cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nevogenesis: A Benign Metastatic Process?: An Update

Cutaneous nevogenesis is largely considered a localized event that occurs exclusively in the dermis and/or epidermis. However, the presence of circulating nevocytes suggests that other, more systemic, benign metastatic processes could also contribute to nevogenesis. The theoretical role of lymphatic and hematogenous dissemination of loosely adherent, immature nevus progenitor cells in the development of nodal nevi and eruptive melanocytic nevi will be reviewed.
Forest floor lichen and bryophyte communities in thinned Pseudotsuga menziesii - Tsuga heterophylla forests

Abstract While a great deal of research has illustrated the importance of late-successional forests for maintaining biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest of North America, over 76% of the forests in the region are less than 100 years old. To preserve landscape-level biodiversity, forest managers are increasingly interested in how young stands can be manipulated to favor late-successional species. We sought to understand how stand-level gradients in canopy structure, particularly those affected by thinning, relate to dominant forest floor bryophyte and lichen species composition and abundance. We sampled forest floor lichen and bryophytes ten years after alternative thinning treatments at two sites in western Oregon. Relationships of forest floor communities to canopy structure were site-specific. At the first site, moss and lichen abundance had small-scale geographic patterns and mosses were negatively associated with epiphytic cyanolichen species richness, however, we found no strong associations between...
The treatment of self-efficacy among psychology and management scholars

Self-efficacy has become a significant topic of investigation in both the psychological and organizational literatures. While psychology scholars typically insist efficacy beliefs should be treated as being domain specific, management scholars regularly treat efficacy beliefs as being generalized. The current study examines the relationships between generalized self-efficacy, domain-specific (i.e., work) self-efficacy, and two work-related outcome variables: leader–member exchange and learning. It was hypothesized that work self-efficacy beliefs would fully mediate the relationships that may exist between generalized self-efficacy beliefs and the work-related outcomes under investigation. Data was obtained from state government employees (n = 133) located in the Southeastern United States, and structural equation modeling supported this hypothesis. Practical and research implications are discussed.
Molecular epidemiology of enzootic rabies in California.

Abstract Background: Molecular characterization of rabies virus has been used to trace spillover transmission from reservoir species to non-reservoir animals and humans (molecular epidemiology), and to monitor emergence of specific strains of the virus into new species and geographic areas (molecular surveillance). Objectives: To characterize the enzootic strains of rabies virus in California wildlife for epidemiological investigation of transmission to non-reservoir animals and humans. Study design: Molecular characterization was performed on rabies strains from 213 bats, 276 terrestrial animals and one human case, by RT-PCR amplification of the viral nucleocapsid (N) gene followed by Dde I digestion and restriction endonuclease analysis (REA). Brain material from 88 terrestrial animals and 74 bats was stained with a panel of 20 monoclonal antibodies (MABs) directed against the N protein. In order to characterize rabies from very small quantities of brain tissue a nested RT-PCR was developed and evaluated for sensitivity of rabies detection. Results and Conclusions: Enzootic terrestrial rabies in California is confined to the Central Valley, the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, and the Central and Northern Pacific Coast Ranges. No terrestrial reservoirs were identified south of the Tehachapi Mountains or east of the Sierra Nevada. Bat strains accounted for rabies in terrestrial animals in these regions. Among terrestrial rabies strains REA identified ten genotypes that segregated geographically and were associated with skunk and fox populations from distinct locations. Co-circulation of three genotypes occurred in Placer County, which had the highest incidence of rabies in skunks. In regions with terrestrial enzootic rabies, the strain from that region accounted for 73% of spillover cases. Bat strains accounted for the remaining 27%. Among terrestrial animals MABs identified three predominant patterns. In rabies strains from bats REA identified ten major and two minor patterns primarily associated with genus and species of bat. Sharing of strains between species was observed. An additional sixteen unclassified REA bat patterns were observed in only one or two individuals of various species. MABs identified four major patterns in bats associated with genus and species of bat with considerable variability. The bat strains most frequently detected in spillover cases throughout California were from the California myotis ( Myotis californicus ) and Mexican free-tailed bat ( Tadarida brasiliensis ). Nested RT-PCR increased the detection level of rabies virus 100 000-fold, to 0.03 TCID 50
Chromosomes of the African ground squirrel, Xerus rutilus (Rodentia: Sciuridae).

