cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relative Influence of Diseases and Other Small-Scale Disturbances on Fuel Loading in the Black Hills

Disturbances that kill trees in forests often co-occur in time and/or space. This process results in changes in the fuel loading for wildfire. Determining specific causes of changing fuel loads can be complex. Path analysis was used to estimate the relative importance and the strength of interaction of each of nine small-scale disturbances affecting forest stands in the Black Hills. Different disturbances were partitioned according to their indirect and direct effects on fuel loads. Fire and wind had the greatest indirect effects; stem rots had the smallest. Root rots had the largest direct effects. Root rots, strong wind, stem rots, suppression, human disturbances, and tree cutting all caused fuel loads to increase. Treeless meadows, stem cankers, fire, ice/snow damage, failed regeneration, and shallow soil were associated with decreasing fuel loads. Grazing, lightning, bark beetles, and competition had null impacts. Disease control has two aims: reducing fire hazard and enhancing restoration. Understanding the biology and ecology of the agents that create dead wood is as fundamental to restoration ecology as it is to forest pathology. Management and control both begin by first determining the cause.
The radiographic recognition of two clinically elusive mass lesions of the cavernous sinus: meningiomas and aneurysms.

Cavernous sinus syndromes secondary to chronic mass lesions, although a relatively rare cause of ophthalmoplegia, represent a distinct challenge in neuroradiology diagnosis. Puzzling neuro-ophthalmologic signs and often subtle radiologic changes consistently lead to erroneous and delayed diagnoses as exemplified by a review of 20 patients; a correct clinical or radiographic diagnosis was initially not made in any individual.
Proliferation and arms control

(1995). Proliferation and arms control. Intelligence and National Security: Vol. 10, Intelligence Analysis and Assessment, pp. 149-161.
Gonadal steroids vary with reproductive stage in a tropically breeding female anuran.

Tropically breeding anurans that require heavy rainfall in order to reproduce are subject to favorable breeding conditions that are sporadic. Although there is an increased probability of rain during the rainy season, the probability of local rainfall is unpredictable and this may influence female anuran reproductive strategies. The female tungara frog, a neotropical frog that requires standing water to breed, maintains readiness to breed at any time via asynchronous oogenesis. Although females constantly produce and maintain oocytes during the breeding season, this study shows that they have cyclic fluctuations in gonadal hormone levels. Plasma levels of estrogen significantly change during three reproductive stages within a single reproductive cycle (P=0.03), as do plasma levels of progesterone and androgen (P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). Furthermore, elevation in plasma estrogen and progesterone concentrations occurs during the same reproductive stage in which it has been reported that females display the maximum frequency of reproductive behaviors, the amplexed stage. Androgen levels, however, are elevated prior to the reproductive stage in which females display maximal reproductive behavior, that is, the unamplexed stage. Our study suggests that the pattern of gonadal hormone fluctuation in a tropically breeding female anuran is similar to the classic paradigm in which there is a temporal relationship between the appearance of reproductive hormones and reproductive behaviors.
Neural networks in nonlinear aircraft flight control

This paper describes an approach for incorporating a neural network with real-time learning capability in a flight control architecture. The architecture is also applicable, in general, for the control of processes described by nonlinear differential equations of motion in which there exists a control for each degree of freedom. The main features are that the defining equations of motion for the process to be controlled are poorly known with respect to their functional forms, and that the functional forms, themselves, may undergo sudden and unexpected variation. It is well known that such systems are difficult to control, particularly when the effect of the control action enters nonlinearly. Numerical results based on 6DOF simulations of a high performance aircraft are presented to illustrate the potential benefits of incorporating neural networks as a part of a flight control system architecture.
Lyapunov-stackelberg estimates for reachable sets

A method is presented for estimating reachable sets for nonlinear control systems. The approach combines controllability, abnormality, Lyapunov stability, and Stackelberg optimality. The method is applied to a multiple species fishery model.
Generation of long-term T-cell lines from synovial fluid

Investigations of human autoimmune diseases have largely involved study of circulating T cells. The development of T-cell cloning technology has made possible the study of the small numbers of T cells found at sites of pathological involvement in autoimmune diseases. In this initial communication, the feasibility of in vitro propagation of synovial fluid T cells from patients with arthritis is demonstrated. The generation of long-term, phenotypic helper/inducer, as well as phenotypic suppressor/cytotoxic, interleukin 2-dependent synovial fluid T-cell lines from patients with arthritis is reported. The ability to generate such synovial fluid T-cell lines should now allow for new investigative approaches to human autoimmune arthritic diseases.
Optically active surfaces formed by ion implantation and thermal treatment

Embedded VO{sub 2} precipitates have been formed in single-crystal sapphire by the ion co-implantation of vanadium and oxygen and subsequent thermal annealing. The embedded VO{sub 2} particles have been shown to exhibit an optical switching behavior that is comparable to that of continuous thin films. In this work, the mechanisms of formation of these optically active particles are investigated. It is shown that precipitation of the vanadium dioxide phase is favored when the thermal treatment is performed on an ion-damaged but still crystalline (rather than amorphized) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate. The best optical switching behavior is observed in this case, and this behavior is apparently correlated with a more-favorable dispersion of VO{sub 2} small particles inside the matrix.
On the motions of chromospheric fine-structure in a weak plage.

