cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient processing of location-cloaked queries

When requesting location-based services, users can associate their queries with a purposely blurred location such as a circular or rectangular geographic region instead of their exact position. This strategy makes it possible for privacy protection, but presents problems in query processing. Since the server does not know a user's exact position, it has to retrieve query results for each position inside the user's cloaking region. While the server workload dramatically increases, a client downloading all query results will waste its battery power, because most of the data may be irrelevant to its query interest. This paper considers the problems of efficient processing of location-cloaked queries (LCQs). Our key observation is that queries may overlap in their cloaking regions and thus share some query results. In light of this, we propose to process queries as a batch instead of one by one independently. The technical contributions of this paper are threefold. 1) We propose to decompose queries into subqueries based on their interested region. Since the subqueries with a common region need to be processed only once, the server workload is minimized. 2) We propose a novel scheduling technique that addresses the dilemma between minimizing server latency and ensuring good fairness in query processing. 3) We present a personalized air indexing technique by which a client can filter out and download only the needed query results, thus avoiding the waste of energy in downloading irrelevant data.
Experience with microelectrode guided subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.

OBJECTIVE Subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) has rapidly become the standard surgical therapy for medically refractory Parkinson disease. However, in spite of its wide acceptance, there is considerable variability in the technical approach. This study details our technique and experience in performing microelectrode recording (MER) guided subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS in the treatment of Parkinson disease. METHODS Forty patients underwent surgery for the implantation of 70 STN DBS electrodes. Stereotactic localization was performed using a combination of magnetic resonance and computed tomographic imaging. We used an array of three microelectrodes, separated by 2 mm, for physiological localization of the STN. The final location was selected based on MER and macrostimulation through the DBS electrode. RESULTS The trajectory selected for the DBS electrode had an average pass through the STN of 5.6 +/- 0.4 mm on the left and 5.7 +/- 0.4 mm on the right. The predicted location was used in 42% of the cases but was modified by MER in the remaining 58%. Patients were typically discharged on the second postoperative day. Eighty-five percent of patients were sent home, 13% required short-term rehabilitation, and one patient required long-term nursing services. Seven complications occurred over 4 years. Four patients suffered small hemorrhages, one patient experienced a lead migration, one developed an infection of the pulse generator, and one patient suffered from a superficial cranial infection. CONCLUSION Simultaneous bilateral MER-guided subthalamic DBS is a relatively safe and well-tolerated procedure. MER plays an important role in optimal localization of the DBS electrodes.
Cercarial elastase is encoded by a functionally conserved gene family across multiple species of schistosomes

Water borne cercaria(ae) of the trematode genus Schistosoma rapidly penetrate host skin. A single serine protease activity, cercarial elastase, is deposited in advance of the invading parasite by holocytosis of vesicles from ten large acetabular gland cells. Cercarial elastase activity is a composite of multiple isoforms. Genes coding for the isoforms can be divided into two classes by amino acid and promoter sequence homology. Two of the five genes identified in Schistosoma mansoni account for over 90% of the activity and protein released. The remaining genes produce little protein or are silent. Positional scanning synthetic combinatorial substrate libraries demonstrate that the two major isoforms have similar substrate specificities and are, therefore, isoenzymes. The closely related Schistosoma hematobium and the distantly related Schistosomatium douthitti also contain multiple orthologous cercarial elastase genes suggesting that gene duplication may have occurred after speciation in Schistosoma evolution and that this duplication has been conserved.
Auditory Perception of Hawks and Owls for Passerine Alarm Calls

The auditory perception of eight species of raptors was examined to test the hypothesis of Marler (1955) that these avian predators are unable to locate certain songbird alarm calls. In particular, Marler proposed that mobbing calls have characteristics that enhance their locatability and that these characteristics are absent in the high-frequency ‘seet’ calls given by individual songbirds. To test this hypothesis, the behavioral responses of four species of owls and four species of hawks, housed at two different raptor rehabilitation sites, to tape recorded alarm calls were examined. Each raptor was exposed to a random order of 10 trials of mobbing calls and 10 trials of a seet call. Responses were scored based upon head angle orientations. Hawks and owls responded more often and more accurately to mobbing calls than to seet calls. In general, owls responded to significantly more calls than hawks. The results are consistent with Marler’s hypothesis that raptors have difficulty locating passerine seet calls. Nevertheless, future studies should test mobbing calls that vary in their frequency and duration (Ficken & Popp 1996) to determine whether some mobbing calls are more difficult to locate than others.
Imaging Arithmetic: Physics ∪ Math > Physics + Math

Imaging devices operate at the physical interfaces corresponding to image capture and reproduction. The combination of physical insight and mathematical signal processing tools, therefore, offers unique advantages in solving problems in imaging systems. In this paper, we illustrate and support this idea using examples from our research on imaging, where the combination of physical insight, mathematical tools, and engineering ingenuity leads to elegant and effective solutions.
The Development of Expressive Elaboration in Fictional Narratives

