cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FIN 48 and the tax aggressive behaviors of transnational corporations: A decade later

Abstract Transnational corporations (TNCs) adopt tax behaviors to minimize global tax footprints while maximizing after-tax profits and shareholder value. However, associated costs to the TNC include; higher audit probabilities, potential interest/penalties, and tax court litigation. Costs also accrue to tax authorities (increased audits and lost tax revenues), and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (increased regulatory expenses). Since Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (FIN 48) was implemented in 2007, research has assessed its impact on global earnings management and reporting quality with little consensus across studies. Prior studies document tax avoidance measured by declining effective tax rates, but do not cover recent years or potentially informative tax and other metrics. This study documents a pattern of TNC global tax avoidance and aggressiveness during the first decade of FIN 48. We assessed tax metrics not included in prior studies, including offshore profits, intangible and research and development intensities, and tax havens, and posited potential explanations for observed tax behaviors. Data suggest that TNC tax-avoidance behaviors increased in the decade following FIN 48, with steady increases in unrecognized tax benefits, unrepatriated earnings, and specific tax metrics, contrary to FASB’s assertion that FIN 48 would decrease them.
Reframing temporality in participatory visual research with timelapse video

In this article, the authors offer ‘timelapse’—removing frames from video footage to effectively ‘speed up’ visual activity—as an experimental method for engaging in the practice of seeing the emer...
Corpora amylacea of the bovine mammary gland. Histochemical and electron microscopic evidence for their amyloid nature.

Abstract The corpora amylacea of the bovine mammary gland which were studied with the light and electron microscope, showed an irregular metachromasia with methyl violet, green birefringence with alkaline Congo red and fluorescence with thioflavine T. Electron microscopic examination of bovine corpora amylacea revealed a fibrillar ultrastructure; the fibrils were 80 to 100 A in width and appeared tubular. The histochemical and electron microscopic findings suggest an amyloid nature for corpora amylacea of the bovine mammary gland.
Hardware implementation of fractional-order systems as infinite impulse response filters

Abstract In this paper we approximate fractional-order systems as IIR filters using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The resulting implementations are low cost and high speed, with guaranteed stability. Our method implements the IIR approximation as a parallel combination of first-order sections, and quantizes each filter coefficient in fixed-point according to its own independent contribution to the frequency response. This makes it possible to explore the tradeoffs between system quality and hardware cost easily, with a short design time.
Types of pediatric diabetes mellitus defined by anti-islet autoimmunity and random C-peptide at diagnosis

Objective To test the hypothesis that anti-islet autoantibody expression and random serum C-peptide obtained at diagnosis define phenotypes of pediatric diabetes with distinct clinical features. Subjects We analyzed 607 children aged <19 yr consecutively diagnosed with diabetes after exclusion of 13% of cases with secondary diabetes (e.g., cystic fibrosis related, steroid induced) and 7.3% of cases lacking measurement of C-peptide and/or autoantibodies. Methods Autoantibody positivity (A+) was defined as ≥1 positive out of GAD65, insulin, and ICA512 antibodies. Preserved beta-cell function (β+) was defined as random serum C-peptide at diagnosis ≥ 0.6 ng/mL. Body mass index (BMI) was measured at median 1.2 months after diagnosis. Characteristics at diagnosis and 2 yr (range 18–30 months) after diagnosis were compared among groups. Results Autoantibody expression and C-peptide at diagnosis defined the following groups: A+β− (52.1% of the children), A+β+ (32.8%), A−β+ (12.5%), and A−β− (2.6%). These four groups differed in gender, race/ethnicity, and clinical characteristics at diagnosis [i.e., age, pubertal development, obesity/overweight, diabetic ketoacidosis, glycemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)] and at 2 yr (i.e., clinical diagnosis, treatment, and HbA1c) (all p 2 ng/mL was associated with lower HbA1c at onset (p = 0.0001) and, in the A+β+ subgroup, with higher frequency of achieving HbA1c < 7% at 2 yr (p = 0.03). All three patients (0.7% of total) with monogenic diabetes (maturity onset diabetes of the young, MODY) were A−β+ with C-peptide between 0.6 and 2 ng/mL. Conclusions Anti-islet autoantibodies status and serum random C-peptide at diagnosis define four distinct phenotypes of pediatric diabetes with prognostic value.
A Note on the Concept of Scientific Practice

