cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectral Properties of the Periodic Magnetic Schrödinger Operator in the High-Energy Region. Two-Dimensional Case

The goal is to investigate spectral properties of the operator H=(−i∇ +a(x))2+a0(x) in the two-dimensional situation, a(x), a0(x)) being periodic. We construct asymptotic formulae for Bloch eigenvalues and eigenfunctions in the high-energy region, describe properties of isoenergetic curves in the space of quasimomenta and give a new proof of the Bethe-Sommerfeld conjecture.
Innovations on the Solar Probe mission

Both instrument and spacecraft innovations are necessary to develop a mission to four solar radii called the Solar Probe. One of the key observable is the solar wind and its characteristics. To observe the solar wind and the entire plasma distribution function near the sun, two different plasma instruments have been incorporated in the current concept. One instrument can take advantage of velocity aberration to observe the solar wind. This plasma instrument uses an innovative pixelated APS-like plasma detector to view this aberrative solar wind and to allow the sampling of a complete plasma distribution function in 10-2 sec. Another instrument innovation is the nadir viewing plasma spectrometer which will observe solar wind species in the nadir direction that have high velocities and little or no velocity aberration relative to the spacecraft. A high temperature system of electrostatic mirrors with its own solar instruments are another class of instrument innovations on the Solar Probe. Optical observations of the solar disc will be accomplished with filled aperture tubers which will contribute to the reduction of the 3000 suns solar flux to a few suns at the instrument aperture. The tubes will be fabricated form a carbon-carbon material using a process that optimizes its optical properties which reduces its temperature and its mass loss. Its parabolic shape allows the dual function of shield and antenna at the extreme perihelion temperatures of over 2000 K. he high temperature solar arrays will function near perihelion because of thee characteristics: a high temperature photovoltaic material, feathering of the solar arrays to high incidence angles, and the self occultation of the solar arrays near perihelion.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Tournament play in CS1

This paper describes the fifth programming assignment given to three CS1 sections in the Fall semester of 1995. The assignment was to design and implement in Ada a program that plays the game of Nim. The students' programs were to accomplish two goals: (1) play and defeat the instructor's Nim playing program, and (2) participate in a course-wide computer-Nim tournament. This paper explains how the assignment was presented to the students, how the game playing programs were developed and evaluated, how the tournament was conducted, the results of the tournament, and an evaluation of the whole exercise.
Optical Probes for Biological Applications Based on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering from Indocyanine Green on Gold Nanoparticles

We report surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies on indocyanine green (ICG) on colloidal silver and gold and demonstrate a novel optical probe for applications in living cells. In addition to its own detection by the characteristic ICG SERS signatures, the ICG gold nanoprobe delivers spatially localized chemical information from its biological environment by employing SERS in the local optical fields of the gold nanoparticles. The probe offers the potential to increase the spectral specificity and selectivity of current chemical characterization approaches of living cells and biomaterials based on vibrational information.
Essential Role of the Small GTPase Ran in Postnatal Pancreatic Islet Development

The small GTPase Ran orchestrates pleiotropic cellular responses of nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling, mitosis and subcellular trafficking, but whether deregulation of these pathways contributes to disease pathogenesis has remained elusive. Here, we generated transgenic mice expressing wild type (WT) Ran, loss-of-function Ran T24N mutant or constitutively active Ran G19V mutant in pancreatic islet β cells under the control of the rat insulin promoter. Embryonic pancreas and islet development, including emergence of insulin(+) β cells, was indistinguishable in control or transgenic mice. However, by one month after birth, transgenic mice expressing any of the three Ran variants exhibited overt diabetes, with hyperglycemia, reduced insulin production, and nearly complete loss of islet number and islet mass, in vivo. Deregulated Ran signaling in transgenic mice, adenoviral over-expression of WT or mutant Ran in isolated islets, or short hairpin RNA (shRNA) silencing of endogenous Ran in model insulinoma INS-1 cells, all resulted in decreased expression of the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox transcription factor, PDX-1, and reduced β cell proliferation, in vivo. These data demonstrate that a finely-tuned balance of Ran GTPase signaling is essential for postnatal pancreatic islet development and glucose homeostasis, in vivo.
Physiological studies on Phymatotrichum omnivorum: V. Effect of interaction of carbon dioxide, minerals and carbon source on growth in vitro

The combined effect of different levels of CO2, minerals and carbon (glycogen) source on growth was determined on agar and liquid media. Higher concentration of CO2 inhibited the fungal growth regardless of the mineral and substrate concentrations.
Spallation of copper by 25-GeV /sup 12/C ions and 28-GeV protons