Motions of chromospheric fine structure in weak plage analyzed, using time resolved H-alpha spectra for estimating line-of-sight velocities of objects
An integrated sparsity and model-based probabilistic framework for estimating the spatial variations of communication channels☆

Abstract In this paper, we consider estimating the spatial variations of a wireless channel, based on a small number of measurements. We propose an integrated sparsity and model-based channel prediction framework. Our approach properly takes advantage of both channel compressibility in the frequency domain and channel probabilistic characterization in the spatial domain. We test our framework using outdoor and indoor channel measurements. The results confirm the superior performance of the proposed integrated approach.
Injury as a Motivator to Reduce Drinking

Objectives: To identify predictors of readiness to change drinking behavior by minor-injury patients who had positive saliva alcohol tests (SATs) in the ED. To develop and test a model intended to be prognostic of readiness to change, which included predispositional and injury-event-related variables. Methods: An on-site survey was conducted of minor-injury ED patients sampled consecutively during predesignated periods. Patients were identified as SAT-positive during their screening evaluations. After giving their consent, they were administered a self-report battery that assessed predispositional and injury-event-related variables as well as readiness to change their drinking. Predictors of readiness to change drinking were tested with regression analyses. Results: Twenty-four SAT-positive patients participated; there were 18 men and six women (average age 34 years). Preinjury predispositional variables were by themselves unrelated to the patient's readiness to change while in the ED. Aversiveness of the injury and perception of degree of alcohol involvement were injury-event-related variables predictive of readiness to change (p <0.008). Negative consequences attributed to drinking prior to the injury event strengthened the association of injury aversiveness and alcohol involvement with readiness to change (p <0.0075). Conclusion: Interventions to decrease drinking in this population should focus on increasing patient awareness of the association between drinking, injuries, and other alcohol-related negative consequences.
Ecology of breastfeeding: Approaches toward improvement of women's and children's health.

It is well established that breastfeeding has significant benefits for infant health and plays an important role in regulating maternal fecundity. However, many questions remain regarding the mechanisms underlying these relationships and the sources of the observed variation among individuals and populations. For example, women of seemingly comparable breastfeeding magnitude and nutritional status display substantial heterogeneity in the duration of postpartum subfecundity. This variation may be related to breastfeeding structure, which in turn is the consequence of variation in ecological conditions. In addition to theoretical questions, it is essential that efforts are directed toward addressing the issues of improving women's and children's health. Women have multiple roles and obligations, including a responsibility for their own well-being as well as that of their children. Women also have a right to determine the course of action most appropriate for themselves. Under suitable conditions, breastfeeding is the best choice for the well-being of both the mother and infant; hence, provided with these conditions most women will choose to breastfeed. Working within an ecological perspective, human biologists have an opportunity to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical issues by conducting research that also contributes to the advocacy of women's and children's health. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 10:145-149, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using An INS Simulation to Forecast Manpower Needs

A simulation language is presented which lends itself to the modeling of library operations. Here a circulation department of a university library is modeled using Integrated Network System (INS) language. The public demands on the resources are measured as are a 10 and 20% increase in the demand. The resulting data are used by management to determine the efficiency of a network and to predict manpower needs.
1‐Methylcyclopropene Counteracts Ethylene‐Induced Microbial Growth on Fresh‐Cut Watermelon

The effects of exogenous ethylene, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), or both on microbial growth on watermelon fruit and watermelon slices were investigated. Freshly harvested seedless watermelons (Citrullus lanatus, cv. Sugar Heart) were treated with 0.5 or 1.0 ppm 1-MCP, 10 ppm ethylene, 1-MCP + ethylene, or left untreated as controls. Fruits were processed into wedge-shaped slices, packaged into rigid trays sealed with a polyethylene film with a 29.2 pmol s−1 m−2 Pa−1 oxygen transmission rate. The slices were evaluated after 0-, 6-, and 12-d storage at 5 °C. Ethylene treatment alone increased the populations of aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds on the packaged slices during storage compared to those on corresponding control slices and resulted in extensive juice leakage from the slices. The ethylene treatment also resulted in high aerobic bacterial counts throughout the flesh of whole melons compared to the controls. Treating watermelons with 0.5 or 1.0 ppm 1-MCP prior to ethylene exposure counteracted the deleterious effects of ethylene. Extending the time from harvest to 1-MCP treatment increased the population of aerobic bacteria, but had no detectable effect on the growth of lactic acid bacteria or yeasts and molds. The results indicate that low concentrations (0.5 or 1.0 ppm) of 1-MCP can be used on whole watermelon to avoid deleterious effects of exogenous ethylene to which the melons could be exposed during shipping or storage.
Filamentation and forward Brillouin scatter of entire smoothed and aberrated laser beams