Nothing is more commonplace these days than discussions of the relation between theory and practice — or praxis as it has become fashionable in some circles to spell it1. Less commonplace is the acknowledgment that theory is itself a practice, one among a number of social practices which combine and interweave in most complicated ways in any social structure. It is to the work of the group of French Marxists led by Louis Althusser that we owe the use of the phrase ‘theoretical practice’, as the symbol of this approach to the understanding of the relations between theory and the other practices. Althusser has devoted much attention to that particular theoretical practice he denotes by’scientific practice’; and such other workers in the same general tradition as Badiou, Lecourt, Raymond, Fichant and Pecheux, to name a few, have tried to develop and refine (even reverse!) some of Althusser’s insights.* This group thus represents an active current within contemporary Marxist thought, and the group is especially interested in problems of the epistemology of the sciences. Without wishing to tie myself too closely to any one of the varying shades of interpretation of this group, nor burden them with my particular nuances, I should like to discuss some themes of this approach to the sciences, and give an example of how it may help a working (or should I say practicing?) theoretical physicist to try and avoid some of the pitfalls inherent in current ideologically inspired misinterpretations of certain problems in theoretical physics.
Promoting conversations between physicians and families about childhood obesity: evaluation of physician communication training within a clinical practice improvement initiative

Childhood obesity rates have incrementally increased since the 1980s, sparking calls for initiatives focused on addressing this public health concern. In response, the family medicine residency clinic profiled in this research designed, executed, and evaluated a practice improvement initiative focused on physician communication behaviors and clinic processes that impact the management of unhealthy pediatric weight. The results of the evaluation effort demonstrated increased physician knowledge of communication principles, improvements in weight management counseling rates, and opportunities for health delivery system changes to promote the effective clinical management of unhealthy pediatric weight.
Sensory Modification of Leech Swimming: Rhythmic Activity of Ventral Stretch Receptors Can Change Intersegmental Phase Relationships

For segmented animals to generate optimal locomotory movements, appropriate phase relationships between segmental oscillators are crucial. Using swimming leeches, we have investigated the role of sensory input in establishing such relationships. We found that the stretch receptors associated with ventral longitudinal muscles encode the information of muscle contraction during swimming via membrane potential oscillations, with amplitudes of up to 10 mV at our recording site. We subsequently modified the activity of ventral stretch receptors (VSRs) by injecting rhythmic current at different phases of the swim cycle and determined intersegmental phase lags by comparing the delay between the discharges of serially homologous motoneurons in three adjacent segments of isolated nerve cords. When no current was injected, the phase lag between neighboring segments was 8.6 ± 0.8° (mean ± SEM; n = 20), with large phase variations from cycle to cycle, between different episodes, and between different preparations. When the phase of stretch receptor activity was set to 90–150° by current injection, the phase of the motoneuron activity in the ganglion was consistently retarded by ∼5°. It was advanced by ∼5° when the VSR phase was set to 240–300°. Therefore, the rhythmic activity of the ventral stretch receptor generated during swimming can change intersegmental phase lags of leech ganglia in a phase-dependent manner. These stretch receptors may set the optimal intersegmental phases during swimming movement in intact leeches.
Two-stage revision hip arthroplasty for infection: comparison between the interim use of antibiotic-loaded cement beads and a spacer prosthesis.

Background: A two-stage revision is a well-accepted method for the treatment of a deep infection of a hip with a joint implant. In the present study, the results associated with the interim use of antibiotic-loaded cement beads were compared with those associated with the interim use of an antibiotic-loaded cement prosthesis. Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight consecutive patients who were managed with a two-stage revision hip arthroplasty for the treatment of an infection were followed clinically and radiographically for an average of 4.9 years. Cement beads were implanted following resection arthroplasty in the first seventy hips, and a custom cement prosthesis was implanted in the subsequent fifty-eight hips. Results: There was no evidence of recurrent infection in 122 patients (95.3%); the infection-free rates in both groups were similar. The use of a spacer prosthesis was associated with a higher hip score, a shorter hospital stay, and better walking capacity in the interim period; a decreased operative time, less blood loss, and a lower transfusion requirement at the time of reimplantation; and fewer postoperative dislocations. Conclusions: The present study supports the safety and efficacy of the routine use of an antibiotic-loaded cement prosthesis in the interim between the stages of a two-stage revision procedure for the treatment of an infection at the site of a hip arthroplasty. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level III-2 (retrospective cohort study). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium (MMHCC) from the NCI.

![Figure][1] Through extensive discussion with a broad representation of researchers from the cancer research community, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) identified the crucial need for vastly improved animal model systems to inform all aspects of cancer research and to improve patient
Practice guideline: evaluation and management of abnormal vaginal bleeding in adolescents.

Abnormal vaginal bleeding is a common cause for concern among adolescents and their families, as well as a frequent cause of visits to the emergency department and health care provider. While there are many causes of abnormal vaginal bleeding, the most likely cause among otherwise healthy adolescents is dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) resulting from an immature hypothalamic-pituitaryovarian axis, which results in anovulatory cycles and unpredictable bleeding. However, abnormal vaginal bleeding also may be the presenting symptom of a more serious underlying condition or problem. Furthermore, depending on the cause and severity of the bleeding, significant morbidity and mortality may be associated with it. This article will discuss many of the common causes of DUB, as well as the diagnostic work-up and management for this condition.
Benchmarking pKa Prediction Methods for Residues in Proteins.

