cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The decline in the number of school districts in the U.S.: 1950-1980"

Between 1950 and 1980 the number of school districts fell from 83,642 to 15,987. Data for the fifty states for 1950, 1960, 1970, and 1980 are used to identify the factors that contributed to this decline. The focus is on the tradeoff between cost savings through scale economies (a few large districts) and a diverse population's demand for choice in public schooling (many small districts). We find that much of the decline in the number of school districts has resulted from: 1) the decline in the farm population and increase in population density, which has made it easier to take advantage of scale economies; 2) the growing importance of state aid, which reduces quality variation among districts within a state; and 3) the increase in the fraction of teachers that belong to the National Education Association teacher's union, which may reflect increased political influence used to lower the costs of organizing.
Note on anodal excitation

A general, necessary and sufficient condition for the occurrence of anodal excitation is given on the basis of Rashevsky's two-factor theory of excitation, expressions for the anodal rheobase and the minimal shock intensity following as simple special cases.
Diabetes, insulin, and development of acute lung injury

Objectives:Recently, many studies have investigated the immunomodulatory effects of insulin and glucose control in critical illness. This review examines evidence regarding the relationship between diabetes and the development of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS), revi
1128 BILIRUBINEMIA: AN EARLY SIGN IN VENIRICULOPERITONEAL (VP) SHUNT INFECTION

Two very-low-birthweight infants with hyaline membrane disease sustained grade 3 intraventricular hemorrhage during first week leading later to hydrocephalus and VP shunt placement. Although bilirubinemia from red blood cell breakdown cleared by 3 weeks of age jaundice recurred in both infants prior to proven S. epidermidis (S.epi) shunt infection. Other tests to determine etiology of obstructive jaundice were negative. Bilirubinemia may be an early sign in VP shunt infection.
CKIα Is Associated with and Phosphorylates Star-PAP and Is Also Required for Expression of Select Star-PAP Target Messenger RNAs

We have recently identified Star-PAP, a nuclear poly(A) polymerase that associates with phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase Iα (PIPKIα) and is required for the expression of a specific subset of mRNAs. Star-PAP activity is directly modulated by the PIPKIα product phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI-4,5-P2), linking nuclear phosphoinositide signaling to gene expression. Here, we show that PI-4,5-P2-dependent protein kinase activity is also a part of the Star-PAP protein complex. We identify the PI-4,5-P2-sensitive casein kinase Iα (CKIα) as a protein kinase responsible for this activity and further show that CKIα is capable of directly phosphorylating Star-PAP. Both CKIα and PIPKIα are required for the synthesis of some but not all Star-PAP target mRNA, and like Star-PAP, CKIα is associated with these messages in vivo. Taken together, these data indicate that CKIα, PIPKIα, and Star-PAP function together to modulate the production of specific Star-PAP messages. The Star-PAP complex therefore represents a location where multiple signaling pathways converge to regulate the expression of specific mRNAs.
New light on 21 cm intensity fluctuations from the dark ages

Fluctuations of the 21 cm brightness temperature before the formation of the first stars hold the promise of becoming a high-precision cosmological probe in the future. The growth of overdensities is very well described by perturbation theory at that epoch, and the signal can in principle be predicted to arbitrary accuracy for given cosmological parameters. Recently, Tseliakhovich and Hirata pointed out a previously neglected and important physical effect, due to the fact that baryons and cold dark matter (CDM) have supersonic relative velocities after recombination. This relative velocity suppresses the growth of matter fluctuations on scales $k\ensuremath{\sim}10--{10}^{3}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. In addition, the amplitude of the small-scale power spectrum is modulated on the large scales over which the relative velocity varies, corresponding to $k\ensuremath{\sim}0.005--1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. In this paper, the effect of the relative velocity on 21 cm brightness temperature fluctuations from redshifts $z\ensuremath{\ge}30$ is computed. We show that the 21 cm power spectrum is affected on most scales. On small scales, the signal is typically suppressed several tens of percent, except for extremely small scales ($k\ensuremath{\gtrsim}2000\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) for which the fluctuations are boosted by resonant excitation of acoustic waves. On large scales, 21 cm fluctuations are enhanced due to the nonlinear dependence of the brightness temperature on the underlying gas density and temperature. The enhancement of the 21 cm power spectrum is of a few percent at $k\ensuremath{\sim}0.1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and up to tens of percent at $k\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.005\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, for standard $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$ cosmology. In principle this effect allows one to probe the small-scale matter power spectrum not only through a measurement of small angular scales but also through its effect on large angular scales.
Video suggestion and discovery for youtube: taking random walks through the view graph

The rapid growth of the number of videos in YouTube provides enormous potential for users to find content of interest to them. Unfortunately, given the difficulty of searching videos, the size of the video repository also makes the discovery of new content a daunting task. In this paper, we present a novel method based upon the analysis of the entire user-video graph to provide personalized video suggestions for users. The resulting algorithm, termed Adsorption, provides a simple method to efficiently propagate preference information through a variety of graphs. We extensively test the results of the recommendations on a three month snapshot of live data from YouTube.
Technology Diffusion and Prostate Cancer Quality of Care

