cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Figure text extraction in biomedical literature.

Background Figures are ubiquitous in biomedical full-text articles, and they represent important biomedical knowledge. However, the sheer volume of biomedical publications has made it necessary to develop computational approaches for accessing figures. Therefore, we are developing the Biomedical Figure Search engine (http://figuresearch.askHERMES.org) to allow bioscientists to access figures efficiently. Since text frequently appears in figures, automatically extracting such text may assist the task of mining information from figures. Little research, however, has been conducted exploring text extraction from biomedical figures. Methodology We first evaluated an off-the-shelf Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool on its ability to extract text from figures appearing in biomedical full-text articles. We then developed a Figure Text Extraction Tool (FigTExT) to improve the performance of the OCR tool for figure text extraction through the use of three innovative components: image preprocessing, character recognition, and text correction. We first developed image preprocessing to enhance image quality and to improve text localization. Then we adapted the off-the-shelf OCR tool on the improved text localization for character recognition. Finally, we developed and evaluated a novel text correction framework by taking advantage of figure-specific lexicons. Results/Conclusions The evaluation on 382 figures (9,643 figure texts in total) randomly selected from PubMed Central full-text articles shows that FigTExT performed with 84% precision, 98% recall, and 90% F1-score for text localization and with 62.5% precision, 51.0% recall and 56.2% F1-score for figure text extraction. When limiting figure texts to those judged by domain experts to be important content, FigTExT performed with 87.3% precision, 68.8% recall, and 77% F1-score. FigTExT significantly improved the performance of the off-the-shelf OCR tool we used, which on its own performed with 36.6% precision, 19.3% recall, and 25.3% F1-score for text extraction. In addition, our results show that FigTExT can extract texts that do not appear in figure captions or other associated text, further suggesting the potential utility of FigTExT for improving figure search.
Corn Response to Competition: Growth Alteration vs. Yield Limiting Factors

Competition mechanisms among adjacent plants are not well understood. This study compared corn growth and yield responses to water, N, and shade at 74,500 plants ha -1 1 (×) with responses to water and N when planted at 149,000 plant ha -1 . Plant biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll content, reflectance, and enzyme expression (transcriptome analysis) were measured at V-12. Grain and stover yields were measured with grain analyzed for 13 C isotopic discrimination (Δ) and N concentration. At V-12, 60% shade plants had increased chlorophyll and reduced leaf area and height compared to full sun plants. In the 2x treatment, plants had 11% less chlorophyll than 1× plants with leaf area and height similar to 60% shade plants. At harvest, plants in the 2x treatment were smaller, had increased water and N use efficiency, and an 11% per hectare yield increase compared with the 1× unstressed treatment. Per-plant yields from 60% shade and 2x treatments were 50% less than 1× unstressed treatment. Yield reduction in shaded plants was attributed to light stress. Lower yield in the 2x treatment was attributed to a population-density induced 20% decrease in the red/near-infrared (NIR) ratio, which resulted in downregulation of C 4 carbon metabolism enzymes (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase). Although the net impact of high plant density and shade stress on per-plant yield were similar, the stress compensation mechanisms differed.
Comparing population patterns to processes: abundance and survival of a forest salamander following habitat degradation.

Habitat degradation resulting from anthropogenic activities poses immediate and prolonged threats to biodiversity, particularly among declining amphibians. Many studies infer amphibian response to habitat degradation by correlating patterns in species occupancy or abundance with environmental effects, often without regard to the demographic processes underlying these patterns. We evaluated how retention of vertical green trees (CANOPY) and coarse woody debris (CWD) influenced terrestrial salamander abundance and apparent survival in recently clearcut forests. Estimated abundance of unmarked salamanders was positively related to CANOPY (Canopy = 0.21 (0.02–1.19; 95% CI), but not CWD (CWD = 0.11 (−0.13–0.35) within 3,600 m2 sites, whereas estimated abundance of unmarked salamanders was not related to CANOPY (Canopy = −0.01 (−0.21–0.18) or CWD (CWD = −0.02 (−0.23–0.19) for 9 m2 enclosures. In contrast, apparent survival of marked salamanders within our enclosures over 1 month was positively influenced by both CANOPY and CWD retention (Canopy = 0.73 (0.27–1.19; 95% CI) and CWD = 1.01 (0.53–1.50). Our results indicate that environmental correlates to abundance are scale dependent reflecting habitat selection processes and organism movements after a habitat disturbance event. Our study also provides a cautionary example of how scientific inference is conditional on the response variable(s), and scale(s) of measure chosen by the investigator, which can have important implications for species conservation and management. Our research highlights the need for joint evaluation of population state variables, such as abundance, and population-level process, such as survival, when assessing anthropogenic impacts on forest biodiversity.
Detection of upper limb activities using multimode sensor fusion

Human motion monitoring and activity classification, specifically in the free-living conditions, are becoming increasingly important as preventative and rehabilitative measures in health and wellness applications. In contrast to gate analysis, wearable sensor-based evaluation of the upper body activities is not well studied. The work in this paper describes a novel system for upper body activity monitoring and classification. This paper focuses specifically on the application of motion classification to a complex task of automating rehabilitation evaluation, such as a Wolf Motor Function Test. The presented system consists of a novel wearable motion sensor platform and classification algorithms that convert motion data to an alphabet representation to form strings of primitives. A general string expression is then derived for each task and a regular expression-based searching method is developed. We present results from the successful application of the proposed system to upper extremity activity characterization.
Effect of local anesthetics on phospholipid bilayers.

