probes. There were three EcoRI fragments (4.2, 3.0, 1.6 kbp) from S. haematobium and four EcoRI fragments (4.6, 2.3, 1.7, 1.0 kbp) from S. japonicum. As in a wide variety of organisms within the protostome phyla, the 28S rRNA in schistosomes contains a "gap" which separates it into two fragments. The length of the gap sequence in S. haematobium is 54 bases and it is identical to that in S. mansoni in both length and sequence. However, in S. japonicum the sequence is between 64-67 bases long. In each case, irrespective of the species, the gap is located at the same position within the 28S rRNA. Secondary structures of the gap sequence derived by computer analysis predict a conformation with the minimum free energy that has an UAAU tract in a hairpin loop for S. haematobium and an UAUU tract for S. japonicum.
Psychometric studies of verbal functions following thalamic lesions in humans.

Psychometric studies following surgically induced thalamic lesions in humans suggest that thalamic nuclei, in particular VL and pulvinar, play a role in verbal functions, most specifically those involving fluency. The left thalamus tends to be dominant in this respect, quantitatively rather than qualitatively, more in the nature of a continuum than a dichotomy. Thalamic nuclei participate both in the specific sensorimotor functions underlying verbal behavior and in the alerting or arousal aspects of such behavior. Moreover, the thalamus interacts with cortical, brain stem, basal ganglia, and possibly limbic systems in these functions. Longer range postoperative alterations in verbal functions are ordinarily not observed due to the availability of compensatory mechanisms and the presence of small lesions within larger functional zones. The integrative level of the preoperative brain is a significant variable in predicting the presence or absence, and degree of post-operative verbal alterations.
We've got you coming and going

Let (1) be uttered truly by Joe's boss, June, to Joe's co-worker, Sam, at the office. Let (2) be uttered truly by Joe's wife, Marge, at the home of Joe and Marge. (1) and (2), as taken in their respective contexts, are such that if the one is true so is the other. That is, it cannot be the case that Joe went home unless Joe came home. For suppose that Joe does not come home. If Marge says truly to June, "Joe didn't come home last night", June is now in no position to say to Marge, "No, no you are quite wrong, Joe did go home last night". Conversely, suppose that Joe did not go home. It follows right away that Joe did not come home. There is a reasonable sense in which (1) as uttered by June has the same truth conditions as (2) as uttered by Marge. For each is made true by the same extra-linguistic matter of fact the fact that Joe left the office and arrived at home. As a first stab at representing the common truth conditions of (1) and (2), we might give something like a David sonian analysis of the logical forms of our two sentences. (1) might go over into
Retrograde deformation within the Carthage-Colton Zone as recorded by fluid inclusions and feldspar compositions: tectonic implications for the southern Grenville Province

The Carthage-Colton Zone (CCZ), located in the northwestern portion of the Proterozoic Adirondack terrane, forms the boundary between the Adirondack lowlands and highlands and is characterized by textures indicative of ductile deformation. Samples from three rock types have been collected from this zone: (1) pyroxene bearing syenite gneisses of the Diana igneous complex; (2) paragneiss samples from near the northwestern boundary of the Diana complex; (3) a quartz-rich metasediment. Feldspar geothermometry performed on the Diana metasyenites shows that porphyroclasts are relict igneous grains that formed atT≈900° C, while dynamic recrystallization occurred at temperatures as low as 470 to 550° C as shown by the compositions of feldspar neoblasts. All samples examined in this study from the CCZ contain a suite of CO2-rich fluid inclusions that are distinctive both texturally and in their microthermometric behavior (Th=-27.7 to-7.1° C) as compared to CO2-rich Adirondack fluid inclusions that do not lie within this zone (Th=-45.9 to +31.0° C). The results from fluid inclusion microthermometry and feldspar geothermometry restrict the conditions of dynamic recrystallization to temperatures and pressures of 400 to 550° C and 3 to 5 kbar. The retrograde pressure-temperature path must pass through these conditions. Similar fluid inclusion results have been obtained from the Parry Sound Shear Zone (PSSZ) which is a Grenvillian shear zone that is located in Southern Ontario (Lamb and Moecher 1992). However, the inferred retrogradeP-T paths for these two areas, the CCZ and the PSSZ, are different and this difference may be a result of late deformation along shear zones that are located between the two areas.
The evolution of platelet-directed pharmacotherapy.

