cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Satellite observations of snowcover in the Sierra Nevadas during the great California drought

Abstract Images from the NOAA polar orbiting satellites are used to assess the extent of snowcover in the Sierra Nevada mountain range during the 1977 drought year. A real snowcover measurements derived from late April satellite imagery reveal the entire mountain range to have less than one third the snowcover that was present at a comparable date in 1975. Ratios of 1977 to 1975 snowcover for individual basins of the Sierra Nevadas ranged from a low of 1:9 in low elevation watersheds to a high of 1:2 in high elevation watersheds. Reduction of the satellite data was accomplished through the use of a density slicer, a color additive viewer, and an optical rectification device.
Cancer chemopreventive properties of orally bioavailable flavonoids--methylated versus unmethylated flavones

Poor oral bioavailability has been a major limitation for the successful use of dietary flavonoids as cancer chemopreventive agents. In this study, we examined fully methylated flavones as promising improved agents. In the human oral SCC-9 cancer cells, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone and 5,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone were both 10 times more potent inhibitors of cell proliferation (IC(50) values 5-8 microM) than the corresponding unmethylated analogs chrysin and apigenin. Flow cytometry indicated that both methylated flavones arrested the SCC-9 cells in the G1 phase with a concomitant decrease in the S phase, dramatically different from the unmethylated analogs, which promoted G2/M phase arrest. Both methylated compounds inhibited the proliferation of two other cancer cell lines with very little effect on two immortalized normal cell lines. Examination of additional flavone structures indicated that methylated flavones in general have antiproliferative properties. Finally, we demonstrated that 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, in contrast to its unmethylated analog chrysin, was well absorbed and had high oral bioavailability as well as tissue accumulation in vivo in the rat. Thus, fully methylated flavones appear to have great potential as cancer chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agents, in particular in oral cancer.
Impact of vaginal surgery for stress urinary incontinence on female sexual function: is the use of polypropylene mesh detrimental?

Abstract Objectives To evaluate prospectively the impact of a distal urethral polypropylene sling on sexual function using a validated questionnaire. Suburethral slings are currently the most common anti-incontinence surgery performed. Although the use of polypropylene is safe and effective, concern exists that the presence of the material in the vagina may adversely affect sexual function. Methods A total of 29 patients agreed to participate in this prospective study. The patients were evaluated with the Female Sexual Function Index, a validated, 19-item questionnaire that assesses six domains of sexual function: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. The questionnaires were administered at 6-month intervals during the follow-up visits. Results The mean patient age was 52 years (range 38 to 72). The mean duration of follow-up was 19.4 months (range 7 to 37). No statistically significant difference was found in sexual function after placement of a distal urethral polypropylene sling. Of the 29 patients, 14% were not sexually active before or after surgery. No statistically significant difference was found between preoperative and postoperative desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Conclusions No change was found in overall sexual function in women undergoing placement of a mid to distal polypropylene urethral sling. Specifically, neither a deleterious effect nor statistically significant improvement was found in sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, or pain compared with the preoperative baseline values.
Solving the Shortage of Primary Care Physicians

To the Editor. —I wholeheartedly support the contention of Drs Lundberg and Lamm that the generalist/specialist maldistribution has reached the point of a "full-blown crisis" to which academic medicine must respond. 1 I would argue, however, that their proposal to retrain specialists to become generalists is impractical in the current system for several reasons. Two unlikely events would have to take place before their proposal could succeed: (1) large numbers of specialists would recognize their need for further training in generalist care and voluntarily seek such training, and (2) academic generalist departments would obtain the resources and manpower necessary to operate the retraining programs. Consider the likelihood of the first event's occurring. In the present system, large numbers of specialists provide some primary care. I suspect these specialists believe they are doing a competent, cost-effective job of providing it or they would not include primary care in their practice. However,
Community-Based Research and Student Development: An Interview with Trisha Thorme

AbstractA growing number of universities have implemented community-based research pedagogy into their undergraduate education. Integrating academic training with community engagement has the potential to engage students in a way volunteering may not. This interview with Trisha Thorme, an anthropologist and assistant director of Princeton University’s Community-Based Learning Initiative, addresses the potential of community-based research to influence students’ academic and civic development.
On the Combination Coefficient of Positive Ions with Ultrafine Neutral Particles in the Transition and Free-Molecule Regimes

The charged fraction of ultrafine silver particles (5–50 nm) suspended in high-purity helium (99.998% grade) was measured as a function of particle size under different charging conditions (i.e., ion concentration and charging time). The charger used is a modified version of the one described in a previous study (Romay et al., 1991). Two radioactive sources of 250 μCi Po-210 are located in a cavity at the charger inlet. The cavity configuration is designed to control the range of the α rays. The modified charger provides a uniform electric field in the axial direction to separate the positive ions from the negative ions and electrons produced by the ionizing radiation. Thus, the aerosol particles are first exposed to a small region of electrons and positive ions, and are subsequently charged by positive ions in a much longer section of the charger. The ion concentration is estimated from the ion current collected in the exit electrode and measured with a picoammeter. The charging time is estimated from th...
Unions of groups of small height

