cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Development and Validation of the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist.

Abstract Patient memory for the contents of treatment is staggeringly poor, and poor memory for treatment is associated with worse treatment outcome. Accordingly, the Memory Support Intervention was developed to improve patient memory for treatment as an adjunct to treatment as usual. As plans to disseminate the Memory Support Intervention are developed, it is important to have efficient, accurate methods of measuring fidelity to the intervention. However, the existing method of assessing fidelity to the Memory Support Intervention, the Memory Support Rating Scale (MSRS), is burdensome and requires trained independent-raters to spend multiple hours reviewing session recordings, which is not feasible in many routine mental health care settings. Hence, a provider-rated measure of fidelity to the MSI has been developed. The goal of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of scores on this measure—the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist. A sample of Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklists (N = 319) were completed by providers (N = 8) treating adults with depression (N = 84). Three metrics of the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist were evaluated: (a) the internal consistency and structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis based on prior research on the MSRS and the Memory Support Intervention, (b) construct validity, and (c) predictive validity. Results indicate that the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist yields reliable and valid scores of fidelity to the Memory Support Intervention. Overall, this checklist offers a viable, brief method of evaluating fidelity to the Memory Support Intervention.
Effect of Having, but Not Consulting, a Computerized Diagnostic Aid:

Previous research has described physicians’ reluctance to use computerized diagnostic aids (CDAs) but has never experimentally examined the effects of not consulting an aid that was readily availab...
Extinguishing the TORCH Differential: Evaluation of a Neonate with Blueberry Muffin Rash.

A female infant is born at 33 weeks’ gestation via precipitous vaginal delivery to a gravida 6, para 4 woman. The pregnancy was complicated by advanced maternal age, gestational diabetes mellitus, and rupture of membranes 14 days before delivery. The result of maternal serologic testing is negative and she is rubella nonimmune. The result of group B Streptococcus testing is negative, and there is no history of herpes simplex infection. Birth measurements include a weight of 1.77 kg, length 44.7 cm, and head circumference 29 cm. Apgar scores are 8 and 9. On delivery, the infant is noted to have diffuse cutaneous ulcerative lesions, not sparing the palms or soles with a patchy blueberry muffin rash (Fig 1). She is otherwise well appearing with unremarkable findings on physical examination, including no hepatosplenomegaly. Given the concern for toxoplasmosis, other infections (syphilis, enterovirus, varicella-zoster virus, parvovirus B19, zika), rubella, cytomegalovirus infection, and herpes simplex (TORCH), she is admitted to the NICU for further evaluation and management. Figure 1. Ulcerative skin lesions with an underlying blueberry muffin rash at birth. On arrival at the NICU, the infant is hemodynamically stable and breathing comfortably in room air. Initial laboratory tests (complete blood cell count, comprehensive metabolic panel, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio/partial thromboplastin time) are only notable for a white blood cell count of 3,600/μL (3.6 × 109/L; normal absolute neutrophil count) and platelet count of 129 × 103/μL (129 × 109/L). Consulting services, including infectious disease, dermatology, and ophthalmology, become quickly involved in her care. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is initiated with gentamicin, ampicillin, and acyclovir, and blood samples for cultures are collected. The infectious disease team recommends testing for varicella, herpes simplex, syphilis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, parvovirus B19, and enterovirus. Swabs are collected for herpes simplex detection from several sites, including the skin, eyes, and oral …
Efficient Metamodel Approach to Handling Constraints in Nonlinear Optimization for Drought Management

AbstractRapid and informed response is needed to ensure effective water management during droughts, including reliable and immediate data synthesis, near-real-time forecasting, and model-based deci...
mIMT-visHTS: A novel method for multiplexing isobaric mass tagged datasets with an accompanying visualization high throughput screening tool for protein profiling