Summary. The evolution of platelet directed pharmacotherapy in the prevention and treatment of patients with thrombotic disorders is based soundly on a rapidly expanding knowledge of platelet biology. Traditionally viewed, throughout most of its relatively brief history in medicine, as an anucleate, passive contributor to hemostasis, a more contemporary perspective acknowledges platelets as complex, multidimensional cells that participate actively in coagulation, vascular repair, angiogenesis and thrombosis within the micro and the macro-circulatory systems. Herein, we consider platelet-directed pharmacotherapy from these fundamental, biology-based exemplars—megakaryocytes, signal transduction and the platelet—coagulation protease interface. We also highlight the emerging biopharmacology platform of oligonucleotide platelet adhesion antagonists and their complementary antidotes.
A new resource for managing malpractice risks in managed care

The risk of malpractice liability faced by physicians is exacerbated by third-party intrusions such as those encountered in today's managed care environment. The likelihood that a malpractice action will be brought is increased by the interaction among patients, families, or physicians who are at high risk for litigation and situations (eg, denial of treatment benefits by the managed care organization) that create adversity. To prevent the ready translation of resource adversity into an adversarial physician-patient-family relationship, a forensic psychiatric consultation is recommended. Arch Intern Med. 1996;156:2057-2063
Long‐term monitoring of creep rate along the Hayward Fault and evidence for a lasting creep response to 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

We present results from over 30 yr of precise surveys of creep along the Hayward fault. Along most of the fault, spatial variability in long-term creep rates is well determined by these data and can help constrain 3D-models of the depth of the creeping zone. However, creep at the south end of the fault stopped completely for more than 6 years after the M7 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (LPEQ), perhaps delayed by stress drop imposed by this event. With a decade of detailed data before LPEQ and a decade after it, we report that creep response to that event does indeed indicate the expected deficit in creep.
Predicting achievement of a low-fat diet: a nutrition intervention for adults with low literacy skills.

Background.This paper identifies factors that predict achievement of a low-fat diet among 242 California adults with low literacy skills, following their participation in the Stanford Nutrition Action Program (SNAP), a randomized classroom-based nutrition intervention trial (1993–1994). Methods.The intervention classes received a newly developed curriculum that focuses on reducing dietary fat intake (SNAP); the control classes received an existing general nutrition (GN) curriculum. Data were collected at baseline and 3 months postintervention. This hypothesis-generating analysis uses a signal detection method to identify mutually exclusive groups that met the goal of a low-fat diet, defined as <30% of calories from total fat, at 3 months postintervention. Results.Three mutually exclusive groups were identified. Twenty-three percent of Group 1, participants with high baseline dietary fat (>60 g) who received either the GN or the SNAP curriculum, met the postintervention goal of <30% of calories from total fat. Thirty-four percent of Group 2, participants with moderate baseline dietary fat (≤60 g) who received the GN curriculum, were successful. Sixty percent of Group 3, participants with moderate baseline dietary fat who received the SNAP curriculum, were successful. Members of Group 3 also significantly increased their intake of vegetables, grains, and fiber. Conclusions.Within this population of adults with low literacy skills, a large proportion of those with moderate baseline dietary fat who participated in the SNAP classes met the postintervention criteria for a low-fat diet. A much smaller proportion of those with high baseline dietary fat were successful, suggesting that this group may benefit from different, more intensive, or longer-term interventions.
Spin dynamics of cuprate superconductors: Exact results from numerical continued fraction expansions

We present the first results for the T = 0 dynamical structure factor of finite-sized 2D square-lattice spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg systems with up to 16 spins, obtained by numerical continued fraction expansion techniques. Our results are compared to a recently proposed Schwinger boson mean-field theory. We find that the mean-field theory represents an excellent approximation to the exact spin excitation spectra and to the static structure factor. for all system sizes studied. We also show the results for the spin dynamics in the presence of a dopant induced hole carrier, describe by either single or multi-orbital Hubbard models
Larvicidal activities of some organotin compounds on mosquito larvae: a QSAR study.

