cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetoresistance and upper critical magnetic field of UBe13 under pressure

We have investigated the effects of pressure on the magnetoresistance and the upper critical magnetic field of the heavy electron compound UBe/sub 13/. Both the superconducting transition temperature and the upper critical field decrease under hydrostatic pressure. The low-temperature magnetoresistance remains large and negative under pressure. The temperature region over which the resistivity has a T/sup 2/ temperature dependence increases with both magnetic field and with pressure. At a fixed magnetic field, the coefficient of the T/sup 2/ term in the resistivity decreases strongly with pressure. UBe/sub 13/ is found to have a pressure independent intrinsic residual resistivity of 18 ..mu cap omega..-cm.
SEX ROLE ORIENTATION AND TYPE A BEHAVIOR PATTERN

Male and female college students completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Jenkins Activity Survey, a part of which is the Type A Scale. Correlational results showed that as Type A scores increased, BSRI scores decreased (more masculine sex role orientation). Analysis of variance showed that males and females with masculine sex role orientations (SROs) had significantly higher Type A scores than those with androgynous SROs, who in turn had significantly higher Type A scores than those with feminine SROs.
Catalytic Innovation in Microfinance for Inclusive Growth: Insights from SKS Microfinance

Microfinance offers a means for reaching the poor who are left out of the formal financial sector. A fundamentally new way is needed to create a scalable and sustainable business model to meet this unmet need: a catalytic innovation. Our study focused on Swayam Krishi Sangam (SKS), an archetype of a catalytic innovator. The insights gained from our 3-year longitudinal study led to the proposed framework for a catalytic innovator encompassing five factors: customer focus on the poor and social entrepreneurship for the social mission. operational innovation, information technology, human capital management for scaling, and financial sustainability.
An image-space Morse decomposition for 2D vector fields

Morse decompositions have been proposed to compute and represent the topological structure of steady vector fields. Compared to the conventional differential topology, Morse decomposition and the resulting Morse Connection Graph (MCG) is numerically stable. However, the granularity of the original Morse decomposition is constrained by the resolution of the underlying spatial discretization, which typically results in non-smooth representation. In this work, an Image-Space Morse decomposition (ISMD) framework is proposed to address this issue. Compared to the original method, ISMD first projects the original vector field onto an image plane, then computes the Morse decomposition based on the projected field with pixels as the smallest elements. Thus, pixel-level accuracy can be achieved. This ISMD framework has been applied to a number of synthetic and real-world steady vector fields to demonstrate its utility. The performance of the ISMD is carefully studied and reported. Finally, with ISMD an ensemble Morse decomposition can be studied and visualized, which is shown useful for visualizing the stability of the Morse sets with respect to the error introduced in the numerical computation and the perturbation to the input vector fields.
Courtship Disruptions and Male Mating Strategies: Examples from Female‐Defense Mating Systems

abstract: Males frequently interrupt the copulation attempts of other males, and these courtship disruptions may limit the extent to which a few males are able to monopolize mating access to females. Males actively defend sexually receptive females in many species in which females form dense aggregations during the breeding season. Across and within such species there is considerable variation in the mating tactics adopted by males, with males in some cases defending groups of females and in other cases sequentially consorting with individual females. Colonial blackbirds have been central to studying this mating system, and we develop a conceptual model for how courtship disruption may account for variation in male mating tactics in this group. Our model assumes that the frequency of disruptions increases with greater colony size. As a consequence, successful copulations are less likely to occur at large colonies than at small colonies, and males are expected to switch from defending multiple females at t...
Investigations On the Biology and Life Cycle of Criconemoides Xenoplax Raski, 1952 (Nematoda: Criconematidae)

The life history of Criconemoides xenoplax is reported in detail. Eggs laid singly totalled 8-15 per adult female during 2-3 days under laboratory conditions. The life cycle took 25-34 days: 11-13 days for the egg stage, 3-5 for the second-stage larva, 4-7 for third-stage, 5-6 for fourth-stage and preoviposition period of adult 2-3 days. Embryonic and post-embryonic development, the egg and larval stages are described and figured. Best hosts for C. xenoplax are generally woody perennials. Highest population levels were attained on plum, apricot, grape and almond. The entire temperature range of 22-26 degrees C. is favorable for C. xenoplax and sandy soil more favorable for nematode multiplication than loam or silty loam. Soil with a pH of 7 gave a population increase higher than those of pH 3 and 5. Also increase at the highest soil moisture level (sticky point = 15.5%) was significantly greater than at soil moisture of 11.6% and 7.8%.
Remarks on the BRST cohomology for cM>1 matter coupled to «Liouville gravity»