Purpose: This study analyzed the development of expressive elaboration in fictional narratives for school-age children. Method: The analysis was derived from high-point analysis, but it was tailore...
Cloned nodulin genes for symbiotic nitrogen fixation

p lant genes encoding nodule-specific proteins (nodulins) are expressed only after the infection of the legume plant with Rhizobium and their expression occurs prior to and independent of the commencement of nitrogen fixation in nodules. Nodulins appear to play three major roles: they participate in the morphogenesis of the nodule including the formation of the endosymbiotic compartment; they are involved in the facilitation of nitrogen fixation and in nodulespecific carbon and nitrogen assimilatory pathways; and they control the compatibility of the endosymbiont bacteria (see Verma & Delauney, 1988; Verma & Nadler, 1984). Since nodulin genes representing these subclasses differ greatly in their temporal and spatial expression, their regulatory mechanisms are not expected to be similar. Nodulin genes were first identified and isolated from soybean (Legocki & Verma, 1980; Verma et al., 1986) and have since been characterized in a number of legumes as listed in Table 1. Some of these genes are common to different legumes while others are species specific (Verma & Nadler, 1984). Since nodulin genes have most likely evolved from pre-existing genes in ancestral plants (Verma & Delauney, 1988; Verma & Nadler, 1984), it is not surprising that some genes that show elevated expression in nodules are also expressed at lower levels in other tissues. Examples include glutamine synthetase in Pisum sativum (Tingey et al., 1987) and possibly Glycine max (Hirel et al., 1987). This enzyme has been shown, however, to be nodule specific in Phaseolus vulgaris (Cullimore et al., 1984) and Medicago sativa (Dunn et al., 1988). A similar situation may exist for the sucrose synthase of G.
Superconductivity of Uranium

A ballistic mutual-inductance technique has been employed to investigate the magnetic susceptibility of two uranium samples down to a temperature of 0.1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Both samples exhibited a superconducting transition in zero magnetic field at a temperature (${T}_{c}$) of 0.68\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The transitions were not sharp, being spread over a temperature interval of 0.45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The critical magnetic field of one of the samples was measured down to 0.37\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and a value of 720 gauss/deg was obtained for ${(\frac{\mathrm{dH}}{\mathrm{dT}})}_{T={T}_{c}}$. Consideration is given to the values of the electronic specific heat coefficients derived from the critical magnetic field data for uranium and titanium.
The effects of television on child health: implications and recommendations.

The exposure of American children and adolescents to television continues to exceed the time they spend in the classroom: 15 000 hours versus 12 000 hours by the time they graduate.1 According to recent Nielsen data, the average child and/or adolescent watches an average of nearly three hours of television per day.2These numbers have not decreased significantly over the past 10 years.3 By the time a child finishes high school, almost three years will have been spent watching television.1This figure does not include time spent watching video tapes or playing video games.4 Based on surveys of what children watch, the average child annually sees about 12 000 violent acts,5 14 000 sexual references and innuendos,6 and 20 000 advertisements.7 Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to the messages communicated through television which influence their perceptions and behaviours.8 Many younger children cannot discriminate between what they see and what is real. Although there have been studies documenting some prosocial and educational benefits from television viewing,9 10significant research has shown that there are negative health effects resulting from television exposure in areas such as: violence and aggressive behaviour; sex and sexuality; nutrition and obesity; and substance use and abuse patterns. To help mitigate these negative health effects, paediatricians need to become familiar with the consequences of television and begin providing anticipatory guidance to their patients and families.10 In addition, paediatricians need to continue their advocacy efforts on behalf of more child appropriate television. In this review, we will describe the effects of television on children and adolescents. In addition, we will make recommendations for paediatricians and parents to help address this significant issue. Studies from the early 1970s have shown that children imitate prosocial behaviour. These imitated behaviours included altruism, helping, delay of …
Italian multicentre study of carpal tunnel syndrome: study design

In September 1996, during a carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symposium, the Italian CTS Study Group was funded. The group designed a strict clinical and neurophysiological protocol for performing a wide multicentre study on idiopathic CTS in hands. In addition to the traditional evaluations, the group also adopted a validated patient-oriented measurement in order to obtain comprehensive and reliable data for the clinical picture. The study was designed to: (1) better assess the clinical picture of the CTS population, especially using new measurement tools (patient-oriented); (2) evaluate the sensitivity of an electrodiagnostic protocol; (3) re-evaluate the validity of a neurophysiological classification; and (4) evaluate the influence of social status and quantify some of the aspects regarding economic and social costs. The study design is described.
The decline of the U.S. footwear industry and the expected impact of a Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the United States

