cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Papovavirus SV40: Similarity of tumor antigens in transformed virus‐free hamster cells and in virus‐infected monkey cells

Sera from hamsters bearing tumors induced by papovavirus SV40 reacted with tumor antigen prepared either from cells transformed by, or from cells infected with, the homologous virus. Serum titurs against both antogens were comparable. A high degree if correlation was obtained with the use of either complement-fixation or immunofluorescence to detect the antigen. The immunoflurescent intranuclear antigen present in cells transformed by SV40, an the early virus-induced intranuclear antigen found during the cytolytic cycle following infection of monkey cells by SV40, therefore appear to be similar, and they are either identival with or similar to the antigens detected by complement-fixation techniques. Synthesis of antibody against this antigen was detected only in hamsters bearing tumors induced by SV40 or by cells transformed by the virus. Hamsters immunized with SV40 usually reject cells transformed by the homologous virus; the few vaccinated animals which fail to reject such cells also fail to produce antibodies against tumor antigen although the tumor cells in such animals continue to synthesize the antigen. Des serums de hamsters porteurs de tumeurs provoquees par le virus SV40 ont reagi avec un antigene tumoral provenant soit de cellules transformees par le virus homologue soit de cellules infectees par celui-ci. Leurs titres par rapport aux deux antgenes etaient comparables. On a obtenu une correlation etroite en utilisant aussi bien la deviation du complement que l'immunofluorescence pour deceler l'antigene. Il y a donc apparemment similitude entre l'antigene intranucleaire immunoflurescent des cellules transformees par le SV40 et l'antigene intranucleaire induit par le virus et trouve au debut du cycle cytolytique qui suit l'infection des cellules de singe par le SV40; ces antigenes sont identiques ou du moins semblables aux antigenes deceles par la deviation du complement. La synthese des anticorps correspondant a cet antige n'a ete constatee que chez des hamsters porteurs de tumeurs provoquees soit par le SV40 soit par des cellules transformees par celui-ci. Les hamsters immunises vis-a-vis du SV40 rejettent en general les cellules transformees par le virus homologue;les quelques animaux vaccines qui ne les rejettent pas ne fabriquent pas non plus d'antcorps contre l'antgene tumoral, bien que chez ces animaux les cellules tumorales tumorales continuent a synthetiser l'antigene.
Solid-phase rheology of an anisotropic polymer (vectra A)

The solid-phase rheology of a thermotropic polyester which is liquid crystalline in the melt (Vectra A) was studied for one-dimensional finite-amplitude deformations, including step-strain and recovery, step-stress and recovery, and step-strain followed by small-amplitude oscillations. The rheology is complex, and cannot be described by existing models. Below a critical strain, which is history-dependent, Vectra A deforms as a linear viscoelastic solid. Above the critical strain the deformation is both viscoplastic and viscoelastic. There appears to be a maximum recoverable strain of about 0.03, beyond which all deformation is nonrecoverable. A large number of relaxation modes is required to describe the stress, and one time scale is inadequate to describe the time-dependence of yielding and plastic flow.
Biological indicators of the in-utero environment and their association with birth weight for gestational age

Birth weight for gestational age (BW/GA) has been associated with a risk of adverse health outcomes. Biological indices of pregnancy complications, maternal mid-pregnancy serum biomarkers and placental pathology may shed light on these associations, but at present, they are most often examined as single entities and offer little insight about overlap. In addition, these indices are typically assessed in relation to the extremes of the BW/GA distribution, leaving open the question of how they relate to the entire BW/GA distribution. Addressing issues such as these may help elucidate why postnatal health outcomes vary across the BW/GA continuum. In this study, we focused on a subset of women who participated in the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health Study (n = 1371). We examined BW/GA (i.e. gestational age and sex-referenced z-scores) in relation to obstetric complications, second trimester maternal serum screening results and histologic evidence of placental pathology along with maternal demographics, anthropometrics and substance use. In adjusted models, mean reductions in BW/GA z-scores were associated with preeclampsia (β = -0.70, 95% CI -1.04, -0.36), high maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (β = -0.28, 95% CI -0.43, -0.13), unconjugated estriol (β = -0.31/0.5 multiples of the median decrease, 95% CI -0.41, -0.21) and high levels of maternal obstructive vascular pathology in the placenta (β = -0.46, 95% CI -0.67, -0.25). The findings were similar when preterm infants, small-for-gestational age or large-for-gestational age infants were excluded. More research is needed to examine how the factors studied here might directly mediate or mark risk when evaluating the associations between BW/GA and postnatal health outcomes.
Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring in high-grade spondylolisthesis

Abstract Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring during high-grade spondylolisthesis surgery has enabled surgeons to expand operative treatment while preventing iatrogenic nerve injuries. Studies show improvement in the safety profile of a multimodal approach to intraoperative neuromonitoring in high-grade spondylolisthesis procedures to prevent neurologic damage. Electromyography-inclusive monitoring, with or without additional monitoring techniques (somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials), successfully alerts surgical teams to potential intraoperative nerve injury. The value of intraoperative neuromonitoring is high in high-grade spondylolisthesis reduction procedures, screw placement, and L5 vertebrectomies, allowing for immediate corrective maneuvers in the form of hemodynamic stabilization and suspension of manipulations.
Flavonoid pigments of the tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.)

