cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inverse eigenvalue problem for sinusoidal frequency estimation

The estimation of the frequencies of sinusoids in noise is a very common problem. This paper addresses the estimation of sinusoids in a low SNR environment. This sinusoidal frequency estimation problem can be used to find the carrier frequencies and baud rates of communication waveforms after some appropriate nonlinearity. If the underlying signal model is sinusoids in white Gaussian noise and we use the forward/backward prediction framework, then the forward/backward prediction equations force a Toeplitz/Hankel structure on the data matrix. If there are M distinct sinusoids in the data and no noise, then the data matrix has rank M. Cadzow and Wilkes (1991) enhance a noisy data matrix by enforcing both the structure and the rank of the data matrix, before solving for the coefficient vector of the prediction problem. Besides the Toeplitz/Hankel structure, the estimated singular values of the data matrix are also enforced. Using more information extracted from the original data matrix extends the threshold to lower SNR values.
Single aircraft passive doppler location of radios

This paper examines the performance of the Doppler Particle Filter (DPF) algorithm to locate a push-to-talk handset from the its radio frequency transmissions recorded on-board an aircraft. The technical challenge resides in the mathematical solution to solve for the stationary radio location based on the received Doppler shifted frequency measurements from an emitter with a non-stationary or drifting carrier frequency. The proposed DPF solution is motivated by the failure of the standard techniques (e.g. Gauss-Newton iterative descent technique, Extended Kalman Filter) to this application. The DPF is based on a particular implementation of a particle filter that tracks the carrier frequency at the same time as estimating the radio location and whose approach has been described in previous papers. Its location performance is examined on data collected on both continuous and intermittent radio operation. The search area was 10x10 km2 and for most of the data collected the closest the sensor got to the target was 2 –3 km. For these ranges, the results show median miss distances of 55 m for continuous transmission and 131 m for intermittent transmissions over almost 150 different collections. Its performance is also compared and shown to approach the FOA Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB).
Abstract P133: Modeling Smoking in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Risk in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Objectives: Smoking exposure can be measured in a variety of ways including duration, intensity (cigarettes /day), and the product of these known as pack-years. How these variables should be combined to best model smoking as an exposure in cardiovascular (CVD) studies is not clear. Methods: The MESA study is a cohort of 6814 participants initially free of clinical heart disease at baseline in 2000-2002. MESA collected questionnaire data on smoking duration, intensity, and pack-years. Initial models were stratified by current versus former smoking status, with a second set of models that pooled all participants and controlled for status. Generalized additive models for time to incident CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, and CVD death) were used to investigate the functional form of each aspect of smoking. Cox models were used to investigate the hazard ratio (HR) of each exposure definition of smoking on time to event. Models were compared which used intensity and duration alone, in combination, and expres...
Learning Outcomes Assessment: Extrapolating from Study Abroad to International Service-Learning

For international service-learning to thrive, it must document studentlearning outcomes that accrue to participants. The approachesto international service-learning assessment must be compellingto a variety of stakeholders. Recent large-scale projects in studyabroad learning outcomes assessment—including the GeorgiaLearning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative(GLOSSARI)—offer precedent from which international servicelearningassessment programs may draw. This article outlines fivepromising practices to guide international service-learning assessmentactivities: (1) focus on outcomes about learning; (2) employmultiple sources and methods for data collection; (3) invest in compilingcredible comparison groups to build the case for a causalrelationship between international service-learning and learning; (4)acquire data from multiple and diverse institutions and programsto better generalize and also to warrant conclusions about best programpractices; and (5) acquire data from large samples of programparticipants to provide insights into under-represented groups andprogram sites.
Life Sciences in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages

The life sciences in late antiquity (ad300–600) and the early Middle Ages (ad600–1000) centre around the study of three primary categories of ensouled or animate creatures, namely, plants (botany), animals (zoology) and man (anthropology). Major subdisciplines within these general areas of study include pharmacology, medicine, agriculture and veterinary science. The ancient Greek and Roman life scientists of the classical period (600bc–ad300) established much of the data and many of the fundamental concepts concerning the nature of the cosmos and its living inhabitants which scholars of the post-classical period (ad300–1000) would inherit. The history of the late ancient and the early medieval life sciences is essentially the story of the preservation, dissemination and partial elaboration of classical Graeco-Roman learning within several very different political, linguistic and religious contexts following the dissolution of the political and cultural synthesis that had been established under the Roman Empire (27bc–ad476). Key Concepts: Life science in the classical (ad300–600) and post-classical (ad600–1000) periods centres around the study of three primary categories of ensouled or animate creatures, plants (botany), animals (zoology) and man (anthropology), and includes the subdisciplines of medicine, pharmacology, agriculture and veterinary science. Soul (Greek psyche; Latin anima) is the life principle of plants, animals and people, of which there are three broad species: the vegetative, sensitive and rational. Classical anatomy, physiology, medicine, botany and zoology are tacitly accepted in the post-classical period. The interlocking concepts of (1) teleology, (2) the microcosm-macrocosm analogy and (3) the great chain of being provide common conceptual ground for the ancient (classical) and the late ancient/early medieval (post-classical) world views. Classical life science continues to flourish in diverse religious (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) and linguistic (Latin, Greek, Persian, Syriac and Arabic) cultures following the dissolution of the political and cultural synthesis that had been established under the Roman Empire. Greek, Latin, Syriac and Arabic languages are the primary linguistic vehicles in the diffusion of classical knowledge throughout Europe and the Middle East. Linguistic barriers are overcome by a handful of multilingual scholars who live on the borderland of two or more dominant cultures. Christian and Muslim post-classical scholars use their pagan classical heritage selectively by (1) choosing organisation, conciseness and practicality over theoretical and experimental elaboration, and (2) adapting it to the sacred Scriptures of the Judaeo-Christian (Old and New Testament) and Muslim (Koranic) cultures. Keywords: Graeco-Roman antiquity; late antiquity; Early Middle Ages; religion and science; history; medicine; pharmacology; botany; zoology; veterinary science
Algorithms for clustering high dimensional and distributed data

Clustering is the problem of identifying the distribution of patterns and intrinsic correlations in large data sets by partitioning the data points into similarity classes. The clustering problem has been widely studied in machine learning, databases, and statistics. This paper studies the problem of clustering high dimensional data. The paper proposes an algorithm called the CoFD algorithm, which is a non-distance based clustering algorithm for high dimensional spaces. Based on the Maximum Likelihood Principle, CoFD attempts to optimize its parameter settings to maximize the likelihood between data points and the model generated by the parameters. The distributed versions of the problem, called the D-CoFD algorithms, are also proposed. Experimental results on both synthetic and real data sets show the efficiency and effectiveness of CoFD and D-CoFD algorithms.
Excellence Within Student Affairs: Understanding the Practice of Integrating Academic and Student Affairs

In this final chapter, the authors synthesize and draw from chapters across this volume to provide concluding remarks and recommendations. The authors suggest that core to the discussion of excellence of student affairs in community colleges are the concepts of integration and collaboration. As professionals tasked with supporting the student learning experience at institutions with diverse, commuter populations, the formal and informal relationships and collaborations between student and academic affairs are critical.
Modulation of Thymus-Leukemia Antigens on Mouse Leukemia Cells Induced by IgG, But Not IgM, Antibody

Exposure of mouse leukemia cells bearing thymus-leukemia (TL) surface antigens to whole TL alloantiserum has previously been shown to desensitize the cells to subsequent lysis by guinea pig complement (C) and fresh antiserum (antigenic modulation) and to correlate with the ability of cells to escape immune destruction in mice immunized against TL antigens. Tested in vitro, IgG of TL.1,2,3,5 antiserum modulated RADA1 leukemia cells (TL.1,2,3,5) completely within 2 hours at 37 degrees C when fully sensitizing amounts were used, with normal mouse serum as a source of C3. Similar results were obtained with IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b fractions of TL antiserum. An IgG2a monoclonal TL.3 antibody also completely modulated TL.3 antigens and partially modulated all antigens detected with TL.1,2,3,5 antiserum. IgM anti-TL.1,2,3,5 failed to modulate RADA1 cells even after 6 hours in vitro when fully sensitizing amounts of antibody were used. An IgM monoclonal TL antibody also failed to induce modulation. Modulation did occur on cells incubated with fully sensitizing amounts of IgG and IgM TL.1,2,3,5 antibody simultaneously, and nearly all cell-bound immunoglobulins were IgG. In mice passively immunized with IgG TL antibody, RADA1 cells modulated completely within 24 hours, whereas no modulation occurred during 4 days in mice immunized with IgM antibody. However, in both instances, tumor cells grew actively, which indicated that tumor escape did not depend on achievement of a modulated state.
Organ content and fecal excretion of cadmium in male and female rats consuming variable amounts of naturally occurring cadmium in confectionery sunflower kernels (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract Sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus L. ) tend to remove cadmium (Cd) from the soil and deposit it in their seeds. The availability of Cd in sunflower kernels for absorption and deposition in animal tissues was studied using a 15-week feeding trial with both male and female rats begun at weanling age. Diets included (1) purified basal diet with no sunflower kernels (85 μg Cd/kg), (2) basal diet containing 20% ground low-Cd sunflower kernels (120 μg Cd/kg), (3) basal diet containing 20% ground high-Cd sunflower kernels (195 μg Cd/kg), and (4) basal diet containing 20% ground low-Cd sunflower kernels plus Cd chloride (175 μg Cd/kg). In a second experiment, adult rats were fed sunflower kernels that contained an endogenous or exogenous label of 109 Cd. Cd availability was assessed by measuring 109 Cd excretion in feces and by measuring the amount of label accumulated in liver and kidney. Results were as follows: (1) Although all diets were of similar nutrient composition, female rats that consumed diets containing 20% ground sunflower kernels gained significantly ( P P 109 Cd was not different ( P > 0.1) than kernels labeled exogenously: 12% versus15%, respectively. Eight days after dosing, total liver 109 Cd was 1% of the initial dose; at 20 days it was only 0.3%. The corresponding amounts in kidney were 0.1% 8 days after dosing and 0.2% 20 days after dosing. The amount of label in liver and kidney was not affected by the method of labeling the kernels. This study clearly shows that Cd from sunflower kernels is available for absorption and accumulation in tissues of the rat, although in very small concentrations.
Dual effectiveness of sodium chlorite for enzymatic browning inhibition and microbial inactivation on fresh-cut apples