A semigroup S is called a union of groups if each of its elements lies in a (maximal) subgroup of S. It is well known that in a union of groups Green’s relation 3 (defined by a/‘b if and only if SaS=%S) is a congruence whose classes are completely simple subsemigroups of S and such that S/g is a semilattice (i.e. satisfies x1=x, xu=yx) [I]. In this paper we present a construction of all unions of groups S having the following properties: (1) S is the syntactic semigroup of a language of the form C+ = Un,O Cn, where C is a finite prefix code; (2) S/f is the two-element semilattice. Using the terminology of Clifford and Preston the semigroups studied here are ideal extensions of a completely simple semigroup by another, or unions of groups of height two. All the completely simple semigroups satisfying condition (1) above have been obtained in [6], using the concept of team tournament, All unions of groups S satisfying (1) and having a non-trivial group of units are constructible using certain factorizations of B,, the group of integers modulo n [4]. The two construction techniques are combined here to give all the unions of groups satisfying (1) and (2) as transition semigroups of what we call a ‘standard amalgamation’ of the automata of two team tournaments (Theorem 3.2). It is likely that the process given here generalizes to a construction of all unions of groups satisfying (1) provided some convenient representation of the two 2-classes case is found. We conjecture that all these semigroups are chains of length n of completely simple semigroups, and that they are in general of group complexity n, in the sense of J. Rhodes [3] (cf. also Tilson’s Chapter 12 in [2]). The complexity conjecture, at least in the case n = 2, can be verified on examples using the results of [ll]. Directly related to these considerations is the problem of describing the variety I of all languages whose syntactic semigroups are unions of groups (see [2], [lo]). In view of the recent results of J.E. Pin [9], the following question arises naturally: Is
Spectral characteristics of bilirubin-bovine albumin complexes

Abstract Spectral characteristics of bilirubin-bovine albumin complexes have been examined. In the presence of excess albumin, the absorption spectrum of the complex did not change from pH 11.5–8.5. As the pH decreased from 8.5 to 5.5, there was a concomitant shift in the absorption maximum from 472 nm to 454 nm, and the spectra intersected at an isobestic point. This transition included the physiologically important pH range and had a pK = 6.6. Between pH 4.5 and pH 3.4 a complex with maximum absorbance at 421 nm was formed and appeared to be dependent on the N-F isomer transformation of albumin. At pH 5.1, there was spectral evidence that 1 mole of albumin binds only 1 mole bilirubin, since difference spectra of bilirubin-albumin solutions containing excess bilirubin were similar to the spectrum of unbound bilirubin. At pH 8.5, 1 mole albumin would appear to bind 1 mole bilirubin with an absorption maximum at 472 nm, although difference spectra indicated that albumin forms additional complexes with an absorption maximum at 424 nm.
Sustained ventricular arrhythmias: Differences between survivors of cardiac arrest and patients with recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia

Clinical, angiographic, echocardiographic and electrophysiologic data were examined in 101 patients with a history of sustained ventricular arrhythmia not associated with acute myocardial infarction. These patients included 66 survivors of out of hospital cardiac arrest and 35 patients presenting with hemodynamically well tolerated sustained ventricular tachycardia. On univariate analysis, patients in the cardiac arrest group had a lower incidence of previous myocardial infarction and left ventricular aneurysm and a higher ejection fraction compared with the ventricular tachycardia group. During electrophysiologic testing, the arrhythmia induced in the patients in the cardiac arrest group was fast and polymorphic and frequently degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. In contrast, in the ventricular tachycardia group, a slower, monomorphic and hemodynamically well tolerated ventricular tachycardia was commonly induced. On multivariate analysis, a polymorphic pattern of the induced ventricular arrhythmia was the only independent variable that distinguished the survivors of cardiac arrest from those presenting with sustained ventricular tachycardia. These results suggest that 1) the survivors of cardiac arrest and patients presenting with sustained well tolerated ventricular tachycardia are clinically distinct groups; and 2) the polymorphic tachycardia induced during programmed electrical stimulation in the survivors of cardiac arrest may indicate an unstable tachycardia mechanism. This may explain why these patients present with ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest, whereas others present with hemodynamically stable ventricular tachycardia.
Collisions of Xe(31f) Rydberg atoms with HCl

Abstract Collisions between Xe(31 f ) Rydberg atoms and HCl are observed to lead to l -changing, n -changing, and ionization. Rate constants for these three processes are presented.
Possible glutaminergic interaction between the capsule and neurite of Pacinian corpuscles

