cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unraveling location-specific and time-dependent interactions between soil water content and environmental factors in cropped sandy soils using Sentinel-1 and moisture probes

Abstract Advances in sensor technologies provide the potential for real-time monitoring of soil moisture status. Little work has been conducted to study the spatial and temporal variations of soil water content at the field scale and the interactions between soil water content and environmental controlling factors in cropped fields during the growing season. In this study, we assessed the spatial and temporal variations of surface soil water content (0–0.1 m) using seven in-situ soil moisture probes and Sentinel-1 satellite data over the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons in irrigated fields of the Central Sands Plains, Wisconsin, USA. An empirical multiple linear regression model was developed between the soil water content with Sentinel-1 backscatter data. The model was evaluated with leave-one-group-out cross-validation, which showed an R2 of 0.60, mean error of –0.00 m3 m−3, root mean square error of 0.02 m3 m−3, and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient of 0.75. Soil volumetric water content (VWC) and soil water deficit (SWD) were mapped at 30-m resolution every 6–12 days across one field (DU field at the Wallendal farm). Using two statistical metrics (“first metric” and “last metric”) and a bootstrapping approach, the location-specific and time-dependent interactions between estimated soil water content and environmental controlling factors across the DU field during the cropping season were evaluated, and it was found that such interactions were affected by initial soil water content and plant stress status. The robustness of the model needs to be improved in the future by collecting more VWC measurements in different soil and crop conditions. The method has the potential to provide a baseline soil moisture map and can be coupled with mechanistic models and subsoil VWC measurements for improved irrigation management and water use efficiency under a changing climate.
Fast expectation-maximization algorithms for spatial generalized linear mixed models

Spatial generalized linear mixed models (SGLMMs) are popular and flexible models for non-Gaussian spatial data. They are useful for spatial interpolations as well as for fitting regression models that account for spatial dependence, and are commonly used in many disciplines such as epidemiology, atmospheric science, and sociology. Inference for SGLMMs is typically carried out under the Bayesian framework at least in part because computational issues make maximum likelihood estimation challenging, especially when high-dimensional spatial data are involved. Here we provide a computationally efficient projection-based maximum likelihood approach and two computationally efficient algorithms for routinely fitting SGLMMs. The two algorithms proposed are both variants of expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, using either Markov chain Monte Carlo or a Laplace approximation for the conditional expectation. Our methodology is general and applies to both discrete-domain (Gaussian Markov random field) as well as continuous-domain (Gaussian process) spatial models. Our methods are also able to adjust for spatial confounding issues that often lead to problems with interpreting regression coefficients. We show, via simulation and real data applications, that our methods perform well both in terms of parameter estimation as well as prediction. Crucially, our methodology is computationally efficient and scales well with the size of the data and is applicable to problems where maximum likelihood estimation was previously infeasible.
Digital RF-over-Fiber Links Based on Continuous-Time Delta-Sigma Modulation

Transmission of digitized radio frequency (RF) signals over optical fiber links is attractive because of low loss, extremely broad bandwidth, and robustness to external RF interference (RFI). However, realizing these advantages requires high-speed digitizers with high resolution and low power consumption. In this paper, a fourth-order continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CT-DSM) with one-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is proposed for this purpose. An assistant circuit is implemented to steer currents from the feedback DAC and input resistor to idealize the performance of the operational amplifier (op-amp) in the first integrator stage. The first op-amp also uses chopping to reduce 1/f noise and offset. The proposed modulator is designed in the TSMC 180 nm CMOS process. Simulation results show a maximum signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio (SNDR) of 89.3 dB for a sample frequency of 100 MHz, a chopping frequency of 50 MHz, and an oversampling ratio (OSR) of 100, resulting in a Walden figure of merit (FoM) of 360 fJ/bit.
Correction to: Temporal integration in the perception and discrimination of solid shape.

This article was updated to correct an error to Table 2 legend introduced during the production process.
Teaching for social justice: A research synthesis on Asian American and Pacific Islander teachers in U.S. schools

Abstract This article examines social justice in teaching and teacher education with a focus on the experiences, pedagogies, and instructional practices of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) teachers. We synthesized 37 peer-reviewed research publications on AAPI teachers’ experiences and contributions to diversity and social justice. The results show AAPI teachers disrupting Whiteness through beliefs, pedagogies, and practices that value multiple perspectives and marginalized voices. Policy implications include supporting cultural and linguistic diversity in teacher education programs and schools and providing opportunities for teachers to engage in critical praxis regarding their racial identities and issues of equity in education.
Phase I/II Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Pulmonary Metastases in Pediatric Patients.