Abstract Mosquitoes are not only the cause of nuisance by their bites but also transmit deadly diseases like malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, dengue, and Japanese encephalitis. In this paper, nine QSAR models were developed using different series of organotins with respect to their larvicidal activities against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi mosquito larvae. Internal [cross-validation (LOO-q2), quality factor (Q), Fischer statistics (F), and Y-randomization] and external validation tests have validated all these QSAR models. QSAR results suggest that the two most important determinants for the toxicity are the hydrophobic (π) and Hammett electronic (σ+) parameters of the substituents, and the kill mechanism is different for these two species of mosquito larvae. On the basis of QSAR (6), nine compounds 4a–4i are suggested as potential synthetic targets.
Design considerations of synaptic device for neuromorphic computing

Hardware implementation of neuromorphic computing is attractive as a computing paradigm beyond the conventional digital Boolean computing. Recently, two-terminal emerging memory devices that show electrically-triggered resistance modulation have been proposed as synaptic devices for neuromorphic computing. The synaptic device candidates include phase change memory (PCM), resistive RAM (RRAM) and conductive bridge RAM (CBRAM), etc. In this paper, we discuss the general design considerations of synaptic devices for plasticity and learning. As a rule of thumb for performance metrics assessment, an ideal synaptic device should have characteristics such as dimension, energy consumption, operation frequency, dynamic range, etc. that are scalable to biological systems with comparable complexity.
Interactions of chemical and natural stresses in the abalone (Haliotis rufescens) as measured by surface-Probe localized 31P NMR

Abstract Application of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) for elucidating the sublethal actions of toxicants in intact aquatic organisms, and the influence of natural stress factors, has recently been demonstrated. Using a flow-through chamber, red abalones ( Haliotis rufescens ) were exposed (at 14 °C) to ambient (35%.), hyposaline (25%.), or hyper saline (4 5 %.) seawater, with and without a sublethal concentration (1.2 mg l −1 ) of pentachlorophenol (PCP). They were then maintained in clean seawater (at the same salinity) to check both rate and degree of recovery; phosphagen changes in foot muscle were monitored by surface-probe localized 31 P NMR. Whereas different water salinities alone did not produce measurable effects, upon PCP exposure phosphoarginine levels declined, inorganic monophosphate levels increased, and intracellular pH decreased. Whereas during recovery all biochemical endpoints returned to normal, both onset and intensity of effects were significantly influenced in an unexpected manner by changes in seawater salinity. Application of 31 P NMR represents a powerful new tool for elucidating the influence of natural stress factors on pollutant actions in vivo , providing a more accurate assessment of environmental effects.
Factorial, multifractal moments and short-range correlation of shower particles at relativistic energies

Abstract We have computed factorial, F q , and the multifractal, G q , moments for the shower particles produced in the interactions of 197 Au emulsion at 10.6 A GeV and 28 Siemulsion at 14.5 A GeV in terms of a new scaled variable X suggested by Bialas and Gazdzicki. Power-law dependencies of the moments on the number of bins M of the new variable ( X ) are observed in pseudorapidity η as well as in two-dimensional product (η·φ) phase spaces. The exponents φ q for F q , and τ q for G q moments are determined and their relationships are discussed. The normalized factorial moments of the multiplicity distribution exhibit universal scaling behavior. When ordinary factorial moments are decomposed into cumulant moments, we find that for 197 Au ions the cumulant moments of order three are non-zero, contrary to the observations of most of the relativistic heavy-ion beams used so far.
Self-tuning multivariable pole placement control of a multizone crystal growth furnace

This paper presents the design and implementation of a multivariable self-tuning temperature controller for the control of lead bromide crystal growth. The crystal grows inside a multizone transparent furnace. There are eight interacting heating zones shaping the axial temperature distribution inside the furnace. A multi-input, multi-output furnace model is identified on-line by a recursive least squares estimation algorithm. A multivariable pole placement controller based on this model is derived and implemented. Comparison between single-input, single-output and multi-input, multi-output self-tuning controllers demonstrates that the zone-to-zone interactions can be minimized better by a multi-input, multi-output controller design. This directly affects the quality of crystal grown.
On the existence of perturbed robertson-walker universes

Abstract Solutions of the full nonlinear field equations of general relativity near the Robertson-Walker universes are examined, together with their relation to linearized perturbations. A method due to Choquet-Bruhat and Deser is used to prove existence theorems for solutions near Robertson-Walker constraint data of the constraint equations on a spacelike hypersurface. These theorems allow one to regard the matter fluctuations as independent quantities, ranging over certain function spaces. In the k = −1 case the existence theory describes perturbations which may vary within uniform bounds throughout space. When k = +1 a modification of the method leads to a theorem which clarifies some unusual features of these constraint perturbations. The k = 0 existence theorem refers only to perturbations which die away at large distances. The connection between linearized constraint solutions and solutions of the full constraints is discussed. For k = ±1 backgrounds, solutions of the linearized constraints are analyzed using transverse-traceless decompositions of symmetric tensors. Finally the time-evolution of perturbed constraint data and the validity of linearized perturbation theory for Robertson-Walker universes are considered.
The two-component stomach: effects of meal particle size on fundal and antral emptying.

