cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Dietary Silicon on Growth and Skeletal Development in Chickens

Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of supplementary dietary silicon on weight gain, feed efficiency, percent tibia bone ash and on the development of tibial dyschondroplasia in broiler chickens. Experiments 1 and 2 were conducted with casein/gelatin-based purified diets and Experiments 3 and 4 with corn/soy-based practical diets. All experiments used day-old broiler cockerels and lasted 16 d. Silicon supplementation (250 mg/kg) significantly decreased growth rate and the incidence and severity of tibial dyschondroplasia in Experiment 1 and had no effect on either parameter in Experiments 2-4. Dietary silicon supplementation significantly reduced feed efficiency in Experiments 1 and 3. Tibia bone ash was unaffected by dietary silicon supplementation in any of the experiments conducted. The results of the present studies indicate that dietary silicon supplementation has no effect on growth and skeletal development in broiler chickens.
Statistically robust detection of spontaneous, non-stereotypical neural signals

Neural signals of interest are often temporally spontaneous and non-stereotypical in waveform. Detecting such signals is difficult, since one cannot use time-locking or simple template-matching techniques. We have sought a statistical method for automatically estimating the baseline in these conditions, and subsequently detecting the occurrence of neural signals. One could consider the signals as outliers in the distribution of neural activity and thus separate them from the baseline with median-based techniques. However, we found that baseline estimators that rely on the median are problematic. They introduce progressively greater estimation errors as the neural signal's duration, amplitude or frequency increases. Therefore, we tested several mode-based algorithms, taking advantage of the most probable state of the neural activity being the baseline. We found that certain mode-based algorithms perform baseline estimation well, with low susceptibility to changes in event duration, amplitude or frequency. Once the baseline is properly established, its median absolute deviation (MAD) can be determined. One can then use it to detect spontaneous signals robustly as outliers from the noise distribution. We also demonstrate how the choice of detection threshold in terms of MADs can be used to bias against false positives, without creating too many false negatives or vice versa.
Differences and Similarities in the Mechanical Response of Soft Living Animal Tissue and Filled Polymeric Materials

The dynamic morphological response in strip biaxial deformation of a particular soft living animal tissue (cat's mesentery) has been determined by simultaneous mechanical measurements and in vivo histological observation. Similar stress-stretch measurements have been made for glass-bead filled styrene-butadiene rubber in cycles of constant rates of loading and unloading. Both the living and the synthetic specimens exhibit considerable hysteresis accompany such deformations; however, the two materials exhibit different abilities to reheal or recover following loading. In the living tissue, where strong links exist between the ground substance matrix and reinforcing filler material (collagen fibers), consequent stress gradients visible in polarized light develop as the material is deformed, and also microfailure presumably of hydrogen and salt-like bonds occurs as the deformation increases. Likewise, on the micro-scale the glass-bead filled systems show a dewetting of the matrix and the simultaneous formati...
Studies concerning the regional lymph node in cancer. VII. Thymidine uptake by cells from nodes of breast cancer patients relative to axillary location and histopathologic discriminants

Cells derived from 279 regional lymph nodes (RLNCs) of 62 women with primary breast cancer when evaluated immediately after removal were found to vary significantly relative to their uptake of tritiated thymidine (3HT). The variation was related to the position of nodes in the axilla. Uptake by cells from low axillary nodes was significantly greater than was that by cells from high lying nodes. Consideration is given to the possibility that the increased uptake by low RLNCs reflects the consequences of stimulation by tumor antigen. Relation of the findings to histopathologic discriminants present in nodes and tumors revealed: (a) that the presence of sinus histiocytosis was unrelated to either location of nodes in the axilla or to 3HT uptake by RLNCs, confirming our previous observations indicating no functional or other relationship for that parameter; (b) that while a significantly greater proportion of low than high nodes contained lymph follicles, no correlation existed between 3HT uptake and the presence or absence of follicles in low nodes; and (c) that in general, no relationship existed between nuclear grade or lymphocytic infiltration of tumor and 3HT uptake by RLNCs. The present findings and those reported by others suggest that high axillary nodes in breast cancer patients are more closely related functionally to distant than to low axillary nodes and that despite their anatomical location, they might best be considered biologically and relative to their surgical management in the same category as supraclavicular, cervical, or contralateral axillary nodes. Also, in view of the present findings, the wisdom of removing low axillary nodes in breast cancer operations may be challenged.
Local compositional fluctuations in PPO/HIPSand PPO/SBS blends

Solid-state NMR relaxation has been used to explore the distribution of components in poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and PPO/poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) blends. The nuclear relaxation of PPO in the former system is single exponential for all compositions, but the relaxation of PS in the blend is simple exponential only when the PPO content is low but is otherwise nonexponential. The nuclear magnetization decay curves were analyzed in terms of statistical compositional fluctuation at the scale of spin diffusion distances of several nm. Distribution functions for nuclear relaxation and for blend composition have been derived. Extraction of low molecular weight occluded PS from HIPS resulted in blends having reduced homogeneity. Addition of low molecular weight PS enhanced homogeneity in both the PPO/HIPS and PPO/SBS blends. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Frege on Reference in Quotation

