cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of oral meclofenamate therapy in psoriasis

One hundred three patients entered a study to evaluate the effects of oral meclofenamate sodium therapy on psoriasis. The first 4 weeks of the study were double-blind, with patients receiving either meclofenamate or placebo. Most patients receiving meclofenamate had no change in their psoriasis, in comparison with their pretherapy condition. There was no difference in the response of the psoriasis between the group taking meclofenamate and the group taking placebo. Eighty-nine patients continued in a 4-week open trial of meclofenamate. Approximately one third of the patients showed improvement, but this result appeared to be related to the open trial design. Since oral meclofenamate therapy was not associated with frequent worsening of psoriasis, it is an appropriate treatment for psoriatic arthritis.
Integral operators generated by exponential integrals

Some results for integral operators whose kernels are the exponential integrals are presented. In particular, their interrelations and commutativity properties with the differentiation operator, and the behavior of the image functions near the endpoints of the domain of integration, are investigated.
Conceptual clustering of structured objects: a goal-oriented approach

Abstract Conceptual clustering is concerned with problems of grouping observed entities into conceptually simple classes. Earlier work on this subject assumed that the entities and classes are described in terms of a priori given multi-valued attributes. This research extends the previous work in three major ways: • - entities are characterized as compound objects requiring structural descriptions. • - relevant descriptive concepts (attributes and relations) are not necessarily given a priori but can be determined through reasoning about the goals of classification. • - inference rules are used to derive useful high-level descriptive concepts from the initially provided low-level concepts. The created classes are described using Annotated Predicate Calculus (APC), which is a typed predicate calculus with additional operators. Relevant descriptive concepts appropriate for characterizing entities are determined by tracing links in a Goal Dependency Network (GDN) that represents relationships between goals, subgoals, and related attributes. An experiment comparing results from the program cluster/s that implements the classification generation process and results obtained from people indicates that the proposed method might offer a plausible cognitive model of classification processes as well as an engineering solution to the problems of automatic classification generation.
Effects on retroaction of the learned strength of interpolated material

Abstract Twelve moderately retarded children were trained on 2-choice visual discrimination problems with interpolation of another item between training and retention tests. The retroactively interfering property of the interpolated items was reduced as it became well-learned. The effect was interpreted to mean that well-learned items are rehearsed less. The results were found to be consistent with predictions from theory.
Benefit Transfer Equivalence Tests with Non-normal Distributions

Equivalence testing reverses traditional null and alternative hypotheses—welfare estimates are assumed different unless tests demonstrate that the difference is smaller than a specified tolerance limit. Within benefit transfer, researchers have universally used the “two one-sided t-test” (TOST) equivalence test, an approach that is invalid for non-normal welfare distributions. This paper proposes an alternative based on the difference between independent empirical distributions, denoted the “two one-sided convolutions” (TOSC) test. The TOSC permits valid inference for non-normal distributions. Empirical assessments show large divergences between TOST and TOSC p-values when distributions are non-normal—demonstrating the likelihood of erroneous inference under the TOST.
Amelioration of Relapsing Polychondritis in a Child Treated with Oral Collagen

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a disease characterized by inflammation and the destruction of cartilage. The detection of antibodies to native type II collagen (CII) in the sera of some patients with relapsing polychondritis suggests that autoimmunity to this cartilage specific protein plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. RP is so rare that controlled therapeutic trials have not been carried out. We describe herein a child with RP who had amelioration of symptoms and a deviation in the cellular immune response to CII after being treated with daily oral CII as a toleragen.
Restructuring Citizenship in Pueblo, Colorado:

The terrain of local democracy in the United States is shifting. Structural changes in the economy and political institutions threaten the social rights of citizenship and the standing of individuals in the polity. In this paper, I examine political activism at the local level as a response to the changing nature of citizenship under economic and political restructuring. Interviews with residents of Pueblo, CO, are used to evaluate the ways in which citizens respond to restructuring. I argue that residents of Pueblo may be successful in the short term in using their activism to respond to the new opportunities and needs created by restructuring. However, the inability of residents to create linkages among members of social groups may ultimately limit their ability to forge a new progressive politics out of restructuring.
Periodicity analysis A potential tool for biometeorologists

Certain biological rhythms constitute prominent components and thus useful reference standards in physiological time series;they can serve as endpoints for gauging effects of climate or weather (Tromp, 1962),just as they already do in the study of other factors (Halberg,1959). My task herein is to indicate some of the developments in the study of rhythms in animals,with the aim of recommending periodicity analysis as a set of useful methods, inter alia, for biometeorologica l research. The many pitfalls arising from the neglect of rhythms in biological research or from their mistaken identification as unqualified effects of certain times of the day or of the month or of other non-biological time scales have been indicated elsewhere. The introduction of rhythmical temporal parameters(Halbe rgand Panofsky,1961, Panofsky and Halberg,1961) into biometeorologica l methodology "constitutes a necessity,rather than a matter of choice.The concern for the right circadian time often seems just as indispensable for a controlled experiment as are the other important considerations of the right place for the right amount of the right compound , i.e., the rules of morphology, biochemistry, pharmacology, etc." (Halberg et al., 196o).
Viral Infection Results in Massive CD8+ T Cell Expansion and Mortality in Vaccinated Perforin-Deficient Mice

