cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical conditionality: a genetic strategy to probe organelle assembly.

Summary The assembly of the Escherichia coli outer membrane (OM) is poorly understood. Although insight into fundamental cellular processes is often obtained from studying mutants, OM-defective mutants have not been very informative because they generally have nonspecific permeability defects. Here we show that toxic small molecules can be used in selections employing strains with permeability defects to create particular chemical conditions that demand specific suppressor mutations. Suppressor phenotypes are correlated with the physical properties of the small molecules, but the mutations are not in their target genes. Instead, mutations allow survival by partially restoring membrane impermeability. Using "chemical conditionality," we identified mutations in yfgL , and, here and in the accompanying paper by Wu et al. published in this issue of Cell (Wu et al., 2005), we show that YfgL is part of a multiprotein complex involved in the assembly of OM β barrel proteins. We posit that panels of toxic small molecules will be useful for generating chemical conditionalities that enable identification of genes required for organelle assembly in other organisms.
Forecasting the developing world

Abstract The accuracy of the forecasts for the developing world made by the International Monetary Fund from 1980 to 1988 is analyzed in this paper. The forecasts are for the growth in real output, exports and imports, the inflation rate, long-term debt, the current account balance and the ratio of reserves to imports. The developing world is divided into five regions, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere, and the forecasts are for each region. Overall the IMF's forecasts are inferior to those generated by a naive model, a simple random walk, although the differences are not usually significant. When allowance is made for changes in forecasting difficulty (measured by the performance of the naive model) the IMF's forecasting accuracy does not improve significantly over time and for somew series it deteriorates. The results suggest that there is no reason to prefer the IMF forecasts for the developing world over those that can be obtained by assuming a simple random walk.
Helium-cooled, FLiBe-breeder, beryllium-multiplier blanket for MINIMARS

We adapted the helium-cooled, FLiBe-breeder blanket to the commercial tandem-mirror fusion-reactor design, MINIMARS. Vanadium was used to achieve high performance from the high-energy-release neutron-capture reactions and from the high-temperature operation permitted by the refractory property of the material, which increases the conversion efficiency and decreases the helium-pumping power. Although this blanket had the highest performance among the MINIMARS blankets designs, measured by Mn/sub th/ (blanket energy multiplication times thermal conversion efficiency), it had a cost of electricity (COE) 18% higher than the University of Wisconsin (UW) blanket design (42.5 vs 35.9 mills/kW.h). This increased cost was due to using higher-cost blanket materials (beryllium and vanadium) and a thicker blanket, which resulted in higher-cost central-cell magnets and the need for more blanket materials. Apparently, the high efficiency does not substantially affect the COE. Therefore, in the future, we recommend lowering the helium temperature so that ferritic steel can be used. This will result in a lower-cost blanket, which may compensate for the lower performance resulting from lower efficiency.
Spectral entropy: an alternative indicator for rate allocation?

We introduce an approach to speech segment classification that differs from the usual energy, correlation, and zero-crossing criteria. Instead, we measure the gross shape of the short-term speech spectrum using spectral entropy to derive some indication of effective bandwidth. We propose to lower the required encoding rate by compensating for dynamic variations in signal bandwidth. We show that the spectral entropy can be used effectively to determine regions of voicing activity even in extreme background noise. >
Regulation of angiotensin II receptors in the medullary thick ascending limb.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is an important regulator of the function of medullary thick ascending limb of loop of Henle (MTAL). Recent studies showed that changes in Ang II receptor expression occur and underlie changes in the function of proximal tubules during altered sodium intake. The present experiment was designed to determine (1) whether expression of the type 1 Ang II (AT1) receptor in the MTAL is regulated by altered sodium intake, and (2) the specific pathway(s) mediating sodium-induced AT1 expression in the MTAL. Wistar rats were fed a normal sodium (0.5%, NS), low sodium (0.07%, LS), or high sodium (4%, HS) diet for 2 weeks. Northern blot analysis and radioligand binding showed that in rats fed a normal sodium diet the rank of order for both AT1 mRNA expression and receptor density was outer medulla > cortex > inner medulla. Sodium restriction significantly increased both AT1 mRNA expression and receptor density in the outer medulla. In contrast, neither AT1 mRNA expression nor receptor density in the outer medulla was altered by sodium loading. Losartan treatment (3 mg/kg/ per day by oral gavage for 2 weeks) prevented low sodium-induced upregulation of the AT1 receptor in the outer medulla, but it had no effect on AT1 expression in the outer medulla of rats fed a normal sodium diet. Highly purified suspensions of MTAL were isolated from rats fed a normal or low sodium diet. Low sodium intake significantly increased AT1 mRNA level by 184% and AT1 receptor density by 58% in MTALs. Primary cultures of MTAL cells were treated with PBS, Ang II (10-8M), and Ang II + 17 octadecynoic (17 ODYA, 10 μM). Ang II caused about 2-fold increase in AT1 mRNA levels, and this increase was diminished by about 30% by the addition of 17 ODYA. We conclude that (1) sodium restriction but not sodium loading increases AT1 receptor expression in the MTAL, (2) low sodium-induced upregulation of the AT1 receptor in the MTAL is Ang II-dependent, and (3) Ang II-induced upregulation of the AT1 receptor in the MTAL is mediated, at least in part, by cytochrome P450 pathways. (Mol Cell Biochem 212: 211–217, 2000)
A 5 Gb/s 16*16 Si-bipolar crosspoint switch

