cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The good-enough dissertation: a modest proposal.

Abstract This article addresses the paralysis of perfectionism, a factor in the failure of a doctoral candidate to complete the dissertation. A remedy is proposed. Nurs Outlook 2001;49:211-2.
MIR846 and MIR842 comprise a cistronic MIRNA pair that is regulated by abscisic acid by alternative splicing in roots of Arabidopsis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ~21-nucleotide long endogenous small RNAs that regulate gene expression through post-transcriptional or transcriptional gene silencing and/or translational inhibition. miRNAs can arise from the “exon” of a MIRNA gene, from an intron (e.g. mirtrons in animals), or from the antisense strand of a protein coding gene (natural antisense microRNAs, nat-miRNAs). Here we demonstrate that two functionally related miRNAs, miR842 and miR846, arise from the same transcription unit but from alternate splicing isoforms. miR846 is expressed only from Isoform1 while in Isoforms2 and -3, a part of pre-miR846 containing the miRNA* sequence is included in the intron. The splicing of the intron truncates the pre-MIRNA and disrupts the expression of the mature miR846. We name this novel phenomenon splicing-regulated miRNA. Abscisic acid (ABA) is shown to mediate the alternative splicing event by reducing the functional Isoform1 and increasing the non-functional Isoform3, thus repressing the expression of miR846 concomitant with accumulation of an ABA-inducible target jacalin At5g28520 mRNA, whose cleavage was shown by modified 5′-RACE. This regulation shows the functional importance of splicing-regulated miRNA and suggests possible mechanisms for altered ABA response phenotypes of miRNA biogenesis mutants. Arabidopsis lyrata-MIR842 and Aly-MIR846 have conserved genomic arrangements with A. thaliana and candidate target jacalins, similar primary transcript structures and intron processing, and better miRNA–miRNA* pairings, suggesting that the interactions between ABA, MIR842, MIR846 and jacalins are similar in A. lyrata. Together, splicing-regulated miRNAs, nat-miRNAs/inc-miRNAs and mirtrons illustrate the complexity of MIRNA genes, the importance of introns in the biogenesis and regulation of miRNAs, and raise questions about the processes and molecular mechanisms that drive MIRNA evolution.
At the edge of empire: conceptualizing Assyria's Anatolian Frontier ca. 700 BC

Frontier studies have long been the focus of considerable debate in various fields and subdisciplines of the humanities and social sciences. As early as 1893, Fredrick Jackson Turner brought frontier studies to the forefront of research in American History by arguing that the political, economic and cultural underpinnings of American society were not the result of European influence, but were rather the product of the American frontier experience. Expansion into the vast "empty" wilderness of the American west insolated American pioneers from the European world while the rugged frontier lifestyle induced the uniquely American qualities of individualism and democracy. Although it has since been discredited on various grounds including, among other things, its ethnocentrism and linearity, Turner's thesis sparked a debate that even today continues to inform approaches to frontiers in many fields (Adelman and Aron, 1999; Cayton and Teute, 1998; Faragher, 1994; Jacobs, 1994; White, 1991). Frontiers are also, of course, fundamental to geographers who took up their own discussion of the topic early in the twentieth century (Curzon, 1907; Fawcett, 191 8; Ratzel, 1897). In fact, their definition of concepts such as maritime and aerial borders as well as their discussion of political and ethnic boundaries was instrumental in shaping the physicality of modern nation states (Baty, 1928; Boggs, 1930, 1937, 1940; Crocker, 19 19; Fawcett, 191 8; Fischer, 1949; Holdich, 1916). The fields of Classics and Ancient History also have a long "history" of frontier studies, with some of the major works in especially Roman studies focused on the frontiers of the empire (Dyson, 1985; Elton, 1996; Isaac, 1990; Luttwak, 1976; Whittaker, 1994 for example). Frontier studies reached the fields of social science and anthropology first through the study of the process of acculturation (Broom et al., 1954; Spencer, 1961; Redfield et al., 1936) and more recently through the development and application of Wallerstein's "World Systems Theory" (Wallerstein, 1974, 1980). In recent years world systems theory has helped to direct frontier studies in these disciplines by giving researchers a framework within which to turn their focus from core polities to peripheral regions (Chase-Dunn, 1988; ChaseDunn and Hall, 1991, 1992). This debate soon spread to archaeology as scholars attempted to adapt the basic tenets of this model to the ancient world (Algaze, 1989b, 1993; Blanton and Feinman, 1984; Champion, 1989; Chase-Dunn and Hall, 1991; Kohl, 1987; Rowlands et al., 1987; Stein, 1999). Despite nearly a century of research in these and other fields, however, there is still very little consensus about classifications and comparative frameworks within which to consider an interdisciplinary study of frontiers. Prudence Rice recently concluded that her review of various
Prosecuting the Revolution