The role of the capsule encasing the Pacinian corpuscle's (PC's) neurite, where mechanotransduction occurs, may be more than mechanical. The inner core of the PC's capsule consists of lamellar cells that are of Schwann-cell origin. Previously, we found both voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels in these inner-core lamellae. Research on astrocytes and Schwann cells shows bidirectional signaling between glia and neurons, a major component of which is glutamate. Furthermore, Merkel cells show positive immunoreactivity for glutamate receptor mGluR5, and the glutamate-receptor antagonist kynurenate greatly decreases the static activity of the slowly adapting neurons of Merkel cell–neurite complexes. To investigate the possibility of glutaminergic interaction in PCs, we applied antibodies to glutamate, glutamate receptors, glutamate transporters, and SNARE proteins to cat mesenteric PC sections. Positive labeling was seen in the inner-core lamellae, at inter-lamellar connections, where the lamellae contact the memb...
Intercalation of copper metal clusters in montmorillonite

EXPANDABLE layer silicates such as montmorillonite can be converted to efficient heterogeneous catalysts by introducing catalytically active sites or guest species between the layers or on the external surfaces. Attempts to produce intercalated zero-valent transition-metal particles in layer silicates, by hydrogen reduction for example, have, however, failed: the layers tend to collapse1, sometimes followed by deposition of metal particles on the external surfaces2–4. Here we describe the successful intercalation of copper metal clusters of 4–5 A in montmorillonite by in situ reduction of Cu2+ ions using ethylene glycol. These metal-cluster intercalates were stable up to at least 500 °C. The clusters prop the silicate layers apart, much as metal oxides do in pillared clays5, and may thus be able to introduce unique catalytic product selectivity through a molecular sieving effect similar to that in cluster-loaded zeolites. As metal clusters of these dimensions behave very differently from the bulk metal6, intercalates of this sort may prove to be versatile catalysts.
The Technical Communication Internship An Application of Experiential Learning Theory

Experiential learning theory provides a theoretical foundation for studying technical communication internships. This study explores, through the perspective of the experiential learning cycle model developed by David Kolb, internships in technical communication. Participants in technical communication internship experiences were asked to provide, from their different perspectives, information that described the experience. Program directors, industrial supervisors, and student interns provided different views of what they had experienced, illustrating that most had entirely different perspectives on their level of participation in creating, supervising, and evaluating this form of educational experience. Besides describing technical communication programs in the United States more comprehensively, the results of this study raise questions about how the respondents perceived their experience and how the “reality” of these perceptions often conflict. When these findings are explored within the epistemology...
Experimental Evidence for Different Strain Regimes of Crack Populations in a Clay Model

We report results from clay extension experiments used as a model for the evolution of fault populations due to stress interactions. At yielding cracks begin to appear and the brittle strain due to them quickly reaches a rate matching the applied stretching rate. The crack density (number of cracks per unit area) initially increases apace, then reaches a maximum at a critical strain, decreasing thereafter. At low strains, where the crack population is dilute, a power law length distribution is observed, which at high strain, gradually transitions to an exponential. This agrees with fault populations data observed in low and high strain settings. These results indicate that fault populations ranging from power law to exponential size-frequency distributions reflect the population evolution with increased strain.
Bringing culture into macrostructural analysis in historical sociology: some epistemological considerations

Abstract After decades of cross-fertilization between organizational analysis and studies of social change, the proliferation of such new themes as gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity have invigorated the studies of politics, culture and identities in historical sociology. Yet, bringing culture into the structural analysis of social change still requires a fundamental epistemological reformulation. After examining some revisionist efforts, this paper proposes ‘a public-centered view’ that takes the sites of social interactions as a focal point of analysis considering meanings and representations as ‘emergent properties’ arising through actions in these sites. The case of the formation of Japanese aesthetic culture demonstrates how this public-centered approach provides an epistemological linkage to connect meanings with the historical structural analysis without reducing the one to the other.
Sex differences in the determination of adolescent aspirations: A review of research

This article reviews research on sex differences in the educational and occupational orientations of adolescents. Because the aspirations and expectations of adolescents are predictive of subsequent adult attainment, these variables are important mediating factors in the process by which individuals of the two sexes come to occupy different educational and occupational positions in adulthood. Adolescent boys aspire to a higher level of education than girls, and the occupational choices of the two sexes are highly sex-stereotyped. Factors influencing levels of adolescent aspiration are reviewed, including socioeconomic background, academic ability, number of siblings, parental encouragement, mother's employment, academic performance, peer aspirations, dating, and participation in school activities. Although sex differences exist in the process by which both educational and occupational aspirations are formed, they are greater with respect to occupational than educational aspirations.
Star Power: Al Pacino, Looking for Richard and the Cultural Capital of Shakespeare on Film

Al Pacino's film Looking for Richard (1996) combines techniques of documentary and narrative feature film making to produce a hybrid sort of film intended, according to Pacino to “communicate my fe...
Separated flow modelling and interfacial transport phenomena

A physical explanation of the different types of interfacial waves that appear in stratified and annular gas-liquid flows is presented. The role of waves in affecting process performance is discussed. Particular attention is paid to interfacial drag, gas absorption, the initiation of slug flow and atomization.
Do the Long-Term Consequences of Neglect Differ for Children of Different Races and Ethnic Backgrounds?

