cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peak mitral inflow velocity predicts mitral regurgitation severity.

Abstract Objectives. Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common echocardiographic finding; however, there is no simple accurate method for quantification. The aim of this study was to develop an easily measured screening variable for hemodynamically significant MR. Background. The added regurgitant volume in MR increases the left atrial to left ventricular gradient, which then increases the peak mitral inflow or the peak E wave velocity. Our hypothesis was that peak E wave velocity and the E/A ratio increase in proportion to MR severity. Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of 102 consecutive patients with varying grades of MR seen in the Adult Echocardiography Laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco. Peak E wave velocity, peak A wave velocity, E/A ratio and E wave deceleration time were measured in all patients. The reference standard for MR was qualitative echocardiographic evaluation by an expert and quantitation of regurgitant fraction using two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. Results. Peak E wave velocity was seen to increase in proportion to MR severity, with a significant difference between the different groups (F = 37, p 1.2 m/s identified 24 of 27 patients with severe MR (sensitivity 86%, specificity 86%, positive predictive value 75%). An A wave dominant pattern excluded the presence of severe MR. The E/A ratio also increased in proportion to MR severity. Peak A wave velocity and E wave deceleration time showed no correlation with MR severity. Conclusions. Peak E wave velocity is easy to obtain and is therefore widely applicable in clinical practice as a screening tool for evaluating MR severity.
Accurate in-situ measurement of peak noise and signal delay induced by interconnect coupling

In deep submicron processes, inaccuracy of interconnect models can lead to serious design errors. New circuit performance measurement schemes are necessary to verify and calibrate the interconnect models. An accurate in-situ noise and delay measurement technique is developed and a test chip is fabricated to demonstrate its efficacy. The proposed technique can experimentally characterize the noise peak height and the timing skew due to noise. It is intended for generating circuit design guidelines and verifying CAD models and tools.
Transformation and Regeneration of Non-Solanaceous Crop Plants

Currently, the production of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and petunia (Petunia hybrida) plants is considered routine using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods (Gasser and Fraley, 1989). The basic protocol involves the inoculation of leaf pieces with disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains which confer kanamycin resistance. After a period of Agrobacterium and explant co-culture of several days, the growth of the bacterial population is inhibited by bacteriostatic antibiotics and the leaf tissue is induced to regenerate. The induction and development of shoots on leaf explants occurs in the presence of kanamycin, and the majority of the callus and shoots produced contain the gene for kanamycin resistance and express that phenotype. Large numbers of transgenic plants can be produced using this method.
Strong chemistry-climate feedbacks in the Pliocene

The Pliocene epoch was the last sustained interval when global climate was significantly warmer than today but has been difficult to explain fully based on the external forcings from atmospheric carbon dioxide and surface albedo. Here we use an Earth system model to simulate terrestrial ecosystem emissions and atmospheric chemical composition in the mid-Pliocene (about 3 million years ago) and the preindustrial (~1750s). Tropospheric ozone and aerosol precursors from vegetation and wildfire are ~50% and ~100% higher in the mid-Pliocene due to the spread of the tropical savanna and deciduous biomes. The chemistry-climate feedbacks contribute a net global warming that is +30–250% of the carbon dioxide effect and a net aerosol global cooling that masks 15–100% of the carbon dioxide effect. These large vegetation-mediated ozone and aerosol feedbacks operate on centennial to millennial timescales in the climate system and have not previously been included in paleoclimate sensitivity assessments.
Inflammatory Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

The aorta is a high-pressure conduit that also conserves the energy output of the heart (elastic recoil). The main structural proteins of the aorta — collagen and elastin — serve these functions. The aortic architecture is not uniform and varies from the thoracic aorta to the infrarenal aorta. With these basic understandings of the aortic structure and function in mind, it is clear that inflammation, genetics, and mechanical forces play important roles in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Additional research is needed to further understand the relationship between these factors.
Comparison of four parameter selection techniques [force sensors]

The objective of this research was to find the best combination of nine temperature sensors to model the output from a force sensor caused by temperature variations. The technical approach was to monitor the force sensor output under a variety of temperature gradient conditions but with no other external inputs. From this data, an empirical formulation could be made of the best combination of sensors to use to compensate for the force output due to temperature gradients. We investigated four different techniques to find the best combination of temperature sensors: Principal components (Karhunen-Loeve) decomposition, two traditional optimization techniques (a gradient-based technique and a simplex search technique), and a genetic algorithm (GA). This paper gives a brief description of each technique, describes the results from the four techniques and offers a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Renormalization of hadronic diffraction and the structure of the pomeron

Abstract A phenomenological renormalization scheme for hadronic diffraction is proposed, which unitarizes the triple-pomeron Regge amplitude while preserving its M2 and t dependence. Predictions for pp p p single diffractive, double diffractive and double pomeron exchange cross sections are presented and compared with experimental results. A new interpretation of hard and deep inelastic diffractive data emerges in which the momentum sum rule is obeyed by the constituents of a pomeron described as a mixture of quark and gluon color singlets in a ratio dictated by asymptopia.
A constraint satisfaction neural network for medical diagnosis

