cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degradation of 14C-zinc ammonium acetate in soils as influenced by soil types, soil sterilization, and carriers

ABSTRACT Zinc ammonium acetate (ZAA), typically applied to soils in anhydrous ammonia as a carrier, has been used to improve corn (Zea maysL.) productivity. This study aimed to determine the fate of ZAA in soils as influenced by soil type (sandy, silt, and clay loam), sterilization (sterile and non-sterile), and two carriers (H2O and NH4OH). A 16 d laboratory incubation experiment with 14C-ZAA showed that total recovery of carbon-14 (14C) from 14CO2 trap and soil extraction by CaCl2 ranged from 72% to 94% in the first 8 d for sterilized soils. However, < 17% 14C was found in non-sterilized soils. Most 14C recovered in sterilized soil was associated with soil extraction, and relatively little was found in the CO2 traps. All sterilized soils provided similar 14C recoveries except the sandy loam. Slightly more 14C was extracted from the soil when NH4OH was the ZAA carrier rather than water. Conversely, recovery of 14CO2 continued to increase during the 16 d incubation, but started faster when water was the Z...
Inhomogeneous condensates in planar QED.

We study the formation of vacuum condensates in (2+1)-dimensional QED in the presence of inhomogeneous background magnetic fields. For a large class of magnetic fields, the condensate is shown to be proportional to the inhomogeneous magnetic field, in the large flux limit. This may be viewed as a local form of the integrated degeneracy-flux relation of Aharonov and Casher. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Mesospheric Density Variability Based on Recent Meteorological Rocket Measurements

Abstract Seasonal and latitudinal variability of density between 30 and 68 km is presented. These data have been derived from direct temperature and height measurements made with meteorological rockets fired at White Sands Missile Range, N. Mex., and Fort Churchill, Canada, during 1960–1962 Meteorological Rocket Network and associated research and development activities. Some of the more significant features are the wider seasonal range at northern latitudes, the absence of significant latitudinal variation during the summer, the greatest variation in the fall and winter at northern latitudes and the overall variation that is indicated in the general region of 50 to 60 kin, as much as 50 per cent in some cases. The need for both seasonal and latitudinal standard atmospheres where standards are required is clearly demonstrated. Also, the feasibility of providing timely density measurements for direct application is evident.
Nonsteady burning phenomena of solid propellants - theory and experiments

Abstract : Non-steady burning of solid propellants was investigated both theoretically and experimentally, with attention to combustion instability, transient burning during motor ignition, and extinction by depressurization. The theory is based on a one-dimensional model of the combustion zone consisting of a thin gaseous flame and a solid heat up zone. The non-steady gaseous flame behavior is deduced from experimental steady burning characteristics; the response of the solid phase is described by the time-dependent Fourier equation. Solutions were obtained for dynamic burning rate, flame temperature, and burnt gas entropy under different pressure variations; two methods were employed. First, the equations were linearized and solved by standard techniques. Then, to observe nonlinear effects, solutions were obtained by digital computer for prescribed pressure variations. One significant result is that a propellant with a large heat evolution at the surface is intrinsically unstable under dynamic conditions even though a steady-state solution exists. Another interesting result is that the gas entropy amplitude and phase depend critically on the frequency of pressure oscillation and that either near-isentropic or near-isothermal oscillations may be observable. Experiments with an oscillating combustion chamber and with a special combustor equipped for sudden pressurization tend to support the latter conclusion. (Author)
Factorization at Higher Twist in Hadron - Hadron Scattering

Abstract We study one-loop soft gluon effects in a scalar quark QCD model of the Drell-Yan process. We find that factorization of the type suggested by Politzer holds at order m 2 / s , but fails at order m 4 / s 2 . We suggest that this pattern holds to higher orders, and that the non-factoring terms are not suppressed by form factors. We compute the non-factoring contributions, and give a classical interpretation of our results.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Other Signaling Pathways in Developmental and Pathologic Angiogenesis

The field of angiogenesis received a huge boost in 2003 with the announcement of positive results in a phase III clinical trial using a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-blocking antibody for the treatment of cancer. Although the VEGF pathway has emerged as a central signaling pathway in normal and pathologic angiogenesis, several other pathways are also now recognized as playing essential roles. This review focuses on 2 specific areas. First, we summarize some of the work on newly discovered angiogenic signaling pathways by primarily describing the molecular biology of the pathways and the evidence for their involvement in vascular development. Second, we describe progress in therapeutic antiangiogenesis in cancer, particularly with agents that block the VEGF pathway.
Merck Sharp and Dohme versus Laporte.

