cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of the Human Observer Compared to an Ideal Observer Based on a Generalized NEQ Which Incorporates Scatter and Geometric Unsharpness: Evaluation with a 2AFC Experiment.

Under certain assumptions the detectability of the ideal observer can be defined as the integral of the system Noise Equivalent Quanta multiplied by the squared object spatial frequency distribution. Using the detector Noise-Equivalent-Quanta (NEQD) for the calculation of detectability inadequately describes the performance of an x-ray imaging system because it does not take into account the effects of patient scatter and geometric unsharpness. As a result, the ideal detectability index is overestimated, and hence the efficiency of the human observer in detecting objects is underestimated. We define a Generalized-NEQ (GNEQ) for an x-ray system referenced at the object plane that incorporates the scatter fraction, the spatial distributions of scatter and focal spot, the detector MTFD, and the detector Normalized-Noise-Power-Spectrum (NNPSD). This GNEQ was used in the definition of the ideal detectability for the evaluation of the human observer efficiency during a two Alternative Forced Choice (2-AFC) experiment, and was compared with the case where only the NEQD was used in the detectability calculations. The 2-AFC experiment involved the detection of images of polyethylene tubes (diameters between 100-300 um) filled with iodine contrast (concentrations between 0-120 mg/cm3) placed onto a uniform head equivalent phantom placed near the surface of a microangiographic detector (43 um pixel size). The resulting efficiency of the human observer without regarding the effects of scatter and geometric unsharpness was 30%. When these effects were considered the efficiency was increased to 70%. The ideal observer with the GNEQ can be a simple optimization method of a complete imaging system.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Modeling of Delay Induced by Downstream Traffic Disturbances at Signalized Intersections

Macroscopic models that can be used to estimate the delay at signalized intersections caused by downstream traffic disturbances, such as queues in closely spaced settings, are presented. The models use basic traffic flow properties and control parameters at neighboring intersections. The models are applied to a hypothetical two-signal system. The results show that the delay caused by downstream disturbances can be significant and therefore must be included in level-of-service and capacity analyses. The results also show that control parameters, such as offsets and green splits at upstream and downstream approaches, play key roles in reducing delay. Validation by the use of microscopic traffic simulation shows close agreement between the delay estimates from the proposed models and that from the microscopic simulation model.
Spline calculations of the photoionization oscillator strengths of H3

We apply spline methods to the problem of calculating continuum excitation probabilities of molecular systems under the influence of electromagnetic fields. Numerical results are given for the H3+ molecular ion.
Thinking Theologically About Reproductive and Genetic Enhancements: The Challenge

Current philosophical and legal bioethical reflections on reprogenetics provides little more than a rationalization of the interests of science. There are two reasons for this. First, bioethicists attempt to address ethical issues in a "language of precision" that characterizes science, and this works against analogical and narratological modes of discourse that have traditionally provided guidance for understanding human nature and purpose. Second, the current ethical and legal debate is framed by a public/private distinction that banishes robust norms to the private realm, and leaves a minimalist public discourse of harm avoidance that is insuffucient for regulating the science. In this essay, I argue that Mark Hanson's account of anxiety provides a valuable starting point for addressing deficiencies in the current philosophical and legal debate, and it highlights the need for a theological discourse on genetic enhancements. Through an assessment of Joel Shuman's criticism of the public/private distinction, I show how the needed theological discourse should be situated in the context of robust communities, and how such a communitarian inter-ethic is compatible with a variant of liberalism. Finally, I critically assess James Keenan's account of virtue and perfection, in order to outline what a sufficient discourse on reproductive and genetic enhancements requires.
Relation between irrigation method, sediment yields, and losses of pesticides and nitrogen

Yields of suspended sediment from watersheds in the Quincy and Pasco Basins of Washington State have been reduced by the use of sprinkler irrigation on cropland previously in furrow irrigation. Mean daily yields of suspended sediment from nine watersheds sampled during April and May 1994 ranged from 0.4 kg/ha of irrigated cropland in a watershed with no furrow irrigation to 19 kg/ha in a watershed where 58% of irrigated cropland was in furrow irrigation. About 67% of the variation in the yields can be attributed to irrigation method. Temporal trends also indicated that use of sprinkler irrigation reduced sediment yields. Mean daily yields of suspended solids from one of the watersheds decreased from 0.3 kg/ha in 1975 to <0.2 kg/ha in 1988, corresponding with a decrease from about 65% to <50% in the use of furrow irrigation. Sampling in two watersheds suggests that the use of sprinkler irrigation reduces runoff losses of pesticides and N. For 10 of 13 pesticides and N, runoff losses from a watershed with mostly furrow irrigation exceeded runoff losses from a watershed with mostly sprinkler irrigation.
Nonenzymatically Glucosylated Serum Proteins in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease

We report here abnormally elevated levels of nonenzymatically glucosylated whole-serum proteins in nondiabetic, as well as diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Increased glucosylation of serum proteins and structural proteins has been documented in patients with diabetes mellitus, but not previously in ESRD. Increased levels of hemoglobin A 1 have been reported in patients with ESRD, but appear to be due to carbamylation of hemoglobin rather than glucosylation. Using an assay that does not detect carbamylation, the present study demonstrates abnormally elevated levels of nonenzymatically glucoslated whole-serum proteins in all the chronic hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients studied. Further, we found no change in levels of these abnormal proteins when patients were changed from hemodialysis with a dialysate that contained no glucose to one that did, or to CAPD in which large amounts of glucose are absorbed from the dialysate. The mode of dialysis does not appear to affect glucosylated protein levels in ESRD.
An upside to bicultural identity conflict: Resisting groupthink in cultural ingroups

Abstract Bicultural individuals differ in the degree to which their cultural identities are integrated versus conflicting—Bicultural Identity Integration (BII). Studies of judgment find that biculturals with less integrated identities (low BIIs) tend to defy salient cultural norms, whereas those with highly integrated identities (high BIIs) conform. This study examined biculturals' judgment in a group decision-making context, focusing on individuals' reactions to consensus in cultural ingroups. Results showed that low (vs. high) BIIs are more likely to resist the group consensus when it is incorrect, but not when it is correct. These findings suggest that contrarian impulses of low BIIs can be channeled towards facilitating constructive conflict—resisting groupthink that results from cultural homogeneity. Implications for bicultural identity, motives, and organizational behavior are discussed.
Enteric Fistulas: Principles of Management

In the past decade, surgeons have seen a quiet but dramatic shift in clinical patterns of enteric fistulas. Despite advances in nutritional care, infection control, and surgical technique, an enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) remains a source of considerable morbidity and mortality. In addition, wide adoption of damage control and the open abdomen in trauma and emergency surgery have confronted surgeons with a new and especially vicious adversary: the enteroatmospheric (or exposed) fistula (EAF). These fistulas, occurring in the midst of an open abdominal wound, are very difficult to control and present a particularly lethal challenge. Such EAFs might well be the most common type of enteric fistula facing surgeons today. Yet this shift in clinical patterns from the classic ECF to the new EAF is still totally disregarded in major surgical texts. The aim of this review is to present current principles in the management of enteric fistulas. Additionally, we will demonstrate how traditional principles of managing enteric fistulas help us to better understand the physiology and natural history of EAFs and to deal effectively with this new challenge.
Organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells made from hyperbranched phthalocyanines

Organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells with a cell structure of indium tin oxide/TiO2/TiOx:hyperbranched phthalocyanine/CuSCN/Au (or carbon) have been fabricated by solution based processing using three hyperbranched phthalocyanines (H2PPc, TiOPPc and CuPPc) as light-absorbing materials. These organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells are extremely thin absorber solar cells, which possess p-i-n heterojunctions ("i," an intrinsic absorber layer), as they were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. With an illuminated area of 1 cm 2 ,a solar cell made from H2PPc achieved conversion efficiency of 0.23% under 1-sun air mass 1.5 global illumination. The lower conversion efficiency for the cell made from CuPPc was likely due to the energy loss in the formation of triplet states with an intersystem crossing time of
Nuclear DNA amount during sporogenesis and gametogenesis in sexual and aposporous buffelgrass.

Nuclear DNA amounts (C values) were measured in Feulgen-stained sections of anthers and ovules of sexual plant B-2s (genotype aaaa) and aposporous cultivar Higgins (genotype AAaa) of buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare). The mass of the unreplicated nuclear genome of a gamete equals 1C DNA. In both lines, pollen mother cell nuclei were 4C before leptotene; anther wall, dyad, 1-nucleate pollen, and generative cell nuclei were 2C; microspore tetrad, enlarging microspore, and sperm nuclei were 1C. The tapetum persisted as uninucleate cells with 4C DNA. Archespores (2-4C) of both lines initiated meiosis to form megaspore tetrad nuclei with 1-2C DNA. In B-2s, chalazal megaspores (2-4C) formed reduced 8-nucleate Polygonum type embryo sacs, and sacs at 2- and 4-nucleate stages showed distributions with peaks near C1 and C2, corresponding to G1 and G2 cell cycle phases; this is characteristic of active mitosis. Nuclei of 8-nucleate sacs and of eggs and polars were 1C, indicating chromosomes were not duplicated before fertilization. Antipodal nuclei had levels from 1 to 36C, possibly due to polyteny or endopolyploidy. In Higgins, aposporous initials and 2-nucleate embryo sacs showed bimodal distributions of 2n nuclei with peaks at 2C and 4C DNA. Nuclei of newly formed 4-nucleate Panicum type aposporous sacs and of polars were 2C; aposporous eggs stained too faintly for reliable measurement.
A practical method for calculating evolutionary trees from sequence data