An experimental 16*16, nonblocking, asynchronous crosspoint switch with 5 Gb/s channel data rate is described. Implemented in a 0.8- mu m, double-poly, self-aligned Si-bipolar ECL (emitter coupled logic) technology, the 3*3 mm/sup 2/ chip with a multiplexer-type architecture and a three-device crosspoint cell features a data path delay of 420 ps and a set-up time of 1 ns, and dissipates about 4.6 W. Signal levels are ECL compatible. This crosspoint which supports selective or full broadcasting and a simple expansion mechanism. >
Commercially available avian and mammalian whole prey diet items targeted for consumption by managed exotic and domestic pet felines: macronutrient, mineral, and long-chain fatty acid composition.

Whole prey diets encourage species-typical behaviors making them popular in the zoo and home setting for captive exotic and domestic felids, respectively. We evaluated macronutrient, mineral, and long-chain fatty acid composition of 20 whole prey items: mice (1–2, 10–13, 21–25, 30–40, and 150–180 days of age); rats (1–4, 10–13, 21–25, 33–42, and >60 days of age); rabbits (still born, 30–45 days, >65 days with skin, and >65 days of age with skin removed); chicken (1–3 days of age, ground adult); duck (ground adult); and quail (1–3, 21–40, and >60 days of age). Composition of whole prey was highly variable (15–40% DM, 34–75% CP, 10–60% fat, and 8–18% ash). A majority of whole prey samples (15/20) had at least one mineral or fatty acid below AAFCO [2012] or NRC [2006] minimum recommended concentrations for domestic cats (K, Na, Cl, Mg, Cu, Mn, and/or Zn; total fat, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and/or EPA and DHA). These data identify potential nutrient deficiencies allowing for alterations in dietary formulation prior to long-term feeding. Zoo Biol. 33:327–335, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Distributed dominant pruning in ad hoc networks

Efficient routing among mobile hosts is an important function in ad hoc networks. Routing based on a connected dominating set is a promising approach, where the search space for a route is reduced to the hosts in the set. A set is dominating if all the hosts are either in the set or neighbors of hosts in the set. The efficiency of dominating-set-based routing mainly depends on the overhead introduced in the formation of the dominating set and the size of the dominating set. In this paper, we first review a distributed formation of a connected dominating set called marking process and dominating-set-based routing. Then a generalization of two existing rules (called rules 1 and 2). We prove that the vertex set derived by applying rule k is still a connected dominating set. When implemented with local neighborhood information. Rule k is more effective in reducing the dominating set derived from the marking process than the combination of rules 1 and 2, and has the same communication complexity and less computation complexity. Simulation results confirm that rule k outperforms rules 1 and 2, especially in relatively dense networks with unidirectional links.
Relationship between body lipids and resistance to acute cold exposure in mice: Effect of dietary saturated and unsarurated fat

Abstract 1. 1. The effect of dietary saturated and unsaturated fat on the relationship of body lipids and tolerance to acute cold exposure was investigated. 2. 2. Male, Swiss-Webster mice were fed rat chow or rat chow with 10% supplements of tripalmitin or safflower oil from weaning (21 days) to 48 days of age. 3. 3. Animals were evaluated for their tolerance to cold by measuring their colonic temperature after 30 min of exposure to intense cold (−22 °C). The mice were immediately sacrificed and total body lipids extracted. 4. 4. The colonic temperature varied directly with lipid index after cold exposure only when mice were fed a diet supplemented with unsaturated fat. 5. 5. The ability to tolerate acute cold exposure is not related to lipid index when mice are fed saturated fat as dietary supplement. 6. 6. In all dietary groups the dry, fat-free weight was a reliable index for predicting the ability of mice to tolerate intense cold.
Does Content Matter? Analyzing the Change in Global Awareness Between Business- and Nonbusiness-Focused Short-Term Study Abroad Courses

Business schools have long sought to increase students’ global awareness. Short-term study abroad (STSA) experiences are becoming increasingly popular ways of generating awareness. While a handful of studies have found evidence of efficacy, none have specifically tested how courses with business content differ from other STSAs. Using a longitudinal data set, we find that all courses, regardless of content, increase students’ general awareness, awareness of global interdependence, and language exposure. However, for students with lower levels of global awareness to start with, business programs appear to be more effective in imparting awareness of global interdependence than nonbusiness programs.
Solubilization of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase from bovine brain without detergents