Perforin-mediated cytotoxicity is essential for clearance of primary LCMV infection. BALB/c-perforin-deficient (PKO) mice survived LCMV infection by deleting NP(118)-specific CD8(+) T cells whereas vaccination of PKO mice with Listeria expressing NP(118) generated a stable memory CD8(+) T cell population. However, >85% of vaccinated BALB/c-PKO mice died after LCMV infection. Mortality was associated with enormous expansion of NP(118)-specific CD8(+) T cells in both lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues and aberrant CD8(+) T cell cytokine production. Depletion of CD8(+) T cells or treatment with anti-IFNgamma antibody rescued vaccinated mice from mortality. Thus, perforin was essential for resistance to secondary LCMV infection, and, in the absence of perforin, vaccination resulted in lethal disease mediated by dysregulated CD8(+) T cell expansion and cytokine production.
Pleomorphic hyalinizing angiectatic tumor of renal hilum

Pleomorphic hyalinizing angiectatic tumor (PHAT) is a recently described rare entity. The tumor histogenesis is proposed to be of primitive undifferentiated mesenchyme. The tumor has a predilection for the subcutaneous soft tissue especially of lower extremity, although other locations have been well documented. We report a case of PHAT arising in the hilum of the kidney, clinically mimicking an infiltrating malignant neoplasm of renal pelvis. The tumor was discovered during workup for unrelated gastrointestinal tract symptoms. Because of the location of the lesion, excision of mass and radical nephrectomy were performed. The tumor had strong immunohistochemical expression of vimentin, CD34, CD99, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). No additional lesions were documented during 3 years of follow-up. This is consistent with the current thinking that PHAT is a benign neoplasm with increased incidence of recurrence. We document the unique retroperitoneal location of this rare tumor and suggest that PHAT should be considered among the list of unusual lesions at this site.
Imipramine-induced erection, masturbation, and ejaculation in male horses

Imipramine hydrochloride was administered to five male horses (400-500 kg b.wt.): one experienced young stallion, two mature normal breeding stallions, one 5-year-old stallion with erection and ejaculatory dysfunction, and one long-term castrated male horse. Oral imipramine treatment (100 to 600 mg, twice daily) led to frequent erection and masturbation while at rest in the stall in a nonsexual context. Intravenous imipramine treatment over a range of doses (50 to 1000 mg) similarly induced erection and masturbation in all animals. Erection typically occurred within 10 minutes after injection, and the erection and masturbation continued intermittently for 1 to 2 hours. These erections proceeded as during sexual excitement to a normal firmness and eventual engorgement of the glans penis. Two stallions ejaculated while masturbating. Mild ataxia and drowsiness appeared at the higher doses, but the animals remained responsive to auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli. Erection and masturbation were often interrupted by activities about the barn or the approach of the handler, suggesting cortical inhibitory control of the erection. When tested in a sexual context immediately following IV treatment (500 mg), the two mature breeding stallions bred normally. The 5-year-old stallion, which had not ejaculated over several months of breeding attempts, spontaneously ejaculated following IV imipramine treatment. Subsequently, this stallion has ejaculated during copulation while on low dose oral (100 mg. twice daily) imipramine treatment. Plasma total androgens increased during treatment in these stallions. The long-term castrate showed erection and masturbation following IV imipramine treatment, suggesting that the effect of imipramine is not testosterone dependent.
Outlook for Intergovernmental Science and Technology: Partnership or Manipulation?

The decade of the 1980s has tested the American federal system. Budget deficits, international economic competition, and other pressures have forced local, state, and federal officials to restructure their relationships. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the area of science and technology (S&T) policy. Traditionally dominated by the federal government, S&T decisions increasingly have become intergovernmental in character. But true partnerships have been difficult to develop and maintain. These difficulties are outlined through an examination of two distinct "eras" of intergovernmental S&T policy. Then as assessment is made of current and projected intergovernmental S&T initiatives. It is argued that a major complicating factor, generally overlooked in analyses of this policy arena, is the "international connection." Program implementation, participant views, and institutional cultures appear to be key factors in integrating this international dimension.
Loop distribution with arbitrary control flow

