cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The spiral axis: A comparison of unaffected first-degree relatives of essential tremor cases vs. controls

Abstract We previously observed that during a spiral drawing task, in essential tremor (ET) cases, the tremor wave forms align along a single predominant axis. This interesting clinical feature can distinguish ET from dystonia cases. We now investigate whether the unaffected relatives of ET cases also express this trait, albeit perhaps in a milder form. To address our aim, we assessed the spiral axis in 237 unaffected first-degree relatives of ET cases (FD-ET), comparing them to 105 controls (Co). A movement disorder neurologist assessed four hand drawn spirals for the presence of a single identifiable tremor orientation axis. A spiral axis score (range = 0–4 [a single axis on 4 spirals]) was assigned to each enrollee. FD-ET had higher spiral axis scores than Co. In a contingency table, the distribution of spiral axis scores differed in the two groups: FD-ET (highest) and Co (lowest) (ordinal chi-square test p = 0.014). Furthermore, when spiral axis scores were examined as a continuous measure, the groups differed (Mann-Whitney test p = 0.03) - with the means being 0.51 (FD-ET) and 0.26 (Co). These data have scientific implications. They (1) show that such axes are more common in relatives of ET cases than controls, and (2) raise the possibility that the spiral axis may be an early subclinical feature of ET.
Performance of Eosinophil Cationic Protein as a Biomarker in Asthmatic Children.

Background Although blood eosinophils are a frequently used marker of type 2 inflammation in children with asthma, their sensitivity is relatively poor. Additional markers of type 2 inflammation are needed. Objective We hypothesized that plasma concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), a marker of eosinophil activation, would be useful for detection of type 2 inflammation and would predict poorer asthma outcomes over 1 year. Methods Children and adolescents 6 through 17 years (N = 256) with confirmed asthma completed a baseline visit and a follow-up visit at 12 months. A subset also underwent systemic corticosteroid responsiveness testing with intramuscular triamcinolone. Outcome measures at 12 months included uncontrolled asthma, lung function, and asthma exacerbations treated with systemic corticosteroids. Results Plasma ECP concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 413.61 ng/mL (median, 6.95 ng/mL) and were consistently associated with other markers of type 2 inflammation. At baseline, children in the highest ECP tertile had poorer asthma control, more airflow limitation, and more exacerbations, but also had greater symptom improvement with intramuscular triamcinolone. At 12 months, associations between the highest ECP tertile and exacerbations, but not lung function or asthma control, persisted after covariate adjustment. However, the sensitivity of ECP was modest and was not markedly different from that of blood eosinophil counts. Conclusion Plasma ECP concentrations may be a useful marker of type 2 inflammation in children and may help identify those children at highest risk for recurrent exacerbations who could benefit from corticosteroid treatment. However, additional markers may be needed to improve sensitivity for outcome detection.
Present and future sea level rise at the intersection of race and poverty in the Carolinas: A geospatial analysis

Abstract Sea level rise (SLR) has and will continue to impact coastal communities in the coming decades. Despite the widespread availability of data on SLR projections, little is known about the differential impact of SLR on minority or economically disadvantaged populations. In this study, we aim to identify the geographic areas in which low-income and communities of color along the North and South Carolina coastline in the United States will experience the most severe effects of SLR. Geospatial mapping was performed to estimate the total area impacted by 1) SLR, 2) tidal inundation, and 3) low-lying areas separately for three scenarios (0-, 2-, and 4-feet). Findings project that over 2.2 million people and at least 370,000 Black or economically disadvantaged individuals will be impacted by SLR by 2100. Results showed that the most economically deprived and racially segregated communities are already experiencing the effects of SLR, including more frequent tidal inundation and low-lying flooding. Inland flooding is seven times more likely to occur in low-income Black communities compared to high-income white communities. Findings highlight the urgent need for additional resources and adaptive measures that target low-income, black communities who will continue to be disproportionately impacted by SLR in coastal Carolina.
kW-level monolithic single-mode narrow-linewidth all-solid photonic bandgap fiber amplifier

Further power scaling of narrow-linewidth fiber lasers is critical for beam combining. Using all-solid photonic bandgap fibers with large effective mode areas and strong higher-order-mode suppression is an interesting approach. Previously, we demonstrated ∼400W single-frequency single-mode power at 1064 nm from a 50/400 photonic bandgap fiber amplifier, limited only by transverse mode instability (TMI). In this work, we demonstrate a TMI-limited single-mode power of 1.37 kW from a monolithic fiber amplifier with a 25/400 photonic bandgap fiber, the highest output power from a photonic bandgap fiber demonstrated to date, to the best of our knowledge. The spectral linewidth is broadened to ∼8GHz to suppress stimulated Brillouin scattering.
Higher seroprevalence of anti-AAV NAb among racial minorities in the United States.

