cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive autonomous management of ad hoc networks

Ad hoc networks are fundamentally different from wireline networks due to the following peculiarities. Ad hoc networks are autonomously formed with a large number of heterogeneous nodes (ranging in complexity from sensors to palmtops and fully functional laptops and routers) without the aid of any pre-existing communication infrastructure. Therefore, tasks are distributed over and carried out by groups of collaborating nodes. In addition, the nodes run on battery. They will have to be power-conscious to conserve energy, and the functions offered by a node will depend on its available power level and capability. Furthermore, their topology can be highly dynamic due to autonomous mobility of nodes and physical characteristics of wireless links. Energy constraints, varying wireless communication bandwidth and quality, and node mobility result in networks becoming partitioned more frequently. These make managing ad hoc networks significantly more challenging than managing wireline networks. We propose the Guerrilla Management Architecture to satisfy the survivability, adaptability, autonomy, economy, heterogeneity, and scalability requirements in managing ad hoc networks. Success in addressing these research issues will lead to robust deployment of ad hoc networks and their effective network operations and efficient resource utilization. The Guerrilla management architecture builds on the following model and mechanisms to address these specific management requirements.
The Global Phosphorus Cycle

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all life-forms. It is a key player in fundamental biochemical reactions involving genetic material (DNA and RNA) and energy transfer (ATP) and in structural support of organisms provided by membranes (phospholipids) and bone (the biomineral hydroxyapatite). Photosynthetic organisms utilize dissolved phosphorus, carbon, and other essential nutrients to build their tissues using energy from the sun. Biological productivity is contingent upon the availability of phosphorus to these simple organisms that constitute the base of the food web in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. It begins with a brief overview of the various components of the global phosphorus cycle. Estimates of the mass of important phosphorus reservoirs, transport rates (fluxes) between reservoirs. Following the overview, various aspects of the global phosphorus cycle are examined in more depth, including a discussion of the most pressing research questions currently being posed and research efforts presently underway to address these questions.
Reformulating learning vector quantization and radial basis neural networks

This paper proposes a framework for developing a broad variety of soft clustering and learning vector quantization (LVQ) algorithms based on gradient descent minimization of a reformulation function. According to the proposed axiomatic approach to learning vector quantization, the development of specific algorithms reduces to the selection of a generator function. A linear generator function leads to the fuzzy c-means (FCM) and fuzzy LVQ (FLVQ) algorithms while an exponential generator function leads to entropy constrained fuzzy clustering (ECFC) and entropy constrained LVQ (ECLVQ) algorithms. The reformulation of clustering and LVQ algorithms is also extended to supervised learning models through an axiomatic approach proposed for reformulating radial basis function (RBF) neural networks. This approach results in a broad variety of admissible RBF models, while the form of the radial basis functions is determined by a generator function. This paper shows that gradient descent learning makes reformulated RBF neural networks an attractive alternative to conventional feed-forward neural networks.
A revision of Geonoma (Arecaceae)

A taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the neotropical palm genus Geonoma based on morphological data and morphometric methods was carried out. 4990 herbarium specimens were scored for 44 qualitative variables and 27 quantitative variables. Qualitative variables were divided into 30 characters and 14 traits. Using the phylogenetic species concept, characters were used to recognize 68 species. These are widely distributed from southern Mexico to Bolivia and Paraguay, and reach the Lesser Antilles and Hispaniola. Analysis of each species for traits, geographic distribution, and quantitative variables led to recognition of 90 subspecies in 18 species, giving a total of 140 taxa. Twelve new species (G. bernalii, G. concinnoidea, G. deneversii, G. dindoensis, G. fosteri, G. galeanoae, G. gentryi, G. operculata, G. peruviana, G. sanmartinensis, G. schizocarpa, G. venosa) and 33 new subspecies (G. brongniartii subsp. pascoensis, G. concinna subsp. simplex, G. concinnoidea subsp. coclensis, G. concinnoidea subsp. jefensis, G. congesta subsp. osensis, G. cuneata subsp. guanacastensis, G. cuneata subsp. indivisa, G. cuneata subsp. minor, G. cuneata subsp. rubra, G. deversa subsp. belizenesis, G. deversa subsp. peninsularis, G. deversa subsp. quadriflora, G. ferruginea subsp. nicaraguensis, G. lehmannii subsp. corrugata, G. longivaginata subsp. copensis, G. longivaginata subsp. sanblasensis, G. longivaginata subsp. vallensis, G. maxima subsp. dispersa, G. maxima subsp. multiramosa, G. maxima subsp. sigmoidea, G. pohliana subsp. linharenseis, G. pohliana subsp. rodriguesii, G. pohliana subsp. unaensis, G. stricta subsp. antioquiensis, G. stricta subsp. bracteata, G. stricta subsp. divaricata, G. stricta subsp. pendula, G. stricta subsp. pliniana, G. stricta subsp. quibdoensis, G. stricta subsp. submontana, G. undata subsp. tacarcunensis, G. undata subsp. tumucensis, G. undata subsp. venezuelana) are described. Forty-one new combinations are made. Several of the most variable species are considered to be species complexes and are divided into morphotypes-groups of similar specimens with no formal taxonomic status. Nomenclature, descriptions and distribution maps are provided for each species and subspecies. Images of the type specimens of all new taxa are also provided. A phylogenetic analysis, using the same 30 characters used for the taxonomic revision was carried out using parsimony analysis. A sample tree and consensus tree are shown and a discussion is given of the various clades.
The prevalence of occupational injuries in EMTs in New England.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the prevalence and morbidity of injuries to emergency medical technicians EMTs) in New England [United States]. DESIGN: A survey was mailed to a 2% random sample of all registered EMTs in the six New England States. The identity of the EMTs remained anonymous, and a second mailing was used to improve return rate. The EMTs were requested to recall events that occurred during the previous six months. RESULTS: A total of 439 of the 786 (56%) surveys were returned representing 13,875 hours of duty time in the six-month period. Seventy-one percent of the EMTs were male with a mean age of 35 years. Sixty-six percent were basic-EMTs. Injury attack rates (number of injuries/100 EMTs/6 months) were: stress, 11.2; back, 10.5; extremity, 9.8; assault, 8.4; ambulance collision, 4.1; hearing loss, 2.5; and eye injury, 1.4. Twelve percent of the EMTs were injured more than once in the six-month period. The paramedics more frequently were involved in ambulance collisions, suffered from stress, and were less likely to injure their back. There were minor interstate differences. Disability due to back injury affected 2.5% of those surveyed, four EMTs lost duty time secondary to an assault, and 0.5% of the EMTs were out of work due to stress. CONCLUSIONS: This survey begins to characterize the occupational risks of EMTs. The prevalence of back injuries, assault, stress, and extremity injuries seems to be too high. Educational programs and preventive interventions should be designed to minimize back injuries, stress, and assault. There is a need for more research nationwide in order to better characterize these injuries. Language: en
Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in vitro by a novel combination of anti-Tat single-chain intrabodies and NF-kappa B antagonists.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat, an early regulatory protein that is critical for viral gene expression and replication, transactivates the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) via its binding to the transactivation response element (TAR) and, along with other cellular factors, increases viral transcription initiation and elongation. Tat also superactivates the HIV-1 promoter through a TAR-independent mechanism, including tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced and protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent activation of NF-kappa B, and inhibitors of Tat and NF-kappa B cooperatively down-regulate this Tat-mediated LTR superactivation. In this study, a combined pharmacologic and genetic strategy using two PKC (NF-kappa B) inhibitors, pentoxifylline (PTX) and Go-6976, and a stably expressed anti-Tat single-chain intracellular antibody (sFv intrabody) was employed to obtain cooperative inhibition of both HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression and HIV-1 replication. Treatment of cells with PTX and Go-6976 resulted in cooperative inhibition of both HIV-1 LTR-driven gene expression and HIV-1 replication. In addition, the combined use of anti-Tat sFv intrabodies and the two NF-kappa B inhibitors retained the virus in the latent state for as long as 45 days. The combined treatment resulted in more durable inhibition of HIV-1 replication than was seen with the NF-kappa B inhibitors alone or the anti-Tat sFv intrabodies alone. Together, these results suggest that in future clinical gene therapy trials, a combined pharmacologic and genetic strategy like the one reported here may improve the survival of transduced cells and prolong clinical benefit.
Automatic programming as code search: A research agenda

Automatically building programs has been a research goal for over 40 years. Code search technology, particularly code search combined with directed program transformations and validation, has the potential to address many of the problems related to automatic programming. In this position paper we outline an approach to using code search as a tool for generating moderate sized programs, define three problems that will need to be addressed, and describe our first steps toward solving those problems.
The Influence of 17β-Estradiol on Patterns of Cell Division in the Uterus

Uteri from immature (21-day-old) and adult mice show different patterns of cell division in response to a physiological dose of 17β-estradiol. In the immature mouse uterus, estradiol increased stromal and epithelial cell proliferation by shortening the cell generation time (Tc). The epithelial Tc was reduced from 100 to 14.5 h; the stromal Tc was reduced to 16 h. In both cell types, the reduction in Tc was primarily due to a reduction of the G1 phase of the cell cycle. In the adult mouse uterus, estradiol stimulated epithelial but not stromal cell proliferation. Here, estradiol reduced the epithelial Tc from 86 to 13 h, mostly by reducing the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Therefore, estrogens stimulate uterine hyperplasia by selectively decreasing the G1 phase of the cell cycle in specific cell populations. At some point during reproductive tract maturation, uterine stromal cells lose their ability to divide in response to estrogen stimulation. A developmental study showed that in the intact mouse, the stro...
Output devices sharing by minicomputers

With the dramatic reduction in cost of central processors in recent years, the peripheral devices occupy an ever larger share in terms of cost of a minicomputer system. Sharing the expensive components among users is a time honored way of increasing utilization and hence reducing the cost of unit operation. This paper presents the results of a simulation of sharing an output device, such as the printer, by more than one processor under different workload conditions.
A knowledge-based design critique system for manufacture and assembly of rotational machined parts in concurrent engineering