Loop distribution is an integral part of transforming a sequential program into a parallel one. It is used extensively in parallelization, vectorization, and memory management. For loops with control flow, previous methods for loop distribution have significant drawbacks. We present a new algorithm for loop distribution in the presence of control flow modeled by a control dependence graph. This algorithm is shown optimal in that it generates the minimum number of new arrays and tests possible. We also present a code generation algorithm that produces code for the resulting program without replicating statements or conditions. Although these algorithms are being developed for use in an interactive parallel programming environment for Fortran, they are very general and can be used in automatic parallelization and vectorization systems. Keywords: parallelization, vectorization, transformation, control dependence, data dependence, loop distribution
Infrared Reflectivities of Magnesium Silicide, Germanide, and Stannide

The room-temperature reflection spectra of ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Si, ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Ge, and ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Sn have been measured at wave-lengths between 20 and 50\ensuremath{\mu}. Reststrahl reflectivity peaks were observed at 36 and 45 \ensuremath{\mu} for ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Si and ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Ge, respectively, and a rising reflectivity in ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Sn is estimated to peak at about 54 \ensuremath{\mu}. The occurrence of peaks indicates that these compounds are partly ionic. The reflection spectra are more like those of the alkali halides than those of the III-V semiconducting compounds. If a simple damped harmonic oscillator is used to describe the reststrahl mode, the three Mg compounds have the same force constant for this mode. Values of dielectric constants and effective charges are estimated for ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Si, and are used to evaluate a previous analysis of electron mobility in this compound. Effects of free carriers on the reflectivity of ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Ge indicate that the effective masses are in rough agreement with the results of transport measurements.
A Note on Sample Size Estimation for Multinomial Populations

Abstract A method is described for determining the sample size required for a specified precision simultaneous confidence statement about the parameters of a multinomial population. The method is based on a simultaneous confidence interval procedure due to Goodman, and the results are compared with those obtained by separately considering each cell of the multinomial population as a binomial.
Oscillatory Solutions of the Falkner-Skan Equation

The Falkner-Skan equation for similarity solutions of the Prandtl boundary-layer equations for incompressible flow is analysed for both positive and negative values of the parameter $\beta$. For $\beta$ 1 we have proved that there is a periodic solution. We conjecture that for $\beta$ > 2 there are infinitely many periodic solutions and that a form of 'symbolic dynamics', of the kind associated with a Smale 'horseshoe map' can be constructed. We have shown this rigorously for $\beta$ close to 2.
Active Vibration Control of Laminated Composite Plates Using Piezoelectric Devices: A Finite Element Approach

A finite element formulation is presented for modeling the behavior of laminated composites with integrated piezoelectric sensors and actuators. This model is valid for both con tinuous and segmented piezoelectric elements that can be either surface bonded or embedded in the laminated plate. The present model takes into account the mass and the stiffness of the piezoelectric patches. The formulation is based on the first-order shear deformation theory, which is applicable for both thin and moderately thick plates. An additional feature of the present model is that it does not introduce the voltage as an additional degree of freedom. The charge/current generated by the sensor and the response of the plate to an actuator voltage can be computed independently. These features are then coupled with a constant-gain negative-velocity/positive-position feedback control algorithm to actively control the transient response of the plate in a closed loop. Numerical results are presented which indicate the increase in...
Recovery of Ground Surface Information from Airborne Hyperspectral Images

We present algorithms to estimate the surface spectral reflectance and the orientation of a ground material corresponding to a pixel in a hyperspectral image acquired by an airborne sensor under unknown atmospheric conditions. A physics-based image formation model is used in which the spectral reflectance of the ground material, the orientation of the material surface, and the atmospheric and illumination conditions determine the sensor radiance of a pixel. The algorithm uses low-dimensional subspace models for the surface reflectance, solar radiance, sky radiance, and path-scattered radiance. The common inter-dependence of the illumination spectra and path- scattered radiance on the environmental condition and viewing geometry is considered by using a coupled subspace model. We use nonlinear optimization methods to estimate the subspace parameters and orientation parameters used in the physics-based image formation model. The subspace and orientation parameters are used for surface reflectance and orientation recovery. We have tested the utility of the algorithms using a large set of 0.42-1.74 micron sensor radiance spectra simulated for varying surface orientations of different materials.
Sexual dimorphism of anterior sacral curvature.

: This study assesses the predictive value of anterior sacral curvature for sex estimation from skeletonized remains. Sacra from a sample of 125 American adults of known age and sex were examined. Nine measurements describing anterior sacral curvature were used in the analysis. Statistical treatment of the data included univariate statistics and discriminant function analysis for sex classification. A bootstrap validation method was employed to assess the classification error rates. Sacral curvature was significantly greater in men than in women at the level of the S2–S3 and S3–S4 articulations (p < 0.05). Correct classification estimates for the discriminant function range from 66–72%. Although sexually dimorphic, metric observations of sacral curvature are not as reliable at predicting sex as other skeletal elements. Anterior sacral curvature should only be used for sex estimation in the absence of other, more reliable, indicators.
Renal Interstitial cGMP Mediates Natriuresis by Direct Tubule Mechanism

