cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection of tobacco rattle virus in tubers exhibiting symptoms of corky ringspot by polymerase chain reaction

Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-specific products were obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nucleic acid extracts prepared from tubers exhibiting symptoms of corky ringspot (CRS) disease. Viral origin of amplification products was confirmed by hybridization of PCR products with a nonradioactively-labeled complementary DNA probe prepared from purified TRV RNA. Results suggest that TRV is not uniformly distributed in CRS-affected tubers and appears to be in low concentration in tuber tissue.
Exploring the links between personality and media preferences

Abstract Personality characteristics (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism) and media preferences (prime-time television programs, contemporary movies, and popular music) were assessed for 119 male undergraduates using a questionnaire. The findings revealed considerable correspondence between the respondents' predominant personality characteristics and their media content preferences. For example, respondents scoring high on neuroticism expressed a strong preference for information/news television programs and “downbeat” music while tending to avoid more lighthearted comedy and action/adventure fare. Those scoring high on psychoticism, on the other hand, evidenced significantly less interest in comedy offerings but displayed a strong preference for graphically violent horror movies. Further, media preference profiles that successfully discriminated between different levels of neuroticism and psychoticism were identified. Some implications of these findings for future research on media selection and use effects are discussed.
Herpesviruses in chronic encephalitis associated with intractable childhood epilepsy

Herpesviruses (especially cytomegalovirus [CMV] and Epstein-Barr virus [EBV]) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic (Rasmussen) encephalitis associated with epilepsy. To assess the presence of herpesvirus genes in brain tissue from epileptic children with chronic (usually Rasmussen type) encephalitis, DNA was extracted from surgically resected brain tissue and studied by the polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for CMV, varicella zoster virus, herpes simplex virus, EBV, and human herpesvirus 6 genes. By this technique evidence for the presence of low levels of CMV and EBV genes was detected in most brain specimens from encephalitis patients and in several brain specimens from patients without encephalitis (eg, cortical dysplasia, gliosis, or encephalomalacia) who also had intractable epilepsy. Occasionally, both EBV and CMV genes were found in the same brain. Signal strength for both CMV and EBV was much lower in epileptic brains than in the brains of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients with CMV encephalitis or brain lymphoma. We found evidence for infection of the brain by human herpesvirus 6 in only one patient with encephalitis. Polymerase chain reaction technology applied to resected brain tissue from epileptic patients may provide evidence for or against viral-mediated pathogenesis of Rasmussen encephalitis or other types of encephalitis. The small amounts of EBV and CMV genes found suggest that herpesvirus infection of the brain does not directly cause Rasmussen encephalitis.
A Flooding Algorithm for Multirobot Exploration

In this paper, we present a multirobot exploration algorithm that aims at reducing the exploration time and to minimize the overall traverse distance of the robots by coordinating the movement of the robots performing the exploration. Modeling the environment as a tree, we consider a coordination model that restricts the number of robots allowed to traverse an edge and to enter a vertex during each step. This coordination is achieved in a decentralized manner by the robots using a set of active landmarks that are dropped by them at explored vertices. We mathematically analyze the algorithm on trees, obtaining its main properties and specifying its bounds on the exploration time. We also define three metrics of performance for multirobot algorithms. We simulate and compare the performance of this new algorithm with those of our multirobot depth first search (MR-DFS) approach presented in our recent paper and classic single-robot DFS.
Detection of Protein Tyrosine-Kinase (PTK) Gene Expression Pattern in Normal and Malignant T Lymphocytes by Combined PTK-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction and Parallel Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) control key functions of normal and malignant cells. Comparison of PTK gene expression among various cell populations may be achieved by amplification of the PTK cDNAs using degenerate primers which recognize two relatively invariable regions within their catalytic domain. This approach produces a mixture of PTK cDNA fragments with identical or very similar lengths which are difficult to separate by standard gel electrophoresis. These mixed products are then analyzed in a random fashion which leads to redundant cloning of some and potential omission of other PTKs. By using parallel denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) we have been able to separate the amplified PTK cDNAs derived from the same T-lymphocyte population and compare their expression between various types of normal and malignant T lymphocytes. One such PTK is the type I receptor for insulin-like growth factor, which we found to be preferentially expressed by neoplastic T cells on the both mRNA and protein levels. The combination of PCR which uses PTK-specific primers and parallel DGGE of the amplified PTK cDNAs may prove useful in studying mechanisms of cell activation and malignant transformation and in identifying targets for therapies based on selective inhibition of oncogenic PTKs.
A prospective randomized study with mineral oil and oral lavage solution for treatment of faecal impaction in children