Isobaric mass tagging (IMT) methods enable the analysis of thousands of proteins simultaneously. We used tandem mass tagging reagents (TMT™) to monitor the relative changes in the proteome of the mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7 at the same six time points after no stimulation (baseline phenotype), stimulation with interferon gamma (pro-inflammatory phenotype) or stimulation with interleukin-4 (anti-inflammatory phenotype). The combined TMT datasets yielded nearly 12,000 protein profiles for comparison. To facilitate this large analysis, we developed a novel method that combines or multiplexes the separate IMT (mIMT) datasets into a single super dataset for subsequent model-based clustering and co-regulation analysis. Specially designed visual High Throughput Screening (visHTS) software screened co-regulated proteins. visHTS generates an interactive and visually intuitive color-coded bullseye plot that enables users to browse the cluster outputs and identify co-regulated proteins.
Effects of repeated transvaginal aspiration of immature follicles on mare health and ovarian status.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration (TVA) is performed clinically but there is little information available on complications associated with this procedure. Objectives: It is possible that TVA is associated with damage to the ovary and may induce peritonitis or peritoneal adhesions. This study was conducted to determine the effect of repeated TVA on mare health and ovarian status. Methods: Thirty-two mares were used for oocyte recovery via repeated TVA over a 3 year period; different mares were used each year. In Year 1, ovarian status was monitored in 11 mares by transrectal palpation and ultrasonography. In Year 2, 6 of 11 mares underwent abdominocentesis and were examined by laparoscopy after one TVA and again after multiple TVAs. In Year 3, 10 mares underwent multiple TVAs with either a 15 or a 12 gauge needle and the ovaries were removed for examination. Results: Four hundred and twenty-seven aspiration sessions (390 via TVA and 37 via needle placement through the flank) and 3202 follicle punctures (3161 TVA and 41 flank) were performed. One mare developed an ovarian abscess. Transient rectal bleeding was evident after 16% of TVA sessions. No adhesions were found on laparoscopic or gross examination of ovaries and there were minimal changes on histological evaluation. Conclusions: Follicle aspiration carries a small possibility (<0.5%) of ovarian abscess formation. There is a possibility of rectal abrasion or puncture but little gross or histological damage to the ovary. Potential relevance: These results provide a basis for using prophylactic administration of antibiotics after TVA and for advising mare owners of the rare but potential complications associated with the procedure.
A prospective study comparing standard laryngoscopy with the trachview videoscope system for orotracheal intubation

Conclusions The study was conducted in 2 phases on a mannequin model during an airway lab for EM residents and medical students in a university setting. Phase 1 consisted of a non-randomized group sequential study design in which, after a 10-minute demonstration of the TV, emergency medicine (EM) residents assessed the POGO score using direct laryngoscopy (DL) and compared it to their observed POGO score using the TV.
Variational Formulation of a Material Ageing Model

A material ageing parameter, i.e. an additional internal variable, is introduced as the conjugate to the Canonical Energy Momentum Tensor. Ageing is manifested in variation of basic material characteristics such as density, moduli of elasticity, yeald stress, strength and toughness.
Advocacy, Politics and the Responsibilities of Professional Associations

(2007). Advocacy, Politics and the Responsibilities of Professional Associations. Journal of Progressive Human Services: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 1-5.
Correlating the Pharmacology and Molecular Biology of Opioid Receptors

We cloned a kappa 3-related opioid receptor, and although it is still not clear whether this clone corresponds to the kappa 3 receptor itself or is a related gene product, the extensive antisense mapping and the antibody immunoreactivity strongly associate this clone with the kappa 3 receptor. Our approach also indicates the usefulness of antisense approaches in mapping and identifying orphan receptors. Perhaps it is most effective in identifying partial sequences prior to cloning them in their entirety. It also provides a mechanism of identifying proteins that are not expressed functionally.
Verification of IEEE Compliant Subtractive Division Algorithms

A parameterized definition of subtractive floating point division algorithms is presented and verified using PVS. The general algorithm is proven to satisfy a formal definition of an IEEE standard for floating point arithmetic. The utility of the general specification is illustrated using a number of different instances of the general algorithm.
Future interconnect requirements in high-speed switches for Internet backbones

Future packaging needs are projected from the perspective of a packet switch chip family. With the growth of bandwidth in the Internet, traditional copper-based intrabox transmission systems are running into limitations. Optics offer a solution, but the main challenge is to reduce the cost and establish appropriate standards.
Proline biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: molecular analysis of the PRO1 gene, which encodes gamma-glutamyl kinase.

Abstract The PRO1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes the 428-amino-acid protein gamma-glutamyl kinase (ATP:L-glutamate 5-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.2.11), which catalyzes the first step in proline biosynthesis. Amino acid sequence comparison revealed significant homology between the yeast and Escherichia coli gamma-glutamyl kinases throughout their lengths. Four close matches to the consensus sequence for GCN4 protein binding and one close match to the RAP1 protein-binding site were found in the PRO1 upstream region. The response of the PRO1 gene to changes in the growth medium was analyzed by measurement of steady-state mRNA levels and of beta-galactosidase activity encoded by a PRO1-lacZ gene fusion. PRO1 expression was not repressed by exogenous proline and was not induced by the presence of glutamate in the growth medium. Although expression of the PRO1 gene did not change in response to histidine starvation, both steady-state PRO1 mRNA levels and beta-galactosidase activities were elevated in a gcd1 strain and reduced in a gcn4 strain. In addition, a pro1 bradytrophic strain became completely auxotrophic for proline in a gcn4 strain background. These results indicate that PRO1 is regulated by the general amino acid control system.
Factors in the successful surgical management of basal cell carcinoma of the eyelids.