The dual effectiveness of sodium chlorite for browning inhibition and microbial inactivation on fresh-cut apples was investigated and compared to other anti-browning and antimicrobial agents. Results indicate that sodium chlorite significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited the browning reaction of fresh-cut Red Delicious apples stored at 5 °C for 14 days. This treatment also significantly reduced polyphenol oxidase activities. Treatments with acidified sodium chlorite, calcium chloride, or calcium ascorbate exhibited strong inhibition on apple browning during the early storage, these treatment effects diminished after 7 days in storage. Combining calcium chloride with sodium chlorite further significantly (P < 0.001) improved the firmness of apple slices, and browning inhibition during storage. Additionally, treatments with acidified sodium chlorite, sodium chlorite, or the combination of sodium chlorite and calcium chloride significantly (P < 0.001) reduced Escherichia coli populations on fresh-cut apples by 3.0, 3.6, and 3.9 log cfu g−1 over the water control. The dual effectiveness of sodium chlorite to inhibit enzymatic browning and inactivate E. coli may allow this compound to achieve a prominent role in improving the quality and safety of products in the fresh-cut apple and other food industries.
Neoproterozoic Earth-Moon dynamics : Rework of the 900 Ma Big Cottonwood Canyon tidal laminae

The tidal rhythmites in the Proterozoic Big Cottonwood Formation (BCC) of Utah, the Neoproterozoic Elatina Formation of the Flinders Range of Southern Australia, and the lower Pennsylvanian Mansfield Formation of Indiana indicate that the rate of retreat of the lunar orbit has been approximately constant since the late Precambrian and closely matches the present epoch value determined from Apollo lasers. Examination of a new (BCC) core leads to a slightly revised length of day (LOD) and modified values for other Earth-Moon dynamical parameters, thus implying the length of day 900 million years ago, reported earlier by Sonett et al. [1996] should be modified to ∼ 18.9 hrs.
Managing Production and Distribution for Supply Chains in the Processed Food Industry

We develop and evaluate a modeling approach for making periodic review production and distribution decisions for a supply chain in the processed food industry. The supply chain faces several factors, including multiple products, multiple warehouses, production constraints, high transportation costs, and limited storage at the production facility. This problem is motivated by the supply chain structure at Amy's Kitchen, one of the leading producers of natural and organic foods in the United States. We develop an enhanced myopic two-stage approach for this problem. The first stage determines the production plan and uses a heuristic, and the second stage determines the warehouse allocation plan and uses a non-linear optimization model. This two-stage approach is repeated every period and incorporates look-ahead features to improve its performance in future periods. We validate our model using actual data from one factory at Amy's Kitchen and compare the performance of our model to that of the actual operation. We find that our model significantly reduces both inventory levels and stockouts relative to those of the actual operation. In addition, we identify a lower bound on the total costs for all feasible solutions to the problem and measure the effectiveness of our model against this lower bound. We perform sensitivity analysis on some key parameters and assumptions of our modeling approach.
Genetic mapping and manipulation: chapter 5--SNPs: three-point mapping.

Copyright: © 2006 David Fay. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: davidfay@uwyo.edu Genetic mapping and manipulation: Chapter 5-SNPs: Three-point mapping* David Fay, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3944 USA
Simple circuit for rapid recentering of D.C. potential baseline

Abstract A very simple method applying the sample-and-hold principle can be used to return the baseline of a d.c. recording within the useful range of the instrument. The operation is instantaneous and the amount of correction can be monitored.
Categorical system theory

This is an investigation of natural systems from the standpoint of the mathematical theory of categories. It examines the relationships which exist between different descriptions through measurement of observables and dynamical interactions. We begin with a category theory of formal systems with observables, and then proceed to a category theory of dynamical systems. The two categories are then combined to represent natural systems. Topological considerations enter in the study of stability and bifurcation phenomena. Special emphasis is placed on natural systems which model biological processes. The categorical system theory developed is applied to the analysis of several biological problems and biological system theories.
Scientific Data Collections and Distributed Collective Practice