Abstract Concurrent design involves the consideration and integration of various design activities throughout the product life cycle. The importance of concurrent design is first emphasized and a review of various approaches to product life cycle design is then presented. In order to provide a general guideline to concurrent design, a framework of concurrent engineering for DFA and DFM is proposed. One of the functions in the framework, a knowledge-based design critique system for manufacture and assembly of rotational machined parts at the early design stage is developed. Feature-based design is used to provide a means of representing rotational parts with machining features and relationships between them. Taxonomies of features and relationships are developed for representing rotational machined parts. By incorporating design guidelines into the design critique system, we provide an early critique to rotational part design and reduce the problems and adjustments that may occur in the manufacturing and assembly processes of a product life cycle. A forward-chaining knowledge-based language is used to implement the rule-based system. Two examples are given to demonstrate the functioning and applicability of this framework in concurrent engineering.
Stability of equilibrium for a nonlinear hyperbolic system describing heat propagation by second sound in solids

We consider here the propagation of heat in a unidimensional case in which the only nonzero component of the heat flux is its x-component, q, and not only q, but also the absolute temperature, θ, and the internal energy density, e, are functions of x and the time, t. When, as we assume here, such a unidimensional flow of heat is not accompanied by appreciable deformation, the law of balance of energy reduces to $$ {{e}_{t}}{\text{ + }}{{q}_{x}}{\text{ = 0}} $$ (1.1) (with the subscripts t and x indicating partial derivatives), and the constitutive assumptions behind Fourier’s theory of heat conduction reduce to $$ q{\text{ = }} - x\left( \theta \right){{\theta }_{x}} $$ (1.2) and $$ e{\text{ = }}{{e}_{{\text{0}}}}\left( \theta \right),\quad {\text{i}}{\text{.e}}{\text{.,}}\quad {{e}_{t}} = {{c}_{0}}\left( \theta \right)\theta t\quad {\text{with}}\quad {{c}_{{\text{0}}}}\left( \theta \right){\text{ = }}{{e'}_{0}}\left( \theta \right), $$ (1.3) where x and c 0 are positive-valued functions characterizing the material under consideration. Thus, in Fourier’s theory, the evolution of q and θ is governed by the following system of equations: $$ \begin{gathered} q\;{\text{ + }}\;x\left( \theta \right)\theta x\;{\text{ = }}\;{\text{0, }} \hfill \\ qx\;{\text{ + }}\;{{c}_{{\text{0}}}}\left( \theta \right){{\theta }_{t}}\,{\text{ = }}\,{\text{0}}{\text{.}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ (1.4)
Stability and application of an orbit-averaged magneto-inductive particle code

A new linear stability analysis of an orbit-averaged magneto-inductive particle code is given. The analysis demonstrates the stability of this explicit algorithm at large time steps that would violate the usual Courant condition on Alfven wave propagation in a conventional algorithm. Application of the particle code to the simulation of a mirror-machine experiment using realistic parameters is described.
AML Genomics for the Clinician

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease, characterized by frequent resistance to available chemotherapeutic agents. The basic therapy for patients with AML has changed little over the past 30 years. Improvements in outcome in recent decades in younger adult cohorts have generally been ascribed to better supportive care (ie, transfusion and antimicrobial therapy); older adults with AML continue to fare poorly. The explosion of new knowledge regarding the AML genome has yet to be translated into therapeutic benefit, but analysis of specific molecular features in AML samples has enabled the field to more accurately parse out prognosis and assign appropriate therapies (eg, chemotherapy vs allogeneic stem cell transplantation) for groups of patients. Cytogenetic analysis, whether by metaphase or interphase analysis, has been the main tool used to divide patients into varying prognostic subsets, but it has been modified in recent years to include assessment of mutations in a small number of genes. In the past several years, new technologies have provided strategies to interrogate individual cancer genomes in a broad and in-depth fashion. The present article discusses the potential of these new technologies, particularly gene panel and whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing, to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic outcome in AML.
Childhood Depression and Aggression: A Covariance Structure Analysis

The purpose of the present study was to: (a) evaluate the comorbidity of depression and aggression in a community sample of school-age children; (b) demonstrate the use of confirmatory factor analysis as a statistical tool in the assessment of the construct validity of childhood depression and aggression measures; and (c) using multisample analysis and structural equation modeling, examine the generalizability of comorbidity across two potential moderating or mediating variables (i.e. gender and peer unpopularity). A series of hypothetical models was tested to identify the number of factors represented by the data, the convergent and discriminant validity of the measures, the relationship between the latent variables of childhood depression and aggression, the influence of method-specific variation, and structural relationships among the latent constructs. Results supported a two-factor comorbidity model (childhood depression and aggression) and the presence of method effects (i.e. rater bias). Though the basic measurement model identified substantial comorbid symptoms and was generally invariant across gender, boys' self-reports of symptomatology evidenced poor validity. The structural equation models supported the independent effects of peer aggression and unpopularity on depression for both boys and girls, though aggression may be somewhat more strongly related to unpopularity among girls. Results were consistent with psychiatric investigations of comorbid depressive and aggressive disorders and emerging developmental psychopathology research on the socioemotional development of aggression and depression in youth.
Dielectric and infrared reflectance studies of inorganic oxide glasses

