cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of urinary tract infection based on artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms.

Abstract Background Among women who present with urinary complaints, only 50% are found to have urinary tract infection. Individual urinary symptoms and urinalysis are not sufficiently accurate to discriminate those with and without the diagnosis. Methods We used artificial neural networks (ANN) coupled with genetic algorithms to evolve combinations of clinical variables optimized for predicting urinary tract infection. The ANN were applied to 212 women ages 19–84 who presented to an ambulatory clinic with urinary complaints. Urinary tract infection was defined in separate models as uropathogen counts of ≥10 5 colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter, and counts of ≥10 2 CFU per milliliter. Results Five-variable sets were evolved that classified cases of urinary tract infection and non-infection with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve areas that ranged from 0.853 (for uropathogen counts of ≥10 5 CFU per milliliter) to 0.792 (for uropathogen counts of ≥10 2 CFU per milliliter). Predictor variables (which included urinary frequency, dysuria, foul urine odor, symptom duration, history of diabetes, leukocyte esterase on urine dipstick, and red blood cells, epithelial cells, and bacteria on urinalysis) differed depending on the pathogen count that defined urinary tract infection. Network influence analyses showed that some variables predicted urine infection in unexpected ways, and interacted with other variables in making predictions. Conclusions ANN and genetic algorithms can reveal parsimonious variable sets accurate for predicting urinary tract infection, and novel relationships between symptoms, urinalysis findings, and infection.
Digital simulation of periodic fluid flow in a bifurcation

Abstract We here describe a finite difference technique for solving a pulsatile fluid flow problem through a bifurcation.
THE EFFECT OF SOME VINE DESICCANTS ON PERIDERM DEVELOPMENT ON CUT POTATO TUBER PIECES

Russet Burbank, Red Pontiac, and Superior potato plants were treated with vine desiccants at the rate of 0.50 kg/ha and 1.12 kg/ha paraquat + X77, diquat + X77 and 2.24 kg/ha of Dow General, alone and with Crop Oil, 2 to 4 weeks before harvest. Untreated and treated tubers were selected for anatomical examination directly after harvest and after 22 weeks of storage. The tubers were cut in half longitudinally and exposed to optimum environmental conditions for 25 days when they were examined for periderm formation. Wound periderm in untreated tubers consisted of uniformly shaped and continuous layers of cambial cells. Tubers treated with 0.56 kg/ ha paraquat had a less developed periderm than untreated ones, but it would serve as a barrier against the invasion of pathogens. Diquat at the same concentration had fewer cambial cells and they were not continuous so that pathogen entrance was possible. With 1.12 kg/ha paraquat the periderm was less and with diquat more differentiated than the 0.56 kg/ha treatment indicating that concentration had some effect. Treatment with Dow General resulted in the formation of a periderm adequate for prevention of pathogen entrance. The effectiveness of the 3 chemicals to form periderm in Superior and Red Pontiac was similar to that of Russet Burbank. Periderm was most highly differentiated in untreated tubers followed by paraquat, Dow General, and diquat treated tubers.
Neonatal candidiasis: Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment

Infection with Candida species is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in infants. The incidence of Candida infection varies widely across centers, likely due to differences in practice related to modifiable risk factors such as exposure to empiric antibiotics and length of parenteral nutrition. Early diagnosis of Candida and prompt treatment with appropriate antifungal agents, such as fluconazole, amphotericin B deoxycholate, and micafungin, are critical for improved outcomes. This paper reviews the current literature relating to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Candida infections in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Hydrodynamic Performance of the Large Cavitation Channel (LCC)

The U. S. Navy William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) in Memphis, Tennessee, is the world’s largest water tunnel. Its hydrodynamic performance is outlined in this paper. Three key characteristics of tunnel velocity were measured: temporal stability, spatial uniformity, and turbulence. Temporal stability and spatial uniformity were measured by laser Doppler anemometer (LDA), while the turbulence was measured with a conical hot-film and constant temperature anemometer (CTA). The velocity stability at a single point for run times greater than 2 hours was measured as ±0.15% at the 95% confidence level for velocities from 0.5 to 18 m/s. The spatial non-uniformity for the axial velocity component was ±0.34 to ±0.60% for velocities from 3 to 16 m/s. The non-uniformity in the vertical velocity was nominally 2%. The turbulence or relative turbulence intensity, which is the commonly reported performance characteristic for water tunnels, was measured as 0.2 to 0.5% depending on tunnel velocity. Additional information includes calibration of the LDA and CTA, test section velocity as a function of pump speed, acceleration of the test section velocity, velocity spectra, and color contour plots of the axial and vertical components for velocity uniformity. The measurements demonstrate that the LCC is a high-quality world-class water tunnel.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Fabrication of high performance microlenses for an integrated capillary channel electrochromatograph with fluorescence detection