Pierre Swiggers: Frege on reference in quotation.A discussion about the correct interpretation of an "enigmatic" statement made by Frege.
Two-color STED microscopy in living cells

Diffraction-unlimited resolution provided by Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy allows for imaging cellular processes in living cells that are not visible by conventional microscopy. However, it has so far not been possible to study dynamic nanoscale interactions because multicolor live cell STED microscopy has yet to be demonstrated and suitable labeling technologies and protocols are lacking. Here we report the first realization of two-color STED imaging in living cells. Using improved SNAPf and CLIPf technologies to label epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF receptor (EGFR), we report resolutions of 78 nm and 82 nm for 22 sequential two-color scans in living cells.
EGO DEVELOPMENT AND PREFERENTIAL JUDGMENT IN LIFE-SPAN PERSPECTIVE1

Contemporary unitary, terminal models of ego development often confound value-laden description with formal characteristics of cognitive development. Virtue is associated with cognitive maturity, and the converse with cognitive immaturity; but within broad limits, cognitive maturity is neither necessary nor sufficient for virtue. An alternative model, derived from an axiomatic theory of ego organization, provides for the nonevaluative classification of preferential judgment. The development of preferential judgment involves the successive reorganization of subjective, objective, and normative content at successive levels of cognitive complexity. The stages of preferential judgment are exemplified through classification of observations and interview material selected from more than 1000 subjects between the ages of birth and 41 years. Empirical evidence consistent with developmental divergence and developmental order of stages is presented, and the conditions of developmental transformation discussed.
Glaucoma in Children: Are We Making Progress?

Background: Glaucoma in children presents difficult clinical challenges. Even when appropriately treated, blindness can occur. Design: Retrospective interventional case series and literature review. Methods: All clinical records of children seen by the author with a diagnosis of glaucoma established before 16 years of age were reviewed from 1977 to 2003. Glaucoma was classified as primary infantile, aphakic, syndrome-related, and secondary. The best-corrected visual acuity, refractive error, configuration of the optic nerve cup, and perimetry were recorded. The intraocular pressure (IOP) for each visit was recorded. IOP measurements of 19 mm Hg or less were considered “good.” The percentage of “good” readings was calculated for each eye. Representative visual acuities, refractive errors, IOP, disk configuration, and perimetry were recorded at 6, 12, 18, and 24 years of age for each patient. The admitting ophthalmologic diagnosis for each child at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children was recorded from 1887 to 2003. Results: One hundred twenty-six children (204 eyes) were studied: infantile glaucoma, 52 eyes; aphakic glaucoma, 40 eyes; syndrome associated, 69 eyes; and secondary glaucoma, 43 eyes. The mean follow-up was 11.6 years (1 to 30 years). Overall, 60 (29.4%) of 204 eyes had a 6/12 (20/40) or better corrected visual acuity at the most recent visit. The percentage with this acuity remained stable throughout the follow-up period. Eyes with infantile glaucoma had the best acuity, and 40% had 6/12 (20/40) or better. Amblyopia was common and responded to treatment. Eyes with aphakic glaucoma had the worst acuity with only 10% achieving 6/12 or better. These eyes had a bimodal onset of glaucoma; eyes with an early onset had an angle closure configuration and eyes with a delayed onset had an open angle. Early cataract removal and microcornea were risk factors for glaucoma. If the IOP was maintained at 19 mm Hg or less (good) on 80% of the determinations over time, the optic nerve cup compared with the diameter of the optic nerve (C/D ratios) were stable. Eight patients had multiple, good quality, visual fields performed over 3 to 15 years. If the patients had “good” IOP on 70% of the measurements, the visual fields remained stable. A historical perspective of glaucoma control was gained by looking at the admitting diagnosis at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. From 1910 to 1970, an average of 9.2 children blind due to glaucoma were admitted each decade. From 1971 to 2003, there were only three children with glaucoma admitted over 30 years. Conclusion: Removal of congenital cataracts should be delayed until 3 to 4 weeks of age. Consideration should be given for using 19 mm Hg or less to measure the success of glaucoma treatment in children. Treatment of amblyopia is as important as IOP control in children. Imaging technology such as optical coherence tomography and measurement of central corneal thickness may play an important future role in the assessment of children with suspected or known glaucoma.
The Battering State: Towards a Political Economy of Domestic Violence

A political economy of domestic violence situates domestic violence within cultural-historical context to reveal the intersection between domestic violence and (1) the organization of the polity, (2) the arrangement of the economy, and (3) the dominant familial ideology expressed normatively through state policies. The combination of these components makes visible the articulation between domestic violence and an often invisible set of conditions in US society–structural inequality as shaped by ‘family values’ and the logic of state-economy relations. The analysis of the political economy of battering as it intersects with poverty and globalization highlights the contours of “the battering state.”
Decreased CSF Transferrin in sCJD: A Potential Pre-Mortem Diagnostic Test for Prion Disorders