We studied the clinical and histopathologic features of 165 basal cell carcinomas of the eyelids and classified the tumors into four types (nodular, ulcerative, morphea, and multicentric) that differ in incidence, results of incomplete excision, aggressiveness, and recurrence. The value of frozen-section monitoring of the surgical margins was evident. In 39 cases excised with monitoring of margins by frozen sections, there were no recurrences. In 126 cases treated by excisional biopsy without frozen-section monitoring, 34 (26.9%) were incompletely excised and seven (5.5%) recurred. The surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma should always include the use of frozen-section monitoring of the surgical margins. This is especially important in the morphea, multicentric, and ulcerative types, in which the invasive extent of the tumor is often not apparent clinically. These forms are also more aggressive.
Maternal and fetal oxytocin levels at parturition in a paraplegic woman

Abstract Maternal and fetal oxytocin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in a paraplegic woman with a spinal cord lesion at T-4 T-5 who went into spontaneous labor at 39 wk of pregnancy and delivered vaginally a male infant weighing 3220 g. She showed signs of autonomic hyperreflexia during labor. Maternal plasma oxytocin was 3–12 pg/ml in 3 blood samples and undetectable in another 4 taken during the first stage, with a surge of 38 pg/ml at delivery of the fetus. Oxytocin levels were 73 pg/ml in umbilical venous plasma, and 14 pg/ml in amniotic fluid. The findings indicate that the fetus was an important source of oxytocin to the maternal uterus.
Supramolecular structures of polyoxomolybdate-based giant molecules in aqueous solution.

A combination of static and dynamic laser light-scattering techniques was employed to study the supramolecular structures of polyoxomolybdate-based giant molecules in aqueous solution. Convincing evidences indicate that the spherical aggregates have unique vesicle-like structures. A model is built up based on solid experimental results. It is the first time that a clear explanation is presented for the long-time enigma in inorganic chemistry: the nature of the polyoxomolybdate aggregates in “molybdenum blue solution”.
Hysteresis of the martensitic phase transition in magnetocaloric-effect Ni-Mn-Sn alloys

We have investigated the hysteresis of the temperature- and magnetic field--induced martensitic phase transition in ${\text{Ni}}_{50.4}{\text{Mn}}_{34.0}{\text{Sn}}_{15.6}$. Specifically, we have characterized the fraction of martensite and cubic Heusler phase present along a variety of temperature and magnetic field paths using magnetization as a proxy for the fraction of phases present. We present these results and discuss (1) the thermodynamics of the thermal- and magnetic field--induced hysteresis and (2) the impact of this hysteresis on the magnetocaloric effect of the alloy. We demonstrate that both temperature and magnetic field are equivalent driving forces for the phase transition and result in equivalent hysteresis behavior linked through the magnetic Gibbs free energy. The hysteresis reduces the useful magnetocaloric effect of the alloy by allowing only a limited fraction of the alloy to transform cyclicly between the martensite and the austenite phase under application and removal of magnetic fields up to 9 T, and by dissipating work through irreversible energy loss. While the importance of a large thermodynamically reversible magnetic entropy change is generally accepted, our results suggest that the hysteresis behavior is equally critical in evaluating the effective magnetocaloric effect of a material.
Digital Flânerie: Illustrative Seeing in the Digital Age

This paper investigates a contemporary flowering of flânerie similar to that which Walter Benjamin analyzed in the first decades of the Parisian arcades. The flâneur has resurrected in a new space of the recent past as the computer hacker of digital culture. There is, however, a significant difference between the two figures' ways of relating to the world that gives the hacker an important socio-political agency - with which Benjamin tried, unsuccessfully, to imbue in the flâneur.
Photon absorption in step-wise multi-photon activation fluorescence (SMPAF) of Sepia melanin

Previous research has shown that melanin goes through a step-wise three-photon absorption process when the fluorescence is activated with high laser intensity. We have conducted further research using even higher laser intensity for the activation, and have shown the possibility of observing power dependence other than third-order. This article discusses the possible energy states of Sepia melanin by studying the power dependence curves of the step-wise multi-photon activated fluorescence signal. Three different excitation channels are activated. Possible reasons causing the three channels are discussed.
Semiautomatic and robotic methods for determining serum haptoglobin levels