We describe the microfabrication of an extremely compact optical system as a key element in an integrated capillary channel electrochromatograph with fluorescence detection. The optical system consists of a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), two high performance microlenses and a commercial photodetector. The microlenses are multilevel diffractive optics patterned by electron beam lithography and etched by reactive ion etching in fused silica. The design uses substrate-mode propagation within the fused silica substrate. Two generations of optical subsystems are described. The first generation design has a 6 mm optical length and is integrated directly onto the capillary channel-containing substrate. The second generation design separates the optical system onto its own substrate module and the optical path length is further compressed to 3.5 mm. The first generation design has been tested using direct fluorescence detection with a 750 nm VCSEL pumping a 10{sup {minus}4}M solution of CY-7 dye. The observed signal-to-noise ratio of better than 100:1 demonstrates that the background signal from scattered pump light is low despite the compact size of the optical system and is adequate for system sensitivity requirements.
Markov Partitions and Feigenbaum-like Mappings

We construct a Markov partition for a Feigenbaum-like mapping. We prove that this Markov partition has bounded nearby geometry property similar to that for a geometrically finite one-dimensional mappings [8]. Using this property, we give a simple proof that any two Feigenbaum-like mappings are topologically conjugate and the conjugacy is quasisymmetric.
Microfluidic based contactless dielectrophoretic device: Modeling and analysis

While there have been many attempts at patterning cells onto substrates, a reliable method for trapping cell clusters and forming cell arrays in a predefined geometry remains to be demonstrated. We intend to develop a multielectrode array platform to initially trap cells via dielectrophoresis (DEP) and to later measure their electrical activity. As a first step toward that objective, here we present an interdigitated microfabricated comb structure. We designed an optimal insulation layer via finite element modeling for maximum dielectrophoretic field strength in solution and minimal cell damage. The microfabricated structure was combined with a microfluidic channel to vertically constrain cell position. With the objective of capturing cells onto the substrate, we here show that there is an optimal thickness of dielectric which limits electrolysis in solution and still allows for sufficient dielectrophoretic force on the cells to pull them onto the surface.
Performance of peat biofilter: impact of the empty bed residence time, temperature and toluene loading

Abstract The performance of a pilot-scale peat biofilter in the treatment of air contaminated with toluene has been evaluated in this study. The operational parameters investigated were the empty bed residence time (EBRT), temperature and toluene loading. The EBRT tests were performed at a constant toluene loading of 0.71 kg COD m−3 per day and a temperature of 11°C. Removal efficiencies over 99% were achieved at an EBRT of 12 min. The removal efficiency exhibited a decreasing trend at lower EBRTs, with the efficiency dropping to as low as 75% at an EBRT of 2 min. The performance of the biofilter was found to be sensitive to temperature. For a toluene loading of 0.45 kg COD m−3 per day and an EBRT of 2 min, the removal efficiency was 99% at 32.2°C. The removal efficiency data collected at different temperatures correlated reasonably well with a van't Hoff-Arrhenius-type equation. As the toluene loading was increased at the optimal operational temperature, the removal efficiency decreased to as low as 57% at a toluene loading of 1.57 kg COD m−3 per day. An adequate moisture content (55%–60%) and mineral nutrients for microbial activity in organic media were found to contribute significantly in the consistent long-term performance of the biofilter.
Abstract LB-132: The central role of EED in orchestration of polycomb group complexes

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins play a vital role in establishing and maintaining gene expression patterns during cellular differentiation and development. They are epigenetic regulators that are responsible for the repression of target genes involved in development and cell fate specification. PcG proteins function as multimeric, chromatin-associated protein complexes. In mammals, there are two major Polycomb Repressive Complexes, PRC1 and PRC2 that possess histone-modifying activity crucial for their role in gene repression through methylation of histone H3K27, as well as the mono-ubiquitination of histone H2AK119. Components of both PRC1 and PRC2 have been shown to be elevated in a number of tumor types and play an important role in neoplastic progression. Major components of human PRC2 include the histone methyltransferase, Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2, and its known binding partners, Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) and Suppressor of Zeste 12 (SUZ12) that collectively function as a multi-subunit complex trimethylating histone H3K27. Fundamental collaborators of PRC2 in epigenetic silencing include human PRC1 which consists of B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 (BMI1), RING1A (also known as RING1), and RING1B (also known as RING2 or RNF2). Together, they function as a multi-protein complex to ubiquitinate histone H2A at lysine 119 (uH2A). The leading hypothesis regarding PRC2 and PRC1 interaction is that PRC2-mediated tri-methylation of H3K27 recruits PRC1 to genomic loci leading to chromatin condensation and epigenetic silencing of target genes. While the evidence linking PRC1 and PRC2 is circumstantial, a physical or molecular link between these complexes has not been established. In this study, we make an unexpected observation that EED, previously considered a critical component of PRC2, is instead a shared component of PRC2 and PRC1 that functions to interchange these epigenetic complexes at sites of histone modification. This observation markedly enhances our understanding of how PRC2 and PRC1 coordinate epigenetic regulation and may have implications in therapeutically targeting these master regulators of transcription. Citation Format: Qi Cao, Xiaoju Wang, Meng Zhao, Rendong Yang, Rohit Malik, Yuanyuan Qiao, Anton Poliakov, Xuhong Cao, Clair Harris, Felix Y. Feng, Sundeep Kalantry, Zhaohui Qin, Saravana M. Dhanasekaran, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. The central role of EED in orchestration of polycomb group complexes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-132. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-132
Crack and damage growth in creep — A combined approach