Objective To evaluate the association of technological capacity with prostate cancer quality of care. Technological capacity was conceptualized as a market's ability to provide prostate cancer treatment with new technology, including robotic prostatectomy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare linked database from 2004 to 2009 to identify men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer (n = 46,274). We measured technological capacity as the number of providers performing robotic prostatectomy or IMRT per population in a health care market. We used multilevel logistic regression analysis to assess the association of technological capacity with receiving quality care according to a set of nationally endorsed quality measures, while adjusting for patient and market characteristics. Results Overall, our findings were mixed with only subtle differences in quality of care comparing high-tech with low-tech markets. High robotic prostatectomy capacity was associated with better adherence to some quality measures, such as avoiding unnecessary bone scans (79.8% vs 73.0%; P = .003) and having follow-up with urologists (67.7% vs 62.6%; P = .023). However, for most measures, neither high robotic prostatectomy nor high-IMRT capacity was associated with significant increases in adherence rates. In fact, for 1 measure (treatment by a high-volume provider), high-IMRT capacity was associated with lower performance (23.4% vs 28.5%; P Conclusion Our findings suggest that new technology is not clearly associated with higher quality of care. To improve quality, more specific efforts will be needed.
Longitudinal Mixing in a Cast of the Human Larynx

A cast of a human larynx was constructed and used to measure dispersion of a pulse of oxygen tracer in an inspiratory flow of 21.8 1/min. Maximum time-averaged and fluctuating velocities were measured at points downstream of the cast and were used to explain tracer dispersion in terms of the velocity profiles and turbulence at each position.
Direct measurement of the carbon dioxide‐induced glass transition depression in a family of substituted polycarbonates

We present a method for the direct measurement of the glass transition temperature of compressed gas–polymer systems. The technique utilizes a Setaram C80D microcalorimeter equipped with high-pressure cells. Pressurizing the cells and running in scanning mode allows direct determination of the glass transition temperature. To validate the method, Tg measurements of the CO2–poly(methyl methacrylate) system as a function of gas phase pressure were made. The results compare favorably with literature values. However, the effects of foaming appear to interfere with Tg measurement at the highest gas pressures. The CO2-induced Tg depression of a series of polycarbonates was also measured. The magnitude of the Tg depression increases with decreasing glass transition temperature, reflecting an increase in intrinsic chain mobility, as evidenced by the glass transition temperature. The data correlate well with the Chow model. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68: 1441–1449, 1998
Strain, Anisotropy and Low Field Magnetoresistance Effect in Ultrathin Manganite Films

We report low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) of strained ultrathin Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (PSMO) films. We observed very large LFMR, a factor of 7 of resistance change in zero-field-cooled sample at 80 K and 2000 Oe, in ultrathin PSMO films on LaAlO3 (LAO) (100). Samples with compressive (on (LAO), tensile (on SrTiO3 (100)) and very small strain (on NdGaO3 (110)) have been studied systematically and remarkable differences were observed. We also observed large LFMR anisotropy between magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the film surface. Our results demonstrated that strain and strain-induced spin scattering can result in large LFMR effect.
Delayed presentation of traumatic infrapopliteal arteriovenous fistula and pseudoaneursym in a 10-year-old boy managed by coil embolization

Blunt traumatic arteriovenous fistulae of the extremities are rare in children. We report the case of a 10-year-old boy with a traumatic infrapopliteal arteriovenous fistula and concomitant pseudoaneurysm diagnosed 2 months after he was struck by a car. It was definitively managed with coil embolization. Postprocedure, the vascular anatomy of the patient's right calf was well preserved. He had complete resolution of his symptoms immediately after the intervention and continues to do well 6 months later.
Corrections to the MODIS Aqua Calibration Derived From MODIS Aqua Ocean Color Products

Ocean color products such as, e.g., chlorophyll-a concentration, can be derived from the top-of-atmosphere radiances measured by imaging sensors on earth-orbiting satellites. There are currently three National Aeronautics and Space Administration sensors in orbit capable of providing ocean color products. One of these sensors is the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, whose ocean color products are currently the most widely used of the three. A recent improvement to the MODIS calibration methodology has used land targets to improve the calibration accuracy. This study evaluates the new calibration methodology and describes further calibration improvements that are built upon the new methodology by including ocean measurements in the form of global temporally averaged water-leaving reflectance measurements. The calibration improvements presented here mainly modify the calibration at the scan edges, taking advantage of the good performance of the land target trending in the center of the scan.
A review of applications of metabolomics in cancer.