Abstract This article traces the internationalization of the U.S. footwear industry in terms of the many changes affecting market structure, raw materials, technology, shoe styling, wages, transportation, and the unresponsiveness of U.S. manufacturers to the foreign challenge. The econometric findings of an import demand function fit to U.S. data from 1963–1991 reveal unitary and significant elasticities with respect to both activity and price variables, well within the range of other studies of the footwear industry reviewed here. Possible scenarios of the impact of NAFTA on the U.S., Mexican, and Colombian footwear industries are presented in the context of a detailed analysis of Colombia's footwear industry, its exports to the world in general and to the United States. By examining the average unit prices of all Colombian exports and the U.S. tariffs specific to these products, we speculate on the potential for Colombian exports once tariffs are lowered.
The use of radiocarbon-derived Δ13C as a paleoclimate indicator: applications in the Lower Alentejo of Portugal

Abstract Values of δ 13 C are frequently reported with radiocarbon dates from organic materials. In C 3 plants δ 13 C values have been linked to changes in water use efficiency as a response to arid conditions. By calculating 13 C discrimination (Δ 13 C) from 13 C isotopic composition (δ 13 C), archaeologists can gain potentially valuable inference into past climate conditions. Values of Δ 13 C reflect the process of discrimination against heavier 13 C isotopes of carbon by comparing the δ 13 C of samples to that of the atmosphere, and can be calculated when records of atmospheric δ 13 CO 2 are available. The present study examines a 1300 year history of radiocarbon-derived Δ 13 C from the Lower Alentejo of Portugal using charcoal recovered from excavations of a series of medieval habitation sites in the study area. To calculate Δ 13 C, the posterior means generated from Bayesian change-point analysis of δ 13 CO 2 records were used. Archaeological data were then compared to contemporary ecological studies of Δ 13 C of the same taxa against instrumental records of climate. Values of Δ 13 C fell within mean ranges for the taxa through a period of population growth between the 7th and 10th centuries AD. During the height of the Medieval Warm Period in the 11th century AD Δ 13 C values frequently fell to low levels associated with arid conditions. At this time environmental degradation and erosion were documented. Values of Δ 13 C increased for a brief period in the early 12th century AD before the rural Lower Alentejo was largely abandoned for nearly two centuries. Another period of aridity occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries AD. Radiocarbon-derived Δ 13 C is a potentially useful paleoclimate proxy for archaeologists provided that results can be paired with observed Δ 13 C variation in studies that pair these data with instrumental climate records.
The stepwise synthesis of methyl α-isomaltooligoside derivatives and methyl α-isomaltopentaoside

Abstract Methyl 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-α- D -glucopyranoside was treated with 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-6- O -( N -phenylcarbamoyl)-1- O -tosyl-D-glucopyranose in diethyl ether to give methyl 2,3,4,2',3',4'-hexa- O -benzyl-6'- O -( N -phenylcarbamoyl)-α-isomaltoside. The disaccharide was decarbanilated in ethanol with sodium ethoxide to give methyl 2,3,4,2',3',4'-hexa- O -benzyl-α-isomaltoside. The sequence of coupling with the same 1- O -tosyl- D -glucose derivative followed by removal of the N -phenylcarbamate group was repeated until the hexasaccharide derivative, methyl octadeca- O -benzyl-α-isomaltohexaoside, was formed. Methyl α-isomaltopentaoside was prepared by debenzylation of the corresponding benzylated oligosaccharide. The structures of the oligosaccharides were determined with the aid of both 1 H- and 13 C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. From spectral data, we estimate the coupling reaction to be 95% stereoselective.
DNA Sequence Analysis By Optical Pattern Recognition

DNA sequence analysis has been demonstrated with optical pattern recognition techniques. New methods to optically study features of the DNA molecular code have been developed by creating new DNA sequence representations. This research involves representing DNA sequences by characters which have been designed so that their Fourier transform properties can be used to perform optical searches for non-specific sequence features. To aid in the design of these characters, a computer simulation of the optical process was developed. Matched spatial filters (MSF) were made of important DNA features using the new DNA representations and searches performed on DNA sequences. The search results were obtained using optical correlation and studied with the aid of image processing capabilities on a microcomputer. Topics to be discussed are DNA features and organization, character design, and optical pattern recognition.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Delay equations with fluctuating delay related to the regenerative chatter I: reduced bifurcation equation

The mathematical models representing machine tool chatter dynamics have been cast as differential equations with delay. The suppression of regenerative chatter by spindle speed variation is attracting increasing attention. In this paper, we study nonlinear delay differential equations with periodic delays which models the machine tool chatter with continuously modulated spindle speed. The explicit time-dependent delay terms, due to spindle speed modulation, are replaced by state dependent delay terms by augmenting the original equations. The augmented system of equations is autonomous and has two pairs of pure imaginary eigenvalues without resonance. The reduced bifurcation equation is obtained by making use of Lyapunov–Schmidt Reduction method.
Self-consistent antiferromagnetic ground state for La2CuO4 and CuO via energy band theory