Хромосомы аФриканских земдяной бедки,Xerus rutilus, не отдичаются от тонкоцадого цуцдикаSpermophilopsis, из средной Азии. Ка→иотип содержит 6 мэтаценических, 20 субме↦ацентрических, и 2 акроцентрических аутосом с хорошо выраженными снутниками Х-хромосома-метацентрик; У-хромосомаочень маленькая. Хромосомньй сходство оказывает поддержку Гержку Гля включенияSpermophilopsis В трибуХегini.
Closure models for rotating two-dimensional turbulence

Abstract The effect of rigid body rotations on the structure of turbulence correlations for incompressible two-dimensional turbulent flow is examined. It is proven that the usual turbulence correlations that are constructed from the fluctuating velocity are invariant under rigid body rotations of the fluid while those that are constructed from the fluctuating pressure are not. An explicit transformation rule for rigid body rotations is developed for an important class of turbulence correlations that are built up from the fluctuating pressure. It is shown how these results can serve as a powerful tool in the development of turbulent closure models that are suitable for the study of atmospheric turbulence in the stratosphere.
Weak and very weak Bernoulli partitions

The definitions of weak and very weak Bernoulli are reformulated to allow conditioning with respect to the entire past. For skew products which are measurable with respect to an independent generator of the base this reformulation allows one to state simple necessary and sufficient conditions for weak and very weak Bernoulli. We use these ideas to give a simple example of a partition which is very weak but not weak Bernoulli.
The 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C receptor antagonists WAY-100635 and ritanserin do not attenuate D-fenfluramine-induced fos expression in the brain.

D-Fenfluramine is a serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) releaser and reuptake inhibitor. It is used to study the neurochemical control of feeding and has been used to treat obesity. It has also been employed as a pharmacological tool to study changes in serotonergic function in psychiatric patients. Brain sites activated by D-fenfluramine via the release of 5-HT have been mapped via the expression of the immediate early gene c-fos. Studies in our laboratory have indicated that D-fenfluramine induces Fos in the hypothalamus and cortex through 5-HT release. The present study investigated whether 5-HT released by D-fenfluramine induces Fos expression in the brain by activating 5-HT1A or 5-HT2A/2C receptors. Rats were pretreated either with WAY-100635, a 5-HT1A antagonist, or ritanserin, a 5-HT2A/2C antagonist, prior to d-fenfluramine injection. Blockade of either 5-HT1A or 5-HT2A/2C receptors was not sufficient to suppress the Fos response to D-fenfluramine in any region of the brain examined, including the cingulate cortex, frontal cortex, caudate-putamen, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, amygdala, and brainstem. These results indicate that Fos response elicited by D-fenfluramine may be mediated by other receptors, in addition to the 5-HT1A or 5-HT2A/2C receptors.
The need to balance innovation and implementation in broadening participation

Seeking to improve the process for writing and reviewing proposals for new educational programs.
A new topology of the HK97-like fold revealed in Bordetella bacteriophage by cryoEM at 3.5 Å resolution

Bacteriophage BPP-1 infects and kills Bordetella species that cause whooping cough. Its diversity-generating retroelement (DGR) provides a naturally occurring phage-display system, but engineering efforts are hampered without atomic structures. Here, we report a cryo electron microscopy structure of the BPP-1 head at 3.5 A resolution. Our atomic model shows two of the three protein folds representing major viral lineages: jellyroll for its cement protein (CP) and HK97-like (‘Johnson’) for its major capsid protein (MCP). Strikingly, the fold topology of MCP is permuted non-circularly from the Johnson fold topology previously seen in viral and cellular proteins. We illustrate that the new topology is likely the only feasible alternative of the old topology. β-sheet augmentation and electrostatic interactions contribute to the formation of non-covalent chainmail in BPP-1, unlike covalent inter-protein linkages of the HK97 chainmail. Despite these complex interactions, the termini of both CP and MCP are ideally positioned for DGR-based phage-display engineering. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01299.001
Predicting the Filial Behaviors of Chinese-Malaysian Adolescents from Perceived Parental Investments, Filial Emotions, and Parental Warmth and Support.

Abstract The present study examined the mediating role of perceived parental warmth and support in predicting Chinese Malaysian adolescents’ filial behaviors from their age, perceived parental investments, and positive filial emotions toward their parents. The effects of these predictors were examined separately for mothers and fathers. Participants included 122 Chinese adolescents (M = 13.14 years; SD = 2.22) in Malaysia. Adolescents’ perceived parental investments, filial emotions, and warmth and support from each parent were positively, and age was negatively associated with their filial behaviors. No gender differences were found. Perceived maternal warmth and support significantly mediated the effect of age, perceived investments from, and filial emotions toward mothers on adolescents’ filial behaviors, but perceived paternal warmth and support did not have a mediating role. The present study sheds light on the unique maternal versus paternal filial role, and important familial processes in Chinese-Malaysian children and adolescents from a cultural perspective.
The effect of cholesterol feeding on the metabolism of rabbit cerebral microvessels.