SUMMARY Faecal impaction with or without encopresis is a very common problem. We performed a randomized, open-label, prospective study to compare the efficacy and acceptability of the treatment of faecal impaction using either mineral oil or pineapple-flavoured isotonic intestinal lavage solution containing polyethylene glycol-3350 (Colyte). Thirty-six patients over 2 years of age were randomized to receive either mineral oil or flavoured lavage solution. The dose of mineral oil was 2 to 8 tablespoons twice a day for two days (17 patients—Group I) and of lavage solution was 20 ml/kg/h for 4 hours on two consecutive days (19 patients—Group II). The patients were assessed for the presence of abdominal faecal masses, presence and consistency of rectal mass, perineal soiling before and two days after either of the randomly assigned treatment. The patients and parents were asked regarding the compliance with treatment, side-effects, number of bowel movements after treatment and willingness to try similar treatment if faecal impaction recurred. Patients in the lavage group had more frequent bowel movements, and showed more effective clearance of abdominal and rectal lumps (P < 0.01) at the time of repeat examination at two days. However, they had some vomiting and were less compliant (P < 0.01) when compared to mineral oil patients. We conclude that balanced lavage solution effectively relieves faecal impaction, however, compliance with its use is poorer than that with mineral oil.
Influence of islet and bone marrow transplantation on the diabetes and immunodeficiency of BB rats.

The results of islet transplantation in spontaneous autoimmune diabetes of BB rate were studied to determine whether this disease process might damage the transplanted islet tissue. Since BB rats are not genetically uniform, syngenetic grafts could not be used; therefore, allograft rejection was provented by rendering BB rats immunologically tolerant of WF transplantation antigens by neonatal inoculation with bone marrow cells. Despite the resultant tolerant stato, which permitted successful engraftment of WF skin allografts, the transplanted islets amellorated the spontaneous diabetes of BB rats only briafly before they were destroyed by immune insulitis. BB rats from the diabetic stock were found to suffer from abnormalities in T lymphocytes and their subsets as well as defective immune response patterns. When analyzed with monoclonal antibodies specific for rat lymphocyte markers, BB rats of the diabetic stock were found to be lymphocytopenic. There was a reduction in heiper T cells and a more severe deficit in the suppressor/cytotoxia subset. BB rats that were inoculated neonatally with bone marrow from normal donors were found to have a strikingly reduced incidence of diabetes. Moreover, the T cell functional, numerical, and microenvironmental defects that were present in noninoculated BB rats were restored in marrow-inoculated BB rats, findings possibly related to the decreased incidence of diabetes.
Theory of mechano-electric membrane transducers

Abstract An explanation is sought and obtained for the periodic oscillations of the fluids in membrane oscillator experiments. The procedure involves analysis of the equations of motions of a lattice containing fixed charges. The method is similar to those employed in the dynamical theory of lattice motions. It is demonstrated that the reciprocal relations of Born & Huang are not valid for charged membrane motions, when symmetry of electrical charge distributions are absent. Expressions for the phenomenological coefficients and the dielectric constants of the membrane system are also presented.
Comparative study of the effects of optic design on lens epithelium in vitro.

Abstract We performed two tissue culture experiments designed to compare the effects of various posterior chamber optics on lens epithelium. In the first experiment, we recorded, by phase contrast microphotography, the migration of rabbit lens epithelium exoplants placed adjacent to the optic of various posterior chamber lenses. In the second experiment, we used phase contrast microphotographs to document the effects of various posterior chamber optics when gently placed on a confluent layer of rabbit lens epithelium. From our in vitro studies, we conclude the following: (1) There is inhibition of lens epithelial migration and even cytotoxic effects from direct contact with polymethylmethacrylate optics; (2) glass optics have appreciably less effect on lens epithelium; (3) polymethylmethacrylate optics with ridges (complete annulus or incomplete) do not inhibit lens epithelial migration as well as planoconvex lenses, and they do not have a cytotoxic effect except at the points of contact between the ridge and the supporting surface.
Model-based reasoning in diagnostic expert systems for chemical process plants

Abstract A prototype expert system, called MODEX, for locating the cause(s) of a set of abnormalities in a chemical process id described. We discuss a methodology that aids the developement of expert systems which are process-independent, transparent in their reasoning, and capable of diagnosing a wide diversity of faults. The domain knowlege of the system is based on qualitative reasoning principles and captures physical interconnections between equipment units as well as causal relationships among process state variables. The inference strategy uses model-based reasoning for analyzing the plant behavior. Using a variant of the technique adopted from fault tree synthesis, an initially observed abnormal symptom is considered to be a top level event and a tree structure is constructed as the system searches for a basic event to which the fault can be traced. The diagnostic reasoning process is driven by a problem reduction strategy. The knowledge base is process-independent, thereby enhancing the generality of the expert system. Reasoning from first-principles with the aid of causal and fault models facilitates the diagnoses of novel or unanticipated faults. The system does not assume a single causal origin for all initially observed faults in the chemical process. Moreover, the system has the ability to locate multiple basic causes of a fault. The methodology also permits one to investigate the causal origins of multiple, unrelated, faults. The system provides explanations to user queries at various degrees of detail. Two test cases are discussed in detail.
Rappaccini's progeny.