Cancer is a devastating disease that alters the metabolism of a cell and the surrounding milieu. Metabolomics is a growing and powerful technology capable of detecting hundreds to thousands of metabolites in tissues and biofluids. The recent advances in metabolomics technologies have enabled a deeper investigation into the metabolism of cancer and a better understanding of how cancer cells use glycolysis, known as the “Warburg effect,” advantageously to produce the amino acids, nucleotides and lipids necessary for tumor proliferation and vascularization. Currently, metabolomics research is being used to discover diagnostic cancer biomarkers in the clinic, to better understand its complex heterogeneous nature, to discover pathways involved in cancer that could be used for new targets and to monitor metabolic biomarkers during therapeutic intervention. These metabolomics approaches may also provide clues to personalized cancer treatments by providing useful information to the clinician about the cancer patient’s response to medical interventions.
Increased contribution of NR2A subunit to synaptic NMDA receptors in developing rat cortical neurons

1. Pharmacologically isolated miniature NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (mN-EPSCs) were recorded in large visual cortical neurons in layer V of rat cortical slices. Haloperidol (100 microM) and CP101,606 (10 microM), two specific blockers of NMDA receptors comprising NR1/NR2B subunits, were tested on mN-EPSCs in rats at postnatal days 7 and 8 (P7-P8) and P13-P15. At both ages tested, no significant effects of these drugs were seen in the whole population of neurons, although in few neurons at both ages changes in amplitude were observed with haloperidol. Other dopamine receptor antagonists, spiperone and clozapine, failed to decrease mN-EPSCs in cortical neurons at P13-P15. 2. CP101,606 (10 microM) significantly decreased the amplitude of evoked N-EPSCs (eN-EPSCs) in visual cortical slices from rats at P3-P5, a developmental stage at which mRNA studies have indicated the virtual absence of NR2A mRNA. CP101,606 failed to significantly change evoked AMPA-mediated EPSCs at P5 and eN-EPSCs at P7-P8 and P13-P15. 3. NMDA receptor-mediated currents were also studied in somatic outside-out patches at P13-P15 with fast application of L-glutamate (1 mM). Haloperidol (50 microM) and CP101,606 (10 muM) blocked these currents in all patches tested. The effect of CP101,606 was concentration dependent. 4. We suggest that rather early in development synaptic receptors comprising NR1/NR2B subunits could be associated with other subunits so that blockade by haloperidol and CP101,606 is prevented. Moreover, the consistent blockade seen in outside out patches might be ascribed to the confinement of NR1/NR2B receptors to an extrasynaptic population.
Computational results for the flowshop tardiness problem

This paper reports on computational experiments involving optimal solutions to the flowshop tardiness problem. Of primary interest was a generic approach: solutions were obtained using a spreadsheet-based, mixed-integer programming code. However, the results compare favorably with those from a specially-tailored branch and bound algorithm. The main implication is that hardware and software have developed to the point that generic tools may offer the best way to solve combinatorial problems in scheduling.
Cooperativity in Oxidations Catalyzed by Cytochrome P450 3A4

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A4 is the most abundant human P450 and oxidizes a diversity of substrates, including various drugs, steroids, carcinogens, and macrolide natural products. In some reactions, positive cooperativity has been reported in microsomal studies. Flavonoids, e.g., 7,8-benzoflavone (α-naphthoflavone, αNF), have been shown to stimulate some reactions but not others. In systems containing purified recombinant bacterial P450 3A4, positive cooperativity was seen in oxidations of several substrates, including testosterone, 17β-estradiol, amitriptyline, and most notably aflatoxin (AF) B1. With these and other reactions, αNF typically reduced cooperativity (i.e., the n value in a Hill plot) while either stimulating or inhibiting reactions. With the substrate AFB1, αNF both stimulated 8,9-epoxidation and inhibited 3α-hydroxylation. The same patterns were seen with AFB1 in a fused P450 3A4−NADPH-P450 reductase protein. αNF did not alter patterns of activity plotted as a function of NADPH-P450 reducta...
GENETIC VARIATION IN NEURAMINIDASE GENES OF INFLUENZA A (H3N2) VIRUSES

Nucleotide sequences of the neuraminidase (NA) genes of 33 influenza A (H3N2) epidemic strains isolated between 1968 and 1995 were analyzed to determine their evolutionary relationships. Phylogenetic analysis using the DNA maximum-likelihood method indicates that the NA genes of recent H3N2 field strains, like their hemagglutinin genes (HA), have evolved as two distinct lineages represented by the vaccine strains. A/Beijing/353/89 and A/Beijing/32/92 for A/Shanghai/24/ 90). Furthermore, genetic reassortment of NA genes between the two lineages occurred during their circulation. Genetic reassortants, which bear an A/Beijing/32/92-like HA and an A/Beijing/353/89-like NA, have circulated worldwide and are representative of current influenza A (H3N2) epidemic strains. The mutation rate of the NA gene was found to be 2.28 x 10(-3) per nucleotide site per year with 4.2% of the mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions. Thirty-five percent of the amino acid substitutions was located in sites previously suggested to be reactive to antibody. Amino acid residues involved in NA enzyme activity have been conserved. Seven potential glycosylation sites identified in the NA of A/Hong Kong/8/68 virus were conserved by the majority of isolates, with more recently circulating viruses having an additional glycosylation site. Comparison of the rate of amino acid substitutions in the NA stalk to that of entire NA revealed high variability in this region. These findings demonstrate the importance of closely monitoring both the HA and the NA genes of influenza viruses to aid vaccine strain selection.
Gain of Electromagnetic Horns

