cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Netleaf Hackberry Seeds Planted Near Boulders in the Foothills of the Wasatch Mountains: Germination, Survival, and Patterns of Establishment

Abstract. Netleaf hackberry (Celtis reticulata) is a deciduous shrub native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Previous field observations have shown limited numbers of juvenile hackberries in the wild. This could be due to low germination and survival rates, but field germination trials have not been done. In the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, hackberry shrubs have been shown to grow in association with boulders, likely using them as nurse objects. This experimental study field-tested germination and survival rates around boulders in this area. We located 26 boulders and planted 25 hackberry seeds on the north, west, south, and east sides of each boulder (n = 2600 seeds). In the following year, we counted the number of hackberry seeds that had germinated and become established near each of the boulders' sides. Overall, germination rates were extremely low, with only 55 (2.1%) of the planted seeds germinating and only 19 (0.7%) persisting until the end of the growing seaso...
Distributed algorithms for convex network optimization under non-sparse equality constraints

This paper studies a class of network optimization problems where the objective function is the summation of individual agents' convex functions and their decision variables are coupled by linear equality constraints. These constraints are not sparse, meaning that they do not match the pattern of the network adjacency matrix. We propose two approaches to design efficient distributed algorithms to solve the network optimization problem. Our first approach consists of transforming the non-sparse equality constraints into sparse ones by increasing the number of the agents' decision variables, yielding an exact reformulation of the original optimization problem. We discuss two reformulations, based on the addition of consensus variables and of constraint-mismatch variables, and discuss the scalability of the strategies resulting from them. Our second approach consists instead of sparsifying the non-sparse constraints by zeroing some coefficients, yielding an approximate reformulation of the original problem. We formally characterize the gap on the distance between the optimizers of the original and approximated problems as a function of the number of entries made zero in the constraints. Various simulations illustrate our results.
Some Impressions from the Conference

The variety of science topics discussed at this meeting is overwhelming. I am grateful to Mark Morris for attempting to summarize them. I simply make note that there were hardly any topics in modern astrophysics where I could NOT identify some work that was reported here. Even in some of the unreported areas, I know of ambitious preparations to apply infrared arrays. Arrays have obviously taken the infrared spectral region out of the specialist class where relatively few individuals studied a limited list of the traditional “infrared” subjects — star formation, infrared luminous galaxies, HII regions. This evolution has occurred rapidly and has been accompanied by an equally rapid evolution in the quality of the arrays available to us. I want to speculate with you on where this technical breakthrough is going to carry us.
Band selection from statistical wavelet models

The high data dimensionality of hyperspectral images increases the burden on data computation, storage, and transmission; fortunately, the high redundancy in the spectral domain allows for significant dimensionality reduction. Band selection provides a simple dimensionality reduction scheme by discarding bands that are highly redundant, therefore preserving the structure of the dataset. This paper proposes a new criterion for pointwise ranking-based band selection that uses a non-homogeneous hidden Markov chain (NHMC) model for redundant wavelet coefficients of the hyperspectral signature. The model provides a binary-valued multiscale label that encodes the presence of discriminating spectral information at different bands. A band ranking score considers the average correlation among the class-wise average NHMC labels for each band. Wavelet-based features provide robustness to noise thanks to the multiscale analysis performed by the transform. We also test richer label vectors that provide a more finely grained quantization of spectral fluctiations. In addition, since band selection methods based on band ranking often ignore correlations in selected bands, we include an optional redundancy elimination step and test its effect on band selection performance. Experimental results include a comparison with several relevant supervised band selection techniques.
Racial disparities in patient survival and tumor mutation burden, and the association between tumor mutation burden and cancer incidence rate

The causes underlying racial disparities in cancer are multifactorial. In addition to socioeconomic issues, biological factors may contribute to these inequities, especially in disease incidence and patient survival. To date, there have been few studies that relate the disparities in these aspects to genetic aberrations. In this work, we studied the impacts of race on the patient survival and tumor mutation burden using the data released by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The potential relationship between mutation burden and disease incidence is further inferred by an integrative analysis of TCGA data and the data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. The results show that disparities are present (p < 0.05) in patient survival of five cancers, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The numbers of tumor driver mutations are differentiated (p < 0.05) over the racial groups in five cancers, such as lung adenocarcinoma. By treating a specific cancer type and a racial group as an “experimental unit”, driver mutation numbers demonstrate a significant (r = 0.46, p < 0.002) positive correlation with cancer incidence rates, especially when the five cancers with mutational disparities are exclusively focused (r = 0.88, p < 0.00002). These results enrich our understanding of racial disparities in cancer and carcinogenic process.
An Overview of Google Brain and Its Applications