In a previous paper (Klotz et a1., 1979) we described a method for determining evolutionary trees from sequence data when rates of evolution of the sequences might differ greatly. It was shown theoretically that the method always gave the correct topology and root when the exact number of mutation differences between sequences and from their common ancestor was known. However, the method is impractical to use in most situations because it requires some knowledge of the ancestor. In this present paper we describe another method, related to the previous one, in which a present-day sequence can serve temporarily as an ancestor for purposes of determining the evolutionary tree regardless of the rates of evolution of the sequences involved. This new method can be carried out with high precision without the aid of a computer, and it does not increase in difficulty rapidly as the number of sequences involved in the study increases, unlike other methods.
Orexin-1 receptor antagonism decreases ethanol consumption and preference selectively in high-ethanol-preferring Sprague Dawley rats

Work from our laboratory has shown that orexin (ORX; or hypocretin) neurons in the lateral hypothalamus are involved in preference for morphine, cocaine, and food. Other groups have demonstrated a connection between the ORX system and ethanol-related behaviors. Here, we extended those results to investigate, in outbred Sprague-Dawley rats, the relationship between ethanol preference and the ORX system. In Experiment 1, rats were trained to drink 10% ethanol using the intermittent access (IA) technique. In Experiment 2, different groups of rats were trained to drink 10% ethanol using either IA or the sucrose-fade (SF) technique. Following ethanol-drinking acquisition, ethanol preference was assessed using two-bottle-choice tests. The rats were then tested for changes in preference with additional two-bottle-choice tests following administration of the orexin-1 receptor antagonist SB-334867 (SB; 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Differences in ethanol preference were observed across individuals, with a significantly higher ethanol preference observed in rats trained to drink using IA compared with SF. In both Experiments 1 and 2, SB reduced ethanol preference selectively in rats with high ethanol preference. These results demonstrate a strong, causal relationship between the ORX system and ethanol preference in outbred rats. These findings provide additional evidence that the ORX system provides opportunities to develop novel treatments for alcohol abuse.
Comparative studies on alkylation of bacterial DNA in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract The activity of various methylating, ethylating, and propylating agents in DNA alkylation in vitro and in vivo , in decreasing transforming activity when DNA is treated in vitro and in vivo , in cell killing, and in induction of mutations have been studied in B. subtilis . The extent and the order of activity of these agents in all the above phenomena depended not only on the concentration, and on the nature of the alkylating group, but also on the anionic residue, and this order was different for DNA alkylation in vitro , for cell killing and for induction of mutations; thus, both parts of the alkylating molecule determine the reactivity towards DNA, and may be toxic to the cell also by reactions other than with DNA. While, as expected, the extent of DNA alkylation in vitro was much greater than in vivo , unexpectedly the decrease of transforming activity was less in vitro than in vivo ; this may be due to an enzyme breaking alkylated DNA in the cell and/or during extraction. This intracellular process may be more lethal than the one resulting from the extent of DNA alkylation itself. At the same molarity, ethylating agents are less active than methylating, in all the above phenomena; at the same mutagenicity, ethylating agents may be less active (ethyl methanesulfonate) or more active (diethyl sulfate) than methylating, in cell killing, depending on anionic residue. In conclusion, the usefulness of an alkylating agent as a mutagen of low lethality depends on intracellular enzymes and on both parts of the alkylating molecule.
A variational formulation and numerical solution of the optimal resolution problem in supercritical fluid chromatography

Abstract In this paper we propose a formulation of an optimal resolution problem in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) using variational theory. In the recent supercritical fluid literature there has been interest in the enhanced selectivity properties of near-critical fluids used as mobile phases in SFC. As the near-critical thermodynamic retrograde region is traversed, selectivity increases dramatically, often with respect to similar molecular species which are of most interest in separations technology. However, column retention times in the retrograde region tend to be maximal and as a result resolution and speed of processing, both desirable objectives, are in conflict here. The purpose of the optimal control formulation is to resolve this conflict according to a prespecified objective function. The numerical solution of the optimization problem provided here shows that there is significant potential for optimizing system performance. The calculations were done using a molecular thermodynamic model for species adsorption that in our previous experimental work was shown to be accurate for predicting retention time characteristics in SFC columns. Thus the insights gained from this computational study will be useful in future experimental investigations.
Gas Chromatography of Barbiturates, Phenolic Alkaloids, and Xanthine Bases: Flash-Heater Methylation by Means of Trimethylanilinium Hydroxide