Methods for estimation of pKa values of residues in proteins were tested on a set of benchmark proteins with experimentally known pKa values. The benchmark set includes 80 different residues (20 each for Asp, Glu, Lys, and His), half of which consists of significantly variant cases (ΔpKa ≥ 1 pKa unit from the amino acid in solution). The method introduced by Case and co-workers [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 4167−4180], referred to as the molecular dynamics/generalized-Born/thermodynamic integration (MD/GB/TI) technique, gives a root-mean-square deviation (rmsd) of 1.4 pKa units on the benchmark set. The use of explicit waters in the immediate region surrounding the residue was shown to generally reduce high errors for this method. Longer simulation time was also shown to increase the accuracy of this method. The empirical approach developed by Jensen and co-workers [Proteins 2005, 61, 704−721], PROPKA, also gives an overall rmsd of 1.4 pKa units and is more or less accurate based on residue type—the metho...
Dysrhythmias after mustard's operation for transposition of the great arteries

Abstract Dysrhythmias after Mustard's operation for transposition of the great arteries were studied in 60 patients who survived the operation. Only 3 patients consistently had sinus rhythm after the operation. In 54 patients, low voltage atrial waves having the configuration of sinus P waves were seen at one time or another. The incidence of passive dysrhythmias remained nearly the same during the follow-up period. Eight patients showed at various times a specific pattern designated junctional rhythm with right inferior P axis. The mean P axis was directed downward, to the right and anteriorly, occurring either before or after the QRS complex with fixed PR or RP intervals. The characteristics of the junctional rhythm with right inferior P axis remained during subsequent attacks of supraventricular tachycardias. Whereas the incidence of sinus rhythm gradually decreased, the incidence of active dysrhythmias increased during follow-up study. There were no instances of second or third degree atrioventricular (A-V) block. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, type A, developed and persisted in 1 patient. In 5 patients who died, presumably from rhythm disturbances, the histologie features of the sinoatrial (S-A) nodal area were examined. In a control group of normal hearts and 1 specimen with unoperated upon transposition, the S-A node and artery were readily identified. In the necropsy material from patients with transposition who had recently undergone Mustard's operation, S-A nodal tissue was identified but fresh hemorrhage and acute inflammation were seen in and about the node. The S-A nodal artery in the 3 patients who died 4 months or more after operation was nearly or completely obliterated by intimai sclerosis and medial hypertrophy. The S-A node was replaced by dense connective tissue and fatty degeneration.
The Los Alamos POP Project: FEL oscillator experiments in the ultraviolet and beyond☆

The Los Alamos POP Project will include a series of proof-of-principle FEL oscillator experiments in 1992 designed to extend FEL operation into the ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). With beam energy extended to 50 MeV, enhanced beam brightness with a photoinjector, and appropriate UV and VUV resonator optics, the Los Alamos FEL oscillator should have sufficient single-pass gain (20--30%) to reach below 200 nm. The first goal will be lasing at 250 nm utilizing a permanent-magnet undulator with 5-mm period or alternatively on the third harmonic with a 1-cm period. To operate at VUV wavelengths of 200 and 150 nm (third harmonic), pulsed electromagnetic microwigglers with periods of 5.7- and 4.3 mm will be employed. 23 refs.
Criteria for the Evaluation of Neighborhood Viability in Working Class and Low Income Areas in Core Cities.

Recent studies of urban life have called attention to the importance of residential neighborhoods to the revitalization of older core cities. Little attention has been given, however, to the differences between viable neighborhoods and areas without social definition. On the basis of a review of previous studies of neighborhoods, I establish criteria for the viability of working class and low income neighborhoods in older core cities. A set of propositions for comparative research is presented.
THE EFFECT OF LONGITUDINAL HEAT CONDUCTION IN CROSS FLOW INDIRECT EVAPORATIVE AIR COOLERS

The effect of the longitudinal heat conduction in the exchanger wall of a compact-plate cross flow indirect evaporative cooler is investigated. A NTU method is used to study the heat and mass transfer characteristics. A block iterative numerical method is used to solve the coupled conservation equations for the primary fluid, the secondary fluid and the liquid film. The model was validated using previously published data. The exchanger performance deterioration due to the conduction effect has been determined for various design and operating conditions. The results indicate that the thermal performance deterioration of the evaporative coolers may become significant for some typical operating conditions and could be as high as 10%, while it lies less than 5% for most conservative conditions.
Hybrid Neural Network-First Principles Modeling of Critical Heat Flux in a Thin Annular Channel