Nathanial Hawthorne, a great American teller of tales, published Rappaccini's Daughter in 1844. It is a grim story of young love, perverted science and parental possessiveness. Old Dr Rappaccini, a master of botanical poisons and horticulture, has raised his beautiful daughter Beatrice with the same loving care that he has devoted to his toxic plants. Indeed, she has been so imbued and infiltrated with poison that her breath and touch are toxic, lethal; any man who touches her will die. But when Beatrice is courted by the medical student Giovanni, Rappaccini approves of the match and contrives to exert his toxic transformation on the suitor, so that the two can consummate their love. The tale ends tragically. From his professor, Giovanni obtains an antidote to the toxicity, which he gives to Beatrice. She dies, and Giovanni is left in her place, unable to practise his medical craft or to re-enter human society without causing harm. What possible relevance can this gothic tale have for the twenty-first century? There is a growing population antagonistic to contemporary life, suspicious of technology and science, in search of pure and simple living conditions; and a hazard of this flight from modernity is that healthy children are transformed from free-roaming social individuals to creatures confined at the mercy of their parents. One of the greatest achievements of the last century was the prevention of epidemics and disabling infectious diseases such as smallpox, poliomyelitis, rubella and measles—by immunization. The cessation of smallpox vaccination, we now realize, was premature because the virus was never made extinct. Stocks of frozen virus were preserved in the USSR and the USA, accessible to biological warfare strategists and scientists. With more than twenty years' worth of susceptibles, the earth's population is ripe for a devastating epidemic. Yet we are in danger of repeating this error, on a smaller scale, with other diseases. Today many young parents, perhaps believing that medicine has conquered infectious diseases and without personal experience of the devastating consequences of polio or congenital rubella syndrome, have decided that the risks of immunization are greater than the risks of disease. Like Rappaccini's daughter these children are not safe: their immunological naivety is a risk to themselves as well as to their community. They are both victims and vectors.
Beyond Strategic Research: A Value-Centered Approach to Health Communication Interventions

Research on health communication interventions tends to focus on achieving the intervention sponsor's goals. Thus, it can be characterized as strategic. Client and sponsor values, though recognized as important by researchers who adopt this approach, tend to be treated as independent variables that might serve as barriers to behavior change goals, or as dependent variables that can be manipulated to achieve those goals. This paper adopts the proposition that values have a pivotal role in the analysis and design of health communication interventions and that analyses that focus on values embedded in the intervention process can contribute to theory development. Instead of focusing exclusively on health-related objectives, the paper proposes that analyses can also examine the extent to which certain values might have contributed to both problem definition and intervention strategies. The rationale for focusing on values, distinctions between a strategic and a value-centered approach, and the importance of ethical issues in the analysis of health communication interventions are presented through a series of eight propositions. The propositions address six main areas: (a) the locus of analysis, (b) definition of the problem, (c) values, (d) intervention strategies and behavior change models, (e) program evaluation, and (f) ethical concerns.
Isodesmic and homodesmotic stabilization energies of [n]annulenes and their relevance to aromaticity and antiaromaticity: is absolute antiaromaticity possible?

Abstract Isodesmic stabilization energies (ISEs) for conjugated molecules, which are determined by a balance of the stabilizing π-electron non-cyclic delocalization and either stabilizing aromatic or destabilizing antiaromatic π-electron cyclic delocalization, do not yield a reasonable estimation of aromaticity or antiaromaticity. Homodesmotic stabilization energies (HSEs) should be used for this purpose. The ISEs for [n]annulenes are larger by the ( n 2 ) ISE(s-trans-1,3-butadiene) value than the corresponding HSEs. The experimental value of the ISE(s-trans-1,3-butadiene) is 59.4 ± 4.1 kJ mol−1 at 298 K. While cyclooctatetraene has only the relative antiaromatic character, cyclobutadiene features both relative and absolute antiaromaticity. Since the HSE and ISE of cyclobutadiene, corrected for its strain energy, are still negative (−174.0 and −55.2 kJ mol−1, respectively, at the MP4SDTQ/6-31G (d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d,p) + ZPE(HF/6-31G(d)) level), π-antiaromaticity rather than σ-strain is at the origin of the remarkable instability of cyclobutadiene. At the MP4SDTQ/6-31G(d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d,p) + ZPE(HF/6-31G(d)) level, the antiaromatic destabilization of cyclobutadiene corrected for the ring-strain and normalized per π-electron is −43.5 kJ mol−1, a value that is larger (in absolute value) than the antiaromatic destabilization of planar D4h cyclooctatetraene (−14.9 kJ mol−1 per π-electron) and the aromatic stabilization of benzene (17.7 kJ mol−1 per π-electron). In contrast to cyclobutadiene, planar D4h cyclooctatetraene has a positive ISE (118.8 kJ mol−1) indicating that the stabilizing π-electron non-cyclic delocalization overbalances the destabilizing antiaromatic π-electron cyclic delocalization. Nevertheless, planar cyclooctatetraene is assigned to the class of antiaromatic molecules since its HSE is −118.8 kJ mol−1 at the MP4SDTQ/6-31G(d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d,p) + ZPE(HF/6-31G(d)) level.
Deterioration of large Ge(Li) diodes caused by fast neutrons