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that renal interstitial (RI) cGMP is natriuretic in vivo. In conscious rats (n=8), urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) was significantly greater on days 3 and 4 of RI infusion of cGMP (1.17±0.14 and 1.61±0.11 mmol/24 h, respectively) than during vehicle infusion (0.56±0.15 and 0.70±0.17 mmol/24 h, respectively) ( P <0.01). Similarly, UNaV was greater on days 3 and 4 of RI infusion of 8-bromo-cGMP (2.15±0.42 and 2.16±0.1 mmol/24 h, respectively). Protein kinase G inhibitor Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS reduced cGMP-induced and 8-bromo-cGMP-induced UNaV to control levels. Acute RI infusion of l-arginine (L-Arg, 40 mg · kg−1 · min−1), but not d-arginine, caused an increase in UNaV from 1.65±0.11 to 4.07±0.1 μmol/30 min ( P <0.01). This increase was blocked by RI infusion of N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (100 ng · kg−1 · min−1) by the phosphodiesterase (PDE II) activator 5,6DMcBIMP (0.01 μmol/μL), by PDE II (0.03 U · kg−1 · min−1) itself, or by the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1- H -[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,2-α]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 0.12 mg · kg−1 · min−1). The PDE II activator also blocked L-Arg-stimulated cGMP levels. The NO donor S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, 0.12 μmol · L−1 · kg−1 · min−1) increased UNaV from 1.65±0.11 to 2.93±0.08 μmol/30 min ( P <0.01), and this response was blocked completely by ODQ. Renal arterial but not RI administration of the heat-stable enterotoxin of Escherichia coli induced natriuresis. RA infusion of cGMP (3 μg/min) increased UNaV, renal blood flow (RBF), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Renal cortical interstitial cGMP infusion increased UNaV with no effect on total RBF, renal cortical blood flow, or GFR. Similarly, the natriuretic actions of renal interstitial L-Arg or SNAP were not accompanied by any change in RBF or GFR. Medullary cGMP infusion had no effect on UNaV, total RBF, or medullary blood flow. Texas red-labeled cGMP infused via the RI space was distributed exclusively to cortical renal tubular cells. The results demonstrate that RI cGMP inhibits renal tubular sodium absorption via protein kinase G independently of hemodynamic changes. These observations indicate that the cortical interstitial compartment provides a potentially important domain for cell-to-cell signaling within the kidney.
Using Digital Chains of Custody on Constrained Devices to Verify Evidence

A digital chain of custody is an account documenting digital data at a particular place and time. This paper gives a method of validating and authenticating a digital chain of custody using an algorithm by Jakobsson and by providing a new algorithm that compliments Jakobsson's algorithm. Our method assumes specialized hardware. The physical hardware is assumed to be memory and processor constrained. Our new algorithm is an online algorithm that generates a hash chain of n hash elements without knowledge of n before it starts. At the same time, as n grows our new algorithm stores only the [log n] pebbles which are inputs for Jakobsson's amortized hash chain traversal algorithm. Jakobsson's algorithm is then used to validate hash elements and thus the digital chain of custody. The complimentary algorithm presented here is used to generate and store the hash chain. The compact representation used by these algorithms is useful to store a large digital chain of custody on a small and constrained device. Our proposed method allows the use of constrained devices to validate complex and ephemeral data such as shipping manifests and handling logs.
Increase in platelet count following short course therapy with recombinant alpha-2b-interferon in immune thrombocytopenic purpura in childhood

Two boys, aged three and seven years with immune thrombocytopenic purpura continued to show platelet counts below 20, 000/mm3 inspite of treatment with high dose gammaglobulin and steroids. Alpha-2b-in-terferon injections were followed by normalisation of platelet counts in both patients. No side effects were seen. Alpha-interferon may be a safe and effective treatment for childhood-ITP.
Quantum conductors in a plane

When electrons are confined to move in a plane, strange things happen. For example, under normal circumstances, they are not expected to conduct electricity at low temperatures. The absence of electrical conduction in two dimensions (2D) at zero temperature has been one of the most cherished paradigms in solid-state physics (1). In fact, the 1977 physics Nobel Prize was awarded, in part, for the formulation of the basic principle on which this result is based. However, recent experiments (2) on a dilute electron gas confined to move at the interface between two semiconductors pose a distinct counterexample to the standard view. Transport measurements reveal (2) that as the temperature is lowered, the resistivity drops without any signature of the anticipated up-turn as required by the standard account. It is the possible existence of a new conducting state and hence a new quantum phase transition in 2D that is the primary focus of this session. In the absence of a magnetic field, the only quantum phase transition known to exist in 2D that involves a conducting phase is the insulator–superconductor transition (for a review, see ref. 3). Consequently, this session focuses on the general properties of quantum phase transitions, the evidence for the new conducting state in a 2D electron gas, and the range of phenomena that can occur in insulator–superconductor transitions. Unlike classical phase transitions, such as the melting of ice, all quantum phase transitions occur at the absolute zero of temperature. Although initially surprising, this state of affairs is expected, as quantum mechanics is explicitly a zero-temperature theory of matter. As such, quantum phase transitions are not controlled by changing system parameters such as the temperature as in the melting of ice, but rather by changing some external parameter such as the number of defects or the magnitude of …
Fuzzy optical metrology

