cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of methods for detection of anticentromere antibodies and other antinuclear antibodies

Our immunologic studies of twenty-five patients with acrosclerosis with severe acral involvement, twenty-seven patients with most or all of the signs of CREST syndrome, twenty-two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus as positive controls, and ninety-one blood donors as negative controls centered on an evaluation of eight antigenic substrates, including four types of human cells for the detection of anticentromere antibodies (ACA) and other antinuclear antibodies (ANA). The ACA, which occurred only among the patients with most or all of the signs of CREST syndrome, could be detected reliably on human cell lines HEp-2 and KB but not on a mouse cell line or on the three types of tissue sections examined. Comparisons of human HEp-2 and KB cell lines from four sources indicated that HEp-2 cells are the best of the substrates tested for detection of ACA. Since rodent tissue sections give negative reactions with ACA, they are indicated for confirmation. In general, results varied with the type and source of antigen used. Thus ANA findings need to be expressed not only in terms of the titers of the antibodies and the pattern(s) of their reactions but also in terms of the type of antigen or substrate used, its source, and the diagnostic significance of findings in the given test system.
Sensitivity of committed hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro (BFU-E, CFU-E, CFU-GM) and two human carcinoma cell lines toward rhodamine-123 and phosphonium salt II-41.

Abstract Lipophilic cationic compounds accumulate more rapidly in the mitochondria of many carcinoma-derived cells than in non-transformed cells, thus leading to their pronounced cytotoxic effects on carcinoma cells. In this report, in order to measure tumoricidal effects vs cytotoxicity to normal hematopoietic progenitors, we studied the sensitivity of committed human hematopoietic cells in vitro and two human carcinoma cell lines (2008 ovary carcinoma cells and HT29 colon cells) toward two such compounds, rhodamine-123 and phosphonium salt II-41. Continuous exposure of human marrow cells to rhodamine-123 or phosphonium salt II-41 for 7 and 14 days produced dose-related inhibition of colony formation of erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-E), erythroid colony forming units (CFU-E), and CFU-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM). The average values of ic 50 for several different human bone marrows are approximately 0.9–1.1 μM for rhodamine-123 toward BFU-E, CFU-E and CFU-GM, and 31–38 μM for phosphonium salt II-41 toward the same hematopoietic progenitors. These ic 50 values are similar for each type of hematopoietic progenitors. In each case, rhodamine-123 appears to be at least 30-fold more growth suppressive than phosphonium salt II-41 in these in vitro colony assays. In addition, the sensitivity of these hematopoietic progenitors toward these two compounds is comparable to the inhibition of colony formation for the two human carcinoma cell lines. The lack of differences in the sensitivity among the various hematopoietic progenitors in vitro may disagree with previous studies showing there are vast differences in the state of cell cycle for these hematopoietic progenitor cells. However, these observations about the cytotoxicity in vitro can be explained by assuming that the cytotoxicity of these compounds depends on other factors such as differentiation processes, which result in the appearance of many or very active mitochondria. Alternatively, the lack of differences in the sensitivity of the in vitro colony formation can also be attributed to a reported decrease in expression of P-glycoprotein, a multidrug efflux pump, in the differentiating hematopoietic progeny cells.
Human IgA antibody and immunoglobulin production after in vivo tetanus toxoid immunization: size and surface membrane phenotype analysis.

Thein vitro production of IgA-anti-tetanus toxoid antibodies (IgA-Tet) by human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) was assessed at various times afterin vivo intramuscular tetanus toxoid immunization. Five days after immunization, T cell- and mitogen-independent synthesis ofin vitro IgG-Tet, but not IgM-Tet or IgA-Tet, was detected. Two to six weeks after immunization, pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated cultures of B and T cells produced IgM-Tet and IgG-Tet but not IgA-Tet. We did, however, find that 75% of the serum samples of immunized individuals showed increases in IgA-Tet. Mitogen-dependentin vitro total IgA synthesis was detected in human PBL. Cells synthesizing the majority of PWM-induced IgA bear the phenotype Ig+ CR+ FcγR±. The majority of PPD-induced IgA synthesis was by cells lacking surface membrane IgD, similar to PPD-reactive IgG secretors. These results indicate that intramuscular immunization does not result in circulating B cells that can secrete antigen-specific IgA in mitogen-drivenin vitro cultures. Moreover, multiple B-cell subsets are responsible forin vitro IgA production.
Hypercalcaemic and hypocalcaemic conditions due to calcium-sensing receptor mutations.