Abstract We have used the pseudofunction (PSF) method to compute self-consistent spin- polarized energy bands for La 2 CuO 4 and CuO. The ground state is found to be semiconducting and anti-ferromagnetic (AF) for both La 2 CuO 4 and CuO. For La 2 CuO 4 the Cu moment is 0.35μ B . For CuO, the moment is 0.68 μB on the Cu site and 0.19 μ B on the O site. The moments are in agreement with neutron diffraction data.
Polyfluorene light emitting devices on flexible plastic substrates

Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), made of polymer bi- layer thin films, on the thin flexible plastic substrates have been fabricated and studied. The ITO and Ca/Al electrodes have been used as anode and cathode, respectively, in this structure. Both polymers -- the hole- transporting and electron-transporting/light emissive co- polymers -- used in this study demonstrated a very good thermal and photo-oxidative stabilities. The hole transporting co-polymer (amine-fluorene) thin film is amorphous, while the light emissive/electron-transporting co-polymer (benzothiadiazole-fluorene) thin film is partially crystalline. The photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) emission peaks are both located around 550 nm. The plastic substrate coated with ITO used in this study is less than 0.2 mm thick and highly flexible. It has a sheet resistance in the range of about 10 to 20 (Omega) /D'Alembertian, and the transmittance higher than 80% in the photon energy ranging from 470 to 750 nm; the maximum transmittance is approximately 84.5%. The root-mean-square (RMS) of the ITO surface roughness is approximately 1.70 nm. The oxygen and water vapor transmission rate through the flexible plastic substrate was about 14.2 X 10-6 cc/cm2(DOT)day(DOT)atm and 1.14 X 10-4 gm/cm2-day-atm, respectively. For the OLEDs fabricated on the thin flexible plastic substrates, the typical turn-on voltage is less than 6 V, and maximum brightness is higher than 13,000 cd/m2. The maximum emission efficiency, luminous efficiency, and external quantum efficiency for our OLEDs are 66.2 cd/A, 18.3 lm/W, and 16.2%, respectively.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Improving Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction Repair in Common Atrioventricular Canal Defects

Background Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) is the second most frequent reason for reoperation after atrioventricular canal (AVC) defect repair. Limited data are available on the mechanisms of LVOTO, their treatment, and outcomes. Methods Between 1998 and 2010, 56 consecutive children with AVC underwent 68 LVOTO procedures. The AVC was partial in 4, transitional in 9, and complete in 43. The LVOTO procedure was required in 21 patients at the primary AVC repair, and the initial LVOTO procedure in 35 patients was a late reoperation after AVC repair. Results During a mean follow-up of 50 ± 41 months, 5 patients (24%) with LVOTO repair at AVC repair required a reoperation for LVOTO, and 7 patients (20%) whose initial LVOTO repair was a reoperation required a second reoperation for LVOTO repair. Overall freedom from LVOTO reoperation was 98.5% at 1 year, 92.5% at 3 years, 81% at 5 years, 72.2% at 7 years, and 52.5% at 10 and 12 years. The freedom from reoperation was neither significantly different between partial, transitional, and complete AVC ( p = 0.78) nor between timing of the LVOT procedure ( p = 0.49). Modified single-patch AVC repair was associated with a higher LVOTO reoperation rate ( p = 0.04). Neither the mechanisms leading to LVOTO nor the surgical techniques used were independent predictors of reoperation. Conclusions LVOTO in AVC is a complex and multifactorial disease. Aggressive surgical repair has improved late outcomes; however, risk factors for reoperation and the ideal approach for repair remain to be defined.
Progesterone antagonism of aggression-promoting olfactory signals: A time-dependent phenomenon ☆

Abstract Four experiments were conducted to test the possible antagonistic effect of progesterone (P) on androgen-dependent urinary signal output in mice. Experiment 1 showed that trained fighters did not react differentially to male castrates coated with aged urine collected from male castrates injected with testosterone propionate (TP) or TP+P. The failure of P's antagonism may be due to the storage of the urine. Experiments 2, 3, and 4 sought to clarify this possibility. In Experiment 2, fresh urine was used for testing. Results indicated that fighters behaved more aggressively to castrates coated with urine from TP injected donors than castrates coated with urine from TP+P donors. Experiments 3 and 4 were designed to test the hypothesis that aged TP+P urine was more aggression-promoting than fresh TP+P urine. Results confirmed the hypothesis.
Knowledge representation and control in “gm1”, an automated DNA sequence analysis system based on the MGR architecture

