cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Decision Models in the Evaluation of Competing Environmental Health Alternatives

This paper discusses the problems faced by the Solid Waste Management Office formerly the Bureau of Solid Waste Management in evaluating competing environmental health alternatives, given a set of decision criteria. The concepts of scoring models are reviewed. Techniques for the implementation of a linear scoring model are critically examined; and a new method, termed DARE, is discussed as it is presently applied in this Office. The DARE method is a rational, orderly procedure that minimizes the number of decisions required of the decisionmaker.
Modulation of TNF-α mRNA production in rat C6 glioma cells by TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IFN-α: In vitro analysis of cytokine-cytokine interactions

Cytokines regulate the expression of other cytokines in the centrally derived rat C6 glioma cell line. However, the modulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, a pivotal proinflammatory cytokine) in C6 cells is unknown. Here we investigated the expression of TNF-α mRNA in C6 glioma cells in response to TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interferon-α (IFN-α). The data show that (1) IL-1β induced a significant upregulation of TNF-α mRNA; (2) the effect of IL-1β on TNF-α mRNA expression was completely blocked by the concomitant application of IL-1Ra, which suggests specificity of IL-1β action through the IL-1 signaling receptor; (3) no detectable modulation of TNF-α mRNA expression was observed with the individual applications of TNF-α, IL-6, or IFN-α; (4) the concomitant treatments of TNF-α + IL-1β or TNF-α + IL-1β + IL-6 strongly upregulated TNF-α mRNA expression, whereas the concomitant application of TNF-α + IL-6 or IL-1β + IL-6 induced a moderate increase; and (5) IFN-α significantly attenuated induction of TNF-α mRNA by TNF-α + IL-1β + IL-6. Thus, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 interact to upregulate TNF-α mRNA expression synergistically, and IFN-α acts as an inhibitory cytokine in C6 glioma cells. These findings also suggest that the rat C6 glioma cell line may be used as an in vitro model to characterize cytokine-cytokine interactions.
Visibility of rms slope variations on the sea surface.

A model relating viewing geometry, sky conditions, and statistical sea surface parameters is presented. The model is used to estimate the relative visibility of surface perturbations manifested by a variation in the rms surface slope. These estimates are presented for a variety of geometries in the solar plane assuming a clear sky and two different wind speeds (~ 2 and 7 m/s). The results of this analysis, applicable to a unidirectional radiometer with no temporal averaging, show the visibility of surface perturbations to be maximized by geometries with large gradients in the slope-to-luminance transfer function (within the glitter pattern or near the horizon). Detectability of these perturbations, as measured by the luminance SNR sensitivity to rms surface slope variations, is maximized by either large gradients, as for the visibility, or very small gradients in the slope-to-luminance transfer functions (90° away from the glitter pattern). It is shown that improvements in the estimated detectability can be obtained through spatial and temporal averaging. Two methods for quantitatively estimating these improvements are presented.
Hippurate synthesis and ammonia metabolism in isolated hepatocytes

Abstract The incorporation of benzoate into hippurate by isolated hepatocytes was limited by the availability of glycine. This limitation was unaffected by the addition of ammonia. When isolated hepatocytes were incubated in a solution containing urease, benzoate was completely ineffective in combating ammonia accumulation, while a mixture of α-keto analogues of several amino acids reduced ammonia accumulation by 50%. These findings do not support the use of benzoate to combat hyperammonemia, but they do support the current use of α-keto analogues of amino acids for that purpose.
A Radioimmunoassay for Measurement of Thyronine and Its Acetic Acid Analog in Urine

A sensitive and specific RIA has been developed to measure thyronine (To) in urine. The RIA used an anti-To antibody obtained from a rabbit immunized with a L-To-human serum albumin conjugate and [3H]To as the radioligand. The acetic acid analog of To (ToAc), that is the diphenyl structure with an acetic acid side-chain, cross-reacted strongly with the antibody. Relative to To, it cross-reacted 160% in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4, and 100% in 0.075 mol/L barbital buffer, pH 8.6, containing sodium salicylate (final concentration, 8 mg/mL). The latter conditions were employed for the RIA, and the results reported thus reflect the presence of To and/or ToAc. 3-Monoiodothyronine, 3'-monoiodothyronine, 3',5'-diiodothyronine, and 3,5-diiodothyronine cross-reacted with the anti-To antibody 1.9%, 1.7%, 0.3%, and 0.2%, respectively; the cross-reactivity of other To derivatives and tyrosine and its derivatives was less than 0.05%. Urinary To and/or ToAc excretion in 12 normal subjects averaged 16 +/- 2 (+/- SE) micrograms/day (59 +/- 9 nmol/day) or 14 +/- 2 micrograms/g creatinine (5.9 +/- 0.6 nmol/mmol creatinine). Treatment of urine from normal subjects with beta-glucuronidase or sulfatase did not significantly alter the To content. Column and thin layer chromatographic studies revealed that 83% and 61%, respectively (range, 37-100%), of urinary To immunoreactivity was attributable to ToAc. The mean daily excretion of To in 20 patients with nonthyroidal illness [NTI; 22 +/- 4 micrograms/day (82 +/- 17 nmol/day)] was similar to that in normal subjects, but was elevated when expressed as nanomoles per mmol creatinine (20 +/- 2; P less than 0.001), because creatinine excretion was reduced in the NTI patients. The mean daily urinary To excretion in 13 patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease was slightly elevated [29 +/- 6 micrograms/day (108 +/- 21 nmol/day); P less than 0.1], but was clearly elevated when expressed as nanomoles per mmol creatinine (37 +/- 8; P less than 0.001), again because creatinine excretion was reduced in these patients. The mean urinary To excretion was subnormal in 13 patients with hypothyroidism and was significantly (P less than 0.005) less than that in the NTI patients regardless of the manner in which the results were expressed. Analysis of pronase hydrolysates of thyroid glands obtained at autopsy from euthyroid patients suggested that the To content of the thyroid approximates only 1.2% that of T4, supporting the thesis that prior iodination of tyrosine is critical for the coupling process in the thyroid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Asymptotic behavior of viscous-fingering patterns in circular geometry

