cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soybean-Oil Lipid Minimization for Prevention of Intestinal Failure–Associated Liver Disease in Late-Preterm and Term Infants With Gastrointestinal Surgical Disorders

Background Intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD), a multifactorial disease, is common among infants with gastrointestinal surgical disorders (GISDs). Prolonged soy-based intravenous lipid emulsion (S-ILE) intake is associated with IFALD, but preventive studies of limiting S-ILE have been inconclusive. Furthermore, a double-blind, randomized preventive trial (DBRPT) of S-ILE intake has not been performed in infants with GISDs. Our objective was to compare the effect of 1 g/kg/d vs 2 g/kg/d S-ILE intake for 6 weeks on the incidence of IFALD and the rate of rise of direct bilirubin (DB) in infants with GISDs. Methods A DBRPT was conducted in infants with GISDs at ≥34 weeks' gestational age (GA) admitted to the NICU within 72 hours after birth. Infants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 1 or 2 g/kg/d S-ILE for 6 weeks. IFALD was defined as DB ≥2 mg/dL. Results Forty infants were studied. The 2 groups had similar clinical characteristics except for GA and blood group incompatibility. Thirty percent of infants in each group developed IFALD (P = .94). However, infants in the group receiving 1 g/kg/d S-ILE (n = 20) had a lower rate of rise of DB compared with infants in the group receiving 2 g/kg/d S-ILE (n = 20). Conclusions Reducing S-ILE intake for 6 weeks in infants with GISD at ≥34 weeks' GA may not prevent IFALD. The extrapolated data on the rate of rise of DB suggest a possible risk of earlier development of IFALD with S-ILE intake of 2 g/kg/d, as compared with 1 g/kg/d, beyond the 6-week study period.
Observations of Maternal Feeding Practices and Styles and Young Children's Obesity Risk: A Longitudinal Study of Hispanic Mothers with Low Incomes.

Background: Maternal feeding practices and styles are well-established correlates of children's BMI z-scores in the preschool years. Most studies, however, are cross-sectional, using maternal self-reports to examine feeding. This study examined, over a 3½-year period, the relationship between observed and self-reported feeding practices/styles and children's BMI z-scores in a sample of Hispanic mothers with low incomes and their preschool children. Methods: One hundred eighty-seven mothers were observed feeding their 4- to 5-year old during a buffet meal in a laboratory setting and completed self-report measures on their feeding practices and styles. Children's BMI z-scores were assessed at this visit and 3½ years later. Results: Consistent with previous research, observed and self-reported pressure to eat and/or authoritarian feeding were negatively associated with children's BMI z-scores at the first time point; observed discouraging eating was positively associated. However, children's BMI z-scores 3½ years later, controlling for Time 1 BMI z-scores, were positively associated with observed pressure to eat. Observed maternal reasoning and self-reported monitoring of children's eating behavior at Time 1 were negatively associated with later BMI z-scores. Only self-reported feeding styles predicted later children's BMI z-scores, with indulgent and authoritative styles positively associated with children's BMI z-scores at the third time point. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that mothers who ignore their children's fullness cues and pressure them to eat have children who are at greater risk for the development of later obesity. Implications for the development of family-focused childhood obesity prevention programs are discussed.
References Supplied on Request: Paul Brokaw's Stamp on Analog IC Design

Paul Brokaw may be known to most IC designers as the inventor of the industry standard two-transistor bandgap voltage reference named after him, but Brokaw has made many distinct contributions to circuit design and the culture of design, all of which have left a strong and lasting legacy. Among IC designers, Paul Brokaw is one of the greats.
Polynomials Associated to Integer Partitions

Integer partitions express the different ways that a positive integer may be written as a sum of other positive integers. Here we explore the analytic properties of a polynomial $f_\lambda(x)$ that we call the partition polynomial for the partition $\lambda$, with the hope of learning new properties of partitions. We prove a recursive formula for the derivatives of $f_\lambda(x)$ involving Stirling numbers of the second kind, show that the set of integrals from 0 to 1 of a normalized version of $f_\lambda(x)$ is dense in $[0,1/2]$, pose a few open questions, and formulate a conjecture relating the integral to the length of the partition. We also provide specific examples throughout to support our speculation that an in-depth analysis of partition polynomials could further strengthen our understanding of partitions.
Simultaneous Learning the Dimension and Parameter of a Statistical Model with Big Data

Estimating the dimension of a model along with its parameters is fundamental to many statistical learning problems. Traditional model selection methods often approach this task by a two-step procedure: first estimate model parameters under every candidate model dimension, then select the best model dimension based on certain information criterion. When the number of candidate models is large, however, this two-step procedure is highly inefficient and not scalable. We develop a novel automated and scalable approach with theoretical guarantees, called mixed-binary simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (MB-SPSA), to simultaneously estimate the dimension and parameters of a statistical model. To demonstrate the broad practicability of the MB-SPSA algorithm, we apply the MB-SPSA to various classic statistical models including K-means clustering, Gaussian mixture models with an unknown number of components, sparse linear regression, and latent factor models with an unknown number of factors. We evaluate the performance of the MB-SPSA through simulation studies and an application to a single-cell sequencing dataset in terms of accuracy, running time, and scalability. The code implementing the MB-SPSA is available at http://github.com/wanglong24/MB-SPSA .
Talking voices: Appendix I: Sources of examples