The extracellular calcium (Ca 2+ o )-sensing receptor (CaSR) enables the parathyroid glands and other CaSR-expressing cells involved in calcium homeostasis, such as the kidney and bone, to sense alterations in the level of Ca 2+ o and to respond with changes in function that are directed at normalizing the blood calcium concentration. Several disorders of Ca 2+ o sensing arise from inherited or acquired abnormalities that ‘reset' the serum calcium concentration upwards or downwards. Heterozygous inactivating mutations of the CaSR produce a benign form of hypercalcaemia, termed ‘familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia', while homozygous mutations produce a much more severe hypercalcaemic disorder resulting from marked hyperparathyroidism, called ‘neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism'. Activating mutations cause a hypocalcaemic syndrome of varying severity, termed ‘autosomal-dominant hypocalcaemia or hypoparathyroidism' as well as Bartter's syndrome type V. Calcimimetic CaSR activators and calcilytic CaSR antagonists have also been developed with potential for use in the treatment of these disorders.
Analysis of Florida and New York state hospital discharges suggests that carotid stenting in symptomatic women is associated with significant increase in mortality and perioperative morbidity compared with carotid endarterectomy

Background Although large randomized studies have established the efficacy and safety of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and, recently, carotid artery stenting (CAS), the under-representation of women in these trials leaves the comparison of risks to benefits of performing these procedures on women an open question. To address this issue, we reviewed the hospital outcomes and delineated patient characteristics predicting outcome in women undergoing carotid interventions using New York and Florida statewide hospital discharge databases. Methods We analyzed in-hospital mortality, postoperative stroke, cardiac postoperative complications, and combined postoperative stoke and mortality in 20,613 CEA or CAS hospitalizations for the years 2007 to 2009. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses of variables were performed. Results CEA was performed in 16,576 asymptomatic and 1744 symptomatic women and CAS in 1943 asymptomatic and 350 symptomatic women. Compared with CAS, CEA rates, in asymptomatic vs symptomatic, were significantly lower for in-hospital mortality (0.3% vs 0.8% and 0.4% vs 3.4%), stroke (1.5% vs 2.6% and 3.5% vs 9.4%), and combined stroke/mortality (1.7% vs 3.1% and 3.8% vs 10.9%). In cohorts matched by propensity scores, the same trend favoring CEA remained significant in symptomatic women. There was no difference in cardiac complication rates among asymptomatic women, but among symptomatic woman cardiac complications were more frequent after CAS (10.6% vs 6.5%; P = .0077). Among symptomatic women, the presence of renal disease, coronary artery disease, or age ≥80 years increased the risk of CAS over CEA threefold for the composite end point of stroke or death. For asymptomatic women only in those with coronary artery disease or diabetes, there was a statistical difference in the composite mortality/stroke rates favoring CEA (1.9% vs 3.3% and 1.7% vs 3.4%, respectively). After adjusting for relevant clinical and demographic risk factors and hospital annual volume, for CAS vs CEA, the risk of the composite end point of stroke or mortality was 1.7-fold higher in symptomatic and 3.4-fold higher in asymptomatic patients. Medicaid insurance, symptomatic patient, history of cancer, and presence of heart failure on admission were among other strong predictors of composite stroke/mortality outcome. Conclusions Databases reflecting real-world practice performance and management of carotid disease in women suggest that CEA compared with CAS has overall better perioperative outcomes in women. Importantly, CAS is associated with significantly higher morbidity in certain clinical settings and this should be taken into account when choosing a revascularization procedure.
Effects of Intestinal Electrical Stimulation on Intestinal Dysrhythmia and Symptoms in Dogs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intestinal electrical stimulation on small intestinal dysrhythmia and motion sickness-like symptoms induced by vasopressin. Female dogs chronically implanted with two pairs of electrodes on jejunum serosa were used in a four-session study. Saline and vasopressin were infused in sessions 1 and 2, respectively. Sessions 3 and 4 were the same as session 2, except a long- or short-pulse intestinal electrical stimulation was applied on the proximal pair of electrodes. Intestinal slow waves and motion sickness-like symptoms were recorded in each session. Results were as follows. (1) Vasopressin induced intestinal dysrhythmia, uncoupling of slow waves, and vomiting and motion sickness-like symptoms (P < 0.05, ANOVA). (2) Intestinal electrical stimulation with long pulses, but not short pulses, was capable of preventing vasopressin-induced intestinal dysrhythmia. (3) Intestinal electrical stimulation with short pulses, but not long pulses, prevented vomiting and the motion sickness-like symptoms. It is concluded that vasopressin induces intestinal dysrhythmia. Long-pulse intestinal stimulation normalizes vasopressin-induced intestinal slow-wave abnormalities with no improvement in symptoms. Short-pulse stimulation prevents emetic symptoms induced by vasopressin but has no effect on slow waves. These data suggest different mechanisms involved with different methods of intestinal stimulation.
Oestrus ovis ophthalmomyiasis externa.