Abstract We describe the (chiral) BRST cohomology of matter with central charge 1 c M Q L such that c M + c L = 26. We consider two cases: (a) matter is realized by one free field with an imaginary background charge; (b) matter is realized by D free fields: c M = D . In case (a) the cohomology states can be labelled by integers r , s of a rotated c M = 1 theory, but hermiticity imposes r = s . Thus there is still a discrete set of momenta p M ( r , r ),, p L ( r , r ) such that there are non-trivial (relative) cohomology states at level r 2 with ghost-numbers 0 or 1 for (for r > 0) and ghost-numbers 0 or −1 (for r c M = 1 theory which is ( xy ) n , n = 0, 1, 2 …, and there are no non-trivial currents acting on the ground ring. In case (b) there is no non-trivial relative cohomology for non-zero ghost-numbers and, for zero ghost-number, the cohomology groups are isomorphic to a ( D −1)-dimensional on-shell “transverse” Fock space. The only exceptions are at level 1 for vanishing matter momentum and p L = Q L (1 + r )with r = ±1, where one has one more ghost-number zero and a ghost-number r cohomology state. All these results follow quite easily from the existing literature.
Tariffs and Growth: An Empirical Exploration of Contingent Relationships

Abstract A large body of empirical research indicates that countries with low policy-induced trade barriers tend to enjoy rapid growth, ceteris paribus. In contrast, alternative theoretical models suggest that the relationship between trade barriers and growth may be contingent on the level of development. Employing a direct trade-barrier measure—ad valorem tariff rates—we find evidence of such a contingency: the marginal effect of tariffs on growth is declining in the level of per capita income. Moreover, evidence of a negative relationship between tariffs and growth is apparent only among the world's rich countries.
National prevalence of lifestyle counseling or referral among African-Americans and whites with diabetes.

Background Modifiable risk factors such as diet and physical activity contribute to racial disparities among patients with diabetes. Despite this, little is known about how frequently physicians provide counseling or referral to address these risk factors, or whether such rates differ by patient race.
Specification for Visual Requirements of Work-Centered Software Systems

Work-centered software systems function as inherent work-aiding systems. Based on the design concept for a work-centered support system (WCSS), these software systems support user tasks and goals through both direct and indirect aiding methods within the interface client. In order to ensure the coherent development and delivery of work-centered software products, WCSS visual requirements must be specified to capture the cognitive aspects of the user interface design. A work-centered specification language based on the User Interface Markup Language (UIML) is an effective solution to bridging this gap between cognitive systems engineering and software engineering. In this paper, we propose a new visual requirements specification language that can capture and describe work-centered visual requirements within a semi-formal syntax. The proposed language can also be easily integrated into a UML object model via the use of UMLs extensibility features. A specification language for visual requirements could be employed by cognitive engineers and design teams to help convey requirements in a comprehensible format that is suitable for a software engineer. Such a solution provides coherency in the software modeling process of developing work-centered software systems.
Optical limiting properties of nonlinear multimode waveguides

An experimental investigation of the transmission of multimode capillary waveguides with a nonlinear absorber in the core shows an enhanced nonlinear absorption relative to the same length of bulk material. The results are consistent with partial mode filling within the cores of the waveguides. This study confirms the promising optical limiting capabilities of multimode nonlinear waveguides and implies that the mode structure should be considered in the design and evaluation of capillary array optical limiters.
Complexity of early and middle successional stages in a rocky intertidal surfgrass community.

A variety of simple models have been proposed to describe ecological succession (e.g., Connell and Slatyer 1977), but these models do not address some agents that may increase complexity. To determine the complexity of a natural sequence, four null hypotheses were tested: (1) seasonality of growth, recruitment, and mortality does not influence succession; (2) the interspecific interactions that produce successional change are the same throughout the sequence; (3) consumers have no influence on succession, and (4) small scale spatial variation in establishment and mortality does not occur. These hypotheses were tested in a low zone rocky intertidal community normally dominated by the surfgrass Phyllospadix scouleri on the Oregon coast. Succession experiments initiated in different seasons and an herbivore exclusion experiment falsified each of these hypotheses. At two sites (Boiler Bay and Squaw Island) experimental plots that were cleared in the spring were first colonized by Ulva sp., but those cleared in other seasons were first colonized by Phaeostrophion irregulare. Ulva appears adapted to colonize space made available by winter storms, whereas Phaeostrophion takes advantage of space made available by sand movement in the fall. Another seasonal pattern was the sharp decline in total algal cover in the fall, when wave action increased. At Squaw Island, the presence of Phaeostrophion established in fall and winter significantly inhibited the summer establishment of Ulva, though Ulva occupied some space epiphytically. In contrast, at Boiler Bay, a different, stronger type of interspecific interaction occurred: Phaeostrophion totally inhibited the establishment of filamentous diatoms. The cover of Ulva in the summer was also influenced by herbivores, but Ulva cover declined in the fall in both herbivore exclusions and controls, suggesting that herbivores were not solely responsible for its replacement. Local variation was demonstrated, because after three years of succession, replicate plots often differed. The early colonists, Phaeostrophion and Ulva, continued to dominate some plots; in other plots they had been replaced by middle successional species, including Cryptosiphonia woodii and Odonthalia floccosa. In still other plots Rhodomela larix had replaced other species. Similarly complex successional sequences occur in many natural communities. Thus, the features that simple models do not address may add complexity to succession, and for some communities different approaches must be developed.
Localization of acetylcholinesterase in a crustacean neuromuscular system