Scant research has examined how children of different races or ethnic backgrounds manifest consequences of neglect. We examined multiple domains of functioning (academic/intellectual, social/behavioral, and psychiatric), three theories (racial invariance, double jeopardy, and resilience), and potential confounding variables. Children with documented cases of neglect (ages 0-11) and matched controls without such histories were followed up and interviewed in adulthood (N = 1,039). The sample was 47.3% female, 62.4% White, 34.3% Black, and 3.4% Hispanic. Black and White neglected children showed negative consequences for IQ, reading ability, and occupational status compared to controls. Compared to same race and ethnic group controls, neglected White children showed extensive mental health consequences, Black children showed more anxiety and dysthymia, and Hispanic children showed increased risk for alcohol problems. Black and White neglected children differed in risk for violence compared to same race controls: Neglected Black children were arrested for violence two times more often than Black controls, whereas neglected White children were more likely than White controls to report engaging in violence. Findings provide some support for each theory (racial invariance, double jeopardy, and resilience). Understanding the factors that account for similarities and differences in consequences requires further investigation. Implications for research and policy are discussed. Language: en
Laboratory controlled study of the uptake and release of vanadium by oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

Abstract Preliminary investigation of the uptake and removal of vanadium by oysters in a controlled laboratory environment showed that this occurs although the extent was difficult to quantify due to losses attributed to possible precipitation and the oyster shells impacting on the results. Nevertheless results did indicate that oysters can be affected (uptake) but can also purge (remove) vanadium in solution.
Genital tuberculosis in an elderly woman with the primary symptoms of pelvic prolapse: case report.

A case of symptomatic pelvic relaxation resulting from complications secondary to genital tuberculosis is presented.
Assessment of voice quality after carotid endarterectomy.

Abstract Objectives : vocal cord paralysis is considered a rare complication of carotid endarterectomy (CEA), but alteration in voice quality may be more common. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of CEA on voice quality and to correlate any changes with the extent of the dissection. Design – Material – Methods : thirty-five patients who underwent CEA were divided in two groups, according to the level of surgical dissection performed. The high-level dissection group was comprised of those patients that required mobilisation of hypoglossal nerve and division of the posterior belly of digastric muscle. The low-level dissection group included the rest. All the patients' voices were recorded and analysed digitally before CEA, one and three months after the operation. Voice data were measured for standard deviation of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer and normalised noise energy (NNE). All patients underwent a laryngeal examination pre- and post-operation. Results : none of the patients had any vocal cord dysfunction on laryngoscopy. Significant changes of voice quality (jitter, shimmer, NNE) were noticed in the high-level dissection group ( p Conclusions : voice-related disturbances are far more common following CEA than is generally believed and, although they seem to for the most part temporary, they deserve attention. Specifically, high-level surgical dissection seems to be a risk factor of postoperative vocal impairment.
A Leap into the Future: Serials Literature of 2002

Abstract This literature review is modeled after a series of articles on a variety of technical services topics published in Library Resources and Technical Services a decade ago. John Riddick last reviewed the serials literature in 1993 for the year before. Rather than fill in the remaining years in the 1990s, this review leaps forward a decade to the literature of 2002 and focuses on American academic libraries. The topics covered for 1992 provide the framework to consider the contemporary literature: cataloging and specifications, networked information and electronic publishing, collection development, serials pricing, serials management, conference reports, and end pieces. The exception is the absence of CD-ROM serials in 2002.
Structure determination and functional analysis of a chromate reductase from Gluconacetobacter hansenii.

Environmental protection through biological mechanisms that aid in the reductive immobilization of toxic metals (e.g., chromate and uranyl) has been identified to involve specific NADH-dependent flavoproteins that promote cell viability. To understand the enzyme mechanisms responsible for metal reduction, the enzyme kinetics of a putative chromate reductase from Gluconacetobacter hansenii (Gh-ChrR) was measured and the crystal structure of the protein determined at 2.25 A resolution. Gh-ChrR catalyzes the NADH-dependent reduction of chromate, ferricyanide, and uranyl anions under aerobic conditions. Kinetic measurements indicate that NADH acts as a substrate inhibitor; catalysis requires chromate binding prior to NADH association. The crystal structure of Gh-ChrR shows the protein is a homotetramer with one bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) per subunit. A bound anion is visualized proximal to the FMN at the interface between adjacent subunits within a cationic pocket, which is positioned at an optimal distance for hydride transfer. Site-directed substitutions of residues proposed to involve in both NADH and metal anion binding (N85A or R101A) result in 90–95% reductions in enzyme efficiencies for NADH-dependent chromate reduction. In comparison site-directed substitution of a residue (S118A) participating in the coordination of FMN in the active site results in only modest (50%) reductions in catalytic efficiencies, consistent with the presence of a multitude of side chains that position the FMN in the active site. The proposed proximity relationships between metal anion binding site and enzyme cofactors is discussed in terms of rational design principles for the use of enzymes in chromate and uranyl bioremediation.
Aorto-left atrial fistula – worsening heart failure after endocarditis of a recently placed prosthetic aortic valve