Laser–plasma interactions are sensitive to both the fine-scale speckle and the larger scale envelope intensity of the beam. For some time, simulations have been done on volumes taken from part of the laser beam cross-section, and the results from multiple simulations extrapolated to predict the behavior of the entire beam. However, such extrapolation could very well miss effects of the larger scale structure on the fine-scale. The only definitive method is to simulate the entire beam. These very large calculations have not been feasible until recently, but they are now possible on massively parallel computers. Whole beam simulations show the dramatic difference in the propagation and break up of smoothed and aberrated beams.
Increasing the Performance of Poor Readers in the Third Grade With a Group-Assisted Strategy

AbstractThis study examined the reading achievement effects of “group-assisted reading,” a teaching strategy designed to assist poor readers to read material that is too difficult for them to read by themselves. The 18 poor readers who received the group-assisted reading treatment and the 18 poor readers who received the unassisted-reading treatment were randomly selected from the population of poor readers in 3 third-grade classrooms in one elementary school in Provo, Utah. One teacher taught both groups of students in 15-min “pull-out” sessions over an 8-week period. A pretest-posttest control group research design was used. Reading comprehension and vocabulary were measured using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, Level C, Form I. All students, in both treatment groups, were administered the Gates test at the end of January 1987 and again in April 1987. Students involved in the group-assisted reading experiment made greater achievement gains in reading comprehension and vocabulary than did those who we...
The Atlanta tornado of 1975

Joint observations by radar and high-frequency sferics detectors at Georgia Institute of Technology provided unique data on the Atlanta tornado of Mar. 24, 1975. The classic hook echo was detected by radar at a range of about 26 km, 15 min before the tornado touched down. While the tornado was on the ground the sferics burst rate was very low, despite very high values recorded immediately before and after this interval. This observation, together with visual reports of a strong cloud-to-ground discharge at the time of tornado touchdown, suggests an interaction of the tornado with the electric field of the storm.
Microseismicity, stress, and fracture in the Coso geothermal field, California

Abstract Microseismicity, stress, and fracture in the Coso geothermal field are investigated using seismicity, focal mechanisms and stress analysis. Comparison of hypocenters of microearthquakes with locations of development wells indicates that microseismic activity has increased since the commencement of fluid injection and circulation. Microearthquakes in the geothermal field are proposed as indicators of shear fracturing associated with fluid injection and circulation along major pre-existing fractures. High-seismicity zones are associated with the main fluid-flow paths within the geothermal system. Calculated stress patterns from focal mechanisms provide direct evidence for the boundary between significantly different stress regimes within the Coso geothermal field. Microseismicity in the Coso geothermal field is spatially but not temporally related to regional seismicity extending southeast of the field. The spatial distribution of these events defines a northwest-trending seismic-fracture zone, consistent with a previously defined northwest-striking zone. The abrupt decrease of seismicity below this fracture zone may provide seismic evidence for the existence of a brittle and ductile transition zone at shallow depth beneath the Coso geothermal field.
Parametric method of synthesis of the four-bar linkage

Abstract The parametric method of synthesis is developed for a so-called normalized four-bar linkage, i.e., linkage whose connecting rod is of unit length and in the initial position is parallel to the reference axis. The parameters are the quantities associated with the motion of the connecting rod. A maximum of five constraints can be imposed on the performance of the four-bar linkage function generator. When only three constraints are imposed, any point within a plane formed by the appropriate set of parameters represents a linkage that will satisfy all three constraints. For each additional constraint a curve can be plotted in that plane. Points of intersection of these curves represent the four-bar linkages that satisfy all constraints. The error function is derived and the minimum error performance is discussed. An example illustrates the method of synthesis.
Quantitative analysis of dose-effect relationships: the combined effects of multiple drugs or enzyme inhibitors