Relative yields of 35 products extending from $^{7}\mathbf{Be}\mathbf{to}$ $^{67}\mathrm{Ga}$ have been measured for the interaction of 25-GeV (2.1-GeV/amu) $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ ions with Cu. For purposes of comparison, cross sections of 48 nuclides produced by the irradiation of Cu with 28-GeV protons are also reported. The mass yield curve deduced for the 2.1-GeV/amu $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ ions is very similar to that reported for 0.28-GeV/amu $^{14}\mathrm{N}$, which implies that there is little energy dependence of target fragmentation cross sections in this energy range where meson production effects in nucleon-nucleon collisions become important. Charge dispersion curves for products with $37\ensuremath{\le}A\ensuremath{\le}64$ are the same within errors for $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ and protons. Compared with 28-GeV protons, the mass yield curve for $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ shows some favoring of products near the target (possibly due to increased secondary effects). Formation of light fragments such as $^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ and $^{24}\mathrm{Na}$ is significantly enhanced possibly due to highly damaging central collisions of the heavy ions. The results are discussed in terms of the concepts of limiting fragmentation and factorization.NUCLEAR REACTIONS Cu($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, spallation), $E=25$ GeV; measured relative $\ensuremath{\sigma}(A,Z)$, 35 products $^{7}\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\ensuremath{-}$ $^{67}\mathrm{Ga}$. Cu $p$, spallation), $E=28$ GeV; measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}(A,Z)$, 48 products $^{7}\mathrm{B}\mathrm{e}\ensuremath{-}$ $^{67}\mathrm{Ga}$. Natural targets, Ge(Li) detectors, radiochemistry.
Control of surface properties using fluorinated polymer brushes produced by surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization.

Surface-grafted styrene-based homopolymer and diblock copolymer brushes bearing semifluorinated alkyl side groups were synthesized by nitroxide-mediated controlled radical polymerization on planar silicon oxide surfaces. The polymer brushes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), and time-dependent water contact angle measurements. Angle-resolved XPS studies and water contact angle measurements showed that, in the case of the diblock copolymer brushes, the second block to be added was always exposed at the polymer−air interface regardless of its surface energy. Values of z*/Rg were estimated based on the radius of gyration, Rg, of the grafted homopolymer or block copolymer chains for the grafted brushes and thickness of the brush, z*. The fact that z*/Rg > 1 suggests that all these brushes are stretched. These results support the idea that after grafting the first block onto the surface the nitroxide-end capped polymer chains were a...
Fast equivalent operational model of tropospheric alkane photochemistry

A mathematical “kinetic lumping” approach, the direct constrained approximate lumping (DCAL) method, for developing a condensed chemical mechanism of complex tropospheric alkane photochemistry was presented in previous work. In the present work, the high dimensional model representation (HDMR) method is applied to further accelerate the chemical kinetic calculations of the Alkane/DCAL mechanism from our previous work. An efficient HDMR is based on expressing a chemical species concentration at a given reaction time as an expansion of correlated functions consisting of the initial chemical species concentrations. An HDMR expansion calculates efficiently the output species concentrations at any given reaction time, employing very rapid and stable algebraic manipulations. The HDMR estimates are shown to be almost identical to those derived from solving the full tropospheric alkane photochemistry through conventional (for example, Gear-type) chemistry solvers over wide ranges of initial conditions, while being more than 1,000 times faster. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005
A comparison of RNA amplification techniques at sub-nanogram input concentration

Gene expression profiling of small numbers of cells requires high-fidelity amplification of sub-nanogram amounts of RNA. Several methods for RNA amplification are available; however, there has been little consideration of the accuracy of these methods when working with very low-input quantities of RNA as is often required with rare clinical samples. Starting with 250 picograms-3.3 nanograms of total RNA, we compared two linear amplification methods 1) modified T7 and 2) Arcturus RiboAmp HS and a logarithmic amplification, 3) Balanced PCR. Microarray data from each amplification method were validated against quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) for 37 genes. For high intensity spots, mean Pearson correlations were quite acceptable for both total RNA and low-input quantities amplified with each of the 3 methods. Microarray filtering and data processing has an important effect on the correlation coefficient results generated by each method. Arrays derived from total RNA had higher Pearson's correlations than did arrays derived from amplified RNA when considering the entire unprocessed dataset, however, when considering a gene set of high signal intensity, the amplified arrays had superior correlation coefficients than did the total RNA arrays. Gene expression arrays can be obtained with sub-nanogram input of total RNA. High intensity spots showed better correlation on array-array analysis than did unfiltered data, however, QPCR validated the accuracy of gene expression array profiling from low-input quantities of RNA with all 3 amplification techniques. RNA amplification and expression analysis at the sub-nanogram input level is both feasible and accurate if data processing is used to focus attention to high intensity genes for microarrays or if QPCR is used as a gold standard for validation.
Comparison of Endoscopic Ultrasound and Computed Tomography for the Preoperative Evaluation of Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review