Following is a list of major sources of examples and background information about their collection and choice. Thanksgiving dinner conversation The largest number of examples is taken from transcripts of tape-recorded conversation. The largest number of these are from two and a half hours of dinner table conversation that I recorded on Thanksgiving day 1978. This conversation comprised the material for my book Conversational style (1984), as well as a number of other papers I have written.With a few exceptions, the examples used here are being used for the first time. Participants in the conversation were six middle-class white professionals between the ages of 29 and 35. The dinner was at the home of Steve (33). Guests included his brother Peter (35) and his best friend Deborah (33), who is also the author. (Names other than mine are pseudonymous.) Steve, Peter, and I are natives of New York City of East European Jewish background. In the course of the study that led to the aforementioned book, I discovered that these three speakers used many similar discourse strategies which together constitute a conversational style that I characterized as “high-involvement”: When faced with a choice between observing positive face by showing involvement vs. observing negative face by refraining from imposing, they were more likely to choose to show involvement and risk imposing.
Pattern recognition using neural networks: theory and algorithms for engineers and scientists

Part I FUNDAMENTALS OF PATTERN RECOGNITION 0. Basic Concepts of Pattern Recognition 1. Decision Theoretic Algorithms 2. Structural Pattern Recognition Part II INTRODUCTORY NEURAL NETWORKS 3. Artificial Neural Network Structures 4. Supervised Training via Error Backpropogation: Derivations 5. Acceleration and Stabilization of Supervised Gradient Training of MLPs Part III ADVANCED FUNDAMENTALS OF NEURAL NETWORKS 6. Supervised Training via Strategic Search 7. Advances in Network Algorithms for Recognition 8. Using Hopfield Recurrent Neural Networks Part IV NEURAL, FEATURE, AND DATA ENGINEERING 9. Neural Engineering and Testing of FANNs 10. Feature and Data Engineering
Signal interactions in pathogen and insect attack: Systemic plant-mediated interactions between pathogens and herbivores of the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum

Abstract Plant-mediated interactions (i.e., induced resistance) between plant pathogens and insect herbivores were investigated using several pests of the cultivated tomato,Lycopersicon esculentum. Single leaflets of tomato leaves were injured by allowing a third-instarHelicoverpa zealarva to feed on the leaflets or by inoculating the leaflets withPseudomonas syringaepv.tomato(the causal agent of bacterial speck in tomato;Pst) or withPhytophthora infestans(the causal agent of late blight). Leaflets on separate plants were sprayed with benzothiadiazole, a chemical inducer of resistance toPst. The effects of these treatments on the resistance of uninoculated or undamaged leaflets to bothPstandH. zeawere then assessed after appropriate periods of time. The levels or activities of several defense-related proteins were determined in parallel. Infection of leaflets byPstdecreased the suitability of uninoculated leaflets of the same leaf for bothH. zeaand forPst. Similarly, feeding byH. zeacaused leaf-systemic increases in resistance to bothH. zeaandPst. Infection of leaflets byP. infestans, in contrast, had no effect on resistance of leaflets toH. zea. Treatment of leaves with benzothiadiazole induced resistance toPstbut improved suitability of leaflets forH. zea. Feeding byH. zeacaused the systemic accumulation of proteinase inhibitor mRNA and the systemic induction of polyphenol oxidase activity; in contrast, treatment with benzothiadiazole and inoculation withP. infestanscaused the systemic accumulation of pathogenesis-related protein mRNA and the systemic induction of peroxidase activity. Inoculation of leaflets withPstcaused the leaf-systemic accumulation of both pathogenesis-related protein and proteinase inhibitor mRNA and the systemic induction of both peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity. These results provide clear evidence for reciprocal induced resistance involving certain pathogens and arthropod herbivores of tomato. In addition, these results provide several insights into the integration and coordination of the induced defenses of tomato against multiple pests and suggest that the expression of resistance against some pests may compromise resistance to others.
Identification of a binding site on human FGF-2 for fibrinogen.

Endothelial cell adhesive interactions are mediated by both fibrinogen and fibrin, and growth is stimulated by fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). We have shown previously that FGF-2 binds specifically and with high affinity to fibrinogen and fibrin and that fibrinogen potentiates the proliferative capacity of FGF-2 and also protects it from proteolytic degradation. To further characterize this interaction we have performed FGF-2 mutagenesis to identify the interactive site. Because FGF-1 has a similar structure to FGF-2 but does not bind to fibrinogen, we used a strategy of cassette and site-directed mutagenesis, exchanging residues from FGF-1 and FGF-2 and correlating structural changes with fibrinogen binding. Two cassette interchange mutants, 2212 and 2211, contained either the third cassette or both the third and fourth cassettes from FGF-1, and neither exhibited any affinity for fibrinogen. Exchange of 5 residues (Phe95, Ser100, Asn102, Arg107, and Arg109) from FGF-2 into the corresponding sites in the third cassette of FGF-1 imparted high-affinity binding with apparent dissociation constants (K d ) of 5.3 nM and 8.6 nM, respectively, compared with 1.3 nM for wild-type FGF-2. We conclude that these 5 residues define a high-affinity binding site in FGF-2 for fibrinogen.
Attitudes and avatars instrument: development and initial testing