Abstract The large Ge(Li) gamma-ray detector has become a powerful tool for the investigation of nuclear reactions. Unfortunately these detectors are quite susceptible to fast neutron damage and this makes it difficult to decide whether or not to risk using a detector to study reactions at accelerators where fast neutrons are inevitably present. After ruining several detectors we decided to study the problem in a controlled way. A 30 cm3 true coaxial diode was systematically irradiated by neutrons from a plutonium-beryllium source. An increase in the width of the 2.614 MeV gamma-ray from 208Tl was first detected after an irradiation of 5 × 107 n/cm2. When the total irradiation had reached 6 × 108 n/cm2, the peak width had increased by more than 50 percent. The irradiated detector was then reprocessed to remove the damage. The diode was again subjected to neutron irradiation. The second curve of resolution deterioration as a function of neutron flux was quite similar to the first one. The procedure was repeated a third time with similar results. Thus, reprocessing a detector effectively removes the neutron damage at a cost of only about 10 to 15 percent of the original price. A method was also developed for using the gamma-ray spectrum to evaluate the amount of neutron flux incident on the detector. The number of counts in the 693 keV peak [from (n,n′) reaction with the 72Ge in the detector] can be multiplied by 20 to get a rough measure of the neutron flux in n/cm2.
An asynchronous protocol for distributed computation of RSA inverses and its applications

This paper presents an efficient asynchronous protocol to compute RSA inverses with respect to a public RSA modulus N whose factorization is secret and shared among a group of parties. Given two numbers x and e, the protocol computes y such that ye≡x (mod N). A synchronous protocol for this task has been presented by Catalano, Gennaro, and Halevi (Eurocrypt 2000), but the standard approach for turning this into an asynchronous protocol would require a Byzantine-agreement sub-protocol. Our protocol adopts their approach, but exploits a feature of the problem in order to avoid the use of a Byzantine agreement primitive. Hence, it leads to efficient asynchronous protocols for threshold signatures and for Byzantine agreement based on the strong RSA assumption, without the use of random oracles.
Single-Step Syngas-to-Distillates (S2D) Process Based on Biomass-Derived Syngas – A Techno-Economic Analysis

This study compared biomass gasification based syngas-to-distillate (S2D) systems using techno-economic analysis (TEA). Three cases, state of technology (SOT), goal, and conventional, were compared in terms of performance and cost. The SOT case represented the best available experimental results for a process starting with syngas using a single-step dual-catalyst reactor for distillate generation. The conventional case mirrored a conventional two-step S2D process consisting of separate syngas-to-methanol and methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) processes. The goal case assumed the same performance as the conventional, but with a single-step S2D technology. TEA results revealed that the SOT was more expensive than the conventional and goal cases. The SOT case suffers from low one-pass yield and high selectivity to light hydrocarbons, both of which drive up production cost. Sensitivity analysis indicated that light hydrocarbon yield and single pass conversion efficiency were the key factors driving the high cost for the SOT case.
Characterization of In Vivo Lumbar Range of Motion During Flexion in Healthy Subjects

The lumbar facet joint (FJ) is a unique structure located on the posterior spine. The joint is composed of two articular facets from adjacent vertebrae, which are connected by a flexible and strong facet capsular ligament (FCL) (Figure 1). Two FJs (one on each side of the spinous process) are located at every spine level and along with the IVD, create a motion segment. During spinal flexion and extension, the FCL undergoes a complex motion, with extension and shear dominating the deformation (Figure 2). The collagenous FCL guides and restricts the relative motion of adjacent vertebra in flexion.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Consumer characteristics associated with the selection of pork products

This study identified several socio-demographic characteristics of consumers who have eaten pork. In particular, a model was developed to investigate the effect of several variables on the probability of eating pork. The information derived from this study is useful for pork processors and producers who wish to anticipate future market changes and derveid demands for their products.
Orbital and Facial Fractures

This article reviews the importance of particular radiologic findings related to facial trauma and their implications for clinical and surgical management. An emphasis is placed on critical imaging signs that warrant immediate surgical attention.
Dynamic response of a multilayer prismatic structure to impulsive loads incident from water