Abstract 1. 1. The localization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was studied by light and electron microscopy (LM and EM) at the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of the abdominal superficial flexor muscle (SFM) and the claw adductor muscle (CAM) of the crayfish, in view of reported pharmacological evidence of cholinergic transmission at the former but not at the latter site. 2. 2. Survey by LM with the copper-thiocholine method disclosed staining for AChE, but not for butyrocholinesterase (BuChE), at numerous NMJs of the SFM; neither enzyme was detected at any NMJs of the CAM. 3. 3. With the bis-(thioacetoxy) aurate (I) method, EM examination showed AChE-staining at NMJs of the SFM to be confined to the postjunctional membrane. 4. 4. The published and present findings suggest a unique situation of more than one excitatory transmitter for the skeletal neuromuscular system in the crustacean studied.
Correlation of continuous wave doppler velocities with cardiac catheterization gradients: An experimental model of aortic stenosis

The purpose of this study was to use a canine preparation of experimental aortic stenosis to compare estimates of pressure gradient derived from continuous wave Doppler ultrasound with gradients measured directly by catheterization. Aortic stenosis was created in six mongrel dogs by placing an elastic band around the aorta. Eighty-eight different pressure gradients, ranging from 5 to 160 mm Hg, were produced by variable tightening of the aortic band. Pressure gradients were measured by micromanometer-tipped catheters placed in the left ventricle and aorta. Doppler spectral signals were simultaneously obtained using a 2.0 MHz nonimaging transducer placed directly on the surface of the ascending aorta. Doppler and pressure recordings were analyzed using a custom-designed software program to measure maximal instantaneous, mean and peak to peak gradients, as well as ejection and acceleration times. Maximal instantaneous Doppler gradient showed an excellent linear correlation with maximal instantaneous catheterization gradient (r = 0.98, SEE = 5.3 mm Hg). The correlation of Doppler-estimated maximal gradient to peak to peak catheterization gradient was also linear (r = 0.97, SEE = 6.2 mm Hg) but resulted in a systematic overestimation of pressure drop (mean overestimation = 9.0 mm Hg). Measurement of the Doppler gradient at mid-systole resulted in a more accurate correlation with the peak to peak catheterization gradient (r = 0.98, SEE = 6.1 mm Hg) and eliminated the problem of overestimation. An excellent correlation was also seen between Doppler and catheterization-derived mean gradients (r = 0.98, SEE = 3.5 mm Hg), whereas correlations between Doppler and catheterization ejection and acceleration times were only fair (r = 0.79 and r = 0.57, respectively). The results in this experimental model suggest that pressure gradients obtained from continuous wave Doppler spectral patterns are quite accurate in predicting corresponding cardiac catheterization measurements. In addition, an alternate method using the Doppler mid-systolic velocity appears to offer advantages in the prediction of the peak to peak gradient at cardiac catheterization.
Evaluation of energy release rate in the crack-microcrack interaction problem

Abstract The crack microcrack array interaction problem, in terms of the statistical distribution of microcrack length, density and orientation, is formulated in this paper. The formulation is based on Green's function of a dislocation dipole placed in the vicinity of the main crack tip. The energy release rate (ERR) associated with the microcrack array evolution is also formulated in terms of the distribution and their gradients. The effect of the microcrack density, length and orientation on stress intensity factors and ERRs are illustrated on examples.
Identification of simpler analogs of neurotensin(9–13) which retain antinociceptive activity

Abstract The neurotensin C-terminal pentapeptide has been systematically simplified to identify a minimal fragment with in vivo analgesic activity and neurotensin receptor binding ability. Di-, tri-, and tetrapeptide fragments were inactive. Pentapeptide simplifications established that only the arginine could be replaced with simpler amino acids and retain activity in each assay. The neurotensin C-terminal pentapeptide, Arg-Pro-Tyr-Ile-Leu , is systematically simplified to identify a minimal fragment required for activity in both neurotensin receptor binding and in in vivo analgesic assay.
Detection of tumor necrosis factor α from porcine alveolar macrophages using an L929 fibroblast bioassay

