cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viable Solutions to the Digital Estate Planning Dilemma

Countless people are dying without proper digital estate plans in place, leaving billions of dollars of assets unaccounted for in the digital world. This is occurring in part because individuals are often unaware that traditional estate planning tools and techniques, such as wills, are ill-equipped to handle the unique challenges of digital estate planning. As a result, the majority of Americans are vastly unprepared for their digital afterlife, unintentionally foregoing digital estate planning altogether and leaving their assets trapped in a digital purgatory.With the ongoing growth in our reliance on technology, interaction via social media, digitization of individual’s property, and further advancement of new Internet technologies, the amount and value of our digital assets are growing exponentially. In response to this immediate need for digital estate planning and management of digital assets, some businesses began to offer their users the ability to plan for the disposition of their digital assets upon their death. However, due to the novelty of this area of law, the business solutions currently afforded often leave more questions than answers about what happens to the individual’s digital assets, raise concerns about privacy and security, and augment disputes over their overall effectiveness in the estate plan. This Essay examines the importance and increasing prevalence of digital assets, discusses the challenges facing traditional estate planning in the growing world of digital assets, and suggests a workable strategy for the creation of a well-developed and manageable digital estate plan.
Human sperm–FISH for identifying potential paternal risk factors for chromosomally abnormal reproductive outcomes

Paternally transmitted genetic defects may lead to birth defects and genetic diseases in offspring. In the last decade, a series of sensitive methods has been developed for detecting genetic and chromosomal damage directly in sperm, providing potential biomarkers for paternal risk factors for infertility (see Cytogenetics of Infertility), spontaneous abortions, as well as aneuploidy syndromes (see Nondisjunction), heritable chromosomal rearrangements, and certain genetic diseases in children. Among these, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been adapted for the detection of both numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities in human sperm as well as the sperm of several laboratory and domesticated animal species. Human sperm–FISH has identified several potential risk factors for chromosomally abnormal sperm including certain lifestyles factors and environmental/occupational exposures. Here, we summarize the advantages and challenges of sperm-FISH for identifying paternal risk factors for abnormal reproductive outcomes. Keywords: FISH; sperm; human; paternal risk factors; offspring; abnormal reproductive outcomes; chromosomal; aneuploidy; aberrations; chemical; lifestyle
Genetic Algorithm Behavior in the MAXSAT Domain

Random Boolean Satisfiability function generators have recently been proposed as tools for studying genetic algorithm behavior. Yet MAXSAT problems exhibit extremely limited epistasis. Furthermore, all nonzero Walsh coefficients can be computed exactly for MAXSAT problems in polynomial time using only the clause information. This means the low order schema averages can be computed quickly and exactly for very large MAXSAT problems. But unless P=NP, this low order information cannot reliably lead to the global optimum, thus nontrivial MAXSAT problems must be deceptive.
Company slogans, morphological issues, and corporate communications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze company slogans which play an important role in corporate identity and corporate communications. Design/methodology/approach – By discussing relevant literature, morphological issues (word formation in sentences), and content analysis, the study investigates 329 companies and their slogans that operate in global and domestic markets. Findings – The study finds that within the areas of corporate identity and corporate communications, company slogans tend to be diverse with distinct forms and morphological features. The work reveals that slogans go through evolutionary changes because of diverse markets and firms’ corporate communications and corporate identities. The study also compares and contrasts slogans from 2007 to 2013 which were used by the firms on their web sites. Practical implications – Interestingly, over half of the companies did not keep their slogans in 2012/2013. Many firms have stopped using slogans on their corporate web s...
The Finite Element Response Matrix Method

A new method for global reactor core calculations is described. This method is based on a unique formulation of the response matrix method, implemented with a higher order finite element method. Th...
Crystallization in foods and food quality deterioration.

Abstract: Solid foods can either be amorphous (such as hard candies or milk powders) or crystalline (such as chocolate or ice cream). Formation of crystals in amorphous glassy foods or changes in the crystal structure in terms of shape, size and crystal size distribution (CSD) often result in changes in the desired texture and sensory properties of food leading to quality deterioration. The formulation, processing conditions, transport and storage conditions govern the crystalline microstructure in foods and thus, the shelf stability of these food products. To understand and overcome the quality deterioration associated with crystallization in foods, it is necessary to understand the crystallization process and the methods that can be effectively used to identify crystal defects and their causes, and to troubleshoot the problems.
Heavy‐Ion Backscattering Spectrometry