The purpose of the study was to develop and test the initial psychometric properties of the ATTitudes and Avatars INstrument (ATTAIN). The integrated behavior model guided instrument development to measure the young adolescent boys’ attitudes, intentions and actions to change their bodies. An adolescent health expert panel and young adolescent boys were recruited to test for content validity. Fifty-nine boys 11 to 14 years of age were recruited at a middle school in the USA during physical education class to conduct a pilot study to test for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The ATTAIN was found to have high content validity, slightly below recommended levels for internal consistency, and varied test-retest reliability. The long-term goal of the development and testing of the ATTAIN is to make it available to researchers and professionals to screen and focus on adolescents’ perceptions of their bodies and using those perceptions to attain and maintain healthy bodies. The results of this study suggest preliminarily a theoretically derived instrument with appropriate content for young adolescent boys and variable reliability. The attitudes, intentions, and actions survey items and avatars as measured by the ATTAIN, were meaningful to the boys. The ATTAIN has potential to be used as a screening instrument for young adolescents boys and understanding their attitudes toward their bodies; however, it will require continued development and testing to establish construct and discriminant validity.
Growth and Characterization of Cascade Solar Cells

Multi-junction, variable bandgap cascade solar cells offer the potential of achieving significantly higher conversion efficiencies than single junction cells and are therefore attractive candidates for future terrestrial and space applications. This paper reports on the successful fabrication of experimental, two-junction cascade cells in two different III–V materials systems: Al-Ga-As and Al-Ga-As-Sb.
Generation and Cyclization of 5‐Hexenyllithium: 2‐Cyclopentylacetophenone

6-Iodo-1-hexene 2-Cyclopentylacetophenone tert-Butyllithium 5-Hexen-1-ol, methyl sulfonate Sodium iodide Methanesulfonyl chloride Keywords: 5-ex-o-cyclization; stereochemistry; heterocyclic systems; achiral olefinic organolithiums; hexynl lithiums
Cyclosporine A and tacrolimus inhibit urothelial tumorigenesis

The functional role of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), while it has been extensively investigated in the immune system, remains uncertain in bladder cancer development. We here aim to assess the effects of cyclosporine A (CsA) and tacrolimus (FK506), immunosuppressants known to specifically inactivate the NFAT pathway in immune cells, on neoplastic transformation of urothelial cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expression levels of NFATc1, a NFAT isoform shown to function as an oncogene in a sarcoma model, were elevated in urothelial neoplasms, compared with non-neoplastic urothelial tissues, and in low-grade and high-grade papillary urothelial carcinomas, compared with papillary urothelial neoplasms of low malignant potential. In an immortalized normal urothelial cell line SVHUC, CsA and FK506 reduced NFATc1 expression, NFAT transcriptional activity, and the expression of c-myc, a downstream target of NFATc1 signals. Treatment with CsA or FK506 in the SVHUC cells undergoing neoplastic transformation induced by exposure to a chemical carcinogen 3-methylcholanthrene resulted in strong inhibition in colony formation in vitro as well as tumor formation in NOD-SCID mice. CsA and FK506 were additionally found to up-regulate the expression of several molecules that play a protective role in bladder tumorigenesis, including p53, p21, and p27, and down-regulate that of oncogenic genes, such as cyclin D1, cyclin D3, and cyclin E, in SVHUC cells with the carcinogen challenge. Thus, CsA and FK506 likely inhibit urothelial tumorigenesis. These findings offer a potential chemopreventive approach for urothelial tumors using NFAT inhibitors.
Exposure to and deposition of fine and ultrafine particles in smokers of menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes.

Introduction: Research on the deposition of mainstream smoke particulate in the respiratory tract of smokers is needed to understand how exposure may vary based on cigarette menthol content.Methods: We conducted a nine-participant crossover study in which smokers were randomly assigned to cigarettes differing primarily in menthol content. Participants smoked the test cigarettes ad libitum for one week, provided spot urine samples, and then smoked four test cigarettes in a laboratory session; this was repeated for the other test cigarette in week two. Fine and ultrafine particulate matter in exhaled breath were characterized, and smoking behavior was monitored. Participant-specific mainstream smoke, generated using each participant’s topography data, was characterized. During home smoking, participants collected their spent test cigarette butts for estimates of mouth-level exposures (MLE) to mainstream nicotine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK).Results: Participant-specific mainstrea...
The tug-of-war between dendritic cells and human chronic viruses.