Recent experimental evidence indicates that the measured gain of pyramidal electromagnetic horns may be considerably in error if the measurements are carried out at short distances, and the aperture to aperture separation between horns is used in the gain formula G=(4?R/?) ?PR/Pr. Further experimental verification of this effect has been obtained and a theory developed which is in good quantitative agreement with present experimental data and demonstrates the physical reasons why the previous "far field" criterion of 2D2/? is invalid. Curves are presented from which the error in gain measured at any distance may be obtained and applied as a correction.
Carbon‐13 NMR linewidths of polyethylenes and related polymers

The carbon-13 NMR linewidth (proton decoupled) of linear and branched polyethylenes crystallized so as to yield different supermolecular structures, as well as a polyethylene oxide sample, have been studied in detail. The purpose has been to assess the different molecular contributions to the linewidth in the completely amorphous polymer as well as in the amorphous regions of the semicrystalline state. These studies on a number of different structures were complemented by both proton-decoupled and dipolar-decoupled magic-angle spinning experiments on a particular sample, as well as frequency dependence studies. It is found that the abnormally broad resonance lines previously reported for the molten polymer can be significantly reduced by adopting appropriate methods of sample preparation and magnetic-field homogenization at each temperature. Relatively narrow lines result which can be interpreted in a conventional manner. In the semicrystalline state, the resonance lines are relatively broad and are shown to be morphology dependent. Specific contributions and their temperature dependence are discussed.
Polynomial Root Clustering

Abstract A sequence of tests on derived polynomials to be strictly Hurwitz polynomials is shown to be equivalent to a given (typically real) polynomial having all its zeros in an open sector, symmetric with respect to the real axis, in the left half-plane. The number of tests needed is at most 1 + ⌈(ln k)/(ln 3)⌉, where k is the integer associated with the central angle π/k of the sector. An extension of this result on the sector as a region of root clustering is given which shows that only a limited number of tests are needed to verify that the roots are clustered in a region composed as the intersection of a set of primative (sector-like) regions. The results reported evolve from application of a collection of mappings on the complex plane defined by a particular collection of Schwarz-Christoffel transformations.
Temozolomide retreatment in a recurrent prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma: Hormonal and radiographic response:

BackgroundTemozolomide is an oral alkylating agent with schedule-dependent antitumor activity against high-grade malignancies including high-grade glioma. Increasingly, reports have suggested that temozolomide may have activity as a salvage therapy for aggressive, recurrent pituitary adenomas or carcinomas that fail surgery, radiation and other pharmacotherapy. To our knowledge, temozolomide retreatment following initial responsiveness has not previously been demonstrated.Case reportA woman was diagnosed with a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma in 1995 (age 44). Despite bromocriptine therapy, transphenoidal resection, radiotherapy, and cabergoline treatment she experienced continued clinico-radiographic progression, and temozolomide was initiated in 2011. She received three treatment cycles with rapid, dramatic clinico-radiographic response, and 99.3% reduction in serum prolactin. After three years of close observation, she developed recurrent radiographic progression and prolactin elevation. She was ...
Induction of Apoptosis after Expression of PYK2, a Tyrosine Kinase Structurally Related to Focal Adhesion Kinase

Many cells (e.g., epithelial cells) require attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM) to survive, a phenomenon known as anchorage-dependent cell survival. Disruption of the cell–ECM interactions mediated by the integrin receptors results in apoptosis. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a 125-kD protein tyrosine kinase activated by integrin engagement, appears to be involved in mediating cell attachment and survival. Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2), also known as cellular adhesion kinase β (CAKβ) and related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase, is a second member of the FAK subfamily and is activated by an increase in intracellular calcium levels, or treatment with TNFα and UV light. However, the function of PYK2 remains largely unknown. In this study, we show that over-expression of PYK2, but not FAK, in rat and mouse fibroblasts leads to apoptotic cell death. Using a series of deletion mutants and chimeric fusion proteins of PYK2/FAK, we determined that the NH2-terminal domain and tyrosine kinase activity of PYK2 were required for the efficient induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the apoptosis mediated by PYK2 could be suppressed by over-expressing catalytically active v-Src, c-Src, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, or Akt/protein kinase B. In addition, it could also be suppressed by overexpressing an ICE or ICE-like proteinase inhibitor, crmA, but not Bcl2. Collectively, our results suggest that PYK2 and FAK, albeit highly homologous in primary structure, appear to have different functions; FAK is required for cell survival, whereas PYK2 induces apoptosis in fibroblasts.
Nicotine-induced switch in the nicotinic cholinergic mechanisms of facilitation of long-term potentiation induction