Abstract The enzyme in brain that hydrolyzes 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotides to the 2′-mononucleotides has been found by several authors to be concentrated in the myelin fraction. To facilitate further study of the enzyme, one of our objectives has been to develop a method of solubilizing the enzyme without the use of detergents. When an acetone powder from brain white matter is homogenized with 1 M guanidinium chloride in 0.2 M buffer at pH 6, 10 −3 M in EDTA and in dithiothreitol, the enzyme is solubilized. If the guanidinium chloride is removed by dialysis in a single step, the enzyme reprecipitates, but if a fractional precipitation is performed by reducing the guanidinium chloride concentration by dilution, the enzyme remains in solution at 0.2 M guanidinium chloride. The precipitates obtained in this fractionation probably contain constituents which, at low salt concentration, formed a part of an insoluble aggregate, since after removal of the pellet the supernatant solution can be dialyzed free of guanidinium chloride without precipitating the enzymic activity. The enzyme thus prepared remains in the supernatant when centrifuged at 108,000 × g for 3 h and can be submitted to (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fractionation and chromatography on carboxymethyl-Sephadex and on hydroxylapatite. The enzyme has thereby been purified 200-fold in about 20% yield.
A coding-independent function of gene and pseudogene mRNAs regulates tumour biology

The canonical role of messenger RNA (mRNA) is to deliver protein-coding information to sites of protein synthesis. However, given that microRNAs bind to RNAs, we hypothesized that RNAs could possess a regulatory role that relies on their ability to compete for microRNA binding, independently of their protein-coding function. As a model for the protein-coding-independent role of RNAs, we describe the functional relationship between the mRNAs produced by the PTEN tumour suppressor gene and its pseudogene PTENP1 and the critical consequences of this interaction. We find that PTENP1 is biologically active as it can regulate cellular levels of PTEN and exert a growth-suppressive role. We also show that the PTENP1 locus is selectively lost in human cancer. We extended our analysis to other cancer-related genes that possess pseudogenes, such as oncogenic KRAS. We also demonstrate that the transcripts of protein-coding genes such as PTEN are biologically active. These findings attribute a novel biological role to expressed pseudogenes, as they can regulate coding gene expression, and reveal a non-coding function for mRNAs.
What Are Mathematical Coincidences (and Why Does It Matter)

Although all mathematical truths are necessary, mathematicians take certain combinations of mathematical truths to be ‘coincidental’, ‘accidental’, or ‘fortuitous’. The notion of a ‘mathematical coincidence’ has so far failed to receive sufficient attention from philosophers. I argue that a mathematical coincidence is not merely an unforeseen or surprising mathematical result, and that being a misleading combination of mathematical facts is neither necessary nor sufficient for qualifying as a mathematical coincidence. I argue that although the components of a mathematical coincidence may possess a common explainer, they have no common explanation; that two mathematical facts have a unified explanation makes their truth non-coincidental. I suggest that any motivation we may have for thinking that there are mathematical coincidences should also motivate us to think that there are mathematical explanations, since the notion of a mathematical coincidence can be understood only in terms of the notion of a mathematical explanation. I also argue that the notion of a mathematical coincidence plays an important role in scientific explanation. When two phenomenological laws of nature are similar, despite concerning physically distinct processes, it may be that any correct scientific explanation of their similarity proceeds by revealing their similarity to be no mathematical coincidence.
Modeling Sorbent Injection for Mercury Control in Baghouse Filters: II—Pilot-Scale Studies and Model Evaluation

Activated carbon injection for Hg control in a 500-lb/hr pilot-scale coal-fired furnace equipped with a fabric filter for particulate control was evaluated at different operating conditions. The pilot-scale tests showed that Hg removal was improved at lower temperatures and higher C/Hg ratios. The two-stage mathematical model developed to describe Hg removal using powdered activated carbon injection upstream of a baghouse filter was used to obtain Langmuir isotherm parameters as a function of temperature by fitting the model to a subset of experimental data. The predictive capability of the model was then tested by comparing model calculations with additional experimental data from this system obtained using different operating temperatures and sorbent to Hg ratios. Model predictions were in good agreement with experimentally measured Hg removal efficiency. Based on the model predictions, Hg removal in the duct appears to be limited and higher C/Hg ratio, lower operating temperature, and longer cleaning cycle of the baghouse filter should be utilized to achieve higher Hg removal in this system.
Condensed-matter physics: Picking up fine vibrations

Femtosecond pulses from X-ray free-electron lasers offer a powerful method for studying charged collective excitations in materials, and provide a potential route to identifying bosonic quasiparticles in condensed-matter systems.
A computerized system for ECG monitoring.