Abstract The fruit skins of three varieties of tomatoes, Ponderosa, Rutgers, and Sunny Ray, contained naringenin and quercitrin. No flavonoids could be detected in the peeled fruit. The leaf-with-petioles samples of Ponderosa and Sunny Ray contained quercitrin and rutin. Rutgers, however, contained only quercitrin. It is possible that the previously conjectured “citrinin” (3) of tomatoes is quercitrin or a flavonoid mixture, because it is stated that the material was extracted with acetone and that it dissolved in aqueous sodium carbonate with the production of a deep orange-yellow solution.
Sleep and Its Disorders in Children

Although the physiological mechanisms that underlie sleep disorders in children differ little from those seen in adults, the clinical manifestations may differ considerably between the two. For example, sleep apnea in adults affects men more than women, is more prevalent in the obese, and presents with symptoms of snoring and excessive somnolence. In preadolescent children, sleep apnea affects both sexes equally, is more closely correlated with adenotonsillar enlargement than obesity, and may be more likely to present with daytime inattention and learning problems rather than frank somnolence. Likewise, the insomnia and associated bedtime struggles of a 3-year-old bear little resemblance to the insomnia of a mature adult apart from the fact that both individuals are unable to easily fall asleep. Sleep disorders in children are reviewed with particular focus on age-related changes in normal sleep and on sleep disorders that primarily or exclusively affect children. Pediatric aspects of other sleep disorders will be reviewed in more limited detail, with examination of how age, developmental level, and comorbid conditions cause clinical presentation and treatment to differ from that of adults.
A Combinatorial Problem in the Representation Theory of SL(n)

A combinatorial conjecture phrased in the language of histograms is presented. The origin of the conjecture in the representation theory of the group SL(n) is explained.
Incorporating higher-order representative features improves prediction in network-based cancer prognosis analysis.

Background In cancer prognosis studies with gene expression measurements, an important goal is to construct gene signatures with predictive power. In this study, we describe the coordination among genes using the weighted coexpression network, where nodes represent genes and nodes are connected if the corresponding genes have similar expression patterns across samples. There are subsets of nodes, called modules, that are tightly connected to each other. In several published studies, it has been suggested that the first principal components of individual modules, also referred to as "eigengenes", may sufficiently represent the corresponding modules.
Recent progress in flotation

ONE of the most marked and revolutionary advances of recent years in the art of concentrating ores is the advent and application of the flotation process. Although the basic and essential principles of flotation had been disclosed by the early work of Haynes, Everson, and the Elmore brothers, it is only within the last decade or so that the process has been a commercial success. Historical considerations point out the fact that the installation of the Delprat process, in 19o3, at the Broken Hill Proprietary mine in Australia, was probably the first important commercial application of any flotation process; some other installations were also made at or about the same time. Flotation as practised to-day is the result of the diligent labor of many men, and the present state of development cannot lye ascribed to any one individual. In its early stages the flotation process of concentration was decidedly uncertain of success because of certain inherent difficulties which were to be overcome. At present every mill owner in the country is considering its applications. The froth flotation process is markedly efficacious in extracting the mineral sulfides from slimes, and, in the main, is more or less restricted to the treatment of extremely fine material. In a general way, there are three divisions into which the flotation processes may be separated; namely, ( I ) film flotation, (2) bulk-oil flotation, and (3) froth flotation. Further, these three classes blend into one another gradually, according to the patents secured for the different processes. Technical distinctions are based on such points as these, viz., acid, neutral, or alkaline pulp solutions ; mill temperature or hot solutions ; various secondary apparatus employed for the introduction of air or the production of gas bubbles; amounts of oil; and other minor differences almost ad int~nitum. The more important processes which
Fabrication and characterization of driver-fuel particles, designed-to-fail fuel particles, and fuel compacts for the US AGR-3/4 irradiation test

Abstract Fuel compacts have been fabricated for the third in a series of irradiation tests designed to study tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel performance in support of advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) development. The purpose of this third irradiation test, designated as AGR-3/4, is to measure fission product release and transport by irradiating compacts containing a small fraction of fuel particles that are intentionally designed to fail (DTF) early in the irradiation test. Transport of fission products released by the mixed uranium carbide/uranium oxide kernels within the DTF particles will be studied in the compact's carbon matrix and in cylindrical rings surrounding the compacts, which were made from either compact matrix material or structural graphite. Results will be used to refine fission product transport models. Coating of the 20-μm-thick pyrocarbon-coated DTF and standard TRISO driver-fuel particles, fabrication of the fuel compacts containing these particles, and characterization of the key fuel properties are discussed in this paper.
Superradiant picosecond laser emission from transversely pumped dye solutions

