cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsteady models for the nonlinear evolution of the mixing layer.

We investigate several unsteady two-dimensional models of increasing complexity for the nonlinear evolution of the temporally growing mixing layer. In the simplest model, we use a subharmonically perturbed point vortex row which serves initially to identify certain key dynamical and kinematic aspects of the transition process, in which small scales in the flow are rapidly generated as a result of the vortex pairing process. A slightly more realistic vortex blob model is used at the next level. Finally, Navier-Stokes calculations are performed in order to identify which features are artifacts of the earlier models, and which ones are likely to be inherent to the physics. An important kinematic aspect of the transition, present in all of the models for small subharmonic perturbations, is a change in the topology of the streamline pattern when viewed in a rotating reference frame. This topological change contributes to the formation of spiral arm structures seen in other work and consequently to the intense production of small scales. For larger subharmonic perturbation amplitudes, this effect does not occur. We attempt to establish a connection between the aspects of our two-dimensional models and the findings of other authors in three-dimensional computations and experiments.
Chemical crosslinking of cell membranes

The complexity of cell membranes makes the resolution of their macromolecular topology one of the more challenging problems in modern molecular and cellular biochemistry. Despite the difficulties inherent in any such analysis, a surprisingly simple yet powerful approach exists that has consistently yielded valuable results. This method is chemical crosslinking, in which cell membranes are treated with crosslinking reagents (usually bifunctional) which produce covalent linkages between membrane components. The resultant complexes are usually then separated and identified by electrophoresis. This review is intended to provide a guide to the i.nvestigator who is unfamiliar with this approach. The overall strategy of crosslinking is discussed including selection of reagents, conditions to optimize crosslinking and the cleavage of crosslinked complexes to regenerate the original target for identification purposes. The crosslinking of biological membranes is then reviewed with special emphasis on recent advances including macromolecular photoaffinity labeling, kinetic analysis to probe symmetry properties and potential artifacts that may complicate interpretation of results. Examples of specific applications of crosslinking to membranes are presented in tabular form. The final portion of the review discusses the synthesis and properties of the most widely employed crosslinking reagents. Available reagents are summarized in a series of comprehensive tables. It is hoped that our discussion will provide the uninitiated investigator with sufficient information to ascertain the applicability of chemical crosslinking to particular areas of interest.
Manganese and Biotic Debris Associations in Some Deep-Sea Sediments

Incipient manganese concretions occur in microcavities of planktonic skeletal debris (especially diatom frustules) in some Pacific Basin deep-sea sediments. These concretions contain over 50 percent manganese and very little iron (< 1 percent). There is a continuum of growth stages in the concretions having a diameter between 0 and approximately 2 millimeters, and a genetic relationship is suggested between the very small and the centimeter sized concretions.
Aggregation of human platelets by gingipain-R from Porphyromonas gingivalis cells and membrane vesicles

The hypothesis that there is an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease suggests new lines of research on the mechanism whereby oral bacteria might exert systemic effects. This study was conducted to ascertain and quantitate the effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis on human platelets in vitro . A second related objective was to purify and identify the aggregating vector. Aggregation was measured by platelet turbidometry and gingipain-R was purified from P. gingivalis membrane vesicles by Sepharose 2B and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The in vitro aggregation of platelets requires that at least 1.0 2 10 4 cells be stirred with 1.35 2 10 8 platelets. The specific activity is substantially increased in the membrane vesicles that are shed by this bacterium. Aggregability was due to gingipain-R activity, a potent cysteine protease that was found to be highly concentrated in the membrane vesicle fraction. The enzyme was purified 18-fold in high yield from the membrane vesicles, and consists ...
Linkage Disequilibrium and Gene Mapping: An Empirical Least-Squares Approach

This paper proposes a novel approach for fine-scale mapping of disease genes that is based on the well-known linkage-disequilibrium parameter delta. Using a very simple, very general model, I show how delta can be interpreted in terms of identity-by-descent probabilities. The value of delta follows a piecewise curve along the chromosome, with the maximum occurring at the disease locus where the two pieces intersect. A semiparametric, multilocus approach is used to fit this nonlinear regression curve in order to estimate the gene location. Using the bootstrap to empirically estimate much of the probability model from the data avoids the need for many detailed population assumptions. One advantage of the approach is its use of the observed covariance structure of the data, which can be highly informative as to the gene location. I illustrate the method on the cystic fibrosis data of Kerem et al.
Effect of the antiglucocorticoid RU486 on adrenal steroidogenic enzyme activity and steroidogenesis

