cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
First record of Anomoeodus (Osteichthyes: Pycnodontiformes) from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of western Kansas

We describe the first occurrence of the Late Cretaceous pycnodont fish referred to Anomoeodus cf. A. barberi Hussakof, from the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Chalk in western Logan County, Kansas. The specimen is an incomplete right prearticular tooth plate that was surface collected from the upper Smoky Hill Chalk (lower Campanian), and represents the second and the youngest occurrence of Anomoeodus from Kansas. The addition of this taxon to the fauna of the Smoky Hill Chalk increases the total number of pycnodont taxa to four, bony fish taxa to 56, and total fish taxa to 72.
A demonstration of MNTG - A web-based road network traffic generator

This demo presents Minnesota Traffic Generator (MNTG); an extensible web-based road network traffic generator. MNTG enables its users to generate traffic data at any arbitrary road networks with different traffic generators. Unlike existing traffic generators that require a lot of time/effort to install, configure, and run, MNTG is a web service with a user-friendly interface where users can specify an arbitrary spatial region, select a traffic generator, and submit their traffic generation request. Once the traffic data is generated by MNTG, users can then download and/or visualize the generated data. MNTG can be extended to support: (1) various traffic generators. It is already shipped with the two most common traffic generators, Brinkhoff and BerlinMOD, but other generators can be easily added. (2) various road network sources. It is shipped with U.S. Tiger files and OpenStreetMap, but other sources can be also added. A beta version of MNTG is launched at: http://mntg.cs.umn.edu.
Using salivary glands as a tissue target for gene therapeutics

Gene transfer offers a potential way to correct local and systemic protein deficiency disorders by using genes as drugs, so called gene therapeutics. Salivary glands present an interesting target site for gene therapeutic applications. Herein, we review proofs of concept achieved for salivary glands with in vivo animal models. In that context we discuss problems (general and salivary tissue-specific) that limit immediate clinical use for this application of gene transfer. Ongoing efforts, however, suggest that salivary glands may be suitable as gene therapeutic target sites for drug delivery in the near future.
One-dimensional ZnO nanostructures: Solution growth and functional properties

One-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures have been studied intensively and extensively over the last decade not only for their remarkable chemical and physical properties, but also for their current and future diverse technological applications. This article gives a comprehensive overview of the progress that has been made within the context of 1D ZnO nanostructures synthesized via wet chemical methods. We will cover the synthetic methodologies and corresponding growth mechanisms, different structures, doping and alloying, position-controlled growth on substrates, and finally, their functional properties as catalysts, hydrophobic surfaces, sensors, and in nanoelectronic, optical, optoelectronic, and energy harvesting devices.
The relative selectivity of anticholinergic drugs for the M1 and M2 muscarinic receptor subtypes

Anticholinergic drugs are used to treat a number of neurologic disorders, including parkinsonism, vestibular disturbances, and dystonia. Traditionally, these drugs have been thought to act in similar fashion, as competitive antagonists at a single class of muscarinic receptors, and not to differ significantly in their therapeutic efficacy. Recently, however, pharmacologic studies have shown that the novel antagonist pirenzepine is capable of recognizing heterogeneity among muscarinic receptors; high-affinity pirenzepine sites have been classified as M1 sites and low-affinity sites as M2. This study examined whether the anticholinergics currently available for treatment of neurologic symptoms have selectivity for these subtypes and whether they differ in their degree of selectivity; the study showed that these drugs do demonstrate selectivity. All had greater affinity for the M1 site, indicated by higher affinity for rat forebrain membranes, where M1 predominates, than hindbrain preparations, where M2 predominates. The degree of selectivity varied greatly; some compounds, such as ethopropazine, had little M1 selectivity, whereas others, such as scopolamine, trihexyphenidyl, and biperiden, were quite selective, like pirenzepine. It is unknown whether these differences in selectivity have any immediate therapeutic implications. However, these results support the emerging concept of muscarinic receptor subtypes and the prospect of developing more selective agents, with enhanced therapeutic efficacy.
Iterative atmospheric correction scheme and the polarization color of alpine snow