The human immune system is under constant challenge from many viruses, some of which the body is successfully able to clear. Other viruses have evolved to escape the host immune responses and thus persist, leading to the development of chronic diseases. Dendritic cells are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a major role in both innate and adaptive immunity against different pathogens. This review focuses on the interaction of different chronic viruses with dendritic cells and the viruses’ ability to exploit this critical cell type to their advantage so as to establish persistence within the host.
Suicide behavior and depression in university student psychiatric referrals

Two hundred and sixty four university students who were referred consecutively for psychiatric examination were evaluated by the author using a detailed, precoded questionnaire based on the Feighner et al., diagnostic criteria for psychiatric research. Histories including suicide behavior and affective symptoms were recorded. Four measures of suicide behavior: thoughts, wishes, threats, and attempts were all associated with the presence of affective disorders, but did not significantly in their association with specific affective disorders. Suicide attempts were more frequent than threats and did, in some cases, occur without the communication of suicide intent.
Sexual Attitudes of Victorian and Post-Victorian Women: Another Look at the Mosher Survey

Between 1892 and 1920 Dr. Clelia Duel Mosher surveyed 45 married women on varied aspects of their intimate life, including sexual attitudes and behavior. Besides requesting demographic information about the occupation, health, or education of the respondent and her parents, Mosher questioned women about their knowledge of sex, frequency of sexual intercourse, whether sex is necessary, agreeable, or pleasurable, the purpose of sex, birth control, preferred or ideal sex habits, and much more. The survey, entitled Statistical Study of the Marriage of Forty-Seven Women, was never completed or published by Dr. Mosher. It was deposited among her unpublished papers at the Stanford University archives. Thanks to the fine editorial work of James Mahood and Kristine Wenburg, we have available, in a highly readable form, perhaps the only sex survey of women in the nineteenth century.1 Since its initial discovery by Carl Degler in 1973 and its publication in 1980, the Mosher survey has become a crucial document in the on-going debate over Victorian sexuality. In particular, it has been appealed to by revisionist historians in their effort to alter our conception of Victorian sexuality. The editors of the Mosher survey, for example, claim that it contradicts the popular stereotype of the passionless, prudish Victorian female. "The Victorian women interviewed by Mosher relished sex, claimed higher rates of orgasm than women reported in a survey conducted in 1972. There is little evidence here of Victorian prudery."2 The editors conclude that this "pioneering document... helps dispel persistent myths of Victorian women's sexuality. "3 Carl Degler and Peter Gay have seized upon the Mosher survey further to press for their particular revisionist interpretations. Although Degler acknowledges that these women were not entirely typical in that they were highly educated, white, largely from the North and all married, they are, he suggests, more or less, representatives of middle-class or upper-middle-class white Victorian women. Moreover, the fact that 70 per cent of these women were born before 1870 ? and therefore were formed under the full impact of Victorian culture ? makes this document crucial in the debate over middle-class women's sexuality in the nineteenth century. Degler finds in the Mosher survey unequivocal support for his contention that, despite the ideology of female passionlessness promoted by the popular medical advice literature, the reality was that women acknowledged
β-Carotene supplementation for patients with low baseline levels and decreased risks of total and prostate carcinoma

BACKGROUND The Physicians' Health Study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using a 2 × 2 factorial design including supplementation with β-carotene (50 mg every other day) in the primary prevention of cancer among 22,071 U.S. male physicians ages 40–84 years at randomization. Before randomization, the authors collected baseline blood specimens to determine whether any benefit was greater among or confined to those with low baseline levels of β-carotene. METHODS Baseline blood samples were collected from 14,916 participants. These samples were assayed, according to a nested case–control design, from 1439 men subsequently diagnosed with cancer over 12 years of follow-up (631 with prostate carcinoma) and 2204 controls matched by age and smoking habits. RESULTS Men in the lowest quartile for plasma β-carotene at baseline had a marginally significant (P = 0.07) increased risk of cancer compared with those in the highest quartile (relative risk [RR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.74). Men in the lowest quartile assigned at random to β-carotene supplementation had a possible but nonsignificant decrease in overall cancer risk (RR = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.63–1.09) compared with those assigned to placebo. This was primarily due to a significant reduction in the risk of prostate carcinoma (RR = 0.68, 95% CI, 0.46–0.99) in this group. After the first 2 years of follow-up were excluded, the results were virtually unchanged. CONCLUSIONS These prespecified subgroup analyses appeared to support the idea that β-carotene supplementation may reduce risk of prostate carcinoma among those with low baseline levels. Further follow-up of this population will help determine whether these findings are valid. [See editorial on pages 1629–31, this issue.] Cancer 1999;86:1783–92. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Some Misquotations of Homer in Plato

PLATO OFTEN HAS Socrates and his other characters quote Homer. Their quotations for the most part exactly agree with our vulgate, but sometimes they differ. The most recent and careful study of these variants (La Barbe, L'Homere de Platon) concluded that Plato cited from a text that the 'oral tradition' had influenced. Although La Barbe's thesis has been doubted,I no one has yet, as far as I am aware, accounted for the variants without appealing to a tradition other than ours. Here we propose to show that some of these misquotations could be deliberate: Plato would have forced Homer's lines as we know them to conform to the context in which he has placed them. We cannot of course strictly prove deliberateness on Plato's part, nor should it be demanded, for our 'proofs' will depend on what isn't there: the absent context of the Homeric quotation. All we can show is that the deformed lines when read with the vulgate in mind cohere more closely with the Platonic context than they would do by themselves. It should not, moreover, strike us as strange that the privilege of argumentum ex silentio which the ancients attributed to Homer was taken over by his greatest critic: O yp cf. Strabol. 2, 2 2). Apology 28d2 (340-344).z Socrates compares himself to Achilles, who chose rather to avenge Patroclus' death than to save his own life; and he quotes him as saying, ocx ipoup-q ( i o4.). Socrates' suppression of ?rMatov, if that is what it was, can be accounted for if we recall the following lines, in which Achilles explained why he was a "vain burden of the earth":
Predictive value of polymorphonuclear granulocytes in relation to growth of microorganisms in semen

