cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reducing dependence through investment in human capital: An assessment of Oman's development strategy

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to assess Oman's post-1970 efforts at developing its human capital. In addition, estimates are made of the factors most likely to interfere with the country's progress in this area. The main findings of the study are that while impressive gains in education have been made, this progress may be threatened by the government's excessive military expenditure plans. While defense expenditures do not appear to compete with education for budgetary allocations, there is the possibility that the military's competition for non-financial resources might slow down job creation in such sectors as manufacturing to the extent that the demand for education by Omani nationals is reduced.
Realistic display of volumes

We present a method for recursively rendering a realistic image of a volumetric dataset consisting of a mixture of sampled and synthetic objects. We describe several volume visualization tools that are based on the use of recursive ray tracing. These include shadows, mirrors, specularity, and constructive solid geometry. We discuss several ways to enhance our method both in terms of image quality and rendering speed by introducing the principles of adaptive traversal and probabilistic rendering.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing Multiple Thiophene-Modified Isomorphic Fluorescent Nucleosides

5-(Thien-2-yl)-2′-deoxyuridine, an isomorphic fluorescent nucleoside analogue, was incorporated into multiple positions within single stranded oligodeoxynucleotides. With minimal impact on duplex stability and overall structure, oligonucleotides containing three identical isomorphic fluorescent nucleosides in alternating or neighboring positions display enhanced, sequence-dependent on-signals for either duplex formation or dissociation.
Thermomechanical Properties of Polycrystalline Vanadium in Compression

Le comportement mecanique de polycristaux de Vanadium (purete commerciale : 99,8%) a ete caracterise en compression pour des taux de deformation allant de 10 -4 a 6.10 3 s -1 . L'evolution de la limite d'elasticite en fonction de la temperature a par ailleurs ete analysee sur une plage de 25 a 700 °C. L'observation en microscopie optique des echantillons deformes a montre l'absence de mâcle, de bande de deformation ou de micro-fissure, ce qui suggere un mode de deformation par glissement cristallographique. A l'exception d'une anomalie de limite elastique vers 400 °C, le taux de deformation et l'evolution de la limite d'elasticite en fonction de la temperature est caracteristique des metaux cubiques centres.
Deleterious Effects of Intermittent Recombinant Parathyroid Hormone on Cartilage Formation in a Rabbit Microfracture Model: A Preliminary Study:

Intermittent parathyroid hormone administration can enhance fracture healing in an animal model. Despite the success of exogenous parathyroid hormone on fracture healing and spine fusion, few studies have examined the role of parathyroid hormone on cartilage formation. We determined the effects of intermittent parathyroid hormone on cartilage formation in a rabbit microfracture model of cartilage regeneration. Twelve rabbits were divided into three equal groups: (1) microfracture alone, (2) microfracture + parathyroid hormone daily for 7 days, and (3) microfracture + parathyroid hormone for 28 days. Nonoperated contralateral knees were used as controls. The animals were sacrificed at 3 months and gross and histologic analysis was performed. The microfracture alone group demonstrated the most healing on gross and histologic analysis. Treatment with either 1 or 4 weeks of parathyroid hormone inhibited cartilage formation. Although discouraging from a cartilage repair point of view, this study suggests that the role parathyroid hormone administration has in clinical fracture healing must be examined carefully. Although parathyroid hormone is beneficial to promote healing in spine fusion and midshaft fractures, its deleterious effects on cartilage formation suggests that it may have adverse effects on the outcomes of periarticular fractures such as tibial plateau injuries that require cartilage healing for a successful clinical outcome.
Effect of Conservation Method on Digestibility, Nitrogen Balance, and Intake of Alfalfa

Abstract Alfalfa diets were fed to growing wethers to examine factors lowering intakes of alfalfa silage and to identify dietary characteristics related to voluntary intake. Direct-cut silage (Silage), direct-cut silage dried to the same dry matter as hay (Drysil), heat-dried hay (Hay), hay with water added to give the same dry matter as silage (Wethay), direct-cut silage treated with .5% of 2:1 formaldehyde (37%) -:formic acid (90%) mix at ensiling (Formal), and 24-h wilted silage (Wilted) were made from forage cut and chopped similarly. Digestible dry matter of Silage (50.5%) was lower than Formal (54.5%) and Wethay (57.4%) with other diets intermediate. Number of meals per day tended to be greatest for the Silage diets. Eating rates were highest for Formal and Wilted diets. More than 1.81% of nitrogen was in the acid detergent fiber insoluble fraction, resulting in low nitrogen digestibilities and negative nitrogen balances for Silage, Drysil, and Formal diets. Voluntary digestible energy intakes (Silage, 190; Drysil, 177; Hay, 202; Wethay, 228; Formal, 225; Wilted, 200 kcal/weight kg- 75 ) were not related to moisture content of the forages. Digestibility, density, rate of digestion of cell wall constituents, and behavioral patterns were discussed as possible factors related to intake.
Numerical Hopf bifurcation analysis in nonlinear ordinary and partial differential systems from chemical reactor theory