Abstract The identification of genes by DNA sequence analysis is a formally unspecified pattern recognition problem. Genes are identified in practice by constructing and evaluating models that represent the spatial relations between a number of components that can be identified by pattern matching. This is currently done interactively, with the aid of a variety of pattern matching and statistical analysis tools. gm1 automates gene identification by integrating the application of these tools with automated model generation. Models of genes are constructed by a task-specific algorithm implemented using the MGR architecture, a general automated problem solving architecture. The development of gm1 demonstrates the versatility of the MGR architecture as a tool for building automated systems for scientific data analysis.
Compromising the Uncompromisable: The Austrian Golden Mean

Libertarianism is usually seen as an extremist political philosophy, and is rejected by many on that basis. While the Austrian School is correctly perceived as far removed from the mainstream of economics, it is typically interpreted on that ground as outlandish, or even outrageous. It is the the purpose of this paper to show that these two intellectual traditions are much more reasonable than commonly supposed, more so than their respective competitors. The writings of Murray Rothbard, which encompass both views, are used as a springboard.
Influence of device parameters on the switching speed of BiCMOS buffers

The influence of different MOS and bipolar device parameters on the switching speed of a BiCMOS buffer is described. This influence is studied by looking at the response of a BiCMOS inverter to a step input. Using suitable approximations for the high-level injection effects in the bipolar transistor, mathematical approximations for the response are derived. The approximate responses are compared to those determined by SPICE simulations and the agreement is satisfactory. High-current effects in the bipolar transistor strongly affect the performance. The effects of different bipolar transistor parasitic resistors are investigated, and it is found that only the collector resistance is important. The influence of different emitter sizes on the delay time is studied, and it is shown that for a given area, there is one optimal size ratio for the MOS and bipolar transistors for which the delay is minimum. >
Designing direct printing process for improved piezoelectric micro-devices

The integrated use of thin film lead zirconate titanate (PZT) for micro-scale devices and transducers has been limited due to the coupled nature and process constraints of the current manufacturing processes for PZT. Direct printing of PZT would eliminate many of these couplings and constraints by providing controllable drop-on-demand deposition. This paper presents the design interaction analysis that leads to the development of an optimized drop-on-demand deposition process as a novel manufacturing process for PZT thin films. The uncoupled nature of this new deposition method enables the design of a new class of PZT micro-devices that has not been possible with current processing techniques.
Modulation of virulence within a pathogenicity island in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococci are members of the healthy human intestinal flora, but are also leading causes of highly antibiotic-resistant, hospital-acquired infection. We examined the genomes of a strain of Enterococcus faecalis that caused an infectious outbreak in a hospital ward in the mid-1980s (ref. 2), and a strain that was identified as the first vancomycin-resistant isolate in the United States, and found that virulence determinants were clustered on a large pathogenicity island, a genetic element previously unknown in this genus. The pathogenicity island, which varies only subtly between strains, is approximately 150 kilobases in size, has a lower G + C content than the rest of the genome, and is flanked by terminal repeats. Here we show that subtle variations within the structure of the pathogenicity island enable strains harbouring the element to modulate virulence, and that these variations occur at high frequency. Moreover, the enterococcal pathogenicity island, in addition to coding for most known auxiliary traits that enhance virulence of the organism, includes a number of additional, previously unstudied genes that are rare in non-infection-derived isolates, identifying a class of new targets associated with disease which are not essential for the commensal behaviour of the organism.
Externally disposed polypeptides of chick brain mitochondria.

Abstract Externally disposed polypeptides of chick brain synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria were identified using lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination and galactose oxidase—sodium boro [3H]hydride labeling (with or without neurominidase pretreatment). After surface labeling, polypeptides were separated by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate—polyacrylamide gels and incorporation was detected by liquid scintillation counting. When intact synaptic or non-synaptic mitochondria were iodinated they gave quite similar labeling patterns with 10 major radioactive peaks. Most of the surface-incorporated iodine was removable by trypsin. Iodination of microsomes or synaptosomes gave incorporation profiles different from that of mitochondria. Without neuraminidase pretreatment, galactose oxidase labeling of mitochondria gave only near background incorporation. After neuraminidase treatment, galactose oxidase and sodium borotritide labeling of both synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria produced 12 major radioactive polypeptides. Four were not iodinatable by lactoperoxidase while two components iodinated by lactoperoxidase showed only minor radioactivity peaks after galactose oxidase-sodium borotritide labeling. These results suggest that (a) chick brain mitochondrial membranes have a complex mixture of glycoproteins which are highly sialiated, (b) at least 14 polypeptides are exposed on the exterior surface of brain mitochondria, (c) the functional differences between synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria are not reflected by the similarities of their major externally disposed polypeptides. Thus, surface labeled components may represent structural polypeptides common to both mitochondrial types.
Effects of restaurant franchising: Does an optimal franchise proportion exist?