We shall consider the case of slow crack growth under the conditions of creep and damage. If a crack grows slowly, there is a steady creep state near the crack [I]. This state may be considered as slow nonlinear viscous flow. Since there is an analogy between a nonlinear viscous body and a nonlinear elastic body, we have [2] in the steady creep state the invariant integral J, analogous to Rice's integral J, and
Integrated Microfluidic Electrochemical DNA Sensor

Effective systems for rapid, sequence-specific nucleic acid detection at the point of care would be valuable for a wide variety of applications, including clinical diagnostics, food safety, forensics, and environmental monitoring. Electrochemical detection offers many advantages as a basis for such platforms, including portability and ready integration with electronics. Toward this end, we report the Integrated Microfluidic Electrochemical DNA (IMED) sensor, which combines three key biochemical functionalities—symmetric PCR, enzymatic single-stranded DNA generation, and sequence-specific electrochemical detection—in a disposable, monolithic chip. Using this platform, we demonstrate detection of genomic DNA from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 with a limit of detection of <10 aM, which is ∼2 orders of magnitude lower than that from previously reported electrochemical chip-based methods.
Failure to process dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) into fragments leads to its loss of function in osteogenesis.

Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), an acidic protein important to the formation of bone and dentin, primarily exists as the processed NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal fragments in the extracellular matrix of the two tissues. Previous in vitro studies showed that the substitution of residue Asp213 by Ala213 (D213A) at a cleavage site blocked the processing of mouse DMP1 in cells. In this study, we generated transgenic mice expressing mutant D213A-DMP1 (WT/D213A-Tg mice) to test the hypothesis that the proteolytic processing of DMP1 is an activation step essential to osteogenesis. By crossbreeding WT/D213A-Tg mice with Dmp1 knock-out (Dmp1-KO) mice, we obtained mice expressing D213A-DMP1 in a Dmp1-KO background; these mice will be referred to as “Dmp1-KO/D213A-Tg” mice. Biochemical, radiological, and morphological approaches were used to characterize the skeletal phenotypes of Dmp1-KO/D213A-Tg mice compared with wild-type mice, Dmp1-KO mice, and Dmp1-KO mice expressing the normal Dmp1 transgene. Protein chemistry analyses showed that DMP1 was barely cleaved in the bone of the Dmp1-KO/D213A-Tg mice, indicating that D213A substitution effectively blocked the proteolytic processing of DMP1 in vivo. While the expression of the normal Dmp1 transgene completely rescued the phenotypic skeletal changes of the Dmp1-KO mice, the expression of the mutant D213A-Dmp1 transgene failed to do so. These results indicate that the full-length form of DMP1 is an inactive precursor and its proteolytic processing is an activation step essential to the biological functions of this protein in osteogenesis.
A Scaled Stochastic Approximation Algorithm

Consider a stochastic system of such complexity that its performance can only be evaluated by using simulation or direct experimentation. To optimize the expected performance of such systems as a function of several continuous input parameters decision variables, we present a "scaled" stochastic approximation algorithm for finding the zero root of the gradient of the response function. In each iteration of the scaled algorithm, two independent gradient estimates are sampled at the current estimate of the optimal input-parameter vector to compute a scale-free estimate of the next search direction. We establish sufficient conditions to ensure strong consistency and asymptotic normality of the resulting estimator of the optimal input-parameter vector. Strong consistency is also established for a variant of the scaled algorithm with Kesten's acceleration. An experimental performance comparison of the scaled algorithm and the classical Robbins-Monro algorithm in two simple queueing systems reveals some of the practical advantages of the scaled algorithm.
Fine structure of elasmobranch arteries, capillaries and veins in the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias☆

Abstract The ultrastructure of the intestinal vasculature of the spiny dogfish is described and compared with blood vessels of similar caliber in mammals. Arteries and arterioles have a great resemblance to their mammalian counterparts, including the so-called myoendothelial junctions of the arterioles. The capillaries, venules and veins differ somewhat. One example is the lack of a basal lamina in the connective tissue capillaries and venules of the spiny dogfish. Functional similarities and differences are discussed in the light of the ultrastructural architecture of the blood vessels described.
Modeling Complex Unfoliaged Trees from a Sparse Set of Images