Tumor necrosis factor plays a central role in the mediation of the pathophysiological sequelae of infection and inflammation in animals and humans. The elucidation of its role in respiratory disease of swine has not been investigated, due in part to the lack of a sensitive and specific quantitative assay for its presence in tissue and fluid samples. Here we describe the detection of porcine tumor necrosis factor utilizing L929 murine fibroblast cells and characterize various parameters affecting assay sensitivity. Plating cell density and length of exposure time to test supernatants were the most critical factors. Using standard assay conditions as described here, porcine tumor necrosis factor was detected in alveolar macrophage conditioned media diluted more than 400-fold. Specificity of the assay for porcine tumor necrosis factor was shown by inhibition of cytotoxicity with neutralizing polyclonal antibodies for human recombinant tumor necrosis factor. Furthermore, comparisons of bioactivity with tumor necrosis factor mRNA levels from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated porcine alveolar macrophages indicated that the L929 bioassay was specific for porcine tumor necrosis factor.
A review of puffing processes for expansion of biological products

Abstract A research objective to develop a puffing process which would improve the rehydration characteristics of air-dried fruits and vegetables led to a review of puffing processes described in the US patent and published literature. The puffing processes found were classified into four categories based on the method responsible for gas evolution: phase change, absorption, adsorption, and chemical reaction. An explosive expansion rate E was calculated for different puffing processes in each category. It appears that E must be in the range 0·05–12 m3/s kg to puff biological products.
Microstructure and Thermoelectric Properties of Mechanically Robust PbTe-Si Eutectic Composites†

The microstructure and thermoelectric properties of the PbTe-Si eutectic system are presented in detail. When rapidly quenched from the melt this system yields materials with thermoelectric properties similar to PbTe itself but with improved mechanical properties. Doping optimization was performed using PbI2 as an n-type dopant giving precise control of the thermoelectric properties. Electron microscopy indicates that the PbTe-Si system is both a nanocomposite and microcomposite. Despite the added Si, the thermal conductivity of this composite follows closely that of PbTe. The temperature dependence of the Lorenz number was estimated, and it shows a significant departure from the value of metals (L0) reaching only 45% of L0 at 650 K. The optimized ZT for the PbTe-Si(8%) eutectic was 0.9 at 675 K. The improved mechanical robustness of these composites makes them attractive for use in large scale thermoelectric device fabrication.
The Effect of Naloxone on Endogenous Opioid Regulation of Pituitary Gonadotropins and Prolactin during the Menstrual Cycle

Abstract To determine the influence of ovarian sex steroid hormones on endogenous opioid regulation of pituitary FSH, LH, and PRL secretion, six women were studied during the follicular phase (days 8–9) and luteal phase (days 21–23) of their menstrual cycles. An iv bolus dose of 10 mg of the opiate antagonist naloxone was given, and plasma FSH, LH, and PRL were measured at −30, −15, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min. During the follicular phase, baseline plasma FSH and LH levels were 10.7 ± 0.9 and 16.7 ± 2.0 mlU/ml (mean ± SEM), respectively; the plasma PRL level was 11.7 ± 1.2 ng/ml. Nal-oxone did not significantly alter plasma FSH, LH, or PRL during the follicular phase. Basal levels of LH were significantly lower during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase (P < 0.01). During the luteal phase, plasma LH increased significantly from a basal level of 10.0 ± 1.0 to 20.8 ± 3.0 mlU at 30 min (P < 0.001) and remained significantly elevated at 90 min. Similarly, plasma PRL increased signifi...
Strain-induced nonlinearity of filled rubbers.

Dynamic strain-induced nonlinearity in the modulus of filled rubbers shows a striking similarity to what is known about the glass transition of solid materials and the jamming transition of granular materials. This analogy stems from the reality that shear strain in dynamic mechanical measurements introduces fluctuations in a filler network by forcing the system to explore different configurations. Such fluctuations can be described by an ``effective temperature'' that has many attributes of a true temperature, and particularly is proportional to the strain amplitude. Thus, filled rubbers with respect to strain will display many unusual phenomena that are usually observed in glass-forming materials, but now demonstrated in filled rubbers, including asymmetric kinetics, crossover effects, and glasslike kinetic transitions. The nonlinearity in the modulus of filled rubbers simply reflects a dejamming transition of fillers in rubber matrices. The agglomeration of filler in an elastomeric matrix shares a common ground of physics with the jamming process and glass formation.
The impacts of user dynamics on energy-based opportunistic cooperative spectrum sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks over log-normal shadowed Rayleigh fading channels