Background & Aims: It is uncertain whether computed tomography (CT) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is superior for the detection, staging, and resectability of pancreatic cancer. We therefore performed a systematic literature review to determine which test is more accurate. Methods: We identified relevant studies from MEDLINE (1986–2004) and evaluated study quality, which was measured on the basis of guidelines for assessing studies of diagnostic tests. Quantitative outcomes data were abstracted from the studies. Results: Eleven studies with 678 patients satisfied inclusion criteria. Nine studies assessed tumor detection, all of which concluded that the sensitivity of EUS was superior to CT. Four of 5 studies that assessed tumor staging accuracy and 5 of 8 that assessed nodal staging accuracy concluded that EUS was superior to CT. Among the 4 studies that assessed resectability, 2 showed no difference between EUS and CT, and 1 favored each modality. Three of 11 studies met all but one of the quality criteria. The most important and frequent study limitations were lack of a consecutive series of patients and biased patient selection for surgery. Quantitative comparisons among studies were precluded by differences in tumor staging classifications, surgical selection, CT and EUS techniques, and reporting of operating characteristics. Conclusions: The published literature comparing EUS and CT for preoperative assessment of pancreatic cancer is heterogeneous in study design, quality, and results. All studies have methodologic limitations that potentially affect validity. Prospective studies with state-of-the-art imaging are needed to further define the role of each test.
A new colorimetric method for the determination of ketohexoses in presence of aldoses, ketoheptoses and ketopentoses.

Abstract 1. 1. A modification of the cystein-H2SO4 reaction of carbohydrates is described which permits quantitative determinations of 10 μg/ml of ketohexose in large of other ketoses and aldoses. 2. 2. This procedure permits to differentiate between sorbose and other ketohexoses.
Severe hemolytic anemia in patients with a porcine aortic valve prosthesis

Two patients underwent aortic valve replacement with a porcine bioprosthesis. A few weeks later, both developed severe hemolytic anemia that could not be controlled medically and led to additional valve replacement. In each case, perforation of the bioprosthetic cusps was detected. This type of lesion was probably responsible for this unusual complication in patients with an aortic bioprosthesis.
Characterization of microsomal and cytosolic α-1,2-mannosidases from mung bean hypocotyls

Microsomal and cytosolic alpha-mannosidase activities, which hydrolyze alpha-1,2-mannosyl-mannose linkages in the Man5GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide, have been isolated from homogenates of mung bean hypocotyls. The alpha-1,2-mannosidase activities were readily distinguished from previously described aryl alpha-mannosidases by several criteria. They were optimally active in the presence of Ca2+ between pH 5.5 and 6, they were inhibited by Zn2+, and they had essentially no activity with p-nitrophenyl-alpha-mannoside. The microsomal and cytosolic alpha-1,2-mannosidases demonstrated specificity for oligosaccharides with terminal nonreducing alpha-1,2-mannosyl linkages, and they were inhibited by mannosyl-mannose disaccharides, with the inhibition decreasing in the order of alpha-1,2-greater than alpha-1,3-greater than alpha-1,6-mannosyl-mannose. The cytosolic alpha-1,2-mannosidase activity, which was present in the 100,000 g supernatant, was separated from the aryl alpha-mannosidase by ammonium sulfate precipitation. The microsomal alpha-1,2-mannosidase, which was tightly associated with the particulate fraction, was solubilized with Triton X-100 and 0.2 M KCl. The two alpha-1,2-mannosidase activities were readily differentiated by gel-filtration chromatography. The solubilized microsomal enzyme chromatographed in approximately the same position as a Mr 460,000 globular protein whereas the cytosolic enzyme was eluted in a retarded position, indicating a much smaller protein.
Long range correlations in linear congruential generators

Primitive linear congruential random number generators introduce correlations among elements separated by powers of two which thereby introduce errors into Monte Carlo procedures. A generalization of this phenomenon is made in this paper to all linear congruential generators with fixed multiplier using a power of two as modulus. (AIP)
The molecular basis for charge heterogeneity in human acid α-glucosidase

Abstract The molecular basis for charge heterogeneity in human hepatic α-glucosidase (α- d -glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.20) was determined by analysis of the carbohydrate and polypeptide components of the enzyme, Only small remnants of high mannose chains that contained neither sialic acid nor mannose 6-phosphate were detected in the carbohydrate structure. Four enzymatically active forms of α-glucosidase separated by chromatofocusing were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were found to contain different polypeptides. The absence of charged residues in oligosaccharide chains and variability in the polypeptide subunits of the charge forms of hepatic α-glucosidase suggest that charge heterogeneity results from differences in the protein structure of the charge forms. The pattern of differences in the polypeptide subunits suggests that the charge forms for hepatic α-glucosidase may be the product of proteolysis.
Effect of Solvent on the Dimerization of the ansa-Molybdocene Catalyst [C2Me4Cp2Mo(OH)(OH2)][OTs]