Injection of methanol solutions of trimethylanilinium salts of barbiturates, phenolic alkaloids, and dimethylxanthines produced thermal decomposition in the injection port to give methyl derivatives suitable for quantitative gas chromatography. Trimethylanilinium hydroxide appeared to be superior to tetramethylammonium hydroxide for instantaneous methylation of these compounds. Quantitative methylation was achieved under a variety of experimental conditions. The change in retention time resulting from methylation may be used for identification purposes. The 1,3-dimethyl structure of methylated barbiturates was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy.
Assessing driver distraction from cell phone use: A simulator-based study

The relative driving performance of 37 drivers was compared in a controlled laboratory environment to assess how cell phone use affects driver performance on urban arterials and local roads. The stimulus consisted of answering a call on a hand-held cell phone and engaging in a scripted conversation with study researchers. A driving simulator replicated various typical real-world driving environments and roadway situations. Subjects drove a control scenario (baseline condition) and a test scenario in which they were asked to answer a set of questions using a hand-held cell phone while driving. The subjects were required to navigate various conditions, such as respond to traffic signs and signals, negotiate vehicular traffic when turning, and yield to unexpected pedestrians and bicyclists. Driver performance was assessed for overall driver performance scores, speed profiles, vehicular lateral placement within travel lanes, and number of crashes that occurred during the simulator experiment. Changes in measures between control and test scenarios were subjected to a series of statistical tests. Analysis results indicated that when cell phones were used while driving, subject performance scores were significantly lower, average speeds significantly slower, and proportions of improper lateral placement observed significantly higher. In addition, twice as many crashes (also statistically significant) were observed when subjects used cell phones while driving as were observed under the control condition. In this controlled laboratory experiment, the distraction caused by answering a call and engaging in a conversation on a hand-held cell phone significantly degraded driving performance.
Dynamics of movement coordination and tremor during gait in Parkinson's disease

Abstract Movement coordination, transition and stability aspects of gait in individuals with Parkinson's disease were investigated. Changes in movement coordination were evaluated by means of relative phase changes between upper and lower extremities and stability of patterns by means of the standard deviation of relative phase. Spectroscopic analysis of individual limb oscillators and of the relative phase between these oscillators was used to assess the contribution of lower and higher (e.g., tremor) frequency components on the coordination dynamics. Coordination changes in five patients and five age-matched controls were evaluated by means of accelerometry while movement velocity was manipulated as a control parameter on a motor-driven treadmill. Relative phase changes and stability features showed gradual changes in upper and lower extremity oscillations with walking velocity, a finding consistent with model predictions by Schoner et al. (1990) regarding gait changes in the quadrupedal walking mode. Parkinson's disease patients showed overall less adaptations in relative phase than the control group, especially those involving the upper extremities. Frequency analyses of relative phase also demonstrated that 1. (a) systematic scaling of walking velocity can affect the dominant frequency of Parkinsonian tremor, 2. (b) higher order frequency components in relative phase can play a functional, stabilizing role, and 3. (c) 1/ƒ scaling properties of the relative phase power spectrum can identify the higher degree of constraint on the coordination dynamics in Parkinson's disease.
Characterization of Functional Domains of the SMN Proteinin Vivo

The Survival of Motor Neurons (SMN) is the disease gene of spinal muscular atrophy. We have previously established a genetic system based on the chicken pre-B cell line DT40, in which expression of SMN protein is regulated by tetracycline, to study the function of SMN in vivo. Depletion of SMN protein is lethal to these cells. Here we tested the functionality of mutant SMN proteins by determining their capacity to rescue the cells after depletion of wild-type SMN. Surprisingly, all of the spinal muscular atrophy-associated missense mutations tested were able to support cell viability and proliferation. Deletion of the amino acids encoded by exon 7 of the SMN gene resulted in a partial loss of function. A mutant SMN protein lacking both the tyrosine/glycine repeat (in exon 6) and exon 7 failed to sustain viability, indicating that the C terminus of the protein is critical for SMN activity. Interestingly, the Tudor domain of SMN, encoded by exon 3, does not appear to be essential for SMN function since a mutant deleted of this domain restored cell viability. Unexpectedly, a chicken SMN mutant (DeltaN39) lacking the N-terminal 39 amino acids that encompass the Gemin2-binding domain also rescued the lethal phenotype. Moreover, the level of Gemin2 in DeltaN39-rescued cells was significantly reduced, indicating that Gemin2 is not required for DeltaN39 to perform the essential function of SMN in DT40 cells. These findings suggest that SMN may perform a novel function in DT40 cells.
Unitarity constraints on charged pion photoproduction at large p

Around $$\theta_{\pi}=$$90$$^\circ$$, the coupling to the $$\rho^\circ N$$ channel leads to a good accounting of the charged pion exclusive photoproduction cross section in the energy range 3 < Eγ < 10 GeV, where experimental data exist. Starting from a Regge Pole approach that successfully describes vector meson production, the singular part of the corresponding box diagrams (where the intermediate vector meson-baryon pair propagates on-shell) is evaluated without any further assumptions (unitarity). Such a treatment provides an explanation of the $$s^{-7}$$ scaling of the cross section. Furthermore, elastic rescattering of the charged pion improves the basic Regge pole model at forward and backward angles.
Instrumental responding remains under the control of the consequent outcome after extended training.