As the basic sciences become increasingly information-intensive, the management and use of research data presents new challenges in the collective activities that constitute scholarly and scientific communication. This also presents new opportunities for understanding the role of informatics in scientific work practices, and for designing new kinds tools and resources needed to support them. These issues of data management, scientific communication and collective activity are brought together at once in scientific data collections (SDCs). What can the development and use of shared SDCs tell us about collective activity, dynamic infrastructures, and distributed scientific work? Using examples drawn from a nascent neuroscience data collection, we examine some unique features of SDCs to illustrate that they do more than act as infrastructures for scientific research. Instead, we argue that they are themselves instantiations of Distributed Collective Practice (DCP), and as such illustrate concepts of transition, emergence, and interdependency that may not be so apparent in other kinds of DCPs. We propose that research into SDCs can yield new insights into institutional arrangements, policymaking, and authority structures in other very large-scale socio-technical networks.
Naltrexone and β-funaltrexamine antagonism of the antinociceptive and response rate-decreasing effects of morphine, dezocine, and d-propoxyphene

Rationale: Patterns of competitive and insurmountable antagonism provide important data to guide the classification and characterization of different types of opioid agonists as well as infer the mechanism of action for agonists. Objective: Experiments with the competitive antagonist, naltrexone, and the insurmountable antagonist, β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA), were conducted to determine whether the antinociceptive and rate-decreasing effects of the opioid agonists dezocine and d-propoxyphene are 1) mediated through µ opioid receptors in rats, and 2) differ from morphine with respect to relative efficacy. Methods: The rat tail-withdrawal assay was used to measure antinociception and a fixed ratio 20 (FR20) schedule of food delivery was used to measure rate suppression. Results: Naltrexone (0.01–1.0 mg/kg) was approximately equipotent as an antagonist of the antinociceptive and rate-decreasing effects of both morphine and dezocine and as an antagonist of the antinociceptive effects of d-propoxyphene. Naltrexone failed to block the rate-decreasing effects of d-propoxyphene. β-FNA (5 and 10 mg/kg) also antagonized the antinociceptive and rate-decreasing effects of morphine and dezocine as well as the antinociceptive effects of d-propoxyphene. β-FNA failed to produce a dose-dependent antagonism of the rate-decreasing effects of d-propoxyphene. Conclusions: These data suggest that the antinociceptive effects of morphine, dezocine, and d-propoxyphene and the rate-decreasing effects of morphine and dezocine are mediated through µ opioid receptors. Overall, high doses of β-FNA produced a greater degree of antagonism of the behavioral effects of dezocine than morphine or d-propoxyphene, confirming other reports that dezocine is a lower efficacy agonist than morphine. Additionally, the degree of antagonism produced by β-FNA was greater for the antinociceptive effects of all three compounds than for the rate-decreasing effects.
A Model Driven Development approach to supporting System Engineering Trade Studies

It is very common in manufacturing organizations for the organization to build its new products using the same or similar technology as the previous versions of the product. This means that the organization is not making the best use of new technology or components that could potentially improve their products and/or profitability. This presentation demonstrates an objective approach to evaluate and select complex physical architectures, i.e. doing a Trade Study. It is based upon SysML and it uses a modeling toolset (ref 1) to demonstrate the technique. The approach is based upon the definition of assessment criteria and target values for the product under consideration. Various means of physically realizing the architecture are proposed and the combined effect of the various components evaluated against the target values for the product. The results of this are used as the basis for final selection of the architecture. A practical worked example is provided throughout the paper to further demonstrate the techniques involved.
A procedure for the determination of the rare earth elements, lanthanum through lutetium, in chondritic, achondritic and iron meteorites by neutron-activation analysis

Abstract The abundances of the rare earths. lanthanum through lutetium, have been determined in chondritic, achondritic, and iron meteorites by neutron-activation analysis. The procedure usud should also be applicable to the analysis of terrestrial stones and sediments. After exposure to a thermal-neutron flux of 2.1012 neutrons/cm2/sec for 2 h, the chondritic or achondritic sample, with added rare earth carriers, is dissolved after sodium peroxide fusion. Iron specimens are dissolved in a hydrochloric acid medium. The rare earths are then separated as a group from the matrix and are individually separated by means of a Dowex 50 W-X12 cation resin column and elution with 1M ammonium lactate. This method is sensitive to fractional parts per million of the individual rare earths. The abundance of scandium may also be determined in the same procedure.
Linguistic Humor Comprehension of Normal and Language-Impaired Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of normally achieving and language-impaired adolescents to comprehend linguistic humor in a decontextualized situation. A classification scheme ...
Audiometric findings of patients with migraine-associated dizziness.