RU486, a synthetic steroid receptor antagonist, has strong antiprogesterone and antiglucocorticoid properties. Chronic RU486 administration in two patients with ectopic secretion of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) has been associated with decreasing plasma cortisol concentrations. One explanation of this finding is that RU486 may directly inhibit adrenal steroidogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effect of RU486 on specific steroidogenic enzymatic steps using an in vivo rat and an in vitro monkey model. Hypophysectomized-castrated-ACTH-replaced Sprague-Dawley rats were given RU486 i.p. at daily doses of 0, 0.0005, 0.005, 0.05, 0.5 and 5 mg/kg body weight per day for 7 days. The animals were sacrificed, and blood and adrenal glands collected. Adrenal cortical mitochondria and microsomes were purified from the rats and from two untreated Cynomolgus macaque monkeys. Specific steroidogenic enzyme activities were measured in the rat by the incorporation of 14C-labeled steroid substrates into products. A similar protocol was used to assay the steroidogenesis in the monkey adrenal fractions in the presence and absence of added RU486. Although rat adrenal weights decreased significantly at the highest RU486 dose, plasma levels of corticosterone were similar in control and treated rats. Rat adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase (3-HSD), 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) and 11-hydroxylase (11-OH) activities decreased with increasing RU486 doses, with 21-OH and 11-OH being most severely affected. Monkey adrenal 3-HSD, 21-OH, 11-OH, 17-hydroxylase and 17,20-desmolase similarly decreased in the presence of increasing in vitro concentrations of RU486.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Influence of imperfect interface on the elastic moduli of syntactic foams

Abstract Syntactic foams are manufactured by dispersing microspheres in a polymeric matrix, and the macroscale material properties of these foams are estimated by analyzing a periodic distribution of the inclusions. The analysis in the simplest form, further assume that the inclusions are perfectly bonded to the matrix material. It has been shown in a previous study [P.R. Marur, Mater. Lett. 59 (2005) 1954–1957.] that analytical model overestimated the experimentally determined elastic moduli, and that the morphology of particle distribution has negligible influence on the elastic moduli. In this paper, the assumption of perfect adhesion between the inclusion and the matrix is relaxed to allow for possible localized slip and separation at the particle interface. The analytical results obtained considering imperfect interface well agree with the measured elastic modulus reported in the literature.
What Can Rorty Teach an Old Pragmatist Doing Public Administration or Planning

Hugh Miller’s argument that philosopher Richard Rorty offers a pragmatic upgrade for public administration does not work. However, the critics, in defending old pragmatism against new, miss some useful insights. Rorty basically helps us to grasp the hubris of claiming epistemic trump and to beware the quest for certainty in the service of the powerful. For instance, how would pragmatic ideas compare with more conventional theoretical expectations rationalizing the recent combination of federal intelligence agencies into a new Homeland Security Agency? Rorty describes and celebrates the critical irony of self-perfection as a resource best nurtured in private while insisting that public expectations be shaped by practical alternatives sensitive to compromise and consensus. We theorists should not be distracted by philosophical debate but focus instead on inventing and comparing practical organizational alternatives that meet public needs without sacrificing individual freedom.
Fault-Tolerant Matrix Operations for Networks of Workstations Using Diskless Checkpointing

Networks of workstations (NOWs) offer a cost-effective platform for high-performance, long-running parallel computations. However, these computations must be able to tolerate the changing and often faulty nature of NOW environments. We present high-performance implementations of several fault-tolerant algorithms for distributed scientific computing. The fault-tolerance is based on diskless checkpointing, a paradigm that uses processor redundancy rather than stable storage as the fault-tolerant medium. These algorithms are able to run on clusters of workstations that change over time due to failure, load, or availability. As long as there are at leastnprocessors in the cluster, and failures occur singly, the computation will complete in an efficient manner. We discuss the details of how the algorithms are tuned for fault-tolerance and present the performance results on a PVM network of Sun workstations connected by a fast, switched ethernet.
Evaluation of overspraying as an alternative to seed treatment for application of Flight Control® bird repellent to newly planted rice

Abstract Anthraquinone is a promising candidate as a repellent to protect newly planted rice from blackbird depredation. Current technology for applying chemicals to rice seed prior to planting might be incompatible with the relatively large volume of bird repellent material needed on rice seeds. Therefore, an alternate method of application, overspraying the field after the seed is planted, could prove more efficient and practical. We examined this approach in pen and field trials. In group pen tests, red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) consistently avoided Flight Control (50% anthraquinone) applications equivalent to 23.3 and 37.2 l/ha, but were not deterred by 9.3 l/ha. Several test birds vomited after they fed on treated seeds. In a 0.2 ha flight pen, blackbird flocks removed 58% of rice seed from untreated plots compared to 6% taken from plots sprayed with Flight Control at a rate of 18.6 l/ha. In southwestern Louisiana, plots of newly planted rice were sprayed with Flight Control at either 9.3 or 18.6 l/ha. We did not observe blackbird repellency at any of the treated sites. Anthraquinone residues on rice from the test plots indicated that there was insufficient repellent on the seeds in the fields to deter depredating blackbirds. For overspraying to be practical and effective, methods must be devised to deliver the chemical more efficiently to the planted seeds.
Identification of partially obscured objects in two and three dimensions by matching noisy characteristic