ALTHOUGH generations of historians have devoted themselves to the American Revolution, a significant part of that struggle the patriot battle against tory subversion is still largely unexplored. This war behind the lines has long been recognized as important but has remained difiicult to evaluate. The warfare of campaigns and congresses has bee1z more immediately comprehensible as well as more dramatic; a civilian war of courtrooms and committees is not readily assessed and its story is unheroic. Yet the success of the Revolution was impossible without a revolutionary government which could enforce its will. The fight of patriot against loyalist was a struggle for survival: Washington's army might maintain a precarious existence in the face of British troops, but if the civilian government crumbled away behind it, there would be nothing left. The problem was complicated because the makeshift government built by the Continental Congress had only a shadosw of authority; the central administration was completely dependent upon the thirteen revolutionary states for enforcing the national will. At the same time the new states were under assault by the loyalists, with the result that they had to sustain the national government as they fought a civil war against the enemy within. In after years, subversioln with all its gradations would become the concern primarily of a national authority, but in the American Revolution it was the states which faced and fought internal resistance. For the student of the Etevolution, probably the molst direct and reliable approach to an understanding of this battle is through the work of the state attorney general. Among the civilians who labored to save the new republics, he was unique both in his peculiarly important position and in the general lack of recognition which historians have given him. At a time when the Continental Congress had no civilian agency of its own capable of handling enemies, the attorney general in each of the new commonwealths directed the campaign for both the nation as a whole and his own state. It was his job to translate principles into practices, to enforce the will olf the government upon a reluctant or resisting population. He had to close the gap between the desires of revolutionary leaders and the capacity of revolutionary government. Particularly, he directed the defense of his new government by attack-
Substructure mode synthesis with overlapping connecting elements

Abstract An approach is presented to synthesize the modal properties of two substructures to obtain the modal properties of the combined structure. The substructures are assumed to be fixed at the interfacing boundary and have overlapping elements. The eigenproperties of the overlapping elements are also used in the synthesis process. The approach can be used with any finite element discretization scheme. The approach avoids the solution of a second eigenvalue problem by conventional means. Instead, the eigenvalues are obtained as the solution of characteristic equations and eigenvectors are defined in closed form. If the complete set of eigenproperties are used, the approach provides the exact eigenproperties.
Flexible transport services for emerging opportunities in Internet content delivery

The emergence of new technologies for Internet content delivery including CDNs, end system multicast, peer-to-peer content exchange (e.g. Napster) and application-level anycast are fundamentally changing the relationships between consumers and producers of digital content. These new technologies enable delivery mechanisms which go far beyond point-to-point connections between a client and a single origin server. For example, CDNs redirect clients to a number of equivalent replica servers, while end system multicast blurs the distinction between client and server by requiring that every participant who wishes to access content serve content as well. In this position paper, we motivate and describe scalable strategies for addressing the challenges and opportunities that distributed content distribution mechanisms will place on reliable transport protocols and distributed scheduling algorithms. Central to our discussion are lightweight reliable transport services designed for maximum flexibility which can accomodate connection preemption, connection migration and connection aggregation built in part on fast forward error correcting (FFEC) codes.
Visualization of flow structures in Fontan patients using 3-dimensional phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Objective Our objective was to analyze 3-dimensional (3D) blood flow patterns within the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) using in vivo phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC MRI). Methods Sixteen single-ventricle patients were prospectively recruited at 2 leading pediatric institutions for PC MRI evaluation of their Fontan pathway. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised 8 patients with an extracardiac (EC) TCPC, and group 2 comprised 8 patients with a lateral tunnel (LT) TCPC. A coronal stack of 5 to 10 contiguous PC MRI slices with 3D velocity encoding (5-9 ms resolution) was acquired and a volumetric flow field was reconstructed. Results Analysis revealed large vortices in LT TCPCs and helical flow structures in EC TCPCs. On average, there was no difference between LT and EC TCPCs in the proportion of inferior vena cava flow going to the left pulmonary artery (43% ± 7% vs 46% ± 5%; P = .34). However, for EC TCPCs, the presence of a caval offset was a primary determinant of inferior vena caval flow distribution to the pulmonary arteries with a significant bias to the offset side. Conclusions 3D flow structures within LT and EC TCPCs were reconstructed and analyzed for the first time using PC MRI. TCPC flow patterns were shown to be different, not only on the basis of LT or EC considerations, but with significant influence from the superior vena cava connection as well. This work adds to the ongoing body of research demonstrating the impact of TCPC geometry on the overall hemodynamic profile.
Development of an Anomaly Detection Model for a Bank's Transitory Account System

ABSTRACT: Fraud detection is one of the key components of an internal control system that is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding reliable financial statements, effective and efficient operations, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and safeguarding of assets (AICPA 2002; Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 1992). Practically, however, it is challenging to determine what should be investigated among myriads of a company's transactions, most of which are normal and/or free from material error. Limited human resources and cost constraints are major barriers to fraud detection in practice. This study proposes a multi-step fraud detection model that screens transactions at various levels, which leads to a manageable number of transactions that internal auditors can examine. To that end, a broad screening criterion is applied at the highest level, while more detailed criteria are used at the lowest level. This study provides an example of development of a...
Long-Term Management of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis with Infliximab: Case Series:

Background:Infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor α antagonist, has recently been shown to be successful for the short-term treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) in multiple case reports.O...
Rumination and vomiting reconsidered: A reply to Mulick, Schroeder, and Rojahn (1988)

Abstract Mulick, Schroeder, and Rojahn raise a number of concerns about our interpretation of their study and the conclusions we draw in our review of treatments for rumination and vomiting. Each of their concerns is addressed herein. We acknowledge two errors in describing their study. These errors are best characterized as stylistic ambiguities and do not alter our interpretation of this particular study or our conclusions regarding effective treatments for rumination and vomiting.
Biological Clocks and Visual Systems in Cave-Adapted Animals at the Dawn of Speleogenomics

Cave-adapted animals are characterized by extreme reduction or complete absence of eyes, reflecting their lack of exposure to daylight. Given the overall constancy of abiotic variables in the cave environment, one would also expect the relaxation and eventual loss of circadian rhythms, and with it, the regressive evolution of the underlying genetic biological clock. Remarkably, however, recent behavioral and molecular studies converge with earlier evidence that the biological clock remains conserved in cave-adapted species. Reviewing the structural and behavioral data on the relationship between the visual system and the biological clock in cave species, I assess the potential of deep sequencing for elucidating their evolutionary conservation and adaptive significance in the subterranean fauna. The combined evidence confirms the widespread conservation both of the visual system and of the behavior regulated by the biological clock in cave species. The data from over 40 vertebrate and arthropod species further reveal that the absence of activity rhythms is correlated with the regression of the visual system. At the same time, the network of biological clock genes is likely to be generally conserved in cave species, regulating rhythmic behaviors in response to non-visual cycling variables as well as organismal homeostasis. Arrhythmic, eyeless species of cave beetles emerge as the most stringent choice for using deep-sequencing approaches to test and explore the conservation of the biological clock, independently of the visual system.
Uranium and barium in stone meteorites

Abstract The uranium and barium contents of some meteorites (4 chondrites and 1 achondrite), a basalt and a dunite have been determined by neutron activation. The isotopic composition of the uranium in the stone meteorites has been shown to be the same as that of terrestrial uranium to within 10 per cent. The uranium content of the chondrites is close to 1·1 × 10−8g/g; that of the achondrite (Nuevo Laredo) is about ten times higher. The barium contents are all about 350 times the uranium contents. The results are compared with previous determinations.
Seasonal Dynamics of Phytoplankton and Planktonic Protozoan Communities in a Northern Temperate Humic Lake: Diversity in a Dinoflagellate Dominated System

Species diversity and richness, and seasonal population dynamics of phytoplankton, planktonic protozoa, and bacterioplankton sampled from the epilimnion of Crystal Bog in 2000, were examined in order to test the hypothesis that these groups’ diversity and abundance patterns might be linked. Crystal Bog, a humic lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, is part of the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research Site. Phytoplankton and planktonic protozoa were identified and enumerated in a settling chamber with an inverted microscope. Bacterial cells were enumerated with the use of fluorescence 4′, 6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-staining procedures, and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) was used to assess bacterioplankton diversity. Bacterial cell counts showed little seasonal variation and averaged 2.6 × 106 cells/mL over the ice-free season. Phytoplankton and planktonic protozoan numbers varied by up to two orders of magnitude and were most numerous in late spring and summer. Dinoflagellates largely dominated Crystal Bog throughout the ice-free period, specifically Peridiniopsis quadridens in the spring, Peridinium limbatum in summer, and Gymnodinium fuscum and P. quadridens in fall. Brief blooms of Cryptomonas, Dinobryon, and Synura occurred between periods of dinoflagellate domination. The dominant dinoflagellate, Peridinium limbatum, was calculated to have a growth rate of 0.065 day−1 and a doubling time of 10.7 days. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNFs) were a consistent component of the planktonic protozoa; seasonal patterns were determined for three genera of HNFs (Monosiga, Bicosoeca, and Desmarella moniliformis). Three genera of ciliates (Coleps, Strobilidium, and Strombidium) comprised the greater part of the planktonic protozoa in Crystal Bog. The number of species of planktonic protozoa was too low to calculate a diversity index. Shannon–Weaver diversity indices for phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in the epilimnion followed very similar seasonal patterns in this lake, supporting the hypothesis that in freshwaters, diversity patterns of these groups are linked.
Stereoisomers of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone

Summary Six decapeptide analogs of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) were prepared with the D-isomers of pyroglutamic acid, histidine, tryptophan, tyrosine, leucine, and arginine successively replacing the corresponding L-amino acids of the hormone. [D-pGlu 1 ]-LH-RH and [D-His 2 ]-LH-RH had appreciable LH-releasing activities, 8% and 9%, respectively. The remaining analogs were less potent, having the following activities: [D-Trp 3 ]-LH-RH, 0.1%; [D-Tyr 5 ]-LH-RH, 0.1%; [D-Leu 7 ]-LH-RH, 1.0%; [D-Arg 8 ]-LH-RH, 0.3%.
Homogeneous colorimetric enzyme inhibition immunoassay for cortisol in human serum with Fab anti-glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase as a label modulator

Abstract The Fab fragment of rabbit IgG antibody to bacterial glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase covalently linked to the cortisol retained the capacity to inhibit the enzyme completely. In optimal conditions the antibody to cortisol effectively bound the cortisol residues of the cortisol-Fab conjugate, making it incapable of inhibiting the enzyme. The enzyme modulatory properties of the cortisol-Fab conjugate were exploited to set up a direct competitive homogeneous enzyme immunoassay for cortisol in human serum. The procedure involved the use of the auxiliary enzyme diaphorase, specific for NADH, which converts the nitro blue tetrazolium salt to a colored formazan. The procedure detects modulated glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity by a single-point measurement without serum interference. The assay working range was between 20 and 640 μg/1 of cortisol and used 50 μ1 of sample.
Relationships among Water-Quality Parameters from the North Inlet–Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, South Carolina

Abstract Estuaries integrate atmospheric, watershed, oceanic, and human influences over space and time. Therefore, spatial and temporal patterns in estuarine water-column properties are useful as metrics to evaluate external factors related to internal processes. The National Estuarine Research Reserve monitoring program, including the North Inlet–Winyah Bay complex in South Carolina, provides an ideal setting to track water quality relationships. Our goal was to assess hydrography, chlorophyll a, and particulate and dissolved materials from monitoring data collected at sites from both the salt and estuarine marsh components since 1993–94. Salinity, turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, suspended solids, and chlorophyll a were much greater at the estuarine site, whereas organic nitrogen dominated the total nitrogen pool at both locations. Nitrate was a significant fraction of the total nitrogen pool at the estuarine site but not within the salt marsh. Whereas dissolved organic nitrogen was positively corre...
Acetylcholine release enhancers related to linopirdine: A structure—activity relationship study. II*

Summary Several series of α,α-disubstituted polycyclic compounds were found to enhance the stimulus-induced release of neurotransmitters, especially acetylcholine, in brain slices. This work resulted in the identification of linopirdine [3,3-bis (4-pyridinylmethyl)-1, 3-dihydro-1-phenyl-2 H -indol-2-one] 1a which was tested clinically for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) results suggest that the potency of the series was dependent on the nature of the pendent groups (R), the distance geometry produced by the pendant groups, and the hydrogen-bonding property of the core group.
Ultrasound imaging of extended targets using a windowed time-reversal MUSIC method

Time-reversal with Multiple Signal Classification (TR-MUSIC) is an ultrasound imaging algorithm for detecting small targets embedded in a medium. This technique can produce images with subwavelength resolution when the targets are pointlike, and when the number of targets is fewer than the number of transducer elements used to image the medium. In this experimental study, we evaluate the performance of the TR-MUSIC algorithm when the interrogated medium contains extended targets that cannot be considered as point scatterers. We construct tissue-mimicking phantoms embedded with distributed glass spheres. We show that the quality of the phantom images obtained using the TR-MUSIC algorithm decreases with increasing sphere size. However, significant improvement is achieved when the image plane is divided into sub-regions, where each sub-region is imaged separately. The windowed TR-MUSIC algorithm accurately locates the spheres (extended targets), but the images do not provide quantitative information about the shape and reflectivity of the spheres.
Reversion to normal leaf type in a radiation-induced mutation of Vitis rotundifolia

Abstract Apparently normal-leaved shoots occurring on a 9-year-old radiation induced mutation of grape (Vitis rotundifolia, Michx.) were asexually propagated and compared with the original cultivar. The normal-leaved “reversion” of the irradiated plant was indistinguishable from the original cultivar except for a significantly higher percent seed germination and thicker spongy parenchyma cells in the original cultivar.
Mechanical arrangement and transducing properties of Golgi tendon organs.

1. The mechanical arrangement and transducing properties of Golgi tendon organs in soleus and anterior tibial muscles of anesthetized cats have been studied by noting responses of their Ib afferents to muscle stretch (passive force) and contraction (active force) of small portions of the muscle including functionally isolated motor units. 2. Tendon organs were shown to be arranged both in-series and in-parallel with adjacent muscle fibers. There were gradations in these relations, the tightest arrangements involving the response to contraction of a single motor unit, brisk discharge from an in-series receptor and pause in the stretch-activated firing of an in-parallel receptor. Other arrangements included those in which groups of muscle fibers neither directly in-series nor in-parallel with a receptor were still found capable of influencing its firing pattern. If in-series muscle fibers maintained their contraction while in-parallel fibers were also contracting, the receptor usually responded slightly less actively than it did to the in-series force alone. 3. Tendon organs were found to have a very low threshold to in-series force developed by muscle contraction. Responses were observed to as little as 0.5 gm of twitch tension. Minimum active force thresholds were similar for the two muscles studied, but thresholds to dynamic stretch were lower for anterior tibial receptors. Division of the dynamic stretch threshold by the minimum active force threshold gave a measure of the extent to which each tendon organ was more sensitive to active than passive force. These values (generally less than 50) did not negate the physiological significance of responses to passive stretch. 4. The present data, together with those of Houk and his co-workers (1967, 1971) emphasize that tendon organs can participate in the moment to moment reflex control of normal muscle activity.
Infra-red spectra of monoalkylbenzenes