Abstract Superradiant picosecond laser emission has been obtained from dye solutions transversely pumped with the second harmonic of a mode-locked ruby laser. This provides a convinient scheme for obtaining ultrashot dye laser pulses in the visible range of the spectrum.
Variables Associated With Discordance Between Emergency Physician and Neurologist Diagnoses of Transient Ischemic Attacks in the Emergency Department

Study objective Transient ischemic attack is a common clinical diagnosis in emergency department (ED) patients with acute neurologic complaints. Accurate diagnosis of transient ischemic attack is essential to help guide evaluation and avoid treatment delays. We seek to determine the prevalence of discordant diagnosis for patients receiving an ED diagnosis of transient ischemic attack compared with neurologist final diagnosis. Secondary goals are to evaluate the influence of atypical transient ischemic attack symptoms, the ABCD2 score, and emergency physician experience on discordant diagnoses. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study evaluating all ED patients receiving a diagnosis of transient ischemic attack during a 4-year period. The emergency physician diagnosis was compared with that of the neurologist. The neurologist's final diagnosis was considered the criterion standard diagnosis. Subject demographic and clinical information was collected with a structured instrument. The following atypical symptoms present at the ED evaluation were evaluated with logistic regression: headache, tingling, involuntary movement, seeing flashing lights or wavy lines, dizziness, confusion, incontinence, and ABCD2 score of 4 or greater. Bivariate analysis was used to evaluate the influence of emergency physician experience (≤6 years versus >6 years) on discordant diagnosis. Odds ratios (ORs) and proportions are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), interquartile range was used where appropriate. Results We evaluated 436 subjects, of whom 7 were excluded, allowing 429 subjects for evaluation. Of these individuals, 156 (36%; 95% CI 32% to 41%) received a discordant diagnosis. The median emergency physician time in clinical practice was 6 years (interquartile range 2 to 12 years). Features associated with a discordant transient ischemic attack diagnosis included headache (OR 2.52; 95% CI 1.59 to 3.99), involuntary movement (OR 3.19; 95% CI 1.35 to 7.54), and dizziness (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.22 to 3.02). Incontinence, confusion, and seeing wavy lines or flashing lights were not significantly associated with a discordant diagnosis. Patients with tingling and a high ABCD2 score had an increased odds of concordant transient ischemic attack diagnosis (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.92; OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.82, respectively). Conclusion Discordant diagnoses between emergency physicians and neurologists were observed in 36% of patients. The presence of headache, involuntary movement, and dizziness predicted discordant diagnoses, whereas the presence of tingling and an increased ABCD2 score predicted concordant transient ischemic attack diagnosis.
MONOSOMY“ RE-EVALUATED

The chromosome constitution of a 4 year old retarded girl was recently re-evaluated using banding methods. Initial chromosome analysis performed at another institution using the conventional method was interpreted as 45, XX, -G. The patient was the full term 5 Ib 14 oz product of a second pregnancy to a 23 year old mother. There was no history of fetal wastage. The positive physical findings included failure to thrive, moderate psychomotor retardation, mildly dysmorphic facies with a prominent nasal bridge and large ears, low set nipples, systolic ejection murmur, hypoplastic labia majora, generalized spasticity with limited hip abduction, knee extension, and distally located palmar triradii (t”). With the combination of Q, G and R banding methods, it is evident that the patient has an unbalanced insertion type of translocation, 45, XX, -17, -21, +ins (17;21) (17pter→17q23: 21q11→21q22:sl7q23→17qter). The distal portion of 21q22 has been deleted. Apparently the absence of a portion of the euchromatic region of 21q22 is responsible for the patient's abnormal phenotype. The patient shows some features of 21 deletion syndrome. Both parents have normal chromosomes. Since complete autosomal monosomy is extremely rare, even in studies of early spontaneous abortion material, all liveborns with apparent monosomy must be re-evaluated with a combination of banding methods to search for an unbalanced translocation resulting in a partial deletion. If such a structural aberration is not found, multiple tissues should be studied to search for 45/46 mosaicism.
Research prospects in programmable assembly systems

In most industrialized nations, the large volume manufacture of discrete parts has been highly automated. Accurate machining, molding and forming allows parts to be interchangeable and thus to be assembled by relatively unskilled people. There now exists a wide variety of special-purpose machines, some extremely large, complex and expensive, for parts manufacture. These parts are assembled by people into substantially identical products. Assembly-line jobs can be quite boring, however, since the substance of the job may repeat every ten to fifteen seconds. The resulting discontent plus high labor cost is exerting pressure to automate the assembly process. Other pressures to automate come from the Occuptional Safety and Health Act, and from efforts to improve product quality and uniformity.
Modulation of NF-κB signalling by microbial pathogens