As a promising solution to increase usages of the underutilized spectrum, Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) systems face many new practical challenges. Spectrum sensing and associated controlling algorithms are crucial tools toward dynamic spectrum management. Exploring the spatial diversity, distributed cooperative spectrum sensing can effectively overcome the hidden primary user issue. The performance of the distributed sensing scheme is not only affected by wireless channels but also by the number of CRs. However, CRs join and leave CRN at will and thus the performance of cooperative sensing is varying accordingly. In this paper, we study the impact of CR dynamic activities on cooperative spectrum sensing. Closed form expressions for the dynamic performance of distributed energy-based cooperative spectrum sensing are derived. These closed form expressions are analytical tractable and provide a feasible framework to apply optimization techniques for system design parameters to efficiently guarantee the global optimality without computationally costly exhaustive search. This efficient real-time performance evaluation capability is critical for CRN to perform quick online adaptation, especially because CRN is operated in dynamic scenarios which consist of the wireless links, the primary users' activities, and CR dynamics.
Properties of Wilms' Tumor Line (TuWi) and Pig Kidney Line (LLC-PK1) Typical of Normal Kidney Tubular Epithelium

Two stable epithelial-like cell lines, the pig kidney strain (LLC-PK1) and a Wilms' tumor line (TuWi), previously established in other laboratories, were found to exhibit a number of properties characteristic of kidney proximal tubular epithelium. Electron micrographs of LLC-PK1 monolayers revealed cells forming rosettes reminiscent of tubules. Numerous elongated microvilli and an amorphous basal laminar material surrounded the cell membranes. Cell junctions were located between cell membranes at regions adjacent to the patent lumens. Wilms' cells in culture were similar in appearance to the pig kidney cells; they exhibited numerous microvilli, a thin basal laminar coating on the membrane, and desmonsomes between cells. No rosette formation was evident. Neither cell line was found to produce extracellular reticulin fibers when grown in the presence ofl-ascorbic acid for 1 week. Absence of stainable reticulin in cell monolayer culture after ascorbicacid treatment has been noted only in cell lines of apparent epithelial origin. Histochemically, both lines reacted positively for activities of a number of enzymes found in high amounts in normal kidney tubular epithelium. Pig kidney cells were highly positive for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity and moderately active for acid phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase activities. Wilms' tumor cells were markedly active for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, 5′-nucleotidase, ATPase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and acid phosphatase activities. These findings in conjunction with the ultrastructural observations indicate that these two lines in culture maintain many of the properties typical of proximal kidney tubular epithelium.
Materials science: Unique wrinkles as identity tags.

Spontaneously generated, random wrinkles of coatings on microscale particles have been found to be analogous to fingerprints — unique patterns with a wavy topography that can serve as unclonable tags for anti-counterfeiting purposes.
What Role for Store‐Operated Ca2+ Entry in Muscle?

Store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) is a receptor-regulated Ca²⁺ entry pathway that is both ubiquitous and evolutionarily conserved. SOCE is activated by depletion of intracellular Ca²⁺ stores through receptor-mediated production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃). The depletion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca²⁺ is sensed by stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1). On store depletion, STIM1 aggregates and moves to areas where the ER comes close to the plasma membrane (PM; within 25 nm) to interact with Orai1 channels and activate Ca²⁺ entry. Ca²⁺ entry through store-operated Ca²⁺ (SOC) channels, originally thought to mediate the replenishment of Ca²⁺ stores, participate in active downstream signaling by coupling to the activation of enzymes and transcription factors that control a wide variety of long-term cell functions such as proliferation, growth, and migration. SOCE has also been proposed to contribute to short-term cellular responses such as muscle contractility. While there are significant STIM1/Orai1 protein levels and SOCE activity in adult skeletal muscle, the precise role of SOCE in skeletal muscle contractility is not clear. The dependence on SOCE during cardiac and smooth muscle contractility is even less certain. Here, we will hypothesize on the contribution of SOCE in muscle and its potential role in contractility and signaling.
A hydrogen utopia

The use of hydrogen as a fuel for transportation and stationary applications is receiving much favorable attention as a technical and policy issue. However, the widespread introduction of this technology is likely also to have negative consequences that are not being actively discussed in broad public forums. Such possibilities include, among others, delayed development of other energy alternatives, hazards of catalyst or hydride metals, disruptive employment shifts, land usage conflicts, and increased vehicle usage. Even though hydrogen is likely to be beneficial in its overall societal and environmental effects, hydrogen technology advocates must understand the range of problematic issues and prepare to address them.
Antegrade ejaculatory duct recanalization and dilation

Ejaculatory duct obstruction is a rare but correctable cause of male infertility. Standard therapy is transurethral resection of the ejaculatory ducts, which is frequently complicated by seminal vesicle urinary reflux and is contraindicated when the obstruction is located outside the prostate gland. Herein, we report a minimally invasive technique that successfully dilated the ejaculatory duct without complications in a patient with unilateral, complete ejaculatory duct obstruction located outside the prostate.
TU-FF-A4-04: Intensity Modulation Patterns for Regional Exposure Control with Multiple Angle Slot Scan Imaging: Simulated Annealing Optimization Technique Approach