Heavy-ion backscattering spectrometry (HIBS) is a new technique for nondestructively analyzing ultratrace levels of impurities on the surface of very pure substrates. Although any high-Z contaminant (Z ≥ 18) on a pure low-Z substrate can be measured, recent practical applications for HIBS have focused on measuring contaminants found on silicon wafers used in semiconductor manufacturing. Therefore, discussions of HIBS focus in this area. The technique is based on the same principles described for high-energy Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and medium-energy ion backscattering spectrometry. The motivation for HIBS is to detect metallic contamination at levels significantly below those that can be detected by RBS or medium-energy ion backscattering, both of which have a limit of ∼1 × 1013 atoms/cm2 for near-surface impurities. It had been reported that contamination control in the microelectronics industry will require tools that can measure ∼1 × 1010 atoms/cm2 for transition metals in starting material. The detection limit for well-separated elements on a clean Si surface ranges from ∼6 × 109 atoms/cm2 for Fe to ∼3 × 108 atoms/cm2 for Au, without the use of vapor phase decomposition (VPD) to preconcentrate the impurities. Using VPD would improve the sensitivity by at least an order of magnitude. The HIBS technique is illustrated Other surface analysis techniques for detection of trace element contamination are briefly discussed, with the strengths and weaknesses of each compared to those of HIBS. A detailed discussion of the basic theoretical and practical aspects of HIBS is provided. Keywords: heavy-ion backscattering spectrometry (HIBS); competitive techniques; alternative techniques; complementary techniques; principles; practical aspects; time-of-flight spectrometer; instrumentation; examples; safety considerations; data analysis; initial interpretation; sample preparation; problems
Design Overview for Retrofitting Integrity-Lock Architecture onto a Commercial DBMS

This paper is a design overview document, intended to aid in the implementation of an integrity-lock database management system. The authors believe that the paper is a realistic overview of the changes that need to be made to a commercial database management system in order that may support the integrity-lock architecture. The paper examine the integrity-lock retrofit at a high level of abstraction. In particular it concentrates on changes that need to be made at the process level and in terms of the functionality that needs to reside in the various functions. It hoped that this high level view will aid in the portability of the integrity-lock architecture to other systems. While the authors' work has involved retrofitting the integrity-lock onto a specific system, we believe that many of the lessons learned in this exercise can be applied to other commercial database management systems.
Dissipation in vibrating superleak second sound transducers

We have performed an experimental study of the generation and detection of second sound in4He using vibrating superleak second sound transducers. At temperatures well belowT λ and for low driving amplitudes, the magnitude of the generated second sound wave is proportional to the drive amplitude. However, nearT λ and for high drive amplitudes this is no longer the case—instead, the second sound amplitude saturates. In this regime we also find that overtones of the drive frequency are generated. Our results suggest that this behavior is due to critical velocity effects in the pores of the superleak in the generator transducer. This type of measurement may prove to be a useful way in which to study critical velocity effects in confined geometries.
Improved immunostimulatory function of bone marrow derived macrophages transduced with the granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor gene.

Professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) play a prominent role in generation of antitumor immunity. Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulator factor (GM-CSF) has been shown to increase antigen presenting capacity of macrophages and dendritic cells. We examined whether retroviral mediated gene transfer of the murine GM-CSF cDNA into bone marrow precursor cells would result in generation of mature APCs with improved immunostimulatory function. We show that murine bone marrow cells can be stably transduced to produce GM-CSF (200-300 pg/mL per 106 cells in 24 hours). These cells proliferated in the absence of exogenous growth factor for 25 days and expressed the macrophage markers Mac-1, Mac-3 and F4/80. GM-CSF transduced bone marrow cells had enhanced stimulatory capacity in a primary mixed lymphocyte-APC reaction and improved antigen presenting function in a Thelper clone proliferation assay. These data demonstrate that bone marrow cells can be genetically engineered to secrete GM-CSF resulting in expans...
Four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D-MRI) using image-based respiratory surrogate: a feasibility study.

Purpose Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) has been widely used in radiation therapy to assess patient-specific breathing motion for determining individual safety margins. However, it has two major drawbacks: low soft-tissue contrast and an excessive imaging dose to the patient. This research aimed to develop a clinically feasible four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D-MRI) technique to overcome these limitations. Methods The proposed 4D-MRI technique was achieved by continuously acquiring axial images throughout the breathing cycle using fast 2D cine-MR imaging, and then retrospectively sorting the images by respiratory phase. The key component of the technique was the use of body area (BA) of the axial MR images as an internal respiratory surrogate to extract the breathing signal. The validation of the BA surrogate was performed using 4D-CT images of 12 cancer patients by comparing the respiratory phases determined using the BA method to those determined clinically using the Real-time position management (RPM) system. The feasibility of the 4D-MRI technique was tested on a dynamic motion phantom, the 4D extended Cardiac Torso (XCAT) digital phantom, and two healthy human subjects. Results Respiratory phases determined from the BA matched closely to those determined from the RPM: mean (± SD) difference in phase: -3.9% (± 6.4%); mean (± SD) absolute difference in phase: 10.40% (± 3.3%); mean (± SD) correlation coefficient: 0.93 (± 0.04). In the motion phantom study, 4D-MRI clearly showed the sinusoidal motion of the phantom; image artifacts observed were minimal to none. Motion trajectories measured from 4D-MRI and 2D cine-MRI (used as a reference) matched excellently: the mean (± SD) absolute difference in motion amplitude: -0.3 (± 0.5) mm. In the 4D-XCAT phantom study, the simulated "4D-MRI" images showed good consistency with the original 4D-XCAT phantom images. The motion trajectory of the hypothesized "tumor" matched excellently between the two, with a mean (± SD) absolute difference in motion amplitude of 0.5 (± 0.4) mm. 4D-MRI was able to reveal the respiratory motion of internal organs in both human subjects; superior-inferior (SI) maximum motion of the left kidney of Subject #1 and the diaphragm of Subject #2 measured from 4D-MRI was 0.88 and 1.32 cm, respectively. Conclusions Preliminary results of our study demonstrated the feasibility of a novel retrospective 4D-MRI technique that uses body area as a respiratory surrogate.
Drive and performance modification following shifts in the photoperiod