Using a dual-headed gamma camera and a standardized egg test meal labeled with 99mTc-sulfur colloid, the quantitative emptying of the total, proximal and distal stomach in five normal subjects was characterized. The same egg meal was given to the volunteers in 3 different forms: homogenized, and as 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm cubes on 3 separate occasions for a total of 15 studies. For the total stomach emptying, the lag phase and half emptying time (T1/2) obtained using a power exponential model were significantly shorter for the homogenized test meal than for the 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm cubed egg particles; the lag phases were 29±19 min (mean±SD) vs 55±56 (P<0.05) and 64±24 min (P<0.01), the T1/2′s were 71±30 min vs 91±26 (P<0.05) and 104±30 min (P<0.05), respectively. For the proximal stomach, no statistically significant difference was observed among the 3 test meals; the T1/2s for the homogenized, 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm cubed meals were 65±26 min, 53±18 min and 64±20 min, respectively. For the distal stomach, both the peak activity (%) and time to peak activity (min) were significantly higher for the 2.5 mm cubes (43%, 54 min) and the 5.0 mm cubes (38%, 60 min) than for the homogenized eggs (16.4%, 30 min) (P<0.01). The correlation between the lag phase for the total stomach and the time to peak activity in the distal stomach was excellent (r=0.85, P<0.001 suggesting that the lag phase may correspond to the maximum filling of the distal stomach. These results demonstrate quantitatively that the proximal portion of the stomach is mainly responsible for the receipt and storage of food and the emptying of liquids, while the distal stomach appears to be primarily involved with the processing of solid food before its passage through the pylorus.
Strong feature sets from small samples.

For small samples, classifier design algorithms typically suffer from overfitting. Given a set of features, a classifier must be designed and its error estimated. For small samples, an error estimator may be unbiased but, owing to a large variance, often give very optimistic estimates. This paper proposes mitigating the small-sample problem by designing classifiers from a probability distribution resulting from spreading the mass of the sample points to make classification more difficult, while maintaining sample geometry. The algorithm is parameterized by the variance of the spreading distribution. By increasing the spread, the algorithm finds gene sets whose classification accuracy remains strong relative to greater spreading of the sample. The error gives a measure of the strength of the feature set as a function of the spread. The algorithm yields feature sets that can distinguish the two classes, not only for the sample data, but for distributions spread beyond the sample data. For linear classifiers...
The Development Of An Inflatable Reflector For The External Tank Gamma Ray Imaging Telescope (ET-GRIT)

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is currently investigating a concept for a Gamma Ray Imaging Telescope using the space shuttle external tank. One of the major difficulties with this concept is the construction of the 28 ft. diameter spherical reflector used to concentrate the rays onto a collector. Because the access hatch through which all components of the telescope must enter the tank is 3 ft. in diameter, a rigid glass reflector would have to be segmented into individual panels of less than 3 ft. in diamater. This would result in a reflector of substantial weight and complexity in assembly. To overcome the problems involved with a rigid reflector, a concept has been developed in which an inflatable reflector can be used. A reflector of this type, attached to an inflatable torus could be designed to be transferred into the tank through the access hatch and then inflated. ILC Dover, Inc. has designed, fabricated and tested a 1/4 scale thin film inflatable reflector for use in the External Tank Gamma Ray Imaging Telescope. The prototype reflector is a 7 ft. diameter section of a 14 ft. radius sphere. Reflector configuration and seam studies were conducted to determine the optimum configuration for the reflector. The reflector is constructed from eight gore shaped panels and a 7 inch octagon in the center as determined by the "shadow" of the collector. The gore sections are designed to account for material elongation both circumferentially and radially so that the desired shape of a sphere was achieved.
Police enforcement of alcohol-related laws

Data are presented that indicate that the Southern region of the United States has a much higher arrest rate for drunkenness than other regions of the country; that the state of Kentucky has a much higher arrest rate for drunkenness and for alcohol offenses in total than even the Southern region; and that Madison County, Kentucky has much higher rates than even the state of Kentucky. Data collected from court records in Madison County are then presented to describe the people arrested for alcoholrelated offenses, the circumstances of their arrests, and the legal processing of their cases. Finally, speculative hypotheses for the higher arrest rates for alcohol-related offenses in the South, in Kentucky, and in Madison County are discussed.
Hydrothermal synthesis of selenium and tellurium nanorods