An increasing number of articles have proposed a fascinating historical reconstruction of the symbol used through the ages to represent the activity of doctors. There has been perplexity about continuing to use the winged caduceus of Hermes, since this symbol has come to be associated with trade, commerce, communication, and even thieves, which is not very flattering for doctors. It has been proposed that we return to the single-serpent-entwined staff of Asklepios, or to go back to an even more ancestral symbol: an arrow. This debate about what is historically the most appropriate symbol for doctors is an enlightening means for continued reflection and questioning of the roots, developments, and challenges facing medicine today. This profession is now an applied science, ever more open to multidisciplinary and multilateral contributions from the fields of molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, and technology, resulting in bioethical and applicative implications that until a few years ago would have been unimaginable. What symbol would best represent medicine’s value, history, and traditions and at the same time evoke the heights that man and modern medicine has reached? As is eloquently depicted on the cover of one of the 16th century books conserved at Perugia University in Italy (figure), the single-serpent-entwined staff is placed in the hands of man, almost as though to suggest a doctor’s renewed personal, pluralistic, ethical, and moral pledge towards his patients at the dawning of what was to become a profound scientific and cultural transformation in modern medicine. Might this symbol not be equally as appropriate now?
Hepatitis C and liver transplantation

Hepatitis C virus-related end-stage liver disease, alone or in combination with alcohol, has become the leading indication for liver transplantation in most transplant programs accounting for approximately half of transplants performed in European centers. The aim of this review is to analyze the factors involved in the results in different groups of patients with HCV underwent to liver transplantation. The groups involved those pretransplantation, post-transplant HCV infection, preventive early post-transplantation and with of recurrent hepatitis C.
Synthesis and incorporation of ladder polymer subunits in copolyamides, pendant polymers, and composites for enhanced nonlinear optical response

Several electroactive polymers, such as polyacetylene, polythiophene, poly [p-phenylene vinylene] and poly [2,5-thienylene vinylene] have shown promise as NLO-active materials over the past few years. However, as several theoretical and experimental research groups have pointed out in recent publications and symposia, it is not evident that long conjugation lengths are necessary for enhanced (chi) (3) activity. As recently demonstrated, copolyamides which incorporate polyenylic or PTV oligomeric repeat units show (chi) (3)/(alpha) values of ca. 10-13 esu-cm at 532 nm(band-edge). In this paper, the authors discuss how ladder subunits related to the electroactive polymers POL and PTL can be incorporated into polymer films as (a) copolymer repeat units, (b) pendant groups attached to poly [p-hydroxystyrene] and (c) guest-host composites in polycarbonate. Sharp optical absorptions are found in all cases as well as promising (chi) (3) properties.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Profiling of genes expressed by PTEN haploinsufficient neural precursor cells.

Abstract PTEN is a lipid phosphatase, and PTEN mutations are associated with gliomas, macrocephaly, and mental deficiencies. We have used PTEN +/− and PTEN +/+ mice to prepare subventricular zone (SVZ) precursor cells. Using DNA microarrays, we compared the expression profiles of PTEN +/+ and PTEN +/− cells and identified 91 differentially expressed genes in PTEN +/− precursor cells. Many of the PTEN-regulated genes are involved with signaling, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, metabolism, and transcription factors. Some of these changes are likely mediated by the transcription factor, HIF-1. We confirmed a subset of these changes by real-time PCR. In addition, we examined protein levels for two of the PTEN-up-regulated genes, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and doublecortin (DCX). PTEN haploinsufficiency increases immunostaining for VEGF for both cultured precursor cells and sections of the SVZ. PTEN haploinsufficiency shifted most of the DCX-positive cells from the SVZ to the olfactory bulb. These observations indicate that even a small decrease in PTEN levels results in substantial changes in gene expression and precursor cell function.
Specific localization of polychlorinated biphenyls in clams (Mya arenaria) from environmentally impacted sites

Hemocytic neoplasia (HN) develops in soft shell clams (Mya arenaria L.) in coastal locations throughout the world. However, the prevalence of this neoplasm is higher than background levels when clams are collected from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site, New Bedford Harbor (NBH), MA. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the relationship between the accumulation of PCBs in tissue by M. arenaria and the development of neoplasia in the hemolymph. PCBs preferentially localized in normal and neoplastic hemocytes, in the ovary and in several other tissues. The specific reactivity of tissues with PCB antibodies corresponded to a high reported prevalence (60%) of neoplasia. Understanding the biological implication of PCB accumulation in environmentally impacted animals, particularly in reproductive tissue, is relevant to all species.
If Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus is ‘the most diverse vertebrate’, what is the lake charr Salvelinus namaycush?

