cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 11 – Curve Fitting

In many applications it is possible to devise a model to explain a data set, but the model has parameters that must be estimated from observed data. Such a problem is an example of curve fitting. In this chapter we show how least-squares regression models can be used to estimate the coefficients of a variety of models including simple linear models, polynomials, power laws, and exponential models. An illustration of the construction of a linear model is presented based on the modeling of the outcome of sporting events, before turning to examples of radioactive decay, and frequency distributions of the vocabulary in Moby Dick. The considerations of model accuracy, variable selection, coefficient interpretation is discussed throughout.
Filter Assignment Policy Against Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a cyber-attack in which the attacker sends out a huge number of requests to exhaust the capacity of a server, so that it can no longer serve incoming requests and DoS occurs. The most devastating distributed DoS attack is performed by malicious programs called bots. With the help of a special type of router called filter router, the victim can protect itself and reduce useless congestion in the network. A server can send out filters to filter routers for blocking attack traffic. The victim needs to select a subset of filter routers wisely to minimize attack traffic and blockage of legitimate users (LUs). In this paper, we formulate two problems for selecting filter routers given a constraint on the number of filters. The first problem considers the source-based filter and we provide greedy approximation solutions. The second problem considers the destination-based filter and how to minimize total amount of attack traffic and blocked LUs. We propose a dynamic programming solution for the second problem. We present simulation results comparing the proposed solutions with a naive approach. Our simulation results strengthen support for our solutions.
Education is a Complex Dynamical System: Challenges for Research

The complex dynamical systems (CDS) approach consists of a family of theories emanating largely from the exact sciences. These theories share a common focus on the behavior of systems and their int...
Friends of the Emir: Non-Muslim State Officials in Premodern Islamic Thought

The caliphs and sultans who once ruled the Muslim world were often assisted by powerful Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, and other non-Muslim state officials, whose employment occasioned energetic discussions among Muslim scholars and rulers. This book reveals those discussions for the first time in all their diversity, drawing on unexplored medieval sources in the realms of law, history, poetry, entertaining literature, administration, and polemic. It follows the discourse on non-Muslim officials from its beginnings in the Umayyad empire (661–750), through medieval Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Spain, to its apex in the Mamluk period (1250–1517). Far from being an intrinsic part of Islam, views about non-Muslim state officials were devised, transmitted, and elaborated at moments of intense competition between Muslim and non-Muslim learned elites. At other times, Muslim rulers employed non-Muslims without eliciting opposition. The particular shape of the Islamic discourse on this issue is comparable to analogous discourses in medieval Europe and China.
Navigating the Social Landscape: A Rationale and Method for Interpersonal Group Therapy with Pre-adolescent Boys

Discussion of theoretical rationale, form and content of therapy groups for pre-adolescent boys emphasizing practice in interpersonal competence in addition to teaching social skills. Members' individual developmental stage, group development, and the construction of social order by children inform the structuring of group and the evaluation of members' progress. Roles and responsibilities of group members, parents or guardians, and therapist(s) as the treatment team are described as essential components for efficacy.
The stock market’s reaction to macroeconomic news under ambiguity

We investigate the quality of the information that macroeconomic news conveys to the stock market about future business conditions. Our econometric approach is consistent with the decision problem of an investor concerned with ambiguity, which allows us to recover a theoretically motivated and empirically tractable proxy of time-varying ambiguity in the stock market. We find the stock market reacts more strongly to negative rather than positive real and monetary macroeconomic news, which is consistent with the predictions of the ambiguity literature. Further, the indirect effect of ambiguous news on investors’ loss of confidence in the signal can contribute up to 80% of the stock market’s reaction. Our findings offer a potential explanation for the weak results of the prior early literature using low-frequency data; they also offer an alternative explanation for the apparent counterintuitive results of the more recent literature using high-frequency data.
Salmonella Presence on Hides, Carcasses and in Lymph Nodes in Beef Cattle Fed Palm Kernel Meal and Poultry Litter Based Diets in Honduras During Dry and Rainy Seasons