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) family of transcription factors plays a central part in the host response to infection by microbial pathogens, by orchestrating the innate and acquired host immune responses. The NF-κB proteins are activated by diverse signalling pathways that originate from many different cellular receptors and sensors. Many successful pathogens have acquired sophisticated mechanisms to regulate the NF-κB signalling pathways by deploying subversive proteins or hijacking the host signalling molecules. Here, we describe the mechanisms by which viruses and bacteria micromanage the host NF-κB signalling circuitry to favour the continued survival of the pathogen.
The non-recoverable phosphorus following sorption onto a Brazilian Ultisol

Phosphorus (P) immobilization in soil involves geochemical (e.g., sorption, precipitation, and diffusion) and microbiological (microbial uptake) processes. Using a Brazilian Ultisol, relative contributions of both processes to the total immobilization of applied P over 14 days were investigated. The P immobilized by microbes as interpreted by microbial suppression (achieved by mercury sterilization) was 17, 50, 54, and 56% (of the total immobilized P) on days 3, 7, 10, and 14 after fertilization, respectively. In the short-term (1 to 3 days), microbes played less of a role than did the physical effect of shaking the soil, but became the major factor by days 7 to 14. Geochemical process that might be considered short-term ageing caused only 13–16% of the total immobilization in the same time period above. Calculations supported the interpretation that measurable diffusion occurred across water films on the soil particles.
Activation of the M2 Muscarinic Receptor and Computer-Aided Design of Receptor-Selective Allosteric Drugs

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important cell signaling membrane proteins that have been targeted by ∼30-40% of marketed drugs for treating many human diseases including cancer and heart failure. The X-ray crystal structure of the M2 muscarinic receptor, a key GPCR that regulates human heart rate and contractile forces of cardiomyocytes, was determined in an inactive antagonist-bound state. Through accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) enhanced sampling simulation, we captured activation of the M2 receptor that occurs on the millisecond timescales(1). The receptor activation is characterized by large-scale structural rearrangements of the transmembrane helices via an intermediate state. With activation-associated conformers of the M2 receptor revealed from aMD simulation, a fragment-based site mapping program FTMAP is applied to explore the receptor surface. Seven allosteric sites are identified with two distributed in the solvent-exposed extracellular and intracellular mouth regions and five in the lipid-exposed pockets formed by transmembrane helices of the receptor(2). Virtual screening is then performed to select small-molecule drugs that bind these allosteric sites with differential affinity and thus stabilize the receptor in the corresponding conformational states. In contrast to highly conserved residues in the orthosteric site where endogenous ligands bind, residues in the allosteric sites exhibit large diversity across different GPCR subtypes. Therefore, ligands that bind GPCR allosteric sites are able to provide potential receptor-selective therapeutics.References1. Miao Y, Nichols SE, Gasper PM, Metzger VT, McCammon JA (2013) Activation and dynamic network of the M2 muscarinic receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(27):10982-10987.2. Miao Y, Nichols SE, McCammon JA (2013) Mapping of Allosteric Druggable Sites in Activation-Associated Conformers of the M2 Muscarinic Receptor. Chem Bio Drug Des In press.
Glycolysis in preimplantation development is partially controlled by the Warburg Effect

Glucose metabolism in preimplantation embryos has traditionally been viewed from a somatic cell viewpoint. Here, we show that gene expression in early embryos is similar to rapidly dividing cancer cells. In vitro-produced pig blastocysts were subjected to deep-sequencing, and were found to express two gene variants that have been ascribed importance to cancer cell metabolism (HK2 and the M2 variant of PKM2). Development was monitored and gene expression was quantified in additional embryos cultured in low or high O2 (5% CO2, 5% O2, 90% N2 vs. 5% CO2 in air). Development to the blastocyst stage in the two atmospheres was similar, except low O2 resulted in more total and inner cell mass nuclei than high O2. Of the 15 candidate genes selected that are involved in glucose metabolism, only TALDO1 and PDK1 were increased in the low O2 environment. One paradigm that has been used to explain glycolysis under low oxygen tension is the Warburg Effect (WE). The WE predicts that expression of both HK2 and PKM2 M2 results in a slowing of glucose metabolism through the TCA cycle, thereby forcing the products of glycolysis to be metabolized through the pentose phosphate pathway and to lactic acid. This charging of the system is apparently so important to the early embryo that redundant mechanisms are present, that is, a fetal form of PKM2 and high levels of PDK1. Here, we set the framework for using the WE to describe glucose metabolism and energy production during preimplantation development. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 262–271, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Density Functional Theory Study of Nitrous Oxide Decomposition over Fe- and Co-ZSM-5