The effects of 12-h phase shifts in the light-dark cycle on feeding behavior and performance were studied by requiring a monkey to perform an 18-problem instrumental skill sequence for all of its food ad lib. The photoperiod of 12 h light/12 h dark was advanced by 12 h after 28 days and 28 days later was shifted back again. The results showed that almost all of the food was obtained during the light phase, and 5 days were required for the feeding behavior to stabilize during the “new” light phase following the initial phase shift of 12 h; however, stabilization occurred after 3 days following the second shift. A significant decrement in performance accuracy was observed on the 3rd and 4th days after the first phase shift and on the 2nd day after the return shift. Results are discussed in terms of the stress of photoperiodic loading.
Early Life History of the Northern Pikeminnow in the Lower Columbia River Basin

Abstract The northern pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis is a large, native cyprinid in the Columbia River basin that has persisted in spite of substantial habitat alterations. During the months of June to September 1993–1996, we investigated the temporal and spatial patterns of northern pikeminnow spawning, along with describing larval drift and characterizing larval and early juvenile rearing habitats in the lower Columbia River (the John Day and Dalles reservoirs and the free-flowing section downstream of Bonneville Dam) as well as in the lower sections of two major tributaries (the John Day and Deschutes rivers). The density of newly emerged drifting larvae was higher in dam tailraces (a mean of 7.7 larvae/100 m3 in surface tows) than in the lower reservoirs (0.3 larvae/100 m3), indicating that tailraces were areas of more intense spawning. Density was particularly high in the Bonneville Dam tailrace (15.1 larvae/100 m3), perhaps because adult northern pikeminnow are abundant below Bonneville Dam an...
Direct transfer of whole genomes from bacteria to yeast

Transfer of genomes into yeast facilitates genome engineering for genetically intractable organisms, but this process has been hampered by the need for cumbersome isolation of intact genomes before transfer. Here we demonstrate direct cell-to-cell transfer of bacterial genomes as large as 1.8 megabases (Mb) into yeast under conditions that promote cell fusion. Moreover, we discovered that removal of restriction endonucleases from donor bacteria resulted in the enhancement of genome transfer.
Housing quality of communist party members in Urban China: a comparative study

Using two nationally representative samples from 1988 and 1995, this study examines the comparison of housing quality determinants between Communist Party members and non‐Communist Party members. This study finds that, although Communist Party membership tenure is an important factor in determining housing size and quality among the members themselves, the significant factors that influence housing size and quality do not greatly differ from those of non‐members or the general population. However, several key variables have widely varying impacts on housing size and quality across groups and/or time. These variables include: housing type, education, primary work unit, public‐financed health care, household size, occupational rank of primary employment and total family assets and disposable family income.
The mean annual cycle in global ocean wind stress

Abstract The mean annual cycle in surface wind stress over the global oceans from surface wind analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for seven years (1980–86) is presented. The drag coefficient is a function of wind speed and atmospheric stability, and the density is computed for each observation. Annual and seasonal mean climatologies of wind stress, wind stress and Sverdrup transport and the first two annual harmonies of the wind stress are presented. The Northern and Southern hemispheres are contrasted as an the Pacific and Atlantic basins. The representativeness of the climatology is also assessed. The main shortcomings with the current results are in the topics. The wind stress statistics over the southern ocean are believed to be the moon reliable because of the paucity of direct wind observations. Annual mean values exceed 2 dyn cm−2 over the eastern hemisphere near 50°S and locally exceed 3 dyn cm−2 in the southern Indian Ocean; values much larger than in pre...
Monte carlo simulation of complex reaction systems: molecular structure and reactivity in modelling heavy oils

Abstract The problem of asphaltene precipitation during their thermolysis in a hypothetical inert oil motivated development of a stochastic model of asphaltene structure, reactions, and product identification. This amounted to stochastic construction of 10,000 asphaltene molecules as a representation of those found in a real resid. The reactions of each molecule, deduced from related model compound reaction pathways and kinetics, provided the reaction of the asphaltene representation after Monte Carlo simulation. A regular solution theory based thermodynamic model assembled the 10,000+ product molecules into global solubility-based product fractions. The simulation data were in good agreement with laboratory data for an off-shore California crude-derived asphaltene.
Hemodynamic sequelae of atrial, ventricular, and sequential atrioventricular pacing in cardiac patients