Abstract An empirical examination of the infra-red spectra of forty-two monoalkylbenzenes including six new compounds has been carried out. Separate treatment of the vibrations of the monosubstituted benzene ring and of the alkyl aide chain along conventional lines has allowed an evaluation of the extent to which the infra-red spectrum is useful in determining side-chain structure.
Numerical queue solution of thermal noise-induced soft errors in subthreshold CMOS devices

Power consumption requirements drive CMOS scaling to ever lower supply voltages, reducing the stability margin with respect to thermal noise and raising the probability for thermally-induced soft errors. Given the long time scale of noise-induced soft errors, conventional Monte Carlo simulations cannot be used to predict error rates and alternative approaches are needed. In this paper, the analysis of thermal fluctuations in a CMOS flip-flop is performed using a 2D queue that maps the available configurations for the flip-flop in terms of electron populations on the two inverters, with the two stable logic states at the opposite corners of the 2D matrix. Trial simulations for model systems show that the thermally-induced logic transitions involve only a limited number of states immediately above and below the main diagonal of the full 2D queue. We present a numerical solution based on variable precision arithmetic for a truncated 2D queue consisting of a variable number of near-diagonal states. It is shown that increasing the width of the near-diagonal queue, an accurate solution for the error rate is asymptotically obtained without the need to consider the full 2D queue. Our approach is used to calculate the mean time to failure of flip-flops built in a 45-nm fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology modeled in the subthreshold regime, including parasitics. As a predictive tool, the framework can be used to investigate the thermal stability of devices built in future technologies and as a measure of device reliability in VLSI design.
Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) development, reproduction, and longevity on hydroponically grown wheat with varying nitrogen levels.

Possible changes in Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), biology caused by varying levels of nitrogen in wheat were studied. Apterae of Russian wheat aphid were caged on wheat plants grown in hydroponic solutions containing levels of 4.2, 10.5, 52.5, or 21.0 ppm total nitrogen. Varying nitrogen levels did not significantly change duration of prereproductive period, reproductive period, longevity, or the number of nymphs produced, although there was a trend for increased nymphal production with increased rates of nitrogen. Increases in nitrogen did significantly increase the percent of nymphs produced in the second reproductive quarter. This increase corresponded with decreased production in the third and fourth quarters. The shift in nymphal production did not significantly influence changes in the intrinsic rate of increases rm ,. This study indicates that Russian wheat aphid populations infesting high input wheat, which is traditionally grown under irrigated conditions in the High Plains, may derive some reproductive benefit over populations infesting low input wheat.
Constraints on semantic priming in reading: a fixation time analysis.

In Experiment 1, subjects read sentences containing a category name or a neutral prime that was followed by a target exemplar that varied in typicality. Fixation time on the target exemplar was the measure of processing difficulty. The category name facilitated processing for both high- and low-typicality exemplars. Unexpectedly, high-typicality exemplars were processed more quickly than low-typicality exemplars in both primed and unprimed conditions. Experiment 2 extended the priming effect to primary associates. Most importantly, the priming effect was influenced by the syntactic structure of the stimulus sentence. When both the prime and the associated target word were in the same clause, semantic priming occurred, but when the prime and target were in different clauses, no associative facilitation was observed. These results were interpreted as supporting a clausal processing hypothesis based on an autonomous modular view of the language processing system. Furthermore, the results were consistent with direct control models of eye movements, which claim that fixation duration reflects the timing of processing related to the word currently under fixation.
Immunofluorescent localization of PGK-1 and PGK-2 isozymes within specific cells of the mouse testis.