A code has been developed which will automatically locate and analyze points of Hopf bifurcation in autonomous ordinary differential systems. The code first locates critical value(s) v"c of a user-specified parameter v (the bifurcation parameter) such that a stationary (equilibrium) solution x"*(v) loses linear stability by virtue of a complex conjugate pair of eigenvalues. The code computes x"*(v) during the location of v"c. Then the code computes the various coefficients in a local approximation to the family of periodic solutions which arise, a process which involves computation of second and third partial derivatives by numerical differencing of the user-supplied Jacobian matrix. The current version of the code, called BIFOR2, is fully described in Hassard, Kazarinoff, and Wan, Theory and Applications of Hopf Bifurcation, Cambridge U.P., 1981. In this paper we demonstrate the code in applications to two systems drawn from chemical reactor theory. The first application is to a 4th order ordinary differential system modeling a coupled tank reactor. The second application is to a partial differential system modeling a catalyst particle system. These represent the first applications of the code to chemically reacting systems other than the Brusselator. The second application demonstrates how collocation methods may be used in conjunction with BIFOR2 to perform Hopf bifurcation analysis of partial differential systems.
The Rôle of Personality Maladjustment in Reading Disability

(1941). The Role of Personality Maladjustment in Reading Disability. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 59, No. 1, pp. 77-83.
The good citizen : a history of American civic life

In 1996, less than half of all eligible voters bothered to vote. Fewer citizens each year follow government and public affairs regularly. Is popular sovereignty a failure? Not necessarily, argues Michael Schudson in this history of citizenship in America. This work sees American politics as evolving from a "politics of assent" in colonial times and the 18th century, in which voting generally reaffirmed the social hierarchy of the community; to a "politics of affiliation" in the 19th century, in which party loyalty was paramount for the good citizen. Progressive reforms around the turn of the century reduced the power of parties and increased the role of education, making way for the "informed citizen", which remains the ideal in American civil life at the end of the 20th century. A fourth model, "the rights-bearing citizen", supplements the "informed citizen" model and makes the courthouse as well as the voting booth a channel for citizenship. From the Civil Rights movement on, rights-consciousness has thrust politics into everyday life. This message seeks to counter recent claims that American civic life has declined because participation in traditional civically oriented associations has declined.
Towards a Geographical Politics of Consumption

The author argues that radical geography needs a political revival. Of many avenues that might be followed, the areas of consumption and commodity chains are taken up for consideration. Revival involves a critique of certain trendy, theoretical approaches prevalent particularly in the study of the commodity—as with postmodern notions of the sign and image space, the new retail geography with its stress on identity, and actor-network theory diverting into nonhuman actants. Although not without potential, these approaches lack critical, political edge, especially in the sense of connecting consumption with production. Liberation at one end is divorced from exploitation at the other. Nets are noticed but not workers. As an alternative, a materialist–semiotic analysis is proposed using the concept of commodity chains. This analysis has greater potential for theorizing connections between consumers and producers in a way that stimulates political praxis as well. Nine strategies for political engagement are pro...
Thermodynamic properties of solid alloys of chromium with nickel and iron

The thermodynamic properties of chromium have been determined in the Ni-Cr and Fe-Cr binary systems and in the Fe-corner of the Fe-Ni-Cr system. These properties are based on experimental measurements using solid oxide electrolyte cells of the type: Cr, Cr2O3 I ThO2-Y2O3Cr (alloy), Cr2O3. In the Ni-Cr system, between 900 and 1300°, the activity of chromium exhibits negative deviation from ideality up to about 25 at. pct chromium. For alloys higher in chromium content, the activity of chromium exhibits positive deviation from ideality. In the Fe-Cr system, between 900 and 1200°, and 0 and 63 at. pct Cr, the chromium activity when referred to solid pure chromium exhibits positive deviation from ideality in both the γ and α phases, approaching ideality with increasing temperature. The nickel and iron activities in these two respective binary systems were calculated by a Gibbs-Duhem integration. The activity of chromium, referred to solid pure chromium, was measured between 900 and 1200° in solid Fe-Ni-Cr alloys with chromium concentrations of 9, 20, and 30 at. pct and Ni concentrations of 8, 18, and 30 at. pct. Additions of nickel to Fe-Cr alloys in the above concentration range are found to increase the chromium activity. The effect of nickel in increasing the chromium activity is greater at both greater chromium contents and lower temperatures.
Abstract P5-12-07: Triple-negative breast cancer in African American women - How women in New Orleans compare to the rest of Louisiana and the Nation