Iron- and cobalt-exchanged ZSM-5 are active catalysts for the dissociation of nitrous oxide. In this study, density functional theory was used to assess a possible reaction pathway for the catalytic dissociation of N2O. The active center was taken to be mononuclear [FeO]+ or [CoO]+, and the surrounding portion of the zeolite was represented by a 24-atom cluster. The first step of N2O decomposition involves the formation of [FeO2]+ or [CoO2]+ and the release of N2. The metal-oxo species produced in this step then reacts with N2O again, to release N2 and O2. The apparent activation energies for N2O dissociation in Fe-ZSM-5 and Co-ZSM-5 are 39.4 and 34.6 kcal/mol, respectively. The preexponential factor for the apparent first-order rate coefficient is estimated to be of the order 107 s-1 Pa-1. While the calculated activation energy for Fe-ZSM-5 is in good agreement with that measured experimentally, the value of the preexponential factor is an order of magnitude smaller than that observed . The calculated activation energy for Co-ZSM-5 is higher than that reported experimentally. However, consistent with experiment, the rate of N2O decomposition on Co-ZSM-5 is predicted to be significantly higher than that on Fe-ZSM-5.
Simultaneous Imaging of Vesicle Trafficking and Calcium-Mediated Exocytosis in Pancreatic Beta-Cells

It has long been known that only a small fraction (<10%) of the insulin in pancreatic beta-cells can be released. Clinical treatments of type 2 diabetes focus on increasing insulin release, so an understanding of insulin vesicle trafficking and release may lead to novel therapeutic strategies. Towards this understanding, we have utilized a novel quantitative imaging assay, based on a double fusion to the integral vesicle protein phogrin. In this construct, a pH-dependent ecliptic pHluorinFP is inside the lumen of the granule and a mOrangeFP is outside the granule in the cytoplasm. The pHluorin fluorescence is quenched by the low pH inside the granule until exocytosis when the lumen of the granule mixes with the extracellular media. This increases the local pH and the green fluorescence can then be measured as a readout of exocytosis. Experiments were done on the multicolor TIRF system with a photoactivation module. We photoconverted the mOrange-phogrin to a deep red protein in the perinuclear region, and then watched where that population of granules went as we stimulated the cells with glucose. Having only a small subset of vesicles labeled greatly facilitates tracking. We used this approach with TIRF microscopy to measure secreted granules and determine if they came from previously docked granules or from regions beyond the TIRF imaging field. In beta-cells, we find that secreted vesicles do not come from a docked pool, with secretion happening within about 1 second of the vesicle's arrival at the membrane. This time is decreased even further with the addition of glucose. These data suggest that the releasable insulin pool in beta-cells may not be docked at the membrane as are synaptic vesicles, but rather are maintained deeper with in the cell.
Fast photoconductor CdTe detectors for synchrotron X-ray studies

Abstract The Advanced Photon Source will be the brightest source of synchrotron X-rays when it becomes operational in 1996. During normal operation, the ring will be filled with 20 bunches of positrons with an interbunch spacing of 184 ns and a bunch width of 72 ps. To perform experiments with X-rays generated by positrons on these time scales, one needs extremely high speed detectors. To achieve the necessary high speed, we are developing MBE-grown CdTe-based photoconductive position sensitive array detectors. The arrays fabricated have 64 pixels with a gap of 100 μm between the pixels. The high speed response of the devices was tested using a short pulse laser. X-ray static measurements were performed using an X-ray tube and synchrotron radiation to study the device's response to flux and wavelength changes. In this paper, we shall present the response of the devices to some of these tests and also discuss different physics aspects that need to be considered when designing high speed detectors.
Quantitative estimation of the extent of alkylation of DNA following treatment of mammalian cells with non-radioactive alkylating agents

Alkaline sucrose sedimentation has been used to quantitate phosphotriester formation following treatment of human cells with the monofunctional alkylating agents methyl and ethyl methanesulfonate. These persistent alkaline-labile lesions are not repaired during short-term culture conditions and thus serve as a useful and precise index of the total alkylation of the DNA. Estimates of alkylation by this procedure compare favorably with direct estimates by use of labeled alkylating agents.
Viegelahn Farms and Investments: The Michigan Seed Potato Industry at a Crossroads—A Decision Case

Howard Viegelahn's company is a slightly larger than average seed potato producer faced with many problems. Profitability and cash flow traditionally have been good, but declining customer satisfaction with the Michigan seed potato industry is contributing to declining profits, cash flow pressures, and reduced sales. Viegelahn is one of twenty-seven seed potato producers in Michigan who have been regarded by seed buyers as "stuck in their own little world." This seed potato industry is being affected by: (a) aggressive Wisconsin seed potato producers, (b) the threat/opportunities associated with biotechnology, and (c) the perception and occasional evidence that varieties from neighboring states outyield and outperform Michigan-grown seed potatoes. Viegelahn is an innovative seed potato producer striving to differentiate his products and services in a small, tradition-bound industry. Viegelahn must decide whether to (a) continue alone as a differentiated seed producer, (b) fundamentally change his individual strategy toward a low-price focus, or (c) convince his fellow seed potato growers to cooperate in making the Michigan seed potato industry more competitive.
On-line Handwriting Analysis using Wavelets