Abstract Purpose Pulmonary metastases are common in many pediatric solid tumors; however, little is known about safety and efficacy of lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for pediatric patients. We conducted a phase I/II study to investigate the minimum effective dose level of SBRT with an acceptable safety profile in pediatric patients. Methods and Materials Patients with sarcoma and metastatic pulmonary lesions ≤3 cm in diameter and ≤21 years of age were enrolled. Dose levels 1, 2, and 3 were 24, 30, and 36 Gy in 3 fractions, respectively. Enrolled patients with metastases from primary renal tumors and sarcoma histologies were to begin at dose level 1 and 2, respectively. Exclusion criteria included receipt of whole-lung/hemi-thorax irradiation >12 Gy within 6 months of consent. Primary endpoints were tolerability and safety per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grading and disease response at 6 weeks post-SBRT per response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria. Secondary endpoints included rates of local control and distant failure within the lung, but outside of the treatment volume. Results Five patients with median age of 13 years (range, 7-21) received SBRT at dose level 2. Primary tumor histologies included Ewing sarcoma (n = 3), anaplastic chordoma (n = 1), and osteosarcoma (n = 1). No grade ≥3 adverse events were observed. At 6 weeks after SBRT, 7/8 (87.5%) lesions achieved partial response. With median follow-up of 2.1 years (range, 1.4-2.5), 2-year local control and distant failure-free survival were 60% (n = 8) and 40% (n = 5), respectively. One patient developed widespread metastases and succumbed to disease 1.4 years after SBRT. Conclusions SBRT for pulmonary metastases produces responses in pediatric patients with sarcoma at 6 weeks with acceptable toxicity; however, patients remain at risk of local and distant failure within the lung. Future prospective studies are needed to investigate whether higher doses of SBRT, possibly in combination with other therapies, are safe and provide more durable response.
Comparison of 2 Sagittal Craniosynostosis Repair Techniques: Spring-Assisted Surgery Versus Endoscope-Assisted Craniectomy With Helmet Molding Therapy:

Introduction:This study compares anthropometric outcomes of 2 sagittal synostosis repair techniques: spring-assisted surgery and endoscope-assisted craniectomy with molding helmet therapy.Methods:P...
Second window ICG predicts gross-total resection and progression-free survival during brain metastasis surgery.

Objective Metastases are the most common intracranial malignancies and complete resection can provide relief of neurological symptoms and reduce recurrence. The authors' prospective pilot study in 2017 demonstrated promising results for the application of high-dose, delayed imaging of indocyanine green (ICG), known as second window ICG (SWIG), in patients undergoing surgery for brain metastases. In this prospective cohort study, the authors evaluated intraoperative imaging and clinical outcomes of treatment using SWIG. Methods Patients were prospectively enrolled in an approved study of high-dose, delayed ICG (SWIG) and received 5 mg/kg (2014-2018) or 2.5 mg/kg (2018-2019) ICG 24 hours preoperatively. Intraoperatively, near-infrared (NIR) imaging was performed using a dedicated NIR exoscope. NIR images were analyzed and the signal-to-background ratio (SBR) was calculated to quantify fluorescence. Residual fluorescence on the postresection NIR view was compared and correlated to the residual gadolinium enhancement on postoperative MRI. Patient survival and predictive factors were analyzed. Results In total, 51 intracranial metastases were surgically treated in 47 patients in this cohort. All 51 metastatic tumors demonstrated strong NIR fluorescence (mean SBR 4.9). In tumors ≤ 10 mm from the cortical surface, SWIG with 5 mg/kg ICG produced enhanced transdural tumor visibility (91.3%) compared to 2.5 mg/kg (52.9%; p = 0.0047). Neoplastic margin detection using NIR fluorescence compared to white light improved sensitivity, albeit lowered specificity; however, increasing the SBR cutoff for positive fluorescence significantly improved specificity without sacrificing sensitivity, increasing the overall accuracy from 57.5% to 72.5%. A lack of residual NIR fluorescence after resection was closely correlated with a lack of residual enhancement on postoperative MRI (p = 0.007). Among the 16 patients in whom tumor recurred at the site of surgery, postoperative MRI successfully predicted 8 cases, whereas the postresection NIR view predicted 12 cases. Progression-free survival rate at 12 months was greater for patients without residual NIR fluorescence (38%) than for those without residual enhancement on postoperative MRI (29%). Conclusions The current study demonstrates the clinical benefits of the SWIG technique in surgery for patients with brain metastases. Specifically, this technique allows for dose-dependent, transdural localization of neoplasms and improved sensitivity in neoplastic margin detection. Postresection residual fluorescence can be a powerful tool to evaluate extent of resection in conjunction with MRI, and it may guide decisions on brain metastasis management.
Interorganizational Learning: An Exploratory Study of Private-Public Partnerships