Oestrus ovis , the sheep nasal botfly, is the most common cause of ophthalmomyiasis externa in North America. In the United States, most cases occur on Catalina Island. The symptoms of acute infestation with this organism resemble those of catarrhal conjunctivitis and the condition is considered to be self-limiting. Treatment consists of careful removal of the organisms and topical administration of corticosteroid and antibiotic drugs to relieve the symptoms and prevent bacterial contamination. We recently examined a 17-year-old woman who had visited Catalina Island and later developed acute O. ovis ophthalmomyiasis externa. To determine the incidence of chronic complications, we performed ophthalmic examinations on 15 Catalina Island residents who had had documented O. ovis ophthalmomyiasis externa before 1981. We found no evidence of persistent infestation or intraocular penetration by these organisms.
Superscalar Processor Performance Enhancement through Reliable Dynamic Clock Frequency Tuning

Synchronous circuits are typically clocked considering worst case timing paths so that timing errors are avoided under all circumstances. In the case of a pipelined processor, this has special implications since the operating frequency of the entire pipeline is limited by the slowest stage. Our goal, in this paper, is to achieve higher performance in superscalar processors by dynamically varying the operating frequency during run time past worst case limits. The key objective is to see the effect of overclocking on superscalar processors for various benchmark applications, and analyze the associated overhead, in terms of extra hardware and error recovery penalty, when the clock frequency is adjusted dynamically. We tolerate timing errors occurring at speeds higher than what the circuit is designed to operate at by implementing an efficient error detection and recovery mechanism. We also study the limitations imposed by minimum path constraints on our technique. Experimental results show that an average performance gain up to 57% across all benchmark applications is achievable.
Breast cancer prediction using the isotonic separation technique

A recently developed data separation/classification method, called isotonic separation, is applied to breast cancer prediction. Two breast cancer data sets, one with clean and sufficient data and the other with insufficient data, are used for the study and the results are compared against those of decision tree induction methods, linear programming discrimination methods, learning vector quantization, support vector machines, adaptive boosting, and other methods. The experiment results show that isotonic separation is a viable and useful tool for data classification in the medical domain.
Assessing Sacred Asses: Bronze Age Donkey Burials in the Near East

AbstractThis study provides the most comprehensive archaeological survey of deliberate donkey burials in the ancient Near East. It comprises the updated results from a chapter of my doctoral dissertation — The Ceremonial and Symbolic Significance of Donkeys in the Biblical World (Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, 2006). First, donkey burials from sites in Egypt, Israel-Palestine, Syria, and Iraq are summarized in a brief historical overview that spans the entire 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Second, the donkey burials are interpreted under the rubric of five ceremonial contexts — those associated with human graves, those unrelated to human graves, those situated beneath walls, those situated in a fill covering a temple complex, and finally, those situated in a special tomb beside a temple. This study demonstrates that the donkey held a special status in the ceremonial practices of the ancient Near East.
Septal Bounce, Vena Cava Plethora, and Pericardial Adhesion: Informative Two-Dimensional Echocardiographic Signs in the Diagnosis of Pericardial Constriction

To assess the diagnostic value of three different two-dimensional echocardiographic signs of pericardial constriction (early diastolic septal bounce, plethora of the inferior vena cava with blunted respiratory response, and pericardial adhesion), two independent observers retrospectively evaluated echocardiograms in 100 patients, 39 of whom had pericardial constriction, 15 had hemodynamically insignificant pericardial thickening, 16 had restrictive cardiomyopathy, and 30 had normal hearts. Causes of pericardial disease included cardiac surgery, malignancy, and uremia. Sensitivity and specificity of the three signs for constriction were 62% and 93% for septal bounce, 79% and 80% for versa cava plethora, and 79% and 90% for pericardial adhesion, respectively. The presence of either vena cava plethora or pericardial adhesion increased sensitivity, whereas the presence of both plethora and adhesion increased specificity. Between the two readers, septal bounce was the most consistent and pericardial adhesion the least consistent sign. False positive results included right ventricular pacing or left bundle branch block (septal bounce), postpericardiotomy (pericardial adhesion), and right heart failure (vena cava plethora). False negative results were often caused by technical problems with imaging. We conclude that these three two-dimensional echocardiographic signs are useful in differentiating pericardial constriction from hemodynamically insignificant pericardial thickening or restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Stand age affects fertilizer nitrogen response in first-year corn following alfalfa

Knowledge about how stand age affects N response in first-year corn (Zea mays L.) following alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is needed to improve N credit predictions. In a 3-yr study, we evaluated response to N in first-year corn following fall-terminated 1- to 3-yr-old alfalfa stands with stand densities of 33 to 579 plants m–² at Lamberton and Waseca, MN, each year. At both locations, alfalfa stand age had minor impacts on soil inorganic N content and aboveground corn dry matter (DM) yield, N concentration, and N uptake during first-year corn. On medium-textured soil at Lamberton, first-year corn following 3-yr-old alfalfa stands required no fertilizer N to economically optimize grain yield, but required 64 and 97 kg N ha–¹ following 2- and 1-yr-old stands, respectively, at the fertilizer cost (US$ kg–¹ N)/corn grain price ($ kg–¹ grain) ratio of 5.6. At the same price ratio on fine-textured soil at Waseca, first-year corn required 94 kg N ha–¹ following both 2- and 3-yr-old stands and 118 kg N ha–¹ following 1-yr-old stands. Therefore, current alfalfa N credit guidelines from land-grant universities that are based on alfalfa stand density at termination were not accurate for alfalfa stands ≤3 yr old that frequently had high densities. These results also confirm that alfalfa stand age affects the frequency and level of fertilizer N response in first-year corn, and support the role of soil texture in altering the effect of stand age.
Large decalibrations in Ta-sheathed, Al2O3-insulated Pt/Rh thermocouple assemblies during heating to 1330 °C