Teleost fishes are prominent vertebrate models of evolution, illustrated among old-world radiations by the Cichlidae of East African Great Lakes and new-world radiations by the circumpolar Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus. Herein, we describe variation in lake charr S. namaycush morphology, life history, physiology and ecology, as another example of radiation. The lake charr is restricted to northern North America, where it originated from glacial refugia and diversified in large lakes. Shallow and deepwater morphs arose in multiple lakes, with a large-bodied shallow-water ‘lean’ morph in shallow inshore depths, a small-bodied mid-water ‘humper’ morph on offshore shoals or banks, a robust, large-bodied moderate to deep-water ‘redfin’; morph and a large-bodied deep-water ‘siscowet’ morph at depths > 100 m. Eye position, gape size, and gillraker length and spacing adapted for feeding on different-sized prey, with piscivorous morphs (leans, siscowets and presumably redfins) reaching larger asymptotic size than invertivorous morphs (humpers). Lean morphs are light in colour, whereas deepwater morphs are drab and dark, although the pattern is reversed in dark tannic lakes. Morphs shift from benthic to pelagic feeding at a length of 400–490 mm. Phenotypic differences in locomotion, buoyancy and lipid metabolism evolved into different mechanisms for buoyancy regulation, with lean morphs relying on hydrodynamic lift and siscowet morphs relying on hydrostatic lift. We suggest that the Salvelinus genus, rather than the species S. alpinus, is a diverse genus that should be the subject of comparative studies of processes causing divergence and adaptation among member species that may lead to a more complete evolutionary conceptual model.
The use of the tongue and hyoid apparatus during feeding in lizards (Ctenosaura similis and Tupinambis nigropunctatus)

The use of the tongue and hyoid is examined in cineradiographic and electromyographic investigations of feeding in two species of lizards, Ctenosaura similis (Iguanidae) and Tupinambis nigropunctatus (Teiidae). In both animals food is transported through the oral cavity by regular cycles of the tongue. Tongue movements correlate with jaw and hyoid movement. Similarities between the two animals in the use of the tongue in food transport, lapping, pharyngeal packing, and pharyngeal emptying are detailed. Mechanisms of tongue protrusion are examined and it is shown that the tongue in Tupinambis is relatively more protrusible than in Ctenosaura. This difference is complementary with data on the greater reliance of Tupinambis on the tongue as a sensory organ. Tupinambis further differs from Ctenosaura in possessing a greater mobility of the hyoid. In many features of tongue use in food transport, lizards resemble mammals, supporting postulations of a basic pattern of intra-oral food transport. However, whether this pattern can be attributed to convergence or a common, primitive neural pattern of control cannot be distinguished. Lizards lack two major characteristics of mammalian food transport: regular masticatory cycles and an internal swallowing mechanism.
Metabolic and immune effects of enteral ascorbic acid after burn trauma.

Abstract A burned guinea-pig model (30 per cent BSA) was used to study the effect of vitamin C on immune and metabolic responses following burn trauma. Thirty-six guinea-pigs received identical enteral diets (175 kcal/kg) except for the amount of vitamin C. Groups I, II, III and IV were given formulae delivering no vitamin C, (1 RDA) 15 mg/kg/day, 75 mg/kg/day or 375 mg/kg/day, respectively. Resistance to infection was evaluated by injecting each animal with 0.1 ml of 1 × 109 Staph. aureus 502A subcutaneously on day 10. On day 14, Staph. aureus abscesses were excised and the numbers of viable colonies were determined. Results showed no statistical differences between groups in the clearance of Staph. aureus. From days 2 to 12, animals in groups I, II and III had body weights of approximately 97 per cent of preburn body weight. Animals in group IV, however, had a body weight gain, 102 per cent of preburn body weight on day 12. Animals in group IV also had significantly lower metabolic rates on day 12 as compared to the animals in the other groups. These results suggest that large amounts of vitamin C have beneficial effects on the maintenance of body weight and metabolic rate following burn trauma.
Stifters Abdias: Kindheit in ästhetischer Spiegelung

Der Aufsatz untersucht Adalbert Stifters jungst als antisemitisch gebrandmarkte Novelle Abdias unter der Perspektive der Kindheitserlebnisse des judischen Hauptprotagonisten. Dabei dient Eric Downings theoretische Studie Double Exposures (2000) als Folie zur Analyse der zugrundeliegenden Kindheitsutopien und des damit verbundenen, bisher von der Forschung kaum beachteten Spiegelmotivs. Das oftmals auftretende Spiegelmotiv tragt nicht nur zur chiastischen Verkehrung von Abdias’ und Dithas Kindheit, sondern auch zur Entstehung einer naiven, von jeglicher gedanklichen Reflexion fernen Welt bei. Indem Stifter der Schopfung in naiver Weise nacheifert und zugleich deren Verganglichkeit darlegt, hebt er ironisch den gebrechlichen Charakter des Schaffensprozesses selbst hervor. Dadurch versetzt Stifter dem mythischen Konstrukt vom Ewigen Juden einen Seitenhieb.
A LASSO-based approach to analyzing rare variants in genetic association studies.