The hybrid artificial neural network-first principle modeling (ANN-FPM) is a powerful and flexible methodology that can be particularly useful for complex multi-phase flow processes. In this method the flow state variables are obtained from the solution of conservative equations using first principle-based closure relations whenever possible, and using trained artificial neural networks for poorly-understood rate processes. The ANN-FPM methodology is applied to a set of experimental data representing critical heat flux in a uniformly heated horizontal annular test section cooled with water. The first principle method is based on numerical solution of one-dimensional two-phase equilibrium conservation equations with velocity slip represented by an algebraic slip ratio correlation. The critical heat flux is predicted using trained neural networks that use local hydrodynamic parameters estimated by the first principle method. It is shown that the methodology works well for the studied data.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Schizophrenia and impaired homocysteine metabolism: a possible association

Abstract Background: An increased risk of both schizophrenia and neural tube defects was observed in a birth cohort exposed to famine during early gestation. Neural tube defects have been related to a folate-sensitive genetic defect in homocysteine metabolism. If this were also true for schizophrenia, then cases with low folate (LF)—and only these cases—should have increased homocysteine levels compared with controls. Methods: We compared homocysteine levels of schizophrenia cases and normal controls with low folate (LF) and without low folate (non-LF). Low folate was defined by the bottom tertile for controls. Results: In the LF group (6 cases, 8 controls), mean homocysteine was 10.7μM in cases compared with 7.7μM in controls (p = .03). In the non-LF group (11 cases, 16 controls) mean homocysteine did not differ for cases and controls. Conclusions: These pilot data are compatible with the hypothesis that a folate-sensitive defect in homocysteine metabolism contributes to cases of schizophrenia.
An example of a research grant application comprehensive discharge planning for the elderly

Discharge planning for the elderly can potentially reduce patient length of hospital stay, prevent rehospitalization, enhance patient outcomes and lessen the burden of care on the families. While increased numbers of elderly are being discharged earlier, there are few data on the process and effects of discharge planning protocols developed specifically for this population. The proposed study will attempt to answer the following questions regarding hospitalized elderly with selected DRG classifications: Are there significant differences between elderly patients who receive the hospital's general discharge planning procedure used for all categories of patients and elderly who receive the hospital's general discharge planning procedure plus a comprehensive discharge planning protocol specific to the elderly and implemented by a gerontological nurse specialist in: (1) Patient Outcomes (length of initial hospitalization; post-discharge morbidity; post-discharge health services; functional status; mental status; satisfaction with care; self-esteem; patient's perception of health status; and stress level); (2) Family Related Outcomes (primary care giver's functional status; mental status; care giving demands; stress level and family functioning); (3) Cost of Care Outcomes (charges for initial hospitalization, rehospitalizations, post-discharge health services; family related costs; and gerontological nurse specialist costs). The study design is a randomized clinical trial with a total of 280 elderly (2 groups of 140). The control group will receive routine discharge planning; the treatment group will receive routine discharge planning plus an elder-specific comprehensive discharge planning protocol. Data analysis will include frequency distributions and summary statistics. For each of the research questions, multivariate analysis of variance or chi-square statistics will be used.
Beneficial effect of erythropoietin on experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

We have known for a long time that erythropoietin signaling plays a key role in bone marrow erythrocyte proliferation. However, recent studies have indicated that erythropoietin also may have protective effects on the nervous system. This unexpected role remains incompletely characterized. To investigate the potential neuroprotective role of erythropoietin in the central nervous system, we assessed its effects on a well-characterized autoimmune demyelinating model of multiple sclerosis-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the mouse. We found that erythropoietin administered intravenously for 14 days after the onset of symptoms reduced both disease severity and duration of maximum impairment at dose levels as low as 50U/kg (p < 0.001). We assessed the neuropathology of diseased spinal cords and found that erythropoietin-treated EAE animals had reduced axonal damage, inflammatory cell infiltration and demyelination, and diminished blood-brain barrier leakage when compared with saline-treated EAE controls. Moreover, the pronounced upregulation of spinal cord major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression found in saline-treated EAE was significantly reduced in erythropoietin-treated animals, a finding we replicated in vitro, using microglial cultures. The notion that short-term erythropoietin therapy might be of clinical benefit in human autoimmune demyelinating diseases needs investigation.
Regulation of u-PA gene expression in human prostate cancer.

u-PA contributes to CaP progression, especially in the metastatic androgen-insensitive state. In vitro, u-PA is expressed by androgen-insensitive, but not androgen-sensitive, CaP cell lines. We hypothesized that in androgen-sensitive CaP an activated ARE represses u-PA expression but in androgen-insensitive CaP this repression is lost and u-PA is upregulated through MAP kinase signaling pathways. To determine whether binding of the DHT-AR complex to AREs in the u-PA promoter region represses u-PA transcription in androgen-sensitive CaP, we studied 2 PC3 androgen-insensitive human CaP cell lines stably transfected with AR [PC3(AR)(2) and PC3(AR)(13)] and 1 mock-transfected cell line [PC3(M)]. In the presence of the synthetic androgen mibolerone, both PC3(AR)(2) and PC3(AR)(13), but not PC3(M), cells showed decreased u-PA expression as assayed by Western and Northern blotting. The AR inhibitor flutamide abrogated mibolerone's effect. Androgen regulation of a second gene, PSA, was also demonstrated in the PC3(AR)(2) cell line. To explore the pathway stimulating u-PA expression in CaP, we performed transient transfections in PC3(AR)(2) cells using u-PA promoter-regulated CAT reporter constructs. Compared to full-length u-PA promoter-CAT constructs, either deletion or mutation of the 5' AP-1 or PEA3 site reduced CAT expression. The location of androgen responsiveness in the u-PA promoter was not identified through the combination of promoter search and transient transfection assays, indicating that a more complicated mechanism is involved in the AR-mediated downmodulation of u-PA expression.
On the enzymic synthesis of lactose-1-PO4.