Abstract Tantalum-sheathed, Al2O3-insulated Pt90Rh10/Pt (type S) and Pt70-Rh30 /Pt94Rh6 (type B) thermocouple assemblies were unstable when heated above 1100 °C. Decalibrations of −152 °C were measured when one lot of type S assemblies were heated to 1330 °C. The type B assemblies were more stable and decalibrated only −11 °C during heating to 1330 °C. The total time above 1100 °C was 2.5 h. After the assemblies had been heated to 1330 °C, measurements with a moving temperature gradient technique showed that the Seebeck coefficient, which produces the e.m.f. of a thermocouple, changed −86% and −4.5% in the type S and type B assemblies, respectively. Metallographie and ion microprobe mass analyses showed that reactions had occurred within the thermocouple assemblies at the Pt-Al2O3 and Pt/Rh-Al2 O3 interfaces, resulting in solution of up to 27 at.% Al in the thermocouple wires. Aluminum concentrations were less in the Pt/Rh thermocouple wires than in the Pt thermocouple wires and were inversely related to the Rh content of the wires. Magnesium and Si, in concentrations about 1000 times lower than Al, were found in the thermocouple wires. The origin of these impurities was the MgO and SiO2 impurities in the Al2O3 insulation. Aluminum was not found in the Ta sheath; however, an O concentration gradient did exist in the Ta sheath, with the higher O concentration at the Ta-Al2O3 interface. The work of others suggests that Pt can reduce Al2O3 in low O environments, forming the compound AlPt3. The thermochemistry of the reaction 3 Pt + 1 2 Al 2 O 3 + 6 10 Ta → AlPt 3 + 3 10 Ta 2 O 5 is discussed to support the proposed reaction mechanism. It is concluded that type S and type B thermocouples insulated with Al2O3 and sheathed in Ta are inherently unstable above 1100 °C. References are cited to extend this conclusion to Pt/Rh thermocouples insulated with other oxides, such as MgO, and sheathed with other O-reactive metals, such as Nb.
Drugs Five Years Later: Praziquantel

Abstract Purpose:To identify advances in knowledge of the pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, clinical use, and side effects of the antihelminthic drug praziquantel in the 5 years since its intr...
Iteration in Walras's theory of tatonnement

It has been argued that Leon Walras did not have a theory of economic tatonnement but was instead concerned with a technique of mathematical iteration for the purpose of finding the solutions to the equations of a model of general equilibrium, that his work lacks an account of a means whereby prices are changed, and that he was uninterested in real economic adjustment processes. It is concluded that those judgments are incorrect. It is shown that Walras wanted to develop a realistic theory of time-consuming economic tatonnement in a freely competitive economy, and that he based it on his theories of how prices are changed, of iterative pricing, of entrepreneurial iterative behavior, and of a presumed convergence of the variables to equilibrium.
Novel p-n junction polysilicon dual-gate mosfet for analogue applications

Fabrication details and experimental data are given for a dual-input-gate p-channel enhancementmode MOSFET, which can be used for analogue applications. The device employs a novel gate structure in which a single-level polysilicon gate is laterally segmented along the channel length by means of alternate p+ and n+ doping, thus considerably simplifying the technology. It is proposed that the outer gates be used as the input terminals. Both practical and theoretical results for the static output characteristics are given, together with the relevant AC parameters, e.g. the forward conductance of the two gates and the input impedance between the gate terminals. Satisfactory w-channel devices, with n+-p+-n+ segmented gates, were also fabricated, and data from these are also given.
Residue preference mapping of ligand fragments in the Protein Data Bank.

The interaction between small molecules and proteins is one of the major concerns for structure-based drug design because the principles of protein−ligand interactions and molecular recognition are not thoroughly understood. Fortunately, the analysis of protein−ligand complexes in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) enables unprecedented possibilities for new insights. Herein, we applied molecule-fragmentation algorithms to split the ligands extracted from PDB crystal structures into small fragments. Subsequently, we have developed a ligand fragment and residue preference mapping (LigFrag-RPM) algorithm to map the profiles of the interactions between these fragments and the 20 proteinogenic amino acid residues. A total of 4032 fragments were generated from 71 798 PDB ligands by a ring cleavage (RC) algorithm. Among these ligand fragments, 315 unique fragments were characterized with the corresponding fragment−residue interaction profiles by counting residues close to these fragments. The interaction profiles reve...
Social Desirability, the Halo Effect, and Stereotypical Perception in Person Perception and Self-Perception