In this paper we analyze the problem of matching partially obscured, noise-corrupted images of composite scenes in two and three dimensions. We describe efficient methods for smoothing the noisy da...
Hydrogen exposure-enhanced CN∗ emission from alkali-halide surfaces

Abstract We report recent measurements of the enhancement of electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) of excited CN from KCl, NaCl, NaF, and LiF surfaces due to the exposure of the surfaces to gaseous H2. The CN∗ desorption yield varies linearly with the ESD yield of atomic hydrogen. The measured rotational distribution of CN∗ desorbed from a H2-dosed LiF surface is different from that for an un-dosed LiF surface. We propose an HCN-mediated process to explain the hydrogen-enhanced CN∗ desorption.
Energy and Cost Minimal Control of Active and Passive Building Thermal Storage Inventory

In contrast to building energy conversion equipment, less improvement has been achieved in thermal energy distribution, storage and control systems in terms of energy efficiency and peak load reduction potential. Cooling of commercial buildings contributes significantly to the peak demand placed on an electrical utility grid and time-of-use electricity rates are designed to encourage shifting of electrical loads to off-peak periods at night and on weekends. Buildings can respond to these pricing signals by shifting cooling-related thermal loads either by precooling the building s massive structure (passive storage) or by using active thermal energy storage systems such as ice storage. Recent theoretical and experimental work showed that the simultaneous utilization of active and passive building thermal storage inventory can save significant amounts of utility costs to the building operator, yet increased electrical energy consumption may result. The article investigates the relationship between cost savings and energy consumption associated with conventional control, minimal cost and minimal energy control, while accounting for variations in fan power consumption, chiller capacity, chiller coefftcient-of-performance, and part-load performance. The model-based predictive building controller is employed to either minimize electricity cost including a target demand charge or electrical energy consumption. This work shows that buildings can be operated in a demand-responsive fashion to substantially reduce utility costs with marginal increases in overall energy consumption. In the case of energy optimal control, the reference control was replicated, i.e., if only energy consumption is of concern, neither active nor passive building thermal storage should be utilized. On the other hand, cost optimal control suggests strongly utilizing both thermal storage inventories.
Radiation-induced instability and its relation to radiation carcinogenesis

PURPOSE: A model that identifies radiation-induced genetic instability as the earliest cellular event in the multi-step sequence leading to radiation-induced cancer was previously proposed. In this paper ongoing experiments are discussed which are designed to test this model and its predictions in mouse mammary epithelial cells. RESULTS: Several lines of evidence are presented that appear to support this model: first, the development of delayed mutations in p53 following irradiation in altered growth variants; secondly, the high frequencies for the induction of both instability and transformation following irradiation in mammary epithelial cells; and finally, the demonstration that susceptibility to the induction of cytogenetic instability is a heritable trait that correlates with susceptibility to transformation and radiation-induced mammary cancer. Mice resistant to transformation and mammary cancer development are also resistant to the development of instability after irradiation. In contrast, mice sensitive to transformation and cancer are also sensitive to the development of cytogenetic instability. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this laboratory and from the studies cited above suggest a specific, and perhaps unique, role for radiation-induced instability as a critical early event associated with initiation of the carcinogenic process.
Computer simulation of epilepsy: Implications for seizure spread and behavioral dysfunction

Hippocampal area CA3 has been one of the most intensively studied brain regions for computer models of epileptiform activity. As physiological studies begin to extend outward to other hippocampal and parahippocampal areas, we must extend these models to understand more complex circuitry containing diverse elements. Study of subiculum is of particular interest in this context, as it is a structure of intermediate complexity, with an inchoate columnar and laminar organization. In addition to helping us understand seizures, modeling of these structures will also help us understand the genesis of physiological activity patterns that are below threshold for seizure generation. Such modeling can also serve as a basis for speculation regarding the nonictal behavioral consequences of epilepsy.
Towards a Versatile Control System for Mobile Robots

The goal of a mobile robot is not only to perform a large variety of task but also to adapt its behavior to the dynamic of the environment. Such a robot needs both reflexive and planning capabilities. Moreover we wish that a mobile robot be able to coordinate its activity with other mobile robots. This paper is intended to show that the integration of all these capabilities (reflexivity planning and coordination) is feasible in order to acheive this goal a new robot architecture is proposed. This architecture is composed of three levels: functional control and planner. Furthermore this architecture provides important features such as a progressive and programmable reactivity robustness additivity and versatility. This paper emphasizes the control level and how it is used by the planner level. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of such an approach a complete implementation of this architecture on our mobile robot including experiments are described.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Characterization of Hydrophobic Residue Requirements for α-Synuclein Fibrillization