Abstract The dielectric properties of several types of ionic oxide glasses, sodium trisilicate and a series of lithium fluoroborate glasses, have been measured in the infrared and far infrared by reflectance methods and analyzed together with those reported earlier which were obtained in the 1 × 10 2 to 2 × 10 9 Hz region at temperatures from 25 to 300 °C by bridge and time domain reflectance (TDR) techniques, Together, these provide nearly continuous data from low frequency through 1.35 × 10 4 Hz, with a gap from about 2 × 10 9 to 7.5 × 10 11 Hz. Interpolation through this range has been addressed by consideration of the behavior of ϵ′(ω) at the limits of the measured ranges. It has been found that the damped harmonic oscillator-modelled ϵ″ (ω) features in the infrared and far infrared lead to ϵ′(ω) curves which extrapolate to those ϵ′(ω) curves measured at lower frequency and provide the interpolation and effectively continuous spectra from low frequency through the infrared.
Emerging Adults’ Identity Exploration: Illustrations From Inside the “Camp Bubble”:

The study investigates the experiences of emerging adults who had worked as counselors at overnight summer camps; identity-related issues emerge as most salient in the analysis of in-depth intervie...
Culture, structure, and the “new” history: A critique and an agenda

entities; they are, like wealth and reproduction, timeand space-specific. In other terms, it is literally impossible to conceive of a fundamental soci l change without an accompanying change in language that organizes and legitimates the new
Excitation and detection of magnetoacoustic waves in a rotating plasma accelerator.

Magnetoacoustic wave excitation and detection in rotating plasma accelerator, noting resonance and wave transition
Energy dissipation processes in scanning tunneling microscopy.

Energy dissipation associated with assisted tunneling processes in scanning tunneling microscopy is analyzed and compared with the normal tunnel current. We find that, for high voltages, greater than one volt, the tunneling processes associated with electron-hole pair excitation control the increase in temperature at the microscope's interface.
A Theorem on photomeson production near threshold and the suppression of pairs in pseudoscalar meson theory

It is shown that the photoproduction of charged pseudoscalar mesons at threshold computed to lowest order in the meson-nucleon mass ratio but to arbitrary order in the meson-nucleon coupling constant is essentially equivalent to the weak-coupling result obtained from second-order perturbation theory. The $\frac{\ensuremath{\mu}}{M}$ corrections can be estimated from the ratio of the positive to the negative production cross section. It is therefore suggested that the measurement of the $S$-wave photoproduction of charged mesons may be one of the more reliable methods presently available for determining the meson-nucleon coupling constant. As the threshold production proceeds entirely through the mediation of negative energy states the connection of this result with the possible suppression of nucleon anti-nucleon pairs is discussed.
Improvements to the tucker motor-sled to surmount difficulties in traversing powder-snow

For many years man has been trying to build a self-propelled machine to carry him over snow-covered terrain, with the result that at present there are several types in more or less general use. Some use air-fan, crawler-track, revolving helix, and even wheel (as Admiral Byrd's snow-mobile) to obtain motion. The problem of the pioneers in this field was a greater one than that of experimenters of the present, inasmuch as the pioneer was confronted with the necessity of finding a practical source of power. Naturally his first efforts were with sail, steam, and animal. The last mentioned is still extensively used and is undoubtedly the most reliable, though it should properly not be regarded as self-propelled. But today, with the high development of the gasoline engine, the problem is resolved into one of power-application and method of supporting the machine on the surface of the snow , which is the principal topic of this paper.
A Critical Look at Dual Language Immersion in the New Latin@ Diaspora

Two-way immersion (TWI), an approach that combines language-minority students and native English speakers in dual-language classrooms, is growing in popularity in schools of newly Latinized regions of the U.S. Using North Carolina as an example, this critical review of the literature posits that as neoliberal trends increasingly shape the communities of the new Latin@ diaspora, the uncritical implementation of TWI can serve as a double-edged sword that commodifies Latin@s’ linguistic resources. The article discusses these dangers, as well as critical issues that should be considered to increase TWI’s potential for Latin@ empowerment in new gateway regions.
Real-Time Reactive Ion Etch Metrology Techniques to Enable In Situ Response Surface Process Characterization

We present a methodology termed in situ design of experiments (ISDOE) which enables rapid response surface design in plasma etch chambers while greatly reducing test wafer necessity. We experimentally demonstrate the ISDOE procedure on two separate systems using different optical real-time monitoring techniques to obtain wafer state data on film thickness and etch-rate estimation during reactive ion etch processes. Using the real-time wafer measurement tools during processing, we quickly obtain input/output (I/O) data to map plasma inputs to wafer outputs at multiple operating points, thereby reducing the number of test wafers necessary to obtain rich data sets for statistical model building and design of experiments. Both measurement techniques utilize in situ etch-rate estimations to increase the number of test set points explored per processed wafer and maximize the parameter space observed during each run. Model results and verification using these in situ techniques indicate no loss of accuracy when compared with traditional ex situ measurement methods for response surface design. Though the ISDOE concept is demonstrated here specifically on etch rate data, the general idea can be applied to many other real-time wafer state measurement methods.
The Pittsburgh Lung Screening Study (PLuSS): outcomes within 3 years of a first computed tomography scan.