Objective:The objective of this study was to determine whether the audiometric findings of migraine-associated dizziness could be used to better distinguish migraine-associated dizziness from Meniere’s disease.Study Design:A retrospective chart review.Setting:Tertiary, otology/neurotology practice.P
Measurements of single spherical particle trajectories with lateral migration in a slit with one porous wall under laminar flow conditions

Lateral migration of spherical, neutrally buoyant particles moving in Poiseuille flow was measured in a slit with a porous membrane at one wall. Neutrally buoyant particles with diameters of 226 μm were injected into 22% glycerol-water solution flowing vertically in a slit channel (1.6 × 50 × 152 mm). The particles were illuminated with a strobe at 25 flashes/sec and photographed with a 4 × 5 camera under dark field conditions. Measured particle trajectories are compared with theoretically predicted trajectories based on Altena and Belfort's (1984) model. The theoretical trajectories are within the limits of error in the measured trajectories. By confirming the Altena and Belfort (1984) model within the range of experimental conditions tested here, inertial interactions should be included when modeling membrane fouling of dilute suspensions (Belfort et al. 1982).
Relationship between genetic deregulation of Hansenula polymorpha and production of tryptophan metabolites

Three tryptophan catabolites (tryptophol, indoleacetic acid and indoleacetaldehyde) were identified in the extracellular broths of deregulated mutants but not in that of the wild type. These compounds resulted from the degradation of excess tryptophan formed by the deregulated mutants. The mutants also produced 2 to 3 nonindolic compounds. Tryptophan was a minor product; tryptophol, the major broth metabolite. Among the deregulated strains, there were differences not only in the relative proportions but also in the spectra of the compounds produced. Tryptophol, indoleacetic acid and indoleacetaldehyde were produced by resting cells from added tryptophan or tryptamine. The presence of nonindolic compounds in the tryptophan-supplemented, but not tryptamine-supplemented, resting cell systems suggests that Hansenula polymorpha can degrade tryptophan by multiple pathways.
Bulk magnetic susceptibility induced broadening in the 19F NMR of suspended leukemic cells

The relevance of bulk magnetic susceptibility (BMS) induced broadening to in vivo NMR studies of intact cells has been examined and the significance of the contribution of BMS difference to the resolution of intra- and extracellular resonances was demonstrated. BMS difference between intra- and extracellular compartments was found to limit the resolution of intra- and extracellular 19F resonances of fluoro compounds in leukemic cells.
Skeletal structures that clinically simulate lymph nodes: Encounters during fine-needle aspiration

We report eight patients in whom bones of the cervical spine or cervical ribs were clinically mistaken for jugular chain or supraclavicular lymphadenopathy, respectively. Each was referred for fine-needle aspiration by an experienced surgeon, oncologist, rheumatologist, or otolaryngologist. In the neck, the bony nature of the pseudo-lymph nodes was apparent when the needle contacted bone. Bone was not contacted by the needle in the supraclavicular fossa. Aspiration smears showed normal soft tissues in all cases. Radiographs showed cervical ribs in both of the patients with supraclavicular pseudo-lymphadenopathy. One of these was surgically explored and no adenopathy was detected. Radiographically, one patient with jugular chain findings had unilateral enlargement of a transverse vertebral bone process, another showed scoliosis, and a third had a normal cervical spine study. During follow-up of 1-33 mo (median = 14 mo), no patient developed adenopathy at any additional site. All are alive and well.
Early treatment of amelogenesis imperfecta

Abstract Young adults with amelogenesis imperfecta can be treated successfully with complete mouth rehabilitation if adequate study and planning precede the operation and conservative tooth preparations and a sedative type of cement are used. The patient must understand that the treatment is transitory in nature. Maintenance assumes as dominant a role as the original fabrication of the restorations. Differences in the degree of the hypoplasia of the teeth, the physical condition and mental attitude of the patient, and the subjective opinion of the dentist in the ways of restoring the patient to normal status make generalizations in treatment of amelogenesis imperfecta impossible. However, a conservative approach to maintain vitality of the remaining teeth and still attain satisfactory esthetics and function is always the desirable approach.
Proteomic Characterization of Messenger Ribonucleoprotein Complexes Bound to Nontranslated or Translated Poly(A) mRNAs in the Rat Cerebral Cortex

Receptor-triggered control of local postsynaptic protein synthesis plays a crucial role for enabling long lasting changes in synaptic functions, but signaling pathways that link receptor stimulation with translational control remain poorly known. Among the putative regulatory factors are mRNA-binding proteins (messenger ribonucleoprotein, mRNP), which control the fate of cytosolic localized mRNAs. Based on the assumption that a subset of mRNA is maintained in an inactive state, mRNP-mRNA complexes were separated into polysome-bound (translated) and polysome-free (nontranslated) fractions by sucrose density centrifugation. Poly(A) mRNA-mRNP complexes were purified from a postmitochondrial extract of rat cerebral cortex by oligo(dT)-cellulose affinity chromatography. The mRNA processing proteins were characterized, from solution, by a nanoflow reverse phase-high pressure liquid chromatography-mu-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The majority of detected mRNA-binding proteins was found in both fractions. However, a small number of proteins appeared to be fraction-specific. This subset of proteins is by far the most interesting because the proteins are potentially involved in controlling an activity-dependent onset of translation. They include transducer proteins, kinases, and anchor proteins. This study of the mRNP proteome is the first step in allowing future experimentation to characterize individual proteins responsible for mRNA processing and translation in dendrites.
Disorder in the ranks