A generalized method for analyzing the effects of multiple drugs and for determining summation, synergism and antagonism has been proposed. The derived, generalized equations are based on kinetic principles. The method is relatively simple and is not limited by whether the dose-effect relationships are hyperbolic or sigmoidal, whether the effects of the drugs are mutually exclusive or nonexclusive, whether the ligand interactions are competitive, noncompetitive or uncompetitive, whether the drugs are agonists or antagonists, or the number of drugs involved. The equations for the two most widely used methods for analyzing synergism, antagonism and summation of effects of multiple drugs, the isobologram and fractional product concepts, have been derived and been shown to have limitations in their applications. These two methods cannot be used indiscriminately. The equations underlying these two methods can be derived from a more generalized equation previously developed by us (59). It can be shown that the isobologram is valid only for drugs whose effects are mutually exclusive, whereas the fractional product method is valid only for mutually nonexclusive drugs which have hyperbolic dose-effect curves. Furthermore, in the isobol method, it is laborious to find proper combinations of drugs that would produce an iso-effective curve, and the fractional product method tends to give indication of synergism, since it underestimates the summation of the effect of mutually nonexclusive drugs that have sigmoidal dose-effect curves. The method described herein is devoid of these deficiencies and limitations. The simplified experimental design proposed for multiple drug-effect analysis has the following advantages: It provides a simple diagnostic plot (i.e., the median-effect plot) for evaluating the applicability of the data, and provides parameters that can be directly used to obtain a general equation for the dose-effect relation; the analysis which involves logarithmic conversion and linear regression can be readily carried out with a simple programmable electronic calculator and does not require special graph paper or tables; and the simplicity of the equation allows flexibility of application and the use of a minimum number of data points. This method has been used to analyze experimental data obtained from enzymatic, cellular and animal systems.
MULTIFRACTAL MEASURES OF TIME SERIES: f(α) SURFACES

Binning the data points of a time series and associating a contraction map with each bin gives rise to a driven IFS representation of the time series. Varying the bins changes the driven IFS, sometimes in complex ways difficult to parse. From the transition matrix for any particular binning we can plot an f(α) curve. Assembling these curves as the bins change gives a surface, which we call the f(α) surface. We use properties of this surface to investigate time series from iterating logistic and tent maps, and also time series of financial data.
Alcohol marketing and youth: the challenge for public health.

As a pediatrician who has advocated for the health of children throughout my career, I have been unafraid to speak out in the face of strong commercial interests. Today we face a compelling body of research on the health and safety risks of underage drinking, and an alcohol industry that markets its products widely and aggressively. Every day in the United States, more than 7,000 children under 16 start drinking (i), and young people under zi account for as much as zo% of all the alcohol consumed here (2). Young people who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times as likely to become alcohol-dependent as those who wait until they are 2z (3), and far more likely to be involved in alcohol-related violence and motor vehicle crashes later in life (4,5). Among persons over 2i admitted for treatment for alcohol dependence in zooz, 88% first became intoxicated when they were under z2 (6). According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4,000 young people under zi die from alcohol-related causes each year (7). Parents and peers play a critical role in young people's decisions to drink, but well-designed longitudinal studies have shown that the advertising and marketing of alcohol are also significant factors (8). Not surprisingly, kids who see, hear and read more alcohol ads are more likely to drink and to drink more heavily than their peers. The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University is the first organization that has systematically tracked youth exposure to alcohol advertising. It has monitored alcohol advertising placements in the measured media of television, radio
The Binding Surface and Affinity of Monomeric and Dimeric Chemokine Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1β for Various Glycosaminoglycan Disaccharides

Abstract Chemokines comprise a family of proteins that function in the immune response to recruit leukocytes to sites of infection. This recruitment is believed to be carried out by the establishment of a chemokine gradient by the binding of chemokines to sulfated polysaccharides known as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) located on the extracellular surface of endothelial cells. In the present studies, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy was used to study the interaction of monomeric and dimeric chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β variants with a series of differentially sulfated disaccharides. The data define a GAG binding surface, including both basic and uncharged residues such as Arg18, Asn23, Val25, Thr44, Lys45, Arg46, and Ser47. Dissociation constants determined from these NMR studies consistently show for each disaccharide that dimeric wild type MIP-1β binds more tightly than monomeric MIP(9). Furthermore, analysis of the binding surface suggests that participation in the dimer of residues Met3, Gly4, and Ser5 may be responsible for this higher affinity. These studies also indicate that the specificity of MIP-1β for particular GAG disaccharides is directly related not only to the degree of disaccharide sulfation but also to the position of the sulfate moiety, withO-sulfation at position 2 of the hexuronic acid unit and position 6 of the d-glucosamine being major determinants for binding.
Diel variation in RNA/DNA ratios of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