We present a novel image-based technique for modeling complex unfoliaged trees. Existing tree modeling tools either require capturing a large number of views for dense 3D reconstruction or rely on user inputs and botanic rules to synthesize natural-looking tree geometry. In this paper, we focus on faithfully recovering real instead of realistically-looking tree geometry from a sparse set of images. Our solution directly integrates 2D/3D tree topology as shape priors into the modeling process. For each input view, we first estimate a 2D skeleton graph from its matte image and then find a 2D skeleton tree from the graph by imposing tree topology. We develop a simple but effective technique for computing the optimal 3D skeleton tree most consistent with the 2D skeletons. For each edge in the 3D skeleton tree, we further apply volumetric reconstruction to recover its corresponding curved branch. Finally, we use piecewise cylinders to approximate each branch from the volumetric results. We demonstrate our framework on a variety of trees to illustrate the robustness and usefulness of our technique.
Neuroimaging of dementias

![Figure][1] I would like to thank Mauricio Castillo, Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR ), for inviting me to be Guest Editor for the AJNR Special Collection, titled Neuroimaging of Dementias . There have been a significant progression of the number of studies
Spatial Distribution of Lead in Sacramento, California, USA

Chronic exposure to lead remains a health concern in many urban areas; Sacramento, California is one example, with state surveillance data showing nearly 3% of screened children reported with blood lead levels over 4.5 μg/dL in 2009. To investigate the environmental exposure, 91 soil samples were collected and analyzed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS for 14 elements. An additional 28 samples were collected from areas of focus and analyzed by hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for Pb and Zn. Analysis of the metals data revealed non-normal distributions and positive skewness, consistent with anthropogenic input. In addition, high correlation coefficients (≥0.75) of metal concentrations in Cd-Pb, Cd-Zn, Pb-Zn, and Sb-Sn pairs suggest similarities in the input mechanisms. Semivariograms generated from Pb and associated metals reveal these metals to exhibit spatial correlation. A prediction map of lead concentrations in soil was generated by ordinary kriging, showing elevated concentrations in soil located in the central, older area of Sacramento where historic traffic density and industrial activity have been historically concentrated. XRF analysis of Pb and Zn from additional samples verifies elevated concentrations in the central areas of Sacramento as predicted.
Enduring Themes of Qualitative Family Research

Contemporary qualitative family research has a rich intellectual heritage that provides researchers with ideas and language that guide them in the procedures of their work and helps them to explain to themselves and to others the traditions on which their work is based. The characteristics of qualitative research that I discuss in this article are understanding experiences in context, immersion, interpretations grounded in accounts that individuals provide of their experiences, and research as action oriented. These characteristics have a strong philosophical base that extends from 19th century German philosophy to American pragmatism and interactionism to contemporary research. This article examines this heritage and shows that today's qualitative family researchers stand on the shoulders of giants. Language: en
Inquiry Into the Seedbed of Radicalism: The Case of the Ethiopian Educated Elite

The Ethiopian student movement and intelligentsia played a major role in triggering the social unrest and imparting a radical direction to the revolution of 1974. This paper examines the factors that led to the progressive radicalisation of Ethiopia's educated elite. Usually, this radicalisation is attributed to the appalling socio-economic problems of Ethiopia, which required nothing less than revolution to bring about change. That explanation, however, fails to consider various other possibilities. This paper looks at factors such as the influence of Marxism-Leninism and the modernisation discourse of Western education.
High-pressure study of lithium amidoborane using Raman spectroscopy and insight into dihydrogen bonding absence.

One of the major obstacles to the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is the lack of proper hydrogen storage material. Lithium amidoborane has attracted significant attention as hydrogen storage material. It releases ∼10.9 wt% hydrogen, which is beyond the Department of Energy target, at remarkably low temperature (∼90 °C) without borazine emission. It is essential to study the bonding behavior of this potential material to improve its dehydrogenation behavior further and also to make rehydrogenation possible. We have studied the high-pressure behavior of lithium amidoborane in a diamond anvil cell using in situ Raman spectroscopy. We have discovered that there is no dihydrogen bonding in this material, as the N—H stretching modes do not show redshift with pressure. The absence of the dihydrogen bonding in this material is an interesting phenomenon, as the dihydrogen bonding is the dominant bonding feature in its parent compound ammonia borane. This observation may provide guidance to the improvement of the hydrogen storage properties of this potential material and to design new material for hydrogen storage application. Also two phase transitions were found at high pressure at 3.9 and 12.7 GPa, which are characterized by sequential changes of Raman modes.
Alcohol use among American Indian high school youths from adolescence and young adulthood: a latent Markov model.

Objective: We explored patterns of alcohol use among American Indian youths as well as concurrent predictors and developmental outcomes 6 years later. Method: This study used six semi-annual waves of data collected across 3 years from 861 American Indian youths, ages 14-20 initially, from two western tribes. Using a latent Markov model, we examined patterns of change in latent states of adolescent alcohol use in the past 6 months, combining these states of alcohol use into three latent statuses that described patterns of change across the 3 years: abstainers, inconsistent drinkers, and consistent drinkers. We then explored how the latent statuses differed, both initially and in young adulthood (ages 20-26). Results: Both alcohol use and nonuse were quite stable across time, although we also found evidence of change. Despitesome rather troubling drinking patterns as teens, especially among consistent drinkers, most of the youths had achieved important tasks of young adulthood. But patterns of use during ad...
Towards piezoelectrically tunable chiral sculptured thin film lasers