Selenium and tellurium nanorods were synthesised by the reaction of glucose with Na2SeO3 and Na2TeO3 under hydrothermal conditions. The products are characterised in detail by the multiform techniques: X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the selenium products are nanorods with diameters of about 200–300 nm, and lengths ranging between 1 and 3 µm. The diameters of the tellurium nanorods range from 60 to 80 nm and the lengths of several micrometres. The various effects on the growth of nanorods were studied.
Cell adhesion on nanofibrous polytetrafluoroethylene (nPTFE).

Here, we described the in vitro biocompatibility of a novel nanostructured surface composed of PTFE as a potential polymer for the prevention of adverse host reactions to implanted devices. The foreign body response is characterized at the tissue−material interface by several layers of macrophages and large multinucleated cells known as foreign body giant cells (FBGC), and a fibrous capsule. The nanofibers of nanofibrous PTFE (nPTFE) range in size from 20 to 30 nm in width and 3−4 mm in length. Glass surfaces coated with nPTFE (produced by jet-blowing of PTFE 601A) were tested under in vitro conditions to characterize the amount of protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and cell viability. We have shown that nPTFE adsorbs 495 ± 100 ng of bovine serum albumin (BSA) per cm2. This level was considerably higher than planar PTFE, most likely due to the increase in hydrophobicity and available surface area, both a result of the nanoarchitecture. Endothelial cells and macrophages were used to determine the degree of...
RELATIONSHIP OF WATER ACTIVITY TO MOISTURE CONTENT IN TREE NUTS

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of moisture and oil content on the water activity (aw) of 13 tree nut meats. Kernels of almond, butternut, Brazil, cashew, Chinese chestnut, filbert, hickory, macadamia, pecan, pignolia, pistachio, and walnut (black and English) were analyzed at 21°C for moisture contents at aw values ranging from 0.12–0.81. Straight-lined plots showing 0.20–0.80 aw at corresponding moisture levels were constructed from isotherms. Pecan nut meats contaning 63.9–76.3% oil were equilibrated at 0.68 aw and percentage moisture was determined. There was an inverse, directly proportional relationship between values obtained for percentages of moisture and oil. The moisture content of pecan nut meats at 0.68 aw was not directly proportional to the protein content, however, indicating that water-binding capacity was dependent upon other nonoil constituents in addition to protein.
Consistency in house allocation problems

Abstract In house allocation problems, we look for a systematic way of assigning a set of indivisible objects, e.g., houses, to a group of individuals having preferences over these objects. Typical real life examples are graduate housing, assignment of offices and tasks. Once an allocation is decided upon, the actual assignments of the agents are not likely to take place simultaneously. Therefore, rules whose predictions are independent of the sequence in which the actual assignments are realized turn out to be very appealing. We model this property via the consistency principle and identify various classes of consistent rules and correspondences.
Ethics and Health Policy—Introduction

Stories of nurses who provide direct patient care were the impetus for this health policy feature. Nurses talk poignantly about value conflicts as they try to practice in today's health care environment. They believe economics rather than patient care needs drives decisions about the care patients receive. They say they provide the bare minimum of care, often leaving the workplace knowing they have left much undone. Their pleasure in being able to give nursing care as they wish diminishes daily, while their fatigue and stress increase. When asked to rank their values and the values of the health care institution where they work, they report economic and organizational survival to be the highest value in their workplace and quality of care the highest personal value (Brown, 1997).
Quantifying quality: Evolution of an instrument to assess website quality

The development of accurate, reliable instruments to judge the quality of intellectual works requires an understanding of genre, audience, communication, information organization, and design. In the case of Websites it can be useful to have an instrument to help determine the quality of a Website for any number of reasons: 1) Websites are now reviewed in order to be linked to an organization's own Website, and an assessment instrument can serve as a reviewing tool. 2) Librarians “collect” and catalog Websites as they do other materials, and they need quality standards. 3) Students and others need learning tools so that they can understand how to judge Websites to aid in assessing online information. 4) Novice web developers can use quality touchstones in order to create usable Websites. The presenters of this session have developed a Website evaluation tool that has evolved from a qualitative instrument to a quantitative one. They will show how the instrument developed and how it is used today.
Pavement Rutting Performance Prediction by Integrated Weibull Approach