Abstract An on-line, real-time, interactive computerized ECG monitoring system has been developed that detects and quantifies heart rate, ventricular premature contractions, and atrial premature contractions. Over several months more than 50 patients were monitored by this computer system. Five-hundred waves of each of eight patients with varying arrhythmias were analyzed in detail by the computer as well as by a cardiologist. Of those 4000 waves analyzed, including 164 ventricular premature contractions (VPC's), no false positives or false negatives were detected. Characterization of each of those 4000 waves in terms of first derivative and second derivative indicates that those two parameters may be necessary and sufficient as VPC detection criteria as well as a useful new method of characterizing cardiac rhythms.
Cell Biology Education

We have not been very systematic about our quest to improve teaching, even though we value it highly and frequently do well at it. I am struck, for example, by the lack of conversation about what pedagogy means, and what makes it successful. It is our profession, yet it is mysteriously absent from our professional discourse. Here we are, engaged in an activity that is vital to ourselves, our students, and our public—yet we speak of how to do it, if at all, as though it had no data base, lacked a history, and offered no innovative challenges. (Donald Kennedy, 1990, Stanford President’s Address: Stanford in Its Second Century)
Regeneration Characteristics of Diesel Particulate Filters Under Transient Exhaust Conditions

Particulate emissions from diesel engines, which have hazardous effects on living beings and environment, can be controlled by employing diesel particulate filters (DPFs). The DPF cleans the exhaust by physical trapping of the particulates. A major challenge in developing a DPF with wider applications is its lower durability. The filter durability may be increased by careful design of regeneration (soot oxidation) strategies. The regeneration characteristics of a DPF under steady state conditions are well known. However, during a typical driving cycle, a DPF is subjected to highly transient conditions due to changes in driving modes. These transients result in fluctuations of exhaust flow rate, gas composition and temperature. Such modulating exhaust conditions make the DPF performance and regeneration characteristics differ significantly from that under steady state conditions. The objective of this paper is to investigate the thermal and catalytic regeneration characteristics of DPF under transient exhaust conditions. In this work, a computational investigation is conducted to determine the effect of temperature and exhaust flow modulations on a DPF. The paper contributes to a better fundamental understanding of the filter’s performance under transient driving conditions.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
A safe and effective method for converting cancer patients from intravenous to transdermal fentanyl

Background Therapeutic fentanyl blood levels are reached approximately 12-16 hours after the initial application of transdermal fentanyl patches. For this reason, fentanyl patches should not be used to treat acute exacerbations of cancer pain. Acute cancer-related pain can be treated with fentanyl administered by continuous intravenous infusion (CII) in combination with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Patients then can be switched from intravenous (IV) to transdermal fentanyl once stable pain relief has been achieved. The objective of the current case series was to evaluate and describe the safety and effectiveness of a method for converting hospitalized patients with cancer-related pain from IV to transdermal fentanyl. Methods The authors prospectively evaluated 15 consecutive cancer patients during the conversion from IV to transdermal fentanyl. In all patients, a transdermal patch delivering fentanyl at a rate equivalent to that of the final continuous IV infusion was applied. The CII rate was decreased by 50% 6 hours after application of the fentanyl patch and then discontinued after another 6 hours. Demand boluses of IV fentanyl equivalent in dosage to 50-100% of the final CII rate remained available via PCA during the 24 hours after patch application. Pain intensity (on a scale of 0-10), sedation (on a scale of 0-3), and hourly PCA administration (microg/hr) were assessed and recorded immediately prior to application of the fentanyl patch and 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours thereafter. Results Pain intensity, sedation, and hourly PCA administration appeared to remain stable throughout the transition from IV to transdermal fentanyl. Conclusions The results of the current study demonstrate that the conversion from IV to transdermal fentanyl can be accomplished safely and effectively using a 1:1 (IV:transdermal) conversion ratio and a two-step taper of the CII over 12 hours.
A control region in the center of the 5S RNA gene directs specific initiation of transcription: II. The 3′ border of the region

Abstract The 5S ribosomal RNA gene of Xenopus contains a region within the gene that directs the initiation of 5S RNA synthesis. This result was obtained by enzymatically deleting a fragment of X. borealis somatic 5S DNA from the 5′ side of the gene and cloning the resultant mutants. These deletion mutants were tested for their ability to support 5S RNA transcription in an oocyte nuclear extract. Mutants lacking the entire 5′ flanking region synthesized 5S RNA or slightly smaller RNAs that were initiated a few nucleotides into the gene. Mutants deleted as far as 50 nucleotides into the gene synthesized discrete RNAs of 116–121 nucleotides. These RNAs were fused transcripts that were initiated in the plasmid vector, transcribed through the remainder of the 5S RNA gene and terminated at the end of the gene. Mutants deleted 55 or more nucleotides into the gene synthesized little or no 5S size RNA. When additional nucleotides were inserted between nucleotides +40 and +41 of the gene, discrete transcripts of approximately 120 nucleotides were synthesized that had initiated within the gene. We conclude that a control region within the gene directs RNA polymerase III to initiate transcription approximately 50 nucleotides upstream from the 5′ border of this region. The 3′ border of the control region resides between gene residues +80 and +83 as determined in work described in the accompanying paper (Bogenhagen, Sakonju and Brown, 1980). When this control region is present, the exact site of initiation is determined by the sequence around the start site.
Coronary Angiography Using Noninvasive Imaging Techniques of Cardiac CT and MRI