Abstract Evidence is presented that enzyme fractions obtained from bovine mammary tissue will catalyze the synthesis of lactose 1-phosphate from UDPG and glucose 1-phosphate according to the reactions: UDPG UDPGal UDPGal + G-1-P 1-phosphate + UDP Using radioactive glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, and doubly labeled glucose 1-phosphate in the presence of UDPG and the proper fortifiers, it was shown that neither glucose nor glucose 6-phosphate would act as the galactosyl acceptor while glucose 1-phosphate would function as the acceptor. The phosphorylated sugar formed yielded equal amounts of lactose and inorganic phosphate upon mild acid hydrolysis and gave a negative reducing test in alkaline solution. It migrated more slowly than glucose 1-phosphate in paper electrophoresis and could be separated from glucose 1-phosphate by means of ion-exchange chromatography if the reaction medium was first treated with phosphoglucomutase to convert the glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate. When the lactose phosphate was enzymically synthesized from glucose 1-phosphate doubly labeled with C 14 and P 32 and UDPG, no radioactivity could be found in the galactose moiety. The glucose moiety of the lactose contained approximately the same specific activity as the substrate glucose 1-phosphate, and the ratio of the specific activities of C 14 to P 32 was the same in the glucose and phosphate of the lactose phosphate as in the starting glucose 1-phosphate. The primary nucleotide formed was identified as UDP by paper chromatography.
Role of the Outward Delayed Rectifier K+ Current in Ceramide‐Induced Caspase Activation and Apoptosis in Cultured Cortical Neurons

We studied the novel hypothesis that an up-modulation of channels for outward delayed rectifier K+ current (I(K)) plays a key role in ceramide-induced neuronal apoptosis. Exposure for 6-10 h to the membrane-permeable C2-ceramide (25 microM) or to sphingomyelinase (0.2 unit/ml), but not to the inactive ceramide analogue C2-dihydroceramide (25 microM), enhanced the whole-cell I(K) current without affecting the transient A-type K+ current and increased caspase activity, followed by neuronal apoptosis 24 h after exposure onset. Tetraethylammonium (TEA) or 4-chloro-N,N-diethyl-N-heptylbenzenebutanaminium tosylate (clofilium), at concentrations inhibiting I(K), attenuated the C2-ceramide-induced caspase-3-like activation as well as neuronal apoptosis. Raising extracellular K+ to 25 mM similarly blocked the C2-ceramide-induced cell death; the neuroprotection by 25 mM K+ or TEA was not eliminated by blocking voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. An inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, herbimycin A (10 nM) or lavendustin A (0.1-1 microM), suppressed I(K) enhancement and/or apoptosis induced by C2-ceramide. It is suggested that ceramide-induced I(K) current enhancement is mediated by tyrosine phosphorylation and plays a critical role in neuronal apoptosis.
The effect of cyclophosphamide on intracerebral vaccinia virus infection in Balb/C mice.

Abstract The effect of cyclophosphamide on CNS vaccinia virus infection in mice was studied. One group received the drug 36 hr prior to infection and showed 95% mortality. By 9 days after infection they had developed severe meningoencephalitis, but had similar virus growth curves to those seen in untreated animals which rarely die. Virus was isolated in a cell-associated state from two survivors at 60 days in the absence of histopathology. A second group received the drug as 7 days postinfection and showed prolonged morbidity and 95% mortality by 4 weeks. Virus remained cell free and the usual appearance and rise of neutralizing antibody was suppressed. The third group, which received the drug on postinoculation days 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25, was unaffected. Persistence of virus and lesions of increased severity was facilitated by suppression of humoral antibody formation. The cell-associated viral state and the control of clinical disease correlated with humoral antibody response. These observations could have relevance to virus and immune system interactions in postvaccinal CNS disorders in man.
The metamorphic paragenesis of cordierite in pelitic rocks