Anti-AAV neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) can ablate efficacy of transgene expression following intravenous vector administration. This observation in both preclinical and clinical trials has led to exclusion of NAb positive patients from receiving AAV gene therapy. AAV drug development includes selection of capsids with lower NAb seroprevalence, that also possess other favorable traits. Often a limited number of healthy volunteers are screened to gauge NAb seroprevalence. However, limited data sets can be biased leading to inaccurate estimates of NAb incidence. Here we evaluated AAV NAbs against a panel of vectors among healthy donors within the United States. While the overall seroprevalence against most AAVs was lower, we did observe increased NAb incidence among Black and Hispanic donors. These findings of increased NAb seroprevalence among the minority races were confirmed in a second set of donors that also demonstrated higher seroprevalence among these races. Interracial-and intraracial differences within genders was also observed among donors. The increased incidence of AAV NAb among racial minorities was unexpected. Our findings underscore the need for removing bias in sample data sets and evaluating seroprevalence within the patient population while selecting capsids.
Specificity of the Mnt Protein: Independent Effects of Mutations at Different Positions in the Operator

The relative binding affinities of Mnt protein are determined for each possible base-pair at position 15 of the operator sequence, and for all combinations of G.C base-pairs at positions 15 and 17. The partitioning of each operator sequence is determined quantitatively with restriction enzymes. At position 15, the wild-type G.C base-pair provides the highest binding affinity but, unlike position 17, the primary distinction is between purine and pyrimidine bases on the top strand. The information content at position 15 is only about 0.16 bit. In comparison with previous measurements at position 17, it is determined that the interactions of the Mnt protein with positions 15 and 17 are independent, i.e. the specific binding energies for the two positions are additive. The relative binding affinities at position 17 are also determined in the background of a G to T mutation at position 5, the position equivalent to 17 on the other half of the symmetric operator. The relative affinities at position 17 are independent of whether position 5 is wild-type or mutant.
Global Partitioning of Parallel loops and Data Arrays for Caches and Distributed Memory in Multiprocessors

This thesis presents a solution to the problem of automatically partitioning loops and arrays for cache-coherent distributed memory multiprocessors. The compiler algorithm described is intended for such machines, though it handles machines without caches as well. A loop partition specifies the distribution of loop iterations across the processors. A data partition specifies the distribution of arrays. Loops are partitioned in order to get good cache reuse, while data partitioning endeavors to make most array references access the local memory of the processor issuing them. The problems of finding loop and data partitions are related, and must be done together. Our algorithm handles programs with multiple nested parallel loops accessing many arrays with array access indices being general affine functions of loop variables. We present a cost model which estimates the cost of a loop and data partition given machine parameters such as cache, local and remote access timings. Minimizing the cost as estimated by our model is an NP-complete problem, as is the fully general problem of partitioning. We present a heuristic method which provides solutions in polynomial time. The scheme has been fully implemented in our compiler for the Alewife machine. We demonstrate the method on several small program fragments, and show performance results on one large application, namely the conduct routine in SIMPLE, which has 20 parallel loops (including both one and two dimensional loops) and 20 data arrays, which are shared by several loops.
Localization of the Retinol-dependent Fucose-Glycopeptide in the Goblet Cell of the Rat Small Intestine

Abstract Vitamin A deficiency in rat small intestine caused a decrease in the synthesis of a fucose-containing glycopeptide (Fuc-glycopeptide) and a reduction in goblet cells. The cellular localization of Fuc-glycopeptide was studied by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique. Fuc-glycopeptide was purified as previously described. Its purity was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the agar immunodiffusion test. An antiserum to Fuc-glycopeptide was prepared in chickens and was used to localize the Fucglycopeptide by the indirect immunofluorescence technique. Fuc-glycopeptide was present only in the goblet cells.
Study Navigator: An Algorithmically Generated Aid for Learning from Electronic Textbooks.