Noninvasive coronary angiography has become an important imaging tool in the evaluation of patients with and at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). Multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography offers excellent negative predictive value (≥95%) for the absence of coronary artery disease and has shown promising results in evaluating allograft vasculopathy, bypass grafts, and degenerative aortic valve disease. A single MDCT scan in the emergency department is valuable in ruling out both cardiac and noncardiac causes of acute chest pain. Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) currently lacks the spatial resolution of MDCT limiting its assessment of the coronary vasculature, but the proximal coronary arteries can be evaluated along with myocardial function and viability without exposure to contrast dye or ionizing radiation. In addition, MR imaging also has great potential for characterizing coronary plaques, as well as following their progression and regression.
Posthodiplostomum minimum: Examination of cyst wall and metacercaria containing calcarious concretions with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis

Abstract Scanning electron micrographs show a smoothly fibrous structure of the cyst wall of the trematode Posthodiplostomum minimum, whereas the enclosed metacercaria posses a porous and papillate surface with occasional spines. Numerous excretory concretions fill the body of the metacercaria. The concretions appear layered from a central core and show an abundance of calcium, and, in some cases, magnesium.
Effects of chronic human activities on invasion of longleaf pine forests by sand pine.

Chronic human activities may result in new and permanent successional trajectories in certain ecosystems. The invasion of longleaf pine ecosystems by sand pine in the Florida Panhandle is one such change in the landscape. This study examined the spatial pattern of sand pine expansion and explored the natural and anthropogenic disturbances that fostered this invasion. Aerial photographs (1949, 1994) and Geographic Information Systems analyses confirmed sand pine expansion at Eglin Air Force Base. In 1949, there were 8,982 ha of sand pine in the southern portion of the study area near riparian and coastal lowland forests. By 1994, sand pine had expanded further upland and inland, for a total of 17,147 ha in the study area. Sand pine age data showed that this expansion had started by 1920 but increased rapidly in the 1940s. Historical accounts and structural data from stands suggest that land-use activities associated with the extraction of turpentine promoted the invasion by sand pine. Fires were suppressed in longleaf pine forests to protect turpentine trees, resulting in increased vegetation cover and decreased regeneration of longleaf pine. In addition, stands were typically harvested after turpentining, and there was little or no advanced regeneration of longleaf pine. Sand pine age histograms showed that the onset of high establishment rates (1940s) coincided with changes in land ownership and widespread fire suppression. Sand pine is likely to persist in these ecosystems due to its abundant regeneration.
Inhibition of Sphingomyelin Synthesis Reduces Atherogenesis in Apolipoprotein E–Knockout Mice

Background— In clinical studies, sphingomyelin (SM) plasma levels correlated with the occurrence of coronary heart disease independently of plasma cholesterol levels. We hypothesized that inhibition of SM synthesis would have antiatherogenic effects. To test this hypothesis, apolipoprotein E (apoE)–knockout (KO) mice were treated with myriocin, a potent inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme in SM biosynthesis. Methods and Results— Diet-admix treatment of apoE-KO mice with myriocin in Western diet for 12 weeks lowered SM and sphinganine plasma levels. Decreases in sphinganine and SM concentrations were also observed in the liver and aorta of myriocin-treated animals compared with controls. Inhibition of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis reduced total cholesterol and triglyceride plasma levels. Cholesterol distribution in lipoproteins demonstrated a decrease in β-VLDL and LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Oil red O staining of total aortas demonstrated reductio...
Immediate visual memory as a function of epileptic seizure type

Summary Following administration of the Bender-Gestalt test, outpatient epileptics classified according to seizure type, were asked to draw as many figures as they could recall. Poorest recall occurred in the group with Grand Mal and Psychomotor seizures combined. This result was not influenced by lateralizable EEG abnormality, multiple seizure types, per se, or continuing occurrence of Grand Mal seizures. Examination of order of figures recalled revealed that this group was just somewhat qualitatively dissimilar to the other seizure type groups under investigation. Finally, the correlation between total recall score and IQ was considerably lower in this group compared to the other large seizure type groups. It was concluded that the Psychomotor element was the more crucial component in the Grand Mal + Psychomotor combination contributing to the short-term visual memory deficit of this group relative to groups of epileptics with other seizure types. Methodological variables which could influence the results were discussed.
The effect of social support on fraud victims' reporting behavior: A research note

Little effort has been made to understand white-collar crime victims, and little is known about the factors that influence reporting behavior among these victims. In this paper we use the concept of social support to explain responses to fraud, one form of white-collar crime. Results show that social support in the form of information from others influences whether fraud victims report their victimizations. Fraud victims' responses parallel those of street crime victims in that both types of victims respond according to the direction of social support they receive from family and friends.
Interaction between Net Shortwave Flux and Sea Surface Temperature