Machine learning is quickly becoming a major field of research for many technology companies. Google, perhaps, is at the forefront of this movement and have instituted an entire research team called Google Brain to explore the technical aspect and applications of large scale neural networks. Thus far, the group has developed advancements in the areas of natural language recognition, open-source deep learning software, and healthcare related uses for computer vision assisted diagnosis.
An Overview of Ubiquinone Proteins

Ubiquinone (coenzyme Q) may serve as a respiratory carrier only when it is bound to a protein. Q may be considered as a prosthetic group, i. e. coenzyme, which can freely dissociate and associate with protein. So far three classes of Q-proteins have been found. QP-S is the immediate electron acceptor of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). The reconstitution of succinate-ubiquinone reductase needs only SDH and QP-S independent of any cytochrome. QP-S has been isolated to pure form but its high hydrophobic nature prevents the complete determination by chemical means of primary structure.
Fracture Variability and Hydrologic Implications at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

An understanding of the role of fractures at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is needed to evaluate the suitability of the site to host a high-level nuclear waste repository. Current infiltration rates at Yucca Mountain require water to move through some fractures in the unsaturated welded units because the matrix porosity and permeability of these units are too small to accommodate the total flow. Though only about 20% of connected fractures are estimated to actively transmit water, flow and transport within fractures can greatly affect repository performance because fractures could be fast pathways for migration of radioactive particles. Under the current design, the potential repository would be located in a densely welded tuff sequence with highly variable fracture characteristics. This variability, resulting largely from the presence of lithophysal cavities, creates heterogeneous flow patterns through the unsaturated zone. Lithophysal cavities interrupt the continuity of fractures they intersect and may locally influence fracture propagation. In welded nonlithophysal zones, fractures tend to be longer and more widely spaced than in lithophysal zones, which generally display a greater number of closely spaced, short-length fractures. Seepage of water into potential waste-emplacement drifts will be affected by the fracture characteristics within the surrounding rock wall. Fractures with sufficientmore » capillary suction, permeability, and lateral connectivity can enhance capillary barrier effects and lateral diversion around drift openings, thus reducing the potential for seepage. Lithophysal units, which have high secondary permeability owing to an abundance of well-connected small fractures capable of accommodating lateral flow, may be more favorable for repository performance (i. e., promote less seepage) than nonlithophysal units. Conceptual models for fracture flow based on mapped geometric and hydrologic fracture characteristics are presented, emphasizing the relevant subset of all fractures occurring within the unsaturated tuffs that may impact potential repository performance.« less
Brain Research and Mediated Experience: An Interpretation of the Implications for Education

mportant new understandings and explanations about how human beings learn, feel, act, and shape views of reality have resulted from recent developments in brain research. Applying these findings to mediated human experiences uncovers some fascinating implications for education and schooling. The notion that individuals may become addicted to certain media messages counsels that schools should deal with these mediated experiences in the same manner that they deal with legalized drugs. Schools should implement a curriculum that advocates moderation and provides information about the social, cultural, and personal consequences that prolonged and constant exposure to particular media messages can have on an individual's quality of life. In this way, educators can help children develop their own strategies to avert stimulus addiction, a physical dependency on exposure to certain media messages. Stimulus addiction is physically addicting in exactly the same way that heroine and cocaine are. Stimulus addiction involves a neurotransmitter molecule attaching itself to an opiate receptor on the postsynaptic cell membrane of a neuron in the brain. The neurotransmitter fits the opiate receptor as a key fits its lock. Attaching itself to the opiate receptor, the neurotransmitter induces feelings of pleasure and dulls the sense of pain. Heroine and cocaine have molecular structures similar to these nuerotransmitters; and when they are taken into the body, they, too, induce pleasure and dull pain by attaching themselves to opiate receptors. An important difference, however, between stimulus addiction and heroine or cocaine addiction is that, with stimulus addiction, the drugs (neurotransmitters) are already inside
Management of HCV Infection in Decompensated Cirrhosis in the Transplantation Setting

Decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer (HCC) due to hepatitis C (HCV) are the most common indications for liver transplantation in the world.
Correction of metabolic parameters and unit process performance data. Part I. derivation of equations

Abstract An understanding of the dynamics of oxygen consumption by the culture animal is needed to properly design and operate an aeration system. In commercial production systems, oxygen consumption rates are typically determined under flowing water conditions. A simple mass balance on a flow-through system results in the following equation in terms of mg oxygen/(kg fish h): Oxygen Consumption = - flow mass of fish ( C t i n - C t ) + rearing volume mass of fish dC dt The formula commonly used to estimate oxygen consumption is biased because it only considers the first term. The error in the oxygen consumption rate depends primarily on the rate of change of oxygen within the rearing unit ( d C / d t ) and is larger when the oxygen consumption rate has a significant variation with time. This same lag response can also bias other metabolic rates (carbon dioxide, ammonia, solids) and the computation of performance and efficiencies of unit processes such as biofilters and solids removal processes. While a number of approaches have been developed to correct oxygen consumption rates for the impact of this hydraulic lag, their accuracy has never been evaluated in any comprehensive manner and in many cases, their derivation is entirely lacking. To better understand their assumptions and limitations, the derivation of these correction approaches (and several new methods) have been clearly and comprehensively developed in this article. Without this background information, it is difficult to understand the differences between the approaches and their potential limitations. In companion paper, the accuracy of the correction equations and analysis assumptions will be evaluated.
More than Sound: Record Stores in Majority Black Neighborhoods in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit, 1970–2010