The objective of this study was to explore how a constraint satisfaction neural network (CSNN) can be used for medical diagnostic tasks. The study is based on a database of 500 patients who underwent breast biopsy at Duke University Medical Center due to suspicious mammographic findings. A CSNN was developed and evaluated to predict the biopsy result from the patient's mammographic findings. The diagnostic performance of the CSNN network was compared to a traditional backpropagation neural network and a case-based-reasoning algorithm by means of receiver operating characteristics analysis. The study demonstrates (i) how CSNNs can be applied to medical diagnostic tasks and, (ii) how they can be utilized to extract meaningful clinical information regarding underlying relationships among medical findings and associated diagnoses.
Improving the shuffled complex evolution scheme for optimization of complex nonlinear hydrological systems: Application to the calibration of the Sacramento soil‐moisture accounting model

[1] An innovative algorithm, shuffled complexes with principal components analysis (SP-UCI), is developed to overcome a critical deficiency of the shuffled complex evolution scheme: population degeneration. Population degeneration means that, during the evolutionary search process, the population of search particles may degenerate into a subspace of the full parameter space, thereby missing the capacity of fully exploring the parameter space. Being confined in a subspace may even lead the particle population to converge to nonstationary points, which is a fatal malfunction. To overcome this problem, SP-UCI employs the principal components analysis to detect the occurrence of population degeneration and remedy the adverse effects. The ensemble of calibrations of the Sacramento soil moisture accounting model with the SP-UCI method over the Leaf River basin, Mississippi, retrieves the optimal parameter values with the lowest recorded root-mean-squared error of simulated daily runoff against the observation. Moreover, the result also provides consistent (narrow ranges) model parameter distribution, which results in a better understanding of the model's behavior, given the watershed's hydrologic features.
Robert Wodrow and The History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland

A dark picture of tyranny and prelatical persecution endured by Scottish Presbyterians under Charles II and James II was created by Robert Wodrow in his History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland published in 1721. This image became deeply embedded in the national consciousness much to the despair of apologists of rovalist and episcopalian causes. “That which we have from Wodrow”, Mark Napier complained bitterly, “is a caluminous tissue of monstrous fables. It has poisoned the History of Scotland to an extent that is now, perhaps, irremediable.” But those who wish to revise Wodrow's interpretation of the period cannot do so simply by dismissing his work as fabulous.
Chloroplast-Expressed Glutamine Synthetase (ncpGS): Potential Utility for Phylogenetic Studies with an Example from Oxalis (Oxalidaceae)

Chloroplast-expressed glutamine synthetase (ncpGS), a nuclear-encoded gene containing several introns, is introduced as a tool for phylogenetic studies at lower taxonomic levels. This gene is a member of a multigene family, but it diverged long ago from the cytosolic-expressed members of the family and appears to be single copy in the majority of taxa examined to date. The conservation of both coding sequence and position of introns has allowed the design of primers for use in a broad range of dicot taxa to amplify and sequence a region of ncpGS that contains four introns. The utility of this region in phylogenetic studies of congeneric species is illustrated by an example using eight Oxalis species. The four introns in these taxa are typical in size (76 to 136 bp), base composition (high T content), and structure (e.g., sequence of splice sites and putative branch points) for plant internal introns. Levels of variation among these ncpGS sequences compare favorably with those of the internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) from the same taxa, and results of phylogenetic analysis of ncpGS data are generally congruent with previous results using ITS.
Comparison of intraoral and percutaneous approaches for infraorbital nerve block.

Objective: The infraorbital nerve block is frequently used during repair of facial lacerations; both percutaneous and intraoral approaches are used. The authors compared the two techniques for pain of administration and anesthetic effectiveness. Methods: A prospective, randomized, single-blind, crossover study was conducted using 12 healthy volunteers, aged 25–41 years. No patient had prior experience with infraorbital nerve anesthesia, lidocaine allergy, active oral/facial infection, or previous facial fractures. Bilateral infraorbital nerve blocks were done using the intraoral technique on one side and the percutaneous technique on the other. Both techniques were used by the same investigator and were carried out with 27-gauge needles and 2.5 mL of 2% buffered lidocaine at room temperature injected over 20 seconds. The oral mucosa was topically anesthetized with viscous lidocaine for 1 minute prior to intraoral injection. The orders of the blocks and sides of the face anesthetized were randomized. Pain of injection, anesthetic efficacy (anesthesia of upper lip), time to anesthetic onset, and duration of anesthesia were evaluated. Results: By visual-analog pain scale scores, there was less pain by the intraoral approach, although this difference did not achieve significance (p = 0.08). Overall, nine of the 12 subjects considered the intraoral technique less painful than the percutaneous approach (p = 0.14). The intraoral approach produced upper-lip anesthesia in 12 of 12 subjects, versus nine of 12 for the percutaneous technique (p = 0.25) The duration of anesthesia was longer with the intraoral approach (1.6 ± 0.8 hours versus 0.9 ± 0.4 hours) than with the percutaneous approach (p = 0.04). The two techniques were similar in times to anesthetic onset. Conclusion: The intraoral approach to the infraorbital nerve block after adjunctive topical anesthesia appeared at least as effective in producing upper-lip anesthesia as the percutaneous approach without adjunctive topical anesthesia. Although the volunteers subjectively preferred the intraoral approach and visual-analog pain scores were lower for this approach, these differences did not achieve statistical significance. The intraoral approach was associated with a longer duration of upper-lip anesthesia.
HIV-Related Frailty Is Not Characterized by Sarcopenia