Objective: Leukocytes, predominantly neutrophils, are frequently present in seminal plasma. An increased number of neutrophils (pyospermia) may indicate subclinical urogenital and/or male accessory gland infection. The aim of this study is to determine if the presence of neutrophils correlates with growth of specific type of microorganism(s). Design: A retrospective analysis of semen analysis results from 1999 to 2001 was conducted by the Andrology Laboratory at a large university based IVF program. The study sample comprised of 272 semen samples collected for routine analysis or intrauterine insemination procedure(s). The following specimens were excluded: collection problems, collection off site, and method of collection other than masturbation. Collection guidelines and semen analysis procedures followed WHO (1999) criteria with an acridine orange stain for neutrophils. Measurements were assessed by four andrologists with an intra and inter technician variations 10%. Materials/Methods: Enumeration of neutrophils was performed using two methodologies: peroxidase or acridine orange stain. Similar results were obtained with both procedures. Bacterial cultures were processed by a commercial laboratory (Quest Lab) that used standard culture techniques. Results: The current diagnosis of pyospermia is based upon a threshold of 1 X 106/cc (WHO, 1999). Nonetheless, of these patients with no definable bacteria on culture, 80% were pyospermic. Similarly, of these patients with a positive bacterial culture, 29% had semen PMN levels of 1M/cc. Of the positive cultures, the predominant microorganisms were Staph. epidermidis, Staph. haemolyticus, E. Coli, E. faecalis, a small percentage included Group B Streptococcus. Mean motility did not appear to be influenced by PMN or bacterial status: 52 and 51% for negative bacteria ( and 1M/cc PMNs) and 52 and 50% positive bacteria ( and 1M/cc PMNs) respectively.
Clonal deletion: A mechanism of tolerance in mixed bone marrow chimeras

Abstract The mechanism of antigen-specific immunologic unresponsiveness which results from lethal irradiation and mixed (syngeneic-allogeneic) bone marrow cell (BMC) reconstitution is unknown. To determine whether clonal deletion is the mechanism of tolerance in this model, monoclonal antibody (Mab) RR-4-4, specific for a T-cell receptor (Vβ6) reactive against the minor alloantigen Mlsa, was employed. Six-week-old B10 mice (H-2b, Mlsb, Thy1.2) were tolerized to AKR antigens (H-2k, Mlsa, Thy1.1) by whole body irradiation (950 R) and iv infusion of T-cell-depleted (TCD) B10 BMC + non-TCD AKR BMC. Chimerism and antigen-specific tolerance were documented by flow microfluorometry (FMF), skin grafting, mixed lymphocyte reaction, and cell-mediated lympholysis. When tolerant B10 mice (n = 15) had accepted AKR skin grafts for >100 days, these animals were studied for the presence of host Vβ6+ T cells using Mab RR-4-4. FMF revealed that 0–5% of host (B10) lymph node and spleen cells from chimeras were Vβ6+ while 15–20% of lymph node and spleen cells from control B10 mice expressed Vβ6. These data demonstrate that clonal deletion occurs in the lethal irradiation-mixed reconstitution model as evidenced by the near total elimination of Mlsa-reactive Vβ6+ T cells and suggest that it maybe a mechanism responsible for tolerance in adult mice.
Snake-based technique for plasmapause tracking

A new approach to tracking the boundary of the plasmasphere (i.e., the plasmapause) in a time-series of satellite images of the Earth is described. The approach is based on the active contour models (snakes) and exploits prior knowledge of the plasmasphere to automatically initialize and refine the snake's position in each image, it then uses a greedy minimization scheme to drive the snake toward the plasmapause in each image. A Voronoi diagram is used to restrict the snake evolution to ensure that the snake does not loop over itself. Correspondences between successive images are established using a radial alignment process. The approach aids in quantifying plasmasphere changes, which are key indicators of the impact of solar events on the Earth's magnetosphere.
Surface reactions of lithium with the environment

Abstract AES measurements have been made on clean lithium surfaces after in situ exposure to O 2 , CO 2 and N 2 . The data shows the reactions with the lithium surface occur much more rapidly for O 2 and CO 2 than for N 2 . The data on the CO 2 reaction indicates that the oxide and carbide of lithium are formed. The formation of black spots, observed to form on lithium surfaces during processing into anodes, has been reproduced by reaction with nitrogen and identified by AES as either a mixture of lithium oxide and lithium nitride or as a lithium oxynitride.
The effects of microstructure on interface characterization