Abstract The metabolic activity and morphology of intracerebral microvessels obtained from normal and cholesterol-fed rabbits were studied and the results compared with those of aortic tissue obtained from the same animal. The rate of conversion of glucose to CO 2 and lactic acid was similar with both 1- 14 C- and 6- 14 C-labeled glucose in both the microvessels and aortic segments although a relatively greater metabolism to lactic acid was present in the aorta. Cholesterol feeding did not produce any changes in glucose metabolism or in the ultrastructure of microvessels despite marked hyperlipidemia. In contrast, marked metabolic changes in aortic tissue were observed including: a two- to threefold increase in the production of 14 CO 2 and lactic acid from labeled glucose; and a 20-fold increase both in cholesterol content and incorporation of [1- 14 C]oleate into cholesteryl ester. The results clearly indicate the contrasting metabolic activity and response to cholesterol feeding between cerebral microvessels and arterial tissue.
Isothermal titration calorimetry at very low c.

Abstract In the study of 1:1 binding, M + X ⇄ MX, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) can be used successfully at values of c = K[M]0 well below the value 1.0 that is often considered its lower limit. However, analysis of low-c ITC data may require freezing the stoichiometry parameter n, and that is thought to be prohibitive for biological systems, where n can be poorly known. Here it is noted that the least-squares estimates of the binding constant K are virtually independent of errors in n at low c, permitting reliable determination of K and, from its temperature dependence, ΔH° and n, down to c = 10−4 or lower, ligand solubility permitting.
A simplified second-order solution for a spiral wave maker

A second-order solution for the spiral wave field produced by a rotating circular cylinder in a basin of constant depth is presented. The analysis is limited to cases in which the wave amplitude is small compared with the wave maker radius, which is in turn small compared to the wavelength. Under these circumstances, we show by an order-of magnitude argument that one may consistently simplify the second-order analysis by neglecting the quadratic terms in the free surface boundary conditions while retaining the leading terms in the wave maker boundary condition. The resulting solution indicates the presence of free secondary waves which do not propagate at the same speed or in the same direction as the first-order waves. Laboratory measurements are presented which demonstrate the ability of the solution to reproduce measurements of the surface displacement with reasonable accuracy. At large distances from the wave maker, the free waves completely dominate the second-order waves forced by the nonlinear terms in the free surface boundary conditions. Consequently, a cylindrical spiral wave maker does not simulate correctly the second-order component of regular plane waves.
One-Vessel synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles prepared in non-polar solvent

This paper presents a simple, reliable, and efficient method to produce a stable suspension of monodisperse maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles that are highly crystalline and 3 nm to 3.5 nm in diameter. Particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction to determine the crystal phase of the particles and transmission electron microscopy with images used to size the particles. Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized through the thermal decomposition of an organic mixture of iron(II) acetate, oleic acid, and 1-octadecene, with particular emphasis on the molar ratio of oleic acid to iron content. These unique conditions produce nanoparticles with physical properties ideal for application as an automotive combustion catalyst in diesel engines and numerous other applications. The one-vessel synthesis method creates an efficient procedure to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles readily miscible, as made, with Kensol-50H for example, or other petroleum products; producing a ready-made material for mass production with no waste in materials nor subsequent chemical work-up.
The Bank Failure Rate, Economic Conditions and Banking Statutes in the U.S., 1970–2009

Given the significance of bank failures for the economic health and stability of the U.S., it is imperative to have insights into factors that systematically influence bank failures, including major federal government banking statutes that are implemented. Accordingly, this exploratory study investigates factors influencing the bank failure rate in the U.S. over the period 1970 through 2009, with emphasis on two major banking statutes, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (FDICIA) and the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 (RNIBA). After allowing for a variety of economic and financial variables in the U.S. over the study period, the evidence strongly implies also that FDICIA acted to reduce bank failures whereas RNIBA (presumably by increasing competition and/or increasing costs through branch bank expansion) induced a net increase in bank failures in the U.S.
Managing Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Primary Care A Narrative Review and Treatment Recommendations

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are persistent physical symptoms in the absence of identifiable disease. MUS present a major challenge for primary care providers (PCPs) because complex symptom presentations, strained patient-physician relationships, and treatment-resistant symptoms can challenge a PCP’s sense of competency. This review is intended to help PCPs understand the burden and theoretical context of MUS and to provide concise recommendations for managing MUS within primary care settings. Based on a narrative review of the literature, these recommendations emphasize in particular the importance of co-creating plausible explanations for MUS, understanding the pitfalls of consultations involving MUS, and developing multimodal treatment plans.
Change in the thermionic emission current of palladium due to chemisorption of atomic and molecular hydrogen

Thermionic emission measurement for palladium filament exposed to molecular and atomic hydrogen beam - hydrogen chemisorption on palladium
Tohoku earthquake shook the ionosphere

[1] The giant 11 March 2011 magnitude 9 Tohoku earthquake not only shook the Earth and caused devastating tsunamis but also rattled the ionosphere, according to a new study. The surface seismic waves and tsunamis triggered waves in the atmosphere. These atmospheric waves propagated upward into the ionosphere, creating ripples in ionized gas nearly 350 kilometers above the Earth. Liu et al. measured these disturbances, called seismotraveling ionospheric disturbances (STID), using GPS receivers in Japan. The first disturbance appeared as a disk-shaped increase in electron density in the ionosphere about 7 minutes after the earthquake. Sequences of concentric waves of increased electron density then traveled from the STID center. Similar ionospheric disturbances have been observed following other earthquakes, but these were the largest ever seen, the authors report. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, doi:10.1029/2011JA016761, 2011)
Dynamic modeling of transient response of direct methanol fuel cell