α-Synuclein is the major component of pathological inclusions characteristic of diseases like Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple-system atrophy. A role for α-synuclein in ...
Differential responses of bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos to heat shock

The authors sought to determine protein 70; glutathione; thermotolerance whether developmental differences in the magnitude of embryonic mortality caused by heat stress in vivo are caused by changes in resistance of embryos to elevated temperature. In this regard, responses of oocytes, two-
Non-data-aided wide-range frequency offset estimator for QAM optical coherent receivers

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel blind frequency offset estimator for coherent quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) receivers. Its frequency offset estimation range is more than three times the conventional estimation range.
Statin use not associated with improved outcomes in patients treated with brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the association between statin use and prostate cancer outcomes in intermediate- and high-risk patients treated with brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials Between 1998 and 2010, 754 men with National Comprehensive Cancer Network intermediate- ( n = 627) and high-risk ( n = 127) prostate cancer were treated with prostate brachytherapy at our institution. Patients received either low-dose-rate or high-dose-rate brachytherapy as monotherapy or in combination with supplemental external beam radiotherapy. Two hundred eighty-five patients (37.8%) also received androgen-deprivation therapy. Two hundred seventy-three men (36.2%) were identified as taking statin medication before initiating radiation therapy. Prostate-specific antigen relapse–free survival (PSA-RFS), distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS), and overall survival were compared using log-rank tests. Associations of patient and treatment characteristics with outcomes were analyzed with univariate and multivariate regression. The median followup was 48 months. Results The 8-year PSA-RFS for intermediate-risk, high-risk, and all patients was 92.2%, 64.1%, and 87.7%, respectively. The 8-year DMFS was 97.1%, 82.9%, and 94.9%, respectively. The 8-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 86.6%. There were no significant differences between statin users and nonusers when stratified by risk group, nor when analyzed as a full cohort. On multivariate analysis, Gleason score 4 + 3 = 7 and >7 were significantly associated with worse PSA-RFS ( p ≤ 0.003 and 7 ( p = 0.008) and the use of neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy ( p = 0.03) was associated with worse DMFS. Statin use did not significantly impact PSA-RFS or DMFS. Conclusions Pretreatment statin use is not associated with improved outcomes in intermediate- and high-risk patients undergoing prostate brachytherapy-based regimens for prostate cancer.
High resolution forecast of heavy precipitation with Lokal Modell: analysis of two case studies in the Alpine area

Abstract. Northern Italy is frequently affected by severe precipitation conditions often inducing flood events with associated loss of properties, damages and casualties. The capability of correctly forecast these events, strongly required for an efficient support to civil protection actions, is still nowadays a challenge. This difficulty is also related with the complex structure of the precipitation field in the Alpine area and, more generally, over the Italian territory. Recently a new generation of non-hydrostatic meteorological models, suitable to be used at very high spatial resolution, has been developed. In this paper the performance of the non-hydrostatic Lokal Modell developed by the COSMO Consortium, is analysed with regard to a couple of intense precipitation events occurred in the Piemonte region in Northern Italy. These events were selected among the reference cases of the Hydroptimet/INTERREG IIIB project. LM run at the operational resolution of 7km provides a good forecast of the general rain structure, with an unsatisfactory representation of the precipitation distribution across the mountain ranges. It is shown that the inclusion of the new prognostic equations for cloud ice, rain and snow produces a remarkable improvement, reducing the precipitation in the upwind side and extending the intense rainfall area to the downwind side. The unrealistic maxima are decreased towards observed values. The use of very high horizontal resolution (2.8 km) improves the general shape of the precipitation field in the flat area of the Piemonte region but, keeping active the moist convection scheme, sparse and more intense rainfall peaks are produced. When convective precipitation is not parametrised but explicitly represented by the model, this negative effect is removed.
Neurosensory deficit and functional impairment after sagittal ramus osteotomy: A long-term follow-up study