When operating in the real world, the conventional fuzzy approach is to extract crisp data then fuzzify it. This paper explores the concept of measuring fuzzy set memberships directly and obtaining the underlying crisp values by defuzzification. Both speed and accuracy advantages of fuzzy over conventional, crisp metrology are noted.
Passive antibody administration (immediate immunity) as a specific defense against biological weapons.

The potential threat of biological warfare with a specific agent is proportional to the susceptibility of the population to that agent. Preventing disease after exposure to a biological agent is partially a function of the immunity of the exposed individual. The only available countermeasure that can provide immediate immunity against a biological agent is passive antibody. Unlike vaccines, which require time to induce protective immunity and depend on the host’s ability to mount an immune response, passive antibody can theoretically confer protection regardless of the immune status of the host. Passive antibody therapy has substantial advantages over antimicrobial agents and other measures for postexposure prophylaxis, including low toxicity and high specific activity. Specific antibodies are active against the major agents of bioterrorism, including anthrax, smallpox, botulinum toxin, tularemia, and plague. This article proposes a biological defense initiative based on developing, producing, and stockpiling specific antibody reagents that can be used to protect the population against biological warfare threats.
Predicting disk I/O time of HPC applications on flash drives

As the gap between the speed of computing elements and the disk subsystem widens it becomes increasingly important to understand and model disk I/O. While the speed of computational resources continues to grow, potentially scaling to multiple peta flops and millions of cores, the growth in the performance of I/O systems lags well behind. In this context, data-intensive applications that run on current and future systems depend on the ability of the I/O system to move data to the distributed memories. As a result, the I/O system becomes a bottleneck for application performance. Additionally, due to the higher risk of component failure that results from larger scales, the frequency of application checkpointing is expected to grow and put an additional burden on the disk I/O system [1]. Emergence of new technologies such as flash-based Solid State Drives (SSDs) presents an opportunity to narrow the gap between speed of computing and I/O systems. With this in mind, SDSC's PMAC lab is investigating the use of flash drives in a new prototype system called DASH [8, 9, 13]. In this paper we apply and extend a modeling methodology developed for spinning disk and use it to model disk I/O time on DASH. We studied two data-intensive applications, MADbench2 [6] and an application for geological imaging [5]. Our results show that the prediction errors for total I/O time are 14.79% for MADbench2 and our efforts for geological imaging yield error of 9% for one category of read calls; this application made a total of 3 categories of read/write. We are still investigating the geological application, and in this paper we present our results thus far for both applications.
Confidence on approximate query in large datasets

The evolution of the World Wide Web has brought us enormous amounts of information for business and research use. Design and implementation of an automated system for Web data mining has become important for companies wishing to utilize useful information from the Web. We attempt to describe confidence on approximate queries on large datasets, which is done in the context of an automated system for Web data mining. The system has been designed to identify, extract, filter, and analyze data from Web resources. An approach to evaluating the quality of extracted Web data is also discussed. This is an exploratory study of Web data retrieval and Web data analysis.
An efficient solution method for Markov models of ATM links with loss priorities

Algorithms for solving for the cell loss rates in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network using cell loss priorities are presented. With the loss priority scheme, cells of low-priority classes are accepted only if the instantaneous buffer queue length at the cell arrival epoch is below a given threshold. The input is modeled by Markov-modulated Bernoulli processes. The effect of the loss priority scheme on data, voice, and video traffic is investigated. >
Electrical Changes in Pre- and Postsynaptic Axons of the Giant Synapse of Loligo

Potential changes both in pre- and postsynaptic axons were recorded from the giant synapse of squid with intracellular electrodes. Synaptic current was also recorded by a voltage clamp method. Facilitation of postsynaptic potential caused by applying two stimuli several milliseconds apart was accompanied by an increase in the amplitude of the presynaptic action potential. Depression of the postsynaptic potential occurred without changes in the presynaptic action potential. Increase in the concentration of Ca in sea water caused an increase in amplitude of the synaptic current. On the other hand increase in Mg concentration decreased the amplitude of the synaptic current. In these cases no appreciable change in the presynaptic action potential was observed. Extracellularly recorded potential changes of the presynaptic axon showed mainly a positive deflexion at the synaptic region and a negative deflexion in the more proximal part of the presynaptic axon. Mechanism of synaptic transmission is discussed.
A co-evolution model of competitive mobile platforms: technoeconomic perspective