Genetic markers with rare variants are spread out in the genome, making it necessary and difficult to consider them in genetic association studies. Consequently, wisely combining rare variants into “composite” markers may facilitate meaningful analyses. In this paper, we propose a novel approach of analyzing rare variant data by incorporating the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator technique. We applied this method to the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 data, and our results suggest that this new approach is promising. In addition, we took advantage of having 200 phenotype replications and assessed the performance of our approach by means of repeated classification tree analyses. Our method and analyses were performed without knowledge of the underlying simulating model. Our method identified 38 markers (in 65 genes) that are significantly associated with the phenotype Affected and correctly identified two causal genes, SIRT1 and PDGFD.
Economies of scale in the production of swine manure

Manure production on grower/finisher swine operations in the United States was examined using data from 184 grower/finisher swine operations that participated in the United States National Animal Health Monitoring System's 1995 National Swine Study. Two methods were used: one, assuming that pigs produced 8.4% of their body weight in manure each day; another using the difference between feed fed and weight gained as a proxy variable to study manure production. Using this latter approach, a production function was developed. The function exhibited diminishing returns to scale when food waste was not fed to pigs, but constant returns to scale when food waste was included in their diets. The difference between feed fed and weight gained was lower on operations that restricted entry to employees only.
Control of Spontaneous Emission from Colloidal Quantum Dots in a Polymer Microcavity

We report the fabrication of a one dimensional microcavity structure embedded with colloidal CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots using solution processing. The microcavity structures were fabricated by spin coating alternating layers of polymers of different refractive indices (poly-vinylcarbazole, and poly-acrylic acid) to form the distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). Greater than 90% reflectivity was obtained using ten periods of the structure. The one dimensional microcavity was formed by sandwiching a λ/n thick defect layer between two such DBRs. The microcavity demonstrated directionality in emission and well behaved dispersion characteristics. Room temperature time-resolved photoluminescence measurements carried out on this structure showed six fold enhancement of spontaneous emission rate. The photoluminescence decay time of the quantum dots was found to be ∼ 1 ns while for the quantum dots embedded in the microcavity it was ∼150 ps.
Vegetation and climate controls on potential CO2, DOC and DON production in northern latitude soils

Climatic change may influence decomposition dynamics in arctic and boreal ecosystems, affecting both atmospheric CO2 levels, and the flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to aquatic systems. In this study, we investigated landscape-scale controls on potential production of these compounds using a one-year laboratory incubation at two temperatures (10° and 30 °C). We measured the release of CO2, DOC and DON from tundra soils collected from a variety of vegetation types and climatic regimes: tussock tundra at four sites along a latitudinal gradient from the interior to the north slope of Alaska, and soils from additional vegetation types at two of those sites (upland spruce at Fairbanks, and wet sedge and shrub tundra at Toolik Lake in northern Alaska). Vegetation type strongly influenced carbon fluxes. The highest CO2 and DOC release at the high incubation temperature occurred in the soils of shrub tundra communities. Tussock tundra soils exhibited the next highest DOC fluxes followed by spruce and wet sedge tundra soils, respectively. Of the fluxes, CO2 showed the greatest sensitivity to incubation temperatures and vegetation type, followed by DOC. DON fluxes were less variable. Total CO2 and total DOC release were positively correlated, with DOC fluxes approximately 10% of total CO2 fluxes. The ratio of CO2 production to DOC release varied significantly across vegetation types with Tussock soils producing an average of four times as much CO2 per unit DOC released compared to Spruce soils from the Fairbanks site. Sites in this study released 80–370 mg CO2-C g soil C−1 and 5–46 mg DOC g soil C−1 at high temperatures. The magnitude of these fluxes indicates that arctic carbon pools contain a large proportion of labile carbon that could be easily decomposed given optimal conditions. The size of this labile pool ranged between 9 and 41% of soil carbon on a g soil C basis, with most variation related to vegetation type rather than climate.
Qualitative methods in empirical studies of software engineering

While empirical studies in software engineering are beginning to gain recognition in the research community, this subarea is also entering a new level of maturity by beginning to address the human aspects of software development. This added focus has added a new layer of complexity to an already challenging area of research. Along with new research questions, new research methods are needed to study nontechnical aspects of software engineering. In many other disciplines, qualitative research methods have been developed and are commonly used to handle the complexity of issues involving human behaviour. The paper presents several qualitative methods for data collection and analysis and describes them in terms of how they might be incorporated into empirical studies of software engineering, in particular how they might be combined with quantitative methods. To illustrate this use of qualitative methods, examples from real software engineering studies are used throughout.
Sulfur isotopic studies of the Dunka Road Cu-Ni deposit, Duluth Complex, Minnesota