Transient response is an important characteristic of a fuel cell system, which allows understanding of system ability to respond to a sudden change in the load. This paper introduces an electrochemical simulation model for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) to study the transient response and the load-following capability of the fuel cell. The model also accounts for undesired methanol crossover and overpotentials. Unlike proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), DMFC uses methanol as fuel hence overcoming the need of reformer. The model developed is initially tested with linearly increasing load to verify the steady state characteristic of the fuel cell. To study the transient response and the load-following capability of the fuel cell a step change and rapidly changing residential loads are used. The simulation results show smooth transient response and fast load-following capability of DMFC with rapidly varying load. All simulations are performed using MATLAB® and Simulink®.
Introduction to the Special Section on Replication and Data Access

Sociological research proceeds to a great degree on trust—trust that investigators have truthfully reported their analyses and trust that they have actually done those analyses correctly. The question is whether this trust is warranted. The answer is that for the most part we do not know. Except in the case where analyses are based on publicly available data sets, it may be difficult if not impossible to replicate what another researcher has done. Even then, without the code that produced the results, it may be difficult to know what the original research actually did. (I spent three months attempting to replicate some results in The Bell Curve, only to be told by Charles Murray that the book inaccurately described the analyses that had been done!) Furthermore, and this is only an impression, sociology journals appear to have little interest in publishing studies that primarily carry out replications or straightforward extensions of existing analyses. Reviewers who are sociologists are too apt to demand that any report must make a theoretical contribution. The contrast with economics, for example, where hundreds if not thousands of articles have been published that examine estimates of the returns to education, is striking. The articles in this issue address the question of access to data. The issue of whether there is too little interest by sociologists and/or sociology journals in publishing articles that primarily take up replications will have to be dealt with at another time. In the first article, Jeremy Freese lays out the argument for journals requiring authors to provide far greater access than they do now. He also addresses many of the past criticisms of this recommendation. In the second article, Gary King describes a relatively simple process by which authors can archive their data and code so that it is permanently available. The last two articles are comments by Glenn Firebaugh, a former editor of the American Sociological Review, and Andrew Abbott, the current editor of the American Journal of Sociology. These journals are generally regarded as the top two journals in the
Novel Weapons Testing: Are Invasive Plants More Chemically Defended than Native Plants?

Background Exotic species have been hypothesized to successfully invade new habitats by virtue of possessing novel biochemistry that repels native enemies. Despite the pivotal long-term consequences of invasion for native food-webs, to date there are no experimental studies examining directly whether exotic plants are any more or less biochemically deterrent than native plants to native herbivores.
Catching catalysis in the act: using single crystal kinetics to trap methylamine dehydrogenase reaction intermediates

Methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) is produced by a range of gram-negative methylotrophic and autotrophic bacteria, and allows the organisms to utilise methylamine as the sole source of carbon. The enzyme catalyses the oxidation of methylamine to formaldehyde and ammonia, leaving it in a two-electron reduced state. To complete the catalytic cycle, MADH is reoxidised via an electron transfer (ET) chain. The redox center in the enzyme is the organic cofactor tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) derived from the posttranslational modification of two Trp residues in the protein. This cofactor has spectral features in the visible region, which change during catalytic turnover, defining spectrally distinct reaction intermediates that reflect the electronic state of the TTQ. In the case of the Paracoccus denitrificans enzyme the physiologic ET chain involves the protein redox partner amicyanin (a blue copper protein). A stable binary (MADH/amicyanin) complex can be formed, and its crystal structure has been solved to 2.5 A resolution by Chen et al. [Biochemistry 21 (1992) 4959]. These crystals were shown to be competent for catalysis and ET by Merli et al. [J. Biol. Chem. 271 (1996) 9177] using single crystal polarised absorption spectroscopy. Through a novel combination of single crystal visible microspectrophotometry, X-ray crystallography and freeze-trapping, we have trapped reaction intermediates of the enzyme in complex with its physiological redox partner amicyanin in the crystalline state. We will present data confirming that catalysis and ET in the binary complex crystals can be tracked by single crystal visible microspectrophotometry. We will also show that the reaction pathway is unperturbed by the presence of cryoprotectant solution, enabling direct freeze-trapping of reaction intermediates within the crystal. We will present new data demonstrating that the binary complex crystals are also capable of exhibiting UV light-dependent oxidase activity, as observed in solution [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1364 (1998) 297].
Special domains and nonmanipulability