ObjectivesThe effect of dietary poultry litter inclusions on the presence of Salmonella in the hides, carcass, and lymph nodes of beef cattle fed palm kernel meal-based diet during dry and rain seasons in Honduras were evaluated.Materials and MethodsBeef cattle (n = 149 and 290 for dry and rain seasons, respectively) from the southeast, northeast, central, and northwest regions of Honduras were studied. Diets contained 0, 8, 10, or 19.9% (DM basis) inclusion of poultry litter, as well as 17, 20, 15, 20.4, and 30.9% of palm kernel meal. Swab samples of hides, carcasses at pre and post-evisceration phase, and subiliac lymph nodes were collected from each of 439 animals at abattoir located in Honduras. Hides and carcasses samples were obtained using pre-hydrated sponges. The lymph nodes were collected by cutting from the flank region. Depending on the type of sample conventional methods (hides), immunomagnetic separation (lymph nodes), and a commercial PCR assay BAX/GeneDisc (carcasses at pre and post- evisceration) were used to detect Salmonella. Procedures of R (v.3.3.2) were used for statistical analyses. Chi-square analysis was used, in which pairwise comparison test assessed the frequency of Salmonella presence among the sampling locations (hides, carcasses at pre and post-evisceration, and lymph nodes). Fisher’s exact test was used when the frequency of Salmonella was studied by country location.ResultsThe presence of Salmonella (10.3; 6.4; 0; and 10.9%) was not affected (P = 0.64) by dietary concentration of poultry litter (0, 8, 10, and 19.9%, respectively), or country location (P = 0.42). In addition, a positive association between the presence of Salmonella on hide samples during rainy season was observed (P = 0.016). Hide samples were 5.53 times more likely to result Salmonella-positive in the rainy season than dry season. Frequency of positive samples on hides (5.2% 23/439) was higher (P < 0.05) than pre-evisceration (0.5% 2/439), post-evisceration (1.4% 6/439), and in lymph nodes (2.1% 9/439). The presence of Salmonella in three latter was not significantly different (P = 0.11).ConclusionThe dietary inclusion of poultry litter did not affect the presence of Salmonella on hides, carcass, or in lymph nodes of beef cattle fed in Honduras. Special measures should be taken during the rainy season to avoid cross contamination from the hides to carcasses at harvest.
Cognitive control processes in behavior therapy for youth with Tourette's disorder.

Background Cognitive control processes are implicated in the behavioral treatment of Tourette's disorder (TD). However, the influence of these processes on treatment outcomes has received minimal attention. This study examined whether cognitive control processes and/or tic suppression predicted reductions in tic severity and treatment response to behavior therapy. Method Fifty-three youth with TD or a pervasive tic disorder participated in a randomized wait list-controlled trial of behavior therapy. Following a baseline assessment to evaluate psychiatric diagnoses, tic severity, and cognitive control processes (e.g., response selection, inhibition, and suppression), youth were randomly assigned to receive eight sessions of behavior therapy (n = 23) or a wait list of equal duration (n = 28). Youth receiving immediate treatment completed a post-treatment assessment to determine improvement in tic severity. Meanwhile, youth in the wait list condition completed another assessment to re-evaluate tic severity and cognitive control processes, and subsequently received 8 sessions of behavior therapy followed by a post-treatment assessment to determine improvement. Results A multiple linear regression model found that pretreatment inhibition/switching on the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Color-Word Interference Test predicted reductions in tic severity after behavior therapy (β = -.36, t = -2.35, p = .025, ƞ2 = .15). However, other cognitive control processes and tic suppression did not predict treatment response and/or reductions in tic severity. Small nonsignificant effects were observed in cognitive control processes after behavior therapy. Conclusion Cognitive control processes may influence tic severity reductions in behavior therapy. Notably, even when other cognitive control processes are impaired and youth are initially unable to voluntarily suppress their tics, youth with TD can still benefit from behavior therapy. Findings offer implications for clinical practice and research for TD.
Drug Discovery in Soil Bacteria from Unique Ecosystems of India and Indonesia

Victor Tran for the degree of Honors Baccalaureate Science in General Science (Honors Associate) presented on May 31, 2013. Title: Drug Discovery in Soil Bacteria from Unique Ecosystems of India and Indonesia Abstract approved: ________________________________________ Dr. Taifo Mahmud Natural products isolated from bacteria can be developed into new therapeutic agents. The soil bacteria actinomycetes, specifically the Streptomyces species, are prolific producers of antibiotics. This thesis is composed of two projects which focus on novel drug discovery from soil bacteria collected from the Indonesian Black Water Ecosystem (the ICBB strains) and soil bacteria from the abandoned Hundung Cement Factory in India (the MBRL 201 and 251 strains). The ICBB strains were cultured in Yeast Peptone Glucose Malt Extract and Modified Bennet media and the MBRL strains were cultured in Yeast Malt Extract Glucose medium. Following a week of cultivation, the culture broths were centrifuged. The supernatant was extracted sequentially with EtOAc and BuOH. The remaining aqueous solution after the extraction process was lyophilized and prepared for biological activity testing. The mycelia of the MBRL strains were also subjected to further extraction using a mixture of MeOH and acetone. Biological assays were carried out against several microbial and fungal organisms. Active extracts from the ICBB strains were noted, but due to time constraints no follow-up experiments were carried out. On the other hand, the active extracts from the MBRL strains were extensively investigated using bioassay-guided isolation and purification. On the basis of the sequence of their 16S rRNA genes, MBRL 201 and 251 strains were identified to be Streptomyces sp. and Pseudomonas sp., respectively. Active extracts from these strains were subjected to bioassay-guided fractionations. The MBRL 251 BuOH extract and the MBRL 201 EtOAc extract were investigated most extensively because the TLC and bioassay results indicated the presence of bioactive natural products in these extracts. The MBRL 251 BuOH extract was fractionated and purified with a series of open column chromatography. The active compound was analyzed using mass spectrometry, H and C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, ANTIBASE, a searchable database that contains descriptive, physico-chemical and spectroscopic data, was used to quickly identify known compounds. The results revealed that the bioactive compound in MBRL 251 is phenazine-1carboxylic acid. The MBRL 201 extract was fractionated with preparative thin layer chromatography and purified with size exclusion chromatography. However, at this time, further experiments are necessary to determine the chemical structure of the active MBRL 201 compound.
Elastic Snap Through