A petrogenetic grid is constructed for mineral assemblages occurring in metapelitic rocks, particularly those involved in the paragenesis of cordierite. The most useful assemblages for estimating pressures and temperatures are staurolite-cordierite, cordierite-biotite-Al2SiO5 and cordierite-hypersthene. Cordierite is stable with kyanite, sillimanite or andalusite. At high pressures cordierite is Mg-rich so that pelitic rocks typically do not contain the phase. Cordierite is stable at temperatures less than 500° C but does not commonly appear in metapelitic rocks until the garnet-chlorite, chlorite-staurolite or chlorite-Al2SiO5 tie-lines are broken. At high metamorphic grades, the assemblage garnet-hypersthene-cordierite indicates relatively low pressures, and the assemblage hypersthene-cordierite-sillimanite relatively high pressures. It is clear however, that the absence of cordierite is of little use in characterizing a metamorphic facies unless an alternate mineral assemblage can be shown to be more stable.
Mosaicking of global planetary image datasets: 1. Techniques and data processing for Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) multi‐spectral data

[1] The mosaicking of global planetary data sets allows for the examination of local, regional, and global scale processes on all planetary bodies. Processing techniques that allow us and other users to crate mosaics of tens of thousands of images are documented along with the associated errors introduced by each image-processing algorithm. These techniques (e.g., non-uniformity correction, running contrast stretches, line and row correlated noise removal, and random noise removal) were originally developed for the 2001 Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) infrared multispectral imager data but can be adapted and applied to other data sets by the alteration of input parameters. The techniques for mosaicking planetary image data sets (e.g., image registration, blending, and normalization) are also presented along with the generation of qualitative and quantitative products. These techniques are then applied to generate THEMIS daytime and nighttime infrared, Viking, Context Imager (CTX), and Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) visible mosaics using a variety of input and output types at a variety of scales. By creating mosaics of the same area using different data sets such as those that illustrate compositional diversity, thermophysical properties, or small-scale morphology, it is possible to view the surface of the planet and geologic problems through many different perspectives. In addition to the techniques used to create large-scale seamless mosaics, we also present the THEMIS daytime and nighttime relative temperature global mosaics, which are the highest resolution (100m/pixel) global scale data sets available for Mars to date.
Catalyst-Free, One-Step Synthesis of Olivary-Shaped Carbon from Olive Oil

High-purity olivary-shaped carbon particles with a diameter of ∼1.5 μm at the middle and a length of ∼3 μm were synthesized by the thermolysis [700 °C] of olive oil under its autogenic pressure in a closed reactor. We employed in situ mass spectrometry to monitor the volatile gases responsible for the autogenic pressure generated during the thermolysis of olive oil in the closed reactor and also measured the autogenic pressure as a function of temperature. The olivary shape of as-prepared microcarbon is verified by scanning electron microscopy and the composition by C,H,N−S and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The structural information is determined by powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, while the magnetic properties are determined by electron paramagnetic resonance. We propose a putative mechanism for their formation by using all the complementary data.
Product flexibility measurement with enhanced Change Modes and Effects Analysis (CMEA)

Product designers seek to create products that are not only robust for the current marketplace, but also flexible for future changes that may be unanticipated or unplanned. Very few techniques exist for understanding and assessing the flexibility of products for future change. In this paper, enhancements are presented for Change Modes and Effects Analysis (CMEA), a flexibility assessment tool that aids designers in meeting this goal. CMEA has been systematically enhanced to improve its ease of use and increase the consistency of its application for comparing or improving product flexibility. An example application of CMEA to an existing product, a consumer power gardening tool, is provided. This application demonstrates the potential usefulness of CMEA while highlighting the improved features of the technique.
Recent developments in the study of the structure-function relationship of flavonol sulfotransferases.

Abstract With the rapid proliferation of sulfotransferase (ST) cDNA sequences in the last 5 years, consensus sequences were identified in four conserved regions. The association of these regions with substrate binding or catalysis was tested in several site-directed mutagenesis studies. Due to their strict substrate and position specificities, the flavonol 3- and 4′-STs represent an advantageous model system for the study of the structure-function relationship of cytosolic STs. Using a combination of chimeric and site-directed mutant proteins, a domain was identified containing all the determinants responsible for the substrate specificity of these enzymes, and characterized amino acid residues conserved in all cloned STs that are involved in substrate binding and catalysis. This paper summarizes the results of these studies.
Sperm nuclear halos can transform into normal chromosomes after injection into oocytes.

Mouse sperm nuclei extracted with an ionic detergent and 2 M NaCl retain their overall morphology, but upon subsequent reduction of the protamine disulfides they lose all elements of chromatin structure except the organization of DNA into loop that are anchored to the nuclear matrix. These DNA loops appear as a halo surrounding the nuclear matrix, and nuclei extracted in this manner are, therefore, called nuclear halos. Here, we report that sperm nuclear halos injected into oocytes can form pronuclei, then transform into chromosomes with normal morphology. This suggests that sperm nuclear halos retain all the information necessary for normal chromosomal organization, and that micromanipulation of these extracted sperm nuclei can be accomplished without major DNA damage.
Parent Delivered Infant Massage: Are We Truly Ready for Implementation?