Polymeric chiral sculptured thin films (STFs) can act as lasers in the so-called Bragg regime, if doped with appropriate dyes. We propose a piezoelectric control mechanism to tune such lasers. The negative piezoelectric effect in a piezoelectric layer deposited on a polymeric chiral STF laser will shift the Bragg regime but not significantly its bandwidth. The possibility of steerability, in addition to tunability, is also indicated by our theoretical results.
THE HOT INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN NORMAL ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES. II. MORPHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR AGN FEEDBACK

We report on the discovery of a new quantitative relationship between X-ray gas morphology and radio and X-ray AGN luminosities in normal elliptical galaxies. This is the second paper in a series using data on 54 objects from the Chandra public archive and builds on the findings of Paper I, which demonstrated that hydrostatic equilibrium in elliptical galaxies holds, at best, only approximately and that the shape of the X-ray isophotes is unrelated to the shape of the gravitational potential. Instead, the gas is almost always asymmetrically disturbed. In this paper, we quantify the amount of asymmetry and study its correlation with other galaxy properties. We also determine radio powers and derive X-ray AGN luminosities for our galaxy sample. We find that the amount of asymmetry in the gas is correlated with both measures of AGN activity, in the sense that the hot gas is more disturbed in galaxies with higher radio and X-ray AGN luminosities. We find no evidence that galaxy density has significant effects on gas morphology. We do however find evidence for a correlation between gas asymmetry and the presence of hot ambient gas, which we interpret as a signature of hydrodynamic interactions with an external ambient medium. Surprisingly, the AGN–morphology connection persists all the way down to the weakest AGN luminosities in rather X-ray faint galaxies. This is strong morphological evidence that supports the general importance of AGN feedback, even in normal elliptical galaxies. Subject headings: galaxies: cooling flows—galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD—galaxies: ISM—Xrays: galaxies—X-rays: ISM
Experimental landings in a spoiler-equipped light aircraft.

This report presents the results of a flight test program to determine the effects on landings of wide variations in approach path angle and approach airspeed for different kinds of piloting technique. Over 400 landings were made at approach speeds from 60 to 120 mph and approach path angles from 3 to 18 deg. Several variations of pilot technique involving different operations of the throttle/spoiler control were investigated. It is shown that very large ranges of airspeed and approach path angle can be accommodated with rather moderate penalties in landing distance and difficulty. With the spoiler-equipped aircraft, the best approach speeds are considerably higher than would be usable without spoilers, and approach path angles can be used which are far beyond those normally possible without spoilers.
Developmental aspects of dichoptic viewing

Abstract Age-related performance changes on a dichoptic viewing task were examined with twenty-five (25) individuals in a cross-sectional design. Using a double-report procedure, subjects were asked to identify two different consonant-vowel graphemes presented separately to the same foveal area of each eye (i.e., dichoptic stimulation). Stimuli were presented at stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs) ranging from 0 to 300 msec in 50-msec steps. Results indicated that the number of both-correct trials (i.e., correct reports of both stimuli in a dichoptic pair) significantly increased with age, while single-correct trials (a correct report of only one stimulus in the pair) significantly decreased with age. In addition, the shape of the masking functions indicated lagging stimuli were reported more accurately than leading stimuli at SOAs of 50–300 msec for all subjects. Younger subjects exhibited peak masking effects for synchronous presentations (0-msec SOA) while older individuals showed peak masking at SOAs of 50 msec. Results suggest developmental performance changes noted in processing visual information parallel, to a remarkable degree, those observed in processing auditory information.
Pseudo-balanced Signaling Using Power Transmission Lines for Parallel I/O Links

The performance of a system depends heavily on the communication speed between integrated circuits. Single-ended signaling is widely used for memory interface, but it suffers from simultaneous switching noise, crosstalk, and reference voltage noise. Even with other signaling schemes that remedy the shortcomings of the singled-ended signaling, there still is a limitation in terms of noise reduction due to the power delivery network (PDN). These include techniques such as differential signaling. The disruption between the power and ground planes based on the low target impedance concept induces return path discontinuities during the data transitions, which create displacement current sources between the power and ground planes. These sources induce excessive power supply noise which can only be reduced by increasing the capacitance requirements. The new PDN design proposed in this paper using power transmission lines (PTLs) enables both power and signal transmission lines to be referenced to the same ground plane so that a continuous current path can be formed. A modified balanced signaling scheme is applied to PTL, and called as pseudo-balanced PTL (PBPTL). The PBPTL scheme reduces the overhead caused by the conventional balanced signaling scheme and addresses the issues associated with PTL. Extensive simulations and measurements are shown using the PTL approach to demonstrate the enhanced signal integrity as compared to the currently practiced approaches.
The Ground of Biblical Authority: Six Theses

the authority of the Bible involves giving up of freedom, particularly the freedom to think whatever the pursuit of truth requires one to think, and the freedom to act in whatever way one's best knowledge of the good and of right and wrong requires one to act. Such a view begins with the false assumption that it is possible for men to be free from authority. But this is manifestly false, as a moment's consideration will reveal. We
Transaminase studies in germinating seeds