Abstract The ubiquitous isozyme of phosphoglycerate kinase, PGK-1, and the testis-specific isozyme, PGK-2, have been localized to specific cells of the testis by indirect immunofluorescence on Bouin's fixed testis sections. The earliest cell of the spermatogenic series in which PGK-2 is detectable by immunofluorescence is the Stage 12 spermatid. The intensity of fluorescence increases as the spermatids progress to later stages and is strong in both released spermatids and their residual bodies. PGK-2 is not detectable in premeiotic germinal cells or somatic cells of the testis. Specific fluorescence for PGK-1 is localized to the somatic cells of the testis: the interstitial and Sertoli cells.
Multiple target class adaptive wideband radar imaging

We discuss the problem of waveform selection for wideband radar imaging. We show how this problem can be solved in a finite-dimensional setting. We discuss an algorithm for imaging an unknown target from a collection of targets belonging to M classes where M > 2. We present two possible algorithms for simultaneous imaging and classification of unknown targets. We describe how the radar simulations can be done in these cases.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Programs of the National Data Buoy Center

Abstract Platforms of the National Data Buoy Center provide vital meteorological and oceanographic observations from data-sparse marine areas worldwide. The data are essential for real-time weather forecasting and research programs. This paper provides information on the data-acquisition systems, networks, monitoring capabilities, data processing and dissemination, data quality and availability and related technology development for these platforms.
Variable interactions of recipient killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors with self and allogenic human leukocyte antigen class I ligands may influence the outcome of solid organ transplants

Purpose of reviewThe present review summarizes the diversity of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors and their complex interactions with self human leukocyte antigen class I molecules that control natural killer cell function. Further, a working model has been developed illustrating the potenti
INTEGRATED SIMULATION METHOD TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF NEW LARGE AIRCRAFT ON PASSENGER FLOWS AT AIRPORT TERMINALS

The development of new large aircraft (NLA) has been a topic of considerable interest and speculation. The first generation of the NLA with 555-seat capacity will presumably enter into commercial service by 2006. Due to the greater dimensions of the NLA and more simultaneous arrival passengers, there will be substantial impact on existing airports after its launch. Terminal operations, particularly individual passenger processing facilities, will be one of the most significantly affected components in the entire airport system. An integrated simulation method is proposed to evaluate the potential effects on the operation performance of primary processing facilities. The method uses scenario analysis in a before-and-after context and attempts to analyze the impact under current uncertainty of the operating characteristics of the NLA and its market share. The arrival passenger flow is modeled as a queuing network system, composed of a series of passenger processing facilities. The derivation of arrival and ...
Prospects of Nonparametric Modeling

(2000). Prospects of Nonparametric Modeling. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 95, No. 452, pp. 1296-1300.
Synergism of aspirin and heparin with a low-frequency non-invasive ultrasound system for augmentation of in-vitro clot lysis.

Background: Aspirin, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and heparin are routinely used in acute coronary syndromes. Previously we showed that there is synergism between ultrasound and heparin and tirofiban in augmenting blood clot disruption. However, there is a little data on a possible synergism of low-frequency ultrasound with aspirin for in-vitro clot dissolution, and especially on the combination of aspirin with heparin and/or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Materials and Methods: Human blood clots (n = 320) were incubated for 10 or 20 minutes in saline containing aspirin alone or combined with heparin and/or tirofiban and/or eptifibatide. Clots were randomly treated with low-frequency ultrasound (27.3 kHz) or incubation only. The percent clot weight loss and the incremental effect of ultrasound were calculated. Results: The most significant incremental effect of ultrasound on clot weight reduction was detected with aspirin alone (5.2 ± 2.3% and 5.2 ± 2.6% after 10′ and 20′, p = 0.04 and p = 0.06, respectively) and in combination with heparin (8.8 ± 2.5% and 11.5 ± 2.7% after 10′ and 20′, p = 0.01 and p = 0.0001, respectively). The greatest absolute magnitude of clot weight reduction was observed with ultrasound combined with aspirin and heparin (48.5 ± 9.5% after 20′). The addition of tirofiban or eptifibatide to aspirin, heparin and ultrasound did not increase clot lysis. However, eptifibatide had significantly better synergism than tirofiban (p = 0.025 and p = 0.015, after 10 and 20 minutes, respectively). Conclusions: Aspirin alone or in combination with heparin results in significant augmentation of clot lysis and is synergistic with application of low-frequency ultrasound for 10 and 20 minutes only. These results may have important implications for a possible use of low-frequency ultrasound in treatment algorithms of acute coronary syndromes.
Nutrient composition and anti-nutritional factors in vegetable soybean: II. Oil, fatty acids, sterols, and lipoxygenase activity

Abstract Seventeen vegetable soybean genotypes were analyzed for oil, fatty acids, sterols and lipoxygenase activity. The mean oil content was 18.44% and ranging from 15.65% for Wilson-5 to 23.36% for Sango. The lipoxygenase activity ranged from 829.8 units/min/mg meal for PI 417310 to 4750.4 units/min/mg meal for PI 423759, with a mean of 2176.3 units/min/mg meal. β-Sitosterol (45.95%) was the major plant sterol present, followed by stigmasterol (16.48%), campsterol (16.06%) and dihydroxybrassicasterol (5.62%). Palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids comprised over 90% of the total fatty acids. The means of linoleic (53.34%) and linolenic acids (9.19%) were higher than that reported for the grain-type soybean. The concentrations of oleic were inversely related to the concentrations of linoleic (r = −0.820) and linolenic (r = −0.663) acids. The oils of cultivars sango and sooty, and PIs 423759, 417310, 222397 and 171437 possess superior nutritional quality. In general, the high oil, linoleic, linolenic and sterol content of vegetable-type soybeans make them a food with high nutritional quality.
In-vitro activity of teicoplanin alone and in combination with rifampicin, gentamicin or tobramycin against coagulase-negative staphylococci