Speech and Handwriting interfaces to computing devices have received increased attention recently as alternate human-computer media. Automatic recognition of unconstrained handwritten text must be provided as a capability in handwriting computer interfaces. Variation in writing styles of a single writer at different times and between multiple writers makes unconstrained on-line handwriting recognition a challenging task. On-line handwriting is recorded as a sequence of coordinates as the writer's pen moves along the recording device. Isolated character and word recognition have been addressed by several researchers. More recently, attention has been focussed on the recognition of unconstrained text streams. The dynamic changes in handwriting styles observed in everyday use requires development of methods that are adaptive to local variations. We present a novel application of wavelet-based analysis of pen position, velocity and acceleration time-sequences for segmentation and recognition of text components.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cognitive styles as predictors of artistic styles

It was hypothesized that differences in artistic styles would be associated with differences in cognitive styles. Cognitive styles were defined in terms of Jung's theory of psychological types and assessed by the Singer-Loomis Inventory of Personality (SLIP). Artistic styles were determined by a cluster analysis of the description profiles of eight well known twentieth-century artists. The artistic styles of the forty-five artist-subjects were established by matching their descriptions of their artistic styles to the descriptions of the art of the artist-exemplars. Predictions of figurative and nonfigurative sort from extraverted and introverted cognitive styles were significant. Also significant were predictions of rationally arranged art when the cognitive style was rational and spontaneous, or unpredictably arranged art when the cognitive style was irrational.
Use of a selectable reporter for the isolation of mammalian regulatory genes.

A general method is described for isolating the genes encoding differentiation-specific activators of transcription using genetic selection. Employing regulation of the prolactin encoding gene ( PRL ) as a model, we have shown that the hamster dihydrofolate reductase-encoding gene ( dhfr ) is an effective dominant selectable reporter in this methodology. The dhfr coding region was ligated to the rat PRL promoter, and the resultant construct was stably transfected into DHFR − Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, where it had little or no activity. Transfection of these cells with plasmid DNA, containing the coding region of a pituitary-specific transcription factor (Pit-1/GHF) in a eukaryotic expression vector, resulted in transfectants in which activation of the chimeric construct, pPRLdhfr, had occurred, enabling these cells to be selected on the basis of their DHFR + phenotype. Our results suggest that this strategy could be used to isolate unknown genes that regulate a variety of differentiated functions.
Effects of Architecture and Surface Chemistry of Three-Dimensionally Ordered Macroporous Carbon Solid Contacts on Performance of Ion-Selective Electrodes

The effects of the architecture and surface chemistry of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) carbon solid contacts on the properties of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) were examined. Infiltration of the plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane into the pores of the carbon created a large interfacial area between the sensing membrane and the solid contact, as shown by cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and elemental analysis. This large interfacial area, along with the high capacitance of the 3DOM carbon solid contacts (as determined by cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) results in an excellent long-term stability of the potentiometric response, with drifts as low as 11.7 μV/h. The comparison of 3DOM carbon solid contacts with an untemplated carbon solid contact shows that the pore structure is an essential feature for the excellent electrode performance. However, the surface chemistry of the 3DOM carbon cannot be ignored. While ...
A Practical Approach to Managing the Behaviors of Students with ADD

Behavior management is an important intervention with students who have ADD. This article provides a repertoire of behavior management strategies that educators can use to assist students with ADD ...
Attenuation of zero sound in liquid $sup 3$He: a probe of superfluid pairing

It is shown that the anomalous zero-sound attenuation at the transition''A'' observed recently in liquid /sup 3/He at about 2.7 mK can be understood by postulating pairing a state of odd relative angular momentum. The attenuations is found to depend strongly on the angular variation and orientation of the gap parameter, providing information on the precise nature of the pairing. It is concluded that (1) Balean-Werthamer p-wave pairing can be ruled out, and (2) Anderson-Morel p-wave pairing is possible. (auth)
Breaking Boundaries Between Induction Time and Diagnosis Time Active Information Acquisition

There has been a clear distinction between induction or training time and diagnosis time active information acquisition. While active learning during induction focuses on acquiring data that promises to provide the best classification model, the goal at diagnosis time focuses completely on next features to observe about the test case at hand in order to make better predictions about the case. We introduce a model and inferential methods that breaks this distinction. The methods can be used to extend case libraries under a budget but, more fundamentally, provide a framework for guiding agents to collect data under scarce resources, focused by diagnostic challenges. This extension to active learning leads to a new class of policies for real-time diagnosis, where recommended information-gathering sequences include actions that simultaneously seek new data for the case at hand and for cases in the training set.
Learning Domain-Specific Feature Descriptors for Document Images