An examination of the scaling structure along with some extensive simulations on viscous fingering in circular geometry strongly suggest that the asymptotic patterns are compact. Experiments and simulations are in a transient regime that may exhibit a reasonable range where apparent fractal growth may be found. Arguments to connect the case of viscous fingering with that of vanishing surface tension are made.
Summary of the magnetic confinement theory and modelling

Summary of the papers presented at the 21st IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (Chengdu, October 2006) and devoted to magnetic confinement theory and modelling.
Complete remission in two cases of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma treated with hyper-CVAD: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Background Acute T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a post thymic (peripheral) T-cell neoplasm caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Historically, the chemotherapy regimen CHOP (cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone) has been the standard treatment of this rare malignancy. However, its prognosis is poor and median survival in the aggressive variants of ATLL is only 6-10 months. Recently, a more aggressive regimen piloted in Japan, vincristine/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/prednisone (VCAP)- doxorubicin/ranimustine/prednisone (AMP)- vindesine/etoposide/carboplatin/prednisone (VECP), has been reported to yield better survival results over biweekly CHOP in a phase III trial. However, the hyper- cyclophosphamide/vincristine/doxorubicin/dexamethasone (CVAD) regimen is a much more frequently used regimen for the treatment of aggressive hematologic malignancies, and has a higher intensity then CHOP. Yet, there is little reported experience with hyper-CVAD regimen in ATLL. Case Reports We present 2 patients diagnosed with ATLL who were treated with hyper-CVAD chemotherapy and have achieved a durable complete remission. One of the patients has gone on to receive an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and has been in complete remission for over 18 months. The other has been in a continuous remission for approximately 12 months. We also review the past published experience with the hyper-CVAD regimen in patients with ATLL. Conclusion A commonly used chemotherapy regimen for aggressive hematologic malignancies, hyper-CVAD, can induce durable remissions in patients with ATLL.
Analysis of laminated shear-flexible angle-ply plates

Abstract A recently developed C0-type triangular composite plate element, based on the assumption of transverse inextensibility and layerwise constant shear-angle theory (LCST), is utilized to analyze antisymmetric and symmetric angle-ply plates subjected to distributed transverse loading. Effect of numerical integration on the rate of convergence of displacements and moments is investigated in detail. Comparison of the numerical results computed using the present triangular element with their analytical counterparts based on the classical lamination theory (CLT) in the thin plate regime also forms a major part of the present investigation. Limited comparisons with the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) results, computed using assumed stress hybrid finite elements, are also presented. Numerical results presented also include the effect of fiber orientation angle on the displacements and moments for thin laminates. Finally, the effect of thickness on the computed transverse displacement (deflection), interfacial inplane displacement and inplane stress is also thoroughly investigated.
Stress Analysis and Structural Optimization of a Three-Layer Composite Cladding Tube Under Thermo-Mechanical Loads

A general solution for the stress and strain fields in a three-layer composite tube subjected to internal and external pressures and temperature changes is first derived using thermo-elasticity. The material in each layer is treated as orthotropic, and the composite tube is regarded to be in a generalized plane strain state. A three-layer ZRY4-SiCf /SiC-SiC composite cladding tube under a combined pressure and thermal loading is then analyzed and optimized by applying the general solution. The effects of temperature changes, applied pressures, and layer thickness on the mechanical behavior of the tube are quantitatively studied. The von Mises’ failure criterion for isotropic materials and the Tsai-Wu’s failure theory for composites are used, respectively, to predict the failure behavior of the monolithic ZRY4 (i.e., Zircaloy-4) inner layer and SiC outer layer and the composite SiCf /SiC core layer of the three-layer tube. The numerical results reveal that the maximum radial and circumferential stresses in each layer always occur on the bonding surfaces. By adjusting the thickness of each layer, the effective stress in the three-layer cladding tube under the prescribed thermal-mechanical loading can be changed, thereby making it possible to optimally design the cladding tube.
Properties of fast solitary structures