Abstract The effect of extensive training on the contribution of response–outcome learning to instrumental performance in rats was re-examined in two experiments using a transfer test. In each experiment, two discriminative stimuli were established as signals for different response–outcome combinations (e.g. light: nose poke-pellets and noise: handle pull-sucrose). Then, two different responses (lever press and chain pull) were concurrently trained with those outcomes. In Experiment 1, these responses underwent extensive training, each with a different outcome (e.g. lever press-pellets and chain pull-sucrose). In Experiment 2, these responses were trained moderately with one outcome (e.g. lever press-pellets and chain pull-sucrose) and extensively with a different outcome (e.g. lever press-sucrose and chain pull-pellets). Finally, transfer tests were conducted in which the discriminative stimuli, noise and light, were tested periodically with the lever and chain. In Experiment 1, the stimuli consistently and preferentially elevated performance of the response trained with the same outcome relative to that trained with a different outcome. In Experiment 2, the stimuli elevated both responses nondifferentially. However, a drive manipulation (thirst) designed to increase the value of sucrose relative to pellets revealed a significant preference for the response that had been extensively trained with sucrose. Overall, the results of these experiments confirm previous findings that instrumental behaviors do not become increasingly independent of their consequent outcomes with extended training. However, the transfer results of Experiment 2 highlight a potential limitation of the transfer test for assessing variations in the strength of R–O associations.
A simple unsplit Godunov method for multidimensional MHD

Abstract We describe a numerical algorithm based on Godunov methods for integrating the equations of compressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) in multidimensions. It combines a simple, dimensionally-unsplit integration method with the constrained transport (CT) discretization of the induction equation to enforce the divergence-free constraint. We present the results of a series of fully three-dimensional tests which indicate the method is second-order accurate for smooth solutions in all MHD wave families, and captures shocks, contact and rotational discontinuities well. However, it is also more diffusive than other more complex unsplit integrators combined with CT. Thus, the primary advantage of the method is its simplicity. It does not require a characteristic tracing step to construct interface values for the Riemann solver, it is straightforward to extend with additional physics, and it is suitable for use with nested and adaptive meshes. The method is implemented as one of two dimensionally unsplit MHD integrators in the Athena code, which is freely available for download from the web.
Effects of Equol on Gene Expression in Female Cynomolgus Monkey Iliac Arteries

Abstract Background and aims To examine effects of equol, the soy phytoestrogen metabolite, on gene expression in the monkey iliac artery. Methods and results A high fat/high cholesterol diet was fed to eight ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys for 6.5 years. After biopsy of the left iliac artery, the animals were randomized to two treatment groups for 8 months; the treatment groups were equol (23.7 mg/100 g diet, n = 4) and vehicle ( n = 4). The right iliac artery was removed at necropsy. Gene expression in the iliac arteries in response to equol was determined by DNA microarray. Comparison of atherosclerotic lesions and plasma lipids at pre-versus post-equol treatment time points and in vehicle versus equol treatment groups did not identify any significant differences. Despite the lack of effect of equol on these parameters, 59 genes were down-regulated and 279 were up-regulated in response to equol. Comparison of these data to previous work identified 10 genes regulated in opposite directions by equol compared to presence of atherosclerosis plaque ( Menopause 2011; 18:1087–1095) and 55 genes differentially expressed in the same direction in response to both equol and estradiol (Eyster et al., Menopause 2014;21:143–152.). Conclusions Similar responses of genes to both equol and estradiol may reflect the extent to which equol serves as a natural selective estrogen receptor modulator in the arteries. Opposite responses of 10 genes to equol versus the presence of atherosclerosis implicates those genes in the potential protective effects of equol in arteries.
Human immunodeficiency virus 1 reservoir in CD4+ T cells is restricted to certain V beta subsets.