Predictions assuming that social desirability, the halo effect, and stereotypical perception are involved in perception of the self and others were tested in terms of intercorrelations among severa...
A Family’s Coming Out Process: Systemic Change and Multiple Realities

The paucity of investigative studies exploring the coming out process of families was the impetus for this case study with a six member family-of-choice. In-depth interviews highlight the complexities of negotiating family rules, journey with the family as they struggled with their new identity, and reveal how the reflexive process contributed to the family’s co-creation of new stories. The four themes that emerged (embracing gay identity, integrating as a family, building social networks, and social awakening), offer details of how the family reconfigured from the rubble of confusion to become more cohesive, awakened and empowered. Implications for clinical practice with families with gay members are addressed.
Genetic and Family Studies in Psychiatric Illness and Alcohol and Drug Dependence

The high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among patients with substance dependence both confuses diagnosis and complicates treatment. One way of separating substance dependence and comorbid conditions is to use the family, rather than the individual, as the unit of study. Results from family, twin, and adoption studies indicate the existence of a heritable and specific liability to alcohol dependence independent of other psychiatric disease, and perhaps to other substance dependence, as well. However, substance dependence, like many other psychiatric disorders, is a clinically and etiologically heterogeneous entity, which both complicates patterns of familial transmission and underlines the need for more precise description of subforms of illness.
Twenty years apart: Comparisons of DOM uptake during leaf leachate releases to Hubbard Brook Valley streams in 1979 versus 2000

[1] In seven experiments conducted in late summer 1979 and 2000 extracts of autumn-shed sugar maple leaves and spruce needles were added to two stream reaches of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest at concentrations similar to those found during peak leaf fall. Uptake rates for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ranged from 7 to 408 mg m−2 h−1. In Bear Brook uptake rates for spruce leachate were lower than for sugar maple leachate in both 1979 and 2000. Uptake velocities tended to be higher for more bioavailable DOC fractions: in 1979, monomeric carbohydrates in DOM were removed from the water column more rapidly than the bulk DOC pool in 4 of 4 cases; in 2000, uptake velocities for N-containing DOC (DON) were higher than those measured for bulk DOC in 2 of 3 cases. Both results suggest that biological assimilation is an important component of DOM uptake, in contrast to earlier reports that DOM uptake in HBEF streams was primarily through abiotic sorption. In both years, uptake velocities for the same forms of DOM were lower in the high DOC stream Cascade Brook than for the low DOC stream Bear Brook. Experiments in 1979 found no change in inorganic nitrogen concentrations during leachate additions, while all leachate releases in 2000 led to reductions in stream NO3− concentrations.
Bridging the gap between research and practice: The development of a Digital Library of research syntheses

This article describes the development of a digital library as a resource for clinicians and researchers working with women with HIV infection. We wanted to find a new way of communicating the findings from the 114 studies that we used as the method case. The development of the SandBar Digital Library (http://sonweb.unc.edu/sandbar), a product of a 5-year project to develop the analytic techniques for qualitative metasynthesis, is described from its inception, including analyses of the potential users and how they might use such a resource. The Digital Library evolved over a 3-year period, with continuous feedback from a group of researchers and clinicians who are also experts in the care of HIV-positive people. It provides a concise and comprehensive compilation of findings in two major areas of concern for the seropositive women who were the participants in the studies: motherhood and stigma.
Friction microprobe investigation of particle layer effects on sliding friction

Abstract Interfacial particles (third bodies), resulting from wear or external contamination, can alter and even dominate the frictional behavior of solid-solid sliding in the absence of effective particle removal processes ( e.g. lubricant flow). A unique friction microprobe, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was used to conduct fine-scale friction studies using 1.0 mm diameter stainless steel spheres sliding on several sizes of loose layers of fine aluminum oxide powders on both aluminum and alumina surfaces. Conventional, pin-on-disk experiments were conducted to compare behavior with the friction microprobe results. The behavior of the relatively thick particle layers was found to be independent of the nature of underlying substrate, substantiating previous work by other investigators. The time-dependent behavior of friction, for a spherical macrocontact starting from rest, could generally be represented by a series of five rather distinct phases involving static compression, slider breakaway, transition to steady state, and dynamic layer instability. A friction model for the steady state condition, which incorporates lamellar powder layer behavior, is described.
The grandparenting role

This paper offers a short review of recent literature on grandparenting. Particularly, it looks at the importance of the family for the quality of life of older members, the importance of grandparenting roles, what affects grandparent-grandchild relationships, how children's attitudes and perceptions of older persons might impact on grandparenting, and some ideas concerning intervention programs. It is the author's contention that how the grandparenting role is played can have a significant impact on the lifestyle of older persons. Depending upon the saliency of the role and personal characteristics of the grandparent and the grandchild, the quality of life of older persons can be enhanced or diminished.
Le Comté Venaissin (1696) of Jean Bonfa, S.J.: A paradoxical map by an accidental cartographer