Many machine learning algorithms rely on feature descriptors to access information about image appearance. Using an appropriate descriptor is therefore crucial for the algorithm to succeed. Although domain- and task-specific feature descriptors may result in excellent performance, they currently have to be hand-crafted, a difficult and time-consuming process. In contrast, general-purpose descriptors (such as SIFT) are easy to apply and have proved successful for a variety of tasks, including classification, segmentation, and clustering. Unfortunately, most general-purpose feature descriptors are targeted at natural images and may perform poorly in document analysis tasks. In this paper, we propose a method for automatically learning feature descriptors tuned to a given image domain. The method works by first extracting the independent components of the images, and then building a descriptor by pooling these components over multiple overlapping regions. We test the proposed method on several document analysis tasks and several datasets, and show that it outperforms existing general-purpose feature descriptors.
The diving physiology of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). II. Biomechanics and changes in buoyancy at depth

During diving, marine mammals must balance the conservation of limited oxygen reserves with the metabolic costs of swimming exercise. As a result, energetically efficient modes of locomotion provide an advantage during periods of submergence and will presumably increase in importance as the animals perform progressively longer dives. To determine the effect of a limited oxygen supply on locomotor performance, we compared the kinematics and behavior of swimming and diving bottlenose dolphins. Adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were trained to swim horizontally near the water surface or submerged at 5 m and to dive to depths ranging from 12 to 112 m. Swimming kinematics (preferred swimming mode, stroke frequency and duration of glides) were monitored using submersible video cameras (Sony Hi-8) held by SCUBA divers or attached to a pack on the dorsal fin of the animal. Drag and buoyant forces were calculated from patterns of deceleration for horizontally swimming and vertically diving animals. The results showed that dolphins used a variety of swimming gaits that correlated with acceleration. The percentage of time spent gliding during the descent phase of dives increased with depth. Glide distances ranged from 7.1+/-1.9 m for 16 m dives to 43.6+/-7.0 m (means +/- s.e.m.) for 100 m dives. These gliding patterns were attributed to changes in buoyancy associated with lung compression at depth. By incorporating prolonged glide periods, the bottlenose dolphin realized a theoretical 10-21 % energetic savings in the cost of a 100 m dive in comparison with dives based on neutral buoyancy models. Thus, modifying locomotor patterns to account for physical changes with depth appears to be one mechanism that enables diving mammals with limited oxygen stores to extend the duration of a dive.
Extended impedance-based fault location formulation for unbalanced underground distribution systems

Underground distribution systems are commonly exposed to permanent faults. Due to specific construction characteristics, visual inspection for fault location cannot be performed. To overcome this limitation, accurate fault location techniques must be applied. In this paper, an extended impedance-based fault location formulation for unbalanced underground distribution systems is described considering single line-to-ground faults. The technique uses only local voltages and currents as input data. An iterative algorithm for cable capacitive current compensation in the fault location formulation is proposed. The formulation focuses an easily practical implementation and is based on typical available systempsilas data, as lines impedance and admittance matrices, and also system loads. Test simulations on a real data underground distribution system demonstrate the proposed extensions improvements. The algorithm performance presents negligible fault resistance, distance, and inception angle variation effects.
Economic prediction using neural networks: the case of IBM daily stock returns

A report is presented of some results of an ongoing project using neural-network modeling and learning techniques to search for and decode nonlinear regularities in asset price movements. The author focuses on the case of IBM common stock daily returns. Having to deal with the salient features of economic data highlights the role to be played by statistical inference and requires modifications to standard learning techniques which may prove useful in other contexts. >
THE EFFECT OF RACE/ETHNICITY ON PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT OUTCOME IS CONDITIONAL: A REVIEW OF WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY DATA

ABSTRACTPurpose: The mortality rate for prostate cancer in black American men (AAMs) is 2 times greater than that in other ethnic groups. However, there is considerable controversy as to whether race/ethnicity is an independent predictor of survival outcome. We present conditions in which race/ethnicity is and is not an independent predictor of survival outcomes.Materials and Methods: We examined the conditions of age, stage and year of diagnosis, and the role of race/ethnicity on disease-free survival in men who underwent consecutive radical prostatectomy as monotherapy from 1990 to 1999. Data were collected from 229 AAMs and 562 white American men prospectively in the Karmanos Cancer Institute Prostate cancer data bases.Results: When the majority of the cohort had pathologically organ confined disease, race/ethnicity was not an independent predictor of disease-free survival. When the majority of the cohort had a mean age of 70 years or greater, race/ethnicity was not an independent predictor. In studies...
Borderline personality disorder and bone marrow transplantation: ethical considerations and review.