Background: For years clinicians have made the empirical observation that there is an unusually high number of African American women (AAW) with triple-negative (Tneg) breast cancer (BC) in New Orleans (NO). Knowing the rate of Tneg BC in AAW is higher than white women (WW), we explored the hypothesis that AAW in NO have a higher rate of Tneg BC when compared to AAW in the rest of Louisiana (LA) and the US. Methods: We analyzed data from the Louisiana Tumor Registry, one of the NCI funded SEER registries, for the tumor characteristics of invasive female BC diagnosed in 2010, focusing on racial disparities; HER2 status was not available prior to 2010. We explored the association of HER2 status with age, race, ER, PR, T, N and M status to determine crude and adjusted odds ratios and rate distribution of subtypes using SEER*Stat and SAS programs. With the recent release of SEER 18 data including HER2 status in cases diagnosed in 2010 we also looked at national rates of Tneg BC in WW compared to AAW and compared these findings to NO and LA. Results: Overall age-adjusted incidence rate of Tneg BC in AAW was 34.0 per 100,000 in NO, 27.2 per 100,000 in AAW in the rest of LA and 20.4 per 100,000 in SEER 18. This translates into a statistically significant increase in incidence rates of Tneg BC in AAW in NO by 67% (p = Conclusions: The incidence rates of Tneg BC in AAW in NO and LA are significantly higher than in SEER 18, with rates in NO being the highest. Rates of Tneg BC in WW in all data sets were similar. SEER 18 analysis also confirms a higher incidence of Tneg BC in AAW compared with WW as previously reported in smaller case series. AAW in NO are more likely to have poorly differentiated and Tneg BC compared to AAW in the rest of LA. This newly identified disparity in the AAW population in NO has clinical implications and translational research potential as it enables us to broaden the understanding and treatment of this aggressive disease. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P5-12-07.
Biomechanical properties of the costovertebral joint.

Proper modeling of the human trunk requires a quantitative assessment of the stiffness of the costovertebral joints. Twelve samples (adjacent thoracic vertebrae and one rib segment) were harvested from three subjects. The ribs were loaded in the cranial–caudal direction, the ventral–dorsal direction and in torsion around the cervical rib axis. The force applied to and the displacement of the loading point on the rib were measured and used to determine the moment–angle responses. Characteristic average curves and boundary curves containing the dataset were developed. The torsion response presented a range of motion—defined as the change in the angle for an applied moment varying from −0.1 to 0.1 N m—of 16.9 ± 6.8° which is more than three times the range in cranial–caudal flexion and five times the range in ventral–dorsal flexion. Statistical tests showed a significant difference between these ranges of motion. Significant inter-subject variability was observed for the cranial–caudal flexion (p 0.9). This study expands and supplements the limited data available in the literature. Furthermore, it provides biomechanical data (closed-form moment–angle functions) that can be directly integrated into spine-ribcage models.
Microstructure and origin of cross-tie fibrils in crazes

Crazes were grown in thin films of polystyrene (PS) at various temperatures and the resulting craze fibril microstructures were examined using low-angle electron diffraction (LAED). A quasi-regular array of cross-tie fibrils pull the main fibrils away from the tensile axis by an angle ± β/2°. As a result, the LAED patterns from crazes grown at temperatures T<50°C exhibited split diffraction lobes centred about the equatorial axis of the LAED pattern. It was found that β decreased with increasing crazing temperature and that the split lobes could no longer be resolved at the highest temperatures. Diffuse meridional diffraction spots due to scattering from the quasi-regular array of cross-tie fibrils were seen in the LAED patterns from crazes grown at low temperatures. The spacing of the cross-tie fibrils, R, determined from these patterns, was found to increase with the crazing temperature. A new model of craze widening was proposed that accounts for the formation of cross-tie fibrils by allowing some of the entangled polymer strands which bridge two fibrils in the active zone to survive fibrillation. Cross-tie fibrils are created when several such strands pile up locally, and the craze/bulk interface bypasses the pile-up.
The shape classification of Torus-like and (n-sphere)-like continua

Abstract Let F be the collection of finite dimensional tori, F n the tori of dimension n or less, and S n the n -sphere. A complete shape classification for F -like Hausdorff continua, F n . like Hausdorff continua, and S n -like Hausdorff continua is obtained. If M is a F -like continuum, then there exists a unique compact connected abelian group having the same shape as M . If M is an S n -like Hausdorff continuum, then there exists a unique compact connected abelian group G M of dimension 1 or less such that the ( n −1)-fold suspension of G M has the same shape as M . As a consequence of these results, every F n -like Hausdorff continuum and every S n -like Hausdorff continuum has the shape of a metric continuum.
Dynamic Optimization of a Hybrid Solar Thermal and Fossil Fuel System