Abstract Ocean surface shortwave irradiance estimates, From GOES satellite data computed using the model of Gautier and Frouin (1985), are compared to in situ measurements from research vessels and buoys during the frontal air-sea interaction experiment (FASINEX). They reveal that the satellite method overestimates percentage cloudiness during fractional cloud cover and large satellite viewing angles. An empirical relationship, based on physical constraints, is developed to correct for the overestimation of percentage cloud cover under these conditions. Subsequent comparisons of the corrected satellite estimates with in situ measurements show a root-mean-square difference of 10% of the daily mean values, with a mean difference between satellite and in situ data of 1–10 W m−2. From fields of corrected satellite estimates a cloudiness parameter, called the equivalent cloud amount, is used to examine the influences and feedbacks between the clouds and the sea surface temperatures (SST's). Correlations betwee...
Intraaortic Balloon Counterpulsation in a Community Hospital

Our experience with intraaortic balloon counterpulsation in 41 patients documents the feasibility of a coordinated aggressive therapeutic approach in patients with potentially fatal complications of coronary artery disease. The use of intraaortic balloon pump in a noncardiac surgical center has allowed hemodynamic support in the critically ill, safety in angiography, appropriate selection of patients for surgery, and safe transportation to a cardiac surgery center when indicated.
Iterative Regularization and Nonlinear Inverse Scale Space Applied to Wavelet-Based Denoising

In this paper, we generalize the iterative regularization method and the inverse scale space method, recently developed for total-variation (TV) based image restoration, to wavelet-based image restoration. This continues our earlier joint work with others where we applied these techniques to variational-based image restoration, obtaining significant improvement over the Rudin-Osher-Fatemi TV-based restoration. Here, we apply these techniques to soft shrinkage and obtain the somewhat surprising result that a) the iterative procedure applied to soft shrinkage gives firm shrinkage and converges to hard shrinkage and b) that these procedures enhance the noise-removal capability both theoretically, in the sense of generalized Bregman distance, and for some examples, experimentally, in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio, leaving less signal in the residual
An XPS study of the water adsorption/desorption characteristics of transition metal oxide surfaces: microelectronic implications

Abstract Previous studies have shown that transition metals such as iron, nickel and cobalt readily diffuse through gold via a grain boundary mechanism when bilayer films are heated to as little as 150°C in an oxidizing atmosphere. In gold/Kovar microelectronic package components, this diffusion converts the gold surface, which is normally inactive with respect to water adsorption, into a mixed transition metal oxide surface which very actively adsorbs water. The water adsorption/desorption characteristics have been studied via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for iron, cobalt and nickel surfaces prepared via thin film techniques. Curve resolving procedures have been employed on the O(1s) photoelectron line to monitor the adsorption/desorption of water to/from the surfaces. Variable angle studies have been employed to determine the thickness of the adsorbed water layer. Data for delidded microelectronic package indicate that package from completed devices may contain varying amounts of transition metal oxides which can adsorb varying amounts of water.
Psychophysical maps for subadditive dissimilarity ratings

Earlier findings on pairwise dissimilarity ratings of “flat” rectangles (Schonernann, Dorcey, & Kienapple, 1985) were replicated with a larger stimulus set, which included squares and “tall” rectangles. The data were again strongly subadditive and indicated systematic individual differences in judgment strategies. A metric for bounded response scales (MBR)with slightly reduced upper bound gave the best fit among several negatively accelerated response functions that might account for the subadditivity. Simple four-parameter psychophysical maps of the general formd=9 tanh (Σ k a k x k ),k=1,4 (where thex k are simple functions of physical height and width, and thea k parameters are of the order of .2)reproduced the 120 average ratings within each strategy group with squared etas in the high 90s. These results suggest that subjects use simple composition rules for rating dissimilarities of rectangles. The judgments can be explained without appeal to any global internal spatial representation of the stimuli solely in terms of the constraints of the pairwise rating task. (In an Appendix, the MBR is generalized tom>2 dimensions.)
Five-level sub-axial cervical vertebrectomy and reconstruction: technical report

Purpose Regardless of the etiology, severe cervical deformities can be extremely debilitating and are a challenge to correct. Often a multi-modality team approach is required to safely and effectively reduce the deformity, provide adequate decompression, and ensure solid fixation and fusion. In cases of iatrogenic cervical deformity necessitating five-level corpectomy and fixation, the feasibility, safety, and durability of this procedure remains unknown.
Acute inhibition of somatotroph response to human growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44 occurs following three hours but not one hour of growth hormone infusion.