We present detailed observations of electromagnetic waves and particle distributions from the Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) satellite which reveal many important properties of large-amplitude, spatially-coherent plasma structures known as "fast solitary structures" or "electron phase space holes". Similar structures have been observed in several regions of the magnetosphere including the auroral zone, plasma sheet boundary layer, and bow shock. There has been rapid theoretical progress in understanding these structures. Solitary structures can develop from bidirectional electron beams. Once developed, the one-dimensional properties parallel to the magnetic field can be adequately described by analytical treatment as BGK structures. There remains, however, several unanswered questions. The origin of the bidirectional electron beams, the development of two-or three-dimensional structures, and the observed association with the ion cyclotron frequency are not well understood.
Helium/oxygen-driven albuterol nebulization in the management of children with status asthmaticus: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of heliox-powered albuterol therapy on hospital length of stay and clinical status in children with moderate to severe status asthmaticus. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Twenty-five-bed pediatric intensive care unit at an academic children's medical center. PATIENTS: Forty-two children (2-21 yrs of age) with moderate to severe status asthmaticus. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive either heliox-powered nebulized albuterol or air/oxygen-powered nebulized albuterol (placebo) until they were transitioned to albuterol delivered by a metered dose inhaler. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Clinical asthma scores were recorded on enrollment and every 4 hrs thereafter. Patients in the heliox group (n = 22) and the control group (n = 20) had similar ages (mean +/- sem: 88 +/- 9.9 vs. 98 +/- 11.1 months, respectively; p = .51), time to study enrollment (618 +/- 70.4 vs. 597 +/- 84.1 mins, respectively; p = .72), and clinical asthma scores at study entry (5.9 +/- 0.2 vs. 5.7 +/- 0.3, respectively; p = .72). There were no significant differences between groups in time to eligibility to hospital discharge (66.2 +/- 8.7 vs. 63.4 +/- 8.6 hrs, respectively; p = .61), time to clinical asthma score <3 (22 +/- 2.8 vs. 21.2 +/- 5.3 hrs, respectively; p = .27), or time to eligibility for intensive care unit discharge (34.4 +/- 6.8 vs. 33.3 +/- 8.2 hrs, respectively; p = .64). There were no significant differences in adverse events between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the previously demonstrated effects of heliox on improved aerosol particle delivery into the distal airways, heliox-powered nebulized albuterol therapy for children admitted to the hospital with moderate to severe status asthmaticus does not shorten hospital length of stay or hasten rates of clinical improvement when compared with air/oxygen-powered nebulized albuterol.
949 INABILITY OF CORD BLOOD B CELLS TO DIFFERENTATE INTO PLASMA CELLS: SUPPRESSION VS CELLULAR DEFECTS

949 INABILITY OF CORD BLOOD B CELLS TO DIFFERENTATE INTO PLASMA CELLS: SUPPRESSION VS CELLULAR DEFECTS
High-Energy scatterings of many electroweak gauge bosons

Abstract We present an application of the equivalence theorem and the multispinor representation of gauge fields to the standard model of electroweak interactions at very high energies. The equivalence theorem allows us to efficiently treat the longitudinal vector bosons while the multispinor formalism makes the transverse vector bosons easy to handle. We generalize the work of Berends and Giele to derive a recursion relation for a current consisting of a pair of longitudinal vector bosons plus any number of transverse vector bosons. It is shown that for certain helicity configurations this current is related to a corresponding current involving only transverse vector bosons. Consideration of a U( N ), rather than an SU( N ), gauge theory enables us to incorporate the mixing in the SU(2) × U(1) electroweak theory and to derive certain sum rules for the currents for transverse gauge bosons. We also give explicit expressions for four-particle and five-particle scattering amplitudes involving a pair of longitudinal vector bosons.
A processual order approach to studying sentencing guidelines: contexts, activities, and consequences

Sentencing policies are developed, enacted, and filtered through national and state-level political processes, the local political and organizational contexts of communities and their courts, and the decisions and actions of individuals such as attorneys and judges. This article uses Pennsylvania's sentencing guidelines as an example to illustrate the value of a symbolic interactionist framework known as the processual order approach for research on policy in general and sentencing guidelines policy in particular. I first discuss some general characteristics and dilemmas of courts and sentencing policy, and then review the processual order approach. Next, I discuss national and state-level processes that led to the development and enactment of Pennsylvania's sentencing guidelines, and then summarize findings from research on local court contexts, case processing, and sentencing under guidelines. I conclude with five processual order propositions to guide research on the interrelationships between contexts, activities, and consequences surrounding the development and implementation of policy, and suggest some diverse and ambitious topics to which these propositions could be applied.
Destruction of hepatic mixed-function oxygenase parameters by CCl4 in rats following acute treatment with chlordecone, Mirex, and phenobarbital