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob-disease (sCJD) is a fatal neurodegenerative condition that escapes detection until autopsy. Recently, brain iron dyshomeostasis accompanied by increased transferrin (Tf) was reported in sCJD cases. The consequence of this abnormality on cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) levels of Tf is uncertain. We evaluated the accuracy of CSF Tf, a ‘new’ biomarker, as a pre-mortem diagnostic test for sCJD when used alone or in combination with the ‘current’ biomarker total-tau (T-tau). Levels of total-Tf (T-Tf), isoforms of Tf (Tf-1 and Tf-β2), and iron saturation of Tf were quantified in CSF collected 0.3–36 months before death (duration) from 99 autopsy confirmed sCJD (CJD+) and 75 confirmed cases of dementia of non-CJD origin (CJD-). Diagnostic accuracy was estimated by non-parametric tests, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PV), and likelihood ratios (LR) of each biomarker and biomarker combination were calculated. We report that relative to CJD-, CJD+ cases had lower median CSF T-Tf (125,7093 vs. 217,7893) and higher T-tau (11530 vs. 1266) values. AUC was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85–0.94) for T-Tf, and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89–0.97) for T-Tf combined with T-tau. With cut-offs defined to achieve a sensitivity of ∼85%, T-Tf identified CJD+ cases with a specificity of 71.6% (95% CI, 59.1–81.7), positive LR of 3.0 (95% CI, 2.1–4.5), negative LR of 0.2 (95% CI, 0.1–0.3), and accuracy of 80.1%. The effect of patient age and duration was insignificant. T-Tf combined with T-tau identified CJD+ with improved specificity of 87.5% (95%CI, 76.3–94.1), positive LR of 6.8 (95% CI, 3.5–13.1), negative LR of 0.2 (95% CI, 0.1–0.3), positive-PV of 91.0%, negative-PV of 80.0%, and accuracy of 86.2%. Thus, CSF T-Tf, a new biomarker, when combined with the current biomarker T-tau, is a reliable pre-mortem diagnostic test for sCJD.
Problem‐based learning in a third‐year pediatric clerkship

A randomized treatment‐control study of third‐year clerks during their pediatrics rotation was performed to assess whether a problem‐based learning (PBL) curriculum assures adequate exposure to pediatric concepts while enhancing the quality of students’ experience. Forty‐five out of 202 medical students were randomly selected to participate in the PBL track. These students attended PBL rounds covering predesigned cases, whereas the control group attended traditional rounds. Curricular content, exam performance, and student satisfaction were evaluated. Correlation of learning issues and essential course objectives was greater than 90%. There was no difference between groups on standardized exam performance. PBL students were more satisfied with the amount of observation by attendings and with evaluations by residents and attendings. We conclude that the PBL curriculum was successfully introduced, curricular content controlled, whereas test performance was preserved and satisfaction with evaluation increased.
On a geometrical aspect of SOR and the theory of consistent ordering for positive definite matrices

On the basis of a similarity transformation of ??, the successive overrelaxation operator, a geometrical interpretation of SOR is given. It is shown how the theory of consistent ordering falls into the resulting framework and how connections between SOR and other algorithms can be established.
Quantum squeezing and entanglement in a two-mode Bose-Einstein condensate with time-dependent Josephson-like coupling

Dynamical evolution of quantum mechanical squeezing and entanglement in a two-mode Bose-Einstein condensate (TBEC) with an adiabatic, time-varying Raman coupling is studied by finding analytical expressions for these quantities. In particular, we study the entanglement between the atoms in the condensate as well as that between the two modes. The nature of the enhanced quantum correlations in TBEC is clarified by considering squeezing and entanglement both with and without the nonlinear interaction turned on; it is found that entanglement approaching maximal value can be achieved with the nonlinear interactions present. Somewhat counterintuitively, greater squeezing is found in the absence of nonlinear interactions. This is due to the collapses and revivals of the TBEC quantum state induced by the nonlinear interactions. In addition, results involving the self-trapping phase state of TBEC indicate potential for creating a dynamically stable, macroscopic entangled quantum state which is relatively robust with respect to atom number fluctuations.
Meiotic Recombination Initiation in and around Retrotransposable Elements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Meiotic recombination is initiated by large numbers of developmentally programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), ranging from dozens to hundreds per cell depending on the organism. DSBs formed in single-copy sequences provoke recombination between allelic positions on homologous chromosomes, but DSBs can also form in and near repetitive elements such as retrotransposons. When they do, they create a risk for deleterious genome rearrangements in the germ line via recombination between non-allelic repeats. A prior study in budding yeast demonstrated that insertion of a Ty retrotransposon into a DSB hotspot can suppress meiotic break formation, but properties of Ty elements in their most common physiological contexts have not been addressed. Here we compile a comprehensive, high resolution map of all Ty elements in the rapidly and efficiently sporulating S. cerevisiae strain SK1 and examine DSB formation in and near these endogenous retrotransposable elements. SK1 has 30 Tys, all but one distinct from the 50 Tys in S288C, the source strain for the yeast reference genome. From whole-genome DSB maps and direct molecular assays, we find that DSB levels and chromatin structure within and near Tys vary widely between different elements and that local DSB suppression is not a universal feature of Ty presence. Surprisingly, deletion of two Ty elements weakened adjacent DSB hotspots, revealing that at least some Ty insertions promote rather than suppress nearby DSB formation. Given high strain-to-strain variability in Ty location and the high aggregate burden of Ty-proximal DSBs, we propose that meiotic recombination is an important component of host-Ty interactions and that Tys play critical roles in genome instability and evolution in both inbred and outcrossed sexual cycles.
On a paradox of mereological change