The monomer−dimer equilibrium behavior of the [ansa-C2Me4Cp2Mo(OH)(OH2)][OTs] and [ansa-C2Me4Cp2Mo(μ-OH)]2[OTs]2 complexes was explored in a variety of solvents. Only the monomer was detected spectroscopically in water, aqueous terahydrofuran, aqueous acetone, or aqueous dimethylsulfoxide, while appreciable dimerization was noted in aqueous solutions containing 50% ethanol or methanol. Several equilibrium constants (Keq) were estimated. In water, Keq ≥ 2 M at 25 °C. In ethanol at 25 °C, Keq is on the order of 10−2 M. In methanol at 25 °C, Keq ≈ 10−6 M. The strong dependence of the monomer−dimer equilibrium on the solvent medium does not correlate with solvent polarity, hydrogen-bonding ability, or solvent basicity. These findings illustrate that catalyst dimerization can be suppressed more effectively by solvent choice than by electronic or steric modification of the Cp ligands. Because only the monomer is catalytically active, the effect of the monomer−dimer equilibrium on molybdocene-catalyzed nitrile h...
Impurity partitioning in Nafion and ceramic separators used for purification of spent chromium plating solutions

Abstract Cationic partitioning (Cu(II), Ni(II), and Fe(III)) into Nafion and ceramic membranes equilibrated with different salt solutions was investigated in this study. Both single-ion and multicomponent partitioning in a Nafion-117 membrane in a 2.12 M chromic acid solution was well characterized with the Freundlich isotherm. The affinity for the Nafion membrane was Fe(III)>Ni(II)>Cu(II). The partition coefficients of the divalent cations in multicomponent partitioning experiments were similar to those in single-ion experiments whereas the partition coefficients of the trivalent cation decreased. Among the factors investigated, pH had the most significant influence on the partition coefficients, especially in the pH range of about 0.5–1.5. In contrast, temperature in the range of 25–55 °C had an insignificant effect. The ceramic diaphragm had partition coefficients equal to the porosity (0.4) of the ceramic for all of the species implying that cations were not adsorbed to its surface.
Does a needle puncture into the annulus fibrosus cause disc degeneration

COMMENTARY ON: Michalek AJ, Buckley MR, Bonassar LJ, et al. The effects of needle puncture injury on microscale shear strain in the intervertebral disc annulus fibrosus. Spine J 2010:10:1098–105 ( in this issue ).
The effect of different isolation procedures on algaenan molecular structure in Scenedesmus green algae

Abstract The isolation of algaenan from its parent algae is the first step employed in the effort to characterize it. Three different protocols are the most followed in the isolation of algaenan. Because different structures have been proposed for algaenan from the same parent algae but isolated using different isolation protocols, we examined the possible effects the isolation procedure has on the algaenan chemistry. Our results indicate that the three different commonly used procedures have an impact on the structure of the recovered algaenan, because they involve different chemical treatments of varying strengths for the removal of non-algaenan components. The modifications to the overall similar dominant aliphatic composition include the formation of esters through transesterification, inclusion of proteins, destruction of crystallinity and hydrolysis of esters.
Phenotypic and genetic characterization of Kyrgyz fine-leaved Festuca valesiaca germplasm for use in semi-arid, low-maintenance turf applications

Fine-leaved Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin (2n = 2x–4x) is native to heavily-grazed, cold, semi-arid, Asian rangelands. However, its potential for low-maintenance turf applications in the semi-arid western United States and its relatedness to other agriculturally important Festuca species have not been investigated. Therefore, a project was designed to identify F. valesiaca accessions that possess horticultural potential when grown under semi-arid growing conditions and to characterize their relatedness to other Festuca species. In 2008, 12 F. valesiaca accessions originating from Kyrgyzstan and eight US. Festuca and one Lolium cultivar were transplanted as replicated, spaced plants to a field nursery at Blue Creek, Utah. Relative vigor, height, width, total biomass (aboveground dry matter yield), seed weight, and seed number were evaluated between 2009 and 2011. Plant height, width, and total biomass of the F. valesiaca accessions examined were approximately equal to the commercial control, ‘Cascade’ (F. rubra L. subsp. commutata Gaudin; 6x; chewings fescue). Plant vigor and seed weight of F. valesiaca accessions PI 659923, PI 659932, W6 30575, and W6 30588 under semi-arid conditions (~300 mm annual precipitation) were significantly (P < 0.05) greater than ‘Cascade’. Moreover, principal component analysis based on all traits as loading factors indicated that these 12 F. valesiaca accessions were distinct from a majority of the other Festuca accessions examined. These F. valesiaca accessions produced abundant amounts of small seed, and this seed yield was significantly correlated with total aboveground biomass (dry weight; r 2 = 0.84, P < 0.001), plant height (r 2 = 0.58, P < 0.05), and plant vigor (r 2 = 0.83, P < 0.001). Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis (1,454 polymorphic bands) was used to characterize F. valesiaca relatedness to other economically important Festuca species. The AFLP-based, neighbor-joining analysis differentiated F. valesiaca accessions from US Festuca cultivars examined, except for ‘Durar’ (F. ovina L.; 6x; sheep fescue), to which they had strong genetic affinities. Given their morphological attributes, F. valesiaca PI 659923, W6 30575, PI 659932, and W6 30588 should be considered for use in low-maintenance, semi-arid turf improvement programs in the western US.
Interactions between tachykinins and diverse, human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are diverse members of the ligand-gated ion channel superfamily of neurotransmitter receptors and play critical roles in chemical signaling throughout the nervous system. Reports of effects of substance P (SP) on nAChR function prompted us to investigate interactions between several tachykinins and human nAChR subtypes using clonal cell lines as simple experimental models. Acute exposure to SP inhibits carbamylcholine- or nicotine-stimulated function measured using 86Rb+ efflux assays of human ganglionic (alpha 3 beta 4) nAChR expressed in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells (IC50 approximately 2.3 microM) or of human muscle-type (alpha 1 beta 1 gamma delta) nAChR expressed in TE671/RD clonal cells (IC50 approximately 21 microM). SP also acutely blocks function of rat ganglionic nAChR expressed in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells (IC50 approximately 2.1 microM). Neurokinin A and eledoisin inhibit function (extrapolated IC50 values between 60 and 160 microM) of human muscle-type or ganglionic nAChR, but neurokinin B does not, and neither human nAChR is as sensitive as PC12 cell alpha 3 beta 4-nAChR to eledoisin or neurokinin A inhibition. At concentrations that produce blockade of nAChR function, SP fails to affect binding of [3H]acetylcholine to human muscle-type or ganglionic nAChR. SP-mediated blockade of rat or human ganglionic nAChR function is insurmountable by increasing agonist concentrations. Collectively, these results indicate that tachykinins act noncompetitively to inhibit human nAChR function with potencies that vary across tachykinins and nAChR subtypes. They also indicate that tachykinin actions at nAChR could further contribute to complex cross-talk between nicotinic cholinergic and tachykinin signals in regulation of nervous system activity.
Laccase mediated changes in physical and chemical composition properties of thatch layer in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.)