Previous work has established the marked potentiation of CCl4 hepatoxicity by prior exposure to chlordecone (CD). This study was conducted to determine if prior exposure to CD results in enhancement of CCl4-induced destruction of the hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxygenase (MFO) system. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received a single oral dose of CD (10 mg/kg) or corn oil vehicle alone (1 ml/kg) 24 hr prior to a single ip injection of CCl4 (0-100 microliter/kg). Mirex (M; 10 mg/kg) and phenobarbital (PB; 80 mg/kg/day for two days) were used as negative and positive controls respectively for the potentiation of CCl4 hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity was evaluated 24 hrs after CCl4 administration by elevations of three serum enzymes (GPT, GOT, and ICD). The key hepatic microsomal MFO parameters measured were microsomal protein, cytochrome P-450 content, glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase), and aminopyrine demethylase (APD). As previously demonstrated using a subchronic dietary pretreatment protocol, CD potentiated CCl4 hepatotoxicity over a range of CCl4 doses to a greater extent than PB or M, as judged by elevations in serum enzymes. PB caused the greatest increase in total P-450 content and the greatest increase in CCl4-mediated destruction of microsomal protein and APD activity. M caused the least destruction of total hepatic cytochrome P-450, despite the same level of cytochrome P-450 as in the PB group. CD treatment caused the greatest decrease in G-6-Pase activity in comparison to PB or M pretreatments and a similar degree of P-450 destruction as observed with the PB group. These findings suggest that in general, CCl4-induced destruction of hepatic MFO parameters measured in this study is disproportional to the known degree of potentiated hepatotoxicity by the pretreatments and does not accurately reflect the potentiation of CCl4 hepatotoxicity by CD.
Gold-catalyzed transannular [4+3] cycloaddition reactions.

Macrocyclic propargyl acetates containing a furan ring were prepared using the CrCl2-promoted reaction. In the presence of either a Au(I) or a Au(III) catalyst, a tandem 3,3-rearrangement-transannular [4+3] cycloaddition reaction occurred to provide multiple fused ring systems. The transannular [4+3] cycloaddition reactions of the macrocyclic propargyl acetates are regio- and diastereospecific. The regiochemistry of the product is controlled by the position of the acetoxy group in the starting material and the stereochemistry of the reaction depends on the ring size.
“The Things They Carried”: Unpacking trauma scripts inside a community writing workshop

In this article, I focus on the writing and successive revisions of the trauma narratives of two Vietnam veteran writers, in a Community Stories Writing Workshop offered over an approximately two-year period. I consider how the writers navigated from vague, scripted anecdotes loaded with stock phrases, to more complete personal narratives of meaningful stories that ask and pursue in-depth thematic questions, with attention paid to the literary sensibilities of quest, arc, persona, and voice. Specifically, I examined what happens when these writers revisited their rehearsed, anecdotal scripts of childhood trauma through literary lenses, and how “writing as craft” lent them alternative ways of seeing and making meaning of their trauma experiences.
Evaluation of a Selective Medical School Admissions Policy to Increase the Number of Family Physicians in Rural and Underserved Areas

Abstract Jefferson Medical College initiated the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP) in 1974; this program preferentially admits medical school applicants from rural backgrounds who intend to practice family medicine in rural and underserved areas. Evaluation of the program has shown that PSAP graduates from the classes of 1978 to 1985 have performed slightly less well than their peers (non-PSAP) during medical school, although there was no difference in attrition between the two groups. Nor did the performance of PSAP and non-PSAP graduates differ during their postgraduate training. PSAP graduates from the classes of 1978 to 1981 were almost five times as likely as non-PSAP graduates to practice family medicine (59.6 vs. 12.6 percent, P<0.001), three times as likely to practice in rural areas (37.8 to 42.2 percent vs. 10.0 to 11.8 percent, P<0.001), and two to four times as likely to practice in areas where there is a physician shortage (26.7 to 40.0 percent vs. 9.2 to 11.2 percent, P<0.01). They were...
Pulmonary resections performed at hospitals with thoracic surgery residency programs have superior outcomes

Objective Pulmonary resections are performed at thoracic residency (TR), general surgery residency (GSR), no surgery residency, and no residency hospitals. We hypothesize that morbidity and mortality for these procedures are different between hospitals and that operations performed at TR teaching hospitals have superior results. Methods Records of adults who underwent pneumonectomy, lobar, segmentectomy, and nonanatomic wedge resections (N = 498,099) were evaluated in an all-payer inpatient database between 2003 and 2009. Hospital teaching status was determined by linkage to Association of American Medical College's Graduate Medical Education Tracking System. Multiple hierarchical regression models examined the in-hospital mortality, occurrence of any complication, and failure to rescue. Results The mean annual pulmonary resection volume among hospitals was TR (16%), GSR (17%), no surgery residency (28%), and no residency (39%). Unadjusted mortality for all procedures was lowest at TR hospitals ( P P P P P Conclusions In comparison with other hospitals, including GSR hospitals, TR hospitals have lower morbidity and mortality. These results support using hospitals with a TR as an independent prognostic indicator of outcomes in pulmonary resections.
Approximation by polynomials with restricted zeros