Each of the following sentences expresses a strong intuition about physical things: (a) a physical object is a three-dimensional spatial thing; (b) some physical things can, in the strict sense, remain the same thing through minor changes in their parts; (c) if x and y are physical things with the same spatiotemporal location, then x is strictly identical with y; (d) if x is a proper part of an existing physical thing and x occupies an occupiable ' region of space, then x is itself an existing physical thing. There is a familiar argument that purports to prove that not all of (a)-(d) can be part of our ordinary concept of a physical thing. Its strategy for defending this claim is showing that at least one of (a)-(d) must be false. The reason it gives for concluding that (a)-(d) are inconsistent is, appropriately, that they give rise to a paradox: according to the argument, (c) commits us to identifying products of a part-loss, yet (a), (b), and (d) yield the result that the products are different things." I shall refer to this proof as 'The Argument from Mereological Change' or 'the Argument' for short. As it stands, the Argument is invalid and therefore does not force us to reject some of (a)-(d). My main purpose is to make this plain. I also discuss the possibility of amending the Argument to obtain a sound justification of its conclusion. I shall first consider a formulation of the Argument that is close to the statement of it Eli Hirsch gives in The Concept of Identity. It departs from Hirsch's expression of the Argument only in ways that do not detract from the Argument's claim to be sound: some of the changes eliminate insignificant complications in Hirsch's version. The others render explicit some steps and justifications that are implicit in his formulation, thereby making the Argument easier to examine.
Rank-based test procedures for interaction in the two-way layout with one observation per cell

New aligned-rank test procedures for the composite null hypothesis of no interaction effects (without placing restrictions on the two main effects) against appropriate composite general alternatives are developed for the standard two-way layout with a single observation per cell. Relative power performances of the two new aligned-rank procedures and existing tests due to Tukey (1949) and to de Kroon & van der Laan (1981) are examined via Monte Carlo simulation. Extensive power studies conducted on the 5 × 6 and 5 × 9 two-way layouts with one observation per cell show superior performance of the new procedures for a variety of interaction effects. Simulated critical values for the new procedures are provided in settings where the number of levels for each of the factors is between 3 and 9, inclusive. Les auteurs proposent deux nouvelles statistiques de rangs alignes permettant de tester l'absence d'interactions (sans placer de restrictions sur les effets principaux) dans le cadre du modele a deux facteurs et a une observation par traitement. La puissance de ces tests est comparee a celle des tests de Tukey (1949) et de de Kroon & van der Laan (1981) au moyen d'une etude de Monte-Carlo. De nombreuses simulations realisees sur des modales 5 × 6 et 5 × 9 font ressortir la superiorite des nouveaux tests pour differents types d'interactions. Des tableaux de valeurs critiques obtenues par simulation sont fournis pour les situations ou les facteurs du modele ont entre 3 et 9 modalites inclusivement.
Native tertiary structure and nucleoside modifications suppress tRNA's intrinsic ability to activate the innate immune sensor PKR

Interferon inducible protein kinase PKR is an essential component of innate immunity. It is activated by long stretches of dsRNA and provides the first line of host defense against pathogens by inhibiting translation initiation in the infected cell. Many cellular and viral transcripts contain nucleoside modifications and/or tertiary structure that could affect PKR activation. We have previously demonstrated that a 5′-end triphosphate–a signature of certain viral and bacterial transcripts–confers the ability of relatively unstructured model RNA transcripts to activate PKR to inhibit translation, and that this activation is abrogated by certain modifications present in cellular RNAs. In order to understand the biological implications of native RNA tertiary structure and nucleoside modifications on PKR activation, we study here the heavily modified cellular tRNAs and the unmodified or the lightly modified mitochondrial tRNAs (mt-tRNA). We find that both a T7 transcript of yeast tRNAPhe and natively extracted total bovine liver mt-tRNA activate PKR in vitro, whereas native E. coli, bovine liver, yeast, and wheat tRNAPhe do not, nor do a variety of base- or sugar-modified T7 transcripts. These results are further supported by activation of PKR by a natively folded T7 transcript of tRNAPhe in vivo supporting the importance of tRNA modification in suppressing PKR activation in cells. We also examine PKR activation by a T7 transcript of the A14G pathogenic mutant of mt-tRNALeu, which is known to dimerize, and find that the misfolded dimeric form activates PKR in vitro while the monomeric form does not. Overall, the in vitro and in vivo findings herein indicate that tRNAs have an intrinsic ability to activate PKR and that nucleoside modifications and native RNA tertiary folding may function, at least in part, to suppress such activation, thus serving to distinguish self and non-self tRNA in innate immunity.
Integrated Micromechanical Circuits for RF Front Ends