The Dunka Road deposit is one of a series of Cu-Ni occurrences located within troctolitic rocks of the southern portion of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota. Sulfide minerals, principally pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, cubanite, and minor pentlandite occur interstitially with silicate minerals and average about 2 volume percent in ore-grade horizons. Areas of sulfide concentrations in excess of 1 to 2 percent occur erratically throughout the troctolitic sequence but are in general concentrated near the basal contact with rocks of the metasedimentary Virginia Formation.The delta 34 S values of sulfides in the troctolites range from 0.2 to 15.8 per mil, with an average value near 7.5 per mil. Pyrrhotite in the underlying Virginia Formation hornfels and pyrite from unmetamorphosed Virginia Formation are characterized by a similar range in delta 34 S values. The high positive delta 34 S values and similarity to values found in the Virginia Formation strongly suggest that most of the sulfur in the Dunka Road deposit was derived from the breakdown of pyrite in the Virginia Formation. The sulfur isotopic compositions of minerals in the troctolites show no consistent lateral or vertical trends and are in general characterized by a high degree of variability. Such fluctuations in delta 34 S values indicate that sulfur isotopic homogenization was not attained throughout the troctolitic sequence.Several mechanisms may have contributed to the variations in delta 34 S values found within the troctolites, including mixing of sedimentary and igneous sulfur, assimilation of sedimentary sulfur characterized by variable delta 34 S values, fractionation caused by fluctuations in oxidation states during sulfur volatilization and assimilation, and periodic introduction of isotopically distinct magma batches. In light of the erratic sulfide mineral and delta 34 S distributions, the predominant mechanism is thought to be the introduction of both isotopically and spatially variable country rock sulfur into crystallizing troctolitic magma.
Alternative Splicing of a Specific Cytoplasmic Exon Alters the Binding Characteristics of Murine Platelet/Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (PECAM-1)

Platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1, CD31) is a membrane glycoprotein expressed on endothelial cells, platelets, and leukocytes. Analysis of PECAM-1 expression in the developing mouse embryo has revealed the presence of multiple isoforms of murine PECAM-1 (muPECAM-1) that appeared to result from the alternative splicing of exons encoding cytoplasmic domain sequences (exons 10-16) (Baldwin, H. S., Shen, H. M., Yan, H., DeLisser, H. M., Chung, A., Mickanin, C., Trask, T., Kirschbaum, N. E. Newman, P. J., Albelda, S., and Buck, C. A.(1994) Development 120, 2539-2553). To investigate the functional consequences of alternatively spliced muPECAM-1 cytoplasmic domains, L-cells were transfected with cDNA for each variant and their ability to promote cell aggregation was compared. In this assay, full-length muPECAM-1 and all three isoforms containing exon 14 behaved like human PECAM-1 in that they mediated calcium- and heparin-dependent heterophilic aggregation. In contrast, three muPECAM-1 variants, all missing exon 14, mediated calcium- and heparin-independent homophilic aggregation. Exon 14 thus appears to modulate the ligand and adhesive interactions of the extracellular domain of PECAM-1. These findings suggest that alternative splicing may represent a mode of regulating the adhesive function of PECAM-1 in vivo and provides direct evidence that alternative splicing involving the cytoplasmic domain affects the ligand specificity and binding properties of a cell adhesion receptor.
Understanding health from a complex systems perspective

Doctors often use theory to inform medical practice. The current bio-psycho-social model of health may be advanced still further with theoretical rigour. Traditional fields of thermodynamics and newer fields of non-linear dynamics including chaos theory and complex systems science can inform our understanding of the complexity of human health, illness and disease. Commonly accepted aspects of human health may be projected as probabilities over time creating curves of human health potential. Maximum health may be represented by maximum functional complexity. Complexity's relationship to entropy and energy can produce a complex surface that better models the human experience of health and illness from birth to death. Such a potential health trajectory uniting complexity and entropy expands upon earlier theories of health while allowing for unusual predictions and the novel opportunity to test and validate this model of human health.
mRNA EDITING AND SPLICED-LEADER RNA TRANS-SPLICING GROUPS OXYRRHIS, NOCTILUCA, HETEROCAPSA, AND AMPHIDINIUM AS BASAL LINEAGES OF DINOFLAGELLATES

Identification of novel dinoflagellate taxa through molecular analysis is hindered by lack of well-defined basal lineages. To address this issue, we attempted to reassess the phylogenetic status of Oxyrrhis marina Dujard. as well as other potentially basal taxa. The analysis was based on two newly established premises: (1) editing density of mitochondrial cob and cox1 mRNA increases from basal to later diverging lineages; (2) nuclear-encoded mRNA in dinoflagellates is trans-spliced to receive a 22 bp spliced leader (SL) at the 5′-end. We analyzed these two genetic traits in O. marina, Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kof. et Swezy, Heterocapsa triquetra (Ehrenb.) F. Stein, H. rotundata (Lohmann) Ge. Hansen, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt, and A. operculatum Clap. et J. Lachm. Surprisingly, no editing was detected in cob and cox1 mRNAs in these lineages, except for a small number of editing events in Amphidinium. However, nuclear-encoded mRNAs in these species contained the SL sequence at the 5′-end, indicative of SL RNA trans-splicing. These findings, together with the recent cob-cox1-18S rRNA three-gene phylogeny, suggest the following: (1) O. marina is a basal dinoflagellate; (2) Heterocapsa, Amphidinium, and Noctiluca likely are also early diverging lineages of dinoflagellates, and the position of Heterocapsa is inconsistent with literature and needs further investigation; and (3) the presence of the 22 bp SL and mitochondrial (mt) mRNA editing can be considered a landmark of dinoflagellate splits.
Guidance for Treasury in Drafting Regulations Interpreting Section 469(g)