Purpose: This study evaluated persistent neurosensory deficit (NSD) and functional sensory deficit (FSD) after mandibular bilateral sagittal split osteotomies (BSSO) and their association with patient age at time of operation and eight additional variables. Patients and Methods: Eighty-five patients more than 2 years post-BSSO were identified and stratified by age: group 1, 10 to 19 years (n = 16); group 2, 20 to 29 years (n = 24); group 3, 30 to 39 years (n = 30); group 4, older than 40 years (n = 15). Mean mandibular advancement, incidence of “bad split,” excessive intraoperative bleeding, nerve manipulation, removal of third molars, use of rigid fixation, simultaneous mandibular procedures, and associated systemic disease were documented for each group. A questionnaire modified from Zuniga was used to document the presence of persistent (2 years or longer) NSD and FSD. Statistical analysis was performed to determine differences between groups. Logistic regression was used to evaluate each variable and determine its association with persistent NSD and FSD. Results: Persistent NSD by age was: group 1, 81%; group 2, 46%; group 3, 73%; group 4, 87%. The trend of increasing persistence with increasing age was not significant (P = .248). However, persistent FSD with increasing age was highly significant (P = .003). The incidence of FSD in group 4 was statistically greater than in the other groups (P < .001; P < .001; P = .004, respectively). Logistic regression identified patient age and “bad splits” as associated with FSD (P = .003; P = .015, respectively). Conclusions: The incidence of persistent FSD more than 2 years post-BSSO increases with increasing age in a predictable and highly significant manner. Presurgical counseling should address this issue. FSD is also significantly associated with “bad splits.” No other variables were found to be significant.
Household Economy, Political Economy, and Ideology: Peasants and the State in Southeast Asia

We use Chayanov's central concept of the on-farm balance to develop descriptions of household production that provide evidence for the way households fit into the material realities of their economic, social, and political systems. This provides a theoretically, ethnographically, and historically motivated way to compare households and political-economic systems and their cultural correlates.
The classification, fusion, and parallelization of array language primitives

We present a classification scheme for array language primitives that quantifies the variation in parallelism and data locality that results from the fusion of any two primitives. We also present an algorithm based on this scheme that efficiently determines when it is beneficial to fuse any two primitives. Experimental results show that five LINPACK routines report 50% performance improvement from the fusion of array operators. >
SPECTRAL MOURNING AND CARCERAL MASCULINITIES: JEAN GENET'S MIRACLE DE LA ROSE

This article will argue that Jean Genet's 1946 novelistic memoir of his adolescence at the boys' agricultural colony of Mettray, Miracle de la rose , is a mournful elaboration of the abjections of discourses on the boys' penal colonies. In the seductive tones of nostalgia, Miracle evokes pleasures — such as the sweetness of submission, the excitement of virile display, and the intensities of pederastic love — figured as deviant and unmournable within the discursive field of the boys' penal colonies. In addition, Miracle explicitly thematizes both the queering effects of such remembrance and the masculinizing rewards of forgetting, suggesting that certain masculinities are built on the melancholic foreclosure of ambiguous adolescent affects. In so doing, I argue, it explores what Derrida terms 'spectral mourning', an alternative relation to memory that, in Miracle , is constitutive both of the gender of the elder pederast within a carceral couple and a 'feminine' form of writing associated with poetry, fantasy, and 'le merveilleux'. Whereas Derrida describes spectrality as a supremely ethical relation to the past, Miracle shows spectral mourning to be less the result of an ethical choice than of an inability to mourn the abject conditions of adolescence in the boys' penal colonies.
Immediate effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and focal knee joint cooling on quadriceps activation.

ABSTRACTPurpose:To determine whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and focal knee joint cooling will affect the quadriceps central activation ratio (CAR) in patients with tibiofemoral osteoarthritis.Methods:Thirty-three participants with diagnosed tibiofemoral osteoarthritis wer
Seed production and field establishment of hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens)

The USDA NRCS Aberdeen Plant Materials Center (PMC) produces certified early generation seed of hoary tansyaster ( Machaeranthera canescens (Pursh) A. Gray [Asteraceae]), a late summer and fall blooming forb native to the Intermountain West region. Hoary tansyaster is an excellent forb candidate for restoration efforts in arid to semiarid sites. It is relatively easy to manage in a seed production system, establishes quickly in a rangeland situation, and provides blooms in late summer during the establishment year. Propagation methodologies including establishment, weed control, harvest, and seed processing are herein discussed. We have grown seed production fields of hoary tansyaster in 2 different field systems, one using weed barrier fabric and the other in open drill-seeded fields. Seed can be collected by hand, combine, Flail-Vac, or vacuum-type harvester and can be processed with brush machine and air-screen type cleaning equipment. Seed yields at Aberdeen, Idaho, range between 2 and 8 kg pure live seed (PLS)/ha (2–7 lb/ac).
Analysis of Food Away from Home Expenditures by Meal Occasion: Are Transactional Variables and Prior Purchase Behavior Important?