Abstract A study was made on the effect of four local anesthetics (nupercaine, tetracaine, cocaine and procaine) on d.c. resistance and the inhibition of Ca 2+ binding of various phospholipid membranes. When the local anesthetics were applied on one side of the membrane, the electrical resistance of phospholipid membrane decreased with the increase of the concentrations of the local anesthetics. On the other hand, when the local anesthetics were applied on both sides of the membrane, the membrane showed high resistance at low concentrations of the local anesthetics. Also, the instability of the acidic phospholipid asymmetric membrane due to Ca 2+ binding on one side of the membrane was inhibited by the presence of the local anesthetics in the solution. The potency of the lowering resistance of the membrane and the inhibition of instability of the asymmetric membrane with Ca 2+ binding by the local anesthetics was similar to earlier works (nupercaine > tetracaine > cocaine > procaine).
Gemin5 Delivers snRNA Precursors to the SMN Complex for snRNP Biogenesis

The SMN complex assembles Sm cores on snRNAs, a key step in the biogenesis of snRNPs, the spliceosome's major components. Here, using SMN complex inhibitors identified by high-throughput screening and a ribo-proteomic strategy on formaldehyde crosslinked RNPs, we dissected this pathway in cells. We show that protein synthesis inhibition impairs the SMN complex, revealing discrete SMN and Gemin subunits and accumulating an snRNA precursor (pre-snRNA)-Gemin5 intermediate. By high-throughput sequencing of this transient intermediate's RNAs, we discovered the previously undetectable precursors of all the snRNAs and identified their Gemin5-binding sites. We demonstrate that pre-snRNA 3' sequences function to enhance snRNP biogenesis. The SMN complex is also inhibited by oxidation, and we show that it stalls an inventory-complete SMN complex containing pre-snRNAs. We propose a stepwise pathway of SMN complex formation and snRNP biogenesis, highlighting Gemin5's function in delivering pre-snRNAs as substrates for Sm core assembly and processing.
Sub-Surface Equilibration of Hydrogen with the a-Si:H Network Under Film Growth Conditions

In this study we characterize hydrogen diffusion and reaction processes in the near-surface (top 200 A) of a-Si:H that lead to network equilibration under standard conditions of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is used to provide continuous kinetic information on the near-surface conversion of Si-Si to Si-H bonds during exposure of in situ-prepared films at 250°C to filament-generated atomic H. We have found that for optimum PECVD a-Si:H, the formation of additional Si-H bonds is limited by the capture of H at trapping sites, and the rapid diffusion process (D>10−14 cm2/s) by which H reaches the site is not detected optically. Deep trapping occurs at a rate of ~103 s−1 under our filament conditions, estimated to generate ~1020 cm−3 mobile H in the near-surface of the film. Finally, more than 1021 cm−3 additional H atoms are trapped with emission rates 2.0 eV. Shallower traps are also detected at lower concentration.
Developments in diabetes and insulin resistance.

This is the second in a series of articles on presentations at the American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, 10–14 June 2005. Alan Cherrington (Nashville, TN) gave the President’s Address at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Annual Meeting, reviewing some of the progress, and lack thereof, occurring over the past 2 decades. In 1985, there were 6.4 million adults with diagnosed diabetes. The National Institutes of Health invested <$200 million in diabetes research. Human insulin had just become available, and the only oral agents were the sulfonylureas. Home blood glucose monitoring and insulin pump technology were in their “infancy.” Pancreas transplantation had met with little success, with a 25% surgical mortality. Only 30% of patients were insulin independent for ≥1 year, and islet transplants were unsuccessful. The genetic bases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes were unknown, triggers for disease onset were unknown, mechanisms of insulin action were not understood, diabetes prevention was nonexistent, and the team approach to diabetes treatment had just begun. Now there has been an alarming increase in diabetes across the country, with the U.S. in 2003 having 13.8 million people with diagnosed and 5 million with undiagnosed diabetes, as well as 41 million pre-diabetic individuals. The prevalence of diabetes increased virtually every year since 1990, due to population changes, particularly with an increase in diabetes in minorities, increased awareness and detection of diabetes, a change in diagnostic criteria, a reduction in macro- and microvascular complications with attendant increase in life expectancy of diabetes, further increasing the number of individuals and, most important, a tremendous increase in obesity, causing insulin resistance and hence diabetes. The cost of the disease was $92 billion, and the investment in research was somewhat under $800 million in 2002; Cherrington pointed out that spending ∼1% on research is …
d-Amphetamine and ethanol: a drug-drug interaction study.