ABSTRACT: Section 469 provides generally that losses from passive activities may offset income from passive activities, but cannot be deducted against nonpassive income. Any excess of passive losses over passive income in a taxable year is suspended and carried forward as a passive loss to subsequent years. Under Section 469(g), a taxpayer's suspended passive losses from an activity are freed up when the taxpayer sells his entire interest in the activity to an unrelated person in a fully taxable transaction. However, if the sale is to a related party, then the suspended losses remain suspended (but remain with the taxpayer) until the activity thereafter is sold in a fully taxable transaction to a party unrelated to the taxpayer. In our analysis, we consider legal, conceptual, and practical concerns affecting transactions governed by Section 469(g) and show that Section 469(g) should be interpreted under a hybrid theory for passthrough entities, rather than under a pure aggregate theory or pure entity theo...
A young woman with proptosis

A 31-year-old Caucasian woman was referred to our ophthalmic oncology outpatient clinic with a 4-week history of right eye proptosis, bifrontal pressure like headaches and blurred vision in the right eye. The patient denied diplopia or facial numbness. Review of systems was positive for recent nasal congestion and cough. Past medical history included inflammatory bowel syndrome, hypercholesterolaemia, asthma and acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) at the age of 6 years. She had been in remission since 1987 following treatment with chemotherapy (cytarabine, daunorubicin, hydrocortisone, L-asparaginase, methotrexate, vincristine, teniposide cyclophosphamide, etoposide and prednisone), and prophylactic cranial irradiation with a total dose of 18 Gy. External examination revealed mild fullness of the temporal region. Normal upper and lower eyelids bilaterally without any erythema, oedema or lid retractions were noted. Conjunctiva was normal bilaterally. Visual acuity was at 20/25 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Anterior segment examination revealed axial proptosis of 6 mm and afferent pupillary defect on the right eye. Extraocular motions were normal. Slit lamp examination showed normal cornea, iris and lens. Dilated fundus examination revealed mild optic disc pallor with well-demarcated margins in the right eye. The left disc was normal. Colour vision with Ishihara chart was 4/8 on the right eye and 8/8 in the left eye. Visual field revealed superior arcuate scotoma in the right eye with normal fields in the left eye. Neurological examination was normal. Orbital and …
Work in progress - research methods: teaching students how to learn about learning

In order to become skilled in research methods, students must learn how to learn. Learning how to research is not easy, especially for undergraduate students. Studies have shown that college students do not know how to use learning strategies, even in cases where they recognize that they need to learn. In order to better prepare students to think and apply knowledge to new problems, the computer science department at the University of Mary Washington decided to offer a course in research methods. The course was designed to teach students about learning strategies that they can apply across the computing discipline and beyond. This paper describes the process that was used to create a new research methods course, the details related to the first offering of the course, and preliminary findings on how the course changed students' perception of research
Applications of Nonparametric Theory

Recent developments in the nonparametric approach to efficiency have led to an upsurge of empirical and illustrative applications. Although Farrell started the nonparametric approach in the context of agricultural production data, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) initiated it as a tool for evaluating managerial efficiency. Since it has shadow price implications, it has important role in resource allocation models for economic development and international trade. The stochastic aspects of nonparametric theory, which are currently under intensive research efforts have important connections with the parametric and nonparametric models in the theory of stochastic programming. Treatment of risk and uncertainty, efficiency under incomplete information and the specification of the dynamic efficiency frontier under conditions of uncertainty regarding future demand are some of the major research areas where more applied work is forthcoming. Finally, the DEA approach through its emphasis on the data structure and their heterogeneity has opened up the broader question: how to integrate other data-based techniques with the nonparametric theory of the DEA model? We have already discussed in earlier chapters the use of such data-based techniques as nonparametric regression, influence curve approach and the bootstrap techniques. The use of entropy as an information-theoretic measure of data analysis comes readily to mind in this connection. Although entropy maximization has been related to statistical estimation theory, through Fisher’s information matrix, Kullback’s discrimination information and Akaike’s information criterion, its role in DEA model has yet not been explored.
Partnering through Training and Practice to Achieve Performance Improvement.