Purpose: To study the feasibility of using simulated annealing algorithm to determine the intensity modulation patterns for regional exposure control with multiple angle slot scan imaging. Method and Materials: We acquired a digital image from the chest radiography and then processed with a 2‐D Gaussian filter as an exposure equalization mask. Slot scanning exposures at evenly spaced angle between 0 and 180 degrees were used to achieve the ideal exposure distribution. An optimization technique, simulated annealing, was used to search the best intensity modulation patterns. This method is based on the theory of statistical physics and uses Boltzmannprobability distribution to locate the minimum energy state. An objective function was mathematically constructed and Metropolis scheme was incorporated into the numerical computation. Various tuning parameters such as the control temperature setting for the annealing schedule were explored and the best combination was empirically chosen. We also calculated the percent root mean square error to quantify the results. Results: A wide range of scanning angles was tested in the study. For 8 projection angles, it took 10 minutes to complete the intensity modulation patterns search in a single processor computer and the percent root mean square error was 12.0%. The percent root mean square error can be further reduced by adding the number of scanning angles. Conclusion: Our study indicated that simulated annealing technique has the potential to determine the optimized intensity modulation patterns. Current work is focused on the reduction of both the computing time and percent root mean square error. Other optimization techniques such as the conjugate gradient method and the applications of parallel computing methods to accelerate the search algorithms are to be investigated. Supported in part by a research grant EB00117 by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
Probing carotenoid biosynthesis in developing seed coats of Bixa orellana (Bixaceae) through expressed sequence tag analysis

Abstract Bixin is a commercially important diapocarotenoid derived from the seed coats of the tropical shrub Bixa orellana . Based on available chemical data and by analogy to abscisic acid biosynthesis, a biosynthetic pathway for bixin starting from lycopene is proposed. This putative pathway was investigated through expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis using a subtracted cDNA library. This analysis identified ESTs corresponding to most of the enzymes of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway including the 1-deoxy- d -xylulose 5-phosphate pathway of plastids. ESTs corresponding to a number of genes encoding dioxygenases, aldehyde dehydrogenases and carboxyl methyltransferases were also identified. These represent candidate enzymes for the last stage of the bixin biosynthetic pathway.
THE EFFECTS OF PHOTOOXIDATION BY PROFLAVINE ON HeLa CELLS—II. DAMAGE TO DNA

— HeLa cell suspensions, prelabeled with specific [14C]-nucleosides, were treated with proflavine and irradiated with visible light (400–500 nm). The DNA was isolated from the cells (as well as from the appropriate control cells) and examined for macromolecular and molecular changes. Although the UV absorbance spectrum of DNA from irradiated HeLa cells showed no discernible change, a fluorescence spectrum (excitation/emission: 305/405) indicated a molecular change in the DNA. Isolated DNA samples were hydrolyzed with 90% formic acid and chromatographed. There were no detectable differences between the irradiated and non-irradiated profile (Rf and radioactivity) for both guanine and adenine. However, the chromatograms of thymine and cytosine showed distinct changes. There was a loss of radioactivity in the [14C]-thymidine labeled samples, while the [14C]-cytidine labeled samples indicated the formation of a new compound, containing 10% of the radioactivity, running just ahead of cytosine. These data strongly suggest the formation of a new compound resulting from the photooxidation of cytosine when nuclear DNA was sensitized by proflavine.
The effect of magnesium ion on blood-clotting times in an active-phase hibernator and a non-hibernator

Abstract 1. 1. The blood-clotting time of the active hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, was found to be shorter than that of the albino laboratory rat. 2. 2. In vitro addition of magensium ions to final concentrations approximating those observed in hypothermia or hibernation results in a greater prolongation of clotting time in the case of the hamster than in the rat.
Safety profile of long-term H2-antagonist therapy.

SUMMARY The safety profile of low-dose maintenance therapy with H2-antagonists for duodenal ulcer disease suggests that these agents can be given safely for several years and probably much longer. Because information regarding the use of these compounds for more than 10 years in large numbers of patients is lacking, the safety of these drugs should continue to be monitored. The safety profiles of famotidine and nizatidine will require several additional years of postmarking surveillance data to match the depth of our knowledge regarding cimetidine and ranitidine. Compared to a surgical approach to ulcer disease, continuous H2-blocker maintenance therapy is cost-effective and is associated with significantly less morbidity. Patents with a history of bleeding or other ulcer complication should be encouraged to remain on maintenance therapy if they do not undergo surgery. The need for extended maintenance therapy also applies to individuals with frequent symptomatic ulcer relapses, reflux oesophagitis, and a range of less common disorders. Currently, H2-blockers and sucralfate are the only agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration for maintenance therapy of duodenal ulcer disease. Experience with omeprazole is still limited, and its longterm safety profile must await the completion of controlled trials of maintenance therapy. Given the apparent long-term safety of the H2-blockers for maintenance therapy, any new agent must prove to be equally safe in the clinical arena, a task that may be indeed formidable.
Interaction of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase and phosphofructokinase-M