Nicotine facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region. The present study reveals the potential mechanisms underlying this effect of nicotine. Timed ACh-mediated activation of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on pyramidal cells is known to promote LTP induction. Nicotine could suppress this timing-dependent mechanism by desensitizing nAChRs. Timed ACh-mediated activation of alpha7 nAChRs on feedforward interneurons can prevent LTP induction by inhibiting pyramidal cells. Nicotine diminished this ACh-mediated inhibition by desensitizing alpha7 nAChRs, thereby reducing the inhibitory influence on pyramidal cells. In addition to these desensitizing effects, nicotine activated presynaptic non-alpha7 nAChRs on feedforward interneurons to decrease the evoked release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) onto pyramidal cells. Furthermore, nicotine increased the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in pyramidal cells, and concomitantly caused a reduction in the size of responses to focal GABA application onto the dendrites of pyramidal cells, suggesting that the nicotine-induced increase in interneuronal activity leads ultimately to a use-dependent depression of evoked IPSCs in pyramidal cells. These nicotine-induced suppressions of inhibition of pyramidal cells were accompanied by enhanced N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) responses in pyramidal cells. Thus, our results suggest that nicotine promotes the induction of LTP by diminishing inhibitory influences on NMDA responses while suppressing the ACh-mediated mechanisms. These ACh-independent mechanisms probably contribute to the nicotine-induced cognitive enhancement observed in the presence of cholinergic deficits, such as those in Alzheimer's disease patients.
Evidence for Metal Poisoning in Acute Deaths of Large Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellata)

Two of the approximately 100 large, mature, red drum found dead or dying in Florida's Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon were examined. Determinations were made of serum electrolyte concentrations, total proteins, albumins, globulins, creatinine values, and enzyme activity. Concentrations of copper, zinc, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, mercury, lead, and selenium were determined by atomic aborption. The outstanding histological lesions were found in the gills of a moribund specimen. Results indicate that the acute episode was triggered by ingestion of copper, zinc, and arsenic. However, cadmium, mercury and chromium may have been contributory by binding with metallothionein and thus lowering tolerance to metal poisoning. (JMT)
Cell wall and protoplast isoperoxidases in tobacco plants in relation to mechanical injury and infection with tobacco mosaic virus.

Leaves and pith of Turkish, Wisconsin 38, and Samsun NN tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) varieties, which differ in their sensitivity to tobacco mosaic virus, showed the same qualitative isoperoxidase patterns and a similar distribution of distinctive isoperoxidases between the cell protoplast and wall-free, ionically, and covalently bound fractions. No changes in the qualitative isoenzyme spectrum were found in relation to age, mechanical injury, or leaf infection with tobacco mosaic virus. The distinctive isoperoxidases which reacted to infection were the same as those responsive to mechanical injury, confirming that the enzyme reaction to infection results from a nonspecific response to injury. The increase in peroxidase activity in response to infection or mechanical injury, or both, was greater in young tissue than in the older ones. The great increase in Samsun NN leaves and no increase in those of the two other varieties in response to infection may be due to differences in the degree to which the pathogen affected processes controlling the nonspecific peroxidase reaction to injury. Peroxidase development in the infected Samsun NN leaves was due to isoenzymes which form the wall-bound fraction in very young tissues, and to those which increase in activity with aging in the protoplast and wall-free fractions. In mechanically injured tissue, only the first group of isoenzymes increased in activity. In Samsun NN plants, the increased peroxidase activity in upper intact leaves above the infected ones was only due to isoenzymes whose activity increases with both normal and virus-accelerated senescence. Peroxidase reaction to challenge inoculation in these leaves was the same whether the lower ones were intact, infected and/or mechanically injured. Thus, the induced systemic resistance to tobacco mosaic virus may be due to other than peroxidase factors.In infected tissues, peroxidase was detected in the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vacuole, cell wall, and intercellular spaces. The Golgi vesicles were often localized near the tonoplast and plasmalemma, fusing with membranes and secreting their contents. The possible "rejuvenating" effects of injury on synthesis and transport of distinctive isoperoxidases are discussed.
Nonclassical nature of nonlocal dispersion cancellation

Shapiro recently suggested that nonlocal dispersion cancellation is essentially classical in nature. It is shown that his classical model gives identical dispersion in two beams of light and is not analogous to nonlocal dispersion cancellation.
Thermal properties of cassava, yam and platain

Abstract Thermal conductivity (k), specific heat capacity (c p ) and thermal diffusivity (d) are important properties in modeling, simulation and control of various food processing operations. In this study, these properties were determined for the following crops: cassava root, yam tuber and plantain fruit. k was measured using a line heat source probe at moisture contents (M) in the range 14–79% wet basis and temperatures near 30 °C. The results ranged from 0.16 to 0.57 W m −1 °C −1 for cassava (M = 18–70%), 0.16 to 0.60 W m −1 °C −1 for yam (M = 0.16–79%), and 0.13 to 0.45 W m −1 °C −1 for plantain (M = 14–57%). c p was measured with a differential scanning calorimeter between 36 ° and 51 °C in the M range 10–68%. It increased with M and temperature, and varied from 1.636 to 3.26 kJ kg −1 °C −1 . d of each crop was calculated using k and c p data predicted by empirical models that were derived from the experimental data. The results were close to those given in the literature for similar foods.
Neuron-to-Cell Spread of Pseudorabies Virus in a Compartmented Neuronal Culture System