This article presents a partnership effort among managers, trainers, and employees to spring to life performance improvement using the performance templates (P-T) approach. P-T represents a process model as well as a method of training leading to performance improvement. Not only does it add to our repertoire of training and performance management methods, it assists trainers and managers to promote change, achieve flexibility in performance, and enhance the fluency of skill application with regard to critical performance events.
Human-Automated Judge Learning: A Methodology for Examining Human Interaction With Information Analysis Automation

Human-automated judge learning (HAJL) is a methodology providing a three-phase process, quantitative measures, and analytical methods to support design of information analysis automation. HAJL's measures capture the human and automation's judgment processes, relevant features of the environment, and the relationships between each. Specific measures include achievement of the human and the automation, conflict between them, compromise and adaptation by the human toward the automation, and the human's ability to predict the automation. HAJL's utility is demonstrated herein using a simplified air traffic conflict prediction task. HAJL was able to capture patterns of behavior within and across the three phases with measures of individual judgments and human-automation interaction. Its measures were also used for statistical tests of aggregate effects across human judges. Two between-subject manipulations were crossed to investigate HAJL's sensitivity to interventions in the human's training (sensor noise during training) and in display design (information from the automation about its judgment strategy). HAJL identified that the design intervention impacted conflict and compromise with the automation, participants learned from the automation over time, and those with higher individual judgment achievement were also better able to predict the automation.
Developing an Undergraduate Software Engineering Curriculum within an Existing Computer Science Program

This paper proposes an evolutionary approach for developing an undergraduate software engineering program within an existing computer science program. The proposed approach is evolutionary because of the fairly common university requirement that a new program must already have some identifiable courses, students, faculty, and other resources before it is formally approved. The approach consists of five steps and has two main goals: a gradual establishment of an undergraduate software engineering program and the introduction of key software engineering concepts within an undergraduate computer science program which now exists and will continue to exist.
Energy Recovery Techniques for CNT-FET Circuits

In this paper, utilization of energy recovery techniques in carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNT-FET) circuits is discussed. Four different energy recovery techniques for complementary on-chip CNT-FET XNOR/XOR circuits are extensively studied and simulated using Cadence® Spectre simulator. The simulation results show that the power density of CNT-FET circuits is much higher than the maximum power density limit set by ITRS 2003. Among the four energy recovery circuits, new clocked adiabatic logic (CAL) type CNT-FET circuits exhibit the best performance.
Whistle-blowing - 'Somebody has to take a stand'

The problems associated with whistle-blowing, the motives for which can range from sheer spitefulness and/or desire for personal gain to a deep concern for the welfare of the society, for ethics, propriety, or safety, are examined. Chief among the problems is the general opprobrium attached to the whistle-blower. The article suggests a procedure that will protect both parties; the whistle-blower in legitimate instances in which culpability can be unequivocally established, i.e. nonmalicious instances of whistle-blowing; and those on whom the whistle was blown frivolously or with malicious intent. >
Humanbecoming Theory in Practice A Case for Theory-Guided Nurse Practitioner Education

The age-old battle of what to include in nursing education continues. Now this battle extends itself into nurse practitioner education with a slightly different twist. Abandoning nursing theory-guided education for the medical model leaves nurse practitioner education flat. In this author's academic experience, nursing theory was included in the curriculum. The exemplar presented is testament to the distinction and significance of including nursing theory-guided education. The unique difference between nurse practitioners and physicians is the use of theory in practice.
Determination of Acetaminophen In Serum

A colorlmetrlc method for the rapid estimation of ecetamlnophen In serum Is presented. A procedure previously designed for measuring overdose levels has been medlfled to permit quantltatlon In the therapeutic range. The reaction Is linear over the range found In suspected overdose.
PIQL: a performance insightful query language

Large-scale websites are increasingly moving from relational databases to distributed key-value stores for high request rate, low latency workloads. Often this move is motivated not only by key-value stores' ability to scale simply by adding more hardware, but also by the easy to understand predictable performance they provide for all operations. While this data model works well, lookups are only done by primary key. More complex queries require onerous, explicit index management and imperative data lookups by the developer. We demonstrate PIQL, a Performance Insightful Query Language that allows developers to express many of the queries found on these websites, while still providing strict bounds on the number of I/O operations for any query.
Marcus on Belief and Belief in the Impossible

I review but don't endorse Marcus' arguments that impossible beliefs are impossible. I defend her claim that belief's objects are, in some important sense, not the bearers of truth and falsity, discuss her disposition- alism about belief, and argue it's a good fit with the idea that belief's objects are Russellian states of affairs.
Do the elongated eye stalks of Diopsid flies facilitate rival assessment