Abstract Thatch is a tightly intermingled layer of dead and living organic matter present below the turf aerial shoots and above the soil. Excess thatch can be a major problem on many turfgrass sites, especially golf greens. A greenhouse experiment was conducted on dead potted bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera L.) to eliminate the confounding effects of continual growth as we attempted to determine the efficacy of a ligninolytic enzyme, laccase, along with mediator guaiacol in reducing organic matter content in thatch layer biomass. Laccase was added bi-weekly at 0, 2.06, and 20.6 units of activity cm −2 with and without guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) and sampling was performed after two and six months. Parameters investigated included thickness of thatch layer, organic matter, saturated hydraulic conductivity, lignin content, and structural sugars. After two months of treatment application, thatch layer thickness was reduced by 22.1% and extractive-free acid-soluble lignin by 12.3%. Lignin content decreased by 6.5% and saturated hydraulic conductivity improved to 124.7% higher than the non-treated control. No reduction in organic matter and sugar content was observed after two months of treatment application. After six months, thatch layer thickness was reduced by 62.0%, total organic content (0–2.5 cm) by 24.7%, and total sugar content by 29.3%. Extractive-free acid-insoluble lignin and saturated hydraulic conductivity increased by 17.1 and 70.8%, respectively in comparison to the control. These positive responses suggest laccase treatments could expedite organic matter degradation in the thatch layer of creeping bentgrass.
Hepatitis B vaccination of neonates and children

Perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) occurs in a high percentage of infants born to mothers who are acutely infected with the virus at the time of delivery or who are chronic carriers of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The majority of infants who acquire the virus during the perinatal period and become HBV carriers have no clinical symptoms. However, there are reports of acute and fulminant hepatitis and even primary liver cancer occurring in a few HBsAg-positive infants. Immunoprophylaxis given to infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers at birth with a combination of hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine is the most effective means of preventing the chronic HBV carrier state and its potential complications. In a multicenter trial in the United States, 85 to 90 percent of the children of HBsAg-positive mothers remained HBsAg-negative when treated with this combination regimen. Studies conducted outside the United States have yielded similar results. Other investigations indicate that the hepatitis B vaccine alone may be of value in preventing perinatal transmission of HBV in developing countries that are unable to afford hepatitis B immunoglobulin.
Design and demonstration of an all-optical hybrid packet and circuit switched network platform for next generation data centers

The design of a reconfigurable 4×4 photonic switch simultaneously supporting both packet and circuit switching is proposed and experimentally validated. Error-free operation and routing correctness is verified for pseudorandom 4×10-Gb/s packets and a 10-Gb/s stream.
Steroid hormones and the development of the reproductive system in the pullet.