Rationale: The role of computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer is controversial, currently under study, and not yet fully elucidated.Objectives: To report findings from initial and 1-year repeat screening low-radiation-dose CT of the chest and 3-year outcomes for 50- to 79-year-old current and ex-smokers in the Pittsburgh Lung Screening Study (PLuSS).Methods: Notified of findings on screening CT, subjects received diagnostic advice from both study and personal physicians. Tracking subjects for up to three years since initial screening, we obtained medical records to document diagnostic procedures, lung cancer diagnoses, and deaths.Measurements and Main Results: 3,642 and 3,423 subjects had initial and repeat screening. A total of 1,477 (40.6% of 3,624) were told about noncalcified lung nodules on the initial screening and, before repeat screening, 821 (55.6% of 1,477, 22.5% of 3,642) obtained one or more subsequent diagnostic imaging studies (CT, positron emission tomography [PET], or PET-CT). ...
Nondestructive indices of trace element exposure in squamate reptiles.

Compared with birds, mammals, fish, and even amphibians, very little is known about the effects of contaminants on reptiles. Recent evidence that many reptile populations may be declining has stimulated demand for toxicological studies of reptiles as well as development of nondestructive sampling techniques useful for assessing and monitoring contaminant exposure. The current study experimentally evaluated the utility of shed skins, tail clips, and blood samples as nondestructive indices of trace element exposure in banded water snakes, Nerodia fasciata. For 13.5 months, snakes were either fed fish from a coal ash-contaminated site or uncontaminated food from a reference site. Snakes fed contaminated prey accumulated As, Cd, Se, Sr, and V in various organs (i.e. liver, kidney, and/or gonads). Moreover, non-parametric discriminant function analysis revealed that snakes could be placed in two groups that reliably reflected their experimental diet based upon Se, Sr, and As concentrations in tail clips, blood, and/or shed skins. We suggest that nondestructive sampling techniques, particularly analyses of blood and tail clips, may be easily applied in evaluations of contaminant exposure in the field and laboratory and may prevent excessive destructive sampling of potentially threatened reptile species.
The genetics and epigenetics of altered proliferative homeostasis in ageing and cancer

Ageing mammals are subject to an amazing array of aberrations in proliferative homeostasis. These are of two basic types: the post-maturational failure to adequately replace effete somatic cells (atrophies) and excessive proliferations of somatic cells (hyperplasias). To a surprising degree, these occur side by side within the same tissues and are features of numerous mammalian geriatric disorders. Atrophy is the likely usual initial event, the proliferative response perhaps developing as a secondary, compensatory, initially adaptive reaction. We have little understanding of why this putative compensatory reaction so often fails to be appropriately regulated in ageing mammals, leading to such pathologies as chronic inflammation, fibrosis, metaplasia and neoplasia. Advances in formal genetic analysis, mutagenesis, stem cell biology and epigenetics are likely to provide major new understanding. Stochastic epigenetic shifts in gene expression are of growing interest, particularly in explaining intra-specific variations on rates and patterns of ageing. Nature may well have evolved such random fluctuations in gene expression as a type of group-selectionist adaptive strategy to cope with diverse stochastic environmental challenges. Alternatively, such background “noise” in transcription and translation may simply reflect a type of informational entropy.
Through-and-through dissection of the soft palate for high pharyngeal flap inset: a new technique for the treatment of velopharyngeal incompetence in velocardiofacial syndrome.

Background: Patients with velocardiofacial syndrome often present with refractory velopharyngeal incompetence. Whereas the high wide pharyngeal flap has been advocated for these patients, poor visualization makes high inset of the flap technically difficult. We present a consecutive series of patients with velocardiofacial syndrome and severe velopharyngeal incompetence treated with high inset pharyngeal flap achieved by through-and-through dissection of the soft palate. Methods: All patients with velocardiofacial syndrome in whom secondary surgical management was recommended for treatment of severe velopharyngeal incompetence over the last 7 years were treated with a high inset pharyngeal flap achieved by through-and-through dissection of the soft palate (to be described). All patients had nasendoscopy and videofluoroscopy preoperatively and underwent perceptual speech assessment preoperatively and at least 12 months postoperatively. Results: Eight patients met the inclusion criteria with a mean age at presentation of 7 years, 3 months. No patient had a history of cleft palate. All patients had minimal lateral pharyngeal wall motion and a medium to large velopharyngeal gap (>6 mm). velopharyngeal incompetence, as measured by perceptual speech score, improved from a mean of 10.3 (range, 9 to 12 on a maximum scale of 13) to a mean of 1.9 (range, 0 to 4), achieving velopharyngeal competence (p < 0.01) without nasal airway obstruction in any patient. Conclusions: The present report demonstrates restoration of velopharyngeal competence in a consecutive series of patients with velocardiofacial syndrome who presented with severe velopharyngeal incompetence. We attribute this outcome to the development of a reliable technique for high inset of the pharyngeal flap using through-and-through dissection of the soft palate, enabling direct visualization of flap placement.
Atlantis cruise to the tropical north Atlantic, January to March, 1939