Neurons that express neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) are resistant to NO-induced neurotoxicity; however, the mechanism by which these neurons are protected is not clear. To identify proteins possibly involved in this process, we performed affinity chromatography with the nNOS PDZ domain, a N-terminal motif that mediates protein interactions. Using this method to fractionate soluble tissue extracts, we identified the muscle isoform of phosphofructokinase (PFK-M) as a protein that binds to nNOS both in brain and skeletal muscle. PFK-M interacts with the PDZ domain of nNOS, and nNOS-PFK-M binding can be competed by peptides that bind to the PDZ domain of nNOS. We found that nNOS is significantly associated with PFK-M in skeletal muscle because nNOS can be immunodepleted from cytosolic skeletal muscle extracts using an antibody directed against PFK-M. In brain, nNOS and PFK-M are both enriched in synaptosomes, and specifically, in the synaptic vesicle fraction, where they can interact. At the cellular level, PFK-M is enriched in neurons that express nNOS protein. As fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, the product of PFK activity, is neuroprotective, the interaction of nNOS and PFK may contribute to neuroprotection of nNOS positive cells.
Joint and marginal specification tests for conditional mean and variance models

This article proposes a class of joint and marginal spectral diagnostic tests for parametric conditional means and variances of linear and nonlinear time series models. The use of joint and marginal tests is motivated from the fact that marginal tests for the conditional variance may lead to misleading conclusions when the conditional mean is misspecified. The new tests are based on a generalized spectral approach and do not need to choose a lag order depending on the sample size or to smooth the data. Moreover, the proposed tests are robust to higher order dependence of unknown form, in particular to conditional skewness and kurtosis. It turns out that the asymptotic null distributions of the new tests depend on the data generating process. Hence, we implement the tests with the assistance of a wild bootstrap procedure. A simulation study compares the finite sample performance of the proposed and competing tests, and shows that our tests can play a valuable role in time series modeling. Finally, an application to the S&P 500 highlights the merits of our approach.
Enzymatic synthesis of UDP-(3-deoxy-3-fluoro)-D-galactose and UDP-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro)-D-galactose and substrate activity with UDP-galactopyranose mutase.

The novel UDP-sugar uridine 5%-(3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-galactopyranosyl diphosphate) (1) and UDP-(2-deoxy-2fluoro)-D-galactose (2) have been prepared enzymatically and tested as substrate analogues for the enzyme UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UDP-Galp mutase EC 5.4.99.9). Turnover of both 1 and 2 by UDP-Galp mutase was observed by HPLC and 19 F NMR. The HPLC elution profile and 19 F chemical shift of the products are consistent with the formation of the predicted furanose forms of 1 and 2. The Km values for compounds 1 and 2 were similar to those of the natural substrate UDP-Galp (0.26 mM for 1, 0.2 mM for 2, and 0.6 mM for UDP-Galp), but the values for kcat were substantially different (1.6:min for 1, 0.02:min for 2, and 1364:min for UDP-Galp). A correlation was also observed between the equilibrium yield of product formed during turnover of UDP-sugar by UDP-Galp mutase (UDP-Galp, compound 1 or compound 2), and the amount of furanose present for the free sugar at thermal equilibrium in aqueous solution, using 1 H and 19 F NMR spectroscopy. The implications of these results to the mechanism of the unusual enzymatic reaction are discussed. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
‘People here speak five languages!’: The reindexicalization of minority language practice among Carinthian Slovenes in Vienna, Austria

This article investigates the transformation of minority language practice in the light of changing European language ideologies. Following a group of young Carinthian Slovenes from their rural hometowns to the capital of Vienna, this article analyzes their metadiscursive commentary about place and language in order to show how local language ideologies structure the indexical orders under which these individuals learn to assign meaning to linguistic practice. The data I present illustrates that these young members of a rurally stigmatized linguistic minority experience a transformation of their language-associated personhood in Vienna. There, their bilingualism allows them to be cosmopolitan participants in a European vision of mobile multilingual citizenship, while simultaneously troubling the language hierarchies erased by European language ideologies. (Linguistic minority, language ideology, indexical order, chronotopes, multilingualism, Carinthian Slovenes, Austria, Europe)
How central is dopamine to pathological gambling or gambling disorder

Pathological gambling [PG—now termed “gambling disorder” in DSM-5 (APA, 2013; Petry et al., 2013)] is characterized by maladaptive patterns of gambling that are associated with significant impairments in functioning. Over the past decade, significant advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of PG (Potenza, 2013). Similarities between PG and substance-use disorders (Petry, 2006; Potenza, 2006; Leeman and Potenza, 2012) prompted the reclassification of PG in DSM-5 as an addictive disorder (rather than an impulse-control disorder, as was the case in DSM-IV).
A Systematic Review of Transesophageal Echocardiography‐Induced Esophageal Perforation