THE reproductive system of the female bird undergoes remarkable changes at sexual maturity or when seasonal breeding occurs at which times weight and size increments of several thousand per cent occur in both the ovary and oviduct in only a few weeks or in only a few days. The extensive literature on the morphological aspects of these changes in birds has been reviewed (Breneman, 1955), but relatively little is known about the hormonal factors which influence the structural alterations. Fraps, Hooker, and Forbes (1948, 1949) determined that progesterone or a progesterone- like substance, is present in the fowl at about the time of ovulation. Kornfeld and Nalbandov (1954) demonstrated the presence of an estrogen in pullets at 16-20 days post-hatching and Romanoff (1949) reported that estrogen is secreted by the ovary of mature birds and that an estrogen can be found in the yolk of the egg. The presence of androgens in fowls is known only indirectly. Marked comb growth in cockerels and in pullets, however, ...
Stability indicating assay for fetindomide (NSC 373965), a potential prodrug of mitindomide (NSC 284356), employing high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract A stability indicating assay for fetindomide using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed. The chromatography was performed on a MOS Hypersil (C 8 ) column and was optimized by investigating the effects of methanol (7.5–20%), acetonitrile (5–7%), tetrabutylammonium hydrogen-sulphate (TBA, 0–90 mM) and acetate buffer (pH 3.5, 60–100 mM) on the retention of fetindomide and mitindomide. The optimum mobile phase was 5% acetonitrile in an aqueous solution containing 100 mM acetate buffer (pH 3.5) and 40 mM TBA. Complete resolution of fetindomide, and its degradation products, phenylalanine, the two isomers of N -phenylalanyloxymethylmitindomide and mitindomide was achieved within 10 min at a flow rate of 2 ml/min. The method is linear, accurate and precise for the determination of fetindomide and mitindomide and was applied to study the stability of fetindomide in various aqueous media.
Scalpel excision of basal cell carcinomas

A total of 468 coded, histologically proved basal cell carcinomas were excised from 446 patients in the Skin and Cancer Unit of New York University Medical Center from 1955 to 1967. The five-year cumulative recurrence rate was 6.8%. The highest recurrence rates, in areas in which sufficient data were available, were for the periocular regions, the scalp, and the nose and paranasal areas. Following re-treatment of recurrences, 464 of the 468 lesions (99.1%) were cured at the time of the most recent examination. After the second postoperative year, at least 70% of results were recorded as cosmetically good or excellent at the time of last follow-up. The most common complication was hypertrophic scars. There was a tendency for increasing incidence of such scars with increasing diameters of the lesions.
FIELD EVALUATION PROCEDURE FOR SURGE IRRIGATION.

ABSTRACT SOIL intake rate data and irrigation advance data were collected on three farms in northeast Colorado during the summer of 1985. These data, and simulated advance data generated with a kinematic wave model, were used to test the adequacy of seven proposed simplified techniques for evaluating surge irrigation. The technique selected consistently results in values of application efficiency and distribution uniformity within three and twenty percent, respectively, of the values given by more complex procedures. This procedure requires determining the time at which water reaches the end of a previously wetted furrow section, the distance of advance at the time inflow stops and the maximum advance distance for each surge. This represents approximately 90% reduction in advance data collection over previous evaluation methods.
Electrophoretic analysis of electrically trained skeletal muscle.

Sheep latissimus dorsi muscle was electrically trained, thereby inducing fast-to-slow fibre-type transformation. Using a combination of one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis techniques with computer analysis, we have analysed altered expression of contractile protein isoforms at protein and mRNA level over a time course of electrical training extending to 5 months. Myosin heavy chain and regulatory myosin light chain analysis showed predominant expression of their slow isoforms (86% and 92%, respectively) after 3 months of training. At the same time point, however, tropomyosin analysis revealed that the slow isoform of the α-subunit accounted for 64% of the total α expression. Troponin T isoform switching proceeded more slowly over the same time course than tropomyosin and the thick filament proteins studied. Troponin T analysis revealed 5 fast and 2 slow isoforms in the sheep, of which the second slow isoform only became clearly visible after 5 months' training. At this time point the two slow isoforms were more predominant than their fast counterparts. This suggests that a wide heterogeneity of fast and slow isoform combinations are possible in the thin filament of skeletal muscle.
Salivary Inflammatory Mediator Profiling and Correlation to Clinical Disease Markers in Asthma

Rationale There is a need for a readily available, non-invasive source of biomarkers that predict poor asthma control. Objectives We sought to determine if there is an association between the salivary inflammatory profile and disease control in children and adults with asthma. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we collected demographic and clinical information from two independent populations at different sites, resulting in convenience samples of 58 pediatric and 122 adult urban asthmatics. Control was assessed by symptom questionnaire (children) and by Asthma Control Questionnaire and current exacerbation (adults). Saliva was collected in all subjects. We applied principal component analysis to a 10-plex panel of relevant inflammatory markers to characterize marker profiles and determined if profiles were associated with asthma control. Results There were similar, strong correlations amongst biologically related markers in both populations: eosinophil-related: eotaxin-1/CCL11, RANTES/CCL5, and IL-5 (p<.001); myeloid/innate: IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1/CCL2, and IL-8/CXCL8 (p<.001). The first three principal components captured ≥74% of variability across all ten analytes in both populations. In adults, the Principal Component 1 score, broadly reflective of all markers, but with greater weight given to myeloid/innate markers, was associated with Asthma Control Questionnaire score and exacerbation. The Principal Component 3 score, reflective of IP-10/CXCL10, was associated with current exacerbation. In children, the Principal Component 1, 2, and 3 scores were associated with recent asthma symptoms. The Principal Component 2 score, reflective of higher eosinophil markers, was inversely correlated with symptoms. The Principal Component 3 score was positively associated with all symptom outcomes. Conclusion The salivary inflammatory profile is associated with disease control in children and adults with asthma.
How Important is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a Cause of Community-Acquired Pneumonia and What is Best Antimicrobial Therapy?