In the winter of 1939 (January 18 to March 17) a detailed investigation of the physical structure of the tropical Atlantic waters, east of the Caribbean Sea region (to the 53rd meridian) was undertaken by the Atlantis. The area (Fig. 1) investigated, while hitherto practically unexplored, had been known from previous scattered observations to have representative members of all the major water mass-movements of the Atlantic circulation. In the uppermost layers of this area, circulation is dominated by the North Equatorial Current, and, extending down to depths of approximately 1000 meters, striking latitudinal transitions of oceanographic characteristics (caused by mingling of water-masses of diverse properties and origins) occur. Waters from this area entering the adjacent Caribbean Sea Region, through the passages among the Lesser Antilles, play a prominent role in the circulation of its upper 800 to 1000 meters.
DNA cytometry on four-micrometer sections of paraffin-embedded human renal adenocarcinomas and adenomas.

This study assessed the diagnostic and prognostic utility of DNA cytometry on 4 μm sections of paraffin-embedded human renal adenocarcinomas and adenomas. Twenty-one renal cortical glandular neoplasms from patients who had been followed for up to 12 years after surgical removal of their tumors were examined. These tumors were classified histopathologically and included six adenomas and fifteen adenocarcinomas (six grade I, five grade II, three grade III, and one grade IV). For each tumor, 4-μm sections were cut from paraffin-embedded blocks retained from the original surgical specimen. Both tumor and normal renal cortex of the same kidney were included on each slide and stained with the azure A Feulgen reaction for DNA. Nuclei from 200 tumor cells and 100 control proximal convoluted tubular cells were selected at random for measurement of nuclear DNA stain content utilizing an integrating image cytometer. For each tumor, the cytometric measurements were standardized to the corresponding control measurements, plotted as histograms, and analyzed statistically; the distributions of the standardized measurements were described by features such as mean, variance, and interquartile range. The locations and shapes of the tumor histograms differed markedly from their controls. The values of the features all were significantly greater for each tumor than for its normal tissue control; the differences increased with increasing tumor grade. Multiple regression analysis of the features against histopathologic grade showed a clear and statistically significant correlation. This correlation allowed accurate prediction of tumor grade from the cytometric data. The cytometric features also discriminated accurately between patients with favorable and unfavorable outcomes. However, they showed no clear distinction between renal adenomas and grade I adenocarcinomas nor between oncocytic and clear cell tumors of the same grade. This study indicates that quantitative information obtained by DNA cytometry of thin sections can form the basis for improved histopathologic diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes for patients with renal adenocarcinoma.
Chromosomal aberrations induced by maleic hydrazide and related compounds in Chinese hamster cells in vitro

Abstract The cytotoxic effects and chromosomal abnormalities induced by maleic hydrazide (MH) and its salts were investigated in cultured V79 cells. MH, and its potassium (K-MH) and diethanolamine (DEA-MH) salts were tested. MH was 5–14 times more cytotoxic than its salts and almost 4.5 times less toxic than the related compound, hydrazine dihydrochloride (HDC). MH salts had very weak cytotoxicity; the LD50 values on V79 cells on exposure for 3 h in vitro were (in μg/ml) 1100 (MH), 12 000 (DEA-MH), 20 000 (K-MH), 230 (HDC) and 10 000 (NaCl). Both MH and its salts — but neither HDC nor NaCl — caused chromosomal aberrations in cultured V79 cells. The maximal frequencies of aberrant cells in cultures exposed to the compounds for 3 h in vitro were 18% (MH at 1000 μg/ml), 18% (K-MH at 20 000 μg/ml) and 13% (DEA-MH at 20 000 μg/ml). Maximal frequencies observed in cultures treated with HDC or NaCl were 10% (HDC at 400 μg/ml) and 5% (NaCl at 10 000 μg/ml). Those of positive groups were 97% (N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, MNNG, at 5 μg/ml) and 16% (ethyl methanesulfonate, EMS, at 400 μg/ml). These frequencies of MH and its salts were 3.25–4.5 times those in untreated control cells. These results suggested that MH and its salts had weak inducibility of cytotoxicity and positive cytogenetic effects on V79 cells in vitro.
Tunneling by an electron packet with an initially sharp wavefront

Abstract We have studied the time behavior of electron wavepackets traversing one-dimensional potentials. These packets are described as plane wave states that have been cut off to give a sharp initial wavefront. We find that the shift, or delay time, of the main part of the pulse is comparable to that of a Gaussian wavepacket with the same momentum, and that both kinds of pulses have the same broad-pulse (sharp-momentum) limit. This is shown to hold for a general class of potentials. We show explicitly that the steepest descents calculation described by Stevens does not lead to a finite tunneling velocity. An exact expression is given for the packet transmitted through a delta-function barrier, which suggests a new interpretation of the tunneling velocity that has been obtained in other calculations.
Histamine receptors on rabbit blastocyst and endometrial cell membranes.