We present study navigator, an algorithmically-generated aid for enhancing the experience of studying from electronic textbooks. The study navigator for a section of the book consists of helpful concept references for understanding this section. Each concept reference is a pair consisting of a concept phrase explained elsewhere and the link to the section in which it has been explained. We propose a novel reader model for textbooks and an algorithm for generating the study navigator based on this model. We also present an extension of the study navigator specialized to accommodate information processing preference of the student. Specifically, this specialization allows a student to control the balance between references to sections that help refresh material already studied vs. sections that provide more advanced information. We also present two user studies that demonstrate the e?cacy of the proposed system across textbooks on di?erent subjects from di?erent grades.
Major gene with sex-specific effects influences fat mass in Mexican Americans

Increased adiposity has repeatedly been identified as a major risk factor for a variety of chronic diseases. However, the question still remains whether the amount of adipose tissue itself is genetically mediated. To address this question, a segregation analysis, using maximum likelihood techniques as implemented in the computer program Pedigree Analysis Package (PAP), was performed on fat mass (kilograms of body fat) in a large sample of extended Mexican American families residing in San Antonio, TX. The only model not rejected was a Mendelian mixed model for fat mass, incorporating genotype X sex interaction. In males the major gene accounted for 37% of the total variance compared with 43% in females. In both sexes homozygous recessive individuals have a fat mass more than double that of individuals of the other two genotypes. It was possible to reject linkage of the anonymous major gene for fat mass with several candidate loci for obesity. However, tentative evidence of linkage was detected with markers on both chromosomes 2 and 11, thereby providing hypotheses for future testing. ©1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
HEDONIC ANALYSIS OVER TIME AND SPACE: THE CASE OF HOUSE PRICES AND TRAFFIC NOISE

One consequence of the expanding road network and its associated traffic is increased levels of traffic noise. While the hedonic literature has consistently found a negative relationship between real estate prices and noise levels, research in the United States has typically relied on crude measures of traffic noise. Here, we reduce the measurement error of traffic noise exposure through a detailed model of noise propagation over the landscape. We then estimate the hedonic relationship between noise and single family house prices using over 40,000 transactions throughout the St. Paul, Minnesota, urban area from 2005 to 2010. We implement spatially and temporally flexible local regression techniques and find significant nonstationarity in the hedonic function over time and space.
Spica MRI after closed reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Sir, I read with interest the recent technical innovation article entitled “Spica MRI after closed reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip” [1]. The authors report the use of a short MRI examination immediately following placement of a spica cast to confirm proper reduction. Although not included in the reference list of this recent publication, many points discussed regarding this technique have been described previously [2, 3]. After publication in 2000, postoperative limited spica MRI evaluation completely supplanted the use of CT at our institution. The lack of radiation exposure or need for sedation, improved soft tissue delineation, rapid imaging time, ease of scheduling and reduced comprehensive cost supported prompt acceptance of the practice by our orthopedic surgeons. Hopefully, this current publication reiterating the previously reported findings will further promote the widespread use of this practice.
Complementary-Energy Methods for Geometrically Non-linear Structural Models: An Overview and Recent Developments in the Analysis of Frames

Boundary-value problems in solid mechanics are often addressed, from both theoretical and numerical points of view, by resorting to displacement/rotation-based variational formulations. For conservative problems, such formulations may be constructed on the basis of the Principle of Stationary Total Potential Energy. Small deformation problems have a unique solution and, as a consequence, their corresponding total potential energies are globally convex. In this case, under the so-called Legendre transform, the total potential energy can be transformed into a globally concave total complementary energy only expressed in terms of stress variables. However, large deformation problems have, in general, for the same boundary conditions, multiple solutions. As a result, their associated total potential energies are globally non-convex. Notwithstanding, the Principle of Stationary Total Potential Energy can still be regarded as a minimum principle, only involving displacement/rotation fields. The existence of a maximum complementary energy principle defined in a truly dual form has been subject of discussion since the first contribution made by Hellinger in 1914. This paper provides a survey of the complementary energy principles and also accounts for the evolution of the complementary-energy based finite element models for geometrically non-linear solid/structural models proposed in the literature over the last 60 years, giving special emphasis to the complementary-energy based methods developed within the framework of the geometrically exact Reissner-Simo beam theory for the analysis of structural frames.
On the uniqueness of quasi-static solutions of some linear models of left ventricular mechanics

We review two models describing the material properties of heart muscle: the fluid-fiber model and the fluid-fiber-collagen model. We show that the fluid-fiber description gives rise to non-uniqueness when used in ventricular modeling while the fluid-fiber-collagen description does not. We derive a general cavity pressure-volume relation for an extended class family of linear models of the heart's left ventricle.
An Inverse Method to Measure the Flexural Wave Properties of a Beam