Music consumption imbues a city's neighborhoods with a character all their own, contributing to a vibrant and dynamic map of urban cultures. Brick–and–mortar music retailers remain an important sit...
Introductory Survey of Multiplicative Ideal Theory

This chapter provides an overview, without proofs, of multiplicative ideal theory. All of the information presented in this chapter is restated and proved in Chapters 2 and 3 in greater generality. The first section is a survey of the theory of integral domains, introducing some of the theory’s most central concepts and results. The reader may at any time wish to consult the various figures and tables at the end of Section 1.1, which summarize the characterizations of and interrelationships among the various classes of integral domains discussed here. The second section provides many examples and counterexamples. The third section provides a brief preview of the generalizations of Sections 1.1 and 1.2 to rings with zerodivisors that are discussed in Chapters 2 and 3.
Over-yielding in temperate silvopastures: a meta-analysis

Over-yielding in an intercropping system occurs when the productivity of the intercrop exceeds the overall productivity of the systems managed in segregation. The objective of this systematic review was to calculate the over-yielding of silvopastures compared to open pastures and forests, timber plantations, or orchards managed separately. A literature search was completed for comparisons of the productivity of these practices in temperate regions. Data collected from these studies included mean yields of timber or non-timber forest products, forages, and livestock, as well as the characteristics of the study site. Silvopasture practices improve the productivity of land typically managed separately for pasture or trees by 42–55%, depending on whether the productivity of the pastures is measured by livestock or forage output, respectively. In most cases, over-yielding occurred despite a reduction in individual forage, livestock, or tree productivity in the silvopastures. Calculating confidence intervals around these means was not feasible because standard errors were largely not reported or available. Some assumptions were made about the actual productivity of timber or non-timber forest products. This work illustrates the significant level of over-yielding that may be achieved by integrating trees, forages, and livestock into a single production system.
Measuring and modeling event-based environmental flows: An assessment of HEC-RAS 2D rain-on-grid simulations.

Abstract There is an immediate need to use available modeling tools to quantify environmental flows targets where changing climate and human activity has altered hydroecologically important streamflow regimes. A model performance assessment was undertaken using observed data collected from five nested gauging sites in a mixed land use watershed of the central US. An integrated modeling approach was used to couple The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT version 2012), and The Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC-RAS version 5.0.7). SWAT was used to generate effective rainfall needed to run HEC-RAS rain-on-grid two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Model calibration results showed the potential usefulness of coupling SWAT and HEC-RAS using an integrated modeling approach. For example, PBIAS of 8.3%, NSE value of 0.84, and coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.80 at a highly urbanized monitoring site used for model calibration. Split-site validation results showed PBIAS values that ranged from 10.4 to 33.8%, NSE values that ranged from 0.33 to 0.92, and R2 values that ranged from 0.86 to 0.97. Results showed that 2D rain-on-grid HEC-RAS simulations can produce realistic simulations of stage hydrograph response when: (1) areal effective precipitation is used for 2D HEC-RAS rain-on-grid forcing's, (2) HEC-RAS is calibrated to observed data during the event of interest, (3) there are not substantial sources of backwatering from outside the models geometric data, and (4) during saturated antecedent soil moisture conditions surface DEM's adequately describe overland flow paths. This model performance assessment is among the first, if not the first, to show calibration and validation results associated with 2D HEC-RAS rain-on-grid simulations at a watershed scale. Results highlight the need for time-varying roughness coefficients to account for soil moisture conditions, and point to the efficacy of using a SWAT/HEC-RAS integrated modeling approach to generate event-based environmental flows information.
A Call to the Profession: Rejuvenating the Multicultural Conversation:

In this rejoinder, the authors respond to the feedback and suggestions offered by Vandiver et al. (2021). We clarify that the intent of our Major Contribution is to rejuvenate the conversation rega...
Environmental policies that shape productivity: Evidence from cattle ranching in the Amazon