A model depicting competitive technoeconomics of business structures specific to mobile-platforms is developed. The underlying co-evolution of large, competing enterprises of mobile-platforms that face customer-churning due to application-preferences and pricing structures in the deregulated ambient is viewed in the perspectives of nonlinear logistic systems akin to that of biological ecosystems. Relevant considerations are decided by and embodied with several stochastically-interacting subsystems. Hence, the temporal dynamics of competition/co-evolution of known competitors in the mobile-platform market, like Android, Symbian and iPhone is depicted by a novel model posing dichotomy of prey-predator flip-flops in the market; and, an asymptotic projection of ex post computations of underlying technoeconomics into the ex ante region would correspond to futuristic forecasts on the performance of test platforms. Further, computed results are exemplified with a sample calculation and associated sensitivity details.
The Influence of Natural and Added Catalysts in the Gasification of Wood Chars

Gasification of wood or other forms of biomass to produce low-B.t.u. gas or synthesis gas provides many opportunities for use of low-value biomass materials, but the unique character of wood and biomass requires that chemical processes be developed which are specifically suited to these materials. A key element in such conversion processes lies in achieving efficient, economical catalysis of gasification. Gasification catalysts can include the indigenous inorganic species in wood, or added inorganic species. The catalytic effects of the primary inorganic components of a hardwood species, black cottonwood, have been determined by removing the natural inorganic species by mild acid washing, and then introducing individual metal ions by ion exchange on carboxyl groups of the hemicelluloses. This treatment provides levels of addition similar to the natural concentrations of metal ions in wood without complications of anion effects which occur when salts are added to wood. Catalytic species which are not naturally present in wood, but which are known to be effective catalysts of carbon gasification reactions in general, e.g. cobalt, have been added to wood in the same way with a dramatic reduction in the temperature required for gasification. The results of gasification experiments carried out on chars (HTT 400–1000°C) prepared from wood treated in this way will be discussed, with emphasis on improving the efficiency of wood gasification.
Isolation and characterization of a hemocyte aggregation inhibitor from hemolymph of Manduca sexta larvae

A protein that inhibits hemocyte aggregation has been isolated from hemolymph of Manduca sexta larvae and named hemocyte aggregation inhibitor protein (HAIP). HAIP has a M(r) = 50,000, pI = 8.5, and contains 7% carbohydrate. It is present at 230 +/- 20 micrograms/ml in hemolymph of day 3 fifth instar larvae. Antibodies to HAIP do not cross-react with M. sexta hemolin, which is similar in size and charge and also inhibits hemocyte aggregation. HAIP and hemolin have some similarity in amino acid composition and NH2-terminal sequence, but are different in overall secondary structure, as determined by CD spectroscopy. The concentration of HAIP in hemolymph is not affected by injection of larvae with bacteria. A protein of approximately 50,000 daltons that reacts with antibody to M. sexta HAIP is present in hemolymph of Bombyx mori, Heliothis zea, and Galleria mellonella. Although the function of HAIP in vivo is not yet clear, it may have a role in modulating adhesion of hemocytes during defensive responses.
Experiences of nurse leaders surviving Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans, Louisiana, USA destroyed by its impact on 29 August 2005. Working during a hurricane was nothing new to these authors. Having lived in New Orleans all our lives, we were used to preparing our homes and our families to weather the storm. Nurses are in leadership positions before, during, and after any disaster. Nurses are called upon to report to duty, leaving their loved ones to care for themselves while the nurses care for the sick and frail in unbelievably difficult situations. The purpose of this article is to share our experiences as nurse survivors during Hurricane Katrina, reflecting on 10 major aspects of disaster planning from the perspective of the "Then" (during the storm) and the "Now" (current recommendations).
Field evaluation of the hydromechanical behavior of flat-lying fractures during slug tests

Summary Slug tests were conducted at depths of 20–50 m in a fractured gneiss and axial displacements were measured along the borehole with a portable extensometer in order to evaluate the feasibility of combining pressure and displacement measurements to improve the characterization of fractured rock. Displacements on the order of microns occurred during slug tests when maximum head changes were on the order of meters. Maximum displacement lagged behind the maximum head, and the signals at a given location were repeatable to within reasonable tolerances. Tests were conducted at 12 packed-off depth intervals in a borehole and the signals from each interval were distinctly different from those at other depths. Parameter estimation techniques were used with a hydromechanical model to interpret the field results, and the findings show that there are three transmissive zones in the borehole and the compliance of the fractures generally decreases with depth. The inversion also highlights the importance of considering heterogeneities in the vicinity of the well bore when interpreting hydromechanical tests. Zones of leakage and blockage in the fractures were predicted in the vicinity of the well bore, and their presence had a significant effect on the displacement signals.
Input and Output