DESPITE much study, the role of histamine in ovum implantation remains unclear1–5. Histamine action is mediated by H1 and H2 receptors6,7, which are widely distributed on the cell membranes of mammalian tissues8–14. However, no information is available about the histamine receptors on blastocyst or endometrial cell membranes. Recent evidence indicates that a certain lymphocyte subpopulation carries histamine receptors9 and has an important regulatory function in vitro10–12 and in vivo12,13 in mice9–11, guinea pigs12 and man13. Murine T cells, capable of regulating antibody secretion in vitro10, and precursors of T cells, capable of mediating cytotoxic effector cells11, carry histamine receptors. The density of these receptors increases with cell maturation11. Cell activation by histamine results in increased levels of intracellular cyclic AMP11 and production of small molecular weight material, called histamine suppressor factor, capable of suppressing both cell proliferation and lymphokine production by sensitised lymphocytes following exposure to the antigen12. Histamine suppression of delayed hypersensitivity in guinea pigs in vivo can be blocked completely or partially by H2 and H1 antagonists, respectively12. Also, the administration of H2 antagonists to man results in enhancement of delayed skin tests13. These observations indicate that lymphocytes carrying H2 receptors acquire immunosuppressor potential on activation.
Reductions among high dimensional proximity problems

We present improved running times for a wide range of approximate high dimensional proximity problems. We obtain subquadratic running time for each of these problems. These improved running times are obtained by reduction to Nearest Neighbour queries. The problems we consider in this paper are Approximate Diameter, Approximate Furthest Neighbours, Approximate Discrete Center, Approximate Metric Facility Location, Approximate Bottleneck Matching, and Approximate Minimum Weight Matching.
Description and Operating Characteristics of the Platinotron-A New Microwave Tube Device

The term "platinotron" is the nomenclature given to a class of tube which, in general, comprises a circular, but nonreentrant, dispersive network matched at both ends over the frequency region of interest, and a reentrant electron beam originating from a continuously or nearly continuously coated cathode coaxial to the network. A dc potential is applied between the cathode and anode and a magnetic field is applied parallel to the axis of the cathode and transverse to the electric field between anode and cathode. In operation, the device works within the pass band of the network and exhibits directional properties, acting as an efficient, broadband, saturated amplifier when the signal is passed through the device in one direction and as a passive network when the signal is passed through in the reverse direction. The platinotron has no region of linear amplification and may self-oscillate if the driving signal is removed. When the platinotron is being driven from an rf source, there is little or no power flow from the platinotron toward the driver. This behavior distinguishes the device from a conventionally locked magnetron oscillator. Desirable characteristics of the platinotron include: efficiencies of 50 to 70 per cent; high peak and average rf power outputs, electronic bandwidths of 10 per cent with nearly constant efficiency over the entire bandwidth, low-phase pushing figure, low operating voltage, nominal gain of 10 db over a ten per cent frequency range, and a simple, compact mechanical structure.
Methane emission to the atmosphere through emergent cattail ( Typha latifolia L.) plants

Methane (CH4) produced microbially in sediments of marshes is emitted to the atmosphere primarily by flowing through and out of emergent aquatic plants. The magnitude of such emission rates and fac...
Temperature sensitive mutants of BHK 21 cells.

Temperature sensitive mutant cells were isolated from animal cells by multiple culturing in the presence of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine. Properties of the mutants are described.
Forecast persistence and clustering: Additional evidence

This study intends to address the persistence of the bias in analysts’ earnings forecasts and clustering effects of time, industry classification, and stock exchange listing. Following Kwag and Shrieves (2006), I use a look-back portfolio formation method that captures salient features of analysts’ past forecasting behavior and form quintile portfolios that describe the range of analysts’ forecasting behavior. Consistent with Kwag and Shrieves, empirical evidence suggests that analyst optimism and pessimism tend to persist. Time, industry classification, and stock exchange listing do not seem to influence such phenomenon. (JEL G14, G19)
The Effect of a 1-Stage Full-Mouth Disinfection on Oral Malodor and Microbial Colonization of the Tongue in Periodontitis Patients. A Pilot Study

Oral malodor affects a large proportion of the population and may be the cause of a significant social and psychological handicap. This pilot study aimed to examine whether a 1-stage full-mouth disinfection in periodontitis patients (scaling and root planing of all pockets within 24 hours together with the application of chlorhexidine to all intra-oral niches followed by chlorhexidine mouth rinsing for 2 months) resulted in a significant improvement in malodor when compared to a fractionated periodontal therapy (consecutive root planings per quadrant, at a 1 to 2 week interval). The baseline and outcome data concerning oral malodor were linked to the presence of tongue coating and to its roughness (fissures). Twenty-four patients with severe periodontitis were randomly allocated to test and control groups. At baseline and after 1 and 2 months, the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in the mouth was measured and organoleptic ratings (expired air and total mouth air) were given. Plaque samples...
Regulation and rent-seeking: Prices, profits, and third-party transfers