The response of an elastic material to stress is of broad scientific and engineering interest. Chapter 3 was concerned with a specific problem of this type. Another such problem is the spherical cap snap through problem (Keller and Reiss (1959)). In this problem one wishes to study the motion of a spherical, elastic cap, like half a tennis ball, when pressure is applied to its surface in order to make it invert, or turn inside out. Of fundamental interest in this problem is the cap’s position of unstable equilibrium.
World Bank Support for Public Financial Management: Conceptual Roots and Evidence of Impact

The advice provided by the Bank on improving public financial management (PFM) is influenced by debates on theory and practice in developed and developing countries. This paper touches on some of the highlights of these debates, drawing from indicative literature mainly since 1990 from scholars and practitioners. The second part of the paper discusses examples of Bank support for reform of budget planning and execution, in particular financial management information systems (FMIS), medium-term expenditure frameworks (MTEF), procurement, auditing, monitoring and evaluation, and the strengthening of key budgetary accountability institutions, like public accounts committees of the legislature and supreme audit institutions.
Genesis of an undergraduate research experience

This paper discusses the genesis and evolution of the undergraduate research experience at the Prescott campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). ERAU-Prescott is an undergraduate campus with a strong aerospace engineering program. The faculty generally have very high teaching loads (12 hours) which makes it difficult to perform cutting edge research during the school year. Most faculty do the bulk of their research during the summer. The undergraduate research opportunity helps both the students and the faculty. The students get valuable research experience, apart-time job related to their field of study, and the opportunity to publish papers. The faculty gains in that they are able to get more research done. This paper briefly discussed the types of projects their undergraduate students have been involved in, the benefits for faculty, students and campus and also the process of creating this program.
Growth Factors: Protein Processing, Endocytosis, and Intracellular Sorting

Growth factor (GF) receptors are extracellular receptors which, when bound by growth factors, initiate intracellular signaling for promoting cellular proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The amount of signaling is generally controlled by both the levels of growth factor and the levels of GF receptors present in the cell, particularly at the cell surface. This review will focus on the mechanisms of endocytosis and postendocytic trafficking that serve to control the levels of GF receptors. The classical experimental system used to investigate these processes is the endocytosis of GF receptors that possess intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, known as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). We will use the prototypical RTK, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), as the model GF receptor in this discussion since much of the data leading to the current understanding of GF receptor endocytosis was generated using this receptor.Growth factor (GF) receptors are extracellular receptors which, when bound by growth factors, initiate intracellular signaling for promoting cellular proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The amount of signaling is generally controlled by both the levels of growth factor and the levels of GF receptors present in the cell, particularly at the cell surface. This review will focus on the mechanisms of endocytosis and postendocytic trafficking that serve to control the levels of GF receptors. The classical experimental system used to investigate these processes is the endocytosis of GF receptors that possess intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, known as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). We will use the prototypical RTK, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), as the model GF receptor in this discussion since much of the data leading to the current understanding of GF receptor endocytosis was generated using this receptor. Keywords: growth factor; endocytosis; ligand–receptor complexes; clathrin-independent pathways; glycosphingolipids
Feminine Agendas: The Historical Evolution of Feminism as Reflected in the Content of American Women's Magazines

The purpose of this research is to identify trends and themes that reflect feminist values in American women’s magazines throughout history. The goal is to show that feminism was an frequently discussed topic in American media as it gained prominence and validity over time. This research draws primarily upon secondary sources, such as scholarly journal articles. Most research on this topic was conducted by analyzing magazines published during various time periods and by discovering general themes. By showing how feminism was represented in women’s magazines, this research highlights the role of media in reflecting America’s ever-changing political and cultural landscape.
EUV observations of solar coronal outflows

Five sounding rocket experiments have been conducted between June 1979 and June 1984 using a new high-resolution spectrometer with a CODACON array detector to make velocity measurements in the solar corona and transition region. Polar coronal holes, low latitude holes and compact holes closely associated with active regions have been observed. In each case we have found strong evidence for systematic outflows relative to the quiet Sun. The largest observed Doppler shifts correspond to 7 km/sec in λ629 OV (T-105.4K) and 12 km/sec in λ625 MgX (T-106.15K). In those coronal holes where both the MgX and OV lines are well measurable, the apparent outflow is larger in the coronal line, suggesting an increase in velocity with temperature and perhaps height.
Comparison of Bleeding Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Versus Without Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with an increased risk of bleeding, but little is known about the risk of bleeding during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with AS. In the era of transcutaneous aortic valve implantation, understanding the bleeding risks associated with AS is critical. This retrospective study included 7,926 patients who underwent PCI from 2004 to 2013. Patients were categorized according to the presence of significant AS: moderate or severe AS (n = 354) and mild or no AS (n = 7,572). The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) definition of a bleeding event (transfusion, prolonged hospital stay, or decrease in hemoglobin >3.0 mg/dl) was used as the primary outcome, and the NCDR PCI Bleeding Risk Score was used to control for the underlying risk of bleeding because of baseline characteristics. Patients with AS had significantly higher NCDR PCI Bleeding Risk Scores and higher rates of bleeding events. Logistic regression showed that the NCDR PCI Bleeding Risk Score did predict bleeding outcomes. There was not, however, an independent association between AS and bleeding outcomes. The addition of AS to the risk score using net reclassification improvement did not enhance the model's ability to predict bleeding (p = 0.71). These data suggest that the NCDR PCI Bleeding Risk Score appropriately adjusts for bleeding risks in patients with AS. In conclusion, although patients with AS are more likely to have bleeding complications after PCI, the increased risk of bleeding is driven by the patients' baseline co-morbidities rather than their AS.
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea among former World Trade Center (WTC) rescue workers and volunteers