Abstract MESSIHA, F. S. d-Amphetamine and ethanol: A drug-drug interaction study . BRAIN RES. BULL. 3 (6) 595–599, 1978.—The in vivo and in vitro effects of d-amphetamine on the specific activities of endogenous liver alcohol-(L-ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (L-ADH) were studied using rat and mouse liver enzyme preparations. d-Amphetamine, 10 −4 M, noncompetitively inhibited rat and mouse L-ALDH in vitro . Mitochondrial L-ALDH was not affected by d-amphetamine in vivo and in vitro in both species studied. A noncompetitive inhibition of mouse L-ADH, occurred in vivo 16 hr after administration of d-amphetamine, 4 mg/kg, IP. A moderate, but not significant decline in specific activity of rat L-ADH was determined after injection of d-amphetamine, 4 mg/kg IP. Mice pretreated with d-amphetamine, 3.5 mg/kg, IP, 30 min prior to a single injection of 25% (w/w) ethanol solution, 2.5 g/kg, IP, showed a significant decrease in their blood and brain content of exogenously administered ethanol from corresponding saline-treated controls for the 60 min and 90 min periods after ethanol administration, respectively. The results show species differences in d-amphetamine action on liver enzymes studied and indicate that d-amphetamine can interfere in the metabolism of ethanol.
Localized anharmonic defect modes in a one-dimensional lattice with standard two-body nearest-neighbor potentials

Abstract The frequency of an anharmonic local impurity mode is shown to decrease with increasing amplitude. When the frequency crosses into the phonon band, a resonant mode appears. A localized DC expansion of the lattice around the impurity increases as its vibrational frequency decreases.
Trypsin Activation, Partial Characterization, and Distribution of Kallikrein-Like and Thrombin-Like Proteases in the Neurointermediate Lobe of the Rat Pituitary

This study examined whether the neurointermediate lobe (NIL) of the rat pituitary contains latent kallikrein- and thrombin-like proteases activated by trypsin. Partial characterization of such proteases was attempted. Also examined were the distribution of proteolytic activity within the NIL and levels in both male and female lobes. NIL homogenates were assayed for proteolytic activity at pH 8.0 before and after incubation with trypsin (10 micrograms/ml). Trypsin caused a 10-fold activation of kallikrein-like activity and a 40-fold activation of thrombin-like activity in NIL homogenates. The kallikrein-like activity was separated into two components using diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex. The predominant kallikrein-like protease was a potent kininogenase closely related or identical to glandular kallikrein and was almost exclusively localized to the intermediate lobe. The second kallikrein-like protease (kallikrein A) was a weak kininogenase sensitive to inhibition by both soybean trypsin inhibitor and aprotinin and was similarly concentrated in both the neural lobe and the intermediate lobe. The thrombin-like protease was sensitive to inhibition by hirudin (a specific thrombin inhibitor), clotted fibrinogen, and was slightly more concentrated in the neural lobe than in the intermediate lobe. NILs from female rats contained approximately 40% less kallikrein activity than NILs from male rats but did not differ in their content of thrombin-like activity.
Sir Francis Galton and proficiency testing in cytopathology.

Data from the National Cytology Proficiency Testing Up-date show that as of January 31, 2006, 9% of 12,786 ex-aminees failed the test on the first attempt. For the second attempt, the failure rate among those who had initially failed remained surprisingly similar, 10%, although common sense would dictate that it should be much higher among those who have already failed the test once and should have lower professional skills. What is the reason for this remarkable improvement in performance? There is a simple explanation: this is a statistical phenomenon, known as "regression toward the mean. " Two groups of examinees earn failing scores during proficiency testing: those whose skills are really insufficient and those who are competent but who achieved lower scores due to random variation in the test results. The latter, "misclassified" examinees subsequently "regress" toward the mean during the second test; that is, their test results become more commensurate with their genuine skills. Since the failure rates of all participants during the first and second attempts were similar, we must assume that the majority of the examinees who failed on the first attempt fall into the second, misclassified group, and only a minority have truly insufficient skills.
Mentoring Medical Students in Radiation Oncology

Mentoring in academic medicine has been described on a multitude of levels in medical literature, but seldom with respect to medical students. In fact, although some fields have addressed mentoring in the context of medical student education, radiation oncology has yet to do so in a comprehensive fashion. Furthermore, the projected domestic and worldwide epidemiologic trends in cancer cases, coupled with the frequent use of radiation-based cancer treatment regimens, make this an opportune moment to initiate such a discussion. Herein, the authors consider mentoring in the context of radiation oncology and related fields from the perspective of a medical student. They present a paradigm for promoting mentorship through traditional classroom-based and nontraditional socially and research-based initiatives. It is the authors' hope that both radiation oncology and other specialties will benefit from the initiation of this discussion, as well as build on the suggestions detailed here as we prepare the next generation of radiation oncologists.
Loss of Calcineurin Aα Alters Keratinocyte Survival and Differentiation