Abstract Franchising has significantly affected the US economy, contributing to a rapid growth of its retail sales. To identify whether franchising influences a restaurant firm's financial performance, this study investigated (1) the profitability and intangible values of both franchise and non-franchise restaurant firms and (2) the effect of the combination of franchised and company-owned outlets of restaurant firms (i.e., franchise proportion). The results of this study showed that (1) franchise firms had significantly higher profitability than non-franchise firms and (2) the relationships between franchise proportion and firm profitability and intangible value were curvilinear (inverted U-shape), verifying the existence of an optimal franchise proportion. The results propose a possibility that restaurant franchisors could maximize their profitability and intangible value with an optimal franchise proportion when other variables held constant, implying that it is important to pay attention to the franchise proportion together with other management strategies.
Destruction of the nuclear morphology of thymic lymphocytes by the corticosteroid cortisol

Abstract : Cortisol (hydrocortisone) at a concentration of 0.27 micromoles causes the complete loss of nuclear structure ('pycnosis') in rat thymocytes maintained in vitro by the initiation during the first hour of exposure of a phosphate-dependent, respiration-linked reaction. The proportion of cells which lose their nuclear structure is directly and linearly proportional to the phosphate concentration in the medium. Under anoxic conditions, cells treated with cortisol cannot develop structures nuclei. Dinitrophenol can also reduce or prevent the cortisol-induced loss of nuclear structure even at concentrations which do not reduce respiration. These properties of the action of cortisol are identical to those of the actions of ionising radiation, parathyroid hormone and valinomycin. Possible mechanisms underlying the action of cortisol are discussed in the light of available information on the effects of these other agents. (Author)
Proximal humerus fractures should be treated with a reverse shoulder replacement

Abstract Historically, fractures of the proximal humerus not amendable to closed treatment or internal fixation have been treated with hemiarthroplasty. Clinical outcomes following hemiarthroplasty have been variable and difficult to predict. Results are often correlated with increasing age, tuberosity healing, and tuberosity position. Reverse shoulder arthroplasty has demonstrated effectiveness in elderly patients with rotator cuff arthropathy and has been increasingly employed for complex fractures in older patients. Several small trials have compared the reverse arthroplasty and hemiarthroplasty for acute fractures, and reverse shoulder arthroplasty has demonstrated more reproducible results in elderly patients.
Ima Hogg and an Experiment in Audience Education: The Rice Lectureship in Music (1923–33)

During the 1920s, in a bid to elevate musical taste in Houston, Texas, arts patron Ima Hogg anonymously underwrote a series of public lectures on music at the Rice Institute, now Rice University. A trained musician who had spent considerable time in New York and Europe, Hogg recommended potential lecturers for the series, and her collaborator, the music-loving president of the Institute, Edgar Odell Lovett, worked to engage them. Not all of Hogg's candidates were available, and Lovett used his own contacts to supplement them. The resulting slate of lecturers was a diverse mix of musicians and scholars: Maurice Ravel, Arthur Honegger, Nadia Boulanger, John Powell, Harold Morris, George Birkhoff, and Henry Hadow. Their lectures survive in printed form in a scholarly journal published by Rice; they provide some of the most important statements about music by their authors. Hogg's patronage was made possible by an increase in her family's wealth, but her goal of public enlightenment was inspired by her family's tradition of public service (her father had been the governor of Texas) and by her longtime involvement in women's music clubs. Her model for the lectures may have been the didactic music club meeting; Lovett's was the university extension lecture directed toward a community audience. This article details and contextualizes Hogg's patronage in light of contemporary views of women's involvement in the support of music.
The Selective Uptake of High Molecular Weight Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator by Human Platelets

Summary In a previous study it was shown that about 20% of the endogenous pro-urokinase (pro-UK) in whole blood was associated with platelets and that there was uptake of pro-UK by platelets from the ambient plasma or buffer. In the present study, the association of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) with platelets was further characterized. Isolated platelet suspensions were exposed to high and low molecular weight u-PA or tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), then washed and analyzed by SDS gel electrophoresis and zymography. Only the high molecular weight u-PA was found associated with platelets and this association resisted acid washing, aggregation by thrombin, or osmotic swelling of platelets to obliterate the open canalicular system. Ultrasonic disruption of platelets and isolation of the membrane portion indicated that u-PA was associated with the membrane. The catalytic site of u-PA remained available on the platelet surface as evidenced by its inhibition by the specific inhibitor glutamyl-glycyl-arginyl chloromethylketone (GGAck). Uptake by platelets, but not red cells, of pro-UK from whole blood was demonstrated, and this was detectable at physiological concentrations of pro-UK suggesting that endogenous u-PA in platelets may originate from the ambient plasma. A Western blot of platelet membrane proteins with antibody to u-PA receptor (u-PAR) showed no evidence of u-PAR. It was postulated that u-PA binds to a platelet membrane protein distinct from u-PAR, via the A-chain of u-PA, and that this interaction becomes stabilized resisting dissociation.
Cystic lesions of the kidney in infants and children.