Frailty is common in HIV-infected patients, but its causes are elusive. We assessed 122 clinic patients for frailty using the 5-measure Fried Frailty criteria. The prevalence of frailty was 19% (n = 23) and all frail patients reported exhaustion with a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score >16 indicating depression. The next most common criterion was low physical activity (expenditure of kcal/week). Markers of sarcopenia such as decreased grip strength and decreased gait speed, hallmarks of frailty in the elderly, were the least common of the 5 criteria. Frailty was reversible: 6 frail patients returned for reassessment and only 2 were frail. We conclude that frailty in the HIV-infected patients is potentially reversible and strongly associated with depression and low physical activity, whereas frailty in the elderly is associated with aging-related sarcopenia and is often irreversible.
A Role for Proteoglycans in Mineralized Tissue-Titanium Adhesion

Biomechanical properties of the bone-titanium interface have rarely been studied, due to the technical limitations involved; whether biological bonding mechanisms exist has not been determined. We hypothesized that a selected set of proteoglycan/glycosaminoglycan complexes plays a role in establishing the adhesion between bone and titanium, and utilized the rat bone-marrow-derived osteoblastic culture model to gain an insight into the hypothesis. Gene expression of selected proteoglycan core proteins was up-regulated in the osteoblasts cultured on titanium compared with those on polystyrene. Various sulfated glycosaminoglycans were immunochemically localized at mineralized tissue-titanium interfaces. The administration of various glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes into the cultures resulted in a 25-45% reduction of the tissue-titanium interfacial strength, measured by a nanoscratch test; while the hardness and elastic modulus of the mineralized tissue, evaluated by nano-indentation, were not altered. In conclusion, glycosaminoglycan degradation resulted in a decreased interfacial strength between cultured mineralized tissue and titanium, but did not alter the intrinsic strength of the mineralized tissue, suggesting a role for proteoglycan/glycosaminoglycan complexes in the establishment of tissue-titanium adhesion.
A specific assay for tocopherols in plant tissue.

Abstract A method for the assay of α-tocopherol in plant material (adaptable for assay of β- and γ-tocopherols combined and δ-tocopherol) is presented that is more specific than assays presently available and just as sensitive. The method employs either saponification or direct cold solvent extraction and either paper or thin-layer chromatographic separation. The thin-layer method has distinct advantages which are discussed. Data are given which show the level of recovery expected in the various stages of the procedure. The over-all recovery for saponification and either chromatographic means is 78 ± 3% while the direct extraction and either chromatographic means yields about 87 ± 3%. This method has been used to assay several plant species; the results are shown to agree quite well with previously reported values.
Simple cubic equation of state applied to hard-sphere, Lennard-Jones fluids, simple fluids and solids

Based on the expansion and extension of the virial equation of state (EOS) of hard-sphere fluids solved by the Percus–Yevick integration equation, a universal cubic (UC) EOS is developed. The UC EOS is applied to model hard-sphere and Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluids, simple Ar and N2 liquids at low temperatures, and supercritical Ar and N2 fluids at high temperatures, as well as ten solids, respectively. The three parameters are determined for the hard-sphere fluid by fitting molecular dynamics (MD) simulation data of the third to eighth virial coefficients in the literature; for other fluids by fitting isothermal compression data; and for solids by using the Einstein model. The results show that the UC EOS gives better results than the Carnahan–Starling EOS for compressibility of hard-sphere fluids. The Helmholtz free energy and internal energy for LJ fluids are predicted and compared with MD simulation data. The calculated pressures for simple Ar and N2 liquids are compared with experimental data. The agreement is fairly good. Eight three-parameter EOSs are applied to describe isothermals of ten typical solids. It is shown that the UC EOS gives the best precision with correct behavior at high-pressure limitation. The UC EOS considering thermal effects is used to analytically evaluate the isobaric thermal expansivity and isothermal compressibility coefficients. The results are in good agreement with experimental data.
Increased mid-twentieth century riverbank erosion rates related to the demise of mill dams, South River, Virginia