In a time when interdependence in business becomes more prevalent and necessary to maintain and sustain competitive advantage, understanding the mechanisms by which businesses relate and collaboratively adapt become central to collaborative growth and mutual success. Learning becomes central to the adaptive process. Interorganizational learning (IOL) is an often challenging result of collaborative efforts. The more different the organizations are from one another, the more challenging the adaptive process and interorganizational learning. It further addresses how interorganizational learning happens between organizations that are private and public. The research used qualitative design in case study format that answers the research question of how organizations with divergent goals learn from each other in generating mutually beneficial results. I found that these organizations learn from each other by interaction, observation, and conflict resolution. This study extends concepts of interorganizational learning as well as provides guidelines for business entities seeking to attain or sustain learning organizations. It also provides a framework from which government entities may work synergistically with private enterprise to provide competitive service to their respective demographic.
La importancia de la interacción en el aprendizaje en entornos virtuales en tiempos del COVID-19

El contexto de pandemia ha generado mayores desafios para la articulacion de la interaccion que caracteriza nuestras Ecologias de Aprendizaje. En el nivel de la educacion superior, esta problematica ha sido especialmente relevante a causa de las dificultades de restructuracion de los aprendizajes y por la sensacion de aislamiento que se ha generado debido a la migracion forzosa de los procesos de ensenanza presenciales a los entornos virtuales. En esta contribucion se analiza una propuesta pedagogica y tecnologica para el diseno de procesos de aprendizaje CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) en los que subyace la necesidad de estructurar las interacciones cognitiva, social y organizativa que confluyen en un marco formativo exitoso. El proposito del estudio es comprender los aspectos que deben contemplarse en la interaccion para que se produzcan los aprendizajes esperados y analizar las percepciones de los estudiantes en relacion con los tipos de interaccion que suceden en el proceso de aprendizaje colaborativo. El estudio sigue una metodologia cuantitativa no experimental, a traves de cuestionario, y conto con la participacion de 106 estudiantes de 5 asignaturas de grado que implementan CSCL. Los resultados muestran que los estudiantes asocian la interaccion cognitiva, social y organizativa con la motivacion y la mejora del rendimiento academico, destacando el desarrollo de habilidades para colaborar en el futuro y valorando los sentimientos de pertenencia a la comunidad de aprendizaje ligada a la experiencia.
Digital psychiatry

The American managed care movement has been viewed as a big experiment and is being watched closely by the rest of the world. In the meanwhile, computer-based information technology (IT) is changing the practice of medicine, much more rapidly than managed care. A New World of digitized knowledge and information has been created. Although literature on IT in psychiatry is largely absent in peer-reviewed psychiatric journals, IT is finding its way into all aspects of medicine, particularly psychiatry. Telepsychiatry programs are becoming very popular. At the same time, medical information sites are flourishing and evolving into a new health-care industry. Patient–physician information asymmetry is decreasing as patients are gaining easy access to medical information hitherto only available to professionals. Thus, psychiatry is facing another paradigm shift, at a time when most attention has been focused on managed care. In this new digital world, knowledge and information are no longer the sole property of professionals. Value will migrate from traditional in-person office-based therapy to digital clinical products, from in-person library search and classroom didactic instruction to interactive on-line searches and distance learning. In this time of value migration, psychiatrists have to determine what their ‘distinctive competence’ is and where best to add value in the health-care delivery value chain. The authors assess the impact of IT on clinical psychiatry and review how clinical practice, education and research in psychiatry are expected to change in this emerging digital world.
Modeling Multiscale Necrotic and Calcified Tissue Biomechanics in Cancer Patients: Application to Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)

Tissue necrosis and calcification significantly affect cancer progression and clinical treatment decisions. Necrosis and calcification are inherently multiscale processes, operating at molecular to tissue scales with time scales ranging from hours to months. This chapter details key insights we have gained through mechanistic continuum and discrete multiscale models, including the first modeling of necrotic cell swelling, lysis, and calcification. Among our key findings: necrotic volume loss contributes to steady tumor sizes but can destabilize tumor morphology; steady necrotic fractions can emerge even during unstable growth; necrotic volume loss is responsible for linear ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) growth; fast necrotic cell swelling creates mechanical tears at the perinecrotic boundary; multiscale interactions give rise to an age-structured, stratified necrotic core; and mechanistic, patient-calibrated DCIS modeling allows us to assess our working biological assumptions and better interpret pathology and mammography. We finish by outlining our integrative computational oncology approach to developing computational tools that we hope will one day assist clinicians and patients in their treatment decisions.
The effect of mortgage form on borrower interest rate risk: A portfolio theory approach

Abstract The problems faced by U.S. regulatory authorities in controlling residential housing cycles have resulted in a continuing search for methods of reducing the volatility of housing construction. One of the most widely discussed methods of decreasing volatility in mortgage credit is the variable rate mortgage (VRM) whose interest rate is linked to some interest rate index. In this paper we employ a portfolio theory approach to examine the relative riskiness of the VRM and fixed rate mortgage (FRM) for borrower and lender. As expected, we find that relative riskiness depends on the composition of the borrower/lender portfolio of assets and liabilities.
Changing behavior of surface immunoglobulin on mouse B lymphocytes during immune development: II. Surface immunoglobulin modulation clearly distinguishes two stages of B-cell maturation in the neonate