Abstract The human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replicates more efficiently in T-cell lines expressing T-cell receptors derived from certain V beta genes, V beta 12 in particular, suggesting the effects of a superantigen. The targeted V beta 12 subset was not deleted in HIV-1-infected patients. It was therefore possible that it might represent an in vivo viral reservoir. Viral load was assessed by quantitative PCR with gag primers and with an infectivity assay to measure competent virus. It was shown that the tiny V beta 12 subset (1-2% of T cells) often has a higher viral load than other V beta subsets in infected patients. Selective HIV-1 replication in V beta 12 cells was also observed 6-8 days after in vitro infection of peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal, HIV-1 negative donors. Viral replication in targeted V beta subsets may serve to promote a biologically relevant viral reservoir.
Serum lipoproteins of the Pacific sardine (Sardinops caerulea Girard).

Abstract Sardine serum lipoproteins were separated into ultracentrifugal density classes, and data on the lipid compositions of these classes and the fatty acid distributions of cholesteryl esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids are presented. The lipids present in the three density classes with highest percentages were: cholesteryl esters (60%) in the very low density, phospholipids (35%) and triglycerides (30%) in the low density, and phospholipids (55%) in the high density fractions. The fatty acid composition of the triglycerides from low and high density fractions were very similar, whereas marked differences were seen between the fatty acids of cholesteryl esters and phospholipids for these two lipoprotein classes. Agarose gel electrophoresis of the sardine serum indicated the presence of three distinct bands with α-like mobility, but pre-β or β bands were not detected in whole serum or in any density fraction. The absence of lipoproteins with pre-β or β mobility in sardines suggests major differences between fat transport in mammalian and fish systems.
A Note on Remarriage Reporting in the 1910 U.S. Census

The quality of remarriage reporting among native-born whites in the 1910 United States Census is assessed using indirect demographic estimation techniques and vital statistics on divorce. Specifically I compare the reports of remarriage in the census with estimates based on the extent of widowhood and divorce. After adjusting for possible levels of underreporting of divorce in the census I estimate that the reports of remarriage among native-born whites in the 1910 census are underreported by less than 5 percent through age 49. At older ages however the underreporting rises to 9 percent among women and up to 21 percent among men. In the process of validating the remarriage reports in the census I calculate the proportion of the divorced and widowed population who remarry information that is not available directly from the census. These estimates can be used as a baseline for studies of remarriage in the U.S. in the twentieth century. (EXCERPT)
A review of basic aspects of heat transfer under impinging air jets

The literature on the heat transfer occurring from impinging hot air jets, now employed in many driers is reviewed. Variations in average and local heat transfer coefficients and other parameters are discussed in respect to jet air velocity, distance from jet to the impinged surface, and jet turbulence level. Areas which require additional research are pointed out, in addition to a discussion on elementary heat transfer and a brief review of research on mass transfer occurring under impinging jets.
Intra-operative behavioral tasks in awake humans undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure that directs chronic, high frequency electrical stimulation to specific targets in the brain through implanted electrodes. Deep brain stimulation was first implemented as a therapeutic modality by Benabid et al. in the late 1980s, when he used this technique to stimulate the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus for the treatment of tremor 1. Currently, the procedure is used to treat patients who fail to respond adequately to medical management for diseases such as Parkinson's, dystonia, and essential tremor. The efficacy of this procedure for the treatment of Parkinson's disease has been demonstrated in well-powered, randomized controlled trials 2. Presently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved DBS as a treatment for patients with medically refractory essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, and dystonia. Additionally, DBS is currently being evaluated for the treatment of other psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, and epilepsy. DBS has not only been shown to help people by improving their quality of life, it also provides researchers with the unique opportunity to study and understand the human brain. Microelectrode recordings are routinely performed during DBS surgery in order to enhance the precision of anatomical targeting. Firing patterns of individual neurons can therefore be recorded while the subject performs a behavioral task. Early studies using these data focused on descriptive aspects, including firing and burst rates, and frequency modulation 3. More recent studies have focused on cognitive aspects of behavior in relation to neuronal activity 4,5. This article will provide a description of the intra-operative methods used to perform behavioral tasks and record neuronal data with awake patients during DBS cases. Our exposition of the process of acquiring electrophysiological data will illuminate the current scope and limitations of intra-operative human experiments.
Use of 14C-carboxyl-luciferin in determining the mechanism of the firefly luciferase catalyzed reactions.