Calcineurin is a serine/threonine phosphatase that is inhibited by the immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporine and FK506. Although calcineurin has been extensively studied in immune cells, less is known about calcineurin in other systems. There are two primary isoforms of the catalytic subunit of calcineurin, and mice have been created that lack either the α isoform (calcineurin A (CnA)α −/- ) or the β isoform (CnAβ −/- ). In this study, we examined the epidermis of CnAα −/- mice at birth and 4 weeks of age. Histological analyses revealed an attenuation of cells in the stratum spinosum of CnAα −/- mice. There was no significant difference in proliferation in the epidermis of CnAα −/- sections, but TUNEL assay revealed increased cell death in the supra-basal layers. Interestingly, the calcineurin substrate nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATc) was highly expressed in the nucleus of basal epidermal cells in wild-type (WT) mice but was cytoplasmic in CnAα −/- mice, consistent with a loss of calcineurin activity. Moreover, NFATc activity was decreased in the epidermis of null mice compared with that in WT littermates. Finally, immunohistochemical staining revealed supra-basal expression of keratin 14 and decreased expression of differentiation-associated keratin 10 and involucrin. These findings suggest that calcineurin Aα activity is required for the normal differentiation and survival of epidermal cells.
Comparison of coronary arteriographic and left ventriculographic findings in patients with single, double, and triple vessel disease and angina pectoris.

The distribution and severity of coronary artery disease and degree of left ventricular dysfunction are described in 500 patients with single (103), double (119), and triple (278) vessel disease and angina pectoris. The coronary arterial patterns were divided into right (360), mixed (89), and left (51) systems, depending upon the blood supply to the inferior surface of the left ventricle. The following relationships were noted: (1) Coronary arterial patterns of right, mixed, and left systems do not influence the presence, distribution, or severity of coronary arterial lesions among patients with single, double, and triple vessel disease and angina pectoris. (2) Analysis of the distribution of lesions among patients with single and double vessel disease reveals that the circumflex/obtuse marginal arteries contribute least of the three major coronary arteries to angina pectoris. (3) Lesions of 70–90% reduction in coronary arterial luminal diameter are the most common, and 90–99% lesions are the least common. The latter are least stable among patients with both coronary artery disease and angina pectoris. (4) Quantitatively there is progression of both coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction as one moves from single to double and then to triple vessel disease. However, the pattern of coronary arterial lesions (50–70%, 70–90%, 90–99%, and 100% reduction of luminal diameter) and the pattern of left ventricular dyssynergy (hypokinesis, akinesis, and dyskinesis) are similar among the patients with single, double, and triple vessel disease and angina pectoris.
Induction of specific amino acid binding proteins preceding onset of tyrocidine synthesis in Bacillus brevis.

A report on the induction of amino acid binding proteins prior to or together with the formation of enzymes for the biosynthesis of tyrocidine by Bacillus brevis.
Quantitative assessment of central retinal thickness in recurrent neovascular age-related macular degeneration

We read with interest the article by Reznicek et al, 1 which evaluated the fulfilment of retreatment criteria for recurrent neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We support the notion of qualitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) assessment of the retina. However, we will like to point out some factors that might have affected their conclusion that quantitative OCT-based retreatment criteria appeared not sensitive enough in a clinical setting. Reznicek et al 1 mentioned that Stratus-OCT was used in the …
Computed tomography of the calvarium: A prospective study

Retrospective analysis of high-resolution raw scanning data was prospectively applied in the evaluation of lesions of the scalp and the calvarium over a 12-month period. The spectrum of abnormalities identified and the impact of CT on both diagnosis and management of 25 patients are presented. Metastases and traumatic lesions were excluded. CT was useful in both diagnosis and subsequent patient management.
Is it possible to restore an optical object from its low-pass spectrum and its truncated image?

Let our observations on an arbitrary L2-space optical object f(x) consist of its low-pass spectrum and its truncated image, i.e., F(ω)rect(ω/2b) and f(x)rect(x/a), respectively. Can f(x) be restored from the given data? We show that, in general, such a restoration is not possible.
Crack propagation at material interfaces: II experiments on mode interaction: Optical interferometry is used to examine the validity of linearized field theories and criteria for stationary and propagating interfacial cracks

Optical interferometry is used to measure crackopening profiles for interfacial cracks in a model adhesive joint. Application of boundary displacements with a resolution of 0.16 μm is achieved through a combination of thermal expansions and optical control in a servo loop. The degree of nonlinear deformation accompanying small levels of normal and shear strain across the bond is documented, and crackfront displacement fields are exploited to evaluate possible criteria for crack growth under combined normal and shear loading. Within the accuracy afforded by the crack-propagation investigation it appears that crack growth is governed by the vectorial crack-tip displacements, namely by the vector sum of the local normal and tangential displacement components. In the limit of infinitesimal strains this criterion reduces to the strain energy-release-rate criterion of linear fracture mechanics.
The effect of the HO 2 +NO reaction rate constant on one-dimensional model calculations of stratospheric ozone perturbations