A 65-year-old man underwent mechanical aortic valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation and moderate aortic stenosis causing worsening dyspnea on exertion. The postoperative course was complicated by enterococcal endocarditis requiring eight weeks of antibiotic therapy. Fifteen days after the completion of antibiotic therapy, the patient returned for worsening of dyspnea and marked orthopnea. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a periaortic valve abscess (Figure 1). A transesophageal echocardiogram (Figure 2) confirmed the abscess and demonstrated partial filling of the abscess with granulation tissue. It also showed a communication between the abscess and the aorta, as well as an aorto-left atrial fistula with continuous flow from the aorta to the left atrium in all phases of the cardiac cycle. The present case highlights development of an aorto-atrial fistula from aortic valve surgery and subsequent endocarditis resulting in worsening heart failure despite valve replacement (1). The patient refused surgery and chose treatment with another six weeks of antibiotics, with the expectation that the abscess cavity would continue to fill with granulation tissue and finally close off. Figure 1) Transthoracic echocardiogram showing periaortic valve abscess (arrow) in the short-axis view at the level above the aortic valve. Ao Aorta; LA Left atrium; RA Right atrium; RV Right ventricle Figure 2) Transesophageal echocardiogram confirming a periaortic valve abscess (thick arrow) communicating with the aorta (Ao) and the aorto-left atrial fistula (thin arrow), with continuous aorta-to-atrium flow throughout the cardiac cycle. LA Left atrium
A multi-scale classification of vegetation dynamics in arid lands: What is the right scale for models, monitoring, and restoration?

Measurements of vegetation and soil dynamics used to anticipate (or reverse) catastrophic transitions in arid and semi-arid rangelands are often difficult to interpret. This situation is due, in part, to a lack of empirically based conceptual models that incorporate the effects of multiple processes, scale, spatio-temporal pattern, and soils. Using observations of multi-temporal data from the Chihuahuan Desert, we describe a new approach to classifying vegetation dynamics based on multiple scales of vegetation and soil pattern as well as cross-scale interactions. We propose the existence of six types of mechanisms driving vegetation change including (1) stability, (2) size oscillation of plants, (3) loss and reestablishment of plants within functional groups, (4) loss of one plant functional group and replacement by another, (5) spatial reorganization of vegetation patches, and (6) cascading transitions that spread from small to broad scales. We provide evidence for the existence of these mechanisms, the species involved, and the geomorphic components on which they are observed in the Chihuahuan Desert. These mechanisms highlight the kinds of multi-scale observations that are needed to detect or interpret change and emphasize the importance of soil surface properties for interpreting vegetation change. The classification is potentially general across arid and semi-arid ecosystems and links spatial and temporal patterns in vegetation with ecological and geomorphic processes, monitoring, and restoration strategies.
The acute toxicity, tissue distribution, and histopathology of inhaled ricin in Sprague Dawley rats and BALB/c mice.

Ricin is a highly toxic ribosome-inactivating protein derived from the castor bean (Ricinus communis). Due to the relative ease of producing ricin, it is characterized as a category B priority pathogen by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute toxicity, associated histopathology, as well as the regional respiratory tract deposition and clearance kinetics of inhaled ricin in rats and mice using a single pure preparation. Acute toxicity was evaluated in five groups of six animals per species exposed nose-only to ricin aerosols and followed up to 7 days post-exposure. Tissues were collected for histopathology. The calculated median lethal doses (LD50s) were 0.24 µg/kg (rats) and 0.58 µg/kg (mice). Histological changes were noted in nose, larynges, trachea, lung, thymus, and spleen of both species. Pulmonary deposition in rats inhaling 94–99 ng/L ricin for 20 min (low dose) or 40 min (high dose) were 45.9 and 96 ng/g lung, respectively. Clearance was ...
Equilibrium sorption and rate of diffusion of water into photoresist thin films