Abstract The use of 14C-carboxyl-labelled luciferin as a substrate for the firefly luciferase catalyzed reaction produces 14CO2 as a product. We have studied this reaction in the presence of 17O2 and H18OH, using an excess of luciferin over luciferase. The initial collection of CO2 contained close to one oxygen from 17O2 for each molecule of 14CO2 derived from luciferin, which is consistent with a cyclic peroxide mechanism. About half of the 14CO2 remained bound to the enzyme and was collected after acidification of the medium. This CO2 contained less than 0.1 of an atom of oxygen from 17O2 for each molecule of 14CO2 derived from luciferin. Exchange of medium CO2-HCO3 su− with water was not sufficiently great to account for the loss of any 17O previously incorporated. The most likely explanation appears to be a preferential exchange of oxygens of enzyme-bound CO2 with water oxygens. Such exchange, and dilution of CO2 from luciferin by medium CO2, may explain previous results in which little incorporation of atmospheric oxygen was noted.
Deconstructing the axon: Wallerian degeneration and the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Abstract The active process by which axons degenerate has been shown to require the ubiquitin–proteasome system. A new study reveals potential linkage between the cellular protein degradation machinery and axon loss in neurodegeneration and injury.
Functional Cloning and Characterization of the Multidrug Efflux Pumps NorM from Neisseria gonorrhoeae and YdhE from Escherichia coli

Active efflux of antimicrobial agents is one of the most important adapted strategies that bacteria use to defend against antimicrobial factors that are present in their environment. The NorM protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the YdhE protein of Escherichia coli have been proposed to be multidrug efflux pumps that belong to the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family. In order to determine their antimicrobial export capabilities, we cloned, expressed, and purified these two efflux proteins and characterized their functions both in vivo and in vitro. E. coli strains expressing norM or ydhE showed elevated (twofold or greater) resistance to several antimicrobial agents, including fluoroquinolones, ethidium bromide, rhodamine 6G, acriflavine, crystal violet, berberine, doxorubicin, novobiocin, enoxacin, and tetraphenylphosphonium chloride. When they were expressed in E. coli , both transporters reduced the levels of ethidium bromide and norfloxacin accumulation through a mechanism requiring the proton motive force, and direct measurements of efflux confirmed that NorM behaves as an Na + -dependent transporter. The capacities of NorM and YdhE to recognize structurally divergent compounds were confirmed by steady-state fluorescence polarization assays, and the results revealed that these transporters bind to antimicrobials with dissociation constants in the micromolar region.
Potential evaporation functions compared on US watersheds: Possible implications for global-scale water balance and terrestrial ecosystem modeling

Estimates of potential evaporation Ep are commonly employed in terrestrial water balance and net primary productivity models. This study compared a set of 11 Ep methods in a global-scale water balance model (WBM) applied to 3265 0.5° (lat. × long.) grid cells representing the conterminous US. The Ep methods ranged from simple temperature-driven equations to physically-based combination approaches and include reference surface Epr and surface cover-dependent Eps algorithms. Cover-dependent parameters were assigned a priori based on grid cell vegetation. The WBM applies mean monthly climatic drivers and other biophysical inputs to compute water budgets on individual grid cells using a quasi-daily time step. For each Ep method water budgets were computed and compared against mean monthly and annual streamflow from 679 gauged watersheds, assumed to be representative of the grid cells in which they reside. Procedures were developed for excluding watersheds for which this assumption was questionable, and 330 of the original 1009 watersheds were removed from further analysis. Among Epr methods, the range of mean bias relative to observed runoff, and thus simulated actual evapotranspiration Es, varied from approximately −100 to +100 mm yr−1; Eps methods had a substantially smaller range, from about −50 to +50 mm yr−1. These results agree well with previous Ep intercomparison studies at the point scale. Some individual methods from both the Epr and Eps groups yielded relatively small overall bias when compared with observed discharge data, suggesting the utility of simple as well as physically-based evaporation functions in continental- and global-scale applications. For any individual method, the spatial distribution of Es across the US was significantly altered relative to that of Ep due to moisture-induced limits on soil drying. These limitations were most pronounced in hot, dry areas, where differences among Ep methods in excess of 700 mm yr−1 were reduced to differences of less than 200 mm yr−1 in Es and runoff. There was a correspondingly higher sensitivity of Es to the choice of Ep in more humid regions. These findings suggest that predictions made by macro-scale hydrology models like the WBM can be sensitive to the specific Ep method applied and that this sensitivity results in bias relative to measured components of the terrestrial water cycle. The adoption of particular Ep functions within such models should be conditioned upon the comparison of water budget calculations to suitable records of observed discharge.
Optimizing the Output of a Human-Powered Energy Harvesting System With Miniaturization and Integrated Control

We propose a novel harvesting technology to inconspicuously transduce mechanical energy from human foot-strikes and explore its configuration and control toward optimized energy output. Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are high-energy density, soft material that electrostatically transduce mechanical energy. These properties enable increased energy-transduction efficiency without sacrificing user comfort, if configured and controlled properly. We expose key statistical properties of human gait, which show that an array of miniaturized harvesters across the foot-sole will improve energy output. Further, the gait properties naturally yield a closed-loop control strategy to individually control harvesters in the array in a manner that maximizes net energy output. We propose statistical techniques that guide the configuration and control of the harvester array, and evaluate system behavior from detailed analytical and empirical models of DE behavior. System evaluations based on experimentally collected foot pressure data sets show that the proposed system can achieve up to 120 mJ per foot-strike.
Vaccinia necrosum complicating immunoblastic sarcoma