A recent hypothesis suggests that fluvial processes in areas of the eastern United States are strongly influenced by the demise of colonial mill dams, rather than reflecting a quasi-equilibrium adjustment to the current hydrologic and sediment regime. We evaluated the control of colonial mill dams on twentieth and twenty-first century bank erosion rates on the South River, Virginia, through studies of historical aerial photographs, historical documents, hydrologic and climatic records, and hydraulic modeling. Historical sources and aerial photographs document eight colonial mill dams along the study reach in the early twentieth century; all but one of these dams disappeared in the 1950s, and the last was breached by 1976. From initially low values between 1937 and 1957, mean bank erosion rates increased by more than a factor of 2 after 1957, remaining high through 2005. Accelerated bank erosion rates cannot be explained by changes in storm intensity, the frequency of freeze-thaw cycles, or by changes in the density of riparian trees. Hydraulic modeling suggests that mill dams reduced velocities of the 5 yr flood through ~80% of our study reach. By considering the timing of mill dam loss, the spatial extent of backwater influence, and the locations of our study sites, we find that the loss of mill dams explains the observed trends in bank erosion rates at 9 (and possibly 10) of our 14 monitoring sites. These results support the hypothesis that the demise of mill dams has been an important influence on fluvial processes in the region.
Species Diversity: Benthonic Foraminifera in Western North Atlantic

Maximum species diversity occurs at abyssal depths of greater than 2500 meters. Other diversity peaks occur at depths of 35 to 45 meters and 100 to 200 meters. The peak at 35 to 45 meters is due to species equitability, whereas the other two peaks correspond to an increase in the number of species.
Immunity to influenza: the challenges of protecting an aging population.

Influenz a viruses cause annual epidemics and occasional pandemics of acute respiratory disease. Improved vaccines that can overcome the decline in immune function with aging and/or can induce broader immunity to novel pandemic strains are a high priority. To design improved vaccines for the elderly, we need to better understand the effects of age on both innate and adaptive immunity. In a murine model, we have determined that defects in antigen-presenting cell (APC) expression of pattern-recognition molecules, costimulatory molecules, and cytokine production may play an important role in the reduced clonal expansion of T cells in aging. The use of immunomodulators such as adjuvants may overcome some of the defects of aging immunity and may also be, useful in the development of improved vaccines for avian influenza A subtypes that pose a pandemic threat. Several novel strategies including the use of ISCOM-formulated vaccines, mucosal delivery, or DNA vaccination provided cross-subtype protection that could provide an important component of immunity in the event of a pandemic.
Civil rights mobilization and repression in Northern Ireland: a comparison with the US Deep South

In the context of 1960s contention, the outbreak of the Troubles would suggest the distinctiveness of the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland. Yet a comparison with the civil rights struggle in the US Deep South indicates otherwise. I rely upon original archival sources located in the Linen Hall Library in Belfast and on the vast literature on the US Civil Rights Movement to show how the processes of mobilization, counter‐mobilization and repression in the two countries shared striking similarities. Blacks in the US South and Irish Nationalists in Northern Ireland shared a similar structural position within their societies, which partially explains the similarities in their mobilizations. Likewise, the reaction of local majority communities to civil rights mobilization was informed by the social mechanism of “attribution of threat,” unleashing similar patterns of counter‐mobilization and police repression. However, while the Civil Rights Movement in the US was devoted to nonviolence, activists in No...
The transient lensing and mpi spectra of SO2 in the 3B1-1A1 single photon wavelength region

Abstract Spectra of SO2 are recorded (360–390 nm) using transient lensing detection in a cell and multipnoton ionization detection in both a cell and a nozzle beam. Differences between the spectra and their polarization dependencies are employed to identify sequential absorption processes, direct multiphoton transitions, and the source of the transient lens as a non-ionic process.
Gold Deposition by Galvanic Displacement on Semiconductor Surfaces: Effect of Substrate on Adhesion

Thin gold films are grown on Si and Ge substrates by galvanic displacement from fluoride-containing solutions. The physical and chemical properties of the metal−semiconductor interface are characterized by a variety of techniques, including photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy. Displaced gold films exhibit strong adhesion to germanium substrates but not to silicon. This behavior is explained by the presence of a chemical bond at the Au−Ge interface, which is not observed in the Au−Si system. The implications of these findings for semiconductor metallization by galvanic displacement methods are discussed.
Human alpha-fetoprotein peptides bind estrogen receptor and estradiol, and suppress breast cancer.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a transporter of various serum ligands and regulator of cellular growth during pregnancy. Estrogens modify AFP to exhibit growth suppressive properties. We recently synthesized a peptide (P149) from human AFP that suppresses the growth of mouse uterus and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Here it is shown that molar excess treatment of native AFP with estradiol-17β (E2) exposes the P149 site on AFP. The anti-estrogenic and anti-tumor activities of AFP-peptides were tested in vivo in the immature mouse uterine assay and mammary tumor (6WI-101)-induced ascites assay, and in vitro in a cytostatic assay using five different human breast tumor cell lines. AFP-peptide P149, and fragments of P149, P149A and P149C but not P149B, suppressed the growth in both in vivo assays. P149 also suppressed the in vitro growth of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB435 breast cancer cells by more than 75%. P149 and P149A bound the estrogen receptor-α (ER) with low affinities compared to E2 and tamoxifen, while P149B bound 3H-E2 with 105 fold less affinity compared to ER. The recent epidemiologic observation that high AFP levels in young pregnant women reduce their subsequent risk of postmenopausal breast cancer may be related to the growth suppressive property of AFP with the exposed P149 epitope.
Stanford Peer-to-Peer Multicast (SPPM) - Overview and recent extensions