A systematic review of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-induced esophageal perforation was done using the MEDLINE (PubMed and OVID interfaces), Google Scholar and EMBASE databases. Thirty-five cases of esophageal perforation from 22 studies were analyzed. TEE-induced esophageal perforation occurs in elderly female patients, predominantly in an intra-operative setting. Thoracic esophagus is the most commonly involved segment, especially, when TEE is performed intra-operatively. Majority of the esophageal perforations occur in cases with a perceived low risk or smooth TEE exam and thus, screening for high risk factors may not eliminate the occurrence of a perforation. A delayed detection of perforation occurs when it is a thoracic esophageal perforation, performed intra-operatively and when there are no known preoperative risk factors. Shock during the detection of the perforation is associated with mortality. Majority of the perforations can be repaired primarily.
Effective Viscosity of Suspensions of Spheres

Modeling the effective viscosity of suspensions of spheres beyond the dilute limit is a difficult problem that has challenged researchers for nearly a century since Einstein derived an equation for dilute suspensions. Hydrodynamics modeling requires complex mathematical treatments of integral equations describing interactions between spheres, and its solutions have been limited to semidilute dispersion of monosized hard spheres. Mechanics modeling treats suspensions in a statistical sense and generally provides upper and lower bounds solutions for polydispersed suspensions. A closed-form solution for the effective viscosity of concentrated suspensions of monosized spheres using both the elastic-viscous analogy and the analogy between the effective dielectric constant of a polarizable medium and the effective viscosity of two-phase flow is derived in the present study. Existing measurements and numerical simulations support present analytical results. A closed-form solution for polydispersed suspensions using a differential model is also derived, and the results are within existing bounds solutions.
The Game Theory of International Politics

Game theory is elaborated as a theoretical approach to international politics by contrasting it with metaphorical and analogical uses of games. Because it embraces a diversity of models, game theory is especially useful for capturing the most important contextual features of the international system that affect prospects for international cooperation. Through a discussion of the relation among and extension of different game models, the versatility and scope of game-theoretic approaches to international relations are demonstrated. Special attention is paid to the empirical issues of international politics which are raised by game theory and are analyzed in other articles in this symposium.
The role of surgery in the management of oesophageal cancer

In the absence of medical contraindications to surgery, resection is the mainstay of treatment for localised oesophageal cancer. Advancements in preoperative staging and imaging, anaesthesia delivery, surgical technique, and postoperative care, now enable the surgeon to safely operate on patients with oesophageal tumours and to tailor the procedure on the basis of performance status, tumour location, and extent of disease. During the past 10 years, several "minimally invasive" techniques, which aim to limit the extent of resection, have been introduced; these procedures are currently being investigated for use in both staging and treatment of oesophageal malignant diseases. Despite these accomplishments however, overall 5-year survival remains disappointing: less than 25% of patients live for 5 years after oesophagectomy. For patients with locally or regionally advanced disease (stage IIa, IIb, III, and IVa), combining several treatment approaches, either with or without surgery, can result in good objective responses and, in some patients, durable survival. The role of surgery in such combined modality approaches is still evolving and some investigators have challenged its worth. To provide a definitive review of the issues involved, we outline the types of surgery used to treat cancer of the oesophagus and summarise the available data about their effectiveness. Clinical outcomes, the value of preoperative chemoradiotherapy, and the use of surgery are all considered.
Inhibition of sphingosine kinase prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced preterm birth and suppresses proinflammatory responses in a murine model.

Premature delivery occurs in 12% of all births, and accounts for nearly half of long-term neurological morbidity, and 60% to 80% of perinatal mortality. Despite advances in obstetrics and neonatology, the rate of premature delivery has increased approximately 12% since 1990. The single most common cause of spontaneous preterm birth is infection. Several lines of evidence have demonstrated the role of endothelin-1 as both a constrictor of uterine myometrial smooth muscle and a proinflammatory mediator. Endothelin-1 activates the phospholipase C pathway, leading to activation of protein kinase C and, in turn, sphingosine kinase (SphK). The inhibition of SphK has been recently shown to control the proinflammatory response associated with sepsis. We show herein, for the first time, that SphK inhibition prevents inflammation-associated preterm birth in a murine model. Rescue of pups from premature abortion with an SphK inhibitor occurs by suppression of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, Il-1β, and Il-6 and attenuation of polymorphonuclear inflammatory cells into the placental labyrinth. Moreover, we postulate that inhibition of SphK leads to suppression of endothelin-converting enzyme-1 expression, indicating the presence of an endothelin-converting enzyme 1/endothelin 1–SphK positive feedback loop. This work introduces a novel approach for the control of infection-triggered preterm labor, a condition for which there is no effective treatment.