The in vitro activity of teicoplanin and the effect of the combination of teicoplanin and rifampicin, gentamicin or tobramycin against 50 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from blood cultures were studied. All strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci were inhibited by teicoplanin less than or equal to 8 mg/l. The combination of teicoplanin and rifampicin was synergistic against 29 strains and antagonistic against one strain. The combination of teicoplanin and gentamicin or tobramycin showed synergism or antagonism against only a few strains.
EFFECTS OF VITAMIN C AND SODIUM BENZOATE ON SURVIVAL, GROWTH AND SKELETAL DEFORMITIES OF INTENSIVELY CULTURED BULLFROG LARVAE Rana catesbeiana REARED AT TWO pH LEVELS

Previous experiments indicated nutritional deficiencies in the artificial diet of Rana catesbeiana larvae were responsible for up to 95% severe skeletal deformities in laboratory reared larvae. Radiographs showed the skeletal deformities occur in the calcified and cartilagenous skeletal structure. In this study three aspects of the larval diet and its preparation were modified and tested in feeding experiments at pH 6.5 to 6.9 and 7.5 to 8.3. Diets containing from 2% to 8% vitamin C were associated with a reduced incidence of scoliosis at both pH ranges, with greater reduction occurring at the high pH. Survival and growth were greater at the lower pH for larvae fed vitamin C supplemented diets. Lowering the temperature of the food mix to 40°C before adding vitamins to the diet did not reduce the occurrence of deformities. Oxytetracycline and sulfathiazole were replaced by sodium benzoate as a food preservative. There was no difference in survival, growth, or skeletal deformities in the larvae.
Quality assessment chicks from different hatcher temperatures with different scoring methods and prediction of broiler growth performance

The aim of the current study was to determine the quality of chicks from different hatcher temperatures for the prediction of broiler growth performance. The hatcher temperatures were applied as follows: control (36.8–37.0°C), acute high hatcher temperature (38.8–39.0°C for 3 hours daily, 36.8–37.0°C in remaining time) and chronic high hatcher temperature (38.8–39.0°C). The chick quality was measured with Tona score, Pasgar score, chick-hatching weight, yolk-free chick weight and chick length. Whereas the chicks of control group were the highest quality with Tona and Pasgar methods, the chicks of the control and acute high temperature groups were better than the chronic high temperature group according to chick weight and yolk-free chick weight as chick quality indicators. Between days1 and 7, the relative growth was the highest in control group with a value of 373.0%. The correlations between chick weight on day 1 and Tona score, Pasgar score, chick weight, yolk-free chick weight and chick length were si...
Contribution of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens to ventral pallidal responses to dopamine agonists.

Neurons recorded from ventral pallidum/substantia innominata (VP) of the basal forebrain respond to dopaminergic agonists that activate either the D1 or D2 the receptor subtype. Major afferent systems to the VP originate within amygdaloid nuclei (AMN) and the nucleus accumbens (NA). Since both the AMN and the NA are dopaminoceptive, the present study sought to analyze the contribution of these afferent systems to VP responses to dopaminergic agonists. Single VP neurons were electrophysiologically recorded in vivo from chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats, and the following determinations were made. (1) Effects of pharmacologic inactivation of an afferent system were assessed by monitoring VP neurons during intracerebral microinjections of the local anesthetic procaine, administered directly into either the AMN or the NA. (2) With procaine-induced VP rate changes used to indicate an afferent influence on the recorded neuron, VP responses to apomorphine (an agonist that acts at D1 and D2 receptor subtypes), SKF38393 (a D1 agonist), or quinpirole (a D2 agonist) were determined and compared with responses in rats not receiving the procaine pretreatment. Following pharmacologic inactivation of either the AMN or the NA, approximately 80% of the VP neurons monitored demonstrated rate changes, illustrating that spontaneous neuronal firing in the VP is dependent on tonically active input systems. Following afferent cessation, responses to apomorphine and quinpirole remained intact, suggesting that the AMN or NA is not necessary for VP responding to the systemic administration of dopaminergic agonists that act at D2 receptors. In contrast, the number of neurons that responded to SKF38393 was diminished follow intra-AMN (but not intra-NA) procaine. This suggests that D1-induced VP responses are mediated, at least in part, via the AMN.
Theoretical analysis of the potential for maskless lithography