Having now produced devices with sufficient Q, thermal stability, aging stability, and manufacturability, vibrating RF MEMS technology is already finding its way into next generation timing and wireless applications. At this juncture, the technology is now poised to take its next logical steps: higher levels of circuit complexity and integration. In particular, as vibrating RF MEMS devices are perceived more as circuit building blocks than as stand-alone devices, and as the frequency processing circuits they enable become larger and more complex, the makings of an integrated micromechanical circuit technology begin to take shape, perhaps with a functional breadth to rival that of integrated transistor circuits. After briefly reviewing the present state of vibrating RF MEMS device technology, this paper suggests the mechanical circuit element attributes most likely to insure a broad functional range for future integrated micromechanical circuits.
The Righi-Leduc effect in superconductors

We report observation of the Righi-Leduc effect in the mixed and intermediate states of superconducting alloys of Pb with In, Bi, Sn, and Bi plus Tl and alloys of In with Pb, Cd, and Bi. The tangent of the Righi-Leduc angle, tan θ, as a function of applied fieldH undergoes an abrupt change atH c2 . In many cases, the sign of the Righi-Leduc angle reverses atH c2 . We suggest that the circulating diamagnetic current that flows through a temperature gradient may give a contribution to the Righi-Leduc effect that is observed in the experiments reported here.
Land reform, political violence and the economic inequality‐political conflict nexus: A longitudinal analysis

This study seeks to persuade the reader that students of political violence should shift their focus away from nomological explanations of violent political conflict sui generis. Instead, scholars should concentrate on theoretically demarcating specific types of violent political conflict. Alas, we do not offer a new typology in this paper; rather, we seek to explain an anomaly in the political violence literature: the contradictory set of findings in statistical studies of the relationship between economic inequality and violent political conflict. We contend that contradictory findings exist because some scholars have included cases in their studies where different conflict processes have produced violence in different countries. When these different cases are treated as if they are equivalent in a cross‐sectional study, it is not surprising that the studies produce inconsistent findings. We suggest that the positive findings in these studies are most likely spurious. To systematically explore our conte...
Filter and window behavior for the advanced photon source beamline front ends

Abstract Cooling methods and thickness selection of filters and windows are investigated. Safety criteria previously proposed are used to design the filter and window parameters at the Advanced Photon Source. Results are presented on power absorption as well as analytical results from thermal and structural analyses.
The iterative solution of the equation f ∈ x + Tx for a monotone operator T in Lp spaces

Suppose T is a multivalued monotone operator (not necessarily continuous) with open domain D(T) in Lp (2⩽p-∞), f ∈ R(I + T) and the equation f ∈ x + Tx has a solution q ∈ D(T). Then there exists a neighbourhood B ∋ D(T) of q and a real number r1 > 0 such that for any r ⩾ r1, for any initial guess x1 ∈ B, and any singlevalued section T0 of T, the sequence {xn}n∞ = 1 generated from x1 by xn + 1 = (1 - Cn) xn + Cn(f − T0xn) remains in D(T) and converges strongly to q with ‖xn − q‖ = 0(n−1/2). Furthermore, for X = Lp(E), μ(E)
Effect of stock plant shading, developmental stage and cytokinin on growth and lateral branching of Syngonium podophyllum ‘White Butterfly’

Abstract Syngonium podophyllum Schott. ‘White Butterfly’ cuttings which received a 5-min dip in 400 or 800 mg l −1 PBA had faster initial growth but produced smaller plants with fewer leaves and basal shoots, less total leaf area, and smaller shoot and root dry weights than controls. Light intensities of 650 and 1200 μmol s −1 m −2 on stock plants did not affect the subsequent growth of cuttings. Foliar sprays of 0, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg l −1 BA on plants had no effect on lateral branching and growth of plants propagated from cuttings when applied at the 1-leaf stage. However, when treated with the same concentrations and with 2000 mg l −1 at the 3- and 5-leaf stages, increasing BA concentration induced earlier development of basal lateral shoots and decreased the elongation of the main shoot, resulting in bushier plants. The total number of lateral shoots at final harvest, however, was not increased by BA. BA application at the 3-leaf stage was more effective in reducing the length of the main shoot than application at the 5-leaf stage. BA caused an increased fraction of the total dry weight to be partitioned to the lateral shoots and less to the main shoot, although total plant dry weight remained unchanged among treatments. Leaf number was unaffected by BA. BA foliar spray at 200, 400, 600 or 800 mg l −1 on plants which had already started natural basal branching had no effect on plant growth except that total length of the top 3 internodes on the main shoot was reduced by 25% at the 3 higher concentrations.
Interaction of leukocytes and endotoxin with the plasmin and kinin systems.