Let D be a simply connected domain in the complex plane and let I’ be an arbitrary point set. A r-polynomial is a polynomial whose zeros belong to r. r is called a polynomial approximation set (PA-set) relative to D if every zero-free holomorphic function in D can be uniformly approximated on compacts of D by r-polynomials. Special cases of P-d-sets were first considered by G. R. MacLane [I I] and later by M. D. Thompson [12]. Each proved that Jordan curves of special types are PA-sets for their interiors. More generally, J. Korevaar [8] has proved that if D is a bounded simply connected domain and r is a bounded set disjoint from D, then I’is a Pz4-set for D if and only if clos I’separates the plane and D belongs to a bounded component of its complement. In particular, the boundary of every bounded simply connected domain is a PA-set for its interior. When D and r are unbounded, the situation is not quite so simple. In fact, T. Ganelius [2] has shown that if D contains a half-plane, any sequence of De, the complement of D, polynomials which converges uniformly on a disc in D to f f 0, converges uniformly on every compact of the plane to an entire function. Thus any zero-free holomorphic function in D which is approximable by DC-polynomials would be the restriction of an entire function so that DC is not a P/l-set for D. On the other hand, Thompson [12] has shown that if D is contained in a half-plane and the boundary of D is a special type of Jordan curve, then the boundary is a Pi4-set for D. The principal result of this paper is:
Egg recognition and counting reduce costs of avian conspecific brood parasitism

Birds parasitized by interspecific brood parasites often adopt defences based on egg recognition but such behaviours are puzzlingly rare in species parasitized by members of the same species. Here I show that conspecific egg recognition is frequent, accurate and used in three defences that reduce the high costs of conspecific brood parasitism in American coots. Hosts recognized and rejected many parasitic eggs, reducing the fitness costs of parasitism by half. Recognition without rejection also occurred and some hosts banished parasitic eggs to inferior outer incubation positions. Clutch size comparisons revealed that females combine egg recognition and counting to make clutch size decisions—by counting their own eggs, while ignoring distinctive parasitic eggs, females avoid a maladaptive clutch size reduction. This is clear evidence that female birds use visual rather than tactile cues to regulate their clutch sizes, and provides a rare example of the ecological and evolutionary context of counting in animals.
A large-deviation result for regenerative processes

A large-deviation result is proved for processes. The result is applicable when regeneration points exist for the sequence. Examples of such applications are indicated.
Validity of the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale: Two replication studies.

To enhance the construct validity of the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES), two replications of earlier validity studies were undertaken. Samples were from several college campuses and primarily Caucasian. In Study 1, multiple regression analyses confirmed a hypothesized curvilinear relationship between scores on the SRES and scores on the MacDonald Sex Role Survey, a measure of gender role ideology regarding women. In Study 2, the expectation that SRES would share a relatively small amount of total variance with both the Femininity/Expressiveness and Masculinity/Instrumentality trait subscales of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire was supported. Both sets of results are consistent with earlier validity research using different measures.
Somatic hybridization in Nicotiana: Restoration of photoautotrophy to an albino mutant with defective plastids.

Protoplasts of a cytoplasmic albino mutant of Nicotiana tabacum L. characterized by a deficient chloroplast genome were fused with protoplasts of a nitrate-reductase deficient mutant (NR-) of N. tabacum. Somatic hybrids were obtained where the genome of the NR- mutant was complemented by the cytoplasmic albino mutant which could synthesize an active nitrate reductase, and the chlorophyll deficiency in the albino mutant was restored by the chloroplasts from the NR- mutant. Cybrids were also obtained in which the deficient plastids of the cytoplasmic albino mutant were replaced by normal chloroplasts from the NR- mutant. The system used permitted a simple selection of the hybrids and the cybrids. The NR- mutant was excluded at the cellular level by transfer of the cells to medium deficient in reduced nitrogen. The cytoplasmic albino mutant grew well on the selective nitrate medium. However, during callus formation, clear differences in the morphology and pigmentation of the calli were found which permitted selection for photoautotrophy at the callus level. The hybrid or cybrid nature of the plants was confirmed by examination of their morphology and chromosome number. Although the fusion partners come from the same species, only one plant showed the white-green variegated pattern typical of that of the cytoplasmic albino parent, indicating that segregation of plastids occurred during development of the calli and regeneration of the plants.
Mechanisms of Action of the Antimycotic Imidazoles

The mechanism of the antifungal action of the imidazole antimycotics, miconazole ano clotrimazole, on Saccharomyces cerevisiae was explored. When grown aerobically both drugs were fungistatic at low concentrations and fungicidal at high concentrations. When grown anaerobically the fungistatic effect was not seen, but killing still occurred at high concentrations. The fungistatic effect correlated with inhibition of ergosterol synthesis and elevated lanosterol/ergosterol ratios in the organisms. The fungicidal effect involved rapid membrane damage and was unrelated to the imidazole-induced block in ergosterol synthesis. These agents each have 2 distinct antifungal actions.
Low-voltage-point source microscope for interferometry