Given the rise in health-related issues associated with changing food consumption patterns, we examine the role of not only demographics on food-away-from-home expenditures by meal occasion, but also transactional specific variables (e.g., promotion, ordering, and both facility and meal characteristics) and past away-from-home expenditures. Our results suggest that transactional variables that reflect both facility and meal characteristics as well as ordering, promotion, and party composition variables significantly influence food-away-from-home expenditures by meal occasion. Furthermore, both the timing and amount of previous away-from-home expenditures play a major role in expenditures as well.
Quantum transport in electron Fabry-Perot interferometers

We report experiments on Fabry-Perot electron interferometers in the integer quantum Hall regime. The $\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}∕\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{As}$ heterostructure devices consist of two constrictions defined by etch trenches in two-dimensional electron layer, enclosing an approximately circular island. The interferometer is formed by counterpropagating chiral edge channels coupled by tunneling in the two constrictions. Interference fringes are observed as conductance oscillations, similar to the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Front gates deposited in etch trenches allow us to fine tune the device and to change the constriction filling $f$ relative to the bulk filling. Quantum-coherent conductance oscillations are observed on the $f=1--4$ plateaus. On plateau $f$, we observe $f$ conductance oscillations per fundamental flux period $h∕e$. This is attributed to the dominance of the electron-electron Coulomb interaction, effectively mixing Landau level occupation. On the other hand, the back-gate charge period is the same (one electron) on all plateaus, independent of filling. This is attributed to the self-consistent electrostatics in the large electron island. We also report dependence of the oscillation period on front-gate voltage for $f=1$, 2, and 4 for three devices. We find a linear dependence, with the slope inversely proportional to $f$ for $f=1$ and 2.
Do traction radiographs of distal radial fractures influence fracture characterization and treatment

Background: Our center evaluates all distal radial fractures with traction radiographs before splinting. Although investigations of various imaging modalities to evaluate distal radial fractures have been presented in the literature, to our knowledge the use of traction radiographs has not been well described. We hypothesized that the addition of traction radiographs to standard radiographs increases interobserver and intraobserver reliability for injury descriptions, affects the choice of treatment plan, and decreases the perceived need for computed tomography. Methods: Radiographs for fifty consecutive eligible patients with distal radial fractures that were treated at a level-1 trauma center were used to create two image sets for each patient. Set 1 included injury and splint radiographs, and Set 2 included the images from Set 1 plus traction radiographs. The image sets were stripped of all demographic data and were presented in random order to seven fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons. The surgeons independently reviewed each of the 100 image sets and answered ten questions regarding the description and treatment of the injury. Analyses were conducted with kappa statistics to evaluate interobserver reliability. Intraobserver variability was assessed with the McNemar test after adjusting for clustering. Results: Traction radiographs improved interobserver reliability for four of ten questions. With regard to intraobserver variability, responses to two questions were significantly changed. With the addition of traction radiographs, the observation of intra-articular fragments requiring reduction increased from 38.3% to 53.1% (p < 0.05) and the perceived need to order computed tomography for further evaluation decreased from 21.7% to 5.1% (p < 0.001). No other changes reached significance. Conclusion: The addition of traction radiographs appeared to affect surgeons’ interobserver reliability in the evaluation of distal radial fractures. In addition, traction radiographs changed the rate of detection of intra-articular fragments requiring reduction and the perceived need for computed tomography. These data indicate that traction radiographs may provide some of the same information as computed tomographic scans at a lower cost and argue for additional research comparing computed tomographic scans and traction radiographs of the distal part of the radius.
Evaluation of collimation and imaging configuration in scintimammography

Conventional scintimammography (SM) with /sup 99m/Tc sestamibi has been limited to taking a single lateral view of the breast using a parallel-hole high resolution (LEHR) collimator. The collimator is placed close to the breast for best possible spatial resolution. However, the collimator geometry precludes imaging the breast from other views. We evaluated using a pinhole collimator instead of a LEHR collimator in SM for improved spatial resolution and detection efficiency, and to allow additional imaging views. Results from theoretical calculations indicated that pinhole collimators could be designed with higher spatial resolution and detection efficiency than LEHR when imaging small to medium size breasts. The geometrical shape of the pinhole collimator allows imaging of the breasts from both the lateral and craniocaudal views. The dual-view images allow better determination of the location of the tumors within the breast and improved detection of tumors located in the medial region of the breast. A breast model that simulates the shape and composition of the breast and breast tumors with different sizes and locations was added to an existing 3D mathematical cardiac-torso (MCAT) phantom. A cylindrically shaped phantom with 10 cm diameter and spherical inserts with different sizes and /sup 99m/Tc sestamibi uptakes with respect to the background provide physical models of breast with tumors. Simulation studies using the breast and MCAT phantoms and experimental studies using the cylindrical phantom confirmed the utility of the pinhole collimator in SM for improved breast tumor detection.
MICROGLIA STIMULATE NAIVE T-CELL DIFFERENTIATION WITHOUT STIMULATING T-CELL PROLIFERATION