— The assay of Makimura and Suzuki1 for serum haptoglobin has been adapted to use one tube with both semiautomated and robotic methods. The adaptation permits the determination of haptoglobin in several hundred serum samples per day. Both methods were strongly correlated with the original two-tube method and had within-assay variability of 4.4% for the semiautomated and 4.8% for the robotic method. Day-to-day variability averaged 6.0% for the semiautomated and 5.5% for the robotic method. The y-intercepts for both assays were higher than that of the original two-tube method, and thus, reference values are higher than those reported previously.
Fatigue Analysis of Metallic Components Using Critical Distance Methods

The high cycle fatigue strength of crack-like discontinuities in metallic structures has been investigated using the critical distance approaches. Two methods have been employed, (a) the point method, and (b) the imaginary crack method. In the point method, the stress at a critical point within the material volume is chosen as the governing fatigue criterion. The effective parameter is the distance “d” from the material surface, which is a material property and the reference parameter is the fatigue limit. The imaginary crack method involves introduction of a sharp crack at the root of a notch and the length of the crack, “l0 ” assumed a material constant. The point method leads to a practical design rule that uses fatigue design curves expressed in terms of equivalent strain range versus number of cycles to failure. The equivalent strain is evaluated at a distance “d” from the crack tip. In the imaginary crack method, the effective crack length is taken as the sum of the actual crack and the material parameter “l0 ”. It is concluded that the high cycle fatigue has a volumetric character and the proposed methods introduce the volume effect in the determination of stress and strain fields as well as the fatigue life. Using the material parameter, the number of cycles to initiate a fatigue has been determined.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The effects of pH, ionic strength, and iron–fulvic acid interactions on the kinetics of non-photochemical iron transformations. I. Iron(II) oxidation and iron(III) colloid formation

Abstract Flow injection analysis was used to study the effect of a fulvic acid on the kinetics of iron(II) oxidation and iron colloid formation under conditions approximating fresh natural waters. While iron(II) oxidation in high-carbonate inorganic solutions is predicted well by a recently proposed homogeneous model, it overestimates the oxidation rate in low-carbonate solutions, possibly due to the formation of an intermediate iron(II) colloid or surface species. Results in fulvic acid solutions are consistent with the formation of an iron(II)–fulvic acid complex at both pH 6.0 and 8.0 which accelerates the overall oxidation rate relative to inorganic solutions. However, iron(III) complexation by fulvic acid greatly slows the formation of iron colloids, stabilizing dissolved iron(III). Decreased pH and increased ionic strength slow and decrease iron colloid formation. Evidence of a kinetic control on the distribution of iron(III) between organically complexed and colloidal forms is presented.
The effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on calciferol (vitamin D) mediated calcium metabolism

Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyl compounds which are environmental pollutants of industrial origin have been linked to some of the ecological hazards attributed to other chlorinated hydrocarbons. This report examines the effect of polychlorinated biphenyl pretreatment on calcium metabolic events which are mediated by vitamin D (calciferol). Rachitic birds were given two commonly used polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, Aroclor 1254 and 1260, 1 mg/day, for 7 days before intestinal calcium transport in vivo and in vitro , intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity, and bone calcium mobilization were assayed. The normal calciferol-mediated increase in intestinal calcium transport both as measured in vivo and in vitro , was significantly inhibited by PCB pretreatment. However, intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity and bone calcium mobilization were not altered by polychorinated biphenyl pretreatment. These results show that polychlorinated biphenyl intervenes in calciferol-mediated calcium metabolism in a somewhat different manner than those results observed following DDT pretreatment ( Nowicki et al., J. Agr. Food Chem. 20 , 376, 1972 ), in which both the alkaline phosphatase and bone calcium mobilization responses were also inhibited. These data may furnish a partial explanation for the possible involvement of polychlorinated biphenyl in contributing to altered calcium metabolism and subsequent reproductive failure of some avian species.
Chemical and biochemical issues related to X-ray crystallography of the ligand-binding domain of estrogen receptor alpha.

Careful attention to technical issues preceded successful crystallography of the ligand-binding domain of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) complexed with CP-336156, a nonsteroidal estrogen agonist/antagonist. An affinity column based on immobilized estradiol was prepared according to the scheme of Greene et al. (Greene, G. L., Nolan, C., Engler, J. P., and Jensen, E. V. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 5115-5119). It was shown by X-ray crystallography that the major and less polar isomer of the affinity column precursor was 17alpha-((S)-2',3'-epoxyprop-1'-yl)estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17beta-diol. This diastereomer was coupled to Thiopropyl Sepharose, with coupling monitored by observing loss of the phenolic absorption band of estradiol from the reaction supernatant, and gave an affinity matrix containing about 9 micromol of estradiol per milliliter of wet gel. Recombinant ERalpha ligand binding domain was selectively removed from E. coli cell lysate by binding to the column and was partly S-carboxymethylated by treatment with iodoacetic acid while bound to the column as described by previous workers. After being eluted from the column as a complex with drug, the receptor fragment was shown by mass spectrometry to be a mixture of differently modified forms. It was further S-carboxymethylated in solution, after which anion-exchange chromatography was used to isolate protein in which two of the four cysteine residues were S-carboxymethylated. This material, which afforded diffraction-quality crystals, was subjected to digestion with trypsin and peptide mapping analysis by HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry. For this experiment, the two previously unmodified cysteines were alkylated with 4-vinylpyridine to allow definitive identification. It was shown that Cys-417 and Cys-530 were S-carboxymethylated in the crystallized protein, while Cys-381 and Cys-447 remained unmodified. Close attention to such technical issues may be important in structural studies of other nuclear receptors, a very important class of potential drug targets.
Label-free detection of the aptamer binding on protein patterns using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM)