Characterization of the Earth's surface is crucial to remote sensing, both to map geomorphological features and because subtracting this signal is essential during retrievals of the atmospheric constituents located between the surface and the sensor. Current operational algorithms model the surface total reflectance through a weighted linear combination of a few geometry-dependent kernels, each devised to describe a particular scattering mechanism. The information content of these measurements is overwhelmed by that of instruments with polarization capabilities: proposed models in this case are based on the Fresnel reflectance of an isotropic distribution of facets. Because of its remarkable lack of spectral contrast, the polarized reflectance of land surfaces in the shortwave infrared spectral region, where atmospheric scattering is minimal, can be used to model the surface also at shorter wavelengths, where aerosol retrievals are attempted based on well-established scattering theories. In radiative transfer simulations, straightforward separation of the surface and atmospheric contributions is not possible without approximations because of the coupling introduced by multiple reflections. Within a general inversion framework, the problem can be eliminated by linearizing the radiative transfer calculation, and making the Jacobian (i.e., the derivative expressing the sensitivity of the reflectance with respect to model parameters) available at output. We present a general methodology based on a Gauss-Newton iterative search, which automates this procedure and eliminates de facto the need of an ad hoc atmospheric correction. In this case study we analyze the color variations in the polarized reflectance measured by the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies Research Scanning Polarimeter during a survey of late-season snowfields in the High Sierra. This insofar unique dataset presents challenges linked to the rugged topography associated with the alpine environment and a likely high water content due to melting. The analysis benefits from ancillary information provided by the NASA Langley High Spectral Resolution Lidar deployed on the same aircraft. The results obtained from the iterative scheme are contrasted against the surface polarized reflectance obtained ignoring multiple reflections, via the simplistic subtraction of the atmospheric scattering contribution. Finally, the retrieved reflectance is modeled after the scattering properties of a dense collection of ice crystals at the surface. Confirming that the polarized reflectance of snow is spectrally flat would allow to extend the techniques already in use for polarimetric retrievals of aerosol properties over land to the large portion of snow-covered pixels plaguing orbital and suborbital observations.
Organization of the projection from the superficial to the deep layers of the hamster's superior colliculus as demonstrated by the anterograde transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin

Anterograde tracing with Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) was employed to describe the projection from the superficial to the deep layers of the hamster's superior colliculus (SC). Deposits of PHA-L in the stratum griseum superficiale (SGS) resulted in labelled terminal swellings in the stratum opticum and all of the deep laminae (the stratum griseum intermediate [SGI], stratum albumin intermedium [SAI], stratum griseum profundum [SGP], and stratum albumin profundum [SAP]). Labelled terminals were also visible in the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Reconstructions of individual axons showed that many collateral in the deep laminae arose from axons that projected to targets outside the colliculus. The projection from the superficial to the deep laminae had a loose topographic organization, and the trajectories of interlaminar axons were generally deflected laterally from "projection" lines that were orthogonal to the SC surface. Physiological recording and receptive field mapping were used to determine actual projection lines, which connect neurons in the superficial and deep layers that have receptive fields with the same elevation. These projection lines closely matched the trajectory of the pathway from the superficial to the deep laminae.
A new method for fabricating high performance polymeric thin films by chemical vapor polymerization

A vacuum deposition method is presented in which copolymer films are grown from a vinylic monomer chosen for desirable properties and paraxylylene. The concentration of paraxylylene in the final copolymer can be negligibly small if proper deposition conditions, presented here for the first time, are employed. Films of paraxylylene with N-phenyl maleimide deposited at 40 °C, for example, showed thermal stability and FTIR spectra nearly identical with homopolymers of poly(N-phenyl maleimide). Different rate-limiting steps are proposed to explain film composition; paraxylylene is under surface reaction control, while the comonomer obeys mass flow control. This results in a deposition environment extremely rich in comonomer. Growth rates and compositions were consistent with predictions. The initiation reaction did not appear different from homopolymerization of paraxylylene. The general method presented here allows fabrication of vapor-deposited thin films with properties limited primarily by the comonomer employed.
Visiting user services personnel

The advantages and disadvantages of professional development opportunities, such as sabbaticals and leaves of absence for university computer center personnel, have been evaluated by others. This paper reports on experiences at the Stanford Center for Information Processing (SCIP) where professionals have been hired for one year as visiting staff members in User Services while on leave from permanent positions at other university computer centers.
Formation of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline and methylene-β-phenylethylimine in the developing rat heart

Abstract The formation of tetrahydro-β-carboline and methylene-β-phenylethylimine has been identified by TLC, in the rat heart tissue from labelled 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in the presence of trytamine or β-phenylethylamine. These compounds were produced when formaldehyde, enzymatically formed from 5-MTHF, condensed with the amines. The enzyme involved in both reactions was again methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, as in the brain. No N-methylated product was detected with either amine. The reactions were linear with protein concentrations up to 0.9 mg and with incubation time for 40 min. The optimal pH range for both reactions was between 5.5 and 6.5. In the developing rat heart, the formation of THβC was greatest at 3 days (450 pmol/mg protein/h). It dropped to 290 pmol/mg protein/h at 8 days, peaked again at 15 days, and declined to a constant level (230 pmol/mg protein/h), thereafter. The formation of MβφEI was also greatest at 3 days (510 pmol/mg protein/h) and dropped to 280 pmol/mg protein/h between 8 and 15 days, peaking again at 22 days (later than THβC formation did) to 450 pmol/mg protein/h, dropping back to the 15-day level at 44 days, and showing a rising trend by 53 days. No significant difference between males and females was observed. The in vivo formation of these compounds may be feasible since both tryptamine and βφEA are present in the heart tissue. These reactions may be relevant in the physiological regulation of the cardiovascular system.
Magma traps and driving pressure: consequences for pluton shape and emplacement in an extensional regime