Laboratory-reared Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus larvae (11.2 ± 0.2 mm total length; age 26 d) were sampled over a 48-h period to determine any diel patterns in RNA/DNA ratios. RNA/DNA ratios were highest during daytime periods (0800, 1100, 1400, 1700, 2000 h) and significantly reduced at night (2300, 0200, 0500 h). Findings from this study indicate a diel variation in biochemical condition and suggest that special care should be taken in sampling design and data analysis to account for this source of variability.
Commentary on the Cochrane review of acupuncture for tension-type headache

information on patients, interventions, methods and results; and assessed risk of bias and quality of the acupuncture intervention. Outcomes extracted included response (at least 50% reduction of headache frequency; outcome of primary interest), headache days, pain intensity and analgesic use. Main Results: Eleven trials with 2317 participants (median 62, range 10 to 1265) met the inclusion criteria. Two large trials compared acupuncture to treatment of acuteheadachesorroutinecareonly.Both found statistically significant and clinically relevant short-term (up to three months) benefits of acupuncture over control for response, number of headache days and pain intensity. Long-term effects (beyond three months) were not investigated. Six trials compared acupuncture with a sham acupuncture intervention, and five of the six provided data for metaanalyses. Small but statistically significant benefits of acupuncture over sham were found for response as well as for several other outcomes. Three of the four trials comparing acupuncture with physiotherapy, massage or relaxation had important methodological or reporting shortcomings. Their findings are difficult to interpret,butcollectivelysuggestslightlybetter results for some outcomes in the control groups. Conclusions: In the previous version of this review, evidence in support of acupuncture for tension-type headache was considered insufficient. Now, with six additional trials, the authors conclude that acupuncture could be a valuable nonpharmacological tool in patients with frequent episodic or chronic tension-type headaches.
A stopping criterion for polynomial root finding

When solving for the roots of a polynomial, it is generally difficult to know just when to terminate the iteration process. In this paper an algorithm is derived and discussed which allows one to terminate the iteration process on the basis of calculated bounds for the roundoff error.
3-Bromohomofascaplysin A, a fascaplysin analogue from a Fijian Didemnum sp. ascidian

A new fascaplysin analogue, 3-bromohomofascaplysin A (1), along with two known analogues, homofascaplysin A (2) and fascaplysin (3), were isolated from a Fijian Didemnum sp. ascidian. The absolute configurations of 3-bromohomofascaplysin A (1) and homofascaplysin A (2) were determined via experimental and theoretically calculated ECD spectra. The differential activities of 1-3 against different blood-borne life stages of the malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum were assessed. Homofascaplysin A (2) displayed an IC(50) of 0.55±0.11 nM against ring stage parasites and 105±38 nM against all live parasites. Given the stronger resistance of ring stage parasites against most current antimalarials relative to the other blood stages, homofascaplysin A (2) represents a promising agent for treatment of drug resistant malaria.
A test of geochemical reactivity as a function of mineral size: Manganese oxidation promoted by hematite nanoparticles

Mn2+(aq) oxidation as promoted by hematite in the presence of molecular oxygen has been studied as a function of hematite particle size. This system is a good candidate to serve as a test of the change of particle reactivity as a function of size due not only to its importance in Earth/environmental processes, but also because it involves electronic coupling between the hematite and adsorbed manganese. The properties of nanoscale hematite, including size quantization of the electronic structure and the relative proportions of terrace vs. edge/kink sites, are expected to change significantly with the particle size in this size range. Experimental results from this study suggest that the heterogeneous manganese oxidation rate is approximately one to one and a half orders of magnitude greater on hematite particles with an average diameter of 7.3 nm than with those having an average diameter of 37 nm, even when normalized to the surface areas of the particles. The acceleration of electron transfer rate for the reactions promoted by the smallest particles is rationalized in the framework of electron transfer theory. According to this theory, for a reaction such as heterogeneous Mn oxidation, the rate depends on three factors: the electronic coupling between initial and final electronic states, the substantial reorganization energy for solvent and coordinated ligands between initial and final states, and the free energy of reaction (corrected for work required to bring reactants together). The adsorbed Mn is electronically coupled with the solid during the electron transfer, and changes in the electronic structure of the solid would be expected to influence the rate. The Lewis base character of surface oxygen atoms increases as the electronic structure becomes quantized, which should allow increased coupling with adsorbed Mn. Finally, as demonstrated previously by in situ AFM observations, the reaction proceeds most readily at topographic features that distort the octahedral Mn2+ coordination environment. This has the effect of lowering the reorganization energy, which effectively controls the magnitude of the transition state barrier. Previous studies of <10 nm diameter hematite nanoparticles have demonstrated a decrease of symmetry in the average coordination environment of surface atoms, supporting the idea that smaller sizes should correspond to a decrease in reorganization energy.
Expression of apolipoprotein J in the uterus is associated with tissue remodeling