Abstract We examine two potential economic benefits of environmental policy, increased agricultural investment and productivity. This is important because if these benefits are realized, environmental policy could optimize land use for food production while minimizing the negative environmental impacts. We employ multiple empirical techniques to analyze a market-led and a public-led anti-deforestation policy that influence the vast cattle ranching sector in the Brazilian Amazon. We show that both policies increased cattle productivity, while the market-led policy also increased investment. We find no evidence that the two policies were substitutes or complements. Results indicate that the policies were each effective in different market- and land-use-contexts, so that enforcement of both policies increased productivity for a larger set of properties. Our research reveals both indirect and unintended benefits of environmental regulation, which have implications for the design of policies that affect the agricultural sector, a major driver of land-use change.
WY14643 Increases Herpesvirus Replication Independent of PPARα Expression and Inhibits IFNβ Production

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) agonists are commonly used to treat metabolic disorders in humans because they regulate fatty acid oxidation and cholesterol metabolism. In addition to their roles in controlling metabolism, PPAR agonists also regulate inflammation and are immunosuppressive in models of autoimmunity. We aimed to test whether activation of PPARα with clinically relevant ligands could impact herpesvirus infection using the model strain murine gammaherpesvirus-68. We found that PPARα agonists WY14643 and fenofibrate increased herpesvirus replication in vitro. In vivo, WY14643 increased viral replication and caused lethality in mice. Unexpectedly, these effects proved independent of PPARα. Investigating the mechanism of action for WY14643, we found that it suppresses production of type I interferon by inhibiting stimulator of interferon (STING), which lies downstream of the cytoplasmic DNA sensor cGAS. Thus, WY14643 regulates interferon downstream of cytoplasmic DNA recognition and increases herpesvirus replication in a PPARα-independent manner. Taken together, our data indicate that caution should be employed when using PPARα agonists in immuno-metabolic studies, as they can have off-target effects on viral replication.
Aureococcus anophagefferens (Pelagophyceae) genomes improve evaluation of nutrient acquisition strategies involved in brown tide dynamics1

The pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens causes harmful brown tide blooms in marine embayments on three continents. Aureococcus anophagefferens was the first harmful algal bloom species to have its genome sequenced, an advance that evidenced genes important for adaptation to environmental conditions that prevail during brown tides. To expand the genomic tools available for this species, genomes for four strains were assembled, including three newly sequenced strains and one assembled from publicly available data. These genomes ranged from 57.11 - 73.62 Mb, encoding 13,191 - 17,404 potential proteins. All strains shared ~90% of their encoded proteins as determined by homology searches and shared most functional orthologues as determined by KEGG, although each strain also possessed coding sequences with unique functions. Like the original reference genome, the genomes assembled in this study possessed genes hypothesized to be important in bloom proliferation, including genes involved in organic compound metabolism and growth at low light. Cross-strain informatics and culture experiments suggest that the utilization of purines is a potentially important source of organic nitrogen for brown tides. Analyses of metatranscriptomes from a brown tide event demonstrated that use of a single genome yielded a lower read mapping percentage (~30%) as compared to a database generated from all available genomes (~43%), suggesting novel information about bloom ecology can be gained from expanding genomic space. This work demonstrates the continued need to sequence ecologically relevant algae to understand the genomic potential and their ecology in the environment.
Modulator Sorption in Gradient Elution Chromatography

Gradient elution, invented by Tiselius and his co-workers [1], employs a mobile phase whose composition at the column inlet varies with time. This is in contrast to isocratic elution, where the mobile phase composition remains constant at every point in the column throughout the separation. In fact, one of the reasons gradient elution was introduced was to hasten isocratic separations, by reducing tailing and by moving widely separated compounds closer together. It is also well-suited to the separation of macromolecules, whose retention tends to vary strongly with mobile phase composition [2], and is consequently a widely used technique in biotechnology.
A study of the local atomic structure in Hg0.80Cd0.20Te using x-ray diffuse scattering

The local atomic arrangements in a commercial [ital n]-type wafer of Hg[sub 0.8]Cd[sub 0.2]Te were investigated by measuring the diffuse x-ray scattering in two volumes in reciprocal space. A change in contrast between the two measurements was achieved by making one volume measurement at 12037 eV and a second volume measurement at 12270 eV, i.e., near the Hg L[sub III] edge. The difference between these two measurements yielded intensity only due to Hg--Hg, Hg--Te, and Hg--Cd pair interactions. In all three patterns, peak-like features were apparent at the forbidden Bragg peak positions on thermal diffuse scattering ridges that joined major Bragg reflections; these are primarily attributed to second order displacement effects on the mixed cation sublattice. The first two Warren-Cowley short-range order parameters were determined to be [alpha] [sub 1/2 1/2 0]=[minus]0.050(26) and [alpha][sub 110]=0.118(35). Simulations of the structure revealed small ordered regions with a preference for 3:1 Hg--Cd near neighbor configurations. The near-neighbor Hg--Te bonds contract from that calculated from the average crystal's lattice parameter, and this Hg--Te distance is less than the distance in HgTe.
Understanding Student Identity From a Socialization Perspective