With the aid of a one-dimensional steady-state, stratospheric model we have calculated ozone changes coused by atmosphric injections of NOx, N2O and chlorofluoromethanes. Adopting the fast rate constant, for the reaction HO2+NO»OH+NO2 measured by Howard and Evenson, we calculate much smaller perturbations of the ozone layer by NOx and N2O additions than previously estimated, but about two times larger ozone reductions as a result of continued emissions of chlorofluoromethanes, CF2Cl2 and CFCl3. The model results are sensitive to adopted values for the rate coefficients for the reactions HO2+O3»OH+2O2 and OH+HO2»H2O+O2 and the eddy diffusion profile near the tropopause. More accurate assessments of ozone perturbations require the development of photochemical models that incorporate meteorological processes in more than one dimension.
Sensitivity of the equilibrium surface temperature of a GCM to systematic changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide

The equilibrium response of surface temperature to atmospheric CO2 concentration, for six values between 100 and 1000 ppm, is calculated from a series of GCM experiments. This response is nonlinear, showing greater sensitivity for lower values of CO2 than for the higher values. It is suggested that changes in CO2 concentration of a given magnitude (e.g., 100 ppm) played a larger role in the Pleistocene ice-age-type temperature variations than in causing global temperature changes due to anthropogenic increases.
Resonant oscillations of inviscid charged drops

Moderate-amplitude axisymmetric oscillations of charged inviscid drops held together by surface tension are calculated by a multiple-timescale expansion. The corrections to the drop shape and velocity caused by mode coupling at second order in amplitude are predicted for two-, three- and four-lobed motions of drops with net charge up to the Rayleigh limit &, = 4d. Resonant oscillations between four- and six-lobed motions occur for total charge values near Q, E (YE)+ and are analysed. Both frequency and amplitude modulation of the oscillation are predicted for drop motions starting from general initial deformations.
Calcitriol and bone mass accumulation in females during puberty.

Adolescence is characterized by rapid skeletal development and high demands for bone minerals. Though the stimulative effect of calcitriol on intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption is well understood, its effect on bone development is not completely clear. It may be directly involved in the facilitation of calcium economy during this critical phase of skeletal development. Therefore, we evaluated the serum concentrations of calcitriol in relation to skeletal development in a cross-sectional study of 178 healthy Caucasian females during different pubertal stages, extending from childhood to young adulthood. In addition, a subsample of 57 younger girls was followed for a 1-year period to evaluate the association among serum calcitriol, nutrition parameters (dietary calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D), bone mass accumulation, and biochemical markers of bone turnover. The serum calcitriol concentration in a cross-sectional sample was the highest during pubertal growth spurt (sexual maturity index 3–4, age 11–13 years) (ANOVA: F = 2.4945; P= 0.0329). This correlated to the peak skeletal calcium accretion (g/year) and bone mass accumulation in total body and forearm. In a longitudinal sample, there was a positive association between annual change in TBBMC (P= 0.0255); TBBMD (P= 0.0168); proximal radius (1/3 distance from styloid process) BMC (P= 0.0096); BMD (P= 0.0541), and baseline calcitriol level in forward stepwise regression analyses. The results of the forward stepwise regression analyses with serum calcitriol as a dependent variable and different serum, urinary, and dietary parameters measured at baseline (age 11 years, n = 114) and after 1 year (age 12 years, n = 57) showed that osteocalcin was positively associated with calcitriol in both years; more so in a second year (P= 0.0514, P < 0.0001, respectively). Dietary vitamin D and phosphorus showed negative association with serum calcitriol at age 11, and dietary Ca and P were selected at age 12. The results of this study show that calcitriol is a significant correlate of bone mass accumulation during pubertal growth, presumably in response to the high requirements for calcium during this critical phase of skeletal development.
Registration of Spring Wheat Germplasm ND 756 Combining Resistances to Foliar Diseases and Fusarium Head Blight