Abstract The changes in glutamic-alanine and glutamic-aspartic transaminase during the germinating period of the seedling have been studied with plants from three plant families. It was found that in the germinating seed embryo the glutamic-aspartic transaminase activity was in general higher than the glutamic-alanine transaminase activity. At the beginning of germination all plants studied contained approximately the same amount of transaminase: i.e., about 5–10 units/embryo. However after 120 hr. of germination there were wide variations in the amount of transaminase found in the different species. In most of the plants studied the transaminase activity/mg. protein nitrogen revealed a proportionally greater increase in the enzymatic activity than that of the protein nitrogen. Stimulation of growth and metabolism of the embryo by the use of a mineral supplement for germination of the seeds produced an increase in the rate of formation of both transaminase and protein nitrogen. However, the production of the enzyme was relatively greater than the formation of protein nitrogen. The results indicated that no definite relationships existed between the changes in glutamic-alanine or glutamic-aspartic transaminase activity and the formation of protein. This would suggest that in plants, protein synthesis is not a direct function of transaminase activity; it may play an indirect role in protein synthesis by its action on the interconversion of amino and keto acids.
Chronic ethanol treatment of rats and the myocardial β-adrenoceptors

Abstract We examined the effect of chronic treatment with ethanol on the dynamics of β-adrenoceptor binding in left ventricular myocardium of rats. After treatment with BAAM (20 mg/kg i.p.), an irreversible inhibitor of β-adrenoceptors, the inhibition of β-adrenoceptor binding was less, and the recovery of receptor binding was faster in chronically ethanol-treated rats compared to the control animals given equicaloric dextrin maltose treatment. When intracellular β-adrenoceptor recycling was inhibited with colchicine, cytoplasmic left ventricular β-adrenoceptor binding was greater in ethanol-treated compared to dextrin maltose-treated animals. We conclude that the previously reported decreased functional activity of the β-adrenoceptor-mediated system probably reflects the contribution of ethanol-mediated effects not entirely restricted to the receptor-binding mechanisms.
Antipruritic and antihyperalgesic actions of loperamide and analogs

Loperamide and three of its analogs were evaluated for their ability to inhibit binding to cloned human opioid receptor subtypes and to produce antipruritus and antinociception following local s.c. administration to rodents. All four compounds were fully efficacious agonists with affinities of 2 to 4 nM for the cloned human mu opioid receptor. Local s.c. injection of loperamide, ADL 01-0001 or ADL 01-0002 at the same site as the introduction of the pruritogenic compound 48/80 resulted in antipruritic activity in a mouse model of itch. Similarly, i.paw or i.pl. administration of compounds ADL 01-0001, ADL 01-0002 and ADL 01-0003 to inflamed paws caused potent antinociception, inhibiting late phase formalin-induced flinching, Freund's adjuvant-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and tape stripping-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. Loperamide and its analogs were efficacious in animal models of itch and inflammatory pain, and may have potential therapeutic utility as antipruritic and antihyperalgesic agents.
Adhesions after extensive gynecologic surgery: Clinical significance, etiology, and prevention * ** *

Postoperative adhesions occur in 60% to 90% of patients undergoing major gynecologic surgery and represent one of the most common causes of intestinal obstruction in the industrialized world. The incidence of adhesion-related intestinal obstruction after gynecologic surgery for benign conditions without hysterectomy is approximately 0.3%, increasing to 2% to 3% among patients who undergo hysterectomy, and is as high as 5% if a radical hysterectomy is performed. Other adhesion-related complications include chronic pelvic pain, ureteral obstruction, and voiding dysfunction. Intraperitoneal adhesions also can limit the effectiveness of intraperitoneal therapeutic agents used in cancer treatment. Postoperative adhesions are sequelae of impaired fibrinolysis of the fibrin and cellular exudate after peritoneal injury. Adequate blood supply is essential for normal fibrinolysis. Therefore factors that increase ischemia and potentiate adhesion formation include thermal injury, infection, presence of a foreign body, and radiation-induced endarteritis. Only recently, appropriate animal models have been developed to study the process of adhesion formation and prevention. Until clinical confirmation of findings from these investigations exists, only a meticulous surgical technique can be advocated to minimize these untoward effects of surgery.
Influence of delayed metamorphosis on survival and growth of juvenile barnacles Balanus amphitrite

Competent cyprid larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite Darwin were prevented from metamorphosing in the laboratory for 3 or 5 d using three different techniques (holding at low temperature, crowding, and detaining on a silanized surface). We then assessed the effects of prolonging larval life on post-metamorphic growth and survival, in comparison with control individuals that metamorphosed soon after they were competent to do so. Seven experiments were conducted over 2 yr (July 1987 to September 1989). In all experiments (each with six replicates per treatment), postponing larval metamorphosis for 3 or 5 d dramatically depressed postmetamorphic growth rate (P 0.10). The results suggest that B. amphitrite cyprids deferring their metamorphosis in the field may be less successful in competing for space, at least during the first few weeks of postlarval life.
Nonparametric Tests for Mixed Designs

This article proposes tests for testing the equality of k-medians when the data are a mixture of a randomized complete block, a completely randomized design, and possibly an incomplete block (or blocks) design. The proposed tests are compared to the Friedman test when just the randomized complete block portion of observations is kept. Two tests are also developed for the umbrella alternative with known turning point for a mixed design. The two proposed tests are compared to each other and a test just for the randomized complete block portion (Kim and Kim, 1992). Results are given.
The effects of novelty, isolation, light and ethanol on the social behavior of mice.