This paper describes an inverse method to measure the complex flexural wavenumber and wave propagation coefficients of a beam undergoing transverse motion. The formulation begins with the Bernoulli-Euler partial differential beam equation solved in terms of spatial trigonometric functions multiplied by a temporal harmonic response term. The resulting model is a nonlinear expression, which has five unknowns that consist of four wave propagation coefficients and the flexural wavenumber, and is written so that it is equal to data from seven equally spaced measurement locations on the beam. These equations, which are functions of the unknown parameters, are then inverted so that the unknowns become functions of the data. This operation allows the inverse method to be linear with respect to the beam parameters, yielding closed-form estimations. The method is independent of boundary conditions as it depends only on the measurements. An experiment is conducted in which a rectangular aluminum beam is vibrated transversely on a shaker table, with accelerometers recording the beam response data at the seven locations. The data were combined to estimate the flexural wavenumber, which was compared to a modeled wavenumber using assumed material properties for the beam, resulting in a very favorable comparison. Next, the wave propagation coefficients were estimated, although no comparison was made to the model because these coefficients depend on boundary conditions that are difficult to determine. Finally, the experimental response at a beam location is compared to a modeled response using the estimated parameters.
One-dimensional fracture

Abstract A random fracture model of one-dimensional breakage has been tested using spaghetti and chalk sticks as the experimental material, and also by sampling from random number tables. One-dimensional breakage data were combined to simulate breakage in two and three dimensions. The experimental size distributions deviate from the random model, suggesting that real breakage is not merely random, and that a proper model must include an evaluation of the mechanism of force application and its effect on the distribution of fracture sites.
The fine structure of the epicuticular particles of Enchytraesus fragmentosus.

Epicuticular particles occurring on the surface of axenically grown Enchytraesus fragmentosus Bell are described and their origin is demonstrated to be from microvilli. Enzymatic digestion by RNase, DNase, trypsin, and pepsin indicates that the epicuticular particles are not viral in nature as previously suggested. The function of the epicuticular particles is suggested to be to aid in the stability of the mucoid coat of the worm.
A comparison of spectral sensitivities of caudal photoreceptors of epigeal and cavernicolous crayfish

Abstract 1. 1. Spectral sensitivity data are presented for the caudal photo-receptors of four species of epigeal crayfishes including Procambarus clarkii, Procambarus simulans, Orconectes virilis and Cambarus sciotensis . In addition, data are given for the single blind cavernicolous species, Orconectes pellucidus australis . 2. 2. A λ max of 502 mμ was obtained for the receptors of all the epigeal forms. Although some variations are seen among these curves, they probably reflect the function of identical pigments. 3. 3. The curves obtained on receptors of the cavernicolous form, O. pellucidus australis , show a slight shift toward the blue when compared with the data from the epigeal animals. The λ max is estimated to be 497 mμ. 4. 4. Comparison of spectral sensitivities of the caudal photoreceptors with those of the compound eyes of P. clarkii and O. virilis indicates that the caudal receptor pigment is different. Since the compound eyes contain a dichromatic system, it is assumed that at least three independent genes control the carotenoid-protein visual pigments of crafishes.
Arterial Blood Gas Changes During Breath-holding From Functional Residual Capacity

Breath-holding serves as a model for studying gas exchange during clinical situations in which cessation of ventilation occurs. We chose to examine the arterial blood gas changes that occurred during breath-holding, when breath-holding was initiated from functional residual capacity (FRC) while breathing room air. Eight normal subjects who had a radial artery catheter placed for another study were taught to breath-hold on command from FRC. FRC was determined using respiratory inductance plethysmography. Arterial blood gas specimens were obtained at 5-s intervals until the termination of breath-holding. The average breath-holding time (±SD) was 35 (±10 s). The PaO 2 , PaCO 2 , and pH values were plotted against time and individually fit to logistic equations for each subject. The arterial PaO 2 fell by a mean of 50 mm Hg during the first 35 s of breath-holding under these conditions, while the arterial Pco 2 rose by a mean of 10.2 mm Hg during the first 35 s and the pH fell by a mean of 0.07 in the first 35 s. The rapid decline in PaO 2 is greater than that previously reported using different methods and should be considered in clinical situations in which there is an interruption of oxygenation and ventilation at FRC while breathing room air. The changes in PaCO 2 and pH are similar to those previously reported in paralyzed apneic patients.
Curve-based multivariate distance matrix regression analysis: application to genetic association analyses involving repeated measures