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is rapidly becoming a part of conventional cancer treatment. However, it remains a ‘last-ditch’ treatment option for patients who have exhausted other treatment modalities. Patients experience a significant amount of emotional distress during all stages of the BMT process. Patients with personality disorders experience even more emotional distress than average and their behavior is often detrimental to effective patient–staff interactions. A case of a borderline patient is presented with a discussion of the ethical issues involved in the evaluation of these patients and the determination of their appropriateness for transplant. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Ethics of Synthetic Biology: Guiding Principles for Emerging Technologies

Some call synthetic biology an epochal development—the start of a new industrial revolution, the moment humans learned to be gods. Others think it is an incremental advance with an iffy payoff. In these essays, the chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues and participants from a recent Hastings project examine the social challenge it presents.
Homicide and property crime: The relationships to anomie

Sociological explanations of crime have given considerable attention to Merton's anomie theory without systematically testing it. This paper tests Merton's theory through operationalizing anomie in terms of the degree of inequality in the distribution of income in each of the 50 states. A multiple regression analysis determines that while income inequality is significantly related to the rate of homicide, it is not significantly related to the rate of property crime. A preliminary cross-national analysis of 20 nations replicates this same general finding. The results suggest that a relatively large gap between material success and the means to success is likely to result in crimes of violence rather than property crime once we control the influence of other variables.
Sexual Initiation, Contraceptive Use, and Pregnancy Among Young Adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To present new data on sexual initiation, contraceptive use, and pregnancy among US adolescents aged 10 to 19, and to compare the youngest adolescents’ behaviors with those of older adolescents. METHODS: Using nationally representative data from several rounds of the National Survey of Family Growth, we performed event history (ie, survival) analyses to examine timing of sexual initiation and contraceptive use. We calculated adolescent pregnancy rates by single year of age using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Guttmacher Institute, and the US Census Bureau. RESULTS: Sexual activity is and has long been rare among those 12 and younger; most is nonconsensual. By contrast, most older teens (aged 17–19) are sexually active. Approximately 30% of those aged 15 to 16 have had sex. Pregnancy rates among the youngest teens are exceedingly low, for example, ∼1 per 10 000 girls aged 12. Contraceptive uptake among girls as young as 15 is similar to that of their older counterparts, whereas girls who start having sex at 14 or younger are less likely to have used a method at first sex and take longer to begin using contraception. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual activity and pregnancy are rare among the youngest adolescents, whose behavior represents a different public health concern than the broader issue of pregnancies to older teens. Health professionals can improve outcomes for teenagers by recognizing the higher likelihood of nonconsensual sex among younger teens and by teaching and making contraceptive methods available to teen patients before they become sexually active.
Mining the Web for Lexical Knowledge to Improve Keyphrase Extraction: Learning from Labeled and Unlabeled Data

A journal article is often accompanied by a list of keyphrases, composed of about five to fifteen important words and phrases that capture the article’s main topics. Keyphrases are useful for a variety of purposes, including summarizing, indexing, labeling, categorizing, clustering, highlighting, browsing, and searching. The task of automatic keyphrase extraction is to select keyphrases from within the text of a given document. Automatic keyphrase extraction makes it feasible to generate keyphrases for the huge number of documents that do not have manually assigned keyphrases. Good performance on this task has been obtained by approaching it as a supervised learning problem. An input document is treated as a set of candidate phrases that must be classified as either keyphrases or non-keyphrases. To classify a candidate phrase as a keyphrase, the most important features (attributes) appear to be the frequency and location of the candidate phrase in the document. Recent work has demonstrated that it is also useful to know the frequency of the candidate phrase as a manually assigned keyphrase for other documents in the same domain as the given document (e.g., the domain of computer science). Unfortunately, this keyphrase-frequency feature is domain-specific (the learning process must be repeated for each new domain) and training-intensive (good performance requires a relatively large number of training documents in the given domain, with manually assigned keyphrases). The aim of the work described here is to remove these limitations. In this paper, I introduce new features that are conceptually related to keyphrase-frequency and I present experiments that show that the new features result in improved keyphrase extraction, although they are neither domain-specific nor training-intensive. The new features are generated by issuing queries to a Web search engine, based on the candidate phrases in the input document. The feature values are calculated from the number of hits for the queries (the number of matching Web pages). In essence, these new features are derived by mining lexical knowledge from a very large collection of unlabeled data, consisting of approximately 350 million Web pages without manually assigned keyphrases.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE INTEREST RATE AND PRICE LEVEL APPROACHES IN THE AD-AS MODEL THE ROLE OF THE LOANABLE FUNDS MARKET

There are two generally accepted ways of plotting the aggregate demand (AD) and aggregate supply (AS) curves in the goods market. One puts the price level on the vertical axis (the P - y approach); the other plots the real interest rate on the vertical axis (the r - y approach). This paper develops the theoretical connections between these two approaches that permit one to tell a coherent dynamic story with the AD-AS model and also explores the conditions under which one approach or the other yields greater insight into the working of the model.