Summary Simple renal cysts, perinephric cysts, and multilocular cysts of the kidney are rare in infants and children. They manifest themselves by the presence of an abdominal mass which may be interpreted clinically as a Wilms's tumor. The clinical, pathologic, and hereditary features of true polycystic disease of the kidney appear to be distinct from those of renal hypoplasia, and every attempt should be made to differentiate these two diseases. The cystic kidneys which may be associated with intrauterine urethral obstruction may represent instances of renal hypoplasia and should not be interpreted as true polycystic disease of the kidneys. Similarly, the unilateral multicystic kidney, which manifests itself by the presence of an abdominal mass, is a form of renal hypoplasia and does not represent unilateral polycystic disease of the kidneys. There is evidence to indicate that infantile and adult forms of true polycystic disease of the kidneys represent two independent entities. Further study is necessary before this fact can be established unequivocably.
Optical communications research program to demonstrate 2.5 bits/detected photon

The transmission of information by optical signals over a space channel with a power efficiency of 2.5 bits/detected photon markedly increases the amount of information that can be transmitted to satellites. An account is given of the research program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that is attempting to demonstrate that optical signals can be used to transmit information over a space channel with this power efficiency. It is noted, however, that the ability to attain 2.5 bits/detected photon (or higher) depends heavily on the validity of the mathematical models used in the performance analysis. Therefore, verification of the channel dark current noise models is a crucial first step. Another prerequisite is a high-brightness, single-spatial mode laser emitter. It is believed that single spatial model devices with power outputs of about 1W can be achieved by coherently combining a number of GaAs lasers in what effectively amounts to a phased array.
Appalachian Stratigraphic Nomenclature: ABSTRACT

During more than 100 years of geologic study, different names in vast number have been applied to the rock formations of the Appalachian region. Some early terms are still in good usage; others have been replaced by more appropriate substitutes; still others have lost value because the formation to which they were once applied has been separated into smaller divisions. Refinements in methods of rock study and correlation, more careful field and laboratory work, and more specific fossil identification have all made possible--indeed, made necessary--an increasingly greater refinement in the nomenclature of Appalachian rock formations. Of course the same remarks can be made for any other geologic province, but the special concern of this paper is with the Appalachian country where, it is probable, more than 2,000 formational names have been applied to different parts of its rock column. The following points summarize the recommendations of this paper. 1. Do not continue to use obsolete stratigraphic names unless you place them in quotation marks and avoid such names wherever possible. 2. Do not mix time and rock names; that is, do not say "Clinton sand" when you mean "a sand of Clinton age." 3. Do not use drillers' names if there is an available stratigraphic name, and if you must refer to drillers' terms, put them in quotation marks. End_Page 1771------------------------------ 4. Do not confuse identification, correlation, and postulation. In every instance explain in your reports exactly which process you are employing and why. 5. Do not coin new names until you are convinced it will not be superfluous. 6. Pay more attention to whatever rock terminology you use. Find out who used each rock name first and where and why. Every good stratigraphic report--even the company report--should contain some comment on the origin and use of the names it employs; and every good stratigrapher should have concern for the correct application of even the most familiar or rock names. Some of the best known and most commonly used proper names are still confusing, erroneous, or misleading. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1772------------
NMR-based Structural Analysis of Threonylcarbamoyl-AMP Synthase and Its Substrate Interactions

The hypermodified nucleoside N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A37) is present in many distinct tRNA species and has been found in organisms in all domains of life. This post-transcriptional modification enhances translation fidelity by stabilizing the anticodon/codon interaction in the ribosomal decoding site. The biosynthetic pathway of t6A37 is complex and not well understood. In bacteria, the following four proteins have been discovered to be both required and sufficient for t6A37 modification: TsaC, TsaD, TsaB, and TsaE. Of these, TsaC and TsaD are members of universally conserved protein families. Although TsaC has been shown to catalyze the formation of l-threonylcarbamoyl-AMP, a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of t6A37, the details of the enzymatic mechanism remain unsolved. Therefore, the solution structure of Escherichia coli TsaC was characterized by NMR to further study the interactions with ATP and l-threonine, both substrates of TsaC in the biosynthesis of l-threonylcarbamoyl-AMP. Several conserved amino acids were identified that create a hydrophobic binding pocket for the adenine of ATP. Additionally, two residues were found to interact with l-threonine. Both binding sites are located in a deep cavity at the center of the protein. Models derived from the NMR data and molecular modeling reveal several sites with considerable conformational flexibility in TsaC that may be important for l-threonine recognition, ATP activation, and/or protein/protein interactions. These observations further the understanding of the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by TsaC, a threonylcarbamoyl-AMP synthase, and provide structure-based insight into the mechanism of t6A37 biosynthesis.
Effects of variation at the flower-colour A locus on mating system parameters in Ipomoea purpurea