Abstract The level of emplacement and final form of felsic and mafic igneous rocks of the Wichita Mountains Igneous Province, southwestern Oklahoma, U.S.A. are discussed in light of magma driving pressure, lithostatic load, and crustal magma traps. Deposition of voluminous A-type rhyolites upon an eroded gabbroic substrate formed a subhorizontal strength anisotropy that acted as a crustal magma trap for subsequent rising felsic and mafic magma. Intruded along this crustal magma trap are the A-type sheet granites (length/thickness 100:1) of the Wichita Granite Group, of which the Mount Scott Granite sheet is typical, and smaller plutons of biotite bearing Roosevelt Gabbro. In marked contrast to the subhorizontal granite sheets, the gabbro plutons form more equant stocks with flat roofs and steep side walls. Late Diabase dikes cross-cut all other units, but accompanying basaltic flows are extremely rare in the volcanic pile. Based on magmastatic calculations, we draw the following conclusions concerning the level of emplacement and the shape of these intrusions. (1) Magma can rise to a depth at which the magma driving pressure becomes negligible. Magma that maintains a positive driving pressure at the surface has the potential to erupt. (2) Magma ascent may be arrested at a deeper level in the crust by a subhorizontal strength anisotropy (i.e. crustal magma trap) if the magma driving pressure is greater than or equal to the lithostatic load at the depth of the subhorizontal strength anisotropy. (3) Subhorizontal sheet-intrusions form along crustal magma traps when the magma driving pressure greatly exceeds the lithostatic load. Under such conditions, the magma driving pressure is sufficent to lift the overburden to create the necessary space for the intrusion. (4) Thicker steep-sided stocks or batholiths, with flat roofs, form at crustal magma traps when the magma driving pressure approximates that of the lithostatic load. Under these conditions, the necessary space for the intrusion must be created by other mechanisms (e.g. stoping). (5) Subvertical sheets (i.e. dikes) form when the magma driving pressure is less than the lithostatic load at the level of emplacement.
Röntgen retrospective. One hundred years of a revolutionary technology.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS ago, on November 8, 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen made a startling discovery in his laboratory in Wurzburg, Germany. The physics professor was experimenting with the action of electric energy in partially evacuated glass tubes—a popular scientific activity in the last quarter of the 19th century. Meticulously laboring in a darkened laboratory with the electrically charged tube, he noticed a glow from the far corner of the room. This observation led to a series of experiments, and while passing his hand between a fluorescing screen and the tube, he was astonished to see what appeared to be the shadows of his bones. It is impossible to know exactly what Rontgen thought at that moment. Most of the great technological inventions have been foreseen by "dreamers" who anticipated the discovery by prediction or fantasy. For example, people have always thought about flying—the airplane made these dreams reality. Physicians had
An analysis of DC circuit theory content in an engineering textbook: Presentation features, conceptual content, and use of analogies

Textbooks play an integral role in teaching and learning across disciplines and levels of undergraduate engineering education. In this paper we present an empirically derived framework for evaluating engineering textbooks, based on prior findings from the field of engineering education research. Our more specific focus is content related to DC resistive circuits. We begin with a review of prior literature on textbook analysis in engineering education and other fields, and then provide a detailed description of our analytic framework, which includes three different categories of analysis: presentation features, conceptual content, and use of analogies. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed framework, we apply it to the content of a first-year engineering textbook. Our analysis reveals significant gaps between the textbook's coverage of electric circuit theory and recent advances in engineering education research, which provide many insights about effective teaching and learning techniques based on a conceptual understanding approach. Our analysis is relevant for textbook authors, who can use the framework presented in this paper to guide textbook development and revision. Instructors can also benefit by using our criteria to evaluate and select textbooks, and incorporating supplemental materials to address common conceptual gaps.
Solution structure of a GAAA tetraloop receptor RNA.

The GAAA tetraloop receptor is an 11‐nucleotide RNA sequence that participates in the tertiary folding of a variety of large catalytic RNAs by providing a specific binding site for GAAA tetraloops. Here we report the solution structure of the isolated tetraloop receptor as solved by multidimensional, heteronuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The internal loop of the tetraloop receptor has three adenosines stacked in a cross‐strand or zipper‐like fashion. This arrangement produces a high degree of base stacking within the asymmetric internal loop without extrahelical bases or kinking the helix. Additional interactions within the internal loop include a U·U mismatch pair and a G·U wobble pair. A comparison with the crystal structure of the receptor RNA bound to its tetraloop shows that a conformational change has to occur upon tetraloop binding, which is in good agreement with previous biochemical data. A model for an alternative binding site within the receptor is proposed based on the NMR structure, phylogenetic data and previous crystallographic structures of tetraloop interactions.
Endoscopic management of nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding

Endoscopic management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding has been expanded from a purely diagnostic role to a therapeutic role in many patients. In addition to controlling active bleeding, it is an option in a patient who is clinically at a high risk of rebleeding, or in patients who have peptic ulcers with visible vessels or stigmata indicating high risk. Several methods have been studied, and currently the most useful include thermal cautery with the heater probe or bipolar electrocoagulation, and injection using epinephrine and/or sclerosants. Endoscopic hemostasis can effect permanent control of bleeding in many patients, but should be considered complementary to conventional surgical control in other patients, where temporary control to stabilize the patient is a desired end.
Effect of concanavalin A on black widow spider venom activity at the neuromuscular junction: Implications for mechanisms of venom action

Abstract Concanavalin A (Con A) inhibits black widow spider venom-induced transmitter release at both tissue-cultured and adult neuromuscular junctions and also inhibits the venom-induced destruction of cultured neurites. This inhibitory action is partially or completely prevented by prior treatment with colchicine. Neither colchicine nor Con A interacts significantly with depolarization-induced transmitter release. These results are analogous to those obtained from experiments on lymphocyte surface receptor capping. They suggest that redistribution of neuronal membrane components may be a crucial step in spider venom action. This membrane redistribution appears to be modulated in neurons, as in other cell types, by a microtubule-microfilament array. How such a redistribution causes increased transmitter release cannot as yet be specified. Changes in the ionic permeability of sodium and potassium were examined as likely mechanisms. Increased sodium influx (and secondary release of calcium from intracellular stores) cannot be the basis for spider venom action. Increased potassium efflux remains a possibility, but is not consistent with all of the data. Other possible mechanisms are also suggested.
Environmental impact assessment in Polish law: The concept, development, and perspectives

Abstract The study attempts to assist the US reader in understanding the problems law drafters face in redesigning Poland's environmental impact assessment (EIA) law and in trying to increase the role of the public in development control. The article presents a brief outline of the land use planning system and illustrates the relationship of EIA requirements to this system. Against this background, it describes in detail the current design of the EIA law and expalins the legal framework of public participation in development control. Perspectives of and suggestions for future development of the EIA law in Poland are offered at the conclusion of the study.
Historic Corbin Park: Preservation Success Story or Study in Challenges?

Platted in 1899, the Corbin Park neighborhood in Spokane, Washington, is the only historic district in the city that is listed on all three historic registers: the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington State list of historic properties, and the Spokane Register of Historic Places. A diminutive enclave of eighty-three homes that surround a small, oval-shaped city park, the district offers a case study of several issues surrounding district designation: in the past, its residents have used preservation as an instrument of exclusion, they have accommodated change as the "patina of place" has modified the district9s character, and for several decades, the neighborhood has navigated conflict between preservation advocates and park officials—a paradox created by opposing city policies.
The pap Operon of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain O1:K1 Is Located on a Novel Pathogenicity Island

We have identified a 56-kb pathogenicity island (PAI) in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strain O1:K1 (APEC-O1). This PAI, termed PAI IAPEC-O1, is integrated adjacent to the 3′ end of the pheV tRNA gene. It carries putative virulence genes of APEC (pap operon), other E. coli genes (tia and ireA), and a 1.5-kb region unique to APEC-O1. The kps gene cluster required for the biosynthesis of polysialic acid capsule was mapped to a location immediately downstream of this PAI.
Optimization of liquid electrostatic coating

Abstract Soybean oil with emulsifiers was atomized by electrohydrodynamic spraying. The relationships between voltage (20–40 kV), flow rate (28–88 g/s), emulsifier content (10–15%), apparent viscosity (45–53 mPa-s), conductivity (0.1–0.2 μS/m) and surface tension (43.1–46.0 mN/m) and both coating reproducibility and efficiency were mapped utilizing Response Surface Methodology. Voltage had the most significant effect on reproducibility, followed closely by conductivity, and then flow rate. Viscosity had the least significant effect on coating reproducibility and was only significant through interaction with other factors. Surface tension was not a significant effect. Reproducibility was increased by increasing charge concentration, which decreased droplet size. This was achieved at intermediate voltage, low conductivity, high viscosity and low flow rate. Flow rate had the most significant effect on efficiency followed by voltage and emulsifier content. Efficiency increased at low flow rate and voltage. Optimum conditions produce an optimum charge concentration, resulting in the most reproducible and efficient coating.
The ultrastructural differentiation of the endoplasmic reticulum in choroidal epithelial cells of the chick embryo