Background: Snoring and sleep disorders are common among individuals with adverse health effects from their WTC work exposures. Previous observations seemed to suggest that some forms of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) could be more prevalent in this population. We reviewed the results from nocturnal polysomnograms (PSG), to investigate whether REM-related OSA, and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) were more frequently diagnosed among WTC-exposed subjects compared to unexposed subjects. Methods: 656 nocturnal PSGs performed at our sleep center were reviewed, 272 of them in former WTC workers. The diagnoses were categorized as: no SDB, simple snoring, REM-related OSA, UARS, and mild, moderate, and severe OSA. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in diagnoses between the two groups, using age, gender, body mass index (BMI) as predictors. Results: The WTC group had a significantly higher predominance of the male gender (86.8% vs. 56.3%, p<0.001), but slightly lower mean BMI (31.4 vs. 33.2 kg/m2, p=0.002). Table 1 summarizes the diagnoses on PSG. There was no significant difference between the two groups by Chi square (p=0.56), or logistic regression (p=0.77) with adjustment for the 3 significant predictors (age, gender, and BMI, all p<0.0001). View this table: Conclusions: We did not detect any difference in the diagnoses derived from PSG between the WTC-exposed and unexposed subjects. OSA was significantly associated with age, BMI, and gender in this patient population.
Neuromuscular Blockade in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Pancuronium, Vecuronium, Rocuronium, or Atracurium

Certain conditions may necessitate use of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Despite information concerning individual agents, there are limited studies comparing agents. I compare 4 of the more commonly used NMBAs: pancuronium, vecuronium, rocuronium, and atracurium. All agents were administered by bolus followed by a continuous infusion with the rate adjusted by use of a peripheral nerve stimulator to maintain one twitch of the train-of-four. Ten patients with normal hepatic and renal function were included in each group. The study period included the first 72 hours of neuromuscular blockade. All 4 agents were easily titrated by continuous infusion to maintain the desired level of blockade. Pancuronium infusion requirements varied from 0.03 to 0.12 mg/kg/hr, vecuronium requirements from 0.05 to 0.2 mg/kg/hr, rocuronium requirements from 0.5 to 1.9 mg/kg/hr, and atracurium requirements from 0.8 to 2.2 mg/kg/hr. No significant advantage of one ag...
Crystal chemical calculations

Abstract Methods are indicated for calculating: 1. (i) the structural formula of a complex mineral, 2. (ii) the number of oxygen atoms in the unit cell, 3. (iii) the unit-cell dimension of an isometric isotype in a series where the dimensions of several other compositions are known, and 4. (iv) the unit-cell volume of an isotype of a non-isometric substance from the volume of a single known structure. Any physical characteristic that will lead to a calculation of the density can be used as a basis for calculation of other non-vectorial properties, such as the refractive index of an isotropic substance or the mean refractive index for an isotropic one. The interrelations among chemical and physical properties are discussed briefly.
Developing a Better Understanding of Resort Management: An Inquiry into Industry Practices

The resort industry is a distinctive and dynamic segment of the hospitality industry, producing a unique environment where managers must deal with a wide range of unique issues. Prior research into the area of resort management has been limited in scope with limited investigation into the underlying reasoning behind management practices. Furthermore, research has not attempted to identify distinctive practices specific to resorts. This addresses these areas of concern by examining current techniques and identifying underlying management themes. To complete this analysis, qualitative data relating to how management deals with consumers, employees, and general operations were collected from resort executives. In all, 21 areas of management responsibilities are discussed with two overarching themes guiding management decisions. First, using a family- or team-oriented approach was identified as playing a significant role in management practices. Second, ensuring quality customer experiences rather than just s...
SEARCH FOR HIGHLY ABSORBABLE NEGATIVE COSMIC-RAY PARTICLES AT SEA LEVEL