Abstract Leukocytes can generate a substance that, when added partially purified human kininogen, is capable of forming kinins. The addition of endotoxin or polystyrene latex particles to the incubated leukocytes doubled the amount of kinin generated. Certain preparations of kininogen, however, failed to allow kinin formation by the leukocytes. No evidence could be found that an activator of prekallikrein or a kallikrein was present in the granulocyte preparations. However, the addition of highly purified plasminogen to inactive kininogen preparations restored their ability to generate kinins in the presence of leukocytes. All the kininogen preparations that allowed kinin formation when incubated with leukocytes contained plasminogen. These data suggest that a plasminogen activator is present on the leukocytes surface. This activator activates plasminogen to form plasmin which in turn acts on kininogen to release a kinin and thus provides a mechanism for the formation of kinins in inflammatory exudates and during endotoxemia.
The Initial Stellar Mass Function from Random Sampling in a Turbulent Fractal Cloud

The initial mass function (IMF) for stars is proposed to result from two distinct physical processes that determine its shape separately in two intervals of mass: random sampling of mass in a fractal cloud gives the power-law portion at intermediate to high mass, and insufficient self-gravity at the local temperature and pressure gives the cutoff at low mass. The entire function is modeled numerically, with the assumption that a star's mass is proportional to the mass of the piece of cloud in which it forms. The results typically give an IMF with the Salpeter value for the slope and a flattening at a low mass. There is little sensitivity to parameters at masses greater than the cutoff, although slightly shallower IMFs might be expected in regions with high levels of ionization and turbulence. The low-mass cutoff is essentially the thermal Jeans mass in the star-forming cloud; models with a high value of this mass produce a truncated IMF similar to that proposed for starburst galaxies. The mass of the largest star increases with total stellar mass because of the stochastic nature of the model. The star IMF is steeper than the cloud mass spectrum because of competition for mass and the density dependence of star formation.
Qualitative assessment of maternal uterine and fetal umbilical artery blood flow and resistance in laboring patients by Doppler velocimetry

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of uterine contractions during labor on both the uterine and the umbilical circulations. Twenty-seven patients in active labor were studied by continuous-wave Doppler velocimetry. Umbilical, left uterine, and right uterine arterial waveforms were obtained before, during, and after peak uterine contractions, and the ratio of maximum systolic and minimum diastolic velocities was calculated. Fifteen patients showed absent flow in end diastole on the uterine artery waveform and had significantly higher intra-amniotic pressures (64.5 +/- 3.5 mm Hg) during the peak amplitude of the uterine contraction compared with the 12 patients with maintained end diastolic flow (46.5 +/- 2.6 mm Hg; p less than 0.05). During the peak amplitude of the uterine contractions the 12 patients maintaining end-diastolic flow had significantly higher systolic/diastolic ratios in the uterine artery (6.5 +/- 1.5) compared with either before or after a contraction (2.1 +/- 0.15 and 2.0 +/- 0.2, respectively; p less than 0.05). Also, these 12 patients showed a linear relationship between the systolic/diastolic ratio and the intrauterine pressure. However, no differences were observed in the umbilical artery systolic/diastolic ratios before, during, or after a contraction in the intensity range studied. On the contrary, during contractions an increase in uterine artery resistance occurs with decreased or absent end-diastolic flow, which bears an inverse linear relationship to the intensity of the contraction. This suggests that during uterine contractions the human fetus continues to have uninterrupted fetoplacental blood flow, whereas the degree of interruption or reduction in uteroplacental blood flow is dependent on the intensity of uterine contraction.
Inside Greenwich Village: A New York City Neighborhood, 1898–1918

In the popular imagination, New York City's Greenwich Village has long been known as a center of bohemianism, home to avant-grade artists, political radicals, and other nonconformists who challenged the reigning orthodoxies of their time. Yet as Gerald W. McFarland shows in this richly detailed study, a century ago the Village was a much different kind of place: a mixed-class, multi-ethnic neighborhood teeming with the energy and social tensions of a rapidly changing America. McFarland begins his reconstruction of turn-of-the-century Greenwich Village with vivid descriptions of the major groups that resided within its boundaries: the Italian immigrants and African Americans to the south, the Irish Americans to the west, the well-to-do Protestants to the north, and the New York University students, middle-class professionals, and artists and writers who lived in apartment buildings and boarding houses on or near Washington Square. He then examines how these Villagers, so divided along class and ethnic lines, interacted with one another. He finds that clashing expectations about what constituted proper behavior in the neighborhood's public spaces - especially streets, parks, and saloons - often led to intergroup conflict, political rivalries, and campaigns by the more privileged Villagers to impose middle-class mores on their working-class neighbors. Occasionally, however, a crisis or common problem led residents to overlook their differences and cooperate across class and ethnic lines. Throughout the book, McFarland connects the evolution of Village life to the profound transformations taking place in American society at large during the same years. While the emergence of a bohemian subculture within the Village attracted the most publicity, there were other changes with broader and more lasting implications, at once anticipating and helping to create the modern model for cosmopolitan community in urban America.
A methodology for exploiting concurrency among independent tasks in partitionable parallel processing systems