Abstract Antibody-induced modulation of cell surface IgM was used as a probe to explore membrane-related differences between fetal and adult mouse B lymphocytes. Receptor modulation was studied as a function of temperature in B cells obtained from mice of various ages. Plots of the rate of anti-IgM induced movement of receptors with temperature showed discontinuities (changes in slope) at different characteristic temperatures for each cell. In this way, radical differences between the receptor behavior of fetal B cells and adult B cells were evident. Moreover, temperature-dependent rates of internalization of receptor-ligand complexes also were found to clearly distinguish two stages of B lymphocyte maturation in the mouse.
Portfolio Allocation Choices in Taxable and Tax-Deferred Accounts: An Empirical Analysis of Tax-Efficiency

Tax efficiency is the dominant consideration in theoretical portfolio models that allow for both taxable and tax-deferred accounts. Yet, empirically observed portfolio allocations are not tax-efficient. I offer a model that is designed to bridge the existing gap and validate its predictions on household-level portfolio data from the Survey of Consumer Finances. The model explicitly incorporates both the uninsurable risk in labor income and accessibility restrictions that are an institutional feature of tax-deferred retirement accounts. Together, these elements create a tension between the desire to maintain tax-efficient allocations and one's concern over the need to make costly withdrawals from retirement accounts in the event of bad income draws. This leads some low-wealth households and households facing the highest penalties on withdrawals to forgo tax-efficient allocations in favor of allocations that provide more liquidity. The empirical results provide evidence that both the choice of a tax-inefficient portfolio and heterogeneity in portfolio allocations are related to the presence and severity of accessibility restrictions and precautionary motives.
Studying and Protecting the Global Environment: Protecting the Trees but Sometimes Missing the Forest

There are few issue areas within international relations in which the policy realm has followed the scholarship quite as quickly or as far as in the area of the environment. After simple identification of the existence and causes of existing environmental problems, both scholarship and policy initially focused on formal institutional approaches for addressing these problems, and both have expanded that focus to include greater consideration of informal approaches, expansion of the environmental issues considered, and concentration on the importance of nonstate actors. Critical scholarship, the one area of scholarship with little connection to policy, calls attention to the interests, power structures, and assumptions that underlie environmental behavior and suggests that small-scale improvements over business-as-usual are misleading and even counterproductive. But most environmental politics scholarship has drawn direct influence from, and contributed to, policy pertaining to the environment. Ultimately, it is likely that both scholarship and policy have been strengthened by this close connection, but at the same time, both have perhaps been narrowed by it as well, so that some important issues or approaches have been understudied. While there are advantages to the close relationship in this subfield between scholarship and policy, there may be some advantages in the future to encouraging some distance between the two, even for those ultimately concerned about the fate of the global environment.
Growth-physiological Changes in Escherichia coli and Other Bacteria During Division Inhibition by 5-Diazouracil

Diazouracil (DZU) was shown to increase the mean cell volume of several bacterial species. The filaments which it induced with Escherichia coli B and Lactobacillus casei were examined in section by electron microscopy. In addition to the inhibition of division of E. coli by DZU, its effects were studied on mass increase, viability, and deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis. The dependence of cell age on the division-inhibitory effect of DZU was examined in synchronous cultures. The division-inhibitory effect was not reversed by pantoyllactone, an antagonist of ultraviolet filamentation, or by l-tyrosine, which had been reported to antagonize DZU activity.
Can Childhood Obesity Be Prevented

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States in the past several decades. Prevalence rates have increased sharply among adults, reflecting an average weight gain of 8 lb over a single decade. Recent national survey data (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III [NHANES III]) indicates that more than 1/3 of American adults are obese (1). The health implications of this mounting problem are significant, because obesity is now considered to be a chronic disease that is associated with other chronic conditions, such as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, gallbladder disease, respiratory disease, and some types of cancer, gout, and arthritis (2). As such, direct health care costs related to obesity annually exceed $68 billion, or about 6% of total health care expenditures in the United States (3).
Design and simulation of current limiting controller for bidirectional converter in a MVDC shipboard power system

The reliability of shipboard power systems can be improved by installing a fault current limiting controller for dc/dc bidirectional converters connected in the system. This paper proposes the design and simulation of a current controller based on the existing model of Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) shipboard power system. The proposed current limiting control turns the converter off and forces the converter into a sleep mode as soon as an over current condition is detected. At the end of sleep time, the converter is soft started. If the fault condition persists, then this process is repeated. The sleep time reduces the average load current and allows the converter to cool down. Control performance of the proposed controller is evaluated using a large-scale simulation of a notional MVDC system on a Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS).
Port of Houston impact on the socio-economic status of surrounding neighborhoods: A case study in Houston, Texas