A search has been made at sea level for negative cosmic-ray particles (other than electrons) which are absorbed in 147 g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ of lead and which have momenta greater than that of mu mesons of this range. The momentum and sign of the charge of those particles stopping in the absorber were determined by means of a counter controlled cloud chamber operated in a magnetic field. During 1400 hours of operation no negatively charged particle in the momentum interval 0.4-1.7 Bev/c was recorded as stopping in the absorber. This result has been used to show that the intensity of negative particles with strong nuclear interaction cannot amount to as much as 0.05 percent of the total intensity of negative particles in this momentum interval. It has been shown that the local production of negative mu mesons in the momentum interval 0.5-1.0 Bev/c is less than 8.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ particle/(${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ steradian hr meter). A lower limit of 6.9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ of lead has been set on the removal path length of mu mesons in the momentum interval 0.4-1.6 Bev/c.
Benzo[2,1-c:3,4-c‘]bis(1,2,3-thiaselenazole) (BSe) and Its Charge Transfer Chemistry. Crystal and Electronic Structure of [BSe]3[ClO4]2

The S−Se−N-based heterocycle benzo[2,1-c:3,4-c‘]bis(1,2,3-thiaselenazole) (BSe) can be prepared by the condensation of 1,4-diaminobenzene-2,3-dithiol with selenium tetrachloride. Crystals of this compound are not isomorphous with the related benzo[2,1-c:3,4-c‘]bis(1,2,3-dithiazole) (BT); a structure is adopted that allows for more extensive intermolecular Se- - -Se contacts. Electro-oxidation of BSe in the presence of [n-Bu4N][ClO4] affords metallic green needles of the charge transfer salt [BSe]3[ClO4]2, which exhibit a pressed pellet conductivity σ(RT) = 10-1 S cm-1. The crystal structure of [BSe]3[ClO4]2 consists of slipped π-stacks based on the triple-decker closed shell [BSe]32+ building block. The packing is analogous to that found for the charge transfer salt [BT]3[FSO3]2, for which σ(RT) = 10-2 S cm-1. Extended Huckel band structure calculations on these two (sulfur- and selenium-based) 3:2 salts reveal more extensive intermolecular interactions in the selenium compound. As a result, the latter ha...
Traumatic Laceration of the Aorta

A 37-year-old man was involved in a motor vehicle collision. On examination in the emergency department, the patient was hemodynamically stable but had a steering-wheel imprint on the anterior chest wall. A computed tomographic scan of the chest showed a ruptured thoracic aorta just distal to the ligamentum arteriosum (Panel A, cross-sectional view, arrow; Panel B, sagittal view, arrow). The patient underwent emergency repair of his injury and replacement of the injured aorta with a prosthetic graft. He recovered uneventfully and was discharged eight days after surgery.
Laboratory Demonstration of Sharpness Metric Approach to Correct Multiple-Plane Phase Errors

We describe a laboratory experiment for correction of anisoplanatic blurring effects due to phase screens in multiple planes. A nonlinear optimization method maximizing a modified sharpness metric estimates two phase screens and sharpens the image.
Histoculture of human breast cancers.

Breast cancers from 53 patients were explanted in culture, and 39 with two-year or more follow-up and documentable tissue forms of cancer in culture (histoculture) are the subject of this report. Clinicopathologic findings have been correlated with dynamic aspects of the cancers in short-term histocultures, including cell cohesiveness, yield and survival time of the cancer cells in culture, emigration of macrophages from the explants, and the occurrence of special interactions of lymphocytes with cancer cells. The outstanding finding was the association of special lymphocyte-cancer cell interactions with a more favorable prognosis; six of seven patients (86%) with infiltrating ductal cancer showing lymphocyte congregation, emperiopolesis, or other special activity were tumor-free survivors. Additional findings were: (1) patients having four or fewer lymph nodes positive for cancer had a survival rate of 50%, but this fell to 20% when emigrating macrophages were not present in the cancer cultures; (2) eight of 12 patients (67%) having discoid histoculture survival time of less than one week were tumor-free, as opposed to three of eight patients (27%) where tumor survival in vitro was greater than one week. The reverse was true for nondiscoid, poorly cohesive colonies of cancer; (3) the combination of tumor-negative lymph nodes and low in vitro cancer yield was associated with the best patient survival rate, 64%. However, the combination of negative nodes and high in vitro yield was linked to the worst patient survival (20%). Although the overall study does not permit definitive conclusions, there is an undeniable potential for the use of histocultures in the evaluation of human cancers. Expanded studies are warranted, including larger numbers of tumors and cultures, and longer patient follow-up periods.
Cretaceous angiosperm invasion of North America

Abstract Angiosperms appeared in the coastal plains of eastern North America during the latest Barremian or early Aptian, reaching California by the Albian, or perhaps as early as Aptian. In Alaska, however, they are found in sediments only as old as latest Albian. From their earliest Cretaceous appearance, and well into the Late Cretaceous, angiosperms were most abundant and diverse in coastal and fluvial depositional environments, conifers remaining dominant in well drained and inland soils. Extensive dispersal of pioneering, coastal angiosperms occurred at a time of extensive sea-level fluctuation and went hand in hand with their mid-Cretaceous diversification. The early successes of invading angiosperms can most easily be attributed to their ability to colonise disturbed sedimentary surfaces. It is unlikely that they were initially successful in high salinity or other unfavourable habitats, or that they could compete directly with pre-existing plants for nutrients, pollinators or other resources.
Solitons on the Edge of a Two-Dimensional Electron System