Abstract During the development of the choroidal epithelium in the chick embryo, a substantial concentration of granular endoplasmic reticulum differentiates in the subnuclear cytoplasm of the epithelial cells. The formation of the membranous components of this organelle is preceded by the appearance of a dense, localized population of small, free polyribosomes. Subsequently, numerous membrane-bound vesicles appear in the perinuclear cytoplasm. These primordial ER vesicles measure from 0.1 μ to 0.5 μ or more and they originate from evaginations of the outer nuclear membrane. These vesicles commonly occur in successive rows situated around the margin of the nucleus, and they expand and/or interconnect to form incipient ER tubules. Most vesicles and early tubules are smooth to nearly smooth in appearance. With continued development nuclear evaginations cease, and ER tubules expand in Situ to form an elaborate, laminated system of 7–12 ‘bag-like’ cisternae. Throughout this period of expansive growth, small polyribosomes attach to the developing ER cisternae. As the ER cisternae progressively attain their granular appearance, the number of small, free polyribosomes diminishes. During later stages of development larger polyribosomes appear in association with the subnuclear concentration of ER, and the first accumulations of electron-dense material develop within cisternal spaces.
Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid Flow With Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Material: Experimental Study

This experimental study investigates the heat transfer characteristics of a liquid flow with micro-encapsulated phase change material (MEPCM). The MEPCM mass concentration is varied between 0 and 20 percent with average particle diameter of 10 μm. Tube wall temperature profile, fluid inlet and outlet temperatures are measured and the corresponding heat transfer coefficient is determined for various operating conditions. A wide range of the controlling parameters, MEPCM concentration, heat flux, inlet temperature, and flow rate are covered. The results showed significant enhancements in heat transfer coefficient (higher than 50%) and reduction in tube wall temperature (higher than 40%). The results also showed that the heat transfer enhancement curve showed resemblance to the MEPCM specific heat curve.
Evaluation of the Texas Birth Defects Registry: an active surveillance system.

BACKGROUND: Evaluations of surveillance systems are necessary to determine if the goals of the system are being met, how efficiently the surveillance is being implemented, and if resources are being used appropriately. An evaluation of the Texas Birth Defects Registry was conducted to assess the overall quality of data collection and to examine variations across regions of the state. METHODS: The registry was evaluated by using published guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems; the evaluation included staff interviews, process observation, and secondary data analysis. RESULTS: The registry monitors >370,000 births/year through active surveillance, with considerable disparities in workload across regions of the state. Because of the geographic size and substantial population of Texas, data collection is complex. However, the estimated sensitivity of the system appears sufficient, and rates for selected defects are highly comparable with other U.S. active birth-defect surveillance systems. Registry staff continually monitor the quality of data collection and provide additional training. Amid unstable funding, the registry staff have demonstrated optimal foresight and flexibility to adapt and continue quality data collection. Timeliness needs to be improved and more consistent quality assurance is needed across regions of the state. Retaining staff and increasing visibility are essential to providing more stability. CONCLUSIONS: Active surveillance for birth defects is labor-intensive but provides invaluable data for its stakeholders. The Texas Birth Defects Registry has proven to be a quality surveillance system and a beneficial resource for Texas. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 76:787–792, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
‘Need-to-Know’ emergency medicine articles of 2014

Every year, thousands of articles are published in numerous medical journals that relate to the clinical practice of medicine. However, it is impossible for a single clinician to stay abreast of the literature, let alone to determine which articles should change daily practice. Physicians in our department have searched the emergency medicine and the specialty literature of 2014 to determine which articles are most relevant to the clinical practice of emergency medicine, summarized them, and listed key take-home points from these ‘need-to-know’ articles.
Peptide Stability in Drug Development: A Comparison of Peptide Reactivity in Different Biological Media

Degradation kinetics for several peptides that bind to the major histocompatability complex on antigen-presenting cells were determined in both human serum (HS; 25%) and synovial fluid (SF; 25%) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis to test whether therapeutic intervention of rheumatoid arthritis by direct intrasynovial injection is feasible (at least in terms of peptide stability). Controls consisted of enzymatically immature 10% fetal calf serum and peptidase-rich 5% liver homogenate (all diluted with RPMI-1040 tissue culture medium). Peptide half-lives ranged from ∼4 to >10 000 min, with most peptides showing half-lives of ∼10–100 min. These studies show that, even though the populations of inflammatory and other cell types in SF and HS are different (and may, therefore, generate different peptidase profiles), the observed peptide stabilities in SF and HS are similar. This finding indicates that the effect of SF on peptide stability is similar to that of HS.
Reexamining Recovery Paradox Effects and Impact Ranges of Service Failure and Recovery

Companies'recovery efforts following service failure are known to be a critical determinant of customer satisfaction and future purchase-related decisions. Using a large corporate database in the meetings and conventions industry, this study re-examined basic assumptions imposed on the effects of service failure and recovery on customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions. Results indicate, in general, that the impacts of service failure and recovery were less critical than traditionally emphasized and that some methodological artifacts could have inflated interpretation of the impacts in previous studies. Such problems are discussed and illustrated in this study. Using a hierarchical regression modeling technique, this study also attempted to determine the boundaries of service failure and recovery impacts under realistic scenarios.
A STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY FOR PREDICTING THE POLLUTANTS IN A RIVER