This project explores the forces of historical public policy in Houston, Texas, as it relates to the development and expansion of the Port of Houston System, the impact of that growth on the socio-economic status of surrounding neighborhoods, and the resulting land use practices in U. S. Census Tracts adjacent to the port facilities. The effects of globalization of markets, decreases in trade barriers and tariffs, and development of containerized cargo are current market forces that have impacted the multiple port complexes in Harris County Texas. Funding the cost and fueling the pace of port expansion and maintenance over the last century has been through public (federal, state, and local), private, and corporate initiatives. Not considered by public governance and growth coalitions over the past six decades of port expansion is the cost residents along the Houston Ship Channel bear in the form of quality of life, environmental hazards, urban decay, community infrastructure, and corresponding housing values.
Patterns of Electrophoretic and Morphologic Variability in a Widely Distributed Unionid: an Initial Survey

Results from an initial survey of electrophoretic and morphologic variability expressed by a highly polytypic and widely distributed unionid species, Elliptio complanata, indicate that two distict races exist on the northern Atlantic Slope. The Delmarva Peninsula is a present site of introgressive hybridization between these races, and various patterns of electrophoretic and morphologic intermediacy are observed. It is proposed that this hybrid zone constitutes one of a series of contacts between geographic races of E. complanata presently distributed as a "Rassenkreis" around the Appalachian mountains. Such races were probably formed as a result of alternate phases of range expansion and contraction during Pleistocene glacial episodes, and patterns of differentiation now present among these races are consistent with initial stages of speciation as predicted by a reticulate model. Continued study of this species is likely to provide insight into patterns of transspecific change in this group of organisms.
Coarse-graining Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory

We present a real-space formulation for coarse-graining Kohn–Sham Density Functional Theory that significantly speeds up the analysis of material defects without appreciable loss of accuracy. The approximation scheme consists of two steps. First, we develop a linear-scaling method that enables the direct evaluation of the electron density without the need to evaluate individual orbitals. We achieve this by performing Gauss quadrature over the spectrum of the linearized Hamiltonian operator appearing in each iteration of the self-consistent field method. Building on the linear-scaling method, we introduce a spatial approximation scheme resulting in a coarse-grained Density Functional Theory. The spatial approximation is adapted so as to furnish fine resolution where necessary and to coarsen elsewhere. This coarse-graining step enables the analysis of defects at a fraction of the original computational cost, without any significant loss of accuracy. Furthermore, we show that the coarse-grained solutions are convergent with respect to the spatial approximation. We illustrate the scope, versatility, efficiency and accuracy of the scheme by means of selected examples.
Effect of storage temperature on sperm cryopreservation

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the influence of cryopreservation temperature on human sperm motility and morphology. Design: Controlled study, investigator was blinded to the type of cryopreservation. Setting: University-based andrology laboratory. Patient(s): Sixteen semen samples with normal motility and sperm count from men after a fertility work up. Intervention(s): Semen aliquots were either stored in a mechanical freezer at −70°C or in liquid nitrogen at −196°C for 7 days or 3 months. Test yolk buffer was used as a cryoprotectant. With use of a programmable freezing unit, all samples were cooled at a controlled rate. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm motility and morphology. Result(s): After 7 days of cryopreservation, there was a greater decrease in sperm motility among specimens maintained at −70°C than among those maintained at −196°C (47% versus 39% decrease). The difference in sperm motility was even greater after 3 months of cryopreservation (72% versus 39% decrease). No difference in postthaw sperm morphology was detected among sperm preserved at −70°C versus −196°C. Conclusion(s): Sperm cryopreservation at −196°C is superior to cryopreservation at −70°C. Sperm can be stored at −70°C for a short period of time with a relatively modest loss of motility.
Keratosis punctata palmaris et plantaris and adenocarcinoma of the colon. A possible familial association of punctate keratoderma and gastrointestinal malignancy

We report a patient with keratosis punctata palmaris et plantaris who developed adenocarcinoma of the colon. Family history revealed at least seven other individuals with punctate keratoderma. The patient's mother had punctate keratoderma and carcinoma of the colon, and his maternal grandfather had punctate keratoderma and carcinoma of the pancreas. This is the third reported family, to our knowledge, in which hereditary palmar and plantar hyperkeratosis appears to be associated with gastrointestinal carcinomas. (J Am Acad Dermatol 10:587-591, 1984.)
Indexing based on edit-distance matching of shape graphs

We are investigating a graph matching approach for indexing into pictorial databases using shock graphs, a symmetry- based representation of shape. Each shape (or a collection of edge elements) is represented by a shock graph. Indexing of a query into a pictorial database is accomplished by comparing the corresponding shock graph to the graphs representing database elements and selecting the best match. This paper introduces a new metric for comparing shock graphs.
Synthesis and evaluation of benzophenone-based photoaffinity labeling analogs of prenyl pyrophosphates containing stable amide linkages