This paper demonstrates the applicability of the integrated Weibull approach to simulate the in situ rutting performance of asphalt concrete mixes by applying appropriate correction factors to laboratory models. The goal was to verify and calibrate the laboratory models according to accelerated pavement test results. The results of the repeated simple shear test at constant height (RSST-CH) were used to estimate the permanent deformation accumulation mechanisms. General regression equations were shown to successfully represent the Stage I and Stage II permanent deformation accumulation phases for mixes containing different binder types according to the results of RSST-CH. Correction factors were used to calibrate the laboratory equations according to the deflection data from four heavy vehicle simulator test sections to estimate in situ rutting performance. The results indicate that phase separation occurs at higher repetition values with increasing shear stress. Moreover, only Stage I of the laboratory m...
Conversion of 6-hydroxy-Δ4-3-ketosteroids to steroid 5α-ane-3,6-diones and Δ4-ene-3,6-diones during routine solvolysis procedures

Abstract It was found that steroids with 6-OH-Δ 4 -3-keto grouping are converted to the corresponding 5α-3,6-diones and Δ 4 -3,6-diones during any of the solvolytic procedures (including that of continuous ether extraction) for cleavage of steroid hydrogen sulfates. The reaction proceeds considerably faster with the 6β-OH steroids than with the 6α-OH ones. 6β-droxycortisol, 6α-hydroxycortisol, 6β-hydroxy-ll-deoxycortisol, 6β-hydroxyprogesterone, 6β-hydroxy-Δ 4 -cholesten-3-one and 6β-hydroxy-Δ 4 -androstene-3,17-dione have been examined — all yielded analogous transformation products during solvolysis. The two compounds formed (5α-3,6-dione and Δ 4 -3,6-dione) are derived by independent chemical pathways and are not interconvertible during solvolysis. The first compound is obtained in a 70–80% yield, the second in 10–20%. They can be readily separated by paper or column chromatography. In all the steroids examined the remaining part of the molecule stayed intact . It is concluded that 6-hydroxysteroids should be removed from biological extracts prior to solvolysis, whenever their isolation is also intended. Solvolysis appears to provide a convenient one-step method for the preparation of 5α-3,6-diones and Δ 4 -3,6-diones (although the latter in low yield) from corresponding 6β-OH-Δ 4 -3-ketosteroids, without necessity of labile group protection.
Two-way coupled-mode solutions in the complex horizontal wavenumber plane

A coupled-mode formalism based on complex Airy layer mode solutions is presented. It is an extension into the complex horizontal wavenumber plane of the companion article [Stotts, J. Acoust. Soc. Am.111 (2002) 1623–1643], referred to here as the real horizontal wavenumber version, which accounted for general ocean environments but was restricted to normal modes on the real horizontal wavenumber axis. A formulation of the expressions for both trapped and continuum complex coupling coefficients is developed to dramatically reduce computer storage requirements and to make the calculation more practical. The motivation of this work is to demonstrate the numerical implementation of the derivations and to apply the method to an example benchmark. Differences from the real horizontal wavenumber formalism are highlighted. The coupled equations are solved using the Lanczos method [Knobles, J. Acoust. Soc. Am.96 (1994) 1741–1747]. Comparisons of the coupled-mode solution to a parabolic equation solution for the ONR shelf break benchmark validate the results.
Psychosocial Predictors of Recent Drug Use among Anglo and Hispanic Children and Adolescents.

ABSTRACT Drug use among children and adolescents continues to be a source of considerable national concern. Despite declining trends over the past 15 years, drug use is fairly high among school-aged children and adolescents and is again on the rise. The present study evaluates a social development model of psychosocial predictors of drug use in Anglo and Hispanic children and adolescents. Participants in this longitudinal study include 392 parent-child pairs who completed questionnaires and interviews at 12-month intervals. Structural equation models reveal that patterns and predictors of drug use are distinct for each sub-group, by age and ethnicity. Later drug use was primarily associated with prior use, exposure to parental and peer models of drug use, and family disruption. These findings are partially consistent with Social Development theory in that strong links to conventional social institutions and behavior appear to protect children and adolescents from significant investment in drug-using behav...
Randomization time for the overhand shuffle

This paper analyzes repeated shuffling of a deck ofN cards. The measure studied is a model for the popularoverhand shuffle introduced by Aldous and Diaconis. It is shown that convergence to the uniform distribution requires at least orderN 2 shuffles, and that orderN 2 log(N) shuffles suffice. For a 52-card deck, more than 1000 shuffles are needed.
The Early Development of Pastoralism in the Central Zagros Mountains