Abstract Jean Bonfa's 1696 map offered the most accurate portrait in its day of the Comtat Venaissin. Commissioned when France threatened the region economically and politically, the map's topographical detail and allegorical themes exhibit a political geography favouring papal interests. Yet the map's coordinates for Avignon reflect neither Bonfa's skill as a positional astronomer nor his collaboration with the Paris Observatory. Finally, because local authorities controlled the distribution of Bonfa's map, it was not available to other cartographers.
Expert systems and organizations: Predictions and evidence

Abstract Expert systems have recently become more commonplace in the United States workplace. Although little is known about the impacts of expert systems in the workplace, many predictions about the nature of these impacts, and the effects of expert systems generally, have been made. We examine some of these predictions, noting that they are very similar to predictions made about the effects of conventional data processing in organizations. We examine how most of the predictions about data processing have been shown to be unfounded, based on empirical research. We also show, using the limited empirical evidence available relating to expert systems and their organizational effects, that most of the predictions made about them are also unfounded.
On a Fleet Sizing and Allocation Problem

This paper deals with a practical application of queueing theory. In particular, an approximate but quick method is developed for solving a fleet sizing and allocation problem. The problem concerns an optimal allocation of the total available transport vehicle units to many fleets in such a way that all fleets provide as nearly as possible a uniform level of service. The level of service is measured in terms of the fraction of arriving orders for shipment delayed due to the lack of immediate availability of a transport vehicle unit. The method employs some new results in queueing theory for approximating the delay probability and the service facility size in multi-server systems. An illustrative example is included to demonstrate a way of applying the method.
Patch Reefs in the Carters Limestone (Middle Ordovician) in Tennessee, and Vertical Zonation in Ordovician Reefs

The Carters Limestone (Middle Ordovician) of the Central Basin of Tennessee contains several biohermal patch reefs that contrast sharply with the bedded limestone surrounding them. The most impressive of these reefs is located along the Elk River near the Tennessee-Alabama state line. Here the reef and adjacent limestones are composed of (1) stromatoporoid/coral/receptaculitid boundstone, (2) pelmatozoan grainstone, (3) pelmatozoan pack-stone/wackestone, (4) algal packstone/wackestone, (5) coated-grain grainstone, and (6) pelletal grainstone. The reef contains algae, bryozoans, pelmatozoans, corals, stromatoporoids, mollusks, trilobites, and receptaculitids. The basal beds of the reef are developed on pelmatozoan grainstone, some beds of which contain a unique community of upright and branching receptaculitids, incrusting bryozoans, and incrusting and entangling pelmatozoans. This community played an important role in initiating reef growth. The middle part of the reef has the greatest taxonomic diversity and the closest association between coral and stromatoporoids. This organic diversity gives way upward to more abundant stromatoporoids and a decrease in corals and other organisms. The reef9s stages of development, in ascending order, are designated as (1) stabilization, (2) colonization, (3) diversification, and (4) domination. Similar developments occurred in Ordovician reefs in New York, western Texas and eastern Tennessee, and although taxonomic composition and developmental stages differ, the functional development is quite similar from reef to reef.
Choice, contingency discrimination, and foraging theory.

Four pigeons were trained on eight or nine pairs of independent concurrent variable-interval schedules. The range of reinforcement ratios included extreme ratios (up to 532 to 1). Large samples of stable performance were gathered. Contrary to the findings of Davison and Jones (1995), the generalized matching law described choice more accurately than a contingency-discriminability model. Taking small samples (5 to 10 sessions) and applying a more liberal stability criterion used by Davison and Jones only increased the unsystematic variance in the data and in estimates of generalized-matching-law sensitivity. Because changing to dependent scheduling and inserting a changeover delay had no systematic effect, the deviations from generalized matching reported by Davison and Jones probably arose from imperfectly discriminated stimuli. Analysis of visits revealed that visits to the nonpreferred alternative were brief and approximately constant. When choice between the preferred (rich) and nonpreferred (lean) alternatives, regardless of position, was analyzed according to the generalized matching law, sensitivities approximated 1.0, with bias in favor of the lean alternative. This bias, which arose from an excessive frequency of visits to the lean alternative, explains undermatching as the result of fitting one line to a choice relation that consists of two displaced lines, both with a slope of 1.0. The pattern of deviation from the generalized matching line confirmed this account. The findings suggest an alternative analysis of choice that focuses on probability of visiting the lean alternative as the dependent variable. This probability was directly proportional to ratio of reinforcement. Matching, undermatching, and overmatching may all be explained by a view of concurrent performance based on foraging theory, in which responding occurs primarily at the rich alternative and is occasionally interrupted by brief visits to the lean alternative.
Effects of steady-state and variable ozone concentration profiles on pulmonary function.