We review the Stanford Peer-to-Peer Multicast (SPPM) protocol for live video streaming and report recent extensions. SPPM has been designed for low latency and robust transmission of live media by organizing peers within multiple complementary trees. The recent extensions to live streaming are time-shifted streaming, interactive region-of-interest (IRoI) streaming, and streaming to mobile devices. With time-shifting, users can choose an arbitrary beginning point for watching a stream, whereas IRoI streaming allows users to select an arbitrary region to watch within a high-spatial-resolution scene. We extend the live streaming to mobile devices by addressing challenges due to heterogeneous displays, connection speeds, and decoding capabilities.
The effect of elimination of environmental light on the metabolism of unconjugated bilirubin in the Gunn rat.

In the homozygous jaundiced Gunn rat, bilirubin catabolism is augmented by intense illumination (phototherapy) and by induction of microsomal cytochrome P448. To assess the relative importance of less intense environmental light versus intrinsic mechanisms in the maintenance of bilirubin turnover, Gunn rats were kept for three weeks under either ordinary laboratory lighting (0.3–0.8 mW/cm2, wavelength range 400–600 nm) or in absolute darkness. No differences in plasma concentration, miscible pool, turnover of bilirubin, or in hepatic cytochrome P448 activity were noted between the two groups over this period. A greater than twofold increase in the biliary excretion of unconjugated bilirubin was noted in the animals maintained under light, but this represented only 2% of total bilirubin turnover. These results suggest that intrinsic (enzymatic?) pathways are of primary importance in the maintenance of bilirubin metabolism in the glucuronyltransferase-deficient state under ordinary levels of environmental light.
Modulational instabilities in dispersion-flattened fibers.

The nonlinear Schroedinger equation does not describe fast modulations adequately because it is based on a Taylor expansion in the frequency domain. In this paper, we study the effects of the entire modal dispersion curve and the frequency dependence of the nonlinear coefficients on the formation of modulational instabilities by using harmonic analysis. New regions of instability for dispersion-flattened fibers are found and characterized by this approach. The relation of these instabilities to the conventional modulational and four-wave-mixing instabilities is discussed.
Effect of dexamethasone on insulin-like growth factor-1 expression in a rabbit model of growth retardation

Abstract Background/Purpose: The maternal administration of steroids promotes fetal maturative effects in the gastrointestinal tract. To determine if fetal insulin-like growth factor–1 (IGF-1) expression is altered in response to maternal dexamethasone administration, this rabbit model of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) was utilized. Methods: Eight pregnant rabbits received either dexamethasone (Dex 0.1 mg/kg/d intramuscular), or normal saline (Cont) on gestational days 26 and 27. Fetuses were harvested on gestational day 28 or 29 and were identified as favored (Fav) or runt (Runt): DexFav, DexRunt, ContFav, and ContRunt. Fetal weight was recorded and the serum, amniotic fluid, liver, kidney, and small intestine (SI) were collected. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure IGF-1/β-actin mRNA densitometric band ratios in all tissues. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to measure IGF-1 protein levels in the serum and amniotic fluid. Results: Weight was decreased in the Runt fetuses at all time-points ( P P Conclusions: This report provides the first description of maternal steroid administration effecting a marked increase in fetal IGF-1 mRNA expression and IGF-1 protein levels in an in vivo rabbit model of IUGR. The growth-retarded fetus appears to be particularly responsive. J Pediatr Surg 35:898-905. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Exchange transfusion in the newborn infant with fresh and "old" blood: the role of storage on 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, hemoglobin-oxygen affinity, and oxygen release.

The hemoglobin-oxygen equilibrium curve and red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate values were measured in 29 infants before and after exchange transfusions for hyperbilirubinemia. In 12 infants the blood used for exchange was 4 to 5 days old (Group 1), while in the other 10 the blood was used within 24 hours of collection in acid-citrate-dextrose. The mean P 50 and the mean red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate were similar in both groups prior to exchange transfusion and averaged 20.0 mm. Hg and 4,250 mμm per milliliter of red blood cells, respectively. In the infants in Group 1 the mean postexchange P 50 fell to 17.1, rose to 23.0 at 24 hours, and was 27.9 mm. Hg 5 days later. The 2,3-diphosphoglycerate values at these times averaged 1.6, 3.1, and 6.5 mmoles per milliliter of red blood cells. In contrast, in the infants in Group 2, the P 50 immediately after exchange transfusion had risen to 23.1, was 25.9 at 24 hours, and was 28.1 five days after exchange. The 2,3-diphosphoglycerate values at these times averaged 3.5, 4.9, and 6.5 mmoles per milliliter of red blood cells. These studies illustrate that while blood less than 5 days of age is generally considered to be suitable for exchange transfusions, considerable differences exist between blood of one and 5 days of age with respect to oxygen affinity. It is suggested that only truly fresh blood be employed for exchange transfusion in any severely ill infant.
Refractory glass–ceramics based on alkaline earth aluminosilicates