Abstract Comparison of the effects of atrial, ventricular, and sequential atrioventricular pacing in a group of patients with rheumatic heart disease and in a group with pulmonary emphysema has demonstrated that the absence of synchronized atrioventricular activity rather than aberrant ventricular depolarization is primarily responsible for the hemodynamic difference between atrial and ventricular pacing.
Soft tissue and muscular infections (including group A Streptococci)

Skin, soft tissue and muscular infections are very common and can progress to induce serious life-threatening local and systemic complications. They often occur in sites that have been compromised or injured by foreign bodies, trauma, ischaemia, malignancy or surgery. In addition to group A streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus, the indigenous local microflora is usually responsible for these infections. Anatomical sites that are subject to faecal or oral contamination are particularly at risk. The early recognition and proper medical and surgical management of these infections are of primary importance.
Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting for the genotypic identification of mutans streptococci from humans

Determining whether two strains of bacteria are unique, identical or clonally related depends upon comparisons of phenotypic and/or genotypic traits. Individual isolates can then be grouped according to differences or similarities among those traits. One method of genotyping strains of bacteria is commonly referred to as chromosomal DNA fingerprinting. Previously, we generated chromosomal DNA fingerprints of mutans streptococci to study the transmission of this organism within families. Here, we developed and evaluated an arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) method for the genotypic characterization of mutans streptococci. Results were compared to those derived from the more conventional chromosomal DNA fingerprinting method. First, we showed that randomly selected clinical isolates displayed a unique banding profile by both methods; the mean similarity indices between DNA fragment patterns were 0.69 for chromosomal DNA fingerprinting and 0.74 for AP-PCR. This indicated that AP-PCR demonstrated less diversity than chromosomal DNA fingerprinting. Subsequently, we tested the agreement between chromosomal DNA fingerprinting and AP-PCR in determining genotypic similarities among 21 mutans streptococci strains obtained from 10 mother-child pairs, and 5 mutans streptococci strains from 5 fathers. The Kappa value for agreement was 0.88. We conclude that AP-PCR, which generates patterns of 8 to 12 amplicons, is capable of distinguishing strains of mutans streptococci among non-related individuals. Moreover, AP-PCR can discern both homogeneity and heterogeneity of mutans streptococci genotypes among mother and child pairs. Overall, we found that AP-PCR gave results comparable to those of chromosomal DNA fingerprinting.
Retardance coefficients for low flow in channels lined with vegetation

The results of studies of the flow of water through various grass and legume covers are presented. The paper is concerned with low flows which are defined as those coursing through a vegetal cover without completely inundating the plants. The retardance to flow is expressed in MANNING'S n, The relation of n with depth and velocity of flow, since these affect the position and behavior of the vegetation, is presented.
Lactate dehydrogenase isozymes of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus—II. Ontogeny and relative isozyme composition

Abstract 1. 1. The post-natal ontogeny of heart, kidney, liver, testes and epididymis lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is reported. 2. 2. All tissues except the liver show an increase of B containing isozymes with increasing age. 3. 3. Further evidence is presented which suggests that testes hybrid bands are the result of in vivo hybridization. 4. 4. The appearance of LDH-X is correlated with the presence of sperm or active spermatogenesis in epididymis and testes respectively. 5. 5. Densitometer scans of several tissues are presented. Scans of the liver reveal the presence of LDH-4, which may account for up to 5 per cent of the total activity of LDH in this organ.
Mechanism of Oxime Reactivation of Acetylcholinesterase Analyzed by Chirality and Mutagenesis

Organophosphates inactivate acetylcholinesterase by reacting covalently with the active center serine. We have examined the reactivation of a series of resolved enantiomeric methylphosphonate conjugates of acetylcholinesterase by two oximes, 2-pralidoxime (2-PAM) and 1-(2'-hydroxyiminomethyl-1'-pyridinium)-3-(4'-carbamoyl-1-pyridinium) (HI-6). The S(p) enantiomers of the methylphosphonate esters are far more reactive in forming the conjugate with the enzyme, and we find that rates of oxime reactivation also show an S(p) versus R(p) preference, suggesting that a similar orientation of the phosphonyl oxygen toward the oxyanion hole is required for both efficient inactivation and reactivation. A comparison of reactivation rates of (S(p))- and (R(p))-cycloheptyl, 3,3-dimethylbutyl, and isopropyl methylphosphonyl conjugates shows that steric hindrance by the alkoxy group precludes facile access of the oxime to the tetrahedral phosphorus. To facilitate access, we substituted smaller side chains in the acyl pocket of the active center and find that the Phe295Leu substitution enhances the HI-6-elicited reactivation rates of the S(p) conjugates up to 14-fold, whereas the Phe297Ile substitution preferentially enhances 2-PAM reactivation by as much as 125-fold. The fractional enhancement of reactivation achieved by these mutations of the acyl pocket is greatest for the conjugated phosphonates of the largest steric bulk. By contrast, little enhancement of the reactivation rate is seen with these mutants for the R(p) conjugates, where limitations on oxime access to the phosphonate and suboptimal positioning of the phosphonyl oxygen in the oxyanion hole may both slow reactivation. These findings suggest that impaction of the conjugated organophosphate within the constraints of the active center gorge is a major factor in influencing oxime access and reactivation rates. Moreover, the individual oximes differ in attacking orientation, leading to the presumed pentavalent transition state. Hence, their efficacies as reactivating agents depend on the steric bulk of the intervening groups surrounding the tetrahedral phosphorus.
FLUID SUSPENSION MODEL FOR AIR CUSHIONED VEHICLES