ND 756 hard red spring wheat (HRSW) (Triticum aestivum L.) (Reg. No. GP-837, PI 648034) was developed at North Dakota State University and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. ND 756 was derived from the ND 2849/ND 721 cross made in 1996. ND 2849 and ND 721 are two experimental lines developed by NDSU HRSW breeding program. ND 2849 is derived from a cross (ND 674//ND 2710/ND 688) involving NDSU HRSW experimental lines (ND 674 and ND 688) and ND 2710 (PI 633976, Frohberg et al., 2004) that was previously released for its resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) (caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe (telomorph Gibberella zeae (Schwein.) Petch). ND 756 was produced from a bulk of one F5:6 head row selected in 2002 at the Christchurch, New Zealand off-season nursery. ND 756 was released mainly for its resistance to Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) (caused by Phaeosphaeria nodorum (E.Muller) Hedjarroude), Septoria tritici blotch (STB) (caused by Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fuckl) J. Schrot. in Cohn) and tan spot (caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs). ND 756 is also resistant to the prevalent races of stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis Pers:Pers. f. sp.tritici Eriks. & E. Henn) and leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks.). ND 756 is moderately resistant to FHB and has good agronomic performance but does not meet the high grain quality requirements to qualify for release by NDAES.
Solution of a spatial constancy problem by goldfish

Goldfish readily learned to escape from a compartment by turning toward a door in the same real direction, although they approached the choice point from opposite directions on alternate trials. This ability reflects some capacity for discrimination of spatial relationships in the environment independent of a body-centered reference system.
Percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty under transesophageal echocardiographic guidance.

The patient was a 56-year-old man with aortic stenosis who presented for aortic valve replacement. He had previously undergone coronary artery bypass grafting and had received extensive external beam radiation to his left chest as treatment for lymphoma. His preoperative peak aortic valve gradient as measured by transthoracic echocardiography was 55 mmHg. The patient had a history of syncope, angina, and congestive heart failure. Following induction of anesthesia, a biplane transesophageal echocardiography probe was inserted without difficulty. Initial findings included a peak pressure gradient across the aorticvalve of 58 mmHg without evidence of aortic insufficiency. Median sternotomy was performed and significant hemorrhage noted resulting from transection of the innominate vein. The patient was placed on partial femoral bypass and the transsected vein repaired, but further dissection resulted in disruption of the right ventricular wall and massive hemorrhage. After this bleeding was controlled, the surgeons decided further dissection would be potentially fatal. Because of the severity of the patient’s aortic stenosis, however, it was believed that intervention was necessary. Percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty was undertaken in the operating room by a cardiologist using a left femoral artery approach. Initially, a guidewire was passed across the aortic valve with transesophageal echocardio
Assessment of respondent acceptability of preference measures: discriminatory power of graphic positioning scale versus traditional scaling measures.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to compare discriminatory power of two different measures—graphic positioning scale (GPS) versus traditional scale (TS)—in assessing respondent acceptability of three preference measures: visual analog scale (VAS), standard gamble (SG), and willingness to pay (WTP). Methods Two face-to-face interviews were conducted at least 1 week apart in a convenience sample of women aged 22 to 50 years with no history of breast cancer or cancer requiring chemotherapy. Study participation required completion of two surveys: one evaluating health preferences for an acute condition (chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting) and one evaluating a chronic condition (breast cancer). Data were collected from March 2000 to June 2000 at Ohio State University. Respondents were randomized to either GPS or TS surveys. Data analysis was a two-step process. First, a four-way multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to assess respondent acceptability of three-preference metrics—VAS, SG, and WTP—in health-care decision making. Each of the four dependent variables, difficulty, clarity, reasonableness, and comfort in use in decision making, was measured on 9-point Likert scale. Second, a mixed design univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for each dependent variable to optimize MANOVA analysis. Univariate ANOVAs, 2 × (2 × 3), were composed of three independent variables: assessment (GPS/TS), condition (acute and chronic), and preferences (VAS, SG, WTP). Results Of 126 respondents, 119 were usable and complete. MANOVA results showed ( P F 4,114 = 6.375) and preferences ( F 8,110 = 9.290), and two significant interactions, condition × assessment ( F 4,114 = 3.421) and condition × preferences ( F 8,110 = 2.087). Conclusion GPS has higher discriminatory power than TS in assessing respondent attitudes toward health preference measures. Results showed that respondents had more difficulty and less comfort when making decisions for chronic than for acute conditions. Results also show that respondents regard WTP as a more reasonable decision-making tool when assessing acute interventions in preference to SG and vice versa for chronic conditions. Of VAS, SG, and WTP methods, VAS was perceived as being the easiest to understand. These results can be explained by direct versus indirect comparisons made with GPS and TS methods, respectively.
Design and fabrication of tactile sensors based on electroactive polymer composites

Electroactive polymers, Nafion and Flemion, have been widely investigated as actuator materials due to their good performance, such as light weight, good flexibility, low actuation voltage, large strain. However, less research work has been done on the sensing behaviors of these materials. In this work, we design and fabricate a tactile sensor based on Flemion with water as solvent. Several mechano-electro relationships were obtained when different mechanical input pulses were applied. According to the experiment results, Flemion-based composite could survive much longer time as sensor materials than that as actuator materials in air. By proper design and fabrication, a tactile sensor for potential three-dimensional sensing could be achieved based on this material. Electroactive based polymers would be a good candidate for bio-related sensors especially for artificial derma applications.
AMINO-ACID CONTENT OF ANTISPERMATOGENIC ANTIGEN.