This chapter describes the contribution of current research using the Weidman model of undergraduate socialization to understanding student identity development in college. It illustrates ways in which the framework can be used flexibly and adapted for studying impacts of multiple aspects of the college experience on diverse groups of students.
Cost-effectiveness of recommended nurse staffing levels for short-stay skilled nursing facility patients

Among patients in skilled nursing facilities for post-acute care, increased registered nurse, total licensed staff, and nurse assistant staffing is associated with a decreased rate of hospital transfer for selected diagnoses. However, the cost-effectiveness of increasing staffing to recommended levels is unknown. Using a Markov cohort simulation, we estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness of recommended staffing versus median staffing in patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities for post-acute care. The outcomes of interest were life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, and incremental cost-effectiveness. The incremental cost-effectiveness of recommended staffing versus median staffing was $321,000 per discounted quality-adjusted life year gained. One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the cost-effectiveness ratio was most sensitive to the likelihood of acute hospitalization from the nursing home. The cost-effectiveness ratio was also sensitive to the rapidity with which patients in the recommended staffing scenario recovered health-related quality of life as compared to the median staffing scenario. The cost-effectiveness ratio was not sensitive to other parameters. Adopting recommended nurse staffing for short-stay nursing home patients cannot be justified on the basis of decreased hospital transfer rates alone, except in facilities with high baseline hospital transfer rates. Increasing nurse staffing would be justified if health-related quality of life of nursing home patients improved substantially from greater nurse and nurse assistant presence.
Genetic modulation of horizontal cell number in the mouse retina

Neuronal populations display conspicuous variability in their size among individuals, but the genetic sources of this variation are largely undefined. We demonstrate a large and highly heritable variation in neuron number within the mouse retina, affecting a critical population of interneurons, the horizontal cells. Variation in the size of this population maps to the distal end of chromosome (Chr) 13, a region homologous to human Chr 5q11.1–11.2. This region contains two genes known to modulate retinal cell number. Using conditional knock-out mice, we demonstrate that one of these genes, the LIM homeodomain gene Islet-1 (Isl1), plays a role in regulating horizontal cell number. Genetic differences in Isl1 expression are high during the period of horizontal cell production, and cis-regulation of Isl1 expression within the retina is demonstrated directly. We identify a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5′ UTR of Isl1 that creates an E-box sequence as a candidate causal variant contributing to this variation in horizontal cell number.
Therapeutic targeting of regulatory T cells enhances tumor-specific CD8+ T cell responses in Epstein–Barr virus associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is associated with multiple malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In nasopharynx cancer, CD8+ T cells specific for EBV Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA-1) and Latent Membrane Protein 2 (LMP2) are important components of anti-tumor immunity since both are consistently expressed in NPC. We have previously shown that EBNA-1-specific CD8+ T cell responses were suppressed in NPC patients compared to healthy controls. We now find that CD8+ T cell responses specific for LMP2 are also abnormal in NPC patients, and both EBNA-1- and LMP2-specific responses are suppressed by regulatory T cells (Treg). EBNA-1 and LMP2-specific CD8+ T cell responses, as well as immune control of EBV-infected cells in vitro, could be restored by the depletion of Tregs and by use of a clinically approved drug targeting Tregs. Thus, in vivo modulation of Tregs may be an effective means of enhancing these anti-tumor immune responses in NPC patients.
Maternal urinary tract infection alters water maze performance in the offspring

Abstract The effects of maternal urinary tract infection (UTI) or endotoxin exposure on fetal outcome in rats were investigated. Prior to conception, dams of the UTI group were water-deprived and anesthetized. The urinary tract was then catheterized and injected with 0.2 of 1×109 Escherichia coli. The endotoxin group was injected with 0.03 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide on the fourth day of gestation and then every third day thereafter. The control groups were treated in the same manner, with the exception that the infection control was not catheterized or injected with E. coli, and the endotoxin control was not exposed to lipopolysaccharide. A nontreated control group was weighed daily. Beginning on postnatal day (PD) 19, offspring were tested daily in a water maze spatial navigation task. The retention latencies (Sessions 7–10) revealed deficits in the infection and endotoxin groups. In the rat model, these findings suggest that exposure during gestation to a maternal immune challenge may result in adverse fetal outcome.
On the Sensitivity Equations of Four-Dimensional Variational (4D-Var) Data Assimilation

Abstract The equations of the forecast sensitivity to observations and to the background estimate in a four-dimensional variational data assimilation system (4D-Var DAS) are derived from the first-order optimality condition in unconstrained minimization. Estimation of the impact of uncertainties in the specification of the error statistics is considered by evaluating the sensitivity to the observation and background error covariance matrices. The information provided by the error covariance sensitivity analysis is used to identify the input components for which improved estimates of the statistical properties of the errors are of most benefit to the analysis and forecast. A close relationship is established between the sensitivities within each input pair data/error covariance such that once the observation and background sensitivities are available the evaluation of the sensitivity to the specification of the corresponding error statistics requires little additional computational effort. The relevance of...
Parabiotic intoxication in F1 hybrid mice after immunological depression of the parent strain.