Abstract Glass–ceramics that can be used at temperatures of 1200–1500 °C are found in the alkaline earth aluminosilicate field, and are generally nucleated internally with titania. These glass–ceramics have good strength (>100 MPa, abraded), can be tailored to produce high fracture toughness (2–5 MPa m 1/2 ), and have good dielectric properties. Coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) are low to moderate ((25–45) × 10 −7 °C −1 , from 25 to 1000 °C). The major crystalline phase in the glass–ceramics exhibiting the lowest CTEs is hexagonal cordierite (indialite), while important toughening accessory phases are enstatite and acicular magnesium dititanate. The most refractory glass–ceramics that are easily melted at 1650 °C, yet when crystallized do not deform at 1450 °C, are based on strontium and barium monoclinic feldspars of the celsian type. CTEs range from 35 to 45 × 10 −7 °C −1 . Acicular mullite is an important accessory phase aiding fracture toughness in these materials. Mullite glass–ceramics which contain considerable siliceous residual glass are probably the most refractory of these glass–ceramics, but they require melting above 1700 °C. Nevertheless, they can be used at temperatures near 1600 °C. Potential applications for refractory glass–ceramics include improved radomes, engine components, substrates for semiconductors and precision metallurgical molds.
Expression of non-angiotensin II [125I]CGP 42112 binding sites on activated microglia after kainic acid, induced neurodegeneration

Abstract [ 125 I]CGP 42112, first developed to identify angiotensin II receptor subtype 2 (AT 2 ), was recently shown to bind to a novel non-angiotensin binding site in injured rat brain tissue. We addressed the question whether non-angiotensin [ 125 I]CGP 42112 binding appears after kainic acid induced hippocampal neurodegeneration, a process of neuronal cell death at a distance from the toxin injection site. After intraventricular kainic acid injection, we found non-angiotensin [ 125 I]CGP 42112 binding in the hippocampal areas CA3 (4 and 14 days after injection), CA1 and CA4 and the subiculum (14 days after injection). In addition, 14 days after kainic acid injection, [ 125 I]CGP 42112 binding was found in 50% of the animals, in the thalamus, amygdala and piriform cortex, areas receiving projections from the hippocampus and suffering kainic acid induced delayed neurodegenaration. The loss of neurons in these regions was accompanied by an accumulation of activated microglia as demonstrated by immunostaining with the specific antibodies OX-42 and ED1. The time course and regional pattern of OX-42/ED1 positive immunostaining was identical with the appearance and distribution of the non-angiotensin [ 125 I]CGP 42112 binding site. The non-angiotensin [ 125 I]CGP 42112 binding was not detected in brain regions unaffected by kainic acid injection. Our findings indicate the expression of a novel [ 125 I]CGP 42112 binding site on activated microglia. This site appears at a distance from the lesion and may be of importance in the process of neuronal death and brain tissue repair.
The goodness of fit of radioactive counting data with application to the data of the chlorine solar neutrino experiment

Abstract A procedure is given for determining the goodness of fit between an observed time series of events from radioactive decay and the model that is presumed to have produced these events. This procedure is applied to the data from the chlorine solar neutrino experiment at Homestake and it is found that the goodness of fit probability is high for both single experiments and for the entire data set. The spectrum of individual experiment production rates is then compared to the expected distribution based on the assumption of a constant production rate and good agreement is also found.
Translated identities: writing between Morocco and Spain

Morocco and Spain share a history of mutual recognition and estrangement dating back centuries. Today, this relationship faces re-interpretation in an age of post-colonial migration, economic disparity, and ambiguous nationalities. The nebulous ‘space between two coasts’ is an important site of this re-negotiation, one that draws upon cultural links of the past in order to understand the present. Cuentos de las dos orillas [Tales of two shores], a bilingual Arabic–Spanish edition of eight short stories by both Moroccan and Spanish authors created in 1999, employs this cultural legacy in order to re-interpret the Hispano-Moroccan relationship as experienced on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar. The stories engage in an intertwined dialogue, each providing a window into how notions of ‘Spanishness’ and ‘Moroccanness’ are dependent upon one another. The author proposes that the result of this cooperative compilation is a ‘traslado’ (translation/transfer) of cultural memory, thus defining the exchange be...
New progress on E/S pulse techniques for noncooperative target recognition

Experimental results obtained using the ground-plane time-domain scattering ranges are presented. An experimental demonstration of the noise-insensitivity of the E/S pulse technique is also presented. >
MR appearance of an arteriovenous hemangioma of the interventricular septum

This paper presents an arteriovenous hemangioma of the interventricular septum in a patient with symptoms of ischemic heart disease. The MR, two-dimensional echocardiographic and selective left coronary arteriographic characteristics of the lesion are described.
High-resolution spectroscopy of Venus: Detection of OCS, upper limit to H2S, and latitudinal variations of CO and HF in the upper cloud layer