The endometrium is a dynamic tissue that, in response to hormonal cues, undergoes cycles of growth and involution. Extracellular factors required for this remodeling are poorly understood. The potential role in endometrial turnover of apolipoprotein J (apoJ), a secretory glycoprotein that can bind lipids and membrane-active proteins, is proposed on the basis of its spatial and temporal patterns of expression during normal cycling, after ovariectomy, and in response to hormone manipulation. In the mouse, apoJ mRNA was expressed in uterine luminal and glandular epithelial cells coincident with the presence of apoJ protein. The apoJ gene was differentially expressed in the glandular and uterine luminal epithelial cells during the estrous cycle and following hormone depletion. Expression of apoJ was not induced in ovariectomized mice by estrogen, progesterone, or dexamethasone treatment alone. Progesterone administration after an initial estrogen pretreatment, however, resulted in dramatic induction of apoJ as the progesterone level declined. In contrast, apoJ was not induced when a long-lived progesterone analog, medroxyprogesterone, was substituted for progesterone. In the human menstrual cycle, apoJ was present in glandular lumens only during the late secretory phase. Declining progesterone levels, causing substantial tissue reorganization, are characteristic of the times of marked apoJ induction in uterine epithelial cells. These expression patterns are consistent with apoJ functioning as an extracellular cytoprotectant by mediating clearance of and/or neutralizing cytolytic tissue debris.
Impact of Artificial Recharge on Dissolved Noble Gases in Groundwater in California

Dissolved noble gas concentrations in groundwater can provide valuable information on recharge temperatures and enable 3H-3He age-dating with the use of physically based interpretive models. This study presents a large (905 samples) data set of dissolved noble gas concentrations from drinking water supply wells throughout California, representing a range of physiographic, climatic, and water management conditions. Three common interpretive models (unfractionated air, UA; partial re-equilibration, PR; and closed system equilibrium, CE) produce systematically different recharge temperatures or ages; however, the ability of the different models to fit measured data within measurement uncertainty indicates that goodness-of-fit is not a robust indicator for model appropriateness. Therefore caution is necessary when interpreting model results. Samples from multiple locations contained significantly higher Ne and excess air concentrations than reported in the literature, with maximum excess air tending toward 0.05 cm3 STP g(-1) (deltaNe approximately 400%). Artificial recharge is the most plausible cause of the high excess air concentrations. The ability of artificial recharge to dissolve greater amounts of atmospheric gases has important implications for oxidation-reduction dependent chemical reactions. Measured gas concentration ratios suggest that diffusive degassing may have occurred. Understanding the physical processes controlling gas dissolution during groundwater recharge is critical for optimal management of artificial recharge and for predicting changes in water quality that can occur following artificial recharge.
Taking Prevention Seriously: Developing a Comprehensive Response to Child Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

Millions of children are victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation each year. Governments have responded with a range of measures, focusing primarily on seeking to prosecute perpetrators of these abuses and offering assistance to select victims. These efforts, while important, have done little to reduce the incidence of these forms of child exploitation. This Article asserts that a central reason why efforts to date may not be as effective as hoped is that governments have not oriented their approaches properly toward prioritizing prevention - the ultimate goal - and addressing these problems in a comprehensive and systematic manner. Instead, efforts to date have been piecemeal and oriented toward dealing with exploitation of children after the harm occurs. This Article argues for refocusing efforts toward the development of a comprehensive, prevention-oriented strategy that addresses the root causes of these problems. The Article discusses how certain critical issues - (1) research/data; (2) program design; (3) the dominant principle guiding state responses; (4) stakeholder coordination; and (5) the interrelationship among rights - have been largely ignored in developing responses to child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The Article suggests that, by focusing greater attention on these issues, governments and child advocates can develop more effective responses to the trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children and increase the likelihood that responses to these problems will help prevent such abuse of children.
Bias in the Heavenly Chorus Interests in Society and before Government

Counts of lobbying organizations before government long have been used to assess overall bias in the politics of interest representation (Schattschneider, 1960). We argue that this effort is fundamentally flawed, that we cannot extract useful conclusions about interest system bias from one-shot lists of organizations seeking influence. We first examine the extensive literature on bias in interest representation, highlighting the uneven attention of scholars to its two core assumptions. We then turn to enumerating the many ways in which the distribution of interests in society and before government are unlikely to be isomorphic over time or over space. Finally, we return to the still vital question of bias in interest representation to consider how it can be addressed in a more satisfactory, if indirect, manner.
The Role of Weeds in the Productivity of Amazonian Bush Fallow Agriculture

Three effects of herbaceous weeds on the productivity of a bush fallow system cropped with maize, cassava and plantain were identified in four experiments carried out in Central Amazonian Peru. First, early weed control is needed to minimize crop yield reductions. Weeds reduce plantain raceme weight and days to flowering, but not cassava yield, if weeding is done early. Second, fallows must be long enough to reduce weed seed banks to levels tolerable to farmers. While fallows of between two and five years eliminate herbaceous weed biomass present at the beginning of the fallow, weed seed banks decline linearly through ten years of tree cover. Third, with successive clean-weedings to reduce weed competition, tree and shrub numbers and their proportion of total non-crop biomass decline, while the amount and proportion of herbaceous weeds increase. Tree and shrub regeneration is reduced by longer cropping periods, more frequent weedings, greater crop cover, and shorter fallow periods.
Reference equations used to predict pulmonary function. Survey at institutions with respiratory disease training programs in the United States and Canada.