Abstract A four-element discrete model is developed to simulate the heave motion of fluid suspensions for surface transportation systems. The results are presented in terms of spring and dashpot forces which simulate the behavior of the fluid suspension. By this approach, deeper insight to the fluid mechanics of the air cushion is achieved.
Developmental sequence in the origin of descending spinal pathways. Studies using retrograde transport techniques in the North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

Abstract The origin of descending pathways to thoracic and cervical levels of the spinal cord has been investigated with retrograde tracing techniques in a series of pouch young and adult opossums. The opossum was chosen because it is born in a very immature state, 12–13 days after conception, and has a protracted development in an external pouch. A few neurons in the pontine reticular formation and nucleus coeruleus were labeled by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injections of the thoracic cord as early as postnatal day (PND) 3. By PND 5, similar injections labeled neurons in the same areas as well as in the medullary reticular formation, the raphe nuclei of the caudal pons and medulla, the spinal trigeminal nuclei, the vestibular complex, the accessory oculomotor nuclei and the interstitial nucleus of Cajal. When Nuclear Yellow (NY) was employed, neurons were also labeled in the red nucleus, the hypothalamus and possibly in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Regardless of the technique employed, neurons in the dorsal column nuclei were not labeled by thoracic injections until at least PND 14. Axons from the nucleus ambiguus, the fastigial and interposed nuclei of the cerebellum as well as the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus reach cervical levels of the cord, where they are specifically targeted, by at least PND 17. They do not significantly overgrow those levels during development. Corticospinal axons are the last of the major descending pathways to innervate the spinal cord. Cortical neurons cannot be labeled by cervical injections of either HRP or NY until at least PND 30. Evidence for transient brainstem-spinal and corticospinal projections was obtained.
Focus on sarcomas.

In summary, sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of diseases, each with a unique and complex pathway to carcinogenesis. The challenge of the next decade will be to define sarcomas according to their unique molecular alterations and to treat them accordingly. The implementation of genomic technologies such as microarray analysis will facilitate this biologically based tumor classification and accelerate drug-target discovery (Allander et al., 2001xGastrointestinal stromal tumors with KIT mutations exhibit a remarkably homogeneous gene expression profile. Allander, S.V., Nupponen, N.N., Ringner, M., Hostetter, G., Maher, G.W., Goldberger, N., Chen, Y., Carpten, J., Elkahloun, A.G., and Meltzer, P.S. Cancer Res. 2001; 61: 8624–8628PubMedSee all References, Khan et al., 2001xClassification and diagnostic prediction of cancers using gene expression profiling and artificial neural networks. Khan, J., Wei, J.S., Ringner, M., Saal, L.H., Ladanyi, M., Westermann, F., Berthold, F., Schwab, M., Antonescu, C.R., Peterson, C., and Meltzer, P.S. Nat. Med. 2001; 7: 673–679Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (1507)See all References). The intriguing possibility that identification of critical genetic events will lead to specific, nontoxic therapies for individual tumors has led to enthusiasm within the scientific community for dissecting the genomic and proteomic pathways that fuel these tumors. The challenge is finding not one, but many “magic bullets” that can effectively target the numerous and varied sarcomas.
Regulatory Interactions between Virgin and Memory CD4 T Lymphocytes

Abstract Naive and memory CD4 T cells from mouse spleen, alone or in a 1:1 mixture, were tested for Con A-induced proliferation in limiting dilution cultures. Dose–response curves for naive cells were linear, but curves for memory cells were hyperbolic, suggesting that positive responses required the activation of several cells of the memory type. Mixtures (1:1) gave zigzag curves, consistent with a previously described quantitative model in which memory cells block naive cell proliferation at low multiplicities and generate their own positive responses at higher multiplicities. Inhibition of naive cell proliferation by memory cells could be mimicked by IL-10 and blocked by anti-IL-10 antibody. IL-2 addition converted the multihit dose curves of memory T cells to single-hit curves, suggesting that poor IL-2 production limits growth in memory cell cultures. Surprisingly, IL-2 addition to cultures of naive cells led to a decrease in proliferation at high cell input doses. This inhibitory effect of IL-2 could be blocked by antibody to IL-10, and may reflect the presence of contaminating memory cells in the naive cell preparations. These models for analysis of interaction between naive and memory T cells in limiting dilution conditions point to a series of reciprocal interactions between IL-10 and IL-2 producing cells.
Perceptions of the Ideal Cover Letter and Ideal Resume