Abstract Venus was observed at 2.4 and 3.7 μm with a resolving power of 4 × 10 4 using the long-slit high-resolution spectrograph CSHELL at NASA IRTF. The observations were made along a chord that covered a latitude range of ± 60° at a local time near 8:00. The continuous reflectivity and limb brightening at 2.4 μm are fitted by the clouds with a single scattering albedo 1 − a = 0.01 and a pure absorbing layer with τ = 0.09 above the clouds. The value of 1 − a agrees with the refractive index of H2SO4 (85%) and the particle radius of 1 μm. The absorbing layer is similar to that observed by the UV spectrometer at the Pioneer Venus orbiter. However, its nature is puzzling. CO2 was measured using its R32 and R34 lines. The retrieved product of the CO2 abundance and airmass is constant at 1.9 km-atm along the instrument slit in the latitude range of ± 60°. The CO mixing ratio (measured using the P21 line) is rather constant at 70 ppm, and its variations of ∼10% may be caused by atmospheric dynamics. The observed value is higher than the 50 ppm retrieved previously from a spectrum of the full disk, possibly, because of some downward extension of the mesospheric morningside bulge of CO. The observations of the HF R3 line reveal a constant HF mixing ratio of 3.5 ± 0.5 ppb within ± 60° of latitude, which is within the scatter in the previous measurements of HF. OCS has been detected for the first time at the cloud tops by summing 17 lines of the P-branch. The previous detections of OCS refer to the lower atmosphere at 30–35 km. The retrieved OCS mixing ratio varies with a scale height of 1 to 3 km. The mean OCS mixing ratio is ∼2 ppb at 70 km and ∼14 ppb at 64 km. Vertical motions in the atmosphere may change the OCS abundance. The detected OCS should significantly affect Venus' photochemistry. A sensitive search for H2S using its line at 2688.93 cm−1 results in a 3 sigma upper limit of 23 ppb, which is more restrictive than the previous limit of 100 ppb.
Estimation of Object Kinematics From Point Data

One of the fundamental problems arising in kinematics is that of determining object position, velocity and acceleration from given point position, velocity and acceleration data. This type of problem is frequently encountered in robotics, biomechanics, real-time control of space structures, automatic guided vehicles, etc. Complications arise when redundant data are used and when the data have errors. Chutakanonta and Gupta proposed two simple and elegant methods for the estimation of object position from the given point position data. The present work is an extension of these methods for estimating the object velocity and acceleration states from the given point position, velocity and acceleration data. The method proposed herein uses Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) to effectively estimate the object velocity and acceleration states. Such matrix decompositions can be performed by using readily available matrix-oriented software like MATLAB and can be successfully used to simplify the solution of the over-determined system of equations encountered in these types of problems. Several hypothetical examples and examples that simulate practical situations are presented to determine the effectiveness, robustness and applicability of the proposed method. The method is found to be very effective in estimating the object velocity and acceleration states in the presence of imprecise and redundant data as well as for nearly co-planar point data.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Maintenance and mobility of hemoglobin and water within the human erythrocyte after detergent disruption of the plasma membrane

Is an intact plasma membrane responsible for keeping hemoglobin and water within the human erythrocyte? If not, what is responsible? How free is Hb to move about within the erythrocyte? To answer these questions erythrocytes were taken for phase contrast microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), determination of water-holding capacity, and proton NMR studies both before and after membrane disruption with a nonionic detergent (Brij 58). Addition of 0.2% Brij to a D2O saline solution of hemoglobin (Hb) caused particles of Hb to appear and to aggregate. This aggregation of Hb caused the amplitude of the Hb proton NMR spectra to decrease. Thus, the less mobile the Hb the lower the Hb proton spectra amplitude. Erythrocytes washed in D2O saline showed proton NMR spectra of relatively low amplitude. Addition of Brij (0.2%) to these erythrocytes caused increased Hb mobility within these erythrocytes. The TEM of fixed and thin-sectioned erythrocytes treated with Brij showed disruption of the plasma membrane of all erythrocytes regardless of whether or not they had lost Hb. Brij-permeabilized erythrocytes washed in D2O saline or in a D2O K buffer maintained a higher heavy water-holding capacity upon centrifugation as compared to nonpermeabilized erythrocytes. The TEM of Brij-treated and washed erythrocyte "shells" revealed a continuous submembrane lamina but no other evidence of cytoskeletal elements. The water-holding capacity of the erythrocyte can be accounted for by the water-holding capacity of hemoglobin. The evidence favors a relatively immobile state of Hb and of water in the erythrocyte that is not immediately dependent on an intact plasma membrane but is attributed to interactions between Hb molecules and the submembrane lamina.
Artillerymen and mathematicians: Forest Ray Moulton and changes in American exterior ballistics, 1885–1934

Abstract Mathematical ballistics in the United States until the First World War was largely dependent on the work of European authors such as Francesco Siacci of Italy. The war brought with it a call to the American mathematical community for participation in ballistics problems. The community responded by sending mathematicians to work at newly formed ballistics research facilities at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and Washington, D.C. This paper focuses on the efforts of Forest Ray Moulton and details how he dealt with various aspects of a single problem: differential variations in the ballistic trajectory due to known factors.
Tobramycin sulfate elimination in premature infants.