A SINGLE injection of homologous testicular homogenate, spermatozoa, or extracts thereof, in adjuvant, induces aspermatogenesis in the guinea pig1,2. This immunologically induced cellular destructive response is specific in that only the germinal cells are exfoliated. Therefore, immunologically induced aspermatogenesis provides a, model system for investigations of auto-allergic diseases in general. Moreover, the system affords an opportunity to examine problems relating to cell replication as well as the control of cell proliferation. It is important, therefore, to gain knowledge of the essential structure of the antigen(s) inducing aspermatogenesis. This communication provides information regarding the amino-acid content of the antigen(s) and supplements previous reports of other characteristics of this material3,4.
Some Relationships Among Speech Reception, The Dynamic Range of Intelligible Speech and the Acoustic Reflex

It is suggested that the evaluation of hearing for hearing aid selection should include measures of acoustic reflex thresholds. These thresholds should be examined in relation to the puretone and speech audiograms to confirm the need for amplification limiting and the selection of the best ear for a hearing aid if only one aid is to be provided. Middle-ear impedance measurements should be used routinely for hearing evaluation and only a few minutes are needed to determine the acoustic reflex thresholds.Maling af tœrsklen for den akustisk udloste mellemoremuskelreflex bor indga i de undersogelser, som benyttes ved udvœlgelsen af horeapparat. Reflekstœrsklen—sat i relation tœrsklen ved almindelig toneaudiometri—og den taleaudiometriske kurve bekrœfter patientens behov for output begrœnsning (f. eks. i form af kompressor horeapparat) og er tillige vejledende ved valget af det bedst egnede ore, safremt der kun skal tildeles eet horeapparat. Det anbefales, at impedansmaling benyttes rutine-mœssigt ved bedommel...
Quantitative evidence for selective dendritic growth in normal human aging but not in senile dementia

Parahippocampal gyrus was sampled from human brains at autopsy to form three groups: adult (n = 5, mean age 51.2 years), normal aged (n = 5, mean age 79.6), and senile dementia (SD) (n = 5, mean age 76.0). Classification as normal aged or senile demented was based on both behavioral and neuropathological criteria. Tissue was processed for Golgi-Cox, cresyl violet, hematoxylin and eosin and Bodian silver stains. Both atrophied and normal dendritic trees were seen in all cases. Dendrites of layer II pyramidal neurons were quantified with a computer-microscope system. Quantitative data showed that normal aged individuals had longer and more branched dendrites than either adult or SD individuals. There was a slight tendency for SD individuals to have shorter, less-branched dendrites than adults. Differences among groups were greater in apical than in basal portions of the dendritic tree. These differences were largely accounted for by the lengthening and branching (apical dendrites) or lengthening only (basal dendrites) of terminal dendritic segments. These data suggest a model in which aging cortex contains both regressing, dying neurons and surviving, growing neurons. In normal aging it is the latter group that predominates. This is the first demonstration of plasticity in the adult human brain.
International debt and world business fluctuations

Abstract The international transmission of real productivity disturbances is examined in an optimizing model with two countries each inhabited by an infinitely-lived representative consumer/producer. We analyze the dynamics of output, consumption, investment, interest rates, and net external debt. Foreign productivity shocks can have positive or negative impacts on domestic output and international debt, depending on the intertemporal distribution of the shocks. Transient foreign shocks are shown to be positively transmitted and lead to increased domestic indebtedness, while permanent foreign shocks are negatively transmitted and lead to a decline in domestic indebtedness.
Derivation of the emitter-collector transit time of heterojunction bipolar transistors

Abstract Various expressions for the emitter-collector transit time of a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) can be found in the literature. It is not obvious whether the product of the emitter contact resistance and the base-emitter capacitance should be included in the emitter-collector transit time expression. This paper theoretically demonstrates that the above product does not appear in the transit time expression. Additional physical insights observed from the derived transit time expression and comparison to a similar expression for homojunction bipolar transistors will be discussed.
Inflation control in the people's Republic of China, 1949–1974

Abstract China's success in controlling inflation was the result of two basic policies: (a) the government placed top priority on supplying adequate amounts of basic necessities to all; and (b) it designed institutions capable of maintaining sufficient supplies at affordable prices. For these policies to be successfully transferred, three main conditions must be met: (1) fiscal institutions and policies must generate sufficient funds to finance the provision of basic necessities without recourse to deficit spending; (2) the distribution network must be capable of transferring adequate supplies from producers to all consumers; and (3) the measures taken to meet (1) and (2) must be given top priority, but must at the same time be designed to harmonize with the pursuit of other major governmental goals.
The Poetry of Emilio Prados. A Progression towards Fertility

(1984). The Poetry of Emilio Prados. A Progression towards Fertility. Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures: Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 174-176.
Characterization of fine coal particles by steric field-flow fractionation