The equilibrium resist film water content at various water partial pressures and the rate of diffusion of water into photoresist thin films was investigated fro three model resist polymers: (1) a traditional novolac matrix, (2) poly(p-hydroxystyrene), and (3) bis-trifluoromethyl carbinol substituted polynorbornene. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used to measure the mass of water added to resist films exposed to environments of differing relative humidity. All three polymer systems absorbed significant quantities of water at 100% relative humidity with PHOST absorbing the most (9.8wt.%) followed by the polynorbornenes (5-8 wt%) and the novolacs (2-3 wt%). The diffusion of water into the polymer films was observed to follow Fickian diffusion behavior initially (Mt/Ms<0.6) followed by behavior indicative of concentration dependent diffusion at large water uptake values. Finally, interdigitated electrodes were utilized to estimate the impact of varying humidity upon the net dielectric constant of the resist films. A linear relationship was observed for measured capacitance versus water uptake for all polymers measured and a power law dielectric mixing rule was found to properly describe the effective dielectric constant of the water/polymer mixtures.
Maximizing the probability of correctly ordering random variables using linear predictors

Abstract Let ( T 1 , x 1 ), ( T 2 , x 2 ), …, (T n , x n ) be a sample from a multivariate normal distribution where T i are (unobservable) random variables and x i are random vectors in R k . If the sample is either independent and identically distributed or satisfies a multivariate components of variance model, then the probability of correctly ordering { T i } is maximized by ranking according to the order of the best linear predictors { E ( T i | x i )}. Furthermore, it orderings are chosen according to linear functions { b ′ x i } then the conditional probability of correct order given ( T i = t 1 ; i = 1, …, n ) is maximized when b ′ x i is the best linear predictor. Examples are given to show that linear predictors may not be optimal and that using a linear combination other that the best linear predictor may give a greater probability of correctly ordering { T i } if {( T i , x i )} are independent but not identically distributed, or if the distributions are not normal.
Comparative Performance Study of Closed Cycle Gas Turbine Utilizing Cryogenic Cold

The re-evaporation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is capable of acting as a low temperature heat sink for power cycles, thereby enhancing the thermal efficiency of the cycle. Leaving aside the detail of the appropriate heat exchanger technology, the comparative performance of improved high and low temperature closed cycle gas turbines is investigated using non-dimensionalized performance analysis. It was shown that the effect of lowering the minimum cycle temperature on the efficiency is equivalent to raising the maximum cycle temperature by a multiple amount. The specific output, however, decreases to a fraction of that achieved by the cycle with the original minimum cycle temperature. Implications are drawn for the application of the closed cycle gas turbine utilizing cryogenic cold.Copyright © 1982 by ASME
A phylogenetic analysis of the palm subtribe Oncospermatinae (Arecaceae) based on morphological characters

Subtribe Oncospermatinae (Arecaceae: Arecoideae: Areceae) is a diverse group of spiny Old World palms. The subtribe includes Oncosperma, a widespread Asian genus of five species, along with seven monotypic genera, all endemic to the Seychelles and Mascarene Islands of the western Indian Ocean. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted in order to test the monophyly of subtribe Oncospermatinae with respect to other Old World genera of tribe Areceae. A matrix of 38 morphological characters was scored for 29 taxa, including 11 species of the Oncospermatinae. A single most parsimonious tree was found, resolving the subtribe as a polyphyletic group of two distinct clades. One clade containing Acanthophoenix, Deckenia, Oncosperma, and Tectiphiala was placed as sister to a large group that includes members of subtribes Archontophoenicinae, Arecinae, Iguanurinae, and Ptychospermatinae. The other clade of Oncospermatinae, including the Seychelles endemic genera Nephrosperma, Phoenicophorium, Roscheria, and Verschaffeltia, was resolved as sister to the Madagascar endemic subtribe Masoalinae, and may have arisen in the western Indian Ocean region.
Human growth hormone binding to rat hepatocytes: Effects of selected hormones on binding

Abstract The binding of 125 I-hGH to hepatocytes isolated from normal, adult female rats was examined for reversibility and the ability of various hormones to alter binding to these receptors. Hepatocytes, following overnight incubation at 2–4°C in the absence of added hormones, demonstrated 125 I-hGH binding which was 0.71 of that observed in corresponding freshly isolated hepatocytes. Ovine prolactin and human growth hormone, when added to the overnight incubation solution, produced concentration-dependent decreases in subsequent 125 I-hGH binding. Human growth hormone and ovine prolactin decreased 125 I-hGH binding to 0.30 and 0.61 of control levels at 100 n m concentration, respectively. Bovine growth hormone, when present at 100 n m concentration, decreased subsequent 125 I-hGH binding to 0.77 of control levels. Human growth hormone binding to hepatocytes was characterized by its largely irreversible nature which suggests that the ability of hGH and oPrl to decrease subsequent 125 I-hGH binding was the result of irreversible competitive binding. Estradiol, thyroxine, and insulin were effective in preventing the loss of lactogenic receptors observed when cells were incubated overnight in the absence of added hormones. Binding of 125 I-hGH was increased to 1.35, 1.45, and 1.50 of control levels by the addition of estradiol, thyroxine, and insulin, respectively. The effects of thyroxine and insulin may be mediated through direct effects on the hepatocytes, while a possible mechanism for estradiol action remains obscure.
A bird brain’s view of auditory processing and perception