Adult respiratory disease training programs in the United States and Canada were surveyed to determine which reference equations were used to predict normal pulmonary function and how ethnic differences were approached. Replies from 139 of the 180 (77.2 percent) institutions surveyed were received and evaluated. Surprisingly few studies account for most of the equations in use: three studies account for 85 percent of the spirometric equations, two for 83 percent of the lung volume equations and five for 84 percent of the diffusing capacity equations. Although there are no definite data, the form of many of the replies suggests that equipment default settings may influence the selection process. Of those responding to the ethnic difference question, 53 percent of institutions applied no correction for ethnic differences. There was no consistent pattern to the method of correction among those who did. (Chest 1990; 97:400–03)
Adaptive controller design and disturbance attenuation for sequentially interconnected SISO linear systems under noisy output measurements with partly measured disturbances

In this paper, we present robust adaptive controller design for a special class of linear system, which is composed of two sequentially interconnected SISO linear subsystems, S1 and S2 under noisy output measurements and with partly measured disturbances. Based on worst-case analysis approach, we formulate the robust adaptive control problem as a nonlinear Hinfin -optimal control problem under imperfect state measurements, and then solve it using game-theoretic approach. The cost-to-come function analysis is carried out to derive the estimators and identifiers of Si and So. and integrator backstepping methodology is applied recursively to obtain the control law. The design paradigm is the same as (S. Zeng and E. Fernandez, July 2007) with the only difference being the treatment of the measured disturbance. The same result of (S. Zeng and E. Fernandez, July 2007) is achieved. In addition, the designed controller achieves the disturbance attenuation level zero or arbitrary positive disturbance attenuation level with respect to the measured disturbances. Moreover, for the measured disturbances that the controller can achieve disturbance attenuation level zero with respect to, the asymptotic tracking objective is achieved even if they are only uniformly bounded without being of finite energy.
On Learning Parsimonious Models for Extracting Consumer Opinions

Extracting sentiments from unstructured text has emerged as an important problem in many disciplines. An accurate method would enable us, for example, to mine on-line opinions from the Internet and learn customers' preferences for economic or marketing research, or for leveraging a strategic advantage. In this paper, we propose a two-stage Bayesian algorithm that is able to capture the dependencies among words, and, at the same time, finds a vocabulary that is efficient for the purpose of extracting sentiments. Experimental results on the Movie Reviews data set show that our algorithm is able to select a parsimonious feature set with substantially fewer predictor variables than in the full data set and leads to better predictions about sentiment orientations than several state-of-the-art machine learning methods. Our findings suggest that sentiments are captured by conditional dependence relations among words, rather than by keywords or high-frequency words.
Yeast as a tractable genetic system for functional studies of the insulin-degrading enzyme.

We have developed yeast as an expression and genetic system for functional studies of the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), which cleaves and inactivates certain small peptide molecules, including insulin and the neurotoxic Aβ peptide. We show that heterologously expressed rat IDE is enzymatically active, as judged by the ability of IDE-containing yeast extracts to cleave insulin in vitro. We also show that IDE can promote the in vivo production of the yeast a-factor mating pheromone, a function normally attributed to the yeast enzymes Axl1p and Ste23p. However, IDE cannot substitute for the function of Axl1p in promoting haploid axial budding and repressing haploid invasive growth, activities that require an uncharacterized activity of Axl1p. Particulate fractions enriched for Axl1p or Ste23p are incapable of cleaving insulin, suggesting that the functional conservation of these enzymes may not be bidirectionally conserved. We have made practical use of our genetic system to confirm that residues composing the extended zinc metalloprotease motif of M16A family enzymes are required for the enzymatic activity of IDE, Ste23p, and Axl1p. We have determined that IDE and Axl1p both require an intact C terminus for optimal activity. We expect that the tractable genetic system that we have developed will be useful for investigating the enzymatic and structure/function properties of IDE and possibly for the identification of novel IDE alleles having altered substrate specificity.
Natural killer cells: can they be useful as adoptive immunotherapy for cancer?

As part of the innate immune system, natural killer (NK) cells form the first line of defence against pathogens or transformed/cancerous host cells. Recent experimental and clinical data show the possibility of exploiting NKactivity as a cell-based immunotherapy to treat cancer. This review di-scusses the recent knowledge on NK cell biology that has impacted on its development as a treatment for cancer.
Studies on Tryptophan Metabolism in Man: The Effect of Hormones and Vitamin B6 on Urinary Excretion of Metabolites of the Kynurenine Pathway: Part 2

(1974). Studies on Tryptophan Metabolism in Man: The Effect of Hormones and Vitamin B6 on Urinary Excretion of Metabolites of the Kynurenine Pathway: Part 2. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation: Vol. 33, No. sup136, pp. 89-182.
Radium isotopes in Cayuga Lake, New York: Indicators of inflow and mixing processes