High-temperature superconductors need to be doped with elements that donate charge-carrier. By changing the dopant cation, the superconducting transition temperature can be changed markedly. Why? It is due to lattice strains, caused by disorder in the cation size. This solves a ten-year old puzzle — but leaves open the question of the microscopic mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity.
Application of Neural Computing in Pharmaceutical Product Development: Computer Aided Formulation Design

AbstractMost pharmaceutical products are complex systems designed to meet several compendial or other performance standards simultaneously. Ideal or ‘optimum’ product composition and the manufacturing process variables are generally established after extensive experimentation. Artificial Neural Networks are pattern recognition tools that allow the development of ‘expert’ systems without having to write computer programs. With this technology it may be possible to develop formulation ‘expert’ systems to predict the formulation composition and the manufacturing process conditions necessary to achieve the desired performance standards. This report introduces the concept of a formulation expert system to predict the in vitro drug release profile from hydrophilic matrix tablets. Formulation expert systems or Computer Aided Formulation Design has the potential to reduce the time and cost of the product development process.
Comparison of virulence in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pulsotypes USA300 and USA400 in a rat model of pneumonia.

Background The predominant genetic background of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has transitioned from USA400 to USA300 in most US communities. The explanation for this shift is unclear. We hypothesized that USA300 must be more pathogenic--specifically, that USA300 would have increased virulence when compared with USA400 in an animal model. Methods Rats were inoculated intratracheally with 1 of 6 S. aureus isolates from the USA300 and USA400 backgrounds. We assessed mortality, in vivo bacterial growth, and histopathology. We assessed the in vitro expression of capsule and of selected genes believed to be important in virulence in S. aureus, including agr, saeRS, sarA, alpha-toxin (hla), and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl). Results USA300 isolates were more lethal, produced more severe pneumonia, and had higher in vivo bacterial density in the lung than did USA400 isolates. In vitro expression of agr, saeRS, sarA, hla, and pvl were greater in USA300 isolates. USA300 isolates were unencapsulated, whereas 2 of 3 USA400 isolates produced capsule. Conclusions USA300 isolates were more virulent than USA400 isolates in a model of necrotizing pneumonia. The explanation for this is unclear, but it likely results from increased expression of S. aureus regulatory systems (e.g., agr, saeRS, and sarA) and the resultant upregulation of key virulence factors including alpha-toxin and PVL.
Sex-determining region Y-box 2 amplification in preneoplastic squamous lesions of the lung.

Summary Sex-determining region Y-box 2 gene at 3q26.33 has been identified as oncogene in squamous cell carcinoma occurring at different anatomical sites including the lung. Sex-determining region Y-box 2 protein expression and gene amplification have been found in preinvasive squamous cell lesions such as dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. We sought to evaluate sex-determining region Y-box 2 expression and amplification in a spectrum of premalignant squamous lesions ranging from squamous metaplasia to low- and high-grade dysplasia to in situ and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Each lesion was taken from 1 of 3 study groups: 18 patients with concurrent squamous cell carcinoma, 17 patients with prior squamous cell carcinoma undergoing surveillance biopsies, and 11 patients with no history of squamous cell carcinoma. Sex-determining region Y-box 2 amplification occurred only in a subset of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (3/5; 60%) and their associated high-grade dysplasia (3/4; 75%), but not in any of the low-grade dysplasias (0/1; 0%) or metaplasias (0/9; 0%). No sex-determining region Y-box 2 amplification was observed in squamous preneoplastic lesions in surveillance biopsies without current evidence of squamous cell carcinoma or in benign lungs. Sex-determining region Y-box 2 protein expression was seen in all squamous lesions regardless of presence or degree of dysplasia. Our results suggest that sex-determining region Y-box 2 amplification is not an early event in squamous carcinogenesis and is important for progression in a subset of squamous cell carcinoma. It appears that sex-determining region Y-box 2 gene amplification in lung squamous carcinogenesis is not the only regulator of sex-determining region Y-box 2 protein expression.
Susceptibility of Campylobacter pylori isolated from pediatric and adult patients to seven new quinolone antibiotics and nalidixic acid.