Abstract The syntheses of two photoactive prenyl pyrophosphate analogs (1a and 1b) that incorporate stable amide-linked benzophenones are described. Compound 1a contains a single isoprene (C5) unit between the pyrophosphate and benzophenone functionalities while 1b contains a geranyl (C10) moiety. Compounds 1a and 1b are competitive inhibitors of yeast farnesyl protein transferase with respect to farnesyl pyrophosphate and have KI values of 6000 nM and 700 nM. Upon irradiation, [32P]-1b preferentially labels the β-subunits of yeast farnesyl protein transferase and human geranylgeranyl protein transferase.
Effects of different computer typing speeds on acceleration and peak contact pressure of the fingertips during computer typing

[Purpose] This study showed the effects of different computer typing speeds on acceleration and peak contact pressure of the fingertips during computer typing. [Subjects] Twenty-one male computer workers voluntarily consented to participate in this study. They consisted of 7 workers who could type 200–300 characteristics/minute, 7 workers who could type 300–400 characteristics/minute, and 7 workers who could type 400–500 chracteristics/minute. [Methods] This study was used to measure the acceleration and peak contact pressure of the fingertips for different typing speed groups using an accelerometer and CONFORMat system. [Results] The fingertip contact pressure was increased in the high typing speed group compared with the low and medium typing speed groups. The fingertip acceleration was increased in the high typing speed group compared with the low and medium typing speed groups. [Conclusion] The results of the present study indicate that a fast typing speed cause continuous pressure stress to be applied to the fingers, thereby creating pain in the fingers.
Traveling bands of chemotactic bacteria in the context of population growth

Abstract A mathematical model for traveling bands of motile and chemotactic bacteria in the presence of cell growth and death is examined. It is found that asymptotic traveling wave solutions exist in the absence of chemotaxis, due to the balance of growth, death and random motility. Thus random motility confers the ecological advantage of population propagation through migration into nutrient-rich regions. The presence of chemotaxis amplifies this advantage by moving more cells into higher nutrient concentration regions, resulting in larger and faster bands. Therefore there seem to be two types of traveling bands that can be attained by chemotactic bacteria in the presence of growth and death: (1) these growth/death/motility bands; and (2) pure chemotactic ‘Keller-Segel’-type bands. Comparison to experimental observations by Chapman in 1973 indicate that the latter seem to be formed. The relationship between these two types of solution is at present uncertain. The growth/death/motility bands may have relevance on longer time or distance scales characteristic of microbial ecological systems.
Image-based predictive display for high d.o.f. uncalibrated tele-manipulation using affine and intensity subspace models

The addition of immediate but estimated visual feedback, called predictive display, improves tele-manipulaton performance when the real video feedback is delayed. Current systems typically rely upon a previously calibrated camera and manipulator. We present a method where the motor-visual calibration is estimated on-line from motor commands and returned video images only. Predicted visual feedback is presented in two forms. As soon as a basic model has been estimated, a wire frame drawing of the predicted current pose is overlaid on the delayed video feedback. After some time when a rich model has been estimated, predicted intensity images are synthesized and these replace the delayed real video. In an intermediate situation where blurry synthesized images can be computed, the wireframe is overlaid on the synthesized images to show precisely the pose of the object. Experiments with a Utah/MIT robot hand and PUMA robot arm are shown.
The force required to rupture fetal membranes paradoxically increases with acute in vitro repeated stretching

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether acute repetitive stretching causes fetal membranes (FM) weakening. Study design Cesarean or vaginally delivered FM were repeatedly stretched and thereafter subjected to rupture testing. Rupture strength (RS), work to rupture (WR), and stiffness were determined. Unstretched FM were compared with stretched FM. Results In the cesarean group, FM stretched to 50% or 75% of the baseline (unstretched) RS for 10-20 cycles of 10 seconds each paradoxically showed increased RS and stiffness. WR decreased compared with baseline. Detailed analysis revealed that even a single stretch cycle initiated these changes to physical properties. Vaginally delivered FM showed similar changes in physical properties, as did separated amnion. Conclusion Acute stretch forces do not directly cause FM weakening.
A Compact-Difference Scheme for the Navier—Stokes Equations in Vorticity—Velocity Formulation

This paper presents a new numerical method for solving the incompressible, unsteady Navier?Stokes equations in vorticity?velocity formulation. The method is applicable to spatial simulations of transitional and turbulent boundary layer flows. It is based on a compact-difference discretization of the streamwise and wall-normal derivatives in Cartesian coordinates. A Fourier collocation approach is used for the spanwise derivatives. Important new features of the numerical method are the use of nonequidistant differences in the wall-normal direction; the use of split-compact differences in the streamwise direction; a new, fast iteration for a semi-implicit time integration of the wall-normal diffusion terms; and an improvement of the buffer domain technique to prevent reflections of waves at the outflow boundary. Results of test calculations are presented to verify the improvements obtained by the use of these new techniques.
Bolted large seismic steel beam-to-column connections Part 2: numerical nonlinear analysis