Although alleles at both the W and A loci in the common morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea, produce similar white-flowered phenotypes, these alleles differ by over an order of magnitude in average frequency. In this initial attempt to determine the causes of this difference, we employed artificial arrays of plants to estimate mating system characteristics (total siring success, selfing rates and contribution to the outcross pollen pool) for the homozygous pigmented and white-flowered genotypes at the A locus. This experiment demonstrates that: (1) at both low and high frequencies, white-flowered plants were visited by pollinators at the same rate as plants with pigmented flowers; (2) at both frequencies, the a allele exhibited a greater total siring success (self and outcross pollen) than the A allele; (3) individuals of both genotypes contributed equally to the outcross pollen pool; and (4) aa plants may have a higher selfing rate than AA plants. Coupled with minimal inbreeding depression in I. purpurea, these observations indicate that the allele producing white flowers enjoys a transmission advantage that would tend to cause this allele to increase in frequency. This transmission advantage is very similar to that shown previously to be operating on the white-flowered allele at the W locus, although the specific causes of the advantage appear to differ between loci. The frequency difference between the two alleles is thus not likely to be due to differences in the effect of flower-colour variation on transmission. Rather, substantially greater deleterious pleiotropic effects associated with the white-flower a allele is likely to be the primary cause of the frequency difference.
Cardiovascular and Renal Phenotype in Mice With One or Two Renin Genes

We compared the phenotype of two common mouse models, C-57BL/6J (C57), which carries only the Ren-1 c gene, and 129/SvJ (Sv-129), with both Ren 1 d and Ren-2. We hypothesized two renin gene Sv-129 would have increased blood pressure and the renin-angiotensin system would be more influential in regulating renal function compared with one renin gene mice. Sv-129 consistently had higher blood pressure than C-57, whether conscious (128 versus 108 mm Hg, P P P P 1 receptors with losartan reduced blood pressure by 19 mm Hg in both strains. Nitric oxide synthase inhibition by l-NAME increased blood pressure by 29 mm Hg in C-57 and 35 mm Hg in Sv-129 mice, but the decrease in renal blood flow was 30% less in C-57 ( P
Preparing students with diabetes for life at college.

Editor’s comment: Although few student health physicians at colleges probably read Diabetes Care , many of our readers care for the type 1 diabetic adolescent who matriculates into college. These practical words of wisdom from a physician who cares for these students during their college tenure should prove helpful while we counsel our young patients for their next (diabetes) challenges. Each fall, ∼2.3 million freshmen enroll in institutes of higher education in the U.S. (1). Of these, ∼7,700 will have type 1 diabetes, based on an estimated prevalence rate of 1 of every 300 (2). As with all chronic illnesses, ongoing issues will certainly arise during the time of their enrollment, so providers need to be able to respond to some of the unique health care and educational needs of students affected by diabetes. This article will provide an overview of some of the situations that students face as they adjust to life at college. To help organize the material, the content that follows is broken down into things to do before matriculation, items to consider once on campus, and some ongoing issues regarding diabetes care while at college. Ideally, students with diabetes should meet with their primary care provider or endocrinologist before matriculating at an institute of higher education. Such a meeting enables the clinician to review all aspects of the student’s medical care (3) and to educate the student about some issues that they may not have already considered. Before leaving the prematriculation visit, the student should have a clear understanding of what relationship they will maintain with their home clinician’s office and should ask for copies of their medical records to take with them. Ideally, the student and the clinician should contact the college’s health facility to set up an introductory appointment for the student once they …
Constructing subtle higher order mutants for Java and AspectJ programs

One goal of higher order mutation testing is to produce higher order mutants (HOMs) that represent subtle faults. We define subtle HOMs as those that are not killed by an existing test set that kills all the first order mutants of a given program. The fault detection effectiveness of the test set can be improved by adding test cases that kill subtle HOMs. However, finding subtle HOMs can be costly even for small programs because of the large space of candidate HOMs. Moreover, a large majority of HOMs are killed by test sets that kill all first order mutants, making the subtle ones relatively rare. We introduce three search-based algorithms (Genetic Algo-rithm, Local Search, and Random Search) for finding subtle HOMs in Java and AspectJ programs. All three algorithms found subtle HOMs for all studied programs but Local Search was more successful in finding subtle HOMs than Genetic Algorithm and Random Search.