Alphaherpesviruses are parasites of the peripheral nervous system in their natural hosts. After the initial infection of peripheral tissues such as mucosal cells, these neurotropic viruses will invade the peripheral nervous system that innervates the site of infection via long-distance axonal transport of the viral genome. In natural hosts, a latent and a nonproductive infection is usually established in the neuronal cell bodies. Upon reactivation, the newly replicated genome will be assembled into capsids and transported back to the site of entry, where a localized infection of the epithelial or mucosal cells will produce infectious virions that can infect naive hosts. In this paper, we describe an in vitro method for studying neuron-to-cell spread of alphaherpesviruses using a compartmented culture system. Using pseudorabies virus as a model, we infected neuron cell bodies grown in Teflon chambers and observed spread of infection to nonneuronal cells plated in a different compartment. The cells are in contact with the neurons via axons that penetrate the Teflon barrier. We demonstrate that wild-type neuron-to-cell spread requires intact axons and the presence of gE, gI, and Us9 proteins, but does not require gD. We also provide ultrastructural evidence showing that capsids enclosed within vesicles can be found along the entire length of the axon during viral egress.
Effect of sorghum seedlings, and previous crop, on soil fluorescent Pseudomonas spp.

Hypotheses in which sorghum seedlings [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] of different genotypes will differentially modify soil microorganisms and will affect subsequent planting of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings, were tested. Wheat cultivar Lewjain, and sorghum genotypes Redlan and RTx433, were planted into soils previously planted with wheat or sorghum in growth chamber experiments. Total culturable fungi and oomycetes, and fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. numbers (cfu) were determined. Pseudomonads were screened for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production, for the presence of the phlD gene for 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol production (Phl) and for a region of the operon involved in phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) production. Pasteurized soils were inoculated with rifampicin-marked strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens then planted with Lewjain, Redlan and RTx433 to assess rhizosphere and soil colonization. Effects of plant species, sorghum genotype and previous crop on culturable fungi and oomycetes, and pseudomonad numbers (cfu g−1 soil) were statistically significant. Soils planted with RTx433 or Lewjain had greater numbers of fungal cfu than soils planted with Redlan. When Lewjain seedlings were grown in soil previously planted with RTx433, there were greater numbers of fungal cfu than when Lewjain was planted into Redlan soil. Wheat planted into wheat soil resulted in statistically significantly fewer numbers of pseudomonads than when planted into sorghum soil. Overall, percentages of HCN-producing pseudomonads increased, especially when wheat seedlings were planted in wheat soil. For most treatments, percent of isolates with Phl declined, except when Redlan was planted into Redlan soil, which resulted in increased Phl isolates. When rifampicin-marked P. fluorescens isolates were applied to pasteurized soil, sorghum seedlings sustained rhizosphere and soil populations similar to those on wheat. Sorghum genotypes may differ in associations with soil microorganisms, suggesting that they may differentially affect numbers of fluorescent pseudomonads in cropping systems.
Invasion of tallow tree into southern US forests: influencing factors and implications for mitigation

We identify species-environment relationships to predict the occurrence of Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) on forestlands in the southern US, where it has emerged as the most pervading, stand-replacing, alien tree spe- cies. Tallow invasions are more likely to be observed on low and flat lands, areas adjacent to water and roadways, sites re- cently harvested or disturbed, younger stands, and private forestlands. The winter extreme minimum temperature tends to restrain tallow northward migration. Increases in both range and severity of tallow invasions are predicted with a warming climate trend, and the situation could be worse if the warming is coupled with an increased frequency and intensity of dis- turbances. Monitoring and mitigation strategies are proposed to assist this region and other countries threatened by tallow invasions. Resume´ : Nous avons identifiedes relations entre l'environnement et l'arbre a suif chinois (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) pour predire l'occurrence de cette espece sur les terrains forestiers du sud des Etats-Unis ouelle est devenue l'espece d'arbre exotique la plus repandue capable de remplacer des peuplements. Les invasions de l'arbre asuif ont le plus de chances d'etre observees sur les terres basses et plates, dans les zones adjacentes aun plan d'eau et ala chaussee, sur des sites recemment recoltes ou perturbes, dans de jeunes peuplements et dans les boises prives. La temperature minimum ex- treme en hiver a tendance a limiter la migration de l'arbre asuif vers le nord. Une augmentation tant de l'etendue que de la severitedes invasions de l'arbre asuif est prevue avec la tendance au rechauffement du climat et la situation pourrait etre pire si le rechauffement est accompagned'une augmentation de la frequence et de l'intensitedes perturbations. Des strategies impliquant le suivi et des mesures d'attenuation sont proposees pour aider cette region et d'autres pays menaces par les invasions de l'arbre asuif. (Traduit par la Redaction)
How to Create Discipline Problems.