Abstract A large bolted steel moment-resisting connection was studied by nonlinear numerical analysis. This connection was a single-sided beam-to-column assembly that is representative of exterior beam-to-column connections. It was composed of a W36 × 150 Grade 50 beam and a W14 × 283 Grade 50 column. The T-stubs were cut from W40 × 264 sections of Grade 50 steel. The T-stub stems were welded and prestressed by high-strength bolts to the beam flanges in a fabricating shop. Final beam-to-column assembly required no additional welding: the T-stub flanges were bolted to the column and the column shear tab was bolted to the beam web. During cyclic testing the beam deformation was minimal due to the active participation of the T-stub flanges. A separation was observed between the T-stub flanges and the column flange. The separation occurred due to plastic bending deformation in the T-stub flanges. This phenomenon allowed energy dissipation and prevented severe buckling in the beam flanges and beam web. The tests revealed the importance of the numerical analysis of the connection to obtain a better understanding of the critical performance parameters. A finite element analysis was conducted on a specimen with rectangular- shaped stems. The analysis consisted of two parts: a solid element analysis of the T-stub under tension load in the stem and a shell element modeling with buckling and instability analysis. The solid element analysis was conducted to study the local behavior of the T-stub, whereas the shell model analysis was performed to study the global behavior of the connection.
Microstructure evolution during electroless Copper deposition

A study using transmission and scanning electron microscopy was made of the evolution of the microstructure of electroless plated Cu on activated amorphous substrates and on single-crystal Cu grains. On amorphous substrates activated in a PdCl 2 -SnCl 2 colloidal solution, Sn atoms dissolved into the plating solution concurrently with Cu deposition on the substrate during the initial stage of deposition. The very small face-centered-cubic grains of Cu-Pd solid solution agglomerated into much larger particles and later coalesced into spherical grains. As the grains grew, they developed crystallographic facets, impinged upon one another, and finally covered the entire substrate. Grains of energetically favorable crystallographic orientation selectively developed into the columnar structure. These columnar grains contained subgrains, dislocations, and twins. Remarkably different structures were observed for the Cu grown on large single-crystal grains. In this case epitaxial growth dominated the plating process. Low-surface-energy (111) Cu planes were frequently observed on plated Cu surfaces. Growth rates were a function of substrate orientation.
Electrical Noise in the Conduction of Currents through Organic Liquids

APPARENTLY random fluctuations in the current are familiar to everyone studying d.c. conduction in liquids. They seem not to have been extensively investigated, although the corresponding phenomenon in solids has received some attention during the past decade1,2.
Relation of Eyes-Closed Resting EEG Alpha Activity to Hypnotic Susceptibility

A positive correlation of .70 (p = .001) was found between a measure of the presence of EEG alpha rhythms during a resting condition and separately gathered scores of hypnotic susceptibility for a sample of 21 Ss. The relationship was similar in the 10 males and the 11 females who comprised the total sample. The finding replicates and extends a similar study by London, Hart, and Leibovitz (1968).
Evidence for classical critical behavior in long-range site percolation

A new large-cell Monte Carlo renormalization group following the approach of Reynolds et al. is developed to study site percolation with long-range interaction. The results show that site percolation with a long, but finite, range of interactions has the same correlation-length exponent ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{P}$ as ordinary percolation. However, as the interaction range tends to infinity, ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{P}$ approaches its mean-field value of $\frac{1}{2}$ indicating that infinite-range percolation exhibits classical critical behavior.
The crystal structure of 2,2′-bis-1,3-dithiole and dimethyl dicyanofumarate CT complex

The crystal structure of 2,2′-bis-1,3-dithiole dimethyl dicyanofumarate has been determined from a single-crystal X-ray study. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP21/c with two complexes per unit cell of dimensionsa=11.075(2)A,b=11.615(3)A,c=6.623(4)A, α=γ=90.0°,β=95.7(16)°, andV=847.6(9)A3. The observed and calculated densities are 1.56 and 1.57 g cm−3 respectively. Full-matrix least-squares refinement using 404 reflections having 4°⩽2θ⩽50° andI⩾3σ(I) converged atR=0.0492 andRw=0.0614. Structural parameters in bond lengths and bond angles do not change to any observable extent when comparing the parent molecules to the complexed state. AnOrtep view along thec-axis shows the units to be arranged in segregated parallel stacks with a distance of 3.31 A between layers.
The black earnings gap: discrimination or culture

Abstract This paper explores the earnings gap between West Indians and African Americans that cannot be explained by observable characteristics and is often interpreted as a measure of discrimination or unobservable cultural endowments. The earnings gap advantage has lead to many perceptions and some unsubstantiated implications as to the reasons why West Indians perform better than African Americans in the labor market. This is an attempt to sort out the implications and to put the West Indian/African American earnings difference in prospective.
Modification of perceptual systems

Perceptual Modification: Adapting to Altered Sensory Environments. By R. B. Welch. (Academic: New York, San Francisco and London, 1978.) $24.50, £15.90.
Effects of Depletion of Ascorbic Acid or Nonprotein Sulfhydryls on the Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, and Phosgene