Abstract Steric field-flow fractionation (steric FFF) is described as a method for the separation and characterization of particulate materials of particle diameter 1 μm. The theoretical basis of steric FFF is described and the concept of apparent particle radius is introduced. Experiments are described using coal ground to a few μm mean diameter. Fractionation is demonstrated by collecting fractions and reinjecting them into the device, after which they re-emerge in a position close to that of the original fraction. A size-distribution curve is obtained and compared to those generated by other means. Possible sources of discrepancies are described. The advantages and potential applications of steric FFF to process control and coal research are discussed.
Numerical analysis of thickness shear thin film piezoelectric resonators using a laminated plate theory

Finite element matrix equations are derived from a two-dimensional, piezoelectric high frequency laminated plate theory. Two-layer ZnO/Si and three-layer ZnO/SiO/sub 2//Si thin film resonators vibrating at the fundamental thickness shear mode are investigated using the finite element models. Straight crested waves propagating in a resonator are studied. Resonant frequency, mode shapes and electromechanical coupling coefficient of the fundamental thickness shear mode are calculated and presented with respect to the C-axis orientation of the ZnO layer, and thickness ratios of the layers in a resonator. The results from the laminated plate model are checked against the three dimensional finite element solution and found to be accurate for the fundamental thickness shear and its anharmonic overtones. The plate model does not yield as accurate a frequency spectrum for flexure, face shear and extensional modes. >
Multi-product pricing via robust optimisation

We propose an approach to model demand uncertainty in pricing problems with capacitated resources that builds upon: (i) range forecasts for various product lines and (ii) bounds on the amount of the resources that can be used by the random part of the cumulative demand. The bounds are adjusted to reflect the decision-maker's risk preferences. Although revenue management traditionally assumes that enough historical observations are available to estimate the underlying probability distributions accurately, the model of uncertainty presented in this work is particularly well suited to the level of information available in real-life settings, in particular in applications with long production lead times, short shelf life or brand new products. We derive robust counterparts to the deterministic pricing problem in the case of additive uncertainty, and analyse the impact of uncertainty and risk aversion on the decision-maker's strategy. In particular, when the price response function is linear or when uncertainty is small, we provide an explicit characterisation of the impact of the system parameters on the optimal strategy and establish the existence of a reference price for each product, which plays a key role in understanding how randomness affects the optimal prices.
Probable Immune System Mediation of the Antitumor Activity of the 2,6-Dimethoxybenzo-p-Semiquinone Radical

We recently reported that the antitumor activity of an immobilized oxidase-peroxidase system, which can produce radical species as intermediates, is dependent on the presence of an intact and functioning immune system in the host. A number of recent investigations have indicated that the bioactive form of many quinone-type anticancer agents may be the semiquinone-type radical. To investigate if the antitumor activity of some of the quinone-type anticancer agents may also be dependent on a fully functioning immune system in the host, we used as a simple, well-defined model the 2,6-dimethoxybenzo-p-semiquinone radical. This free radical has a potent antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites tumors in mice, as first described by Szent-Gyorgyi's group. In the present study, we investigated its antitumor activity in immunocompromised BALB/c mice. We found that the antitumor activity of the semiquinone radical is completely abolished in mice that had previously been subjected to whole body gamma irradiation, indicating a possible involvement of one or more cells of the host's defense system. The antitumor activity was not abolished in mice with dysfunctional macrophages induced by a severe selenium deficiency. However, the radical was inactive in mice whose immune system was suppressed with cyclosporin A and in nude (nu/nu) mice. These results suggest that the dimethoxybenzo-semiquinone radical, rather than acting primarily as a cytotoxic agent as previously reported, exerts its antitumor activity mainly via a more complex mechanism in which T lymphocytes appear to play a major role.
Chemokine-based therapies for MS: how do we get there from here?

Abstract The workshop on Multiple Sclerosis and Chemokines: Prospects for Therapeutic and Prophylactic Intervention was held in Chevy Chase, MD, USA, from 9–10 July 2001.
River Flow in Great Britain

PROF. D. L. LINTON, in his article on “River Flow in Great Britain, 1955–56”1, has a map showing ‘run-off deficit’, defined as “Precipitation minus run-off”.
Modeling Noncohesive Sediment Transport Using Multiple Sediment Size Classes

Abstract Contemporary three-dimensional numerical sediment transport models are often computationally expensive because of their complexity and thus a compromise must be struck between accurately modeling sediment transport and the number of effective sediment grain (particle) size classes to represent in such a model. The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) was used to simulate the experimental results of previous researchers who investigated sediment erosion and gradation around a 180° bend subject to transient flow. The EFDC model was first calibrated using the eight distinct particle size classes reported in the physical experiment to find the best erosion formulations to use. Once the best erosion formulations and parameters were ascertained, numerical simulations were carried out for each experimental run using a single effective particle size. Four techniques for evaluating the effective particle size were investigated. Each procedure yields comparable effective particle sizes within a factor ...