The emergence of methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus has raised issues regarding the importance of methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and its optimal treatment. Community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is an important cause of CAP because of the high mortality if not suspected early, and its occurrence in young patients with long life expectancy. Certain clinical features can increase the probability of CA-MRSA as a cause of CAP. The consistent trend toward better outcomes for documented MRSA pneumonia suggests that linezolid be considered the drug of choice for documented MRSA CAP, especially for CA-MRSA.
Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly

Isolated systolic hypertension (systolic blood pressure of 160 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure less than 90) was investigated in the Leisure World population at Seal Beach, California. The prevalence of this condition was 13.9% if the blood pressure at the initial examination was used but dropped to 2.7% if the subsequent two determinations of blood pressure were also reviewed. Seventy-two of the subjects with persistent systolic hypertension were compared with 72 matched normotensive control subjects. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality were generally more frequent among subjects with systolic hypertension. That this association is causal has yet to be proven. In this elderly population isolated systolic hypertension was a labile, relatively infrequent condition associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications.
The puzzle of free indirect discourse

The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the familiar puzzle of free indirect discourse (FID). FID shares some properties with standard indirect discourse and with direct discourse, but there is currently no known theory that can accommodate such a hybrid. Based on the observation that FID has ‘de se’ pronouns, I argue that it is a kind of an attitude report.
Additional training with an obstetric simulator improves medical student comfort with basic procedures.

OBJECTIVE To determine if an obstetric birthing simulator can improve medical student understanding of and comfort with basic obstetric procedures. STUDY DESIGN Medical students were surveyed at the end of their obstetrics rotation regarding their knowledge and comfort with basic obstetric procedures. A group of students was trained on basic procedures utilizing an obstetric simulator. Survey results were compiled and analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS In all, 60 untrained students and 18 simulator trained students completed surveys. Trained students were significantly more comfortable with fundal height measurements (P = 0.003), Leopold maneuvers (P < 0.001), fetal scalp electrode placement (P < 0.001), intrauterine pressure catheter placement (P < 0.001), and artificial rupture of membranes (P = 0.001) and reported better understanding of the indications for placement of a fetal scalp electrode (P = 0.01) and intrauterine pressure catheter (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Additional training with an obstetric simulator improved medical student self-reported comfort with and understanding of basic procedures compared with standard resident and staff-directed instruction.
Large-j limit for certain 9-j symbols: Power law behavior

In a previous work, certain unitary 9-$j$ symbols were shown to go asymptotically to zero in the large-$j$ limit. In this work, we examine this in more detail and find an approximate power law for some unitary 9-$j$'s in the large-$j$ limit and an exponential decrease for others in this same limit.
Applying the physically complete EMI models to the ESTCP Camp Sibert Pilot Study EM-63 data

Recently the SERDP/ESTCP office under the UXO Discrimination Pilot Study Program acquired high-density data over hundreds of targets using time-domain EM-63 sensor at Camp Sibert. The data were inverted and analyzed by various research groups using a simple dipole model approach and different classification tools. The studies demonstrated high discrimination probability with a low false-alarm rate. However in order to further improve discrimination between UXO and non-UXO items a better understanding is needed of the limits of current and emerging processing approaches. In this paper, the simple dipole model and a physically complete model called the normalized surface magnetic source (NSMS) the Camp Sibert data sets. The simple, infinitesimal dipole representation is by far the most widely employed model for UXO modeling. In this model, one approximates a target's response when excited by a primary (transmitted) field using an induced infinitesimal dipole (in turn described by a single magnetic polarizability matrix). The greatest advantage of the dipole model is that it is simple and imposes low computation costs. However, researchers have recently begun to realize the limitations of the simple dipole model as an inherently coarse description of the EMI behavior of complex, heterogeneous targets like UXO. To address these limitations, here the NSMS is employed as a more powerful forward model for data inversion and object discrimination. This method is extremely fast and equally applicable to the time or frequency domains. The object's location and orientation are estimated by using a standard nonlinear inversion-scattering approach. The discrimination performance between the dipole and NSMS models are conducted by investigating model fidelity and data density issues, positional accuracy and geological noise effects.
The association of calcium oxalate-utilizing Streptomyces with conifer ectomycorrhizae

Bacteria that could utilize calcium oxalate as a major carbon source were isolated from mycorrhizae of Douglas-fir. About one-third were Streptomyces, of which eight species were identified. These organisms apparently play an important role in maintaining microsite conditions and in recycling calcium in the forest system. The ability to utilize calcium oxalate as a primary substrate provides a useful trait in Streptomyces taxonomy.
Gravity and thermoregulation: metabolic changes and circadian rhythms