This study surveyed recruiter, teacher, and student groups to determine the following: attitudes about cover letters and resumes, reasons to reject cover letters and resumes, the contents of the ideal cover letter and where specific information should occur in it, and the importance of various categories of the resume and contents of the ideal resume. The results indicate that 1) limited time is spent in processing cover letters and resumes; 2) the length of a cover letter and resume should be one page; 3) spelling errors, poor grammar, and poor organization are key problems in cover letters and resumes; 4) specific jobs wanted, career goals, and personal information are the most important factors of a cover letter; 5) job objectives/career goals, employment history, and educational history are the most important parts of the resume. Specific differences in attitudes among recruiters, teachers, and students are discussed in this article.
Selective gene expression in failing human heart. Quantification of steady-state levels of messenger RNA in endomyocardial biopsies using the polymerase chain reaction.

BACKGROUNDEvaluation of gene expression in failing human heart has been limited by the availability of cardiac tissue.METHODS AND RESULTSWe used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assess gene expression in small quantities of failing and nonfailing human heart. PCR is a powerful new molecular biological tool that allows a small quantity of DNA to be amplified as much as 1 million-fold. Total RNA was extracted from 3-5 mg samples of human heart and reverse-transcribed to complementary DNA (cDNA). With selected oligonucleotide primers, we used PCR to amplify cDNAs encoding atrial natriuretic peptide, beta-myosin heavy chain, phospholamban, and cytoskeletal beta-actin. To quantify the relative levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) in human heart, a known amount of a control RNA was present in the reverse transcription and PCR reactions. The amount of mRNA in the sample could therefore be assessed in relation to the amount of control product. The control RNA was transcribed from a synthetic DNA template containi...
Grinding media wear during mechanical alloying of Ni-W alloys in a SPEX mill

Mechanical alloying (MA) is utilized for producing powdered materials having intriguing properties and structures. Some of these materials manifest extended solid solubility. Mechanical alloying has also been used to synthesize equilibrium and nonequilibrium intermediate (or intermetallic) phases, amorphous materials and inorganic nonmetallics. In their laboratory the authors have been studying the amorphization of Ni-W alloys, accomplished by extended grinding in a SPEX mill. It was brought to The authors' attention (by the reviewer of a manuscript ) that perhaps the authors ought to be paying some attention to the effect of wear debris on the tendency for, and extent of, the amorphization the authors observed. This paper reports on the contamination that accompanies SPEX milling of No-W alloys. The authors will show that wear debris, while only a small fraction of the total grinding media charge, is sufficient to alter appreciably the composition of the milled powder.
The use of the gamma probability distribution: a critique of Carvalho's demand simulator

The article by Carvalho (1995, this issue) advocates the use of a stochastic demand simulator based on the use of the gamma probability distribution. He argues that this simulator is an improvement over existing demand models because it is consistent with the theoretical properties of demand and is considerably more flexible than those currently available. Our critique focuses on four major points: (a) Carvalho's assumptions are too restrictive, (b) the parameters of the Carvalho model are difficult to set and thus lack flexibility in classroom use, (c) the demand function may be unstable when used in a dynamic simulation environment, and (d) the model does not have the unique property of independence between consumers and suppliers claimed by the author
Chemical and biological assays to evaluate bacterial inhibition by tannins

The interactions among purified tannins from three different plants with five strains of ruminal bacteria were investigated. Tannins were purified from crude quebracho (Schinopsis balansae spp.), desmodium (Desmodium ovalifolium), and myrtle (Mirtus communis). The ruminal bacteria studied were Streptococcus bovis JB1, Ruminococcus albus 8, Fibrobacter succinogenes S85, Prevotella ruminicola H14, and a recently isolated tannin-tolerant bacterium. Bacterial binding to tannins, rate of tannin binding, and the inhibitory concentrations for each bacterium to each tannin were evaluated. The effects of tannins on glucose utilization and fermentation product formation also were studied. Tannin binding was rapid with little additional binding occurring 10 min after tannin addition. There was variation among bacteria in the amount of tannins bound and in the amount of tannin required to inhibit growth. Condensed tannins from myrtle and desmodium had the highest binding capacity and were most inhibitory to microbes. Absorbance readings from the total phenolics assay were highest for myrtle and lowest for quebracho. Similarly, readings for condensed tannins were highest for desmodium, which also had the largest polymer size. Myrtle and quebracho gave the largest precipitate rings in the radial diffusion assay, a biological assay that measures precipitation of bovine serum albumin by tannins. The relative absorbance values obtained from the total phenolics assay were the most useful predictor of tannin inhibition of microbial growth. The acid–butanol assay and the radial diffusion assay using bovine serum albumin as the precipitable protein were much less useful predictors of tannin biological activity against the bacteria studied.
Neonatal Excitotoxic Brain Injury