. Urban and industrial areas continue to expand and consequently, to create serious water pollution problems to natural streams. The need for the development of accurate, reliable, and sensitive water quality prediction models is most desirable. The first objective of this research is to set guidelines for dividing a natural stream into more or less independent reaches based on some criteria. The second objective is to obtain the predicting equations of the water pollutants in a selected stream. The preliminary phase of this research evaluated water quality data sampled from the Pearl River which flows southwest and then turns south through the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. This evaluation served as guidelines to divide the total river basin into reaches (subsystems) appropriate to the objective of this research. Subsequent to this subsystem assignment, a stepwise multiple regression FORTRAN program was used to regress the pollutants (dependent variables) for both time and space on their water characteristics (independent variables). Based on the results obtained, the proposed statistical approach provides a practical tool for developing regression equations for the purpose of water pollutants' prediction.
Indications of recent changes in status in the British Isles of the frog (Rana temporaraia) and the toad (Bufo bufo)

Two surveys are described which were designed to provide information on changes in status in the British Isles of the frog (Rana temporaria L.) and the toad (Bufo bufo L.). Questionnaires were distributed asking for information and conclusions are based on replies referring to 1079 localities and 314 individual breeding sites. Replies indicated that the frog decreased slightly over most of the British Isles during the 1940s and 1950s, and suffered considerable declines over most of England throughout the 1960s. Moderate declines occurred in Scotland and Northern Ireland during the last half of the decade. Declines for the toad probably followed a similar pattern. The garden pond was the only habitat in which either species increased. Both the frog and the toad decreased markedly in breeding sites on agricultural land in the early 1960s, but during the late 1960s declines were less severe. The main reason for the declines has probably been loss of suitable wetland habitat due to sites being filled in, drained or physically modified in some way. Insecticides are only likely to have been harmful in sites where unusually high pollutant concentrations occurred. Other possible contributory factors are discussed and of these road mortality is perhaps the most important. Recent declines for the frog were significantly related to human population density.
Accessibility of 5 S RNA in 50 S ribosomal subunits

Abstract Only two sites in 5 S RNA react with Kethoxal in 50 S ribosomal subunits. These two sites, G 13 and G 41 , have previously been found to be accessible in free 5 S RNA. Nucleotide sequences which have been suggested as possible binding sites for the T-ψ-C-G loop of tRNA are not accessible.
Temperature Sensing of Joule Heating Inside an Optical Whispering-Gallery Mode Micro-Annulus

It has been previously demonstrated that the optical whispering-gallery modes inside a micro-sphere resonators can be used for extremely sensitive temperature sensing. This work attempts to utilize the high-resolution measurements of an optical micro-annulus in order to detect the temperature change in a current carrying wire. A wire is coated with a thin layer of dielectric material as an annular sensor and positioned next to an optical taper. Current is then run through the wire to create joule heating and the temperature change is correlated with the frequency shift in the whispering-gallery mode resonance inside the micro-annulus. The experimental results will be analyzed and presented.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Drug-eluting stents: from bench to bed

The introduction of stents to clinical practice in 1987 was the major breakthrough in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The use of stenting has drastically improved the outcomes of traditional PCI. First stents were approved for bailout and treatment of dissections, reducing dramatically the need for emergent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as a result of vessel closure during PCI. Later stents were proven to reduce the restenosis rate of PCI from 30%-40% with balloon angioplasty to 15%-20% with stents, primarily by eliminating elastic recoil and vascular remodeling as shown by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies. These outcomes have led to a wide acceptance of stenting as the strategy of choice for more than 80% of all PCI procedures performed. The current review focuses on the following topics: (1) strategies in drug selection to reduce neointimal proliferation, (2) stent designs and polymer selection as a platform for drug-eluting stents, (3) review of major preclinical and clinical experimental work performed in the field, and (4) a discussion of the potential and limitations of the technology.
THE ANTICOAGULANT AND ANTILYMPHOMA PROPERTIES OF ARSENIC AZOPROTEINS : II. COMBINATION OF ARSENIC AZOPROTEINS WITH FIBRINOGEN AND POLYMERIZING FIBRIN IN VITRO: ALTERATIONS IN MITOSIS OF LYMPHOMA 6C3HED CELLS INDUCED IN VIVO WITH ARSENIC AZOPROTEINS: DISCUSSION OF MEANS WHEREBY ARSENIC AZOPROTEINS MAY ACT UPON LYMPHOMA 6C3HED CELLS IN VIVO.