Anti-lysozyme aptamers are found to preferentially bind to the edge of a tightly packed lysozyme pattern. Such edge-binding is due to the better accessibility and flexibility of the edge lysozyme molecules. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was used to study the aptamer-lysozyme binding. Our results show that KPFM is capable of detecting the aptamer-protein binding down to the 30 nm scale. The surface potential of the aptamer-lysozyme complex is approximately 12 mV lower than that of the lysozyme. The surface potential images of the aptamer-bound lysozyme patterns have the characteristic shoulder steps around the pattern edge, which is much wider than that of a clean lysozyme pattern. These results demonstrate the potentials of KPFM as a label-free method for the detection of protein-DNA interactions.
Kinematic production of isolated millikelvin molecules

Recently we developed a technique for producing cold molecules from a supersonic molecular beam via single collisions with a supersonic atomic beam [M. S. Elioff, J. J. Valentini, and D. W. Chandler, Science 302, 1940 (2003)]. This cooling technique necessarily produces the cold molecules at the relatively high density crossing of the atomic and molecular beams. In previous reports, secondary glancing collisions with the remnant atomic and molecular beams lead to rapid depletion of the cold molecules limiting the observation time to less than $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ with an estimated temperature of $440\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}$. Here we present experimental conditions for the kinematic cooling technique which overcome the limitations of the previous experiments. We demonstrate the success of this experiment for the production of cold nitric oxide (NO) in the ground vibrational, $j=7.5$ rotational, state in order to compare with our previously reported data. With the present setup, we are able to extract the cold molecules from the pulsed molecular and atomic beams and we observe these cold $\mathrm{NO}{(X)}_{j=7.5}$ persisting for over $150\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$. This long observation time demonstrates our ability to temporally and spatially separate the cold molecules from the parent atomic and molecular beams, simultaneously allowing for a better measurement of the final average velocity for the kinematically cooled molecules. From the data we find a final average velocity of the $\mathrm{NO}{(X)}_{j=7.5}$ of approximately $4.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{m}∕\mathrm{s}$, consistent with simulations. The final observed average velocity is equated to a temperature of approximately $35\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}$, over an order of magnitude colder than our previous measurements.
Nasalance and nasality in low pressure and high pressure speech

Abstract Objective: This study compared nasalance measures and nasality ratings in low pressure (LP) and high pressure (HP) speech. Subjects: The subjects for this study were 25 children ranging in age from 5 to 13 years. Twenty of the subjects were patients followed by a craniofacial team, and five had no history of communication disorder. Results: The mean nasalance for the LP speech was 29.98% (SD, 16.16), and the mean nasalance for the HP speech was 30.28% (SD, 15.35). The mean nasality rating for the LP speech was 2.31, and the mean nasality rating for the HP speech was 2.59. Separate paired t tests revealed no significant difference between the LP or the HP speech for either the nasalance scores or the nasality ratings. The correlation coefficient between nasalance and nasality for the LP speech was r = 0.78, and for the HP speech r = 0.77. Using a cutoff of 26% for nasalance and 2.0 for nasality, Nasometer test sensitivity was 0.84 and test specificity was 0.88. Conclusions: In general, clinicians ...
Compensating actuator and sensor dynamics governed by diffusion PDEs

For (possibly unstable) ODE systems with actuator delay, predictor-based infinite-dimensional feedback can compensate for actuator delay of arbitrary length and achieve stabilization. We extend this concept to another class of PDE-ODE cascades, where the infinite-dimensional part of the plant is of diffusive, rather than convective type. We derive predictor-like feedback laws and observers, with explicit gain kernels. The gain kernels involve second-order matrix exponentials of the system matrix of the ODE plant, which is the result of the second-order-in-space character of the actuator/sensor dynamics. The construction of the kernel functions is performed using the continuum version of the backstepping method. Robustness to small perturbations in the diffusion coefficient is proved.
Characteristics of Bone Particles and Measurement of Bone Particle Size from Mechanically Deboned Poultry