Summary(1) Four out of 10 isologous parabiotic pairs showed AP at 5 days but this was no longer present 12 days after union. (2) Neonatal thymectomy of the parental strain partner put in parabiosis with the corresponding F1 hybrid did not significantly alter the course of parabiotic intoxication in the latter. (3) Lethal X-irradiation of the parental strain partner had no effect upon AP at 5 days, but AP was eliminated by the 12th day after union. In this instance clinical wasting was not present and survival of the pairs was considerably prolonged. (4) It is concluded that parabiotic intoxication observed in parent F1 hybrid combinations proceeds in two phases: an early phase in which the anemia-polycythemia picture depends upon a vascular pressure gradient established from the F1 hybrid to the parent, and a later phase in which the pressure gradient is sustained by an immunological reaction elicited by the parent strain partner against the hybrid.
Controlling and maximizing humanoid robot pushing force through posture

Pushing is one of many object manipulation strategies that requires interaction with the environment. Many force control approaches have been proposed for such manipulation. In a force controller implementation for a humanoid robot, however, there is no fixed base. If the required reaction force is greater than the humanoid robot can support, the robot will lose its balance. This paper presents a method to expand these force limits by changing a humanoid robot's posture. Based on Double Inverted Pendulum (DIP) model, the force limitation that the humanoid robot can support is calculated. With a feet-apart strategy and whole-body posture, a method is proposed to maximize the force limitation under the condition that the height of the target object is constant. Finally, comparison of simulation and experimental data validates the approach.
Invited paper Picture processing using multiple-valued logic

One of the goals of current VLSI design is to represent very complex systems on a chip. However, certain physical limitations sometimes exist, such as the number of wires and pins that can be used on IC packages. Yet it is known that fewer wires are needed to carry multiple-valued logic signals, and fewer wires means fewer pins per package. And, secondly, using multiple-valued logic, bit density of stored data in memory can be significantly raised by increasing the number of bits per memory cell. Target applications of particular interest for VLSI implementations are those whose complexity is great, either (a) in terms of the number of labour-intensive operations that must be performed per unit time or (b) in terms of the amount of data that must be stored or communicated to accommodate such operations. Some examples of applications which could easily fall into this target area are computer graphics, robotics, and picture processing. Multiple-valued logic can be introduced when it comes time to implement ...
The use of programmable logic controllers (PLC) for rocket engine component testing

Application of PLCs to the rocket engine component testing at a new Stennis Space Center Component Test Facility is suggested as an alternative to dedicated specialized computers. The PLC systems are characterized by rugged design, intuitive software, fault tolerance, flexibility, multiple end device options, networking capability, and built-in diagnostics. A distributed PLC-based system is projected to be used for testing LH2/LOx turbopumps required for the ALS/NLS rocket engines.
The requirement for energy transducing ATPase for anaerobic motility in Escherichia coli.

Abstract A sensitive radioactive assay for motility based on infection with 32 P-labeled, flagella-specific phage x is described. Anaerobic infection with phage x , which requires a motile host, is blocked in energy transducing ATPase ( unc A) mutants. Anaerobic infection is restored by addition of NO 3 − which functions as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration.
Effects of l-Arginine and Nω-Nitro-l-Arginine Methyl Ester on Cardiac Perfusion and Function After 1-Day Cold Preservation of Isolated Hearts

Background Coronary flow responses to endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine [ACh] or 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) and endothelium-independent (adenosine [ADE] or nitroprusside [NP]) vasodilators may be altered before and after 1-day hypothermia during the perfusion of arginine vasopressin (AVP), d-arginine (D-ARG), l-arginine (L-ARG), or nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Methods and Results Four groups of guinea pig hearts (37.5°C [warm]) were perfused for 6 hours with AVP, L-ARG, L-NAME, or nothing (control). Five heart groups (cold) were perfused with AVP, D-ARG, L-ARG, L-NAME, or nothing (control), but after 2 hours they were perfused at low flow for 22 hours at 3.7°C and again for 3 hours at 37.5°C. ADE, butanedione monoxime, and NP were given for cardioprotection before, during, and after hypothermia. In warm groups, L-ARG did not alter basal flow or ADE, ACh, 5-HT, or NP responses, whereas L-NAME and AVP reduced basal flow and the ADE response, abolished ACh and 5-HT responses, and increased the...
Cost-effectiveness of induction after preterm premature rupture of the membranes.