Abstract The growth morphology of metal layers on semiconductors is discussed in terms of its influence on photoelectron spectra. Examples are given for nucleated growth of non-interacting metal-semiconductor systems, for which the stabilization of the surface potential may be delayed to coverages exceeding many monolayers. For strongly interacting systems the need for careful lineshape analysis is shown to be essential for the correct chemical and electronic characterization of the developing interface.
High resolution through-the-wall radar image based on beamspace eigenstructure subspace methods

ABSTRACT Through-the-wall imaging (TWI) is a challenging problem, even if the wall parameters and characteristics areknown to the system operator. Proper target classication and correct imaging interpretation require the appli-cation of high resolution techniques using limited array size. In inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), signalsubspace methods such as Multiple Signal Classication (MUSIC) are used to obtain high resolution imaging. Inthis paper, we adopt signal subspace methods and apply them to the 2-D spectrum obtained from the delay-and-sum beamforming image. This is in contrast to ISAR, wh ere raw data, in frequency and angle, is directly usedto form the estimate of the covariance matrix and array response vector. Using beams rather than raw data hastwo main advantages, namely, it improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and can correctly image typical indoorextended targets, such as tables and cabinets, as well a s point targets. The paper pr esents both simulated andexperimental results using synthesized and real data. It compares the performan ce of beam-space MUSIC andCapon beamformer. The experimental data is collected at the test facility in the Radar Imaging Laboratory,Villanova University.Keywords: MUSIC, Radar Imaging, ISAR, Through-the-wall Radar
The Influence of Hindered Transport on the Development of Platelet Thrombi Under Flow

Vascular injury triggers two intertwined processes, platelet deposition and coagulation, and can lead to the formation of an intravascular clot (thrombus) that may grow to occlude the vessel. Formation of the thrombus involves complex biochemical, biophysical, and biomechanical interactions that are also dynamic and spatially-distributed, and occur on multiple spatial and temporal scales. We previously developed a spatial-temporal mathematical model of these interactions and looked at the interplay between physical factors (flow, transport to the clot, platelet distribution within the blood) and biochemical ones in determining the growth of the clot. Here, we extend this model to include reduction of the advection and diffusion of the coagulation proteins in regions of the clot with high platelet number density. The effect of this reduction, in conjunction with limitations on fluid and platelet transport through dense regions of the clot can be profound. We found that hindered transport leads to the formation of smaller and denser clots compared to the case with no protein hindrance. The limitation on protein transport confines the important activating complexes to small regions in the interior of the thrombus and greatly reduces the supply of substrates to these complexes. Ultimately, this decreases the rate and amount of thrombin production and leads to greatly slowed growth and smaller thrombus size. Our results suggest a possible physical mechanism for limiting thrombus growth.
Observations on arthrodial types of temporomandibular joints

V ARIOUS OPINIONS ARE HELD by different investigators as to the functional importance of the anatomic structures which take part in limiting retrusion of the mandible. Arstadl points out that in other joints, of the digits for example, limitation of motion is due to the joint capsule and re-enforcing ligaments. In the temporomandibular joint, the capsule is slack and flaccid, so much so that it is not injured when the joint is dislocated. The sphenomandibular and stylomandibular ligaments, by their position, cannot prevent the condyles from sliding dorsally. In 1933,2 Arstad maintained that the anterior part of the joint capsule supports the retruded position. In 1954,l however, he described some collateral capsular ligaments as being responsible for limited retrusion of the condyles. Steinhardt3 reported in 1934 that the external pterygoid muscle limits retrusion of the condyles. In 1957, however, Steinhardt4 agreed with Arstadl that the collateral capsular ligaments of the temporomandibular joint are responsible. He also said that the muscles are important but did not elaborate. Siche+a stated that one function of the external pterygoid muscle is to hold the condyle and disc against the posterior slope of the articular eminence while the teeth are in contact, Markowitz and Gerry? and other investigators state that the function of the external pterygoid muscles acting together is to cause protrusion of the mandible. The role muscles play in limiting retrusion of the condyles was contradicted by the work of Aprile and Sai.zar3 when they obtained symphyseal angle tracings from specimens with the joints intact but with the muscles removed. The work of PosseltQ also nullified the theory that muscles are the effecters which limit posterior retrusion of the condyles. Posselt obtained Gothic arch (stylus) tracings from anesthetized living persons under the influence of curare. Ferrein,lO Breuer,ll and ReeC reported that the retruded position of the condyles is held by the temporomandibular ligament. Kirk13 was of the opinion that the denture bears the main stress of mastication and prevents the backward thrust of the condyles. Robinson14 reported that the mandibular condyle in its most retruded position is not normally situated at the bottom of the mandibular fossa but is closer to the posterior part of the tuberculum articulare.
Influence of endurance exercise and diet on human placental development and fetal growth.