Abstract Bone particles from mechanically deboned chicken back and neck meat (MDCM), mechanically deboned turkey meat (MDTM), and mechanically deboned cooked fowl meat (MDCFM) were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and procedures refined for determining bone particle size. Bone particles separated using the enzyme (papain) method were observed by the SEM to agglomerate together, thereby giving erronous bone particle size measurements. When enzyme mixtures of papain and ficin were utilized, more accurate measurements of bone particle sizes were noted. The alcoholic KOH method was found to be an accurate technique for bone particle size determination providing the digestion time was no greater than 10 min. The alcoholic KOH method is considerably more rapid than the enzyme technique, which should make it more practical for the processing industry.
A modeling study of visibility in the Grand Canyon

Abstract Using a backward version of the Monte Carlo radiative transfer model, radiance values in the Grand Canyon were simulated to within the precision of 10%. The contiguous spectral contrast was introduced to distinguish between adjacent areas of the same target and compared to the apparent spectral contrast. The contiguous spectral contrast is a valuable tool in evaluating visibility because in some cases, the target became more distinguishable when viewed against the sky while the target features became less distinguishable. Average equilibrium radiance values were calculated and incorporated into the Koschmieder estimate; the Koschmieder estimate was deemed to be of limited value in the Grand Canyon because of the violation of the assumptions used to derive the estimate. It was shown that apparent spectral contrasts determined from first order scattering results were within 10% of these contrasts determined from multiple order scattering results. However, higher order scattering must be considered when radiance values are calculated for the Grand Canyon scene.
Fractal patterns in the human retina and their physiological correlates

The biological mechanism for the formation of retinal vessel patterns in the developing human eye is unknown even though it is a question of importance. The current hypothesis is based on the existence of a variable oxygen gradient across the developing photoreceptors which stimulates the release of angiogenic factors which diffuse in the plane of the retina and result in the growth of retinal vessels. This implies that the rate-limiting step in the formation of the vessel pattern is a diffusion process. In order to analyze this hypothesis the fractal dimension of the retinal blood vessel patterns was determined. Several methods were used to calculate the fractal dimension. Red-free fundus images of normal humans were traced and two methods of analysis were used: the massradius relation and the scaling relation of the two-point densitydensity correlation. In addition the vessel patterns were digitized using a digital image processing system and the number of pixels corresponding to the retinal vessels were determined within circles of various diameters. The slope of the log of the size of the circle versus the log of the number of voxels yielded the fractal dimension. All three methods applied to retinal patterns derived from 15 different normal humans (age 14-65) showed that the human retinal blood vessels have a self-similar structure with a fractal dimension of about 1 . 7. This is the same fractal dimension found for© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of immunoperoxidase and immunogold methods in studying prolactin secretion and application of immunogold labelling for pituitary hormones and neuropeptides.

Two immunocytochemical methods, immunoperoxidase and immunogold (IG), were used in an attempt to study the dynamic process of prolactin release from stimulated rat pituitary mammotrophs. The immunogold method was also used to localize other pituitary hormones including growth hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and the neuropeptides substance P, neuropeptide tyrosine, leu-enkephalin, and atrial natriuretic factor in peripheral nerves. Light-microscopic immunoperoxidase staining of prolactin revealed a unique distribution of immunoreactive mammotrophs. Two groups of cells were seen, one centrally located and one forming a narrow peripheral rim on the gland. The two groups were separated by a zone of nonimmunoreactive cells. In addition, the distribution of immunoper-oxidase-stained material was not uniform in all mammotrophs. In some, prolactin immunoreactive material was clumped near the nucleus (in the Golgi cisternae); in others it was more diffused within the cytoplasm (but immediately surrounding the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum). After stimulation of mammotrophs, via suckling, prolactin-immunoreactive material was visualized in extracellular spaces. With immunogold methods, prolactin labelling was seen mainly in secretory granules; but some labelling of Golgi cisternae and rough endoplasmic reticulum also occurred. Immunogold labelling revealed that material immunoreactive for leu-enkephalin and atrial natriuretic factor was present in nerve terminals in the rat paracervical ganglion. Material immunoreactive for substance P and neuropeptide tyrosine was present in nerve terminals in the guinea pig heart. Thus, in some situations the immunoperoxidase technique was useful and helped to visualize “grossly” the presence of specific antigens, but it was inadequate for fine ultrastructural localization of these antigens. The immunogold technique was excellent for precise localization of antigens and especially for the detection of colocalization of different antigens. This method can be used in very different structures, such as the adenohypophysis and peripheral nervous tissue, without any modification except for the nature of the antibodies.
The application of short-time memory devices to compensator design