We study the excitations at the edge of a two-dimensional electron droplet in a magnetic field in terms of a contour dynamics formalism. We find that, beyond the usual linear approximation, the nonlinear analysis yields soliton solutions which correspond to uniformly rotating shapes. These modes are found from a perturbative treatment of a nonlinear eigenvalue problem and as solutions to a modified Korteweg--de Vries equation resulting from a local induction approximation to the nonlocal contour dynamics. We discuss applications to the edge modes in the quantum Hall effect.
An investigation of possible Romanomermis culicivorax proteins in the hemolymph of Culex pipiens

Abstract The role of Romanomermis culicivorax in the degradation of hemolymph proteins in infected fourth-instar Culex pipiens was evaluated. Electrophoresis of proteins from hemolymph of C. pipiens , infected and control, revealed no new proteins in the hemolymph of infected mosquito larvae. Protein patterns from homogenates of R. culicivorax were compared with those from infected hemolymph and no proteins of parasite origin could be detected in the host hemolymph. Rabbit antibodies to R. culicivorax did not react with hemolymph of infected C. pipiens , a further indication that parasite proteins were absent from the host hemolymph. Proteases were located on polyacrylamide gels by their ability to digest gelatin. Appreciable proteolytic activity was found in the hemolymph of control mosquitoes, whereas activity in the hemolymph of infected mosquitoes and homogenates of R. culicivorax was nearly undetectable. Quantitative estimates of protease activity were made with two substrates, dimethylcasein and hemoglobin. Protease activity in hemolymph from C. pipiens larvae, control and infected, were not significantly different. However, the activity estimated for homogenates of R. culicivorax was 100 times less than that for hemolymph of C. pipiens larvae.
Transient post-traumatic cortical blindness: brief v prolonged syndromes in childhood.

Six children who sustained head trauma of varying degrees experienced self-limited cortical blindness—complete bilateral visual loss associated with normal pupillary responses to light. In five cases associated with relatively minor head trauma, full visual function returned within 24 hours. In the other case, associated with parietal and occipital contusions, the period of complete blindness was prolonged, lasting 1 week, followed by a striking recovery over an additional week. A bilateral inferior altitudinal visual field deficit has persisted over 6 years, with emergence of a complicated migraine syndrome. Sequential computed tomographic (CT) scans over a 4-year period demonstrate bioccipital and right parietal injury, correlating clinical and anatomic findings. This case is the first description of prolonged transient post-traumatic cortical blindness in a child with CT correlation. It underscores the clinical, radiographic, and pathophysiologic differences between syndromes of brief and prolonged tra...
Signal alignment for two-cell CR networks

In this paper, we study interference-free uplink transmission for two-cell multiple-antenna cognitive radio (CR) networks. We consider a scenario that the primary user (PU) transmission is based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) and the nullspace generated by the cyclic-prefix (CP) can be used for CR transmission using Vandermonde-subspace frequency division multiplexing (VFDM). Besides interference to the PU system, we will take intra- and inter-cell interference within CR networks into consideration. A signal alignment scheme will be developed to protect the PU transmission while aligning inter-cell interference into a lower dimensional-subspace. When the interference signals are perfectly aligned, the number of interference-free symbols that can be transmitted by the whole CR network will increase with the number of CR users. Numerical results show significant performance gain can be obtained by using the proposed scheme.
Extrapituitary interaction between pitressin and ACTH.

SummaryPitressin depletes adrenal ascorbic acid and potentiates the action of ACTH in the 24-hour hypophysectomized rat. The observation that Pitressin depletes adrenal ascorbic acid in the rat with a lesion in the median eminence has been confirmed. Only part of this effect can be explained by release of ACTH from the pituitary since Pitressin will also deplete adrenal ascorbic acid in a lesioned rat which has been decapitated.
Prototype scanning fiber endoscope

Commercial optical endoscopes rely on image transfer and acquisition based on an array of photon detectors, such as a coherent fiberoptic bundle, a video camera, and/or the human retina. An alternative approach uses a resonantly vibrating optical fiber that scans laser illumination. However, the limitation of laser-scanning endoscopic development has been the technological challenge of fabricating a small diameter, opto-mechanical scanner. A proof-of-concept micro-optical scanner has been built using a 2.3 mm diameter piezoelectric actuator and 4 mm diameter lenses. Images are generated using resonant spiral scanning of the fiber, projecting monochromatic laser light to an illumination plane. A single photodetector is used to acquire grayscale images one pixel at a time. In vitro, the acquired images of test targets have 10 to 20 micrometers maximum spatial resolution and a field-of-view that can be electronically varied.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
In Vivo Infusion of Interleukin-1β and Chorionic Gonadotropin Induces Endometrial Changes that Mimic Early Pregnancy Events in the Baboon