Abstract This work illustrates the synergy that exists between solar thermal and fossil fuel energy systems. By adding degrees of freedom and optimizing the system, more solar energy can be harvested by operating in a “hybrid” mode, where a portion of the demand is met by solar energy, with the remainder provided by a supplemental fuel, such as natural gas. This requires allowing temperatures in the solar field and storage tanks to vary, permitting the system to meet the demand by a combination of solar and fossil energy, rather than one or the other, and by allowing the heat transfer fluid to bypass storage. The addition of thermal energy storage provides the opportunity for dynamic optimization, where the degrees of freedom can be exploited over the entire time horizon to yield optimal results: maximizing the total amount of solar energy harvested. The problem is solved using a simultaneous solution method that concurrently minimizes the objective function and solves the system’s constraints. This methodology is demonstrated on a parabolic trough solar thermal plant with a two-tank-direct thermal energy storage system. Results show that 9% more solar energy can be harvested on a sunny day by using this methodology. On a day with intermittent sunlight, 49% more solar energy can be harvested with the same system. Dynamic optimization enables more cost effective solar integration in areas with lower or intermittent sources of solar incidence.
The effects of long-term estrogen exposure on the induction of sexual behavior and measurements of brain estrogen and progestin receptors in the female rat.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate long-term effects of estradiol-17β (E 2 ) on sexual receptivity and to study the molecular basis for estrogen potentiated changes in receptivity. We therefore examined the long-term effects of E 2 on E 2 and progestin receptors in the hypothalamus-preoptic area-septum (HPS) and pituitary (PIT) of the female rat. Twenty-one days following ovariectomy, females received a 5-mm Silastic capsule of E 2 or cholesterol (C) for 1 week ( pretreatment ). Some animals were sacrificed for chemical analyses (i). The remainder had their capsules removed and 5 days later these animals either were sacrificed for chemical analyses (ii), or received E 2 ( reimplantation ). Forty-six hours after reimplantation, females either were sacrificed for chemical analyses (iii), or were tested for receptivity. When tested with sexually active males or by a manual stimulation method, animals pretreated with E 2 showed significantly better lordosis scores than animals pretreated with C. The tests for lordosis were carried out after administration of E 2 or E 2 + P to all subjects tested. During E 2 pretreatment, HPS and PIT cytosol progestin receptors increased significantly, while available estrogen receptor levels decreased significantly, as compared with C controls. Five days after E 2 pretreatment, HPS progestin receptor levels had decreased to the level observed in C controls, while PIT progestin receptors were slightly elevated. In HPS and PIT, levels of available E 2 receptor in E 2 and C pretreated animals were indistinguishable from each other. Neither the saturation capacity of the estrogen receptor nor the dissociation constant for binding [ 3 H]E 2 was altered by E 2 pretreatment, as shown by Scatchard equilibrium analysis. Forty-six hours following E 2 reimplantation, progestin HPS and PIT receptor levels in E 2 and C pretreated animals were identical. Long-term potentiation of lordosis by E 2 does not result from a change in estrogen or progestin receptor dynamics in HPS of female rats.
A Cell Stretching System to Measure Endothelial Cell Cyclic Strain Response on Spatially Defined Basement Membrane

A principal concern in diabetes is the increased risk of vascular disease associated with unregulated blood glucose. Endothelial cells that line the vasculature are dysfunctional in hyperglycemia. The high glucose environment promotes basement membrane protein glycation and enhanced cross-linking, which can increase stiffness and may alter endothelial cell response to strain.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Small bowel obstruction in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis related desmoid disease

Aim Intra-abdominal desmoid disease is one of the most common extra-intestinal manifestations of familial adenomatous polyposis. Small bowel obstruction occurs frequently in affected patients and is notoriously difficult to treat. The aim of this study was to review the management and outcome of desmoid-related small bowel obstruction. Method This was a retrospective, descriptive study of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and intra-abdominal desmoid disease who developed small bowel obstruction. Demographic data and data concerning the presentation, diagnosis and treatment of the bowel obstructions were abstracted from the polyposis database or patients’ records. Patients with obstruction unrelated to desmoid disease were excluded. Results There were 47 patients (30 women and 17 men). Median age at first bowel obstruction was 24.2 (interquartile range 19.2–34.2) years. The median time from index surgery to first bowel obstruction was 4.1 (interquartile range 1.5–9.0) years. Twenty-two patients had a colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis and 21 a proctocolectomy and ileoanal pouch. Obstruction was treated medically in 29% of cases and surgically in 69%. Thirteen patients had total parental nutrition. Thirty (63.8%) had a second episode of small bowel obstruction at a mean of 5.3 years after the first, 50% of which were treated medically. Eighteen (37.5%) patients had more than two episodes of bowel obstruction. There were 118 operations, including lysis of adhesions (29), small bowel resection (14), bypass (12), ileostomy (12), desmoid excision (9) and stricturoplasty (2). Conclusion Desmoid-related small bowel obstruction in familial adenomatous polyposis patients requires multiple surgical strategies to restore a patent gastrointestinal tract. What does this paper add to the literature? This is the only series in the literature specifically addressing small bowel obstruction in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and intra-abdominal desmoid disease. The data show that small bowel obstruction is common, tends to recur, but can be successfully managed by a combination of medical and well selected surgical treatment.
The effects of oxygen and humidity on friction and wear of diamond-like carbon films

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared on Si(100) wafers by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition at a pressure of 900 mTorr. Their wear rates and friction coefficients against a silicon nitride ball were measured in a pin-on-disk tribometer in argon and air with varying relative humidities. In 50% relative humidity, the measured wear rates of the ball and DLC were of the order of 10−8 mm3 N−1 m−1 and 10−7 mm3 N−1 m−1 respectively. In dry argon, dry air and 100% humid air, the wear rates of DLC were 10−9, 10−9 and 10−8 mm3 N−1 m−1, but that of the ball was below the detection limit. The measured friction coefficients were 0.06 in dry argon, 0.08 in 50% humid air and 0.09 in 100% humid argon, and around 0.2 in 50% humid argon, dry and 100% in humid air. In dry argon, the contact area of the ball was covered with material transferred from the DLC film during sliding; the low friction coefficient and wear rate measured in dry argon are attributed to this material. In dry and humid air, surface layers of DLC were oxidized by a tribochemical reaction forming a CO bond. They covered the contact area of both the DLC film and the ball. This film increased friction coefficients, but it acted as a protective coating when its thickness was sufficient to prevent direct contact of the DLC film against the ball in 100% humid air.
Sequential Testing to Guarantee the Necessary Sample Size in Clinical Trials