Conventional scanning electron microscopes are now close to the limit of their performance for tasks such as the metrology of sub-micron design rule devices. In order to overcome these limits we have designed, and are presently testing, a low voltage point source microscope operated with a nanotip field emitter and without any electron optical lenses. The microscope is designed such that can be operated in the transmission mode as well as in a reflection mode. The ultra-sharp field emitter delivers emission currents of several nanoamps at energies less than 100 eV. The magnification of the object wave is achieved by placing the specimen in the divergent electron beam from the nanotip and observing the object wave using a microchannel plate (MCP) at a great distance from the sample. Images obtained that way are out of focus images. As no lenses are present a special procedure for scaling the magnification has been developed. Since electrons from a point source are highly coherent the out of focus images of the sample are interferograms. Electrons diffracted at an edge of the specimen cause Fresnel fringes in the image plane. An electrically charged holey carbon foil acts in the same way on the electrons as the Youngs double slit experiment and results in an interference pattern consisting of parallel fringes. A comparison between the transmission mode and the perfection mode shows great similarities with respect to the magnification and the interference pattern. An electron gun needed in the transmission mode is the most important difference between the two modes of operation. The experimental results at a reflection of 45 degrees are in good agreement with our simulation. Following our simulations a reflection angle of 90 degrees is most promising for easiest image interpretation.
Depth-dependent geochemical and microbiological gradients in Fe(III) deposits resulting from coal mine-derived acid mine drainage

We evaluated the depth-dependent geochemistry and microbiology of sediments that have developed via the microbially-mediated oxidation of Fe(II) dissolved in acid mine drainage (AMD), giving rise to a 8-10 cm deep “iron mound” that is composed primarily of Fe(III) (hydr)oxide phases. Chemical analyses of iron mound sediments indicated a zone of maximal Fe(III) reducing bacterial activity at a depth of approximately 2.5 cm despite the availability of dissolved O2 at this depth. Subsequently, Fe(II) was depleted at depths within the iron mound sediments that did not contain abundant O2. Evaluations of microbial communities at 1 cm depth intervals within the iron mound sediments using “next generation” nucleic acid sequencing approaches revealed an abundance of phylotypes attributable to acidophilic Fe(II) oxidizing Betaproteobacteria and the chloroplasts of photosynthetic microeukaryotic organisms in the upper 4 cm of the iron mound sediments. While we observed a depth-dependent transition in microbial community structure within the iron mound sediments, phylotypes attributable to Gammaproteobacterial lineages capable of both Fe(II) oxidation and Fe(III) reduction were abundant in sequence libraries (comprising ≥20% of sequences) from all depths. Similarly, abundances of total cells and culturable Fe(II) oxidizing bacteria were uniform throughout the iron mound sediments. Our results indicate that O2 and Fe(III) reduction co-occur in AMD-induced iron mound sediments, but that Fe(II)-oxidizing activity may be sustained in regions of the sediments that are depleted in O2.
Blink reflex modification by selective attention: Evidence for the modulation of ‘automatic’ processing

Probe stimuli which elicit activity reflexly provide a means of assessing ‘top-down’ effects of attentional manipulations while minimizing the perhaps insolvable problem of determining whether effects are due to post-perceptual selection or to changes in the input pathway. Parallel experiments on adults and infants presented acoustic and visual probes unpredictably while subjects attended to acoustic and visual foregrounds: Attention was indexed by heart rate deceleration. When probe and foreground modality matched, probe-elicited reflex blinks were significantly facilitated in magnitude (infants) or latency (adults) relative to reflexes elicited when probe and foreground modality mismatched. Further, facilitation was greater when modality-matching probes were presented over foregrounds judged a priori to be more ‘interesting’ than ‘dull’ foregrounds. Because acoustic and visual blink reflexes have a common efferent path, modulating effects must have occurred earlier, in modality-specific paths. As such, the results suggest that attention can influence ‘automatic’ sensory-perceptual analysis.
Calculated electron density distributions in ScS and Sc3S4

Previously calculated wavefunctions were used to calculate electron densities as functions of position within spheres surrounding Sc and S in scandium monosulfide and a hypothetical structure for the known scandium-deficient compound. The electron densities in the valence and conduction energy intervals are compared and interpreted in terms of the directionality of the electronic interactions in the compounds.
Evaluation of Objective Methods of Measuring Differences in Texture of Freeze‐Dried Chicken Meat