In order to be practical, maskless lithography schemes are limited as to how small the physical address grid can be. Thus, graybeam techniques are used to create a small virtual address grid while maintaining a large physical address grid. One important consideration for maskless lithography is the impact of these small 'virtual' address grids on image quality. Using simple simulations of aerial image formation as the summation of Gaussian spots and PROLITH simulations of the projection of square pixels, several important conclusions about the use of graybeam are made. Graybeam results in a non-linear variation in edge position with gray level, with the non-linearity increasing with larger physical address grid size. While this edge position deviation from non-linearity can be calibrated out of the writing scheme, the calibration curve is process dependent. One problem with the use of graybeam is the reduction of image quality as expressed by the image log-slope. For the raster scan case of a physical address grid equal to half of the spot size, the worst case graybeam level has an image log-slope at the edge that is 20% less than the best case. For the projection imaging case of a physical address grid equal to the pixel size, the worst case graybeam level has an image log-slope at the edge that is 15% less than the best case.
Halo sign: useful CT sign for differentiating benign from malignant colonic disease.

Abstract AIM: To evaluate the halo sign for accurately distinguishing benign from malignant colonic wall thickening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) examinations of 92 patients (70 men; 22 women; mean age 57 years) with pathologically proven colonic wall thickening (51 benign and 41 malignant) were retrospectively reviewed in a blinded fashion. The affected segment was assessed for presence of the halo sign, degree and uniformity of thickness and density of the intramural stratum. RESULTS: The halo sign was present in 74.5% (38/51) patients with benign and 7.3% (3/41) patients with malignant bowel disease. The presence of the halo sign was 75.4% sensitive and 92.5% specific for benign bowel wall thickening. All 38 benign halos showed uniform, continuous stratification; only one of three malignant halos met the strict criteria for benign halo. CONCLUSION: The halo sign is a moderately sensitive and highly specific sign for distinguishing benign from malignant bowel wall thickening. However, it is not pathognomonic for benign disease. Detailed analysis of halo characteristics is necessary to improve the usefulness of this finding.
Some ethical issues in technology transfer and applications

Health care systems all around the world are struggling to provide care in an era of limited resources. In an article entitled, 'Straight Talk About Rationing,' Arthur Kaplan reviews the work of the Swedish Commission designed to prioritize health care for that country. The commission identified three core principles that they felt should underlie decisions about priorities for health care. Those principles were (1) all human beings are equally valuable; (2) society must pay special attention to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable; and (3) all other things being equal, cost efficiency in gaining the greatest return for the amount of money spent must prevail. These are three extremely useful principles which can be helpful to us as we consider many of the issues confronted in this country about the allocation of resources for health. I would like to consider three major issues. The first issue is the current evolving nature of health care and the ethical dilemmas that exist in the present system. In balancing increased access to care with decreasing cost, particularly in managed care, all of us are concerned about ethical issues. I would like to emphasize that the current system -- the system that we have lived with and is changing -- has inherent in it a series of ethical dilemmas. Secondly, I would like to consider issues related to productivity and its measurement in relation to technology. This relates to the third item in the Swedish Commission, which is the principle that we ought to spend money in the most cost-efficient way. Finally, I would like to discuss the dilemma of decision making about health and how that impacts upon the ethics of health care in the application of technology.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The role of cellular structure in creep of two-dimensional cellular solids

The creep response of cellular solids is sensitive to the details of the microstructure. Here, finite element simulations were used to model the steady state, secondary creep rate of several two-dimensional cellular solids: a Voronoi honeycomb, representing a structure with a random variation in cell shape; a plane section of a micrograph of a commercially available closed-cell aluminum foam; and the same plane section of the foam, but with the curvature of the cell walls suppressed. The solid was assumed to follow power-law creep. Both periodic boundary conditions and boundary conditions corresponding to a finite size sample were analyzed. The results of the models are compared with the analytical results for a regular hexagonal honeycomb of the same relative density. The creep rates of all of the other structures are higher than that of the regular hexagonal honeycomb. The results indicate that the details of the microstructure can have a significant effect on the creep rate, and thus the lifetime, of the cellular solid. Cell wall curvature plays the most significant role, but the distribution of cell shape and size also influences the creep rate.
The effects of prostaglandin E2 in growing rats - Increased metaphyseal hard tissue and cortico-endosteal bone formation

To assess the efficacy of PGE2 in inducingin vivo bone formation, graded doses of prostaglandins E2 were administered to 255 g rats. Histomorphometric analyses of selected sequential fluorescent-labeled bones of rats treated with 0,0.3, 1.0, 3, or 6 mg PGE2/kg/d for 21 days showed that the doses of PGE2 depressed longitudinal bone growth, increased growth cartilage thickness slightly, decreased degenerative cartilage cell size and cartilage cell production slightly, and increased proximal tibial metaphyseal hard-tissue mass markedly. Periosteal bone formation was depressed at the higher doses, and an early, slight depression in endosteal bone formation was also observed, along with a striking late increase in endosteal bone formation and in the formation of trabecular bone in the marrow cavity of the tibial shaft. The characteristics and magnitude of these responses were quite similar to those observed in our previous study of the effects of PGE2 on weanling rats except for the delayed increase in cortico-endosteal bone formation.