The dynamic crush response of a low relative density, multilayered corrugated core is investigated by combining insights from experiments and 3D finite element simulations. The test structures have been fabricated from 304 stainless steel corrugations with 0°/90° lay-up orientation and bonded by means of a transient liquid phase method. Characterization of the dynamic crushing of these structures has revealed that at low rates, interlayer interactions induce a buckling-dominated soft response. This softness is diminished at high rates by inertial stabilization and the response of the structure transitions to yield-dominated behavior. Unidirectional dynamic crushing experiments conducted using a dynamic test facility reveal a soft response, consistent with lower rate crushing mechanisms. The 3D simulation predictions of crushing strain, pulse amplitude/duration and impulse delivery rate correspond closely with the measurements. The application of core homogenization schemes has revealed that by calibrating with a multilayer unit cell, high fidelity continuum level predictions are possible. Moreover, even simplified hardening curves based on equivalent energy absorption provide remarkably accurate predictions of the crush strains and the impulse transmitted through the core. The multilayered structures investigated here significantly reduced the transmitted pressures of an impulsive load.
Microbial production of recalcitrant organic matter in global soils: implications for productivity and climate policy

Microbial production of recalcitrant organic matter in global soils: implications for productivity and climate policy
Kerogen Chemistry 4. Thermal Decarboxylation of Kerogens

Infrared spectra confirm that, when heated to 200 °C, Bakken kerogens form anhydrides from carboxylic acids. The anhydrides in turn thermally decompose at temperatures below 250 °C. The thermal production of CO, the absence of CO2, and the low temperature of the anhydride decomposition are all consistent with a radical chain mechanism initiated by a kerogen radical. Anhydride decomposition occurs by addition of a radical to the anhydride carbonyl to form an ester and to liberate an acyl radical that rapidly loses CO to form an alkyl radical to continue the chain. This pathway is one of several by which kerogens thermally decarboxylate.
Minimum Sample Size Considerations for Two-Group Linear and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis with Rare Populations

Linear discriminant analysis and quadratic discriminant analysis are used to predict group membership. Rare populations present situations in which group sizes differ drastically. This article examined k = 2 and k = 4 predictor variables for groups with different levels of rarity and different levels of sensitivity and specificity. Sample size recommendations were generated for both minimum and maximum group overlap using the leave-one-out (L-O-O) method of estimation. Minimum sample size recommendations are provided in tables for immediate implementation by applied researchers.
Mouse beta-globin DNA-binding protein B1 is identical to a proto-oncogene, the transcription factor Spi-1/PU.1, and is restricted in expression to hematopoietic cells and the testis.

The hematopoietic-specific DNA-binding protein B1 binds to the DNA consensus sequence AAAGRGGAARYG located twice in intervening sequence 2 of both of the mouse beta-globin genes (D. L. Galson and D.E. Housman, Mol. Cell. Biol. 8:381-392, 1988). B1 was cloned by expression of a murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cell cDNA library in transfected COS cells and screening by electrophoretic mobility shift analysis. B1 is identical to the proto-oncogene Spi-1/PU.1 (Spi-1), an ets family member. Protein-DNA contacts are shown to resemble those of the helix-turn-helix homeodomain proteins. By Northern (RNA) analysis, we found that Spi-1 mRNA is present at low levels during murine CFU-E maturation and is at least 20-fold higher in uninduced MEL, a transformed proerythroblast-like cell line which contains an activating/transforming insertion of spleen focus-forming virus at the Spi-1 locus. Dimethyl sulfoxide-induced MEL cell differentiation decreases Spi-1 mRNA to approximately 20% of the uninduced level before commitment occurs. In addition to erythroid cells, Spi-1 mRNA is present in B cells, myelomonocytes, and mast cells but not in T cells and nonhematopoietic cell types. In situ hybridization demonstrated Spi-1 mRNA expression in bone marrow, spleen, interstitial nonhepatocytes of the liver, and interstitial nontubular cells of the testis. The Spi-1 locus was mapped on human chromosome 11 to the same interval as ACP2 (lysosomal acid phosphatase), between the anonymous DNA markers D11S33 and D11S14. This region has not yet been found to be associated with a human malignancy.
Discontinuous operation modes of current-fed Quasi-Z-Source inverter

The conventional voltage source inverter is only a buck converter and conventional current source inverter is only a boost converter. By adding a Z-Source network [1], the buck-boost capability can be achieved. The recently proposed Quasi-Z-Source inverter (qZSI) [2] is an important improvement to Z-Source inverter (ZSI), which greatly reduces the passive component stress. The current-fed qZSI can buck-boost voltage and achieve bidirectional power flow without replacing the diode with an active switch [3]. It has lower current stress on inductor compared to current-fed ZSI. However, the analysis and control methods proposed in [3] are based on the assumptions that the capacitor voltage is almost constant and equal to the input voltage. These assumptions become invalid when the capacitor is very small or the lower power factor is low in some applications that the volume is a very crucial factor. The capacitor voltage has high ripple or even becomes discontinuous. In these cases, the circuit has two new operations modes except for the normal three modes, which is called discontinuous operation modes. This paper analyzes the characteristics of the discontinuous operation modes, and derives the critical conditions for these new modes under different control strategies. Simulation and experiment results are given to verify the theoretical analysis.
Optimization of tag thickness for measuring position with magnetic resonance imaging