A major question relevant to the initiation and progression of inflammation and autoimmune processes within the central nervous system (CNS) is whether resident microglia or only infiltrating macrophage can productively interact with T-cells that enter the CNS either actively through extravasation or passively through defects in the blood brain barrier (BBB). We isolated microglia and macrophage from the brains of healthy adult mice and transgenic mice that displayed many features of multiple sclerosis and HIV leukoencephalopathy due to the astrocytic expression of interleukin (IL)-3 and compared their antigen-presenting cell (APC) functions. We found that unactivated microglia isolated from healthy nontransgenic mice and activated microglia isolated from transgenic siblings are relatively weak stimulators of naive T-cell proliferation compared to macrophage populations. The APC function of activated, but not unactivated, microglia could be increased by treatment acutely with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon γ (IFNγ). However, this treatment also induced the apparent production of prostaglandins, which reduced T-cell proliferation when indomethacin was absent from the assay cultures. Strikingly, even in the absence of stimulated T-cell proliferation, both unactivated and activated microglia stimulated the differentiation of naive T-cells into Th1 effector cells, although neither microglial population was a more effective inducer than macrophages or splenic APCs. Thus, while microglia are clearly capable of productively interacting with naive T-cells, macrophages have a more robust APC function. J. Neurosci. Res. 55:127–134, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PART 1: Finance: Transport Strategy for Polish Cities

A recent study requested by a group of mayors representing the largest Polish cities is summarized. The study was to be used as input into local and national debates about future directions of urban transport development in the country. The wider context is that of a major political and economic reform, begun in the late 1980s, involving no less than a rapid-paced transition from socialism to capitalism, featuring large-scale downsizing of the public sector, privatization, and a redistribution of political and resource powers from the state to local governments. Among the downstream effects of these changes has been an increase in private car ownership and use and a reduction in the market share of urban mass transit modes from between 80 and 90 percent of nonwalk daily trips to 70 percent or less. For transit operators, now owned by local governments, this has meant an added financial pressure coming after a decade of under investment in infrastructure, rolling stock, and other equipment. Large numbers o...
Neisseria meningitidis PorB, a TLR2 Ligand, Induces an Antigen-Specific Eosinophil Recall Response: Potential Adjuvant for Helminth Vaccines?

Efficacious adjuvants are important components of new vaccines. The neisserial outer membrane protein, PorB, is a TLR2 ligand with unique adjuvant activity. We demonstrate that PorB promotes Th2-skewed cellular immune response to the model Ag, OVA, in mice, including Ag-specific recall eosinophil recruitment to the peritoneum. PorB induces chemokine secretion by myeloid cells using both TLR2-dependent and -independent mechanisms, suggesting that anatomical distribution of TLR2 + cells may not be a limiting factor for potential vaccine strategies. The results from this study suggest that PorB, and other TLR2 ligands, may be ideal for use against pathogens where eosinophilia may be protective, such as parasitic helminths.
Robust survival of isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells following intrastriatal transplantation: a novel hypothesis of adrenal graft viability

Previous investigations have demonstrated that adrenal chromaffin cells survive poorly when grafted into the striatum of rodents, nonhuman primates, and patients with Parkinson's disease. This poor survival has been attributed to the low levels of endogenous NGF within the striatum. However, chromaffin cells isolated from the nonchromaffin constituents of the adrenal medulla (fibroblasts and endothelial cells) have recently been demonstrated to survive grafting into a number of CNS sites. The present study determined whether nonchromaffin constituents of the adrenal medulla may be responsible for poor graft survival. We compared the survival of intrastriatally grafted isolated bovine chromaffin cells with that observed following implantation of either perfused adrenal medullary suspensions containing all adrenal medullary cell types or isolated chromaffin cells that were then reseeded with autologous fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Implants of perfused adrenal medullary cells survived poorly and most graft sites were infiltrated with macrophages. The chromaffin cells in this group that did survive appeared to be in the process of degeneration. In contrast, large numbers of isolated chromaffin cells survived for up to 2 months following transplantation. These cells maintained their endocrine phenotype and stained for all enzymatic markers of catecholamine synthesis as well as chromogranin A. Morphologically, these cells resembled chromaffin cells seen in situ and the perigraft region was essentially devoid of macrophages. When isolated chromaffin cells were reseeded with autologous fibroblasts and endothelial cells, the implants degenerated and few, if any, surviving chromaffin cells were observed. Interestingly, these latter grafts induced a host- derived sprouting response of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers. These data demonstrate that large numbers of adrenal chromaffin cells can survive intrastriatal implantation in the absence of exposure to exogenous NGF. Rather, the nonchromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla (fibroblasts and endothelial cells) appear to compromise the viability of grafted chromaffin cells. Once they are eliminated from the graft, robust survival of chromaffin cells occurs. If clinical trials employing adrenal medullary grafts are still to be considered for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, isolation of the chromaffin cells should be considered to enhance graft viability.
On a Discounted Replacement Problem with Arbitrary Repair Time Distribution