IN FIG. 1 is shown a compensator cascaded with a control system. The combination will be called the compensated system. In this paper the transfer function of the control system is assumed to be linear and that for the compensator is at least piecewise linear. Each compensator discussed in the paper has incorporated, within its structure, a delay line or short-time memory unit, Fig. 2, into which information is inserted and from which the same information is extracted at various short intervals of time thereafter. The extracted information at each location is multiplied by a suitable constant and the results are summed to form rx(t).
A cost-based method for comparing alternative refrigerants applied to R-22 systems

Abstract This paper describes the development and application of a general purpose method for comparing alternative refrigerants. The method utilizes a single performance index based upon minimum cost for a simplified system operating with a given cooling capacity and efficiency. The cost-based method is an improvement over other methods for evaluating refrigerants in that it more appropriately considers the influence of both thermodynamic and transport properties on refrigerant choice and it allows consideration of additional costs associated with some replacements (e.g. safety features for flammable refrigerants). A computer model based upon this method was used to evaluate the performance of several leading R-22 replacement candidates for window air conditioners. Primarily, the cost differences between alternative refrigerants are associated with the heat exchangers and the refrigerant/oil requirements. The cost differences associated with different compressor displacement requirements were found to have a minor influence on overall cost differences. For the optimized systems, all of the alternatives had system costs that were within about 4% of those for R-22. Further, the differences between most of the alternative refrigerants were smaller than the uncertainties in the analysis.
Ozone yields and production efficiencies in a large power plant plume

Abstract The plume of Tennessee Valley Authority's coal-fired Cumberland power plant was sampled during four different days in the summer of 1998 and 1999 from an instrumented helicopter. The extent of formation of ozone and various secondary NO y species in the plume was measured and the rates of loss processes estimated. The rates of these processes were found to be similar during three of the four sampling days. On the fourth day conversion and removal processes within the plume were significantly slower apparently due to lower ambient temperatures, and poor dispersion conditions. On the three more ‘reactive’ days ozone yield ( Y ) was found to be in the range of 1.5–2.6 molecules of O 3 produced per molecule of NO x emitted. The ozone production efficiency, estimated from Y and the average chemical age of the farthest distance sampled, varied from 2.3 to 5.4.
Regional tyrosine hydroxylase and choline acetyltransferase concentrations in the brains of lymphocytic choriomeningitis-infected mice

Abstract The neurotransmitter biosynthesis enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase and choline acetyltransferase were investigated in selected brain areas of Nya: NYLAR mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus. Statistically significant alterations in the concentrations of both enzymes occurred in the olfactory, caudate, and neocortical regions at 5 days postinfection. No such alterations occurred in mice given cytoxan (150 mg/kg) 3 days postinfection and examined 5 days postinfection. At 10 days postinfection, however, the cytoxan-treated animals had significantly altered enzyme concentrations in the olfactory region, though not in the caudate or neocortex. This alteration appeared to be transitory, since it was not found in cytoxan-treated animals 60 days postinfection. A possible explanation is that virus production or interference in a brain region cycles over a period of hours or days. Still undetermined is whether these neurochemical changes are a primary effect of the virus or a secondary effect due to the immune response. It is noteworthy that cytoxan caused a marked increase in the enzyme activities studied in most of the brain areas.
Application of parameter estimation and regionalization methodologies to ungauged basins of the Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia

Summary Runoff variability of large ungauged international basins affects water availability to downstream countries making management of transboundary water difficult and sometimes causing geopolitical tension. The key to successfully predict runoff and its fluctuation in both gauged and ungauged basins is a reliable hydrologic model and an appropriate parameter regionalization approach. The Upper Blue Nile River Basin of Ethiopia is an example where data are limited, water resources are valuable, and competition for water among riparian countries is strong. To predict runoff variability from the basin as well as from ungauged subbasins, a water balance model with six parameters was tested. The model parameters were identified through a sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo experiments and their plausible search ranges were constrained. Six parameter regionalization methods (global mean, subbasin mean, multiple regression, regional calibration, aggregated calibration, and volume fraction calibration) were evaluated by model performance, volume error, and runoff volume fractions of subbasins. The results showed that the high interdependency of model parameters affects the development of regional relationships. The model parameters regionalized in different basin scales were not transferable to one another due to different basin responses. The study found that regional calibration is suitable for simulating runoff of sites (100–10,000 km 2 ), and volume fraction calibration is suitable for subbasins (14,000–50,000 km 2 ). Lumped calibration managed to simulate runoff dynamics of lumped basins (65,000–180,000 km 2 ) representing two or more aggregated subbasins.
A Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer-based Sensor Indicates that Receptor Access to a G Protein Is Unrestricted in a Living Mammalian Cell