(1982). How to Create Discipline Problems. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 56, No. 4, pp. 149-152.
The Self-Efficacy of Pharmacy Students in Performing Clinical Tasks

The self-eficacy theory proposes that an individual's beliefs about his or her capabilities function as a determinant of future behavior. Individuals who possess a strong sense of self-efficacy for a task, i.e., perceive they can successfully perform the task, are more willing to engage in the task. We developed an instrument to evaluate the self-eficacy of pharmacy students in performing clinical functions. Students in the third professional year of a pharmacy cuniculum exhibited higher levels of self-eficacy than firstor second-year students. First-year students exhibited the lowest scores. (Female students exhibited lower self-efficacy scores than male students did.) Measuring self-efficacy may provide pharmacy educators with a valuable assessment tool. Methods for improving efficacy expectations of pharmacy students are discussed.
An Occupational Therapy Program for Adults With Developmental Disabilities

This paper describes an occupational therapy inde­ pendent living skills program for adults with devel­ opmental disabilities living in group homes. Four clients have partiCipated in this program for 1 year. Verbal reports from house and workshop staffs and written documentation in the clients' records were examined to see if the clients' behaviors changed over the COurse oftheir first year in the program. These reports indicate that the clients have moved toward increased independence by showing greater initiative in directing their own care. Treatment issues in group home systems are also discussed.
Cell Adhesion Molecules: An Overview

Considerable basic research, mostly in the past 20 years, has elicited greatly increased knowledge concerning the structure and function of cell adhesion molecules. Scores of individual adhesion molecules have been identified and categorized as to major structural features, ligands recognized, and pattern of expression. Recent attention has been focused on the interaction of cell adhesion molecules with intracellular components, and the role of cell adhesion molecules in mediating cell signal transduction. Ongoing efforts to develop specific pharmacological agonists and antagonists for adhesion molecules holds great promise in clinical medicine. Abciximab (Reopro), a monoclonal antibody inhibitor of the platelet integrin alpha IIb beta 3, is currently approved and available to improve vessel patency in patients undergoing angioplasty. Similar approaches to develop adhesion-based therapies to block angiogenesis, tumor progression, and/or metastasis are under development and hold promise for patients with cancer.
Simulation model performance analysis of a multiple station shared vehicle system

As an alternative transportation paradigm, shared vehicle systems have become increasingly popular in recent years. Shared vehicle systems typically consist of a fleet of vehicles that are used several times each day by diAerent users. One of the main advantages of shared vehicle systems is that they reduce the number of vehicles required to meet total travel demand. An added energy/emissions benefit comes when lowpolluting (e.g., electric) vehicles are used in the system. In order to evaluate operational issues such as vehicle availability, vehicle distribution, and energy management, a unique shared vehicle system computer simulation model has been developed. As an initial case study, the model was applied to a resort community in Southern California. The simulation model has a number of input parameters that allow for the evaluation of numerous scenarios. Several measures of eAectiveness have been determined and are calculated to characterize the overall system performance. For the case study, it was found that the most eAective number of vehicles (in terms of satisfying customer wait time) is in the range of 3‐6 vehicles per 100 trips in a 24 h day. On the other hand, if the number of relocations also is to be minimized, there should be approximately 18‐24 vehicles per 100 trips. Various inputs to the model were varied to see the overall system response. The model shows that the shared vehicle system is most sensitive to the vehicle-to-trip ratio, the relocation algorithm used, and the charging scheme employed when electric vehicles are used. A preliminary cost analysis was also performed, showing that such a system can be very competitive with present transportation systems (e.g., rental cars, taxies, etc.). ” 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The purpose, history, current state, and some evolving trends in feature extraction for speech recognition

Summary form only given, as follows. Firstly, the basic principles of automatic recognition of speech are reviewed. The acoustic analysis module is focused on in greater detail and distinctions between its two main blocks, the pattern classification and the feature extraction, are discussed. The early history of speech feature extraction mentions early attempts of Newton and Helmholtz to characterize information bearing components of vowels, and Scripture's analysis of phonographic voice recordings. The concept of short-term analysis and spectrograms is introduced together with the linear model of speech production. Reasons for spectral envelope estimation in ASR as well as basic techniques for its estimation such as homomorphic analysis and linear predictive analysis are introduced. Cepstrum as an approximation to Karhunen-Loeve transformation and cepstral lifters as means for modifying properties of simple Euclidean cepstral distances are also introduced. Inconsistencies of simple envelope estimation techniques with human speech perception are mentioned. Reasons for auditory-like feature extraction and some currently dominant auditory-like techniques such as Mel cepstral analysis and perceptual linear prediction (PLP) are described. The concept and basic properties of a modulation spectrum of speech is explained and its historical use in predicting intelligibility of speech in auditoria is mentioned. Dynamic features (delta, double-delta) are discussed, with a special focus on their interpretation as FIR filters applied to modulation spectrum of speech. RASTA filtering is introduced as an extension of FIR filtering done in dynamic feature estimation and reasons for its robustness to changes in communication environments explained. Interesting consistencies of RASTA processing with temporal properties of human hearing such as forward masking is also mentioned. The need for data-driven feature extraction is discussed and techniques for design of discriminant spectral basis and of discriminant RASTA filters are described with recent results of their applications in automatic recognition of speech and in speaker recognition. The concept of multi-band recognition of speech is introduced and its inherent robustness in presence of colored noise is discussed. The concept is further generalized into more general sub-stream based recognition and some techniques for merging of information sub-streams are described. Finally, recently introduced speech recognition from temporal patterns of spectral energies is described, and its inherent advantages in recognition of speech in adverse environments discussed.
Chromatic and spherical aberration correction for silicon aplanatic solid immersion lens for fault isolation and photon emission microscopy of integrated circuits