Both human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and IL-1beta induce changes in the endometrium that are associated with the establishment of pregnancy. We investigated the synergistic effect of these two embryonic signals on endometrial function using a baboon model of simulated pregnancy. Recombinant hCG (30 IU/d) was infused between d 6 and 10 post ovulation (PO) to mimic blastocyst transit. On the expected day of implantation (d 10 PO), IL-1beta (12 ng/d) or IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra; 12 ng/d) was infused for an additional 5 d. Endometria were harvested on d 15 PO. Both hCG and hCG plus IL-1beta induced marked differences in the distribution of alpha-smooth muscle actin, proliferation marker Ki67, decidualization marker IGF-binding protein-1, and cyclooxygenase-1. The most marked effect of IL-1beta was the induction of IGF-binding protein-1 protein in stromal cells close to the apical surface, whereas cyclooxygenase-1 was down-regulated in the glandular epithelium. Protein arrays of uterine flushings showed significant suppression of death receptors, Fas and TNF receptor 1, in the hCG- with or without IL-1beta-treated groups, suggesting an inhibition of apoptosis. Additionally, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4, matrix metalloproteinase-3, and IL-4 were suppressed in treated animals compared with controls. However, no differences were observed in cytokine profile between hCG-treated and hCG- plus IL-1beta-treated baboons. This study confirms that in preparation for pregnancy, the primate endometrium undergoes both morphological and functional changes, which are modulated by hCG and IL-1beta, that lead to the inhibition of apoptosis and the development of an immunotolerant environment. These changes suggest that infusion of IL-1beta at the time of implantation into the nonpregnant baboon treated with hCG synergizes with hCG and mimics the early endometrial events associated with the presence of an embryo.
Differentiating Bipolar Disorder–Not Otherwise Specified and Severe Mood Dysregulation

Objective Bipolar disorder–not otherwise specified (BP-NOS) and severe mood dysregulation (SMD) are severe mood disorders that were defined to address questions about the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) in youth. SMD and BP-NOS are distinct phenotypes that differ in clinical presentation and longitudinal course. The purpose of this review is to inform clinicians about the clinical features of the two phenotypes and about the research literature distinguishing them. Method A literature review was performed on SMD as studied in the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program and on BP-NOS in youth. For BP-NOS, the phenotype defined in the Course of Bipolar Youth study is the focus, because this has received the most study. Results SMD is characterized by impairing, chronic irritability without distinct manic episodes. Most commonly, BP-NOS is characterized by manic, mixed, or hypomanic episodes that are too short to meet the DSM-IV-TR duration criterion. Research provides strong, albeit suggestive, evidence that SMD is not a form of BD; the most convincing evidence are longitudinal data indicating that youth with SMD are not at high risk to develop BD as they age. The BP-NOS phenotype appears to be on a diagnostic continuum with BD types I and II. Subjects with BP-NOS and those with BD type I have similar symptom and family history profiles, and youth with BP-NOS are at high risk to develop BD as they age. Currently, little research guides treatment for either phenotype. Conclusions Pressing research needs include identifying effective treatments for these phenotypes, ascertaining biomarkers that predict conversion from BP-NOS to BD, elucidating associations between SMD and other disorders, and defining the neural circuitry mediating each condition.
Highly reliable AlGaInAs buried heterostructure lasers for uncooled 10 Gb/s direct modulation

High reliability (estimated median lifetime of 240,000 hours) of 1.3 /spl mu/m AlGaInAs buried heterostructure lasers has been demonstrated by more than 10,000 hours accelerated aging tests. Distributed-feedback lasers have successfully operated at 10 Gb/s at 95/spl deg/C.
Tumor Necrosis Factor α Increases Neuronal Vulnerability to Excitotoxic Necrosis by Inducing Expression of the AMPA–Glutamate Receptor Subunit GluR1 via an Acid Sphingomyelinase- and NF-κB-Dependent Mechanism ☆

Acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) and NF-kappaB participate in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) signal transduction. Mice in which the genes encoding ASMase or the p50 subunit of NF-kappaB are disrupted have been reported to be less vulnerable than wild-type mice to focal brain ischemia. We now demonstrate selective diminution in expression of GluR1, an alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate-type glutamate receptor (AMPA-GluR) protein subunit, in these two groups of knockout mice. To confirm that neuronal GluR1 expression is regulated by ASMase and NF-kappaB, and to learn whether this regulation has pathophysiological significance, we treated cultured human NT2-N neurons with TNFalpha. This induced GluR1 expression and increased susceptibility of the neurons to kainate necrosis. Both induction of GluR1 and heightened vulnerability to kainate were blocked by inhibiting ASMase or by antisense knockdown of NF-kappaB p50. We conclude that TNFalpha can sensitize neurons to excitotoxic necrosis by inducing expression of GluR1 via an ASMase- and NF-kappaB-dependent mechanism. TNFalpha levels are frequently elevated during ischemia and other CNS diseases in which excitotoxicity contributes to neuronal loss. Our results suggest that inhibiting TNFalpha signal transduction will diminish neuronal necrosis in these diseases.
Nonlinear Disturbance Decoupling for a Mobile Robotic Manipulator over Uneven Terrain