The social behavior of pairs of male NIH Swiss mice was assessed under a variety of experimental conditions. Increasing periods of isolation increased both the total time spent in social interaction and also increased the incidence of aggressive behavior. Familiarity with the testing arena tended to increase social behavior, but the magnitude of this effect was considerably less than that previously observed in rats. High light levels reduced social interaction. Ethanol (0.8–2.4 g/kg) caused a dose-related decrease in the total time spent in social interaction, a biphasic effect on aggressive behavior and a dose-related increase in locomotor activity. While the social interaction test in this form may not be a suitable model of anxiety in NIH Swiss mice, it should provide a useful method of assessing drug effects and investigating genetic influences on social and aggressive behavior.
Calculation of converged rovibrational energies and partition function for methane using vibrational-rotational configuration interaction

The rovibration partition function of CH4 was calculated in the temperature range of 100–1000 K using well-converged energy levels that were calculated by vibrational–rotational configuration interaction using the Watson Hamiltonian for total angular momenta J=0–50 and the MULTIMODE computer program. The configuration state functions are products of ground-state occupied and virtual modals obtained using the vibrational self-consistent field method. The Gilbert and Jordan potential energy surface was used for the calculations. The resulting partition function was used to test the harmonic oscillator approximation and the separable-rotation approximation. The harmonic oscillator, rigid-rotator approximation is in error by a factor of 2.3 at 300 K, but we also propose a separable-rotation approximation that is accurate within 2% from 100 to 1000 K.
Phytoplankton nutrient deficiency in lakes of the McMurdo dry valleys, Antarctica

SUMMARY 1. The influence of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment on phytoplankton photosynthesis was investigated in Lakes Bonney (east and west lobes), Hoare, Fryxell and Vanda, which lie in the ablation valleys adjacent to McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Bioassay experiments were conducted during the austral summer on phytoplankton populations just beneath the permanent ice cover in all lakes and on populations forming deep-chlorophyll maxima in the east and west lobes of Lake Bonney. 2. Phytoplankton photosynthesis in surface and mid-depth (13 m) samples from both lobes of Lake Bonney were stimulated significantly (P < 0.01) by phosphorus enrichment (2 μM) with further stimulation by simultaneous phosphorus plus NH4+ (20 μM) enrichment. Similar trends were observed in deeper waters (18 m) from the east lobe of Lake Bonney, although they were not statistically significant at P < 0.05. Photosynthesis in this lake was never enhanced by the addition of 20 μM NH4+ alone. Simultaneous addition of phosphorus plus nitrogen stimulated photosynthesis significantly (P < 0.01) in both Lake Hoare and Lake Fryxell. No nutrient response occurred in Lake Vanda, where activity in nutrient-enriched samples was below unamended controls; results from Lake Vanda are suspect owing to excessively long sample storage in the field resulting from logistic constraints. 3. Ambient dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) (NH4++ NO2−+ NO3−): soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) ratios partially support results from bioassay experiments indicating strong phosphorus deficiency in Lake Bonney and nitrogen deficiency in Lakes Hoare and Fryxell. DIN : SRP ratios also imply phosphorus deficiency in Lake Vanda, although not as strong as in Lake Bonney. Particulate carbon (PC): particulate nitrogen (PN) ratios all exceed published ratios for balanced phytoplankton growth, indicative of nitrogen deficiency. 4. Vertical nutrient profiles in concert with low advective flux, indicate that new (sensu Dugdale & Goering, 1967) phytoplankton production in these lakes is supported by upward diffusion of nutrients from deep nutrient pools. This contention was tested by computing upward DIN : SRP flux ratios across horizontal planes located immediately beneath each chlorophyll maximum and about 2 m beneath the ice (to examine flux to the phytoplankton immediately below the ice cover). These flux ratios further corroborated nutrient bioassay results and bulk DIN : SRP ratios indicating phosphorus deficiency in Lakes Bonney and Vanda and potential nitrogen deficiency in Lakes Hoare and Fryxell. 5. Neither biochemical reactions nor physical processes appear to be responsible for differences in nutrient deficiency among the study lakes. The differences may instead be related to conditions which existed before or during the evolution of the lakes.
Eight pairs of descending visual neurons in the dragonfly give wing motor centers accurate population vector of prey direction