A 59-year-old man is presented who had immunoblastic lymphadenopathy which evolved over a three-year period into immunoblastic sarcoma. His course was complicated by vaccinia necrosum, which necessitated prolonged therapy with Marboran and vaccinia-immune globulin. The persistence of virus was documented at autopsy by positive viral culture and ultra-structural examination. This case illustrates the potential hazards of administration of live viral vaccines to an immune compromised host presumed to be in remission and suggests that the continued activity of viral infection may signal the unsuspected persistence of underlying disease.
Optimal Sequential Assignments with Random Arrival Times

A problem is considered where jobs arrive at random times and assume random values, or importance. These must be assigned to a fixed set of men whose qualities are different but known. As each job arrives, its value is observed and the decision-maker must decide which man, if any, to assign to this job. If a job arrives at time t and its value is observed to be x, then by assigning man i with quality pi, a reward rtpix is received, where rt is a discount function. The object is to find an assignment policy which maximizes the expected reward from the available men. The problem is analyzed for different arrival distributions and for different discount functions, but in all cases, the optimal policies are shown to have fairly simple forms, independent of the actual qualities of the men, the pi's. Other interpretations of the model, besides the men and jobs interpretation, are also given. The paper concludes with a similar model which does not, however, include time as an explicit parameter.
Recommendations for Measurement of Bone Mineral Density and Identifying Persons to be Treated for Osteoporosis

Clinical practice guidelines exist for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in men and postmenopausal women. These guidelines present a uniform set of recommendations. Unfortunately, studies have shown a low rate of screening and treatment, particularly in high-risk groups, such as patients who have experienced a fracture. It is hoped that quality improvement projects, such as that currently being conducted by the American Medical Association in conjunction with numerous specialty societies, will lead to an improvement in physidan practices in this area that will result in a reduction in morbidity and mortality from osteoporotic fractures.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Identification of Rotaviruses from Different Animal Species

Rotaviruses cause gastroenteritis in man and a wide variety of animal species. They cross-react in many immunologic tests and have a similar appearance by electron microscopy, making differentiation among them difficult. Rotaviruses derived from different host species were distinguished by postinfection serum blocking virus activity in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-three rotavirus isolates from children living in three different parts of the world could not be differentiated by this technique, but they were distinct from four strains recovered from calves, and a series of strains isolated from piglets, foals, monkeys, and infant mice. The four bovine strains were similar, but they could be differentiated from the other animal strains, each of which exhibited a distinct pattern when tested by the ELISA blocking technique.
Partitions of point processes: Multivariate poisson approximations

Abstract This study shows that when a point process is partitioned into certain uniformly sparse subprocesses, then the subprocesses are asymptotically multivariate Poisson or compound Poisson. Bounds are given for the total-variation distance between the subprocesses and their limits. Several partitioning rules are considered including independent, Markovian, and batch assignments of points.
Property computation in Grapple (abstract only)

Grapple [1] is an expert system for graph-theory investigation. A frequent activity of the exploration phase of this research process is the identification or computation of a graph theoretic property such as chromatic number. Grapple automates this task for a wide variety of properties. Three methods are used: recall, inference, and direct computation. Method selection is controlled by a set of rules which evaluate the efficacy of each method given a particular graph instance and property.In Grapple, graphs and properties are represented as frames. The graph frame includes a PROPERTY slot. This slot contains a list of property names and their values. Queries about properties may be answered directly by the graph if the property name appears in this list. For each graph instance the PROPERTY slot is filled only in response to queries. The computation of one property may produce as a side-effect the identification or value of another property.A property value may also be inferred. Each graph instance may be identified as a MEMBER-OF one or more classes of graphs. This permits a property value to be inherited from the class network if it exists. Each property frame has an IF-NEEDED slot. One facet of this slot contains rules for inferring a property from other properties and attributes of a graph.The third property evaluation alternative is direct computation. The IF-NEEDED slot of the property frame contains another facet which holds a sat of algorithms for computing the value of the property.
The Corregidores of the Colca Valley, Peru: Imperial Administration in an Andean Region

The corregidor de los indios was introduced into the Viceroyalty of Peru by Governor Garcia de Castro in 1565. The institution was designed to limit the power of the encomendero elite and to improve administration and justice in the Andean countryside. Here we examine the impact of the reforms at the local level, the corregimiento of Los Collaguas in the Colca Valley, located between Cuzco and Arequipa. Althought the Crown was largely successful in weakening the encomienda, possibility of graft corrupted all but a handful of corregidores. The residencia did check some of those abuses.