The susceptibility of 26 strains of Campylobacter pylori to 7 new quinolone antibiotics and nalidixic acid was determined. All strains were resistant to nalidixic acid. Difloxacin,
Inhibition of 45Ca2+ uptake and catecholamine secretion by phenothiazines and pimozide in adrenal medulla cell cultures

Abstract The inhibition by several phenothiazine drugs and pimozide of the uptake of 45 Ca 2+ and secretion of catecholamines by cultured adrenal medulla cells stimulated with nicotine, veratridine, 50mM K + , ionomycin and Ba 2+ was studied. The inhibition of 45 Ca 2+ uptake, except for ionomycin, closely parallelled the inhibition of catecholamine secretion. The nicotine-and veratridine-stimulated effects were several fold more sensitive to inhibition by the drugs than were those stimulated by 50mM K + , ionomycin and Ba 2+ ; the ionomycin-stimulated effects were least sensitive to inhibition. These studies indicate that the drugs have multiple effects on stimulus-secretion coupling in adrenal medulla cells. It is suggested that inhibition of the veratridine- and nicotine-stimulated events is due to membrane perturbations caused by the drugs, that inhibition of the 50mM K + - and Ba 2+ -stimulated events is due to alterations in the voltage sensitive membrane Ca 2+ channel, and that inhibition of secretion elicited by ionomycin may be due to inhibition of Ca 2+ -calmodulin mediated reactions or to more profound non specific membrane effects.
The Measurement of Outcome Variables in Couple and Family Therapy Research

Measurement constitutes a central issue in determining effectiveness of couple and family therapy (CFT). A review of 274 CFT outcome studies published in 25 mental health journals between 1990 and 2005 is presented. Goals of this review were to (1) provide a broad, empirically based overview of CFT outcome research, (2) examine measurement of treatment outcomes, and (3) appraise reporting practices. Findings indicate that a wide range of instruments continue to be used in CFT outcome research, although a foundation for a more integrated and coherent assessment battery has been established. Implications for the field are discussed.
An Integrated Methodological Framework for Project Task Coordination and Team Organization in Concurrent Engineering

Complex products or projects with long development times always involve multiple disciplines and a great deal of effort. Especially in concurrent engineering, the design needs to simultaneously consider various downstream activities throughout the entire product life cycle. To accomplish this, tasks in the concurrent engineering environment generally involve multifunctional teams in which team members from different functional departments interact in every phase of development tasks. However, as products become more complex, so do the design process and the project teams. This will inevitably degrade team performance when the team size becomes too large to handle. Moreover, to ensure a successful multifunctional team, it is also important to understand the characteristics of team members that affect team performance. Thus, an efficient multifunctional team can be established with all the right team members being assigned. The objective of this research is to develop an integrated methodological framework ...
Path analysis of local adaptation in two ecotypes of the annual plant Diodia teres Walt. (Rubiaceae)

Reciprocal transplant experiments were conducted to measure local adaptation in morphologically distinct ecotypes of the weedy annual dicot poorjoe (Diodia teres). Local ecotypes were generally favored in comparisons of survival, growth, and seed production. Pathcoefficient analysis was used to estimate coefficients of a model of causal relations among fitness components (nge-specific sizes and seed production) and to examine how differences in growth between ecotypes over a succession of phases lead to selection against introduced ecotypes at the level of seed production. The path-coefficient analysis revealed large differences between ecotypes in performance over many intervals and in many relations between fitness components. However, differences did not occur at all growth stages, and introduced ecotypes were superior in several comparisons. Path-coefficient analysis offers insights into the comparative adaptation of ecotypes beyond those possible from analyses that do not account for causal relations among fitness components. By focusing attention on life-history stages at which fitness differences arise between ecotypes, it can facilitate investigations of ecophysiological and other mechanisms underlying adaptive differences among ecotypes.
Assessing forest damage in high-elevation coniferous forests in vermont and new Hampshire using thematic mapper data

This study evaluates the potential of measuring/mapping forest damage in spruce-fir forests in the Green Mountains of Vermont and White Mountains of New Hampshire using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data. The TM 1.65/0.83-micron (TM5/4) and 2.22/0.83-micron (TM7/4) band ratios were found to correlate well with ground-based measurements of forest damage (a measure of percentage foliar loss) at 11 spruce-fir stands located on Camels Hump, a mountain in northern Vermont. Images using 0.56 and 1.65-micron bands with 1.65/0.83-micron band ratios indicated locations of heavy conifer forest damage. Both 1.65/0.83 and 2.22/0.83-micron band ratios were used to quantify levels of conifer forest damage among individual mountains throughout many of the Green and White Mountains. Damage was found to be consistently higher for the Green than the White Mountains.
EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF GIS TECHNOLOGY: REVIEW OF METHODS