The elimination pharmacokinetics of tobramycin sulfate was studied in 25 newborn infants of birth weight 0.7 to 4.7 kg during 31 treatment episodes. The peak serum concentrations after a 2.5 mg/kg dose were usually within the therapeutic range of 5 to 10 μg/ml; however, the serum predose trough values were elevated above the theoretical safe limit of 2 μg/ml. Because of the prolonged serum elimination half-lives, a calculated extended dosage interval, sometimes >24 hours, was necessary to obtain a predose trough of ≤2 μg/ml. The serum elimination half-lives inversely correlated with gestational age, extrauterine age, birth weight, and creatinine clearance. The very low ratio of tobramycin renal clearance to creatinine renal clearance was virtually constant and indicated a probable tubular reabsorption of tobramycin. A general dosage schedule based on birth weight was derived from the data. An alternative formula was derived to enable prediction of the tobramycin elimination half-life based on a combination of birth weight, gestational age, and extrauterine age for an infant younger than 7 days of age.
Heroin-induced suppression of saccharin intake in water-deprived and water-replete rats

Abstract Rats suppress intake of a saccharin conditioned stimulus (CS) when paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus such as lithium chloride. This phenomenon is referred to as a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Rats also suppress intake of a saccharin CS when paired with a rewarding sucrose solution and when paired with a drug of abuse. Although the suppressive effects of drugs of abuse have long been interpreted as CTAs, evidence suggests that rats may suppress intake of the saccharin CS following taste–drug pairings because they are anticipating the rewarding rather than the aversive properties of the drug. Oddly, however, while all other drugs of abuse tested suppress intake of a gustatory CS, the highly reinforcing drug, heroin, is reportedly ineffective. The present study reexamined this issue in both water-deprived and water-replete rats using procedures that sustain both morphine- and cocaine-induced suppression of CS intake. The results showed that heroin greatly reduced CS intake following saccharin-heroin pairings and that this effect was less variable when assessed in water-replete subjects. When taken with other reports, these data suggest that rats suppress intake of a saccharin CS in anticipation of the availability of all drugs of abuse tested.
SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF REDUCED DENSITY MATRICES IN ATOMIC CALCULATIONS.

The method of reduced density matrices for obtaining the ground-state energy of an atomic system is developed, making full use of the symmetry relations for orbital and spin angular momentum. These, together with an extensive set of Hamiltonian-dependent identities, serve to decrease the number of parameters which must be varied in the density-matrix variational principle. With only a small number of parameters required, inequalities such as the Pauli restriction can then be enforced. Numerical calculations for ${\mathrm{C}}^{++}$ show the relative ineffectiveness of certain low-lying geminals (in the ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}^{(2)}$ expansion) in reaching the Pauli restriction limit, and thus point the way to significant improvement.
SIMULTANEOUS SACCHARIFICATION AND FERMENTATION OF SEVERAL LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS TO FUEL ETHANOL

Abstract When ethanol fuel is produced from lignocellulosic materials such as wood, herbaceous plants, and agricultural and forestry wastes, its use as a transportation fuel reduces dependence on imported petroleum, decreases the balance of trade deficit, improves urban air quality, contributes no net carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, and provides new markets for depressed farm economies. The simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process is a favored option for conversion of the lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol because it provides enhanced rates, yields, and concentrations of ethanol with less capital investment compared to competing processes. In this study, the performance of four woody crops (aspen, two hybrids of populus, and a native strain of sweetgum), three herbaceous crops (switchgrass, weeping love grass, and Sericea lespedeza), and three agricultural residues (corn cobs, corn stover, and wheat straw) is reported for the SSF process. For the pretreatment conditions employed for these feedstocks, excellent results were obtained for corn cobs followed by corn stover, wheat straw, weeping love grass, the woody crops, and switchgrass. Only the legume S. lespedeza did not give good ethanol yields for the pretreatment conditions chosen.
The effects of tranylcypromine isomers on norepinephrine-H3 metabolism in rat brain

The effects of d- and l-tranylcypromine on the disposition and metabolism of intracisternally administered l-norepinephrine-H3 were studied in rat brain. Both isomers inhibited the deamination of norepinephrine-H3. However, d-tranylcypromine was considerably more potent than the l-isomer in this respect. In addition, the l-isomer of tranylcypromine was found to enhance the disappearance of endogenous and tritiated norepinephrine from brain. Although this action appeared to result from an increase in catecholamine release, the possibility of uptake inhibition could not be eliminated. The l-isomer of tranylcypromine enhanced the disappearance of norepinephrine-H3 from brain when administered both 20 and 90 min following intracisternal injection of the label. Comparable doses of d-tranylcypromine did not exhibit this effect. Larger increases in brain levels of normetanephrine-H3 were produced by d,l-tranylcypromine than by either the d- or l-isomer alone, indicating that the racemic mixture may produce the greatest increase in the interaction of norepinephrine with its postsynaptic receptors.