This paper explores the changes in early forms of pastoralism in the West Central Zagros Mountains from village-based herding in the Neolithic period to initial stages in the formation of full-fledged nomadic pastoralism by the Late Chalcolithic period. It has been argued that the initial development of pastoralism in the Central Zagros Mountains should be viewed as an adaptive strategy to a highland environment with limited and dispersed resources in order to supplement a primarily agricultural village-based economy. With expansion of the agricultural regime, the distance to be traveled to pastures by herders became greater, and as a consequence, the organization of labor involved in herding had to be modified to meet the more complex task of moving sizable herds over larger areas. The empirical evidence for the assessment of hypotheses proposed in this paper comes from archaeological fieldwork in the Islamabad Plain in the Zagros Mountains in western Iran, as well as previous archaeological and ethnographic research in the region.
Unsteady incompressible Couette flow in a uniform transverse magnetic field

The unsteady plane Couette flow of an incompressible, viscous and infinitely conducting fluid in a uniformly imposed transverse magnetic field is studied. The problem is solved in general in a series form by means of a finite Fourier transform, and explicit solutions for two special cases are worked out.
Synthesis of a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor: [11C]citalopram.

Abstract Citalopram (Fig. 1), a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor, was labeled with 11C for non-invasive in vivo studies of serotonin uptake sites in the human brain using positron emission tomography. The synthesis was completed in approximately 17 min using [11C]methyl iodide as the precursor. The synthesis, purification, characterization, and determination of specific activity are described.
Gene Capture by Helitron Transposons Reshuffles the Transcriptome of Maize

Helitrons are a family of mobile elements that were discovered in 2001 and are now known to exist in the entire eukaryotic kingdom. Helitrons, particularly those of maize, exhibit an intriguing property of capturing gene fragments and placing them into the mobile element. Helitron-captured genes are sometimes transcribed, giving birth to chimeric transcripts that intertwine coding regions of different captured genes. Here, we perused the B73 maize genome for high-quality, putative Helitrons that exhibit plus/minus polymorphisms and contain pieces of more than one captured gene. Selected Helitrons were monitored for expression via in silico EST analysis. Intriguingly, expression validation of selected elements by RT–PCR analysis revealed multiple transcripts not seen in the EST databases. The differing transcripts were generated by alternative selection of splice sites during pre-mRNA processing. Selection of splice sites was not random since different patterns of splicing were observed in the root and shoot tissues. In one case, an exon residing in close proximity but outside of the Helitron was found conjoined with Helitron-derived exons in the mature transcript. Hence, Helitrons have the ability to synthesize new genes not only by placing unrelated exons into common transcripts, but also by transcription readthrough and capture of nearby exons. Thus, Helitrons have a phenomenal ability to “display” new coding regions for possible selection in nature. A highly conservative, minimum estimate of the number of new transcripts expressed by Helitrons is ∼11,000 or ∼25% of the total number of genes in the maize genome.
Responses of primary auditory fibers to combined noise and tonal stimuli

Responses to tonal stimuli, with and without added noise of different bandwidths, were obtained from anesthetized cat auditory-nerve fibers using glass micropipettes. When low-pass noise with a cut-off frequency at least one octave below best (or characteristic) frequency was used, every fiber tested at high enough intensities showed a suppression of the tonal response. This suppression did not cause a general reduction of neural responsiveness to all sounds, but rather took the general form of a frequency-specific reduction in the effective intensity of the tonal stimuli. The suppression mechanism(s) involved thus adjust the sensitivity of these fibers to cover higher intensity ranges in the presence of noise. The frequency of the most severely affected tones was always at or near best frequency, in confirmation of previous work (Abbas, P.J. and Sachs, M.B. (1976): J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 59, 112-122; Kiang, N.Y.-S. and Moxon, E.C. (1974): J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 55, 620-630). The suppresson is a direct but highly nonlinear function of the intensity and bandwidth of the noise. The effects on tonal response of wide-band noise were more variable, sometimes causing suppression similar to that induced by the low-pass noise and sometimes causing only 'strong-signal capture' effects. A model of noise-induced suppression has been developed whereby each sound produces both an excitatory effect, sharply tuned at best frequency, and a suppressive effect, which also has its lowest threshold at best frequency but is more broadly tuned.
Picometre displacement tracking of an optical beam in a silicon Schottky barrier sensor

An Ni-Si-Ni Schottky barrier sensor is used to sense 0.032 nm (0.064 nm peak-to-peak, 0.023 nm RMS) displacement of an optical beam incident on the sensor. This spatial resolution is more than two orders of magnitude better than any previously reported with a simple solid-state device and approaches interferometric levels.
Presence of biogenic amines in early rat development.