This article addresses the sequential sampling issues related to attainment of a given number of subjects in a Poisson arrival process. The problem of guaranteeing the necessary sample size is formulated as that of open-ended hypothesis testing. To implement the procedure a one-sided stopping boundary must be specified. The formulas for the probabilities of general stopping time distribution are derived. For the linear boundary they are in the class of Lagrangian Poisson distributions. A locally optimal test is obtained.
Imaging Complex Structures With First-arrival Traveltimes

I present a layer-stripping Kirchhoff migration algorithm which is capable of obtaining accurate images of complex structures by downward continuing the data and imaging from a lower datum. I use eikonal traveltimes in a Kirchhoff datuming algorithm for the downward continuation. After downward continuation, I perform Kirchhoff migration. The method alternates steps of datuming and imaging. Because traveltimes are computed for each step, the adverse effects of caustics, headwaves, and multiple arrivals do not develop. In principal, this method only requires the same number of traveltime calculations as a standard migration. Tests on the Marmousi data set produce excellent results. INTRODUCTION Kirchhoff migration is generally accepted to be the most efficient method of imaging 2-D and 3-D prestack seismic data. The Marmousi synthetic data set (Versteeg, 1994) has been a popular testbed for migration algorithms and many researchers have discovered that Kirchhoff algorithms using first-arrival traveltimes do a poor job of imaging the target zone (Audebert et al., 1994; Gray and May, 1994; Geoltrain and Brac, 1993). Even methods which calculate most energetic arrivals and estimate amplitude and phase do not always result in images which compare favorably with finite-difference shot-profile migration. In their 1993 Geophysics article, Geoltrain and Brac ask the question “Can we image complex structures with first-arrival traveltime?” They conclude that they cannot, and that they should either ray trace to find the most energetic arrivals, or calculate multiple-arrival Green’s functions. Nichols (1994) calculates band-limited Green’s functions to estimate the most energetic arrivals. He estimates not only traveltime, but also amplitude and phase. My approach is simpler; by breaking up the complex velocity structure, I am able to calculate traveltimes in velocity models where finite-differencing the eikonal equation is valid. This results in images comparable to those obtained by Nichols’ method and by shot-profile migration at a reduced computational cost. e-mail: dimitri@sep.stanford.edu
Automated restoration of engineering drawings into a CAD data base

With the increasing use of computers in the area of design and manufacture, a major problem being faced by the industry today is that of getting existing product information in the form of paper drawings into a suitable computer data base. This paper presents techniques for preprocessing and vectorizing scan digitized images of engineering drawings for automatically transferring the resulting data to commercially available CAD/CAM systems. The preprocessing steps include noise removal, void filling, image segmentation, line thinning and contour extraction. Algorithms for raster-to-vector conversion capable of recognizing and fitting straight-line segments, circles, arcs, and conic sections are presented along with results obtained from actual machine drawings.
Investigation of temperature-driven water transport in polymer electrolyte fuel cell: Thermo-osmosis in membranes

The objective of this work is to investigate water transport in polymer electrolyte fuel cell membranes subjected to a temperature gradient. Direct thermo-osmotic experiments on different polymer membrane types (non-reinforced Nafion®, and reinforced Gore-Select® and Flemion® membranes) were performed using an in-house fuel cell fixture with a parallel flow field and pure membrane sheet without catalyst layers. Thermo-osmotic flow was observed in all membranes, and the water flow direction in the membrane was determined to always flow from the cold to hot side, as anticipated for a small pore hydrophilic porous medium. The water flux was found to be proportional to temperature gradient, and increase with average membrane temperature. The dependency of the thermo-osmotic diffusivity on average temperature showed predictable Arrhenius-type behavior. True interfacial temperatures of the membrane were estimated using a two-dimensional thermal model, and empirical relations for the thermo-osmotic diffusivity for the membrane types tested were developed. These can be of use to design engineers concerned about achieving optimal water balance during steady and transient operation.
Factors that affect user-friendliness in interactive computer programs

Abstract The increased use of interactive programs on mainframe and personal computers has made designers (creators) of programs acutely aware of the man-machine (or user-program) interface. Such awareness is a result of users becoming more informed that computers and programs can be made friendly. This research discusses factors that affect the acceptance of interactive programs and presents the results of a survey of 124 computer program designers and users. Respondents rated the importance of 20 factors and the frequency with which they are used, and placed them in order of importance. The results should guide designers in improving acceptance of their product.
Type and regional diversity in the distribution of myosin heavy chains in chicken intrafusal muscle fibers.