Abstract One benefit of partitionable parallel processing systems is their ability to execute multiple, independent tasks simultaneously. Previous work has identified conditions such that, when there are k tasks to be processed, partitioning the system so that all k tasks are processed simultaneously results in a mininium overall execution time. An alternate condition is developed that provides additional insight into the effects of parallelism on execution time. This result, and previous results, however, assume that execution times are data independent. It is shown that data-dependent tasks do not necessarily execute faster when processed simultaneously even if the condition is met. A model is developed that provides for the possible variability of a task′s execution time and is used in a new framework to study the problem of finding an optimal mapping for identical, independent data-dependent execution time tasks onto partitionable systems. Executing one, some, or all of the k tasks simultaneously is considered. Because this new framework is general, it can also serve as a new method for the study of data-independent tasks. Extension of this framework to situations where the k tasks are nonidentical is discussed.
Elastogenic effects of exogenous hyaluronan oligosaccharides on vascular smooth muscle cells

Abstract Prior studies suggest that hyaluronan (HA), a glycosaminoglycan, may upregulate innately poor elastin matrix synthesis by adult vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). HA scaffolds could thus be useful to regenerate damaged vascular elastin. In an earlier study, we established that the elastogenic effects of non-oligomeric HA are fragment size- and/or dose-specific. We currently investigate the pro-elastogenic effects of exogenous HA oligomers on rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). RASMCs were cultured with pure HA oligomers (4-mers) and mixtures (4–8 mers) obtained by enzymatic digestion of long-chain HA (MW ∼2000 kDa). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)/ M atrix A ssisted L aser D esorption/ I onization S pectroscopy T ime- O f- F light Analysis (MALDI-TOF) showed HA digestates to contain a mixture of 4–8 mers with a predominance of 4-mers (75±0.4% w/w). Cell layers supplemented with both pure HA 4-mers or oligomer mixtures showed proliferation levels similar to non-HA controls over 21 days of culture. Pure 4-mers and oligomer mixtures enhanced DNA-normalized output of tropoelastin by 1.6 and 1.8 times, respectively, and that of matrix elastin by ∼2.7 times relative to controls. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-PAGE/Western Blot and a desmosine assay semi-quantitatively confirmed the observed biochemical trends for tropoelastin and matrix elastin, respectively. HA oligomers induced enhanced synthesis of the elastin crosslinker, desmosine, and appeared to stabilize the elastin matrix by suppression of elastin–laminin receptor (ELR) activity relative to controls. Transmission electron micrographs (TEMs) showed elastin deposits within oligomer-supplemented cultures to be distinct, longitudinally oriented, aggregating fibrils, and clumps, and to be less abundant and mostly amorphous in controls. HA oligomers preserved normal fibrillin-mediated elastin matrix deposition. Results suggest that HA oligos are highly pro-elastogenic, promote elastin fibril formation, and stabilize elastin matrix and may thus be usefully incorporated into scaffolds for guided elastin regeneration.
Comparison of oil and fuel particle chemical signatures with particle emissions from heavy and light duty vehicles

Abstract In order to establish effective vehicle emission control strategies, efforts are underway to perform studies which provide insight into the origin of the source of vehicle particle emissions. In this study, the mass spectral signatures of individual particles produced from atomized auto and diesel oil and fuel samples were obtained using aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS). The major particle types produced by these samples show distinct chemistry, falling into several major categories for each sample. Lubricating oils contain calcium and phosphate based additives and although the additives are present in low abundance (∼1–2% by mass), calcium and phosphate ions dominate the mass spectra for all new and used oil samples. Mass spectra from used oil contain more elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) marker ions when compared to new oils and exhibit a very high degree of similarity to heavy duty diesel vehicle (HDDV) exhaust particles sampled by an ATOFMS. Fewer similarities exist between the used oil particles and light duty vehicle (LDV) emissions. Diesel and unleaded fuel mass spectra contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecular ions, as well as intense PAH fragment ions 25(C2H)−, 49(C4H)−, and inorganic ions 23Na+, 39K+, 95(PO4)−. Unleaded fuel produced spectra which contained Na+ and K+; likewise, LDV particle emission spectra also contained Na+ and K+. Comparing oil and fuel particle signatures with HDDV and LDV emissions enhances our ability to differentiate between these sources and understand the origin of specific marker ions from these major ambient particle sources.
Measuring interference from a UWB transmitter in the GPS L1 band