Experiments here given show that 4-arsonophenylazoproteins form complexes with fibrinogen which are resistant to the enzymic action of thrombin, coagulation being thus inhibited; also that arsenic azoproteins combine strongly with polymerizing fibrin, the reaction leading uniquely to acceleration of the process. Ordinary arsenicals have little or no effect on the proliferation of Lymphoma 6C3HED cells in vivo. 4-Arsonophenylazoproteins, by contrast, are strongly inhibitory, and they arrest the process of mitosis in metaphase, as does colchicine. Considered together with the observations of the preceding paper, the findings suggest that 4-arsonophenylazoproteins may exert their anticoagulant and antilymphoma effects by similar or related means: in the former instance, by combining in vitro with fibrinogen and polymerizing fibrin, thus altering the clotting process as mentioned above; and in the latter instance by combining, perhaps in a similar way, with polymerizing proteins in the mitotic spindle of proliferating Lymphoma 6C3HED cells, thus arresting mitosis. Further implications of the findings are discussed.
Rashi’s Glosses Belaaz: Navigating Hebrew Scripture under Feudal Lanterns

Amid sporadic anti-Jewish violence whipped by a crusading frenzy, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki (“Rashi”) composed a commentary on the Hebrew Bible that was destined to become a vast navigational aid for God’s scriptural plan. Many of Rashi’s glosses invited medieval Jews on a spiritual pilgrimage that would dispel their sense of subjugation to temporal Christian powers. From the advent of Christianity, Jewish communities increasingly steered a course between Jewish autonomy and welfare, on one hand, and accommodation of Christian and feudal strictures, on the other. Wondering whether the cataclysmic destruction of the Second Temple in 70 c.e. signaled God’s abandonment of his people, medieval Jews’ scriptural interpretations intensified the themes of survival and internal social cohesion. To guide medieval Jewry through a middle ground between a characteristically triumphant scriptural landscape and the dispiriting Christian counterpart, Rashi frequently incorporated into his glosses French terms he transliterated into Hebrew characters. This incorporation of French was both purposeful and well-informed. As a minority community in Rashi’s Troyes, Jews lived two distinct experiences: in one, they spoke vernacular French with Christian neighbors, while, in the other, they prayed and studied the Pentateuch and Prophets in Hebrew. In this setting, the laazim communicated to Jewish readers in a specialized language akin to a password or a special handshake. Yet the glosses, because they were enveloped in Hebrew commentaries and disguised in Hebrew letters, would have eluded French-speaking Christians who could not have identified fragments of their own language hiding in plain sight.
Effect of two Gulf Stream warm-core rings on distribution patterns of the diatom genus Nitzschia

Abstract Two Gulf Stream warm-core rings (WCR) of different ages, 81-D and 82-H, were studied in early autumn of sequential years for the composition and distribution of the pennate diatom genus Nitzschia. The results indicate that species of this genus were dynamic and abundant elements of the diatom flora of the two WCR's, ranging from 33 to 82% of all diatoms in net samples and from 22 to 49% of all diatoms in cell numbers integrated throughout the water column from discrete water bottle samples. A new species, N. lodicula Kaczmarska, was present in both rings and is described. There were 29 species of Nitzschia in the net samples, with a mean of 16 and range of 8–22 in any one net haul. Two different types of assemblages characterized the two rings of different maturity. The first type was dominated by N. bicapitata Cleve and the second by N. bifurcata Kaczmarska & Licea. Nitzschia bifurcata was more abundant in the just-forming WCR 82-H, similar to the Gulf Stream sample collected the previous month before ring formation. N bicapitata was more abundant in the 3-month-old WCR 81-D, which may indicate influence of the water masses by coastal flora. Diverse assemblages, including representatives of the section Pseudonitzschia were found in the Sargasso Sea and in the Slope Water, but they differed markedly from each other. The assemblages of Nitzschia indicate that the Gulf Stream was probably a primary source of these WCR water masses. The changes in abundance in relation to other phytoplankton indicate that the genus is not opportunistic in taking advantage of overturns in the water column. Rather it survives well in stressful situations such as the High Velocity Region or during periods of ring overwash by Slope Wate, when other cell numbers are low. This study supports the concept of WCR as a flattening bowl or disc-shaped body that responds within hours to internal overturns and incorporation of Slope Water streamers.
Tolerance of locus coeruleus neurones to morphine and suppression of withdrawal response by clonidine.