Background: Chicken intrafusal fibers were classifed on the basis of their myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition, which was compared to that of mammalian nuclear bag and nuclear chain types. Methods: Immunoreactivities of intrafusal fibers from leg muscles of 8-week-old chickens were evaluated in serial cross-sections after incubation with monoclonal antibodies against slow-twitch, slow-tonic, or fast-twitch MHC and fast muscle C-protein. Results: Four categories of slow intrafusal fiber could be distinguished on the basis of differential expression of slow-twitch and slow-tonic MHC. Segregation into types was most evident at the motor axon supplied pole, followed by the sensory region of the equator. Fiber types were least distinct at the juxtaequator where sensory and motor axons meet. Intrafusal fibers negative for slow myosins reacted with anti-fast myosins. Fast fibers were best viewed as a single group without subdivisions. Immunostaining for fast muscle C-protein paralleled in large part reactivities for neonatal/fast MHC, indicating that proteins other than MHC are useful fiber type markers. Conclusions: Despite regional changes along the length of intrafusal fibers and some variation within fiber types, the concept of separate MHC-based fiber types was valid as long as typing of fibers was restricted to the proximal polar region. Comparisons of MHC profiles revealed similarities between chicken fast intrafusal fibers and mammalian nuclear chain fibers and between some chicken slow intrafusal fibers and mammalian nuclear bag fibers. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Viral interference phenomena induced by foot-and-mouth disease temperature-sensitive mutants in bovine kidney cells

Cultures of bovine kidney (BK) cells infected with temperature-sensitive(ts) mutants of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) were incubated at 38.5°C, a temperature nonpermissive for mutant virus growth and RNA synthesis. The cells were subsequently resistant to viral growth and RNA synthesis when super-infected with wild-type FMDV and with heterologous fowl plague virus. The extent of interference was proportional to the multiplicity of infection of thets mutant. It increased with time elapsed between infection with mutant and challenge infection, becoming greater than 99 percent after 24 hours. Interference was not proportional to decreased levels of cellular protein synthesis. The interference could be produced in the presence of actinomycin D, and thus was apparently mostly caused by thets mutant itself rather than by interferon. The interference could not be produced in other less susceptible cell lines. Supernatant fluids from the BK cells infected withts mutant virus interfered with wild-type FMD viral growth and RNA synthesis in fresh BK cells, and also showed low levels of activity in a vesicular stomatitis virus-plaque reduction assay. The properties of the supernatant fluid-interfering agent resembled to some extent those of an interferon. Thets mutant-mediated interference factor was apparently not able to diffuse into the supernatant fluid.
The Practical Uses of Hydrological Science

This report is an authoritative summary of many hydrologic techniques, which are presented in the context of their application to the planning and design of water resources projects. The author does not claim that the work is exhaustive in scope but presents those techniques with which he is most familiar. Although other techniques are in use, those presented cover the intended scope of the report adequately.
Evidence for specific binding of uncapacitated boar spermatozoa to porcine zonae pellucidae in vitro

Washed ejaculated boar sperm and sperm from the cauda epididymis bind to the zona pellucida of fixed porcine eggs in large numbers. Sperm incubated in the presence of dextran sulfate (8 K daltons or 500 K daltons) or fucoidan and then washed no longer bind to eggs. Other acid carbohydrates (heparin, chondroitin sulfates, inositol hexasulfate, carboxymethylcellulose) fail to block sperm-egg binding even when added directly to sperm-egg suspensions. Seminal plasma and the seminal vesicle secretion contain basic proteins which bind tightly to sperm and bind reversibly to eggs preventing sperm from binding to eggs. When dextran sulfate or fucoidan are mixed with the vesicular secretion, from which seminal plasma basic proteins originate (Hunt et al., '83), the secretion loses the capacity to prevent sperm from binding to eggs; this suggests that seminal vesicle proteins can bind to the same site on zonae as do sperm and thus seminal plasma may modify sperm-egg interactions. Corpus and cauda epididymal sperm also bind in large numbers to the zona pellucida of isolated eggs but high concentrations of caput sperm, which exhibit high motility in the presence of caffeine, bind only in few numbers. Thus a component that enhances sperm-zona binding is apparently formed on the plasma membranes of uncapacitated sperm during passage through the epididymis. This finding, and an earlier observation that antibodies raised against uncapacitated sperm plasma membranes block sperm-egg binding in vivo (Peterson et al., '83) suggest that this component may be involved in sperm zona interaction in vivo.
Sustained primary culture of lobster (Panulirus argus) olfactory receptor neurons.