Using magnetic resonance (MR) tagging, it is possible to track tissue motion by accurate detection of tag line positions. The authors show that with a least squares estimation algorithm, it is possible to define the position of the tag lines with a precision on the order of a tenth of a pixel. They calculate the Cramer-Rao bound for the tag position estimation error as a function of the tag thickness, the shape of the tag profile and line spread function of the MR imaging system. The tag thickness that minimizes tag position estimation error is between 0.8 to 1.5 pixels depending on the shape of the tag and the line spread function. In addition, tag position estimation error is inversely proportional to contrast-to-noise ratio between the tag and the background tissue. The theoretical results obtained in this study were verified by experiments performed on a whole-body 1.5 T MR imager and Monte-Carlo simulation studies. >
Predictive value of novel stimuli modifies visual event-related potentials and behavior.

Abstract Objective : We examined how behavioral context influences novelty processing by varying the degree that a novel event predicted the occurrence of a subsequent target stimulus. Methods : Visual event-related potentials (ERPs) and reaction times (RTs) were recorded in 3 detection experiments (23 subjects). The predictive value of a novel stimulus on the occurrence of a subsequent target was varied as was novel-target pairing intervals (200–900 ms). In Experiment 1, novel stimuli always preceded a target, in Experiment 2, 40% of novel stimuli were followed by a target, and in Experiment 3, novel stimuli occurred randomly. Results : In Experiment 1, RTs following 100% predictive novels were shortened for targets at all spatial locations and novel-target pairing intervals. Novel stimuli predicting a target generated a central negativity peaking at 300 ms and reduced P3a and P3b ERPs. In Experiments 2 and 3, target RTs were prolonged only when novel and target stimuli were presented in the same spatial location at short ISIs (200 ms). The central novel N2 was smaller in amplitude in comparison to Experiment 1, and novelty P3a and target extrastriate N2 and posterior scalp P3b ERPs were enhanced. Conclusions : The enhanced N2 for100% predictive novel stimuli appears to index an alerting system facilitating behavioral detection. The same novel stimuli with no predictive value distract attention and generate a different ERP pattern characterized by increased novelty P3a and target P3b responses. The results indicate that behavioral context determines how novel stimuli are processed and influence behavior.
Renal interstitial fibrosis: remembrance of things past?

The decline in renal function seen in a variety of pathological states is associated with an increase in the number and changes in the protein synthetic activity of tubular interstitial cells. However, the relationship between expansion of the interstitial compartment (interstitial fibrosis) and loss of renal epithelial tubules and capillaries remains unclear. Interstitial pathologies accompanying renal failure may merely be coincident with tubular degeneration. Alternatively, interstitial pathologies may cause tubular degeneration. Finally, it is possible that “pathological” changes in the interstitial compartment reflect the kidney’s attempts to repair damaged tubules. Discriminating among these possibilities has been difficult, in part because the function of interstitial cells in the healthy kidney remains poorly understood. A new study by Iwano et al. in this issue of the JCI (1) suggests that recent advances in the field of kidney development may provide insight into this important clinical problem.
Bit Sequences and Biclustering of Text Documents

We propose a new technique for clustering of text doc- uments that relies on a biclustering structure constructed on terms and documents. Our approach makes use of a greedy algorithm applied to bit sequences associated with each group of synonym terms. The use of bit sequences al- lows us to achieve superior time performance. Additionally, our algorithm provides meaningful cluster descriptions.
Feeling Listened To: A Lived Experience of Humanbecoming

The purpose of this study is to discover the structure of the universal lived experience of feeling listened to, a phenomenon of health and quality of life related to the human-to-human relationship. This Parse research method study included 10 adults who shared their experiences of feeling listened to. The structure, feeling listened to is unreserved affirmation amid potential irreverence arising with the liberating contentment of benevolent affiliations, is the central finding of the study. This finding was connected to humanbecoming theory and extant literature, contributing to nursing knowledge, expanding the theory, and enhancing understanding about feeling listened to.
Red shell: defining tissue toxicity in stereotactic body radiation therapy.

e s Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivers a very high dose to relatively small extracranial tumors in several large fractions, with precise positioning and targeting using stereotactic equipment. The total biologically effective dose (BED) for an SBRT treatment is frequently larger than that given with conventional radiation schedules. Stereotactic body radiation therapy has the highest likelihood of success when the treatment volume is small and the delivered radiation “dose cloud” is tightly conformal to the target volume. No matter how conformal, however, a certain volume of surrounding normal tissue, although small, will receive a destructive radiation dose. At my institution, we identify this “danger zone,” which we term the “red shell,” as a guide to determine how far away from critical normal structures high doses must remain. Given a clinical target volume (CTV), we define the red shell as the tissue between the CTV border and a lower dose level where it is less likely to cause local radiation damage to the surrounding normal tissues. The red shell is a dose zone surrounding the CTV that extends outward to a region of safe dose, a “constraint dose” specified to preserve healthy tissue with a high probability. As a convenient example, the constraint dose for unspecified normal tissues could provisionally be assumed to have a nominal constraint of BED 100 y3, where Gy3 is the unit of BED o the tissue. The red shell has two sublayers hen, as is common, the SBRT rescription dose is higher than the issue safe constraint dose. The first m
A study of critical baseline performance characteristics for IEEE 802.16d