This paper presents quantitative interference measurements from a commercially available ultra-wide-band (UWB) transmitter in the global positioning system (GPS) LI band (1575.42 MHz) to investigate the possibility of co-locating UWB and GPS radios. Theoretical analysis shows that a single UWB transmitter conforming to the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) specifications could degrade the sensitivity of a GPS receiver by three decibels if both radios were separated by a distance of 1.33 meters. In this work, we measure radiation from the transmitting antenna and associated circuitry of a UWB (multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) based commercial USB device. Our measurements reveal that the circuitry associated with the UWB device is a significant source of interference while the interference due to antenna transmissions is minimal. Therefore, we believe that adequate shielding of UWB circuitry is necessary to allow a UWB transmitter and a GPS receiver to be co-located.
Survey of Tissue Diagnostic Services in US Dental Schools

US dental schools were surveyed concerning the operation of their tissue diagnostic services for 1969 and the results were compared with surveys done in 1953 and 1958. Questions were asked concerning the tissue diagnostic service’s availability, administration, support, fees, number of specimens, utilization, number of malignancies and whether students were required to perform a biopsy before graduation. A noticeable increase in the number of specimens processed was found as well as in the utilization of the services by outside practitioners.
Data Base Overlay in Electronic Map Design: Testing a Computational Model

In two experiments, participants answered questions about two geographical-spatial data bases, displayed in different formats, and at different levels of clutter. One experiment examined aviation information (traffic weather, terrain), and the other examined information pertaining to a soldier's battlefield (troops, roads, rivers, and terrain). Data bases were presented in five contrasting formats: overlay, spatially separated at small resolution, spatially separated at large resolution, highlighted and with an interactive decluttering mode. Performance was evaluated in the context of the different information processing mechanisms that were challenged or supported by the different formats. The data revealed a linear effect of clutter on RT, a general benefit for highlighting, and a cost for interactive displays.
Irradiation-induced void swelling and solute segregation in a V-ion-irradiated V-15 wt % Cr bcc alloy

Abstract Specimens of a V-15 wt % Cr alloy were irradiated at 650°C with 3.5 MeV 51 V + ions to peak dose levels of 5 to 60 dpa. At 650°C, the swelling increased sharply and monotonically with an increase in dose. At 55 dpa, the voids were ≈ 900 A in diameter and the swelling (≈ 20%) was more than two orders of magnitude higher than for unalloyed V. Precipitates that are observed after irradiation of unalloyed V were not found in the V-15 wt % Cr alloy. A cellular dislocation structure was found to develop with peak doses to ≈ 30 dpa. Voids were generally observed to lie on the peripheries of the dense dislocation cell walls or in areas of relatively low dislocation density. Auger analysis showed that Cr segregates to the irradiated surface (and presumably to other defect sinks). Redistribution of Cr occurred to depths of ≈ 1000 A, suggesting non-Gibbsian segregation. Cr segregation to defect sinks is consistent with the idea that undersize solute atoms preferentially migrate via interstitial fluxes.
OPTIMIZATION OF MULTIPLE-ROUTE FEEDER BUS SERVICE: APPLICATION OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

A genetic algorithm (GA) was developed to optimize a bus transit system serving an irregularly shaped area with a grid street network. The developed objective total cost function was minimized subject to realistic demand distribution and street pattern. The service area in New York City was selected as an example to demonstrate the application of the developed model. With the application of geographic information systems, the street network within the service area was obtained and applied, while the passenger demand information was approximated based on the New York City census report of 1990. The optimal number of bus routes and their locations were found by applying the proposed GA, while the optimal headways of the routes were analytically derived. The method developed here can be applied to dynamic routing buses under various incident situations.
Influence of soils and planting dates on mineral element efficiency of corn hybrids 1

Abstract Magnesium (Mg) deficiency In corn (Zea mays L.) is a major problem in many parts of the world because of widespread soil Mg deficiency. One approach to growing corn on infertile soils is to develop hybrids by breeding for better mineral element efficiency. This study was conducted on two soils low and medium in available Mg with corn planted on different dates to determine if hybrids were consistent for differences in mineral element efficiency. Hybrids did not differ in yield at each location but differed between soils. Yield decreased from late plantings. Ear leaf concentrations were greatly affected by soils and planting dates for most elements. Hybrids differed In efficiency of all elements but P, Zn, and Mn efficiency was not consistent between soils. Iron, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the ear leaf were genetically consistent in relative efficiencies among hybrids on both soils. Concentrations of K, Ca, and Mg In leaf tissue appeared to be positively related to soil test. Cation sums and ...
Unusual complications during mitral valve replacement in the presence of calcification of the annulus.

Abstract Replacement of the mitral valve with a prosthesis has become routine, and the operative mortality has steadily decreased. Although most operative deaths today are related to chronic pulmonary changes, arrhythmias, or low-output states, two groups of complications occur at specific areas along the mitral annulus that are related to the technique of valve insertion. Ligation of the left circumflex coronary artery occurs near the anterior commissure. Perforation of the high posterior left ventricle occurs along the posterior leaflet near the posterior commissure. Both these complications are more likely to occur in the presence of extensive calcification. Awareness of their likelihood should prevent these complications from occurring, but there are means of possible correction if the complication is recognized at operation.