Abstract Our previous studies have demonstrated that a short-term (three hour) infusion of methionyl human growth hormone (met-hGH, 2 μg/kg/h) is associated with a rise in serum concentrations of free fatty acids and glycerol, and a blunting of somatotroph response to human growth hormone releasing hormone 1–44 (GRH) in normal volunteers. To gain more information on the time course of this blunting, and to determine whether it could be temporally dissociated from the GH-induced rise in serum concentrations of lipolytic products, the response to GRH (0.3 μg/kg) was measured in five normal adult volunteers from hours 1.0 to 3.5 of a 3.5-hour infusion of saline or met-hGH 2 μg/kg/h. Somatotroph response to the same dose of GRH from hours 3.0 to 5.5 of a longer (5.5-hour) infusion of saline or met-hGH (2 μg/kg/h) in five other volunteers was used for comparison. There was a significant blunting of somatotroph response following three hours, but not one hour of met-hGH infusion. The longer infusion was associated with a significant rise in serum concentrations of free fatty acids, and the shorter met-hGH infusion was too brief to provoke such a rise. Neither met-hGH infusion was associated with a significant rise in serum concentrations of glycerol, insulin, glucose, or insulin-like growth factors (IGF). This study provides further evidence that there is an association between circulating FFA and somatotroph function and suggests that FFA may act as messengers, which provide information to central systems regarding the energy balance of the organism.
An elicitor in caterpillar oral secretions that induces corn seedlings to emit chemical signals attractive to parasitic wasps

Regurgitate of corn-fed beet armyworm (BAW) caterpillars,Spodoptera exigua, when applied to damaged sites of corn (Zea mays) seedlings, causes the release of relatively large amounts of terpenes by the seedlings several hours later. This plant response could be induced by merely placing the cut stem of seedlings in a solution of BAW regurgitate for 12 hr, a response that could not be induced by placing seedlings in water only. Regurgitate of BAW fed various diets, including a minimal diet of filter paper, were all active. However, seedlings placed in corn leaf juice, BAW hemolymph, or BAW feces extract released significantly smaller amounts of terpenes than did seedlings placed in BAW regurgitate. These results indicate that the active components are present in relatively large concentrations in regurgitate and that they are not related to the food source. Furthermore, regurgitate from several other species of caterpillars (Spodoptera frugiperda, Helicoverpa zea,Trichoplusia ni, andAnticarsia gemmatalis) as well as from the grasshopperSchistocerca americana induced the release of significant amounts of terpenes in corn seedlings. The release of these volatiles, therefore, appears to be a general response to attack by phytophagous insects. The terpene-releasing corn seedlings were highly attractive to the generalist parasitoidCotesia marginiventris and to the specialized parasitoidMicroplitis croceipes. This study confirms a systemic herbivore-elicited release of terpenes in corn. It is proposed that such chemicals serve multifunctional purposes that directly and indirectly protect plants against herbivorous arthropods and pathogens.
Acinar Cell Apoptosis in Serpini2-Deficient Mice Models Pancreatic Insufficiency

Pancreatic insufficiency (PI) when left untreated results in a state of malnutrition due to an inability to absorb nutrients. Frequently, PI is diagnosed as part of a larger clinical presentation in cystic fibrosis or Shwachman–Diamond syndrome. In this study, a mouse model for isolated exocrine PI was identified in a mouse line generated by a transgene insertion. The trait is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, and homozygous animals are growth retarded, have abnormal immunity, and have reduced life span. Mice with the disease locus, named pequeno (pq), exhibit progressive apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells with severe exocrine acinar cell loss by 8 wk of age, while the islets and ductal tissue persist. The mutation in pq/pq mice results from a random transgene insertion. Molecular characterization of the transgene insertion site by fluorescent in situ hybridization and genomic deletion mapping identified an approximately 210-kb deletion on Chromosome 3, deleting two genes. One of these genes, Serpini2, encodes a protein that is a member of the serpin family of protease inhibitors. Reintroduction of only the Serpini2 gene by bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic complementation corrected the acinar cell defect as well as body weight and immune phenotypes, showing that deletion of Serpini2 causes the pequeno phenotype. Dietary supplementation of pancreatic enzymes also corrected body size, body weight, and immunodeficiency, and increased the life span of Serpini2-deficient mice, despite continued acinar cell loss. To our knowledge, this study describes the first characterized genetic animal model for isolated PI. Genetic complementation of the transgene insertion mutant demonstrates that Serpini2 deficiency directly results in the acinar cell apoptosis, malabsorption, and malnutrition observed in pq/pq mice. The rescue of growth retardation, immunodeficiency, and mortality by either Serpini2 bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic expression or by pancreatic enzyme supplementation demonstrates that these phenotypes are secondary to malnutrition in pq/pq mice.
Precision Insolation Measurement Under Field Conditions

The paper describes a precision insolation instrument - the Mark 3 Kendall Radiometer - developed for field survey work and for use as a calibration transfer standard. The instrument, which can be used to make accurate measurements of solar irradiance, has a windowless black cavity receptor mounted in a massive heat sink and has equal sensitivity to ultraviolet, infrared, and visible radiation. Attention is given to a calibration stability analysis over two years of operation.
Aversion to One Risk In the Presence of Others