The delivery of oxygen and substrate to the maternal–fetal interphase is the major maternal environmental stimulus which either up- or down-regulates feto-placental growth. During pregnancy, sustained exercise sessions cause an intermittent reduction in oxygen and substrate delivery to the interphase that may exceed 50% during the exercise but, it is probable that regular bouts of sustained exercise or exercise training may improve oxygen and substrate delivery at rest. The type of maternal carbohydrate intake (low- versus high-glycemic sources) and food intake frequency also influence substrate availability through their effects on maternal blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity. As a result, different exercise regimens and/or different types of carbohydrate intake modify feto-placental growth. The magnitude and direction of the effect is determined by their average 24-h effect on oxygen and substrate availability at different time-points in pregnancy. In general, exercise in early and mid pregnancy stimulates placental growth while the relative amount of exercise in late pregnancy determines its effect on late fetal growth. Low-glycemic food sources in the diet decrease growth rate and size at birth while high-glycemic food sources increase it. Thus, it may be possible to improve pregnancy outcomes in both healthy, low-risk women and a variety of high-risk populaces by simply modifying maternal physical activity and dietary carbohydrate intake during pregnancy.
Bite force measurement in awake rats

This report describes the implementation of bite force measurement in awake rats and software instruments (Spike 2 script programs) that quantify and analyze the bite force data. One script program employs user-defined control of threshold bite force, which allows an easy adjustment of target force prior to training the rat. Furthermore, the interactive program allows on-line control of threshold bite force at anytime during the training session. Upon detection of the bite force crossing the threshold, it automatically triggers the external water delivery system for reinforcement. Another script program detects successful biting attempts, compiles times stamps and force level for each attempted bite, and calculates the total number of bites, success rate and mean bite force per training session. Using the new methodology, we trained five adult rats to produce the bite force of 1300 g. Our results demonstrated that all rats achieved the target force with a similar time course and exhibited little variability in success rate and mean bite force. The script programs provided instant review and analyses of the captured data. These techniques simplify assessment of bite force in behaving rats.
Information capacity of sampling-limited systems

Information-capacity of sampled imaging systems is explored as a function of system parameters which include signal-to-noise ratio, optical transfer function of the lens and photodetector array, and quantization and sampling due to the digitization process.
Metmyoglobin/fluoride: effect of distal histidine protonation on the association and dissociation rate constants.

Abstract The kinetics of formation and dissociation of the horse metmyoglobin/fluoride complex has been investigated between pH 3.4 and 11. The ionic strength dependence of the reaction has been measured at integral pH values between pH 5 and 10. Hydrofluoric acid, HF, binds to metmyoglobin with a rate constant of (4.7 ± 0.7) × 10 4 M −1 s −1 . An apparent ionization in metmyoglobin with a p K a of 4.4 ± 0.5 influences the rate of HF binding and is attributed to the distal histidine, His-64. Protonation of His-64 increases the HF binding rate by a factor of 2.6. The fluoride anion, F − , binds to metmyoglobin with a rate constant of (5.6 ± 1.4) × 10 −2 M −1 s −1 , about 10 6 times slower than HF. Binding of either HF or F − to hydroxymetmyoglobin cannot be detected. Protonation of the distal histidine facilitates HF dissociation from the metmyoglobin/fluoride complex. HF dissociates with a rate constant of 1.9 ± 0.3 s −1 . The fluoride anion dissociates 2000 times more slowly, with a rate constant of (8.7 ± 1.6) × 10 −4 s −1 . The apparent p K a for His-64 ionization in the fluorometmyoglobin complex is 5.7 ± 0.1. The association and dissociation rate constants are relatively independent of ionic strength with secondary kinetic salt effects sufficient to account for the ionic strength variation of both, consistent with the idea that association and dissociation of neutral HF dominate the kinetics of fluoride binding to metmyoglobin.
Disability as diversity in fortune 100 companies

To investigate the inclusion of people with disabilities in the diversity policies of the most successful businesses in the United States, we examined the publicly available workforce and supplier diversity policies of the top 100 companies on Fortune Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 most profitable companies in the nation. The majority of these companies have extensive information about their diversity policies and practices available on their corporate website. The information was used to categorize the policies into those that include people with disabilities, do not define diversity, and enumerate what is meant by diversity (e.g. in terms of race or gender) but do not expressly mention disability. In addition, we looked beyond the diversity policies to information available on corporate websites relating to a variety of diversity initiatives. Findings suggest that the majority of the companies that top the Fortune 500 list have developed and implemented diversity policies. Of these, 42% have diversity policies that include people with disabilities in the definition of a diverse workforce. Furthermore, 47% of companies with workplace diversity policies discuss diversity in a way that neither expressly includes nor excludes people with disabilities. Far fewer (15%) supplier diversity policies include disability in the definition of diversity, but a significant number of companies use criteria that allow a business owner with a disability to benefit from the company's supplier diversity program.
Effects of the benomyl metabolite, carbendazim, on the hypothalamic-pituitary reproductive axis in the male rat