The mechanism of brain injury caused by excitotoxins has been explored in detail in the adult, but not the developing animal. To better define the cerebral physiologic, metabolic and pathological effects of excitotoxic damage, quisqualic acid (QA), a glutamate analogue, was injected into the parahippocampal region of the neonatal rat. Electroencephalographic monitoring showed intermittent paroxysmal discharges which persisted for more than 24 h. Metabolic alterations were consistent with disruption of membrane function with a decrease in n-acetyl aspartate and a rise in acetate. Neuropathologic examination disclosed neuronal necrosis which was maximal in the medial CA1 and hilar areas. QA produces a unique pattern of physiologic, metabolic, and pathologic alteration in the neonatal rat brain which differs from that produced by hypoxic-ischemic injury.
On the thermal stresses in a finite circular cylinder

A solution is presented for the determination of thermal stresses in a finite cylinder heated axisymmetrically over the curved surface. The solution is obtained by constructing the thermoelastic displacement potential and the biharmonic Love function to satisfy all the boundary conditions. It considers the steady state stresses as well as the transient stresses.
Design and testing of a fuel-cell powered battery charging station

The portable fuel-cell powered battery charging station provides a good solution to recharging batteries in field applications. This paper presents the design and testing of control strategies for this system using the Virtual Test Bed (VTB). The VTB provides a unique environment to model interdisciplinary components, to rapidly prototype the control system, and to simulate complex systems. In this paper, the system design is first proposed. Both static and real-time control strategies are investigated to coordinate the power distribution among batteries. The fuel cell, battery and power electronic system are modeled in the native VTB format. The charging controller is designed and implemented in MatLab/Simulink, and then is imported to VTB for system simulation. The fuel-cell powered battery charging station is simulated under the proposed charging algorithms. The performance of each charging algorithm is analyzed.
Role of Endogenous Plant Growth Regulators in Seed Dormancy of Avena fatua II. Gibberellins

Gibberellin A(1) (GA(1)) was identified by combined gas chromatographymass spectrometry as the major biologically active gibberellin (GA) in seeds of wild oat (Avena fatua L.) regardless of the depth of dormany or stage of imbibition. Both unimbibed dormant and nondromant seeds contained similar amounts of GA(1) as estimated by the d5-maize bioassay. During imbibition, the level of GA(1) declined in both dormant and non-dormant seeds, although the decline was more rapid in dormant seeds. Only in imbibing nondormant seeds did the GA biosynthesis inhibitor, 2-chloroethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CCC), cause a reduction in the level of GA(1) from that observed in control seeds. These results are interpreted as an indication that while afterripening does not cause a direct change in the levels of GAs during dry storage, it does induce a greater capacity for GA biosynthesis during imbibition.Nondormant seeds imbibed in the presence of 50 millimolar CCC germinated equally as well as untreated seeds. When wild oat plants were fed CCC throughout the entire life cycle, viable seeds were produced that lacked detectable GA-like substances. These seeds afterripened at a slightly slower rate than the controls. Moreover, completely afterripened (nondormant) seeds from plants fed CCC continuously contained no detectable GA-like substances, and when these seeds germinated, dwarf seedlings were produced, indicating GA biosynthesis was inhibited during and after germination. In total, these results suggest that the increased capacity for GA biosynthesis observed in imbibing nondormant seeds is not a necessary prerequisite for germination. It is therefore possible that GA biosynthesis in imbibing nondormant seeds is one of many coordinated biochemical events that occur during germination rather than an initiator of the processes leading to germination.
Detection of viruses in large volumes of natural waters by concentration on insoluble polyelectrolytes

Abstract A method is described for recovering small amounts of virus from very large volumes of water. When poliovirus was added to large volumes of tap water, it could be recovered by adsorbing the virus onto thin layers of an insoluble polyelectrolyte (a crosslinked copolymer of isobutylene maleic anhydride), with subsequent concentration into small volumes of eluent for assay purposes. Virus contained in 25, 50, 75 and 100 gal of water was recovered with efficiencies ranging from 60 to 80 per cent. Poliovirus added to a 17,000-gal swimming pool was recovered with an efficiency of about 40 per cent by passing 300 gal of the pool water through a thin 3 mm polyelectrolyte layer 293 mm in diameter, with subsequent elution of the virus from the layer, and reconcentration into a smaller volume for assay.
A note on a Bernstein-Type operator of Bleimann, Butzer, and Hahn

Let Ln(f, x)(f ϵ C)[0, ∞)) be a Bernstein-type approximation operator as defined and studied by Bleimann, Butzer, and Hahn. Probabilistic arguments are used to simplify and sharpen some of their results. The rates of convergence are given in terms of the first and second moduli of continuity. Moreover, an appropriate limit of Ln is shown to be the well-known Szasz operator.
Local-Maximum-Likelihood Estimation of the Parameters of Three-Parameter Lognormal Populations from Complete and Censored Samples