The elongated eye span of male Diopsid flies is a sexually selected character that scales positively with body size. Previously, the duration of agonistic contests was found to increase as rival body size and eye span disparities decreased. Hence, along with its role in mate choice, eye span seems to facilitate mutual assessment of rival size. However, such results are also expected in the absence of rival assessment, when each individual persists according to its own size-dependent internal threshold. Here, we reanalyze these contests to distinguish between these two hypotheses using two measures of size: body length and eye span. Mutual assessment predicts that contest duration should increase with loser size and decrease with winner size. In contrast, our results were more consistent with self-assessment: We found a positive relationship between loser size and contest duration, whereas winner size did not affect contest duration. Thus, flies did not appear to assess the size of their rivals, indicating that the mutual assessment function of eye span elongation may be less important than previously suspected.
p16INK4A mediates cyclin dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibition in senescent prostatic epithelial cells.

The senescence checkpoint constrains the proliferative potential of normal cells in culture to a finite number of cell doublings. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of cyclin dependent kinase (cdk) inhibition in senescent human prostatic epithelial cells (HPECs). Progression of HPECs from early passage to senescence was accompanied by a gradual loss of cells in S phase and an accumulation of cells containing 2N DNA. Furthermore, G1-S phase-associated kinase activities progressively diminished with increasing cell passage. In senescent HPECs, cdk4 and cyclin E1- and A-associated kinases were catalytically inactive. In contrast to observations in senescent fibroblasts, levels of the kinase inhibitor protein (KIP) inhibitor p21CIP1 diminished over the proliferative life span of HPECs. p27KIP1 levels fell as cells approached senescence, and the association of both p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 with cdk4/6 complexes was decreased. However, the level of cyclin E1-associated KIP molecules was unaltered as cells progressed into senescence. Progression to senescence was accompanied by a progressive increase in both the level of p16INK4A and in its association with cdk4 and cdk6. As HPECs approached senescence, cdk4- and cdk6-bound p16INK4A showed a shift to a slower mobility due to a change in its phosphorylation profile. As p16INK4A increased in cdk4 and cdk6 complexes, there was a loss of cyclin D1 binding. The altered phosphorylation of p16INK4A in senescent prostatic epithelial cells may facilitate its association with cdk4 and cdk6 and play a role in the inactivation of these kinases.
Money and Distorted Ethical Judgments about Research: Ethical Assessment of the TeGenero TGN1412 Trial

The recent TeGenero phase I trial of a novel monoclonal antibody in healthy volunteers produced a drastic inflammatory reaction in participants receiving the experimental agent. Commentators on the ethics of the research have focused considerable attention on the role of financial considerations: the for-profit status of the biotechnology company and Contract Research Organization responsible respectively for sponsoring and conducting the trial and the amount of monetary compensation to participants. We argue that these financial considerations are largely irrelevant and distort ethical appraisal of this tragic research. Except for administering the antibody to all 6 participants nearly simultaneously, the trial appears to fulfill all of the critical ethical requirements for clinical research--social value, scientific validity, fair subject selection, favorable risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for enrolled participants.
Fitness Consequences of Herbivory on Quercus Alba

Abstract Leaf herbivores potentially reduce plant fitness by increasing fruit abortion. The impact of leaf herbivory on fruit abortion, however, may vary with branch height in trees because of differential investment in reproduction among branches, differences among branches in exposure to solar radiation and the mobility of resource movement among branches following defoliation. Here we describe spatial patterns in abundance of lepidopteran herbivores and resultant damage in the canopy of mature white oak trees, Quercus alba. The effect of foliar damage on fruit abortion for upper and lower canopy branches was also examined. A significant positive correlation occurred between foliar damage and spring herbivore abundance. Damage measured at the end of the season was unevenly distributed throughout the canopy, varying from 10–20% leaf area loss. A significant positive correlation between percent herbivore damage and percent fruit abortion also existed. Moreover, upper canopy branches had a higher percentag...
A Fast Simulated Annealing Algorithm for the Inversion of Marine Sediment Seismo-Acoustic Parameters

Nonlinear seismo-acoustic inversion is performed using a fast simulated annealing algorithm A high-resolution cost function and the matched-field approach are used to estimate the seismo-acoustic parameters. The parabolic equation method, which has recently been extended to handle elastic ocean bottoms, is used for range-dependent matched-field inversion with a vertical array. For locally range-independent problems, the inversion is performed in wavenumber space. This approach offers efficiency gains of a few orders of magnitude because the number of wavenumber samples required for inversion is much smaller than the number of wavenumber samples required for computing the acoustic field. Simulated annealing is used to search the large parameter space of ocean bottoms for the parameter set corresponding to the best replica field.
Reduced-dose versus full-dose erlotinib for advanced EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): A retrospective analysis.

8074 Background: Erlotinib is an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) which is FDA-approved at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 150mg daily with dose limiting toxicities of diarrhea and rash. Pr...