Gravity appears to alter thermoregulation through changes in both the regulated level of body temperature and the rhythmic organization of temperature regulation. Gravity has been hypothesized to have an associated metabolic cost. Increased resting energy expenditure and dietary intake have been observed in animals during centrifuge experiments at hypergravity. Thus far, only animals have shown a corresponding reduction in metabolism in microgravity. Altered heat loss has been proposed as a response to altered gravitational environments, but remains documented only as changes in skin temperature. Changes in circadian timing, including the body temperature rhythm, have been shown in both hypergravity and microgravity, and probably contribute to alterations in sleep and performance. Changes in body temperature regulation may result from circadian disturbance, from the direct or indirect actions of gravity on the regulated temperature, or from changes in thermoregulatory effectors (heat production and heat loss) due to altered gravitational load and convective changes. To date, however, we have little data on the underlying thermoregulatory changes in altered gravity, and thus the precise mechanisms by which gravity alters temperature regulation remain largely unknown.
Pay-for-performance in local governments: the views of personnel directors

This article provides new information about the use of pay-for-performance in local governments by presenting findings from a national survey of personnel directors in municipalities and counties. The findings show that most respondents view pay-for- performance as a useful tool, even though it is only used in a minority of local governments. An in-depth analysis of 40 possible benefits and problems showed that PFP benefits are relatively undefined and that users do experience some potentially serious problems, though these problems appear less serious than the existing literature would predict.
Psychiatric illness in patients with chronic fatigue and those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives:To identify psychiatric differences between patients with chronic fatigue and those with rheumatoid arthritis and to investigate whether patients meeting Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can be differentiated from patients with chronic fatigue on measures of disability and psychosocial distress. Design:Cross-sectional study comparing 98 patients with chronic fatigue with 31 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on structured psychiatric interviews and patient questionnaires. Nineteen patients meeting CDC criteria for CFS were compared with 79 patients with chronic fatigue not meeting CDC criteria on questionnaires measuring disability and psychosocial distress. Setting:Consecutive patients with chronic fatigue were selected from a chronic fatigue clinic at the University of Washington, and 31 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis were sampled from a private rheumatology practice. Main results:Patients with chronic fatigue had a significantly higher prevalence of lifetime major depression and somatization disorder than did patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with chronic fatigue also had a significantly higher prevalence of current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. Only 19 of 98 patients with chronic fatigue met CDC criteria for CFS. Patients meeting CDC criteria for CFS could not be differentiated from the larger group of patients with chronic fatigue on any study variable. Conclusions:Patients with chronic fatigue have a significantly higher burden of psychiatric illness than do patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The psychiatric illness preceded the development of chronic fatigue in over half the patients. Centers for Disease Control criteria for CFS did not select a subset of chronic fatigue patients who could be differentiated on disability or psychosocial parameters from patients with chronic fatigue who did not meet CDC criteria.
Direct excitation of microwave-spin dressed states using a laser-excited resonance Raman interaction.

We have used a laser-induced resonance Raman transition between the ground-state hyperfine sublevels in a sodium atomic beam to excite individual dressed states of the microwave-spin hyperfine transition. In addition, we have used the microwave interaction to excite the Raman trapped state. Extension of this technique to mm waves or to the far infrared may lead to applications such as mm-wave-beam steering and holographic image conversion.
Advances in the treatment of early- to late-stage colorectal cancer: 20 years of progress.

Background: Numerous scientific and clinical advances have made significant changes in our understanding of the etiology of colorectal cancer and in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with large bowel malignancy or its precursor lesions.
On Berry-Esséen rates, a law of the iterated logarithm and an invariance principle for the proportion of the sample below the sample mean☆

Let Fn(x) be the empirical distribution function based on n independent random variables X1,…,Xn from a common distribution function F(x), and let X = Σi=1nXin be the sample mean. We derive the rate of convergence of Fn(X) to normality (for the regular as well as nonregular cases), a law of iterated logarithm, and an invariance principle for Fn(X).
Genetic Variation for Puccinia emaculata Infection in Switchgrass

Seed yields, forage quality, and biomass of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) can be negatively impacted by diseases. Genetic vulnerability is a concern when one switchgrass cultivar is grown in monoculture for long periods of time. Thus, genetic variation is key to improvement in pest resistance through selection. Our objectives were to develop a rust rating system for Puccinia emaculata Schwein and to determine genetic variation for P. emaculata infection among and within four improved switchgrass populations from the northern and central Great Plains. Populations were evaluated in replicated family-row nurseries at two locations (Aurora and Kimball) in eastern South Dakota. Disease ratings were taken after heading in 2000 and 2001 utilizing a 0 (highly resistant) to 9 (highly susceptible) scale. Population mean rust ratings averaged across families and years ranged from 3.7 to 8.0, and 3.2 to 5.0, at Aurora and Kimball, respectively. Significant variation among populations and among and within families within populations was observed for disease ratings. Data suggested the presence of both additive and nonadditive genetic variation and indicated selecting the best individuals from the best families for resistance to the rust disease may be an effective approach in utilizing genetic variation for improvement in switchgrass for the northern and central Great Plains.