In this study, we present our findings of important IEEE 802.16d performance characteristics. This study is part of our ongoing study of wireless communications technologies for the Federal Railroad Administration and provides details about our approach to modelling various channel effects, such as Doppler shift and Rician fading, details of the effect of link quality conditions, expected throughput and distance characteristics, as well as the impact of multi-hop and multi-user scenarios. Based on our simulation model, we can find a maximum throughput of approximately 69 Mbits sec-1 and a maximum distance of 31 miles, making IEEE 802.16d a promising candidate of addressing many critical requirements for large-scale deployments in environments such as the railroad industry. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive analysis that will assist others in understanding 802.16d performance and guiding future network deployments.
Cooperative prey herding based on diffusion adaptation

Mobile adaptive networks consist of a collection of nodes with learning and motion abilities that interact with each other locally in order to solve distributed processing and distributed inference problems in real-time. In this paper, we develop adaptation algorithms that exhibit self-organization properties and apply them to the model of cooperative hunting among predators. The results help provide an explanation for the agile adjustment of network patterns in the interaction between fish schools and predators.
Magnetostratigraphic Tests of Sequence Stratigraphic Correlations from the Southern California Paleogene

ABSTRACT Several sequence stratigraphic analyses have been conducted on the Eocene-Oligocene rocks of the San Diego region and of the western Transverse Ranges in southern California. Recently developed magnetic stratigraphy and 40Ar/39Ar dates, as well as previously neglected biostratigraphic data, provide a high-resolution chronostratigraphic framework to test correlation of these sequence stratigraphic interpretations to the global onlap-offlap chart (Haq et al. 1987, 1988; Hardenbol et al. 1998). In the San Diego area, previous stratigraphic analyses miscorrelated nearly all sequences and sequence boundaries to the global time scale; some correlations are off by as much as ten million years. In the western Transverse Ranges, three contradictory sequence stratigraphic analyses are evaluated. The revised dates of the sequence boundaries show poor correlation with the onlap-offlap chart of Haq et al. (1987, 1988) or Hardenbol et al. (1998), and some units are misdated by as much as six million years. In both regions, few sequences were correctly predicted by the onlap-offlap chart, suggesting that tectonic controls were more important than eustatic controls in this tectonically active region. The errors in so many sequence stratigraphic correlations when tested by high-resolution chronostratigraphic data should caution geologists about using sequence stratigraphic age assignments uncritically. Sequence stratigraphic correlations are only as good as the chronostratigraphy on which they are based.
ZN65 CONTENT OF SALPS AND EUPHAUSHDS1

Comparisons were made of the Zn/sup 65/ content in plankton collected during July, August, and November 1961 in the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Columbia River, 200 mi south, and 50 mi offshore. A gradual decrease with distance from the mouth of the Columbia River indicated that the river is the major source of this isotope. (C.H.)
The Flexibility of DNA Double Crossover Molecules

Double crossover molecules are DNA structures containing two Holliday junctions connected by two double helical arms. There are several types of double crossover molecules, differentiated by the relative orientations of their helix axes, parallel or antiparallel, and by the number of double helical half-turns (even or odd) between the two crossovers. They are found as intermediates in meiosis and they have been used extensively in structural DNA nanotechnology for the construction of one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays and in a DNA nanomechanical device. Whereas the parallel double helical molecules are usually not well behaved, we have focused on the antiparallel molecules; antiparallel molecules with an even number of half-turns between crossovers (termed DAE molecules) produce a reporter strand when ligated, facilitating their characterization in a ligation cyclization assay. Hence, we have estimated the flexibility of antiparallel DNA double crossover molecules by means of ligation-closure experiments. We are able to show that these molecules are approximately twice as rigid as linear duplex DNA.
The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Success: Suggestions for Hospitality Educators

(1993). The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Success: Suggestions for Hospitality Educators. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 11-13.
A cline in seed dormancy helps conserve the environment experienced during reproduction across the range of Arabidopsis thaliana