AbstractThe effect of depleting lung ascorbic acid (AH2) and nonprotein sulfhydryls (NPSH) on the acute inhalation toxicity of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and phosgene (COCl2) was investigated in guinea pigs. The increase in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid protein (an indicator of alveolar-capillary damage leading to increased permeability) was measured 16–78 h following a 4-h exposure to the gas in animals deficient in AH2 or NPSH. Gas concentrations were chosen that produced low but significant increases in BAL protein. Lung AH2 was lowered to about 20% of control by feeding rabbit chow for 2 wk. Lung NPSH was lowered to about 50% of control by injecting a mixture of buthionine S, R-sulfoximine (BSO) and diethylmaleate (OEM) (2.7 and 1.2 mmol/kg, respectively). BSO/DEM did not affect the lung concentrations of AH2 or α-tocopherol. AH2 depletion caused a fivefold and a threefold enhancement in the toxicity of 5 ppm and 10 ppm NO2, and a sixfold enhancement in the toxicity of 0.5 ppm O3, but di...
Acute drug reactions among the elderly

Research in the field of social gerontology has not examined rug use and abuse amont the aged despite the potential significance of this issue to many students of gerontology. This report, based on an analysis of the records of patients who were treated for acute drug reactions at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, during 1972, examines characteristics of acute drug reactions among a sample of 60 elderly patients and compares these characteristics with those of other age cohorts. The findings show that acute drug reactions were more likely to occur among whites and females, that a substantial number of the reactions followed the ingestion of two or more substances, that roughly one-third of the admissions were directly related to suicide attempts, and that the vast majority of acute drug reactions among the elderly admissions involved the ingestion of legally manufactured and distributed drugs. Language: en
Probable Bexarotene Hepatotoxicity Associated With Transient Serum Antimitochondrial Antibodies

Bexarotene is a retinoid X receptor agonist approved for the treatment of cutaneous manifestations of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. In clinical trials, its use has been associated with elevations in serum aminotransferase activities. This report describes a case of probable bexarotene-induced hepatocellular injury in a woman, which was originally misdiagnosed as primary biliary cirrhosis because of the transient presence of serum antimitochondrial antibodies. Liver biopsy showed portal and periportal inflammation, ceroid-laden macrophages and normal bile ducts. Serum aminotransferase activities returned to normal approximately 8 weeks after discontinuing bexarotene and serum antimitochondrial antibodies were not detectable approximately one year after stopping the drug. This case reinforces the need to consider the possibility of drug-induced liver injury in patients taking bexarotene and that serum antimitochondrial antibodies may be transiently detectable in such individuals. doi:10.4021/jmc633w
Cochlear implant extrusion secondary to keloid formation.

AbstractObjective and importanceThe goal of this paper is to describe a previously unreported etiology for cochlear implant extrusion. A short literature review is included. This paper represents the first reported case of cochlear implant extrusion secondary to keloid formation.Clinical presentationWe present the case of a 40-year-old male who underwent cochlear implant insertion approximately 5 years prior who later developed a 5 cm post-auricular soft tissue swelling and partial extrusion which interfered with implant function.InterventionHe subsequently underwent wound debridement, cochlear implant removal, and rotational skin flap closure. Final pathology revealed keloid scar.ConclusionCochlear implant extrusion is a rare complication which has been attributed to various causes. This report identifies keloid formation as another possible source.
Interactions between the ParasitoidAmetadoria misella(Diptera: Tachinidae) and the Granulovirus ofHarrisina brillians(Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)☆

Abstract Interactions between a granulovirus (HbGV), a tachinid parasitoidAmetadoria misella,and their host, the western grapeleaf skeletonizerHarrisina brillians,were investigated. In field populations, the occurrence ofA. misellain HbGV-infectedH. brillianspupae was less frequent than would have been expected by random assortment of the virus and the parasitoid. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected granulovirus less frequently and in lower concentrations in parasitized pupae than in nonparasitized pupae. Finally, in the host pupae that tested positive for virus, parasitoids were more likely to survive pupation than hosts. When laboratory-rearedH. brillianslarvae were exposed to naturally occurringA. misellain a field experiment, the parasitoid oviposited more often in older than in younger host larvae and more often in healthy than in HbGV-infected host larvae. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that selective oviposition byA. misellaleads to reduced overlap of the parasitoid and HbGV in hosts, resulting in greater parasitoid survival.
Thermal focusing by hydrate accumulations

This paper examines the maximal extent of shallow thermal gradient distortions brought about by hydrate rich regions of finite lateral dimensions in sediments. In general, the anomalous gradient depends on both the thickness of the hydrate layer, the fraction of hydrate in the pore space and the lateral dimensions of the hydrate-bearing body. It is shown that it is difficult to obtain more than about a 5 to 10 percent change in the regional temperature gradient for hydrate fractions of up to 35%-near the maximum of observed values. The identification of hydrate bodies by use of shallow thermal gradient probes would, therefore, seem to be difficult but not impossible.