Abstract The natural logarithm of the likelihood function is written down for the m − r order statistics remaining after censoring the n − m largest and the r smallest observations of a sample of size n(0 ≤ r < m ≤ n) from a three-parameter lognormal population. Its first partial derivatives with respect to the parameters, when equated to zero, yield the likelihood equations, and the negatives of its second partial derivatives with respect to the parameters are the elements of the information matrix. Algebraic solution of the likelihood equations is impossible, so it is necessary to resort to iteration on an electronic computer. The iterative procedure proposed is applicable to special cases in which one or two of the parameters are known as well as to the most general case in which all three parameters are unknown. A modification of the procedure allows circumvention of a certain anomaly which sometimes occurs in maximum-likelihood estimation of the parameters of a three-parameter lognormal population fr...
Calculation and Verification of the Ages of Retroprocessed Pseudogenes

To verify the existence of processed pseudogenes in different primates and their correlation with the estimated age of divergence, selected regions of processed pseudogenes of alpha-enolase, calmodulin II (CALMII), and argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using DNA of blood samples. Published primate divergence times from the accepted paleontological records and the age of the pseudogenes based on molecular clock calculations were compared to data obtained by detection of PCR products exhibiting the expected amplicon size of the pseudogene region. For the alpha-enolase and the CALMII pseudogenes Psi(2), and Psi(3), calculated divergence times were 11, 19, and 36 Myr, respectively. For the AS pseudogenes Psi(1), Psi(3), and Psi(7), the divergence times were calculated to be 21, 25, and 16 Myr, respectively. Primer design and the annealing temperature are critical factors in the detection of pseudogenes in different species and impact greatly on the interpretation of the PCR analysis. The estimated divergence times of the selected pseudogenes utilizing calculations based on the molecular clock theory correlated well with experimental PCR detection of the selected pseudogenes represented in this study.
A Distinct Contribution of the Frontal Eye Field to the Visual Representation of Saccadic Targets

The responses of neurons within posterior visual cortex are enhanced when response field (RF) stimuli are targeted with saccadic eye movements. Although the motor-related activity within oculomotor structures seems a likely source of the enhancement, the origin of the modulation is unknown. We tested the role of the frontal eye field (FEF) in driving presaccadic modulation in area V4 by inactivating FEF neurons at retinotopically corresponding sites within the macaque monkey (Macaca mulatta) brain. As previously observed, FEF inactivation produced profound, and spatially specific, deficits in memory-guided saccades, and increased the latency, scatter, and duration of visually guided saccades. Despite the clear behavioral deficits, we found that rather than being eliminated or reduced by FEF inactivation, presaccadic enhancement of V4 activity was increased. FEF inactivation nonetheless diminished the stimulus discriminability of V4 visual responses both during fixation and in the presaccadic period. Thus, without input from the FEF, V4 neurons signaled more about the direction of saccades and less about the features of the saccadic target. In addition, FEF inactivation significantly increased the suppressive effects of non-RF stimuli on V4 activity. These results reveal multiple sources of presaccadic modulation in V4 and suggest that the FEF contributes uniquely to the presaccadic specification of visual target features.
Electrodeposition of CuInxGa1−xSe2 thin films

Abstract CuInxGa1−xSe2 (CIGS) polycrystalline thin films with various Ga to In ratios were grown using a new two-step electrodeposition process. This process involves the electrodeposition of a Cu–Ga precursor film onto a molybdenum substrate, followed by the electrodeposition of a Cu–In–Se thin film. The resulting CuGa/CuInSe bilayer is then annealed at 600°C for 60 min in flowing Argon to form a CIGS thin film. The individual precursor films and subsequent CIGS films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. The as-deposited precursor films were found to be crystalline with a crystal structure matching that of CuGa2. The annealed bi-layers were found to have the same basic chalcopyrite structure of CuInSe2, but with peak shifts due to the Ga incorporation. Energy dispersive spectroscopy results show that the observed shifts correlate to the composition of the films.
Neighborhood Psychosocial Hazards and Binge Drinking among Late Middle-Aged Adults

Older adults may be more vulnerable to negative health effects from alcohol as they age. Distress and adverse neighborhood conditions that provoke distress may influence drinking behavior. Using baseline data from the Baltimore Memory Study, a cohort study of adults aged 50–70 years living in 65 Baltimore City neighborhoods, we investigated the association between neighborhood psychosocial hazards (NPH) and the number of binge drinking days in the past month among non-abstainers (N = 645). We used negative binomial regression with generalized estimating equations to estimate the relative number of binge drinking days per month associated with a one standard deviation increase in NPH score. Residing in neighborhoods with more psychosocial hazards was independently associated with more binge drinking for females, but not for males. For females, each one standard deviation increase in NPH score was associated with a 1.52 relative risk of binge drinking (95 % confidence interval, 1.10, 2. 10) in the adjusted model. The findings were robust to a sensitivity analysis in which we used the average number of drinks per drinking occasion as an alternative outcome. Our findings provide evidence linking adverse neighborhood conditions with alcohol consumption in non-abstaining late middle-aged women, and suggest that late middle-aged men and women may have different reactions to adverse residential neighborhoods.