Previous research formulated the regulatory process as a contest between consumer and producer groups to determine the regulated price. Empirical verification of this result has been provided by numerous studies. Modeling the regulatory process in this fashion results in a rent-seeking game in which property rights granted in the original legislation are not exclusively assigned to one group; and, as a result, rent-seeking ensues on the relevant margin. This study has addressed the issue of third-party interest groups extracting transfer payments from the regulatory process. By introducing third-party interests as an argument in the regulator's majority function it was mathematically demonstrated and empirically verified that a higher regulated price can be expected. This finding suggests that other opportunities exist for an enriched theory of regulatory behavior where the political context in which the regulator functions is more precisely defined and extended.
Bioaugmentation of Sequencing Batch Reactors for Biological Phosphorus Removal: Comparative rRNA Sequence Analysis and Hybridization with Oligonucleotide Probes

Four laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated to evaluate whether bioaugmentation with Acinetobacter spp. can be used to improve start-up and performance of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems. Two of the SBRs were bioaugmented during start-up by adding pure cultures of Acinetobacter spp., the third reactor received an amendment of activated sludge from a laboratory-scale EBPR system, and the fourth reactor, receiving no amendment, served as a control. Various chemical parameters were measured to monitor the performance of the four SBRS. Oligonucleotide probes of nested phylogenetic specificity were designed to quantify the contribution of Acinetobacter to EBPR. The probes were characterized for use in quantitative membrane hybridizations and fluorescent in situ hybridizations. Data from hybridizations with samples collected from the SBRs show declining levels of Acinetobacter spp. over the experiment. All four reactors achieved significant phosphorus removal and 90% nitrification after three days of operation. The results do not show a positive correlation between levels of Acinetobacter and successful EBPR.
Phosphorylation of recombinant tristetraprolin in vitro.

Tristetraprolin/zinc finger protein 36 (TTP/ZFP36) binds and destabilizes some proinflammatory cytokine mRNAs. TTP-deficient mice develop a profound inflammatory syndrome due to excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines. TTP gene expression is induced by various factors including insulin, cinnamon, and green tea extracts. Previous studies have shown that TTP is highly phosphorylated in vivo and multiple phosphorylation sites are identified in human TTP. This study evaluated the potential protein kinases that could phosphorylate recombinant TTP in vitro. Motif scanning suggested that TTP was a potential substrate for various kinases. SDS-PAGE showed that in vitro phosphorylation of TTP with p42 and p38 MAP kinases resulted in visible electrophoretic mobility shift of TTP to higher molecular masses. Autoradiography showed that TTP was phosphorylated in vitro by GSK3b, PKA, PKB, PKC, but not Cdc2, in addition to p42, p38, and JNK. These results demonstrate that TTP is a substrate for a number of protein kinases in vitro.
An Effective Subgradient Procedure for Minimal Cost Multicommodity Flow Problems

This paper presents a heuristic technique for obtaining good solutions to large multicommodity network flow problems. The general approach is to allocate the arc capacities among the individual commodities and hence decompose the problem into a set of one-commodity problems. The one-commodity problems are solved and the combined solution is compared to a lower bound. If the solution is within an acceptable deviation from the lower bound, the procedure terminates. Otherwise, the arc capacities are reallocated and the subprograms are resolved. The reallocation is based on a subgradient optimization approach. Hence, the heuristic technique involves no matrix operations which may lead to round-off errors, the storage requirements are modest, and almost all operations are carried out directly on one-commodity networks. The technique has been coded and the initial computational experience is encouraging.
The Influence of Residual Stresses on Small Through-Clad Cracks in Pressure Vessels

The influence of cladding residual stresses on the crack driving force for shallow cracks in the wall of a nuclear pressure vessel is investigated. Thermo-elastic-plastic analyses were carried out on long axial through-clad and sub-clad flaws on the inside of the vessel. The depth of the flaws were one and three times the cladding thickness, respectively. An analysis of a semielliptical axial through-clad flaw was also performed. It was assumed that the residual stresses arise due to the difference in the thermal expansion between the cladding and the base material during the cool down from stress relieving temperature to room temperature and due to the subsequent proof test before the vessel is put into service. The variation of the crack tip opening displacement during these loadings and during a subsequent thermal shock on the inside wall is described. The analyses for the long axial flaws suggest that the crack driving force is smaller for this type of flaw if the residual stresses in the cladding are taken into account than if one assumes that the cladding has no residual stresses. However, the analysis of the semielliptical flaw shows significantly different results. Here the crack driving force is higher than whenmore » the residual stresses are not taken into account and is maximum in the cladding at or near the clad/base material interface. This suggests that the crack would propagate along the clad/base material interface before it would penetrate deeper into the wall. The elastic-plastic behavior found in the analyses show that the cladding and the residual stresses in the cladding should be taken into acocunt when evaluating the severity of shallow surface cracks on the inside of a nuclear pressure vessel.« less