Input/output is carried out with streams, except with GUIs. A stream is a sequence of bytes; the direction of the flow of data determines whether it is an input or an output streamÂ—either incoming from a source or directed toward a destination. Input and output files are associated with I/O streams. The various class packages allow the programmer to open, process, and close files.
Solvability condition and its application to fast numerical solution of overposed inverse problems in compressible flows

In this paper we derive some results that give the existence of solutions (restricted by a compatibility condition) to overposed inverse design problems in a satisfactory manner. An overposed inverse design problem is concerned with generating a profile which will have a specified speed distribution q;(s) at a given free stream Mach number M”, This is equivalent to specifying pressure distribution. This problem has been of interest in aeronautical engineering. The overposedness of this problem is due to the specification of M >-, An important issue has been the relation between q;(s) and M >. We derive this relation. A very useful approximation to this relation is established through numerical experiments which is exact for a11 practical purposes. We show the importance of this result in solving the overposed problem in an efficient manner.
Protecting Jobs in the Age of Globalization: Examining the Relative Salience of Social Welfare and Industrial Subsidies in OECD Countries

The relationship between economic openness and welfare policies has become increasingly important to policy makers. While scholars have tended to examine conditions under which budgets for social welfare programs ebb and flow along with countries’ exposure to trade, they have overlooked how governments may compensate domestic labor by subsidizing their employers. To explicitly address the issue of instrument choice, we examine the relative salience of social welfare expenditures to industrial subsidies in a panel of 16 OECD countries from 1980 to 1995. Our results suggest that the relative budgetary salience of social welfare to industrial subsidies is influenced by the interplay between governmental partisan gravity and changes in imports. Unlike Right governments, Left governments tend to favor indirect compensation via industrial subsidies in the wake of negative, zero or moderate increases in imports. Faced with sharp increases in imports, Left governments switch their preferences to compensating workers via more direct and visible policies, namely social welfare. Polanyi’s war-time masterpiece, The Great Transformation (Polanyi 1944), inspired scholars to focus on the interplay between international market forces and domestic ‘‘countermovements,’’ among which welfare policies to compensate those disadvantaged by globalization are most prominent. Ruggie (1982) attributed domestic support in industrialized countries for the postwar expansion in international trade to the institutionalization of social welfare policies that compensated actors hurt by imports. Lately, scholars have debated whether such ‘‘embedded liberalism’’ will survive globalization. Indeed, the study of the compensation hypothesis (Cameron 1978; Katzenstein 1985) has become an important item in the convergence‐divergence debate, and an established literature examines conditions under which various types of globalization, mediated by domestic politics, affect social welfare
Modeling uncertainty in RC timing analysis

A method is presented for modeling the effects of uncertainty in RC analysis. Representing uncertain parameters as intervals, interval algebra was used to create a rigorous framework for manipulating these uncertain values. The authors then modified an existing RC analysis algorithm (Crystal's PR-slope model) to illustrate their approach. Although Crystal was chosen for the experiments, the same techniques may be applied to other timing analysis algorithms. Compared to Monte Carlo simulation, the interval algorithm is much more efficient, operating several thousand times faster for the same quality results. For stages with few transistors, the accuracy of both methods is similar: both come within 10% of the true values. >
Translocation of MRE11 from the Nucleus to the Cytoplasm as a Mechanism of Radiosensitization by Heat1

Abstract Zhu, W-G., Seno, J. D., Beck, B. D. and Dynlacht, J. R. Translocation of MRE11 from the Nucleus to the Cytoplasm as a Mechanism of Radiosensitization by Heat. Radiat. Res. 156, 95–102 (2001). Hyperthermia sensitizes mammalian cells to ionizing radiation, presumably by inhibiting the repair of radiation-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, the mechanism by which heat inhibits DSB repair is unclear. The nuclear protein MRE11 is a component of a multi-protein complex involved in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) of radiation-induced DSBs. Using one-dimensional sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, we found that MRE11 is translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm when human U-1 melanoma or HeLa cells are heated for 15 min at 45.5°C or when cells are heated after irradiation with 12 Gy of X rays. No such translocation is observed in unheated irradiated cells. The kinetics of migration of MRE11 to the cytoplasm was dependent upon whether the heated c...
In Silico Sequence Analysis, Structure Prediction and Function Annotation of Melanocortin 1 Receptor Gene (MC1R) from the Guppy Poecilia reticulata