Abstract We investigate domains on which a nonmanipulable, nondictatorial social choice function exists, having at least three distinct values. We do not make the assumptions of Kalai and Muller (1977). We classify all such 2-person functions on the domain which is the cyclic group Z m . We show that for any domain containing Z m , existence for 2 voters and existence for some n > 2 voters are equivalent. We show that for an n -person, onto, nonmanipulable social choice function F on Z m , F ( P 1 , P 2 ,…, P n ) ∈ { x 1 , x 2 ,…, x n } always, x i being the most preferred alternative under preference P i . We show that no domain containing the dihedral group admits such a social choice function. We show that there exists a domain on which all k -tuples are free for arbitrarily large k , for which such a social choice function does exist.
Frame representation of physical systems for expert system use

Abstract An expert system for control system design has data representation needs not faced by other common expert systems. Directed energy flows, procedures to transform energy and information, and a recursive definition structure are necessary. The concept of frames is modified to form an extended frame definition. This provides important items such as slots for default/required information, procedures, nested frame definitions, and ports for directing the flow of energy or information. Relationships between the slots, procedures, and frames can be defined to indicate how they all interact and form a whole. Extended frames also support the concepts and constructs needed for use by an inference engine. Physical system information can then be represented in bond graph form and stored in the extended frames. Since the original structure information is retained by the bond graph, the inference engine can answer questions about the components of the system, such as what the components are and how they interact. This could not be done if the system were stored as a mathematical model only. A secondary benefit is that multiple sets of equations can be generated with each set tailored to the application at hand.
The “Steric blocking model”, the “six-state model”, and the ATPase activity of regulated actomyosin

There has been a great deal of interest in the regulation of muscle contraction. Prior biochemical studies have demonstrated that the binding of regulated actin to S-1-ATP is unchanged at low Ca2+, even though the ATPase activity of regulated actomyosin is inhibited under these conditions. Prior structural studies using X-ray diffraction techniques have suggested that the tropomyosin-troponin complex may move and inhibit the actomyosin interaction at low Ca2+ (i.e., steric blocking). In physiologic fiber experiments, "weak" binding crossbridges have been found to bind to the actin filament at low Ca2+, especially at low ionic strength, and other experiments have suggested that Pi release is not directly regulated by calcium. In biochemical studies in the absence of ATP, inhibition of the binding of strong binding states have been reported in both equilibrium and transient kinetic studies. The current work suggests that all of these observations can be explained in terms of a six-state model in which regulation affects one particular actomyosin state that contains both strongly bound ADP and Pi. This further implies that regulation affects both a kinetic transition as well as a weak binding constant.
Clinical study of noninvasive in vivo melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers using multimodal spectral diagnosis

The goal of this study was to determine the diagnostic capability of a multimodal spectral diagnosis (SD) for in vivo noninvasive disease diagnosis of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. We acquired reflectance, fluorescence, and Raman spectra from 137 lesions in 76 patients using custom-built optical fiber-based clinical systems. Biopsies of lesions were classified using standard histopathology as malignant melanoma (MM), nonmelanoma pigmented lesion (PL), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), actinic keratosis (AK), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Spectral data were analyzed using principal component analysis. Using multiple diagnostically relevant principal components, we built leave-one-out logistic regression classifiers. Classification results were compared with histopathology of the lesion. Sensitivity/specificity for classifying MM versus PL (12 versus 17 lesions) was 100%/100%, for SCC and BCC versus AK (57 versus 14 lesions) was 95%/71%, and for AK and SCC and BCC versus normal skin (71 versus 71 lesions) was 90%/85%. The best classification for nonmelanoma skin cancers required multiple modalities; however, the best melanoma classification occurred with Raman spectroscopy alone. The high diagnostic accuracy for classifying both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer lesions demonstrates the potential for SD as a clinical diagnostic device.
Cycles, cells and platters: an empirical analysisof hardware failures on a million consumer PCs

We present the first large-scale analysis of hardware failure rates on a million consumer PCs. We find that many failures are neither transient nor independent. Instead, a large portion of hardware induced failures are recurrent: a machine that crashes from a fault in hardware is up to two orders of magnitude more likely to crash a second time. For example, machines with at least 30 days of accumulated CPU time over an 8 month period had a 1 in 190 chance of crashing due to a CPU subsystem fault. Further, machines that crashed once had a probability of 1 in 3.3 of crashing a second time. Our study examines failures due to faults within the CPU, DRAM and disk subsystems. Our analysis spans desktops and laptops, CPU vendor, overclocking, underclocking, generic vs. brand name, and characteristics such as machine speed and calendar age. Among our many results, we find that CPU fault rates are correlated with the number of cycles executed, underclocked machines are significantly more reliable than machines running at their rated speed, and laptops are more reliable than desktops.
The Application of Extreme-Value Theory to Error-Free Cornrnunication

This article gives an application of Gumbel's extreme-value theory to the problem of the estimation of low error probabilities in certain types of communications receivers, for the purpose of rejecting receivers having unacceptably high error rates. The systems considered all involve threshold detectors in a binary system. Thus, the receiver calls a received symbol a “0” if and only if a certain detected voltage falls below a certain value; otherwise, the symbol is called a “1”. The maximum of a run of a large number of successive independent samples of voltage is taken, and these maxima have approximately a Gumbel distribution. A large number of these maxima themselves are taken, and the two parameters of the Gumbel distribution are thereby estimated using large sample theory. These two parameters in turn allow the estimation of error probability. The variance of the estimate is found, as well as a confidence interval. In addition, the savings to be obtained using the Gumbel method, as opposed to the sim...
Photopatterning in poly-L-lysine thin films using UV-enhanced hydrophilicity.