SUMMARY Breast and thigh meat of nine-week-old fryers from a commercial source was processed as frozen or freeze-dried raw or cooked meat. Objective methods were compared with sensory evaluation of texture and juiciness differences in the meat. The effect of freezing temperature (-23° and -191°C) on the quality of freeze-dried poultry meat and the differing effect of freeze drying on raw and cooked breast and thigh meat were also determined. Freeze-dried chicken meat was readily distinguished from frozen. Freeze-dried meat had poorer texture and less juiciness, higher shear resistance, and more expressible liquid than frozen. Cooked chicken meat had significantly higher shear resistance (Allo-Kramer and Instron) after freeze-drying than after freezing. The shear resistance tests agreed well with panel judgments of texture and could be substituted for them. However, for meat that was frozen or freeze dried before cooking, the differences in shear resistance were not consistently significant. Freeze-dried breast meat had larger amounts of expressible liquid (Succulometer) than the frozen. For breast meat this objective test agreed well with panel judgments of juiciness and could he substituted for them. Although the panel consistently distinguished differences between frozen and freeze-dried thigh meat, little or no liquid could be expressed from any of the thigh meat; thus the test could not be substituted for the panel judgments. No significant differences in “water-holding capacity” (Grau-Hamm press) were found between frozen and freeze-dried meat; this test could not be substituted for the panel tests under the conditions used. Freezing temperature (-23° and -191°C) had no significant effect on meat freeze-dried before cooking. The freezing temperatures resulted in detectable differences in meat freeze dried after cooking, but the differences were too small to be of practical importance. Freeze drying adversely affected breast more than thigh. The breast meat was less tender and juicy, and had higher shear resistance, and more expressible liquid. Meat cooked after freeze drying had better texture and juiciness, lower shear resistance, and less expressible liquid than meat cooked before freeze drying.
Some effects of light on the energetics of Daphnia pulex and implications for the significance of vertical migration

Energy budgets were computed from data obtained for Daphnia pulex cultured under nine light intensities, polarized light and four wavelength ranges.
Accuracy of sleep perceptions among insomnia sufferers and normal sleepers

Abstract Objective : To examine the distribution, consistency, and correlates of sleep time perceptions in primary insomnia sufferers and normal sleepers across settings (laboratory and home). Methods : Fifty-two middle-aged and older insomnia sufferers and 49 matched normal sleepers underwent multiple nights of laboratory and home polysomnography (PSG) and provided concurrent subjective estimates of their sleep. Descriptive statistics, cluster analyses, and inferential tests were used to examine the nature of sleep time perceptions, identify subgroups with distinctive patterns such as perceptions, and explore factors that may contribute to these subgroups' distinctive sleep perceptions. Results : Consistent with previous studies, the insomnia sufferers, as a group, showed a greater tendency to underestimate the time they slept than did the normal sleepers, but the accuracy of sleep time perceptions varied widely within each sample. Correlational analyses showed that study participants in each sample showed a moderate level of consistency in how accurately they estimated sleep time across nights. Subsequent cluster analyses conducted to identify subgroups with distinctive patterns of sleep time perceptions yielded four subgroups within the insomnia sample and three subgroups within the normal sleeper sample. Although the sleep setting significantly affected sleep perceptions for one insomnia subgroup, both laboratory and home objective–subjective sleep comparisons provided similar impressions regarding the relative accuracy of each subgroup's nocturnal sleep/wake perceptions. Finally, varying patterns of subgroup differences were noted across several common psychometric measures. Conclusions : The underestimation of sleep time is not a generic characteristic that separates all insomnia sufferers from normal sleepers. Sleep setting, personality traits, and perhaps constitutional factors appear to influence perceptions of sleep and wake time duration.
Ordered escape routing based on Boolean satisfiability

Routing for high-speed boards is largely a time-consuming manual task today. In this work we consider the ordered escape routing problem which is a key problem in board-level routing. All existing approaches to this problem cannot guarantee to find a routing solution even if one exists. We present an algorithm to exactly solve this problem based on Boolean satisfiability. Experimental results on escape routing problems from industry show that our algorithm performs well.
Specification and execution of multiagent missions

Specifying a multiagent behavioral configuration requires both a careful choice of the behavior set and creation of a temporal chain executing the mission using those behaviors. This difficult task is simplified by applying an object-oriented approach to the design using a methodology called temporal sequencing to partition the mission into discrete operating states and enumerate the perceptual triggers causing transitions between those states. Several smaller independent configurations (assemblages) can then be created, each implementing one distinct operating state. Each assemblage consists of a collection of behaviors and a suitable coordination mechanism which causes the group to act as a single, coherent, behavior. The missions are specified in a structured user-friendly language targeted for military-style scout missions. Various multiagent missions have been demonstrated in simulation and results are shown using our Denning mobile robots.
MLCs with copper electrodes for high frequency applications

A low-firing multilayer capacitor (MLC) dielectric based on magnesium titanate has been developed. The dielectric meets the Electronics Industries Association (EIA) specifications for COG capacitors and is compatible with internal electrodes of Pd, 70% Ag-30% Pd, or copper, MLCs of 1206 size with nominal capacitance of 100 pF were made with each type of electrode. Those with precious-metal electrodes were fired in air at 1100 degrees C, while those with copper electrodes were fired at 1065 degrees C in an atmosphere with 1 p.p.b. oxygen partial pressure. Capacitor properties at frequencies above 100 MHz were evaluated using a Boonton transmission line. The results clearly illustrate the improved performance obtainable with copper electrodes and the tradeoff to be made when using an alloy of 70% Ag-30% Pd instead of the more costly Pd. >
Predictors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation Reduction in Response to Daily Azithromycin Therapy