Measurements of ambient ozone (O3) concentration during daylight hours have shown a spectrum of concentration profiles, from a relatively stable to a variable pattern usually reaching a peak level in the early afternoon. Several recent studies have suggested that in estimating exposure dose (O3 concentration [C] × exposure time [T] × ventilation [V]), O3 concentration needs to be weighted more heavily than either ventilation or duration of exposure in the estimates. In this study we tested the hypothesis that regardless of concentration pattern and exposure rate the same exposure dose of O3 will induce the same spirometric response. We exposed 23 healthy male volunteers (20 to 35 yr of age) for 8 h to air, 0.12 ppm O3 (steady-state), and a triangular exposure pattern (concentration increased steadily from zero to 0.24 ppm over the first 4 h and decreased back to zero by 8 h). During the first 30 min of each hour, subjects exercised for 30 min at minute ventilation (e) ∼40 L/min. The order of the exposures...
The etiology of paraneoplastic autoimmunity.

Although they may sometimes appear similar, paraneoplastic autoimmunity has a unique pathogenesis, different from the classical autoimmune diseases not associated with cancer. When distinguished clinically, paraneoplastic autoimmunity is more severe and often presents with a broader range of clinical signs and symptoms. Management of these patients is difficult and is usually centered in part on treatment of the underlying malignancy. Self-antigens recognized in the setting of paraneoplastic autoimmunity can be diverse, and the number of determinants recognized within a single antigen can be numerous. This review uses prototypic examples of paraneoplastic immune-mediated diseases and their associated malignancies to describe the mechanisms by which immune dysregulation can occur in the setting of cancer. Specific diseases covered include paraneoplastic pemphigus, Sweet’s syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, thymoma-associated multiorgan autoimmunity, myasthenia gravis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia, and the paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. The malignancies discussed include thymoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, among others. The mechanisms by which cancers induce autoimmunity are broken down into the following categories: disruption of central tolerance, peripheral immune dysregulation, and alteration of self-antigens. For each category, examples of paraneoplastic autoimmune diseases and their associated malignancies are discussed. Finally, mechanisms by which cancer treatment can lead to autoimmunity and examples of polymorphisms that are linked to both cancer and autoimmunity are discussed.
A Kinetic Model of Carbon Burnout in Pulverized Coal Combustion

The degree of carbon burnout is an important operating characteristic of full-scale suspension-fired coal combustion systems. Prediction of carbon loss requires special char combustion kinetics valid through the very high conversions targeted in industry (typically >99.5%), and valid for a wide range of particle temperature histories occurring in full-scale furnaces. The present paper presents high-temperature kinetic data for five coal chars in the form of time-resolved burning profiles that include the late stages of combustion. The paper then describes the development and validation of the Carbon Burnout Kinetic Model (CBK), a coal-general kinetics package that is specifically designed to predict the total extent of carbon burnout and ultimate fly ash carbon content for prescribed temperature/oxygen histories typical of pulverized coal combustion systems. The model combines the single-film treatment of char oxidation with quantitative descriptions of thermal annealing, statistical kinetics, statistical densities, and ash inhibition in the late stages of combustion. In agreement with experimental observations, the CBK model predicts (1) low reactivities for unburned carbon residues extracted from commercial ash samples, (2) reactivity loss in the late stages of laboratory combustion, (3) the observed sensitivity of char reactivity to high-temperature heat treatment on second and subsecond time scales, and (4) the global reaction inhibition by mineral matter in the late stages of combustion observed in single-particle imaging studies. The model ascribes these various char deactivation phenomena to the combined effects of thermal annealing, ash inhibition, and the preferential consumption of more reactive particles (statistical kinetics), the relative contributions of which vary greatly with combustion conditions.
Integration of Gasification for Processing Biomass Residuals

If all of the livestock and poultry waste produced in the United States were to be recycled by applying it to land for the purpose of growing a crop much of the available farmland would be required. Therefore, it is obvious that not all of the livestock waste can be recycled on the land. If the waste generated from animal manures were converted to electricity via gasification, approximately 400 MWe of distributed power could be produced. If you consider the total quantity of biomass produced annually in the U.S., approximately 800,000 MWe of electricity could be produced, which is nearly equal to the total amount of potential electrical power currently available in the nation. Much of the animal biomass could be recycled in an integrated system where aquatic plants could be produced. With water hyacinth as the plant of choice, 4x109 ton/year is the maximum potential dry biomass that could be produced and when gasified could produce nearly 500,000 MWe of power. If gasifiers were sized and place at the location of the biomass sources, then a constant source of distributed power would be available. In addition, if the various recycling technologies are utilized, large quantities of biomass could be produced while remediating negatively impacted water resources.
Differential Suppression of the Outer and Inner Zones of the Adrenal Cortex of the Guinea Pig