Carbendazim (MBC), the bioactive metabolite of the fungicide benomyl, has been reported to induce a number of testicular alterations in male rats. Since it is possible that extragonadal changes contribute to the appearance of such effects, the present study focused on the presence of concurrent endocrine changes in the hypothalamic and pituitary components of the brain-pituitary-testicular axis. Subchronic administration of MBC (50, 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg) was found to cause a dose-related elevation in serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH). Values for prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone remained unchanged. No statistical differences in gonadotropin-releasing hormone concentrations were present in mediobasal hypothalamus, although an elevation in anterior hypothalamic values was found at the low dose, followed by a dose-related decline. These findings demonstrate that previously reported gonadal differences following subchronic exposure to carbendazim are accompanied by alterations elsewhere in the reproductive system which appear to involve both changes in Sertoli cell-pituitary feedback signals and direct effects of the compound on the central nervous system.
Dimethyl sulfoxide: Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in the mammalian heart

Abstract The heart rate of the isolated, perfused, working rat heart was significantly and equally depressed by 1 × 10−6 M acetylcholine (ACh) and by 6 × 10−5 M 4-ketoamyltrimethylammonium (4K), a cholinomimetic agonist. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (10 μl/ml, 140 mM) strongly potentiated the effect of ACh but did not alter the effect of 4K. DMSO (10 μl/ml, 140 mM final concentration) alone had no significant effect upon heart rate when added to the perfusate in incremental additions of 1 μl · (ml perfusate)−1 · min−1 over a 10-min period. The specific activity of atrial homogenate cholinesterase was 48.8 ± 3.46 nmoles · min −1 · ( mg protein ) −1 ( mean ± S.E.M. ), 38.2 ± 1.60 for butyrylcholinesterase, and 11.2 ± 0.86 for acetylcholinesterase (AChE). True AChE activity (measured in the presence of a maximally effective concentration of tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide) had a Vmax of 13.4 ± 0.17 nmoles · min−1 · (mg protein)−1 and an apparent Km value of 1 × 10−4 M acetylthiocholine. At this Km substrate concentration, DMSO inhibited atrial AChE activity (I50 = 9 μl/ml). At the concentration tested, DMSO inhibited atrial AChE and potentiated ACh effects.
Toxicity of t-butylhydroperoxide in hepatocyte monolayers exposed to hypoxia and reoxygenation.

Inasmuch as it is known that the toxicity of anesthetic agents is potentiated by hypoxia and that the reductive metabolism of these agents results in the formation of lipid hydroperoxides, we investigated the toxicity of hydroperoxides under low-oxygen concentrations. We found that hypoxia exacerbates the toxicity oft-butyl hydroperoxide, shifting the dose-response curve oft-butyl hydroperoxide vs. lysis of hepatocytes approximately an order of magnitude to the left. Furthermore, although at the end of a 4-h exposure to 0.5% O2 hepatocyte monolayers seemed normal by three indices (release of51Cr and serum glutamate transaminase or exclusion of trypan blue), they were completely lysed after an additional 20 h reoxygenation at 20%. O2. In contrast, monolayers exposed to 2% O2 for 4 h seemed normal after 20 h reoxygenation. However, cells exposed to both a subtoxic dose of hydroperoxide and 4 h of 2% O2, although seeming healthy at the end of the hypoxic period, were completely lysed within 20 h after reoxygenation.
Two dogmas of charged particle optics

Abstract Designs of charged particle optical systems are invariably based on two assumptions: (1) The existence of a reference trajectory and (2) midplane symmetry. The reference trajectory is taken to be the path of a charged particle with certain specified initial conditions. Conditions which break the continuity of the reference trajectory are misalignments of magnets, excess horizontal field in a bending magnet, and vertically bending field in a horizontally bending magnet. Even if midplane symmetry is violated in a magnetic system it is usually respected in each magnetic element. Violation of midplane symmetry in a bending magnet occur if the field is not symmetric about the magnetic midplane. Equations of motion have been worked out for the case where both the above mentioned conditions are violated. Solutions have been produced and incorporated into the first- and second-order formalism of charged particle optics.
Autonomous and pragmatic models of literacy: Reading assessment in adult education*

In this report we examine current practices in reading assessment in the light of what Street (1984) has described as the autonomous model of literacy. In reviewing this model, we delineate two features that have been particularly influential in reading assessment: autonomy of text and autonomy of skill. We point out that such a model does not account for important aspects of reading and so propose what we call the pragmatic model of literacy, which accounts more adequately for how readers respond to fext. We use these two models to throw light on the reading comprehension component of a widely used test in the field of adult literacy, the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). We first analyze representative units from the old (1976) version of the TABE, showing how both the passages and the items reflect the autonomous model. We then analyze a comparable range of units from the new (1987) version of the TABE, which according to the test makers, represents a more communicative or, in our terms, pragmatic orientation to text. We show that, although the passages do encourage a pragmatic orientation, most of the items still require an autonomous orientation. As a result, there is often a marked discontinuity between passage and items. In certain instances, discontinuity is further reflected within the items themselves: The target response requires an autonomous orientation, whereas one or more distractors have a pragmatic appeal. Such distractors provide the kind of orientation that the passage calls for, even though they do not, strictly speaking, fit with the surface information that the passage provides.
Incongruent Hierarchies: Daughters and Younger Sons as Company CEOs

The daughter or younger son who becomes head of the family business must struggle with both self-identity and changing family role expectations. How do they do this?Father CEO: My oldest son is the...