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of muscarinic receptors and G protein subunits tagged with cyan or yellow fluorescent protein showed that receptors and G proteins were mobile and not immobilized on the cell membrane. The cyan fluorescent protein-tagged Galpha and yellow fluorescent protein-tagged Gbeta subunits were used to develop sensors that coupled selectively with the M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors. In living Chinese hamster ovary cells, imaging showed that sensors emitted a fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal that was abrogated on receptor activation. When sequentially activated with highly expressed muscarinic receptors and endogenous receptors expressed at low levels, sensor molecules were sensitive to the sequence of activation and the receptor numbers. The results distinguish between models proposing that receptor and G protein types interact freely with each other on the cell membrane or that they function as mutually exclusive multimolecular complexes by providing direct support for the former model in these cells.
Learning to behave badly: performance feedback and illegal organizational action

Two perspectives predict how organizational performance influences illegal action. First, poor performance creates tension, leading decision makers to repair the gap through any means necessary. However, strong performance also bolsters risky behavior, possibly leading to violations. To integrate these perspectives, I suggest that performance evaluation provides only the motive to commit illegal action and that decision makers also require an opportunity to do so. I extend organizational learning theory by suggesting that managers in organizations performing far from expectations may evaluate information about the potential success of illegal acts, and I examine whether they use this information to time violations.
Quantitative comparison of the void distribution in a β'-phase Ni-Al-In alloy using X-ray small angle scattering and transmission electron microscopy☆

Abstract Small-angle scattering is a rather mature discipline which can yield valuable information on the size, amount and distribution of inhomogeneities encountered in materials science research. Methods have been published which permit one to extend the standard analysis of data from a small-angle scattering experiment to include determination of the distribution of particle sizes. This extended analysis has been carried out for voids in a β'-phase Ni-Al-In alloy, and, in order to assess the reliability of the procedure, the identical void distribution has been characterized by transmission electron microscopy. A quantitative comparison is made of the results from these two independent experiments, and the general performance of the Brill-Schmidt method for particle size determinations is discussed.
A process for the determination of addresses in variable length addressing

An algorithm is presented for the assignment of instruction addresses and formats under the following conditions: (1) the length of the instruction varies as a function of the distance of the instruction from its target; (2) there exists an optimality criterion which implies some preferential choices subject to the addressing constraints. This may be, for example, achieving the smallest number of long instructions, in which case the total code length is minimized, or minimizing the assigned address of a specified point in the program. The algorithm is suitable for arbitrary program structure and a choice of optimization criteria.
Soluble potassium transport in agricultural runoff water

Abstract Potassium transport in runoff from three agricultural soils was investigated in laboratory and field experiments using a kinetic equation describing soil K desorption. In the laboratory, this equation was used to study the effect of rainfall intensity and soil slope, cover, and residue incorporation on the effective depth of interaction between surface soil and runoff ( edi ), an important parameter in the kinetic equation. Using simulated rainfall, edi increased linearly (from 1.6 to 22.0 mm) with an increase in rainfall intensity (50 to 160 mm h−1) and soil slope (2 to 20%). edi was reduced an average 82% following incorporation of 5.0 t ha−1 of wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L. sp.) and 44% by a 0.5-mm2 mesh screen, simulating crop cover, compared to the control (4.5 mm). This reduction was attributed to a decreased turbulent mixing of water at the soil surface brought about by an increased physical protection of soil. For all soils and treatments, edi was logarithmically related to soil loss (r2 = 0.80), allowing estimation of edi under variable rainfall intensity, soil slope, type, and cover conditions from measured or estimated soil loss. The values of edi , thus estimated were used in the kinetic equation to predict solution K transport in runoff from eight agricultural watersheds in Oklahoma, U.S.A. Measured and predicted mean annual flow-weighted concentrations of solution K were not significantly different and were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.92). These results improve our capability to predict K transport in runoff under field conditions. These methods could also be applied to other agricultural chemicals transported in runoff and results used to improve management of soil and water.
Causality Orientations and the Disappearance of the Self-Serving Bias

Abstract Theoretical work (Deci & Ryan, 1987) has implicated causality orientations as potential moderators of defensive attributions. The present study examined whether autonomy and control orientations moderate the attributional tendency to take more responsibility for success than failure. We examined both additive and synergistic models of the effect of causality orientations on self-serving attributions. We found that this self-serving bias disappeared for those with the unique combination of a high autonomy orientation and a low control orientation, thereby supporting a synergistic model. It was also shown that self-serving attribution was stronger for performance on a skill task than on a chance task.