Abstract This paper considers the nonlinear disturbance decoupling problem for a robotic manipulator that is mounted on a mobile platform. A mobile manipulation system offers a dual advantage of mobility offered by a mobile platform and dexterity offered by the manipulator. In this work, the tracking and nonlinear disturbance decoupling problems are studied with particular focus on disturbances due to uneven terrain. We show that this system possesses the necessary geometric structure for complete disturbance decoupling between the outputs and disturbances. The disturbances are modeled as changes in the effect of gravitational forces on the mobile manipulator due to its motion over a uneven terrain. Simulation results illustrate complete disturbance decoupling even in the presence of significant disturbances using the designed nonlinear controller.
Temperature Effects on Failure and Annealing Behavior in Dynamic Random Access Memories

Total dose failure levels and long time anneal characteristics of dynamic random access memories are measured while the devices are exercised under actual use conditions. These measurements were performed over the temperature range of -60 C to +70 C. The total dose failure levels are shown to decrease with increasing temperature. The anneal characteristics are shown to result in both an increase and decrease in the measured number of errors as a function of time. Finaly a description of the test instrumentation and irradiation procedures are given.
A novel Urushi matrix chloride ion-selective field effect transistor.

Abstract A durable chloride ion-selective field effect transistor (ISFET) is proposed with Urushi as the membrane matrix. The chloride ion-sensing material is a quaternary ammonium chloride: trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMA-Cl) or tridodecylmethylammonium chloride (TDMA-Cl). The optimum composition of the Urushi membrane was found by use of Urushi ion-selective electrodes. The mixture with the most favourable composition was coated on the gate region of the FET device. The Urushi ISFET with TDMA-Cl proved to be superior to that with TOMA-Cl, in sensitivity, linearity and selectivity. The Urushi ISFET with TDMA-Cl showed a linear response of about −51 mV per decade change of chloride ion activity in the range 10 −4 −1 M . The Urushi ISFET showed excellent stability and durability for over two months, because of strong adhesion of the membrane to the Si 3 N 4 gate.
Family Counseling: Cultural Sensitivity, Relativism, and the Cultural Defense

Cultural sensitivity, cultural relativism, and the cultural defense are defined and described. Each concept is addressed in terms of its relationship to couple andfamily counseling.
Discriminative stimulus effects in rats of SR-141716 (rimonabant), a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist.

To examine the discriminative stimulus effects of (i) the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR-141716 (SR, 5.6 mg/kg) and vehicle, and (ii) the cannabinoid receptor agonist Δ9-THC (THC, 1.8 mg/kg) and vehicle using a discriminated taste aversion (DTA) procedure. Two groups of rats (n=6) were trained to discriminate between these drugs and vehicle in DTA (t′=20 min). The 30-min drinking bout of tap water following drug (SR or THC) treatment was followed by an injection of lithium chloride (LiCl, 120 mg/kg) in the experimental animals. When offered water after vehicle pretreatment, experimental animals subsequently were given IP saline (NaCl, 10 ml/kg). Post-drinking treatment for controls (n=6) was NaCl, irrespective of the pretreatment condition (SR, THC or vehicle). Additional water was provided during the afternoon (30 min) with no other manipulations. Food was available ad lib at all times. When the discriminations were established other doses and drugs were examined (t′=20 min). In testing there were no post-drinking treatments. The SR-related analog AM-251 (dose range: 1–5.6 mg/kg) substituted for SR, whereas other drugs such as the cannabinoid CB2 receptor antagonist SR-144528 (3 and 10 mg/kg), THC (1–10 mg/kg), flumazenil (1–10 mg/kg), naloxone (1–10 mg/kg), morphine (10 and 18 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine (1 and 3 mg/kg) did not. There was a dose-related attenuation of SR-induced suppression of drinking when THC (1.8–10 mg/kg) was given together with SR (5.6 mg/kg). In the THC trained rats, SR (1–10 mg/kg), morphine (10 and 18 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine (1 and 3 mg/kg) did not substitute for THC. SR (1 mg/kg) attenuated the THC (1.8 mg/kg) induced suppression of drinking. Together with 3 mg/kg SR and 1.8 mg/kg THC, drinking was roughly equally suppressed in both the experimental group and the controls. SR-141716 induces a discriminative stimulus complex in DTA that shows potential for further examination of cannabinoid receptor antagonism.
Transition probability of the Si III 189.2-nm intersystem line

Measurement of the lifetime of the metastable 3s3p(3)P(0)1 level of Si(2+) (Si III), which decays by photon emission at 189.2 nm to the 3s2(1)S0 state, is reported. The data were taken from spontaneous emission from metastable Si III stored in an RF ion trap. The Si III ions were produced through electron bombardment of SiH4 and SiF4 at pressures of 1/100,000,000-1/10,000,000 Torr. A photomultiplier was employed to count the photon emissions from the transitions. A total of 11 decay curves were generated for analysis, with Poisson statistics used to set the uncertainties at within 8 pct. Significant systematic effects were controlled, and the lifetime was found to be within 3.6 microsec of 59.9 microsec. The method used is concluded valid for determining the lifetimes of metastable levels of low-Z ions with low charge, and thereby the transition probabilities.