Naturally occurring radium isotopes ( 223 Ra, 224 Ra, 226 Ra, and 228 Ra) were measured in lake and tributary water of Cayuga Lake, New York, during the course of a vernal inflow event in the spring of 2001. A large influx of groundwater, probably from a carbonate aquifer, entered the lake at its extreme southern end early in the vernal inflow event and spread northward, covering an extensive part of the southern end of the lake. The low 228 Ra/ 226 Ra activity ratio of this water mass, compared with bulk lake water, allowed its identification through time. Estimates of mixing with bulk lake water were calculated from changes in the 226
Adaptable image retrieval with application to underwater target identification

This paper presents a study on an adaptable image retrieval system used for underwater target identification. Shape and textural features extracted from contrast and range electro-optical imagery data are used to represent each mine-like or non-mine-like sample image. The retrieval system is an adaptable two-layer network where the first layer is structurally adaptable in response to relevance feedback from expert users, while the second layer is adaptable only when a new class is introduced. Each node in the second layer represents one sample image in the training database. Test results on a large electro-optical imagery database are presented, which show the promise of the proposed system as an adaptable image retrieval system.
Inotropic stimulation and oxygen consumption in a canine model of dilated cardiomyopathy

Inotropic support for the dilated, failing ventricle results in complex hemodynamic changes affecting preload, afterload, contractility, and heart rate, each of which affects myocardial oxygen consumption. Appreciation of a hierarchy of hemodynamic determinants of myocardial oxygen consumption may be helpful to the clinician trying to balance oxygen demands and hemodynamic performance. We tested the hypothesis that epinephrine alters the hierarchy of hemodynamic determinants of myocardial oxygen consumption in a canine model of dilated cardiomyopathy created by rapid ventricular pacing. Dogs (n = 10) were instrumented to record left ventricular pressure and dimension, and a modified right heart bypass preparation was used to control left ventricular workload. Coronary sinus effluent was quantitatively collected and analyzed for oxygen content and used to calculate myocardial oxygen consumption. Epinephrine administration significantly increased myocardial oxygen consumption in the empty, beating heart; however, when the relationships of multiple determinants of left ventricular work and load were compared before and after epinephrine administration, no oxygen wasting effect was observed. Using multivariate linear regression analysis, a hierarchy of hemodynamic determinants of myocardial oxygen consumption was created. In the untreated heart, stroke work and cardiac output were the primary hemodynamic determinants of oxygen consumption; epinephrine significantly altered the determinants such that wall stress became the dominant hemodynamic determinant of myocardial oxygen consumption. Focused manipulation of wall stress in the treated, failing heart may limit the potentially deleterious effects of inotropic stimulation in this setting.
Endogenous bursting due to altered sodium channel function in rat hippocampal CA1 neurons.

Abstract Intracellular recordings were obtained from pyramidal neurons in the rat hippocampal CA1 area in order to investigate membrane mechanisms involved in veratridine-induced epileptiform activity. Veratridine (0.03−0.2 μM) caused no changes in the passive membrane parameters including the resting potential, input resistance, and time constant. In the presence of small doses (0.03−0.1 μM) of veratridine, a single stimulus caused a relatively slow, large, synaptic-independent potential called the slow depolarizing after-potential (SDAP). When the hippocampal slice was treated with higher doses of veratridine (over 0.1 μM), bursting, or seizure-like activity (SLA) occurred in response to a brief super threshold intracellular stimulation. The duration of SLA bursting could be as long as ten seconds depending on the amplitude of SDAP, and was independent of the stimulus strength or duration. The frequency and configuration of SLA were sensitive to changes in membrane potential caused by applied DC current. At 0.3 μM or higher, veratridine induced spontaneous rhythmic bursting that was also sensitive to membrane potential changes. The evoked or spontaneous bursting is characterized by being: (1) independent of synaptic transmission in that it persisted after complete blockade of evoked synaptic potential with kynurenic acid (0.5 mM), (2) sensitive to selective inhibition by low doses of the specific sodium channel blockers tetrodotoxin (TTX) or cocaine with no apparent influence on the evoked action potential. These results indicate that endogenous SLA bursting can be induced in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons when certain properties of sodium channels are altered by veratridine.
The EE student's PC toolkit. IV. Graphics and schematic capture programs

For pt.III (word processing) see ibid., vol.9, no.3, p.49-51 (Oct. 1990). Public-domain and shareware application programs useful in an academic setting, with emphasis on electrical engineering course-work requirements, are discussed. Two packages were judged to meet the criteria for student use: EDRAW and PC-KEY-DRAW. These specialized packages can make it easy to sketch arbitrary diagrams, symbols, and figures, such as might be required to illustrate a laboratory equipment setup. >