The common guppy, Poecilia reticulata is one of the most popular aquarium fish used as a model organism in toxicology, embryology and genetical studies. Vibrant colors in males are a secondary sexual character which attracts the females for mating. Pigmentation in guppy is found to be linked with melanin synthesis. Melanocortin genes are involved in the synthesis of melanin pigments. Alteration in Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) genes results in polymorphism. Analysis of the MC1R gene of Poecilia reticulata revealed a 966 bp open reading frame encoding 322 amino acids. The deduced MC1R protein sequence was predicted to possess three domains: 7TM GPCR (7 transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor) chemoreceptor Srsx at the N-terminal, 7 TM receptor and the G-protein-coupled chemokine receptor like protein domain at the C-terminal. Predicted mutations in the MC1R protein sequence shows Indel (Insertion and deletion) and block mutations. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MC1R of Poecilia reticulata and other fish species were separated from other vertebrates. The 3D structure of the 54-105 region of MC1R protein predicted for the first time comprised of two helices namely α1 and α2 from amino acid residues 59-69 and 86-97 respectively. The extracellular region is composed of two loops from amino acid residues 54-58 at the N-terminal and 88-105 at C-terminal. The intracellular region of the receptor contains a beta turn from the amino acid residues 71-73 which connects the α1 and α2 helices by means of a loop. Docking of α-MSH, ligand (Ca2+ ions and Cholesterol) interactions and the presence of CRAC domain (Cholesterol Recognition Amino acid Consensus sequence) within the TM region of receptor further reiterates the predicted structure has a definite functional role in pigmentation.
Performance comparison slowly changing dimensions using model relational and object-relational

Data warehouses are designed with a multidimensional structure based on fact and dimension tables, oriented towards indicator systems that inform decision making. The most frequent loads associated to this kind of system are performed on the fact table, assuming that all dimensions are common or time-independent, which can lead to serious consequences in terms of the integrity and completeness of the obtained information. A number of proposals have been made on how to update the dimension table, calling this process Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCD), focused on relational data design. This article focuses on proposing strategies to improve the response time from queries associated to a data warehouse design for dimension tables than change, comparing SCD designs in relational and object-relational databases. Finally, a case is presented that allows to compare the performance from both designs.
Aerodynamics of Pitching Wings: Theory and Experiments

The unsteady aerodynamics of pitching wings at high reduced pitch rate is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Simple potential flow analysis is used to compute lift, drag and pitching moment, and compared to experimental measurements. The wing motion is a linear pitch ramp between 0 and 45 degrees with smoothing at the start and end of the motion. Recent experimental results are reported for several reduced pitch rates in the range K = 0.06 and 0.39 which corresponds to pitch times of 1 and 6 convective times, respectively, and for several wing planform geometries, pivot locations and Reynolds numbers. It is shown that the lift during the motion is in agreement with linear potential flow theory including rotation rate and finite span effects. The theoretical predictions significantly underestimates drag coefficients in the measurement. At high rotation rates the wing planform shape significantly impacts aerodynamic force for leading edge pivot with a triangular wing producing 25% more transient lift than trapezoidal and rectangular wings. The effect of Reynolds number and smoothing kinematics are investigated experimentally. At high reduced pitch rates a longer smoothing transient produces larger transient lift coefficients.
Hyperplasia in multiple smooth muscle tissues in transgenic mice expressing a temperature-sensitive SV40 T-antigen under the control of smooth muscle alpha-actin regulatory sequences

Control of smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is of fundamental importance in the development and pathology of the vasculature. To derive vascular SMC with conditional inactivation of negative cell cycle regulatory proteins in the context of smooth muscle protein expression, a 3.4 kb fragment of the mouse SMC alpha-actin promoter was used to target a temperature-sensitive mutant SV40 T antigen (tsA58) to smooth muscle in transgenic mice. Mice with this genotype display a heritable phenotype of abnormal SMC proliferation in the central tail artery, vasa deferentia, seminal vesicles, prostate, and uterus, with the latter resembling uterine leiomyomatosis and prostatic hypertrophy. Neither the aorta nor other viscera manifested abnormal proliferation. Cultures from aorta, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, and kidney tissue were characterized with regard to protein expression, stability, and matrix remodelling capacity. The alpha-actin content/cell was up to 3-4-fold higher, as well as more stable than in primary SMC cultures, suggesting successful selection for propagation of cells expressing this differentiation marker. All cells displayed enhanced growth at the permissive temperature. As an initial functional assessment, the cells were compared to non-transformed mouse aortic SMC with respect to the ability to remodel collagen gel matrices, and demonstrated conservation of this physiologic function. This in vivo analysis of the SMC alpha-actin promoter supports a broader range of smooth muscle-directed expression activity than previously recognized, and establishes the feasibility of its use to direct transgene expression to vascular as well as genito-urinary smooth muscle. The targeted expression of the tsA58 T antigen has yielded transgenic animals with several manifestations of smooth muscle hyperplasia; these animals have in turn permitted the derivation of several murine SMC lines with phenotypic stability and conditionally-modulated proliferation. These cells will allow expansion of derivative transfected smooth muscle cell lines under permissive conditions, as well as oncogene inactivation at the restrictive temperature when desired for functional studies.