Intercepting a moving object requires prediction of its future location. This complex task has been solved by dragonflies, who intercept their prey in midair with a 95% success rate. In this study, we show that a group of 16 neurons, called target-selective descending neurons (TSDNs), code a population vector that reflects the direction of the target with high accuracy and reliability across 360°. The TSDN spatial (receptive field) and temporal (latency) properties matched the area of the retina where the prey is focused and the reaction time, respectively, during predatory flights. The directional tuning curves and morphological traits (3D tracings) for each TSDN type were consistent among animals, but spike rates were not. Our results emphasize that a successful neural circuit for target tracking and interception can be achieved with few neurons and that in dragonflies this information is relayed from the brain to the wing motor centers in population vector form.
Advanced strand design for precision DC-field and ramp-field magnets

The use of the solid-solution alloy Cu-Mn as an interfilamentary matrix to eliminate proximity effect coupling in multifilamentary strands is discussed. Eddy current measurements indicate that the presence of Mn does little to increase the transverse resistivity of a fine-filament composite, which is controlled primarily by interfilamentary size effect. The introduction of Ni into the strand, either as a replacement filament or an electroplated coating, can compensate for superconductor magnetization and assist in eliminating axial-field distortions in magnets wound from that strand. >
Vibrational Spectroscopy of Biomembranes

Vibrational spectroscopy, commonly associated with IR absorption and Raman scattering, has provided a powerful approach for investigating interactions between biomolecules that make up cellular membranes. Because the IR and Raman signals arise from the intrinsic properties of these molecules, vibrational spectroscopy probes the delicate interactions that regulate biomembranes with minimal perturbation. Numerous innovative measurements, including nonlinear optical processes and confined bilayer assemblies, have provided new insights into membrane behavior. In this review, we highlight the use of vibrational spectroscopy to study lipid-lipid interactions. We also examine recent work in which vibrational measurements have been used to investigate the incorporation of peptides and proteins into lipid bilayers, and we discuss the interactions of small molecules and drugs with membrane structures. Emerging techniques and measurements on intact cellular membranes provide a prospective on the future of vibrational spectroscopic studies of biomembranes.
Ornamental grasses for Minnesota

Abstract One hundred and sixty-five (165) species and cultivars of ornamental grasses and grass-like plants were investigated to determine winter survival in USDA Zone 4a from 1987 to 1993 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chanhassen, MN. Eighty-five (85) entries survived and performed well all six years and are considered hardy under the conditions of the experiment. Additionally, 35 entries survived four or five of the six years and are considered marginally hardy. The remaining 45 entries survived no more than two winters and are not hardy in zone 4a. Hardiness varied within species of Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. and Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng..Saccharum ravennae (L.) Murray, synonym (Erianthus ravennae); Imperata cylindrica L. ‘Red Baron’; and Chasmanthium latifolium (Mic.)Yat. were not considered hardy. Some popular genera such as Calamagrostis, Deschampsia, Molinia, and Spodiopogon were reliably hardy throughout the years of the investigation.
The Influence of Meadow Moisture Levels on Activity of Small Mammal Nest Predators in the Sierra Nevada, California

Abstract High nest predation rates are one of the main sources of nesting failure in passerines. Mountain meadows in the Sierra Nevada have been intensively modified, reducing meadow wetness and potentially favoring easy access for mammalian predators to reach nesting areas in the meadow interior. We conducted mammal trapping in wet and dry areas of montane meadows during May through August of 2007 and 2008 to identify the assemblage of potential mammalian nest predators and determine the relationship between activity and meadow wetness. Chipmunk (Tamias spp.) activity was primarily restricted to dry areas. Activity of Yellow-pine Chipmunks (Tamias amoenus) was >90% higher in dry versus wet areas. Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were equally active in both site types in 2007, but declined and were only captured in wet areas in 2008. Overall activity was higher in 2007 and 2008 for both wet and dry areas (68% and 52%, respectively). Our results suggest that increasing the proportion of inundated areas i...
Derived data structure algorithms for unstructured finite element meshes

A set of derived data structure algorithms for unstructured finite element meshes is presented. Both serial and parallel algorithms are described for each data structure. Colouring groups for the elements are used to facilitate parallelization on shared memory architectures. Scaling studies indicate that the parallel algorithms are most efficient when the number of elements per processor is on the order of 106 or higher, and overall efficiencies of 60–70% are achieved down to 0.5×106 elements per processor. Although the meshes under consideration are tetrahedral, the algorithms are general in nature and can be extended to arbitrary element types with minimal effort. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
BER for multi-access UWB radio using pseudo-chaotic time hopping

Pseudo-chaotic time hopping (PCTH) is a recently proposed modulation scheme for UWB impulse radio. PCTH exploits concepts from symbolic dynamics to generate aperiodic spreading sequences. In this paper, we present a general analytical expression for the average bit error rate (BER) performance of a synchronous multi-access PCTH system as a function of the cross-correlation between the users' signatures in an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. Also, it is shown that with enough users an error floor in the BER can develop.