Abstract Deep UV lithography on poly- l -lysine thin films was used to generate microarrays with enhanced hydrophilicity. This was manifested as adsorption of ambient humidity from air by areas exposed to UV fluence around 5 J/cm 2 and was made visible by phase-contrast microscopy. Kinetics of adsorption was investigated by a novel technique involving fabrication of submicrometer hydrophilicity grating by two-beam UV interferometry. In an aqueous colloidal medium, gold and polystyrene microspheres preferentially attach to areas that are relatively less hydrophilic, i.e., those areas not exposed to UV light. This observation provides a method for fabricating micro- and nanoporous arrays with controlled porosity. The technique is demonstrated with microspheres of sizes between 250 nm and 10 μm.
K-complex detection using multi-layer perceptrons and recurrent networks

The feasibility of using a multi-layer perceptron and Elman's recurrent network for the detection of specific waveforms (K-complexes) in electroencephalograms (EEGs), regardless of their location in the signal segment, is explored. Experiments with simulated and actual EEG data were performed. In case of the perceptron, the input consisted of the magnitude and/or phase values obtained from 10-s signal intervals, whereas the recurrent net operated on the digitized data samples directly. It was found that both nets performed well on the simulated data, but not on the actual EEG data. The reasons for the failure of both nets are discussed.
Increasing Professional Productivity While Teaching Full Time: A Case Study in Self-Control

Record keeping and disclosure to significant others is effective in modifying professional behavior.
SU-E-T-574: Assessment of Target Motion in SBRT Lung Patients Using the Frame- Based Stereotactic Coordinates

Purpose: To assess target movement for SBRT patients receiving hypo‐ fractionated radiation for lung. Knowledge of the magnitude of these movements can determine optimal margins around the GTV. Methods: We use the Elekta stereotactic body frame (SBF) to deliver an average of four fractions to lesions of diameter less than 4 cm. The SBF is an effective immobilizer utilizing a vacuum bag that conforms to the body. A patient is set up reproducibly in the SBF using its laser pointers. Its fiducial marks are used to stereotactically localize the target. The SBF's stereotactic coordinates are then used to set up the target to isocenter. We obtain a verification CT prior to each fraction for localization of the target. To quantify target movement, we have recorded its deviation from its initial position based on the treatment planning CT. We have then averaged these deviations over the number of fractions to obtain a mean deviation and its standard deviation per patient for each of the three directions. Results: For 35 patients that have received SBRT for lung lesions, we have calculated the weighted mean, the error of the mean and the sample standard deviation for the three stereotactic coordinates, Lateral, AP and Longitudinal of the centroid of the GTV that was outlined by the same physician on each of the verification CT's. The means are: ×3.16 +/− 0.1, 1.27 +/− 0.09 and 0.66 +/− 0.31 mm. The sample standard deviations are: 4.33, 4.35 and 4.24 mm. Conclusions: Internal target motion is the main contributor to its positional uncertainty for our SBRT setup. Assuming a normal parent distribution of the deviations, a uniform margin of 1 cm will provide sufficient coverage of the target for 98% of the times. This is confirmed by the actual distribution of our sample.
A three-body scattering problem in the molecular mass limit

Abstract A three-body problem is studied that involves the scattering of a heavy particle from a bound state of a heavy and a light particle. For fairly large mass ratios we find many partial waves involved in the scattering with both elastic and inelastic resonances present. It is also found that virtually all of the breakup inelasticity is in the odd partial waves, if the heavy particles are identical bosons. The same problem is solved in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and it is found that the effective potential between the heavy particles develops an imaginary part in the odd partial waves and thus gives a quantitative account of the three-body results including the inelasticity. The linear combination of nuclear orbitais method is applied to the same problem and is found to be inadequate.
Rethinking Technology, Revitalizing Ethics: Overcoming Barriers to Ethical Design

This paper explores the role of ethics in design. Traditionally, ethical questions have been seen as marginal issues in the design of technology. Part of the reason for this stems from the widely held notion of technology being “out of control.” This notion is a barrier to what I call “ethical design” because it implies that ethics has no role to play in the development of technology. This view, however, is challenged by recent work in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Looking into the dynamics of technological change, STS scholars argue that human choices are present at every stage of a technology’s development and, furthermore, that human values are reflected in the very design of artifacts. This alternative view suggests that ethics can and should be included in the design process. Drawing on examples from the privacy arena. I point to some of the potential advantages of addressing ethical concerns early on in the design of a technology. I conclude with some general strategies for bringing ethics back into design.
Land‐Grant Policy and Engineering Education