Abstract Preterm infant touch and massage are caregiving interventions that have been explored by many researchers. The sense of touch is the most developed of the senses in the neonatal period. However, preterm infant touch and massage research results have been mixed, and the recommendations for implementation in the neonatal intensive care unit remain cautious. Yet, infant touch is inevitable and necessary for the attachment of families and infants, and thus, more work needs to be done to better understand how to best implement this vital intervention strategy. The questions still needing more consideration are when, how much, and by whom. We know that parent-delivered infant touch and massage are occurring in the neonatal intensive care unit, so the questions now must focus on the optimal implementation approaches and intervention strategies for families.
Applying the USGS Mass‐Transport Model (MOC) to Remedial Actions by Recovery Wells

The USGS two-dimensional mass-transport model (MOC) is widely used in the analysis of ground-water contamination problems. A need exists to examine the accuracy of the code in situations dominated by radially convergent and divergent flow around wells. The model is applied here to situations that commonly exist in remedial actions involving recovery wells. The cases simulated are a recharge/recovery single well, a recharge/recovery doublet, and plume capture by one or two production wells. The results were tested against analytical and semianalytical solutions. Inaccuracies in model results occurred especially for the doublet case under continued long-time simulation. Inaccuracies are caused not only by the mainly radial-flow situation, or by the curvature nature of streamlines, but also by the arrival of contamination at the sink nodes. Better agreement of numerical and analytical solutions was obtained for the single-well and plume-capture situations. However, a large mass-balance error exists for the single-well case. Inaccuracies can be reduced by modifying the code and reducing the finite-difference mesh (e.g., Erickson, 1985). However, the use of a very fine mesh (i.e., on the order of a few feet) may prevent the use of the code in large-scale problems. Care must be taken in applying the model to situations where production or injection wells are close to each other.
Advances in rotorcraft

Reviews recent advances in rotorcraft technology as presented at a recent Royal Aeronautical Society conference on innovation in rotorcraft technology and the 1997 Paris Air Show. Reports research initiatives to improve key rotorcraft technologies in the areas of obstacle detection, vibration and noise reduction and smart structures. Also mentions advances in overcoming rotorcraft speed limitations through use of tiltrotor and tiltwing aircraft.
Strategies to adapt adenoviral vectors for targeted delivery.

: The utility of current generation adenoviral vectors for targeted, cell-specific gene delivery is limited by the promiscuous tropism of the parent virus. To address this issue, we have developed both genetic and immunologic methods to alter viral tropism. Immunologic retargeting has been achieved via conjugates comprised of an antifiber knob Fab and a targeting moiety consisting of a ligand or antireceptor antibody. Gene delivery by this approach has been accomplished via a variety of cellular pathways including receptors for folate, FGF, and EGF. In addition to cell-specific gene delivery, this strategy has allowed enhanced gene delivery to target cells lacking the native adenoviral receptor, CAR. Of note, this specific and extended gene delivery allowed enhanced survival in murine models of human carcinoma via cancer gene therapy. Genetic strategies to alter adenoviral tropism have included both fiber modification and fiber replacement. In the former, we have identified the HI loop of fiber as a propitious locale for introduction of heterologous peptides. Incorporation of an RGDC peptide at this locale allowed gene delivery via cellular integrins with dramatic efficiency augmentations. As a strategy to achieve both new tropism as well as to ablate native tropism, methods have been developed to replace the fiber protein with heterologous motif which preserves the key trimeric quaternary structure of fiber and allows for propagation. Such a fiber-replacement virus has been rescued and has demonstrated capacities consistent with its utility as a novel vector agent. These strategies have allowed the achievement of cell-specific gene delivery via adenoviral vectors and thus have the potential to enhance the utility of this vector agent.
Computer-assisted diagnosis of gastrointestinal helminths of domestic and experimental animals.

Abstract A ‘user-friendly’ interactive computer program written in BASIC with the objective of assisting the species identification of common gastrointestinal parasites of domestic and experimental animals is described. The computer program operates by prompting the user to select a morphological description from a set of presented descriptions that best fits the observed parasite. Depending on the user's response, the program presents another set of morphological descriptions from which the user must choose again, and so on, until the program concludes with the species of the parasite. A useful feature of this program is the option for the user to go back at any time and see the previous set of descriptions. This option allows the user to choose another description if (s)he thinks that the previous choice was not the correct one.
Cochlear immunoglobulin in the C3H/lpr mouse model for autoimmune hearing loss☆☆☆★