The more risk-averse of two individuals need not have the smaller certainty equivalent for a risk \~x if another risk or combination of risks w is present. It is shown that he must, however, if either individual's conditional certainty equivalent for x is increasing in w. For independent risks, this condition follows immediately if either individual is decreasingly risk-averse, giving a natural proof of a known result. Another short proof of this result and necessary and sufficient conditions in the independent case are give. For multivariate utilities, the corresponding results do not hold, but it is proved simply that any mixture of decreasingly risk-averse utilities is decreasingly risk-averse. Also touched upon are risk aversion's relation to generalized means, concave composition, risk sharing, and interest rates, the application of the results to discounting under uncertainty and selection of investment level, and their connection to singly crossing distributions, noise, and dominance.
Quick-and-Dirty CAM Searching for Chronic Pain Sufferers

Chronic pain sufferers have high levels of interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) information. Familiarity with reliable resources facilitates the interaction between the librarian and the consumer. The goal is to get a reliable document as soon as possible. Performing quick-and-dirty searches is the key. Additional searching can be performed while the consumer scans the first document. This article looks at MedlinePlus and NCCAM as the leaders in reliable CAM information. The National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium, American Chronic Pain Association, and the American Pain Foundation offer additional information. Natural Standard, a subscription database, is a valuable tool for traditional uses of CAM.
Integrating Humor Into Psychotherapy: Research, Theory, and the Necessary Conditions for the Presence of Therapeutic Humor in Helping Relationships

Although humor is a key element of all social interactions and is frequently present in the psychotherapy process, rarely do therapists consciously and purposely use humor with therapeutic intent. Each theoretical orientation helps clients change emotions, behaviors, and/or cognitions. Humorous interventions can activate change in each of these central areas of human experience. A key unanswered question is how therapeutic humor is generated. This question has been virtually ignored. Unless people specify the elements that facilitate the creation of therapeutic humor, they cannot train practitioners to be therapeutic in their use of humor. Using Carl Rogers' (1957) “necessary and sufficient conditions” as a central theme, this article addresses the nature of the practitioner that is necessary for therapeutic humor to be communicated to the client. It further describes the qualities of the client/receiver of the humor that are necessary for therapeutic humor to be experienced, and, finally, it specifies th...
Large anisotropic critical magnetization currents in single-crystal Y Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ

Magnetization measurements on single crystals of $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ show strong anisotropic flux pinning with critical magnetization current densities of 1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{6}$ A/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The critical magnetization currents fall sharply with temperature in both single-crystal and polycrystalline samples. The high critical magnetization current densities can be reduced by nearly two orders of magnitude by annealing.
Transrectal repair of rectocele using obliterative suture

Rectocele is a condition that can be repaired transrectally with an obliterative suture technique. The obliterative suture is essentially a tightly drawn continuous lock-stitch suture that strangulates the tissues contained in the suture line, and causes them to slough, yet approximates the tissues at the base of the suture line, the submucosa, and muscularis layers and allows them to heal rapidly. This technique is bloodless, easy to perform, and effective as far as cure and relief of symptoms. The time required for repair of the rectocele is approximately 6 minutes. The presence of a rectocele should be sought for routinely in every proctologic examination in the female. If anorectal surgery is to be performed, the rectocele should be repaired coincidentally, even if the rectocele is asymptomatic. If the rectocele is symptomatic, it should be repaired even if no other anorectal procedure is contemplated. The transrectal obliterative suture technique appears to have advantages over the vaginal or other transrectal techniques and is the method of choice for the repair of rectocele.
Using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement to assess reporting of observational trials in hand surgery.

Purpose To use the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement checklist to critically evaluate the change in quality of observational trial reporting in the Journal of Hand Surgery American between 2005 and 2011. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of observational studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery American was designed to sample 2 6-month periods of publication (March 2005 to August 2005 and June 2011 to November 2011). Fifty-one items were extracted from the STROBE statement for evaluation. Overall STROBE compliance rates for articles and specific checklist items were determined. Final compliance percentages from each period were compared by Student t -testing. Changes in item compliance over time were quantified. Results Overall compliance with the STROBE statement was 38% (range, 10%–54%) in 2005 and 58% (range, 39%–85%) for 2011 manuscripts representing a significant improvement. Seventy-five percent or greater of articles (2005/2011) provided the explicit reporting of background (100%/97%), follow-up time (85%/94%), overall interpretation of data (100%/94%), and results of similar studies (95%/89%). Twenty-five percent or less of articles provided the study design in the abstract (10%/20%), a clear description of the study's setting (10%/23%), the handling of missing data (0%/6%), the potential directions of bias (5%/11%), and the use of a power analysis (0%/17%). Eighty-six percent (44/51) of items were more frequently satisfied in 2011 articles than in 2005 publications. Absolute increases in compliance rates of 40% or greater were noted in 10 items (20%) with no worsening in compliance for an individual item over 6%. Conclusions The overall quality of the reporting of observational trials in the Journal of Hand Surgery American improved from 2005 to 2011. Current observational trials in hand surgery could still benefit from increased reporting of methodological details including the use of power analyses, the handling of missing data, and consideration of potential bias. Level of evidence Diagnostic III.