The major elements of the study described are: (1) A brief historical background of the transcontinental‐railroad construction era; (2) a summary of arguments which appeared during debates over these railroads; (3) a comparison of two railroads that had opposite financial policies; (4) an assessment of the efficacy of the subsidy policies; and (5) an attempt to relate the experience of the transcontinental‐railroad case to the more general issue of governmental intervention in so‐called engineering projects. A variety of sources including historians, economists, philosophers, political scientists, and popular “literature” is cited. Many of these authors have expressed unfavorable opinions concerning the extent of subsidized railroad construction in the last half of the 19th century and the magnitude of government subsidies involved. A better understanding of long‐term effects of short‐term policy is urged. One justification for the present study is to bring this variety of materials to the attention of en...
SF6 as a Selective and Reactive Fluorinating Agent for Low-Valent Transition Metal Complexes#

SF6 has been found to react readily with vanadocene, yielding V(C5H5)2F, while reactions with decamethylchromocene can lead to a number of products, depending on conditions. Among the products can be included Cr(C5Me5)F2(dmap) (dmap = p-dimethylaminopyridine), Cr(C5Me5)2+[Cr2(C5Me5)2F5]-, and Cr8(C5Me5)6F18. Each of these reactions is likely to occur via the equivalent of an inner-sphere electron-transfer process. An even more rapid reaction was observed with the 19-electron Fe(C5H5)[1,3,5-C6H3(t-C4H9)3] complex, leading to various salts of the expected 18-electron cation. In these cases, the reactions are likely to be analogous to an outer-sphere electron transfer, presumably leading initially to a “naked” fluoride ion. Structural characterization of each of these species has been obtained through X-ray diffraction studies.
Pharmacologic inhibition of mast cell degranulation prevents left ventricular remodeling induced by chronic volume overload in rats.

Abstract Background Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and dilation are important compensatory responses to chronic volume overload; however, the mechanisms responsible for this LV remodeling have not been well characterized. Previous observations that the number of myocardial mast cells are increased in congestive heart failure (CHF) suggested the hypothesis that mast cells might be involved in the ventricular remodeling induced by a chronic volume overload. Methods and Results Accordingly, the intent of this study was to determine the contribution of mast cells to LV remodeling, dysfunction, and morbidity/mortality secondary to CHF in the infrarenal aortocaval fistula model of sustained volume overload. To this end, LV end-diastolic pressure, size, and function (ie, isovolumetric pressure-volume relations in the blood-perfused isolated heart) were assessed in both nedocromil sodium treated and untreated rats at 8 weeks after fistula and compared with age-matched controls. Nedocromil, a mast cell–stabilizing drug, effectively prevented the LV dilation and decreased contractility seen in the untreated fistula group in a dose-dependent fashion, resulting in a significant reduction in the incidence of morbidity/mortality from CHF. Conclusion The ability of mast cell stabilization to prevent ventricular dilation induced by chronic volume overload identifies a key role for mast cells in the regulation of myocardial remodeling.
Electron microscopic investigations of actomyosin as a function of ionic strength.

Natural actomyosin at µ = 0.6 appears in various forms, including the regular arrowhead structures originally reported by Huxley (1), when it has been stained negatively with 1% uranyl acetate. In addition to the arrowheads, thin whiskers, 700–1200 A in length and 20 A in width, attached to the arm of the arrowheads have been demonstrated. The dimensions of the whiskers and arms of the arrowheads are practically the same as those of the light meromyosin (LMM) and the heavy meromyosin (HMM) moieties of the single myosin molecule, respectively. Changes in the electron microscopically distinguishable elements during aggregation of natural actomyosin on reduction of the ionic strength have been observed. At µ = 0.4, partial aggregation of the LMM whiskers begins to result in some parallel alignment of the arrowhead-bearing filaments (acto-HMM). In the range of µ = 0.3–0.1, the LMM whiskers merge into smooth filaments which are arranged alternatingly with arrowhead-bearing filaments. Thus, lateral aggregation of composite actomyosin filaments (acto-HMM + LMM whiskers) results with the LMM moieties as links. This view is supported by the following facts: (a) acto-HMM is devoid of whiskers and does not show lateral aggregation at µ = 0.1; (b) natural actomyosin digested with trypsin at µ = 0.6, which was followed by removal of LMM aggregates at low ionic strength, is essentially the same as acto-HMM at µ = 0.1; and (c) digestion with trypsin of natural actomyosin at µ = 0.2 for varying periods of time leads to a separation of arrowhead-bearing filaments from LMM aggregates.
Factors affecting emergency department opioid administration to severely injured patients.