To examine the regulation of the zona fasciculata and the zona reticularis of the guinea pig adrenal cortex, animals were placed on a chronic regimen of dexamethasone. Changes in adrenal zonal weight, cholesterol side-chain cleavage activity, and tissue and serum steroid concentrations were measured after 1 month of dexamethasone administration. With dexamethasone treatment, the weight of the outer zone (glomerulosa/fasciculata) decreased significantly, while the weight of the inner zone (reticularis) did not change. Cholesterol side-chain cleavage activity in mitochondria isolated from the outer zone also declined significantly, while a similar activity in the inner zone did not change. The serum cortisol concentration in response to dexamethasone administration decreased by 85%, as did the concentrations of cortisol and progesterone in the outer zone; the concentration of cortisol in the inner zone decreased by only one third, while the concentration of progesterone did not change. These results in association with previous reports indicate that the zona reticularis of the guinea pig adrenal cortex (in contrast to the zona fasciculata) is not regulated by ACTH in terms of either steroidogenesis or maintenance of cell growth.
Birth Order and Polydrug Abuse among Heroin Addicts

The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of possible relationships between birth order and polydrug use patterns of heroin addicts prior to undergoing treatment. Overrepresentation of only child heroin addicts was evident among the population studied.
Microstructure and texture of pitch-based carbon fibers after creep deformation

Abstract The internal microstructure of new high modulus, pitch-based, post-creep carbon filaments is compared to that as-received and is similarly compared to post-creep and as-received PAN-based filaments. The structure of the carbon filaments is studied using several techniques: electron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
Radiation arising from the Mutual Annihilation of Protons and Electrons

THE recent work of Millikan (Science, 62, 444, 1925) has added to our list of radiations, some of far shorter wave-length than any hitherto discovered. By extrapolation of A. H. Compton's formula for absorption (Phys. Rev., 21, 483, 1923), it has been estimated that these new rays have a range of wave-lengths between 0.0004 and 0.00067 Angstrom. (Had the analogous formula developed by Jauncey (Phys. Rev., 22, 233, 1923) been used, the values would have been between 0.0022 and 0.0029.) It is suggested in Millikan's article that “the computed frequencies of these rays also correspond closely to the energy involved in the simple capture of an electron by a positive nucleus”.
Studies on the spin-spin interaction between flavin and iron-sulfur cluster in an iron-sulfur flavoprotein.

Abstract When the di- or trimethylamine dehydrogenases (trimethylamine:(acceptor) oxidoreductase (demethylating), EC 1.5.99.7) of certain methylotrophic bacteria are reduced by two electrons with substrate unusual EPR signals arise at g = 2 and g = 4 (Steenkamp, D.J. and Beinert, H. (1982) Biochem, J. 207, 233–239; 241–252) indicative of spin-spin interaction between the EMN and iron-sulfur compounds of these enzymes. An attempt is made to understand, describe and simulate these spectra in terms of a triplet state with possible contributions from both dipolar and anisotropic exchange ( J ) interactions. No direct measurement of J is available, but various approaches to setting limits to J are outlined. According to these, J ≈ 0.4 to 3 cm−1 or 15 to 50 cm−1. The spectra show, in the g = 2 region, a pair of rather sharp inner and a pair of broad outer lines; the latter broaden as well as move out from the center with increasing time (after substrate addition) and substrate concentration, while there is little change of g = 4 . The best fits to such a spectra were obtained by assuming distribution of D and E values, depending on substrate effects and arriving presumably from ‘ g- strain ’. The fact that both shapes and intensities at g = 2 and g = 4 could be reproduced simultaneously at two frequencies indicates that the assumptions underlying our approaches and interpretations are permissible and reasonable, although we cannot claim their uniqueness. The distance between the centers of the spin densities of the flavin radical and the Fe-S cluster is thought to lie between the limits 3 to 5 A if the asymmetries in the spin-spin interaction are magnetic dipole-dipole in origin. Because there is an indication that the interaction is anisotropic exchange, the upper limit is less stringent.
Economies and Diseconomies of Large-Scale Agriculture

THE American literature on economies and diseconomies of large-scale firms in agriculture is a curious mixture of riches and poverty. There are numerous empirical studies of size economies in agriculture, supplemented in the past decade by a growing volume of synthesized data, using simulation models and engineering-economic approaches [4]. But there are virtually no studies that explore in breadth and detail the problems that would arise if we had truly large-scale firms. The deficiency is easily explained though less easily excused. With a handful of exceptions, there are no truly large-scale firms in American agriculture. The few that exist are sensitive to investigation or study and remain generally inaccessible to economists and researchers if not always to Fortune reporters [3, 6]. There are no valid data on input-output relations, management problems, or marketing structures to use in synthesizing a 100,000-acre corn and oil-seed farm for Iowa, a 5,000-cow dairy farm under Minnesota conditions, or a 50,000-acre irrigated cotton farm in the Imperial Valley of California. Yet producing units (it is misleading to say farms) of these sizes and types exist in the Soviet Union, India, in the Sudan, and elsewhere. It is not madness to suggest that they could develop in the United States, and some Florida, Texas, and California farms seem well on the way. The intent of this paper is to speculate (it cannot be more than that) on some of the probable consequences if they should.