By studying the primary forebrain auditory area of songbirds, field L, using a song-inspired synthetic stimulus and reverse correlation techniques, we found a surprisingly systematic organization of this area, with nearly all neurons narrowly tuned along the spectral dimension, the temporal dimension, or both; there were virtually no strongly orientation-sensitive cells, and in the areas that we recorded, cells broadly tuned in both time and frequency were rare. In addition, cells responsive to fast temporal frequencies predominated only in the field L input layer, suggesting that neurons with fast and slow responses are concentrated in different regions. Together with other songbird data and work from chicks and mammals, these findings suggest that sampling a range of temporal and spectral modulations, rather than orientation in time-frequency space, is the organizing principle of forebrain auditory sensitivity. We then examined the role of these acoustic parameters important to field L organization in a behavioral task. Birds’ categorization of songs fell off rapidly when songs were altered in frequency, but, despite the temporal sensitivity of field L neurons, the same birds generalized well to songs that were significantly changed in timing. These behavioral data point out that we cannot assume that animals use the information present in particular neurons without specifically testing perception.
Three Facets of Sexual Differentiation

Sexual reproduction requires three types of differentiation: gonadal for the production of gametes, genital for the conveyance of gametes to a point of fertilization, and behavioral for the urge to...
A new dwell sensitivity damage parameter

Abstract Published dwell-fatigue data were compiled from various sources for a number of materials such as copper alloys (NARloy-Z, AMZIRC), steel alloys (9Cr–1Mo), and nickel based alloys (IN 100, Rene 95, Waspaloy). In general, dwell-times were found to be detrimental to the fatigue life of materials, but the exact extent of the effect varies depending on the material, duration of the dwell, and the direction in which a dwell was applied. In general, a degree of strain saturation occurred which lowered the dwell sensitivity at higher strain ranges (et>1%). An attempt was made to further develop the models proposed earlier and include such concepts as stress relaxation with respect to a particular dwell time. Very limited data sets are available in the literature showing the test details needed to develop a model for this research. Stress relaxation was used as a damage parameter for dwell cycles that may describe dwell sensitivity. A dwell sensitivity damage mechanistic map was developed and discussed in this paper.
Review of Heavy Ion Collider Proposals

In this paper we review proposals for heavy-ion colliders generated during the last few years for several national laboratories. The proposals span over a large range of energy and luminosity to accommodate the experimental needs of both the nuclear and the high-energy physicists. We report also briefly efforts in the same field happening in Europe.
Relationship of oral disease to the presence of cytomegalovirus DNA in the saliva of AIDS patients

Cytomegalovirus is an important pathogen in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. In this study a thorough oral examination was done and blood and urine cultures for cytomegalovirus were obtained from a group of 31 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with CD4 lymphocyte counts less than 150 cells/mm 3 . Whole saliva was also collected for detection of cytomegalovirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) via the polymerase chain reaction. The presence of cytomegalovirus DNA in the saliva specimens was not related to the presence of cytomegalovirus in the urine, which suggests a local source of cytomegalovirus from salivary gland and kidney parenchyma. There was also a strong statistical relationship between salivary cytomegalovirus DNA and xerostomia ( p =0.0004), which suggests that cytomegalovirus may be a cause of salivary gland dysfunction in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with low CD4 counts.
Querying Incomplete Information Using Bag Relational Algebra

In the paper, we introduce bag relational algebra with grouping and aggregation overa particular representation of incomplete information called c-tables, which wasfirst introduced byGrahne in 1984.In order for this algebra to be closed and ``well-defined'', we adopt the closed world assumptionas described by Reiter in 1978 and extend the tuple and table conditions to linear ones.It turns out that query answering overthe described extension remains polynomial timerelative to the size of the certain information. Therefore, the proposed algebra can be implemented as partof a SQL engine that can query incomplete information. The execution time will be acceptable as long as the size of the incomplete information issmall relative to the total size of the database.
Transmission of Family Values. Work and Welfare among Poor Urban Black Women.

Life histories of poor urban Black women indicate that intrafamilial transmission of values about work and welfare is associated with young adult work status and perceptions about future economic self-sufficiency. Multifaceted transmissions in the form of direct parent-child communications about the value of work, tangible support from family and/or outside resources, and multiple examples of work attachment are associated with employment and perceptions of future self-sufficiency, regardless of teenage childbearing status. Where such transmissions are unidimensional, limited, or absent, the women are more likely to be unemployed and predict future economic dependency. Policy implications are directed at work programs, schools, and community-based job training and guidance for youth and their families.
The influence of limited English proficiency on outcome in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Objective To evaluate how limited English proficiency affects treatment outcome in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with curative intent radiation therapy (RT).
Asymptotic behavior of solutions to the damped quasilinear equation ∂2∂t2 u(x, t) + γ∂u∂t (x, t) − ∂∂xσ ∂u∂x (x, t)) = 0☆