Objectives: Studies of emergency department (ED) pain management in patients with trauma have been mostly restricted to patients with fractures, yet the potential for undertreatment of more severely injured patients is great. The authors sought to identify factors associated with failure to receive ED opioid administration in patients with acute trauma who subsequently required hospitalization. Methods: At an urban Level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital, a retrospective cohort study of trauma team activation patients requiring hospitalization between January 1 and December 31, 1999, was conducted. The authors excluded patients receiving opioids only within ten minutes of chest tube insertion or fracture manipulation. The main outcome measure was ED opioid administration. Results: A total of 540 charts of hospitalized first-tier trauma team activation patients were reviewed. A total of 258 (47.8%) received intravenous opioid analgesia within three hours of ED arrival. The median time to receiving the first dose of opioids was 95 minutes. Patients were independently less likely to receive opioids if they were younger or older, were intubated, had a lower Revised Trauma Score, or did not require fracture manipulation. Patients with these factors were less likely to receive opioids independent of the amount of time they spent in the ED. Conclusions: Many trauma activation patients requiring hospitalization do not receive opioid analgesia in the ED. Patients at particular risk for oligoanalgesia include those who are younger or older and those who are more seriously injured, as defined by a lower Revised Trauma Score, lower Glasgow Coma Scale score, and intubation.
Die Friedel-Crafts-Reaktion von Isocyanaten mit Polystyrol

Es wurdenFriedel-Crafts-Reaktionen mit Phenylisocyanat in Gegenwart von AlCl3 an ataktischem und isotaktischem Polystyrol in Nitrobenzol durchgefuhrt, wobei Anilidsubstituenten in p-Stellung an die Phenylgruppen des Polystyrols treten. Es wurde ein Maximalsubstitutionsgrad von 0,5 erreicht. Es tritt auch sekundare Substitution an den Anilidsubstituenten ein, wodurch eine Art Seitenketten mit mittleren Langen von 1,5 bis 2,3 Anilidgruppen entstehen. Sekundare Substitution tritt nicht auf, wenn p-substituierte Phenylisocyanate verwendet werden. Grenzviskositatszahlen und Molekulargewichte (Lichtstreuung) einer Reihe charakteristischer polymerer Reaktionsprodukte wurden gemessen und diskutiert.
Sodium transport across the perfused midgut and hindgut of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus: The possible role of the gut in crustacean osmoregulation

Abstract 1. 1. The midgut of Callinectes sapidus was capable of net transmural sodium transport. The rate of absorption was comparable to that of isolated gut tissues of many other species. 2. 2. Net Na+ fluxes determined in crabs acclimated at 7%. and 34%. S were not significantly different, thus providing no evidence for a major role of the midgut in sodium balance. A reduction in passive Na+ permeability with reduced salinity, however, was suggested. 3. 3. There was no measurable net sodium transport across the hindgut of the animal.
Interaction of Acetic Anhydride with Di- and Tri-carboxylic Acids in Aqueous Solution

Earlier studies have shown that cyclic anhydrides, such as succinic, glutaric, etc., interact with citrate ions in aqueous solution to form what appears to be a citric anhydride species. These interactions have been assumed to be highly reversible through intermediate formation of a mixed anhydride. The present studies were concerned with a comparable system which was expected to be essentially irreversible. Spectrophotometric investigations have shown that acetic anhydride apparently reacts with citrate in aqueous solution to form a new species which undergoes rapid hydrolysis. The rate of the initial reaction and the rate of the subsequent step appear to depend on the citrate concentration and pH. Results of chroma-tographic studies on products obtained by reaction with aniline at different phases of the reaction are presented.
Mast Cells and Airway Inflammation in Asthma

A number of new observations have added to our understanding of mast cell biology and the relevance of this cell to the genesis of asthma. The purpose of this review has been to highlight this new information and to refer the reader to extensive reviews where previously documented and well-known data are available. Of particular current interest is the knowledge that mast cell growth and differentiation is regulated by a specific molecule, stem cell factor, which interacts with a receptor on the surface of the mast cell (a tyrosine kinase) and that mast cell phenotype may be modulated by exposure to stem cell factor as well as to a host of inflammatory cytokines. In addition to the ability to release vasoactive/spasmogenic mediators characterized by histamine, the slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (sulfidopeptide leukotrienes), platelet-activating factor, and adenosine, the mast cell can release a unique family of enzymes and generate a cassette of cytokines with critically important pro-inflammatory potential. The enzymes that are unique to the mast cell can potentiate a number of inflammatory events central to asthma, including fibroblast activation, mucus secretion, smooth muscle contraction, and neuropeptide degradation, while the cytokines may directly influence the influx, persistence, and activity of inflammatory cells, particularly eosinophilis and basophils, through the ability of the cytokines to modulate endothelial expression of leukocyte adhesion receptors and to prevent target cell apoptosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)