Premise of the study Understanding the factors shaping range limits is critical given current changes in climate as well as human-mediated introduction of species into novel environments. Phenological responses to climate influence range limits by allowing plants to avoid conditions that decrease population growth rates. Studying these processes is a challenge due to the joint contributions of both genetic and environmental variation to phenology. Methods Using a previously developed model that predicts phenology of three dormancy "genotypes" in four locations spanning the European range of Arabidopsis thaliana, we examined how variation in seed dormancy influences the environmental conditions experienced by reproductive individuals and how those conditions influence reproductive potential. We calculated two metrics: temperature experienced during reproduction and the length of thermal window available for reproduction. Key results Seed dormancy levels determine whether a spring-flowering life cycle is expressed and thus determine the reproductive environment. A genetic cline in seed dormancy across the range reduces differences in reproductive environment and increases the thermal opportunity for reproduction before conditions become unfavorable for survival. Counter-intuitively, these putatively local genotypes are predicted to reproduce in slightly cooler conditions in the south than in the north, suggesting that maternal environmental effects on average could induce deeper dormancy in southern seeds reinforcing the observed genetic cline. However, within a location, we found large individual level differences. Conclusions Phenological adjustments of early life stages can contribute to the maintenance of consistent reproductive environments experienced by individual plants across ranges despite variable environmental conditions over time and space.
Ferromagnetic Characteristics of Bulk Fe63Co7Nb4Zr6B19Si1 Metallic Glass

By copper mold casting, a bulk Fe63Co7Nb4Zr6B19Si1 metallic glass was synthesized in the diameter of 2mm. The Fe-based amorphous alloy exhibits soft ferromagnetic characteristics with a saturation magnetization of 77Am2/kg and a saturated magnetostriction of 25.4×10-6. The saturation magnetization is reduced while the coercive force is slightly lowered by annealing treatment below the crystallization temperature. The devitrification gives rise to a remarkable enhancement both in saturation magnetization and coercive force.
Young, Black, and (Still) in the Red: Parental Wealth, Race, and Student Loan Debt

Taking out student loans to assist with the costs of postsecondary schooling in the US has become the norm in recent decades. The debt burden young adults acquire during the higher education process, however, is increasingly stratified with black young adults holding greater debt burden than whites. Using data from the NLSY 1997 cohort, we examine racial differences in student loan debt acquisition and parental net wealth as a predictor contributing to this growing divide. We have four main results. First, confirming prior research, black young adults have substantially more debt than their white counterparts. Second, we find that this difference is partially explained by differences in wealth, family background, postsecondary educational differences, and family contributions to college. Third, young adults’ net worth explain a portion of the black–white disparity in debt, suggesting that both differences in accumulation of debt and ability to repay debt in young adulthood explain racial disparities in debt. Fourth, the black–white disparity in debt is greatest at the highest levels of parents’ net worth. Our findings show that while social and economic experiences can help explain racial disparities in debt, the situation is more precarious for black youth, who are not protected by their parents’ wealth. This suggests that the increasing costs of higher education and corresponding rise in student loan debt are creating a new form of stratification for recent cohorts of young adults, and that student loan debt may be a new mechanism by which racial economic disparities are inherited across generations.
Abstract 468: Serum Amyloid A and Toll-Like Receptor 2 Activation Promote Dedifferentiation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) regulate vascular tone, and during chronic inflammation associated with atherosclerosis, SMCs contribute to the disease process via de-differentiation from a contractile state. We study the impact of acute phase serum amyloid A (SAA), a cardiovascular risk marker that localizes to atherosclerotic plaques, on SMC function. The goal of this study was to define a role for SAA in SMC phenotypic expression. SMC marker expression was down-regulated by SAA, consistent with de-differentiation. Myocardin, a transcriptional co-activator of SMC marker gene expression, was also down-regulated by SAA, and its overexpression rescued the SAA-mediated repression of the smooth muscle α-actin and smooth muscle 22 α (SM22) promoters. SAA-mediated down-regulation of SM22 promoter activity was also rescued by expression of the myocardin family members, myocardin related transcription factor (MRTF)-A and MRTF-B. It was reported that SAA is a ligand for the Toll-like receptor (TLR)2, which has been implicated in atherosclerosis. Interestingly, FSL-1 and Pam3CSK4, known TLR2 ligands, down-regulated SM22 promoter activity, and the effects were rescued with myocardin overexpression. Moreover, knockdown of TLR2 using siRNA rescued the de-differentiated phenotype induced by SAA. In addition, SAA failed to induce de-differentiation in SMCs isolated from TLR2-/- mice. These data suggest that TLR2 activation, whether by SAA or by TLR2 ligands, promotes SMC de-differentiation characteristic of atherosclerosis.
Effect of Hypertrophy on Myocardial Distensibility

SummaryLength-resting tension curves were recorded from strips of left ventricle obtained from 10 rats with myocardial hypertrophy produced by subdiaphragmatic suprarenal aortic constriction, and 8 rats subjected to aortic constriction in which hypertrophy did not develop. No differences were noted between the distensibility of the normal and hypertrophied myocardium after corrections were made for differences in muscle mass and cross-sectional area.
Abrogation of TGF-β activity during retroviral transduction improves murine hematopoietic progenitor and repopulating cell gene transfer efficiency

Abrogation of TGF-β activity during retroviral transduction improves murine hematopoietic progenitor and repopulating cell gene transfer efficiency