Geographic information systems (GISs) are being introduced into many planning agencies in the United States and abroad. Urban planners find GISs to be effective tools that can help with information management, processing, dissemination, and communication. Yet, initial evidence on the implementation of GIS technology in local governments and planning agencies points to difficulties in getting the systems established and in realizing expected benefits. Technological, database, and organizational factors make it most challenging to get a GIS to fit and adapt to the needs of planning practice. The main sources of evidence to guide the mutual adjustment between GIS technology and planning are evaluative studies of existing systems that examine how these GISs affect planning processes and functions. To date, these studies are scarce. To promote and facilitate assessment of GIS technology in the planning context, this article reviews the frameworks, methods, and criteria that are employed in the fields of organi...
Welwitindolinone C synthetic studies. Construction of the welwitindolinone carbon skeleton via a transannular nitrone cycloaddition

Described is the construction of the N-methylwelwitindolinone C core via an efficient strategy that employs a sequential rhodium carbenoid-mediated O–H insertion, Claisen rearrangement and transannular [3+2] nitrone cycloaddition.
Muscle Activation and Contraction: Constitutive Relations Based Directly on Cross-Bridge Kinetics

This paper reviews recent work aimed at deriving tractable constitutive relations for skeletal muscle from biophysical cross-bridge theories. Discussion is focused on a model proposed previously by the first author (the Distribution-Moment Model), which emphasizes the important role of the moments of the actin-myosin bond-distribution function. The theory leads to a relatively simple third order state variable model for contraction dynamics in which the state variables are the three lowest order moments of the bond-distribution function; further, these three moments have simple macroscopic interpretations as muscle stiffness, force, and elastic energy. New results are presented on the formulation of a compatible model for excitation-contraction coupling, and this model requires the introduction of only one more state variable--the free calcium concentration.
The application and usefulness of the ratio kcat/KM

Abstract The ratio of two important constituents in enzyme action, k cat and K M , has become of value and provides insight into enzymatic mechanisms and the functional effects of enzyme mutations. It is timely to examine how this ratio is used and where it can be effectively applied. It has been called on some occasions the “specificity constant” and on other occasions, the “performance constant,” and it is of interest to examine which then is the most accurate and useful way to utilize this ratio.
Marketing churches on the Internet: an analysis of the dialogic potential of Christian web sites

The Internet has affected every aspect of society, and religion is no exception. Nearly 28 million Americans use the Internet to supplement their spiritual life by visiting Web sites to communicate with their churches and other congregation members. Online communication with religious organizations can be enhanced by the incorporation of five dialogic loop principles that foster relationship growth. Through a content analysis of randomly sampled Church Web sites from a national database, this study found that Christian churches were laggards in terms of creating an interactive environment for church-goers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhancing the Learning and Retention of Biblical Languages for Adult Students

. Finding ways to reduce students’ anxiety and maximize the value of learning Greek and Hebrew is a continual challenge for biblical language teachers. Some language teachers use technology tools such as web sites or CDs with audio lessons to improve the experience. Though these tools are helpful, this paper explores the value gained from understanding first how students learn and then how technology tools best support that learning. Developments in cognitive psychology and neuroscience offer many insights concerning adult learning and retention. After a presentation of key insights, several ideas are suggested for enhancing the learning and retention experience of biblical language students.
Integrating near-real-time infrared technology into wildland fire detection and mapping

An infrared (IR) remote sensing system has been built to acquire data on wildland fires. The 'Firefly' project has developed and implemented a system based on the technology and design presented. The Firefly System produces images through smoke that provide near real-time wildland fire detection and mapping information for fire management and suppression.
Anomalous temperature-dependence of the specific interaction of concanavalin A with a multivalent ligand-dextran.

The effect of temperature on the time course of the precipitin reaction of concanavalin A with dextran was investigated by light scattering measurements at 350 nm in the metal-containing 0.01 M Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.4, and the metal-containing solution, pH 5.0. Analysis of the turbidity data according to the first-order kinetic law yielded the rate constant, kobs. At pH 7.4 the curve between ln kobs and 1/T was biphasic in the temperature range 8.6–37°C, a sharp break occurred at 18°C. The activation energy above 18°C was 11.8 kcal/mol and below this temperature 37.0 kcal/mol. No temperature-induced aggregation of the dextran solution was indicated by the viscosity data in the desired temperature range (7–37°C). The sharp break in the Arrhenius plot was attributed to the cold-induced dissociation of the concanavalin A tetramer into dimer. The absence of such a sharp break in the Arrhenius plot for the precipitin reaction at pH 5.0 where the lectin exists exclusively as a dimer supports this view. At pH 5.0 the activation energy was estimated to be 10.4 kcal/mol, which when corrected for the dependence of the rate constant upon the lectin concentration became 24.5 kcal/mol — a value 2-fold higher than that found for the precipitin reaction at pH 7.4 and above 18°C. The significance of the sharp break in the Arrhenius plot observed for the concanavalin A-dextran interaction in this study as well as for the lectin-mediated cell agglutination reported earlier has been discussed in terms of the involvement of multivalent interactions between complex ligands and the concanavalin A tetramer, which are not likely to be seen with simple sugars and the lectin with reduced valence.