Abstract Appropriate conditions were developed for primary sustained culture of olfactory neurons of the spiny lobster Panulirus argus. Neurons were cultured in a modified Liebowitz L15 media supplemented with Panulirus salts, basic minimal essential (BME) vitamins, L-glutamine, low dextrose, and either fetal calf serum (FCS) or lobster haemolymph. Neurite outgrowth and cell viability was strongly affected by choice of adherent substratum, presence of serum, and length of animal captivity. Neither nerve growth factor 7s (NGF-7s), HEPES, nor preconditioned media from the target organ, the olfactory lobe, had any gross effect on either longevity or neurite outgrowth. Five morphologically distinct neuronal cell types (8–16 μm soma diameter) could be defined based on their number and type of processes. All of these cells were electrically excitable (N = 50), and many (56%) produced either inward or outward currents in response to stimulation with single odors. The proportion of cells responding to odors increased (80%) when 10 cells were sequentially presented with a series of 3–5 odors. The finding that cultured cells maintain responsiveness to odors yet are morphologically more compact than their counterparts in situ, argues for the prospect of using these dissociated cultured olfactory receptor neurons to study signal transduction in olfaction.
Dorothy Stahl Brady, 1903–1977

I am sitting here, despairingly, with four resumes of Dorothy Brady before me, which she herself prepared at different points in her career. What do they tell about her? The answer, I fear, is very little. They record her academic and professional accomplishments from the early 1920s onward—Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Reed College, Oregon; M.A., Cornell; Ph.D. in mathematics, Berkeley; home economics specialist at USDA; division chief at BLS, professorships at Illinois, Chicago, and Pennsylvania; Vice-President of the American Statistical Association and Economic History Association; Fellow of the American Statistical Association and Econometric Society; Chairman of the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth; numerous scholarly publications.
Herpesvirus Particles Associated With Oral and Respiratory Lesions in a California Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

A 60-year-old captive California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) which died in August 1990 at the University of California, Davis, California (USA), during treatment for colonic impaction had marked caseous necrosis of the oral cavity, choana, trachea, and lungs. Numerous intranuclear inclusion bodies and a large number of syncytial giant cells were seen in the oral cavity and respiratory tract along with bacterial granulomas. Pasteurella testudinis, Streptococcus veridans, and coagulase-negative Staphilococcus spp. were cultured from the lesions. Using electron microscopy, herpesvirus particles were observed in intranuclear inclusions and cytoplasm. Viral stomatitis, tracheitis, and bronchopneumonia complicated by bacterial infection were diagnosed. Although respiratory disease is common in desert tortoises, this is believed to be the first report of association with a viral infection.
A Similarity Theory of the Tropospheric Turbulence Energy Spectrum

Abstract A three-range model is proposed for the energy spectrum of tropospheric turbulence in which the range-I spectrum is governed by the cascade of eddy enstrophy, that of range-II by the cascade of eddy kinetic energy, and that of range-III by viscous dissipation. Values of the spectral densities in ranges-I and -II, as well as wavenumbers of transition from range-I to -II to -III, are determined in terms of the integrated values of the energy spectrum, V2¯, and the dissipation spectrum, ϵ, of range-II. The resulting spectra for ranges-I and -II are shown to agree well with the recent GASP data on atmospheric spectra covering wave-lengths of from less than 3 km to 10000 km. A property of this model is that ϵ/V2¯ = f, the Coriolis parameter. This is shown to give very close agreement with the observed latitude variation of the GASP-Spectrum in range-II, to correctly indicate that this variation is much greater in range-I, and to explain why the atmosphere's eddy viscosity, K, is more variable over the...
The platelet-derived growth factor ß receptor as a target of the bovine papillomavirus E5 protein

Abstract The 44-amino acid E5 protein of bovine papillomavirus is a homo-dimeric, transmembrane protein that transforms cells by activating the platelet-derived growth factor s receptor in a ligand-independent fashion. The E5 protein induces receptor activation by forming a stable complex with the receptor, thereby inducing receptor dimerization, trans -phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor, and recruitment of cellular SH2 domain-containing proteins into a signal transduction complex. Direct interactions between specific transmembrane and juxtamembrane amino acids in the E5 protein and the PDGF s receptor appear to drive complex formation and dimerization of the receptor. Further analysis of this unique mechanism of viral transformation promises to yield new insight into the regulation of growth factor receptor activity and cellular signal transduction pathways.
Design of a basic computer building block

In the past, circuit design of a basic transistor building block consisted of design by successive approximations, where known operating circuits were improved upon by using laboratory techniques to wire up new circuits and then the working properties of these new circuits were evaluated by measurement. A technique for designing and regulating the characteristics of a new circuit with a minimum of laboratory verification is described. Most of the actual work is accomplished by a large scale digital computer, the Univac Scientific.
Prenatal cocaine exposure increases the behavioral sensitivity of neonatal rat pups to ligands active at opiate receptors