The functional equation technique is applied to obtain explicit expressions for the long-term total expected discounted cost in replacement problems incorporating the downtime effect associated with the repair state of the failed component. Necessary and sufficient conditions for an optimal replacement policy are obtained and some asymptotic results are derived.
Revocable fingerprint biotokens: accuracy and security analysis

This paper reviews the biometric dilemma, the pending threat that may limit the long-term value of biometrics in security applications. Unlike passwords, if a biometric database is ever compromised or improperly shared, the underlying biometric data cannot be changed. The concept of revocable or cancelable biometric-based identity tokens (biotokens), if properly implemented, can provide significant enhancements in both privacy and security and address the biometric dilemma. The key to effective revocable biotokens is the need to support the highly accurate approximate matching needed in any biometric system as well as protecting privacy/security of the underlying data. We briefly review prior work and show why it is insufficient in both accuracy and security. This paper adapts a recently introduced approach that separates each datum into two fields, one of which is encoded and one which is left to support the approximate matching. Previously applied to faces, this paper uses this approach to enhance an existing fingerprint system. Unlike previous work in privacy-enhanced biometrics, our approach improves the accuracy of the underlying svstem! The security analysis of these biotokens includes addressing the critical issue of protection of small fields. The resulting algorithm is tested on three different fingerprint verification challenge datasets and shows an average decrease in the Equal Error Rate of over 30% - providing improved security and improved privacy.
Automated Evaluation of Runtime Object States against Model-Level States for State-Based Test Execution

Evaluation of runtime object states against themodel-level states defined in a state model is critical to statebasedtest automation. This paper presents a state mappingframework to support the automated state-based testexecution process. The framework automatically keeps trackof runtime object states and maps these states to model-levelabstract states. It also includes a comparator to determinewhether or not a test is successful. This framework isimplemented in the aspect-oriented programming languageAspectJ. Therefore, the runtime instrumentation mechanismfor state evaluation does not modify the source code under test(either in Java or AspectJ). This is an important advantagebecause otherwise all the changes made to the code for testingpurposes have to be cancelled after testing. We haveconducted several experiments to evaluate the framework bycalculating and comparing the total consumed minutes ofmapping states and checking the oracle in terms of manualand automated execution. The experiment results show thatthe mapping framework is much more effective and efficientthan manual conversion.
The Behavior of an Elastohydrodynamic Lubricant at Moderate Pressures and High Shear Rates

Knowledge of the behavior of lubricants over a wide range of pressures and shear rates is fundamental to an understanding of elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubrication. The mechanical properties of elastohydrodynamic lubricants have been measured by a number of researchers under the conditions of low pressures and low shear rates, as well as under high pressures and high shear rates. This paper presents experimental results for the synthetic lubricant 5P4E subjected to moderate pressures (60 MPa to 700 MPa) and high shear rates (10 5 s -1 ) using the technique of pressure-shear plate impact. Thin layers (25 μm thick) of the lubricant are confined between two hard elastic plates; the assembly is subjected to impact by a parallel plate in a manner designed to induce both compression and shear loading. For approximately 1 μs the compressed lubricant is subjected to a simple shearing motion; during that time, continuous records of the shear stress and shear rate are obtained using laser interferometry. Three test configurations were used in order to cover the pressure range, and special techniques were developed for preparing the specimen sandwich. The pressure range covered includes both the liquid and glassy states of the lubricant. The results show that a limiting shear stress model is an appropriate model for lubricant behavior under these conditions. The experimental results also show little change in the lubricant shearing behavior across the glass transition.
Law and New Technology: The Virtues of Muddling Through

In 1986, before the Internet became a household word, the federal Office of Technology Assessment warned that "new information and communications technologies available today are challenging the intellectual property system in ways that may only be resolvable with substantial changes in the system or with new mechanisms to allocate both rights and rewards."1 The nascent technologies at issue then seem prosaic today: videocassette recorders, two-way interactive cable, fiber optic communications, and satellite television. Though the Office of Technology Assessment's 1986 report did not address intellectual property issues relating to the Internet,2 the underlying concern that gave rise to its report remains as real today as it did then: "Once a relatively slow and ponderous process, technological change is now outpacing the legal structure that governs the system, and is creating pressures on Congress to adjust the law to accommodate these changes."3 Today, as before, there are calls for changes in our system of intellectual property rights, and pressure for lawmakers to "do something."4 Napster's digital music file-