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to design a decision analytic model to evaluate the optimal length of time for expectant management after preterm premature rupture of the membranes between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation. Study Design: Five models were created for 32 to 36 weeks' gestation. Probabilities for outcomes were obtained from medical center databases. Cost data were collected from the Health Care Microsystem database and were based on 1996 dollars. Results: The optimal time of delivery to minimize major morbidity was 34 to 36 weeks' gestation, depending on the time of rupture. When only major morbidity was considered, the most cost-effective approach between 32 to 34 weeks was to deliver 1 week after rupture. At 35 to 36 weeks, the most cost-effective approach was to deliver at presentation. Conclusion: The current method of treating all patients with ruptured membranes similarly and delivery at 34 weeks' gestation is not risk minimizing or cost-effective. By delivery 1 week after rupture at 32 to 34 weeks and immediately at 35 to 36 weeks, significant morbidity can be avoided. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:1153-8.)
A revision of the Megachile subgenus Litomegachile Mitchell with an illustrated key and description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Megachilini)

The species of Megachile subgenus Litomegachile are revised with a review of the species morphology, biology, and plant associations. A new species, Megachile pankus, is described and illustrated. Megachile mendica snowi Mitchell is elevated to species. Megachile var. nupta Cresson and Megachile texana var. cleomis Cockerell are synonymized with Megachile brevis and Megachile texana, respectively. An illustrated key for Litomegachile is also provided.
Blood and albumin cardioplegia preserve endothelium-dependent microvascular responses

Alterations of vascular reactivity may be a cause of reduced myocardial perfusion after cardioplegic arrest. The effects of blood and albumin cardioplegia on endothelium-dependent coronary microvascular function and ultrastructure were examined after cardiopulmonary bypass, ischemic arrest, and reperfusion. During cardiopulmonary bypass, porcine hearts were arrested with either blood, albumin-crystalloid, or crystalloid cardioplegia for 1 hour, followed with reperfusion for 1 hour. Noninstrumented pigs were used as controls. Coronary microarterial vessels (90 to 190 microns in diameter) were studied in a pressurized, no-flow state with video microscopic imaging and electronic dimension analysis. Ischemic arrest with crystalloid cardioplegia markedly reduced endothelium-dependent relaxations to the adenine nucleotide adenosine diphosphate and the calcium ionophore A23187. Enhanced contractile responses were observed to the platelet-derived vasoactive substance serotonin and to the thromboxane A2 analogue U46619. Indomethacin corrected the enhanced contractile responses to serotonin, indicating the enhanced release of a constrictor prostanoid substance. Indomethacin had no effect on the impaired relaxations to adenosine diphosphate or A23187. Endothelium-dependent relaxations to adenosine diphosphate, serotonin, and A23187 were significantly preserved with either blood or albumin-crystalloid cardioplegia, whereas contractile responses to U46619 were normal. Endothelium-independent relaxation to nitroprusside was similar in all groups, indicating normal smooth muscle responsiveness. Electron microscopy revealed minimal alterations of vascular morphology of vessels in both crystalloid and blood cardioplegia groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sarcomere length in normal and dystrophic chick muscles.

Abstract An electron microscope study of 2- and 8-week-old normal and dystrophic chickens compared sarcomere lengths in relaxed and passively extended Patagialis (PAT) muscles. Sarcomeres were measured in dystrophic muscles only in fibers which exhibited no morphological signs of degeneration. Sarcomere lengths were not different from each other in normal muscles of 2- and 8-week-old chickens. Passive extension of the normal wing increased mean sarcomere length by 44%. Sarcomere lengths in unstretched dystrophic PAT muscles were 22 and 25% longer than unstretched normal sarcomeres at 2 and 8 weeks of age. Passive extension of the wing further increased sarcomere length of 2-week-old dystrophic muscles to the length of stretched sarcomeres in 2-week-old normal muscles. In 8-week-old dystrophic chickens, the wings could be passively extended to only 134°, rather than the normal range of 180°. In this case, passive extension of the wings did not further increase the length of sarcomeres. Increased sarcomere lengths in dystrophic muscles may indicate that dystrophic muscle fibers are being subjected to greater degrees of passive tension than normal muscle fibers during early stages of growth. Passive tension is known to promote fiber hypertrophy, nuclear proliferation, and increased oxidative metabolism in normal muscle. These responses to passive tension are also characteristic of prenecrotic stages of muscular dystrophy in chickens.
Neutron multiple scattering corrections including extensive realistic simulations of inherent experimental conditions