Rat ova, zygotes, and (2- to 4-cell) embryos were processed for the fluorescence demonstration of catecholamines and serotonin. Specific endogenous fluorescence, characteristic of catecholamines, was observed in all stages studied. The endogenous fluorescence was intensified by incubation in serotonin or norepinephrine. These observations suggest a role for biogenic amines in early mammalian cleavage, similar to that previously reported in invertebrates.
A review of pathophysiology and management of fetuses and neonates with meconium ileus for the pediatric surgeon.

Abstract Purpose Meconium ileus (MI) is the earliest clinical manifestation of cystic fibrosis (CF), occurring in up to 20% of patients with CF. Our aim was to review and integrate current knowledge about the diagnosis and management of fetuses and neonates with MI that may aid the pediatric surgeon in caring for these patients. Methods We identified areas of interest including pathophysiology, prenatal diagnosis, nonoperative and operative management, postoperative management, and prognosis. We performed a Medline search using the search term meconium ileus for English language articles published in the last 20 years. We reviewed reference lists to identify other articles of historical significance. Results Meconium ileus is primarily associated with CF transmembrane (conductance) regulator mutations F508del, G542X, W1282X, R553X, and G551D, and modifier genes have been found to explain approximately 17% of the phenotypic variability. Mouse, pig, and ferret models for CF demonstrate neonatal bowel obstruction mimicking MI. Sonographic findings of hyperechoic masses and dilated bowel in a high-risk fetus are suggestive of MI. Less than 7% of low-risk fetuses with hyperechoic bowel will have MI. Contemporary series of noninvasive management with Gastrografin enema report success rates of 36% to 39%, significantly lower than historical values. The optimal surgical technique remains controversial, although primary anastomosis results in surgical complication rates between 21% and 31%, higher than those noted with delayed anastomosis. Pulmonary function for patients with CF and MI at 15 and 25 years old is similar to those without MI, although height and weight percentiles may be lower. Conclusions This review for pediatric surgeons presents an examination of the literature and synthesizes current information about the pathophysiology, prenatal diagnosis, nonoperative and operative management, postoperative management, and prognosis of the patient with CF and MI.
Nested multigrid vector and scalar potential finite element method for fast computation of two-dimensional electromagnetic scattering

Nested multigrid techniques are combined with the ungauged vector and scalar potential formulation of the finite-element method to accelerate the convergence of the numerical solution of two-dimensional electromagnetic scattering problems. The finite-element modeling is performed on nested meshes of the same computational domain. The conjugate gradient method is used to solve the resultant finite-element matrix for the finest mesh, while the nested multigrid vector and scalar potential algorithm acts as the preconditioner of the iterative solver. Numerical experiments are used to demonstrate the superior numerical convergence and efficient memory usage of the proposed algorithm.
The role of Fairchild in silicon technology in the early days of "Silicon Valley"

Fairchild Semiconductor was founded in 1957 by a group originating from Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, the first organization attempting to exploit silicon transistor technology in the region at the base of the San Francisco peninsula now often referred to as "Silicon Valley". Fairchild produced the first commercial silicon mesa transistors and invented the "planar" process that formed the basis of practical integrated circuits. Several of the key directions in silicon device technology originated at Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation and its successor organization, the Semiconductor Division of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation. This paper describes the author's recollections of some of the related events.
The role of latanoprost in an inflammatory bowel disease flare.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease (CD) are characterized by inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea. Many studies have shown an association between elevated levels of prostaglandins and mucosal damage in inflammatory bowel disease. We report a 50-year-old woman with a history of CD and open-angle glaucoma. Her glaucoma was treated with latanoprost, a prostaglandin analog, which was associated with an exacerbation of her CD. On discontinuation of latanoprost, her CD symptoms disappeared completely. This case suggests that in a patient with CD, topical administration of latanoprost may result in sufficient systemic absorption and circulation to promote a relapse of CD. This finding has important implications, not only for patients with inflammatory bowel disease and glaucoma, but also for both ophthalmologists and gastroenterologists.