NORADRENERGIC neurones of the locus coeruleus (LC; A6 of ref. 1) are inhibited by the systemic or local administration of adrenergic agonists2–5, opiates6,7 and enkephalins8,9. The adrenergic receptors of the LC, which are of the presynaptic or α2 type5, seem to mediate inhibitory responses to recurrent LC collaterals10 and adrenaline inputs from the lower brain stem4,11. In addition to adrenergic receptors, there are opiate receptors located in the LC12,13 which presumably mediate the actions of endogenous opiate-like substances (enkephalins and β-endorphin) located in nerve terminals within the LC14–16. Recently, clonidine, which is the most powerful of the α2 agonists known to inhibit the firing of LC neurones3,5, has been reported to suppress the symptoms of opiate withdrawal in humans17. On this basis, the latter authors suggested that the opiate-withdrawal syndrome may be due in part to increased noradrenergic neuronal activity in areas such as the LC which are regulated by both α2 adrenoceptors and opiate receptors. In this connection, it is interesting that the drug piperoxane, which blocks α2 adrenoceptors and accelerates the firing of LC neurones4,5 produces many of the symptoms (such as anxiety and hypertension) seen in opiate withdrawal18. In the present study, single-cell recording and microiontophoretic techniques were used to establish the development of tolerance of LC cells to the depressant effects of morphine, naloxone-induced withdrawal activations of LC neuronal firing in morphine-dependent animals, and the ability of clonidine to suppress the withdrawal of LC neurones through a non-opiate receptor.
Russet Norkotah: A new russet-skinned potato cultivar with wide adaptation

Russet Norkotah is a long, smooth, shallow-eyed, russet-skinned potato cultivar with wide adaptation. It has a smooth golden russet-skin and produces a high percent of medium sized U.S. No. 1 tubers that are good count-carton size.
UNDERSTANDING ZERO‐COUPON BONDS

Zero‐coupon bonds have attracted a great deal of investor interest and generated a great deal of investor confusion. This article will attempt to clear up the confusion, validate the investor interest, and provide enough information so that the reader can decide whether the investment is appropriate.
Biomarker Testing for Breast, Lung, and Gastroesophageal Cancers at NCI Designated Cancer Centers

Background Molecular biomarkers, a cornerstone of precision oncology, are critical in breast, gastroesophageal, and non–small cell lung cancer management (BC, GEC, NSCLC). Testing practices are intensely debated, impacting diagnostic quality and affecting pathologists, oncologists and patients. However, little is known about testing approaches used in practice. Our study described biomarker practices in BC, GEC, and NSCLC at the leading US cancer centers.
Mutagens: Some possible health impacts beyond carcinogenesis

Considerable attention is currently being given to the roles of environmental and endogenous mutagens in tumor induction and in tumor progression through the abilities of mutagens to induce one or another kind of somatic mutation. It is proposed here that mutagens, also through induction of somatic mutations, initiate a spectrum of additional, much more common, focal lesions that are important to the human condition. While individually they are of relative insignificance and thus neglected by many clinicians, the functional attributes of these focal lesions have important impacts on human physiology and thus contribute substantially to the process of aging. Additionally, one individual focus may progress to an extent that it produces clinically recognizable symptoms and may even jeopardize the carrier's life. The ultimate and developed expression of these lesions is heterogeneous, is far removed in time from initial induction, and relies on additional host and environmental factors for expression; therefore, the possible role of somatic mutation is readily overlooked. The focal lesions reviewed are fibrous atherosclerotic plaques, senile cataracts, and metaplasias. Literature that implicates metaplasias as precursor or as predisposing lesions in the ultimate formation of gallstones, duodenal ulcers, and adenocarcinomas is summarized.
Design of a graphical user interface for an intelligent multimedia information system for radiology research

With the increase in the volume and distribution of images and text available in PACS and medical electronic health-care environments it becomes increasingly important to maintain indexes that summarize the content of these multi-media documents. Such indices are necessary to quickly locate relevant patient cases for research, patient management, and teaching. The goal of this project is to develop an intelligent document retrieval system that allows researchers to request for patient cases based on document content. Thus we wish to retrieve patient cases from electronic information archives that could include a combined specification of patient demographics, low level radiologic findings (size, shape, number), intermediate-level radiologic findings (e.g., atelectasis, infiltrates, etc.) and/or high-level pathology constraints (e.g., well-differentiated small cell carcinoma). The cases could be distributed among multiple heterogeneous databases such as PACS, RIS, and HIS. Content- based retrieval systems go beyond the capabilities of simple key-word or string-based retrieval matching systems. These systems require a knowledge base to comprehend the generality/specificity of a concept (thus knowing the subclasses or related concepts to a given concept) and knowledge of the various string representations for each concept (i.e., synonyms, lexical variants, etc.). We have previously reported on a data integration mediation layer that allows transparent access to multiple heterogeneous distributed medical databases (HIS, RIS, and PACS). The data access layer of our architecture currently has limited query processing capabilities. Given a patient hospital identification number, the access mediation layer collects all documents in RIS and HIS and returns this information to a specified workstation location. In this paper we report on our efforts to extend the query processing capabilities of the system by creation of custom query interfaces, an intelligent query processing engine, and a document-content index that can be generated automatically (i.e., no manual authoring or changes to the normal clinical protocols).