Abstract An improved and more realistic method for the correction of neutron time-of-flight measurements for the effects of multiple scattering and finite geometry has been developed. Several important inherent experimental conditions, which are often neglected or treated very approximately in previous techniques, are more rigorously included in the present calculation. In particular, in the study of elastic and inelastic scattering of neutrons from samples of light nuclei in the form of chemical compounds, the energy spectrum of the neutron source, the time spreads of the source and detector and finite sizes of the source and detector often lead to sizeable corrections. For each detector position, the computer program calculates time-of-flight spectra which agree well with those measured during the experiment. The calculated “measured” differential cross sections are also compared to the actual measured ones in a straightforward manner. Several examples demonstrating the importance of the above effects on the calculated time-of-flight spectra and differential cross sections are given. The proper simulation of all the important experimental parameters makes possible the confident measurement of new differential cross sections for cases such as deep inelastic scattering, where the cross sections are usually small and the multiple scattering corrections related to the above effects are relatively large. Without such a method, certain important measurements might well not be performed, because of the uncertainty regarding proper corrections caused by these added effects.
Residual stress development during processing of graphite/epoxy composites

Abstract Residual stresses induced during processing can have deleterious effects on the structural integrity and dimensional stability of composite structures. While the residual stresses in fully cured laminate have been well characterized, the manner in which these stresses develop during processing is still not fully understood. In the present work, intermittent curing of an unsymmetric laminate was carried out to monitor the residual stress development. The resulting warpage was measured in order to assess the extent of residual stresses. The warpage and transverse modulus changed during cure in the same way as did the degree of cure, and they increased rapidly after the gel point. It is shown that a simple elastic analysis predicts reasonably well the change of warpage as a function of cure time when the change of elastic moduli during cure was accounted for. Postcure, especially of undercured laminates, was found to increase the warpage significantly while resulting in a substantial weight loss.
The inverse power method for calculation of multiplication factors

Abstract Standard numerical procedures for calculating multiplication factors in neutron transport problems involve a power method iterative approach. In the present investigation, an inverse power method is examined for calculation of the effective multiplication factor. If a good estimate of the effective multiplication factor is available, then the inverse power method can be significantly faster than standard procedures. The inverse power method is computationally compared to the power method for several one-group one-dimensional problems. However, it is shown that the method can be extended to multigroup multidimensional problems.
Evaluation of three methods for calculating statistical significance when incorporating a systematic uncertainty into a test of the background-only hypothesis for a Poisson process

Hypothesis tests for the presence of new sources of Poisson counts amidst background processes are frequently performed in high energy physics (HEP), gamma ray astronomy (GRA), and other branches of science. While there are conceptual issues already when the mean rate of background is precisely known, the issues are even more difficult when the mean background rate has non-negligible uncertainty. After describing a variety of methods to be found in the HEP and GRA literature, we consider in detail three classes of algorithms and evaluate them over a wide range of parameter space, by the criterion of how close the ensemble-average Type I error rate (rejection of the background-only hypothesis when it is true) compares with the nominal significance level given by the algorithm. We recommend wider use of an algorithm firmly grounded in frequentist tests of the ratio of Poisson means, although for very low counts the overcoverage can be severe due to the effect of discreteness. We extend the studies of Cranmer, who found that a popular Bayesian-frequentist hybrid can undercover severely when taken to high Z-values. We also examine the profile likelihood method, which has long been used in GRA and HEP; it provides an excellent approximation in much of the parameter space, as previously studied by Rolke and collaborators.
Active cell aggregation by immature rat Sertoli cells in primary culture: A role for cell surface glycoproteins

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulates “colony formation” by immature rat Sertoli cells in primary culture. “Colony formation” involves cell aggregation. Consequently, the involvement of cell surface glycoproteins in cell aggregation was investigated by treatment of dissociated 10-day rat testis cells with sodium metaperiodate, glucosamine, various lectins, tunicamycin, and puromycin. Treatment of control cultures with 5 μM glucosamine stimulated cell aggregation; however, glucosamine did not affect FSH-stimulated cultures. Treatment of dissociated testis cells with 5 μM sodium metaperiodate, 10 μg/ml castor bean agglutinin (ricin), or 2.5 μg/ml horseshoe crab agglutinin inhibited FSH stimulation of cell aggregation. A similar inhibition of cell aggregation was observed following addition of 10 μg/ml puromycin or tunicamycin to culture media from 0- to 18-hours incubation. Treatment with soybean agglutinin, concanavalin A, or wheat germ agglutinin had no effect. The galactose-specific lectins, Ricin, Ricinus communis agglutinin I, and Bendeirea simplicifolia agglutinin, inhibit the FSH stimulation of 3H-aminoacid incorporation as well as cell aggregation in 24-hour cultres. The inhibition of cell aggregation by sodium metaperiodate treatment was reversed with 5 μM sodium borohydride reduction. Sodium metaperiodate treatment did not alter cell viability (as assayed with trypan blue dye exclusion), did not alter cell attachment, nor significantly decrease 125I-FSH binding by cultured testis cells. The results suggest that FSH stimulation of cell aggregation by immature rat Sertoli cells requires cell surface glycoprotein interactions. Furthermore, the specificity of lectin inhibition suggests that glycoproteins with terminal galactose and sialic acid residues are required for the FSH induction of cell aggregation.