Abstract Immunoglobulin staining was conducted in cochlear tissue from the C3H/ lpr autoimmune strain mouse to better understand the local immune processes underlying autoimmune inner ear disease. This mouse is a model for spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus with coincident elevated cochlear thresholds. Cochleas were examined from C3H/ lpr mice at 2 months of age, before disease onset, and at 8 months of age, when systemic disease and hearing loss are manifested. Sections of these cochleas, along with cochlear sections from age-matched C3H/HeJ nonautoimmune controls, were immunocytochemically stained for IgG and IgM to identify areas of abnormal immunoglobulin activity. IgM immunoreactivity was similar in control and autoimmune cochlear tissue and did not appear to vary with disease progression. Staining was limited to the inside of capillaries in the stria vascularis and other areas within the cochlea. Similar staining patterns were seen in control animals stained for IgG. However, C3H/ lpr mice with autoimmune disease showed extensive IgG immunoreactivity spreading out from the stria vascularis capillaries into the extracapillary spaces. This increased permeability suggested that breakdown of the blood labyrinth barrier was coincident with systemic autoimmune disease. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997;117:504-8.)
Solute redistribution processes in ion bombarded alloys

Abstract An overview of radiation-induced solute redistribution process in ion bombarded alloys is presented and some applications to damage correlation studies are described. The type and amount of solute redistribution which occurs and its temporal and spatial dependence are affected not only by the target material and irradiation conditions, but also by the mass and energy of the incident ion. Because of the sensitivity of radiation damage effects in alloys to changes in composition, an understanding and an appreciation of the magnitude of these redistribution effects are essential for a proper interpretation and correlation of damage microstructures produced in alloys by different bombarding ions. Furthermore, once understood, these redistribution effects can be used to quantify differences in the calculated atomic displacement rates and the net production rates of freely migrating defects for different ions. Such information is a prerequisite for quantitative damage correlation, and requires a quantitative understanding of the dose-rate dependence of solute redistribution effects. Recent experimental and theoretical studies which provide the basis for such applications of solute redistribution effects are discussed.
Dicarbonyl Products of the OH Radical-Initiated Reactions of Naphthalene and the C1- and C2-Alkylnaphthalenes

Naphthalene and the C1- and C2-alkylnaphthalenes are the most abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban atmospheres. Their major atmospheric loss process is by gas-phase reaction with hydroxyl (OH) radicals. In this study, we have used in situ direct air sampling atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (API-MS) as well as gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques to investigate the products of the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with naphthalene, naphthalene-d8, 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene (MN), 1- and 2-MN-d10, 1- and 2-ethylnaphthalene (EN), and the 10 isomeric dimethylnaphthalenes (DMNs). The major reaction products are ring-opened dicarbonyls that are 32 mass units higher in molecular weight than the parent compound, one or more ring-opened dicarbonyls of lower molecular weight resulting from loss of two β-carbons and associated alkyl groups, and ring-containing compounds that may be epoxides. Phthalic anhydride and alkyl-substituted phthalic anhydrides were o...
Efficient computation of matched solutions of the Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij envelope equations for periodic focusing lattices

A new iterative method is developed to numerically calculate the periodic, matched beam envelope solution of the coupled Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (KV) equations describing the transverse evolution of a beam in a periodic, linear focusing lattice of arbitrary complexity. Implementation of the method is straightforward. It is highly convergent and can be applied to all usual parameterizations of the matched envelope solutions. The method is applicable to all classes of linear focusing lattices without skew couplings, and also applies to all physically achievable system parameters -- including where the matched beam envelope is strongly unstable. Example applications are presented for periodic solenoidal and quadrupole focusing lattices. Convergence properties are summarized over a wide range of system parameters.
A staggered-mesh finite-difference numerical method for solving the transport equations in low pressure RF glow discharges

A numerical model of a low pressure parallel plate rf glow discharge is presented based on a self-consistent formulation of the energy-momentum conservation equations for electrons, the continuity equations for both electrons and ions, and Poisson’s equation. Various explicit finite-difference numerical methods are discussed in terms of stability and overshoot properties. Stability considerations for the numerical method that was implemented, including the initial and the boundary conditions, are examined. Results from a large-signal simulation of a low pressure argon rf glow discharge are presented.
Applying successful near mission operations approaches and refining for contour mission operations

Abstract On February 17, 1996, the first NASA Discovery Class Mission to launch, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft, began its journey to the asteroid Eros. NEAR is the first planetary spacecraft to be designed and operated by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). In July 2002, the comet nucleus tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft, the second planetary spacecraft to be built and operated at JHUAPL and the 6th in the series of NASA Discovery Class Missions, will be launched. Both NEAR and CONTOUR share ambitious “Faster, Better, Cheaper” goals. Furthermore, with both missions being developed and operated at the same institution, a unique opportunity exists to refine CONTOUR designs and operational practices based on 5 years of NEAR operational experience. This paper provides an overview of designs and operational practices implemented by JHU/APL to safely and effectively conduct the NEAR mission. This paper discusses how these will be applied to the CONTOUR mission and what improvements are planned. It also discusses the unique challenges CONTOUR possesses for operating a 4 year mission with widely varying operations activity levels at low cost.