Current state-of-the-art in backside fault isolation and logic analysis utilizes solid immersion lens (SIL) imaging in the central configuration. An attractive advancement is the development and integration of an aplanatic SIL, which allows significant improvement in resolution, signal acquisition and isolation capabilities, especially for the 22 nm node and beyond. However, aplanatic SIL configurations introduce both chromatic and spherical aberrations. We have developed backing objective designs capable of correcting for chromatic aberrations allowing application in photon emission microscopy, as well as deformable mirror designs and experiments that eliminate spherical aberrations of aplanatic SILs to account for variations in substrate thickness and off-axis imaging.
GLUCOSE METABOLISM OF TWO STRAINS OF MYCOPLASMA LAIDLAWII

Castrejon-Diez, Jaime (Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, La.), Thelma N. Fisher, and Earl Fisher, Jr. Glucose metabolism of two strains of Mycoplasma laidlawii. J. Bacteriol. 86:627–636. 1963.—Two strains of Mycoplasma laidlawii were incubated in systems containing d-glucose-C14; carbon dioxide, acetate, pyruvate, and lactate were isolated from appropriate fluids after resting-cell and growth experiments. In resting-cell experiments, radioactivity recoveries were shown to be 95% for M. laidlawii A and 89% for M. laidlawii (Adler). By growth studies, the radioactivity recovery for M. laidlawii A was 83% and for M. laidlawii (Adler) was 90.5%. Low specific activities of the products as compared with the specific activity of glucose suggested cellular pools, or that the dissimilation of other substances present in the complex growth medium yielded products which contributed to the dilution factors. Enzyme studies added support to the hypothesis that glycolysis is operative in these organisms. Experiments with d-glucose-1-C14 or d-glucose-6-C14 as substrate suggested that the hexose monophosphate shunt may be functional in M. laidlawii (Adler), particularly since glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase, and transketolase were demonstrated. This pathway is absent in M. laidlawii A.
The Ventricles and Their Functions

The first documented reference to any part of the nervous system is found in the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, originally compiled in Egypt ca. 3000 BC and known from a copy made ca. 1600 Bc. Case Six of this surgical collection is an account of a head injury so severe as to expose the brain after penetrating the skull and meninges. The surgeon is directed to palpate the wound and feel the “corrugations which form in molden copper [the convolutions], (and) something therein throbbing (and) fluttering under thy fingers” (Breasted, 1930, vol. I, p. 166). Because the hieroglyphics for “brain” (Fig. 3.1) are usually followed by “in the skull,” Breasted suggests “marrow of the skull” as the earliest designation of the brain.
Aspects of Datura poisoning and treatment

Introduction. Datura species, especially Datura stramonium (e.g., jimsonweed), are the focus of scores of case reports that chronicle the toxidrome of anticholinergic toxicity. Mechanisms of toxicity. Toxicity occurs because of the presence of up to 28 belladonna alkaloids, predominated by atropine and scopolamine. There are significant interspecies differences in the ratio of the belladonna alkaloids, atropine to scopolamine, and the presence of at least 26 other related alkaloids will vary, even between and among specimens of the same species. The differences may account for unexpected dose–response effects that are observed in some patients and even different profiles of toxicity. All parts of the Datura species contain belladonna alkaloids; in decreasing order, the belladonna alkaloid content is generally the greatest in the petioles (flowers), stem, fruit (seeds), leaves, and roots. Features. The most prominent symptoms are due to the blockade of peripheral muscarinic receptors that innervate exocrin...
Mosaic wedge-and-strip arrays for large format microchannel plate detectors

The authors present a novel method for joining wedge-and-strip patterns on single anodes in a mosaic array. With only a modest increase in complexity over three conductor anodes currently in use, the ultimate detector position resolution can be significantly improved, and large-format microchannel plate detectors with pore-size-limited resolution are made possible. The problem of the transition from one anode to the next has been solved with a novel linear encoding scheme, which exhibits essentially distortionless behavior at boundaries parallel to the conducting elements and only slight distortion at the orthogonal boundaries. The ultimate resolution for two anode designs, one designed for large-format imaging and the other for high-resolution spectroscopy, is also predicted. >