Abstract Asymptotic lower bounds for the L 2 norms of solutions of initial-boundary value problems associated with the equation of the title are derived for a simple case in which the equation fails to exhibit strict hyperbolicity. It is shown that in such cases it can be expected that the norm of a solution will be bounded away from zero as t → +∞ even as the damping factor γ becomes infinitely large.
Optical model potential for neutrons in the resonance region

Abstract A method is described for determining the strength of the complex central optical potential directly from neutron total cross sections measured below the threshold for inelastic scattering. Real and imaginary strengths deduced for 208 Pb are consistent with higher-energy results and are shown to provide a good fit to above-threshold data.
Aggregation pheromones in five taxa of the Drosophila virilis species group

. Aggregation pheromones have been demonstrated in the closely related taxa: Drosophila americana americana Spencer, D. a. texana Patterson, D. novamexicana Patterson, and D. lummei Hackman. These pheromones function much as has been reported previously for D. virilis Sturtevant. The compounds are produced by sexually mature males, but both sexes respond in a wind-tunnel olfactometer. In all species except D. lummei, a 21-carbon alkene is an important pheromone component. In D. virilis the hydrocarbon is (Z)-10-heneicosene (Z10–21), but in D. a. americana, D. a. texana and D. novamexicana it is (Z)-9-heneicosene (Z9-21). All these taxa respond best to the heneicosene which they produce. D. lummei possesses no heneicosenes but, curiously, responds well to both Z9-21 and Z10-21. All species possess five male-specific esters which were previously discovered in D. virilis: methyl tiglate, ethyl tiglate, isopropyl tiglate, methyl hexanoate and ethyl hexanoate. Ethyl tiglate is the most abundant in each case. Responses to the esters vary among the taxa, ranging from highly significant in D. lummei, particularly to ethyl tiglate, to not demonstrable in D. a. americana. Variability in ester response has also been demonstrated between two strains of D. virilis. In all cases the crude male-derived pheromone is synergistic with an extract of fermented willow bark, on which oviposition is said to occur.
Plasmin levels in fresh milk whey and commercial whey protein products.

Growth of psychrotrophic bacteria in nonfat dry milk at refrigeration temperatures was shown previously in our laboratory to cause a shift in plasmin (a native milk protease) from the casein to the whey fraction. The whey fraction from cheesemaking is commonly used to make whey protein concentrates and isolates, which then are used as functional ingredients in various food systems. Plasmin activity in whey protein products may cause breakdown of food proteins to have desirable or undesirable effects on food quality. This raised questions about the level of plasmin in commercial whey protein products and factors that affect this plasmin level. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine: 1) plasmin concentrations in sweet and acid whey protein products as influenced by Pseudomonas growth during storage of fresh milk, and 2) plasmin concentrations in commercial whey protein products. Whey type (sweet or acid) had a significantly (P < 0.05) greater effect on whey-associated plasmin activity than did Pseudomonas fluorescens M 3/6 growth. Acid whey protein products had significantly (P < 0.05) higher plasmin concentrations than sweet whey. Plasmin activities associated with acid and sweet whey protein products were both significantly (P < 0.0001) affected by the growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens M 3/6. The interaction effect between bacterial growth and whey type on plasmin activity was not significant (P = 0.2457). Plasmin activity in the reconstituted commercial whey protein concentrates (i.e., sweet and acid) varied considerably (16.3 to 330 micrograms/g of protein), but was significantly lower (2.1 to 4.4 micrograms/g of protein, P < 0.05) in whey isolates. These quantitative data were supported by plasmin activity visualized by casein SDS-PAGE.
Effects of pioglitazone on diffusion tensor imaging indices in multiple sclerosis patients

Pioglitazone is an FDA-approved peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist. We tested the hypothesis that treatment with pioglitazone reduces new lesion development in patients with RRMS. Twenty-two patients were treated with pioglitazone or placebo and monitored by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at baseline and after 12 months. A negative correlation was found between the 1-year change in relative anisotropy (RA) and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) lesion burden in the pioglitazone group. Regions of interest (ROIs) having high ADC and low RA values at baseline had a significantly higher chance to develop into lesions in the placebo group than similar ROIs in the pioglitazone group. These findings suggest that baseline DTI parameters can provide a prognostic surrogate marker for lesions, and that pioglitazone can reduce conversion of normal appearing white matter to lesions.
Equal-gain diversity reception in MFSK/FFH spread spectrum multiple-access communication system

The symbol error probability of equal-gain diversity reception in a fast frequency hopped spread spectrum multiple-access communication system with M-ary frequency-shift keying modulation is obtained. It is assumed that the system operates through a frequency-selective slow-fading Rayleigh channel coupled with other user interference and additive white Gaussian noise. The effect on the system performance of unequal signal/noise ratios in different diversity channels is investigated. Numerical results show that the system performance can be significantly improved by means of equal-gain diversity. >