Rationale: Daily azithromycin decreases acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), but long-term side effects are unknown.Objectives: To identify the types of exacerbations most likely to be reduced and clinical subgroups most likely to benefit from azithromycin, 250 mg daily, added to usual care.Methods: Enrollment criteria included irreversible airflow limitation and AECOPD requiring corticosteroids, emergency department visit, or hospitalization in the prior year or use of supplemental oxygen. Recurrent events and cumulative incidence analyses compared treatment received for AECOPD by randomization group, stratified by subgroups of interest. Cox proportional hazards models estimated treatment effects in subgroups adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, FEV1% predicted, concomitant COPD medications, and oxygen use.Measurements and Main Results: Azithromycin was most effective in reducing AECOPD requiring both antibiotic and steroid treatment (n = 1,113; cumulative incidence an...
Technology Solves MTIC - VLN, RTvat, D-VAT Certification

Technology solves missing trader intra-community (MTIC) fraud. This should come as no surprise. MTIC is technology-intensive fraud – its solution should also be technology-intensive. MTIC is getting to be an out-dated term. Now that missing trader fraud has move into services it is no longer confined to intra-community trade, and the older acronym should be adjusted to MTIC/MTEC fraud (with MTEC standing for missing trader extra-community). MTIC/MTEC fraud is fully digitized (the supply, the movement of the supply, and the funding). The consequences should be clear. MTIC/MTEC must be prevented (before the fact), not pursued (after the fact). In the digital world everything evaporates when pursued. Technology is both the causative agent and the most effective counter-measure for this fraud. We have known the details of the three major technology-intensive proposals for solving MTIC/MTEC since 2007: the VAT locator number (VLN); real time VAT (RTvat), and certified tax software (D-VAT). This paper endeavors to contribute to the debate that the Commission has opened on this topic with its recent Green Paper by comparing and contrasting these three proposals. Both the VLN and RTvat are mandatory systems. The VLN focuses on securing every supply, whereas the RTvat focuses on securing every payment. D-VAT certification differs in both respects. It can be adopted on a voluntary basis (per taxpayer) and achieves a secure remission of VAT through trusted third parties. These third parties are providers that stand between the taxpayer and the tax administration, complete all filings, and remit payments – guaranteeing the accuracy of the return and the satisfaction of the tax due. There is a considerable amount of central control under both VLN and RTvat proposals. Central (government) computer systems will track each transaction (VLN) or payment (RTvat). Under D-VAT certification there is no central tracking, just assurance that each transaction is completely and accurately reported because the systems performing these operations are certified and guaranteed. Finally, both the VLN and D-VAT certification go to great lengths to avoid making fundamental changes in the way the EU VAT currently operates (the VLN perhaps even more than D-VAT certification). In addition, both VLN and D-VAT certification can be adopted one Member State at a time. The RTvat proposal differs on both accounts. It fundamentally changes the EU VAT into an origin system, and requires adoption by all Member States to be fully effective.
Domestic drivers of transgovernmental regulatory cooperation

Transgovernmental cooperation among domestic regulators has generated considerable interest among scholars and policymakers. While previous research has focused on describing such regulatory networks, we know very little about what drives individual jurisdictions to join them. The question of membership is important because it determines the reach of rules and standards promulgated by a given network, and because it is logically prior to understanding the rulemaking dynamic within a network. We develop a set of hypotheses that highlight the role of domestic political factors in shaping network membership. Our empirical analysis, using an original data set for transgovernmental cooperation in securities and insurance regulation, finds that the institutional form of domestic market regulation, as well as the relative domestic weight of the industry, are closely correlated with membership. All else equal, jurisdictions with independent regulatory agencies and those where the industry in question represents a large share of gross domestic product are much more likely to join the respective network than jurisdictions without these characteristics. The paper underscores the important interactions between domestic and international factors for informal cooperation, an issue that has become increasingly central to global governance.
STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF RECOVERY IN PNEUMONIA DUE TO FRIEDLÄDER'S BACILLUS III. THE RÔLE OF "SURFACE PHAGOCYTOSIS" IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MICROORGANISMS IN THE LUNG

Phagocytosis of encapsulated Friedlander's bacilli has been demonstrated in the lungs of rats in the absence of both circulating and local antibody. The mechanism of phagocytosis independent of antibody has been shown to be due to the same surface factors that operate in the phagocytosis of Type I pneumococcus under similar conditions. Direct observation of the phagocytic process reveals that leucocytes in the lung can phagocyte unopsonized Friedlander's bacilli only by trapping them against the surfaces of alveolar walls or bronchi, or by pinning them against the surfaces of adjacent leucocytes. Evidence is presented that Friedlander's bacilli thus phagocyted are rapidly killed in the cytoplasm of the phagocytic cells. Reasons are discussed for the failure of prolonged chemotherapy to cure lung abscesses that not infrequently complicate the pneumonia due to Friedlander's bacillus.