Offspring of dams given 40 mg/kg cocaine HCl (C40) from gestational day 8–20 (E8–E20), pair-fed dams injected daily with saline (PF), nutritional control dams placed on a 40% cellulose based diet and injected with saline daily (NC), and untreated dams (LC) were examined. Offspring were given morphine (0.0, 0.1, or 0.5 mg/kg SC) on postnatal day 10–11 (P10–11) in Experiment 1, and isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations were measured. Planned comparisons indicated that both C40 and NC offspring exhibited a greater sensitivity to the morphine-related decrease in isolation-induced ultrasounds than LC controls. However, the presence of an anesthetized littermate suppressed isolation-induced ultrasounds equally across all groups, with all groups of offspring spending equal amounts of time in physical contact with the littermate. A tail-flick measure of analgesia indicated that PF animals were hyperalgesic relative to the other prenatal treatment groups; however, no differences in sensitivity to morphine were seen across the prenatal groups. In Experiment 2, animals were given the selective δ, [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]-enkephalin (DPDPE), and μ, [D-Ala2-NMe-Phe4Gly ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) agonists ICV and ultrasonic vocalizations were recorded. Results indicated that both C40 and NC offspring were more sensitive to the low dose of DAMGO; however, because of the profound suppression of vocalizations seen at both doses of DPDPE, potential differences among the prenatal treatment groups in responsiveness to the δ agonist were difficult to detect. The altered psychopharmacological sensitivity of C40 and NC offspring is unlikely to be related simply to the anorexic effects of the treatments, as the PF offspring did not differ from LC offspring in terms of sensitivity to the agonists. The increased sensitivity of C40 offspring to morphine and DAMGO in terms of isolation-induced ultrasounds in the absence of any alteration in sensitivity to morphine-induced analgesia is consistent with previous findings showing that C40 weanlings exhibit increased binding of [3H]naloxone in forebrain regions such as the nucleus accumbens but no increase in binding in brain stem regions associated with the control of analgesia (13).
Differential expression of interleukins IL-13 and IL-15 in normal ovarian tissue and ovarian carcinomas

Objective. To determine the temporal and spatial expression of interleukins (IL)-13 and IL-15 in ovarian carcinoma compared to normal ovarian tissue. Methods. Quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Results. Q-RT-PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemical analysis indicates that IL-13 and IL-15 mRNA and protein are expressed in normal ovary at various phases of the menstrual cycle with immunoreactive proteins detected in granulosa/theca and luteal cells and to a lesser extent in stromal cells and surface epithelial cells. Compared to normal ovary, ovarian carcinoma expresses elevated levels of IL-13 and IL-15 mRNA, with higher IL-13 expression in primary vs. metastatic tumors. IL-13 and IL-15 protein expression was also higher in the tumor tissues compared to ascites. In normal ovary, ovarian tumors and ascites, the ratio of IL-13/IL-15 favored IL-13. Immunoreactive IL-13 and IL-15 proteins were localized primarily in the tumor cells and infiltrated inflammatory cells with increased intensity with disease stage. Conclusion. Normal ovary and ovarian tumors express IL-13 and IL-15 and pattern of their expression in carcinomas suggests that these cytokines may function in various ovarian cellular activities including inflammatory/immune responses that are integrated cellular events taking place in normal ovary and ovarian tumors.
The mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylates sites having a (Ser/Thr)-Pro motif and is activated by antibodies to a region near its COOH terminus.

The eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding protein, PHAS-I, was phosphorylated rapidly and stoichiometrically when incubated with [γ-32P]ATP and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) that had been immunoprecipitated with an antibody, mTAb1, directed against a region near the COOH terminus of mTOR. PHAS-I was phosphorylated more slowly by mTOR obtained either by immunoprecipitation with other antibodies or by affinity purification using a rapamycin/FKBP12 resin. Adding mTAb1 to either of these preparations of mTOR increased PHAS-I phosphorylation severalfold, indicating that mTAb1 activates the mTOR protein kinase. mTAb1-activated mTOR phosphorylated Thr36, Thr45, Ser64, Thr69, and Ser82 in PHAS-I. All five of these sites fit a (Ser/Thr)-Pro motif and are dephosphorylated in response to rapamycin in rat adipocytes. Thus, our findings indicate that Pro is a determinant of the mTOR protein kinase specificity and that mTOR contributes to the phosphorylation of PHAS-I in cells.
Long-term follow-up for children treated with surgical intervention for chronic rhinosinusitis.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The goal of this study is to retrospectively compare the long-term, 10 year, outcomes of surgical versus medical management of young children with chronic rhinosinusitis. Study Design: This is a retrospective, age-matched, cohort outcome study performed at a tertiary-care hospital. Methods: Two groups of young children (2–5 yr old) with chronic rhinosinusitis were treated with endoscopic sinus surgery or medically managed and evaluated 10 years after their initial therapy. Of the 131 eligible patients, 67 could be located and consented to participate in the study. Six symptoms (day cough, night cough, irritability or crankiness, headaches, nasal airway obstruction, and purulent rhinorrhea) were used to assess the outcome of their treatment. Results: Children undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery had more significant disease as noted on the computed tomography (CT) scans. Their symptom severity, however, was similar. When individual symptoms were compared, there were no statistically significant differences between the surgically and medically managed groups. When the mean was controlled for baseline symptom severity and CT severity, there was statistical improvement in nasal airway obstruction and decreased rhinorrhea. There was a trend toward improvement in cough, but this was not statistically significant. Parenteral assessment of improvement (change) in symptoms (P = .001) and their degree of satisfaction with treatment (P = .005) was significantly higher in the surgically managed group. Conclusions: Children who have chronic rhinosinusitis improve in their symptoms of nasal airway obstruction and purulent discharge if they undergo surgery. Parents of young children with chronic rhinosinusitis appear to be more satisfied with the outcome of surgical management than medical management when assessed 10 years later.