Most, if not all, human phenotypes exhibit a temporal, dosage-dependent, or age effect. Despite this fact, it is rare that data are collected over time or in sequence in relevant studies of the determinants of these phenotypes. The costs and organizational sophistication necessary to collect repeated measurements or longitudinal data for a given phenotype are clearly impediments to this, but greater efforts in this area are needed if insights into human phenotypic expression are to be obtained. Appropriate data analysis methods for genetic association studies involving repeated or longitudinal measures are also needed. We consider the use of longitudinal profiles obtained from fitted functions on repeated data collections from a set of individuals whose similarities are contrasted between sets of individuals with different genotypes to test hypotheses about genetic influences on time-dependent phenotype expression. The proposed approach can accommodate uncertainty of the fitted functions, as well as weighting factors across the time points, and is easily extended to a wide variety of complex analysis settings. We showcase the proposed approach with data from a clinical study investigating human blood vessel response to tyramine. We also compare the proposed approach with standard analytic procedures and investigate its robustness and power via simulation studies. The proposed approach is found to be quite flexible and performs either as well or better than traditional statistical methods.
Asymmetric synthesis of erythro-β-hydroxyasparagine

Abstract erythro -Hydroxyasparagine ( e HyAsn, 1 ) occurs in a number of naturally occurring peptides and proteins. Previous syntheses have relied on enzyme-catalyzed reactions to produce relevant, optically active intermediates. We report herein a completely chemical synthesis that intercepts Boger’s synthesis of the diastereomer ( t HyAsn, 4 ), utilizing a Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation reaction to introduce the two stereocenters. Boc-HyAsn(OTBS)-OH ( 10 ) was coupled effectively with phenylalanine methyl ester using EDC/HOBt.
PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS OF PSEUDOSCOURFIELDIA MARINA AND SELECT GREEN FLAGELLATES AND COCCOID ULTRAPHYTOPLANKTON: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SYSTEMATICS OF THE MICROMONADOPHYCEAE (CHLOROPHYTA)1

Photosynthetic pigments of the green flagellate Pseudoscourfieldia marina (Throndsen) Manton (Micromonadophyceae) are similar to those of the coccoid Pycnococcus provasolii Guillard; prasinoxanthin is the predominant carotenoid. Other organisms that possess prasinoxanthin also possess additional pigments not found in either P. marina or P. provasolii. Uriolide, a xanthophyll previously described from the coccoid done URI 266G, was also found in Mantoniella squamata (Manton et Parke) Desikachary, Micromonas pusilla Manton et Parke and Mamiella gilva (Parks et Rayns) Moestrup, all flagellate members of the Mamiellales, and the coccoid clone IV E5G. Other unidentified carotenoids were also present in M. squamata, M. pusilla, and M. gilva. These results suggest that P. marina and the coccoid organisms URI 266G and IV E5G may be related to the Mamiellales, and that P. provasolii may be more closely related to P. marina than to M. squamata, M. pusilla, and M. gilva.
Delineation of Ground Water Flow in Fractured Rock in the Southwestern Part of Manhattan, New York, Through Use of Advanced Borehole Geophysical Methods

Advanced borehole-geophysical methods were used to assess the geohydrology of fractured crystalline bedrock at five test boreholes in southwestern Manhattan Island, New York, in preparation for construction of a third water tunnel for New York City. The boreholes penetrated gneiss and other crystalline bedrock that has an overall southwest to northwest dipping foliation with a 60° dip. Most of the fractures encountered are either nearly horizontal or have moderate northwest dip azimuths. Fracture indexes range from 0.25 to 0.44 fracture per foot (0.3 m) of borehole. Electromagnetic (EM) and heat-pulse flowmeter logs obtained under ambient and pumping conditions, together with other geophysical logs, indicate transmissive fracture zones in each borehole. Pumping tests of each borehole indicated transmissivity ranges from <2 to 360 ft2/day (0.2 to 33 m2/day). Ground water appears to flow within an interconnected fracture network toward the south and west within the study area. No correlation was indicated between the fracture index and the total borehole transmissivity.
APPLICATION OF CATASTROPHE THEORY TO NUCLEAR STRUCTURE

Three two-parameter models, one describing an A-body system (the atomic nucleus) and two describing many-body systems (the van der Waals gas and the ferroelectric (perovskite) system) are compared within the framework of catastrophe theory. It is shown that each has a critical point (second-order phase transition) when the two counteracting forces controlling it are in balance; further, each undergoes a first-order phase transition when one of the forces vanishes (the deforming force for the nucleus, the attractive force for the van der Waals gas, and the dielectric constant for the perovskite). Finally, when both parameters are kept constant, a kind of phase transition may occur at a critical angular momentum, critical pressure, and critical electric field. 3 figures, 1 table.
Acoustic landmine detection: a 3D poroelastic model

Acoustic waves can be a viable tool for the detection and identification of land mines, unexplored ordnance and other buried objects. Design of acoustic instruments and interpretation and processing of acoustic measurements call for accurate numerical models to simulate acoustic wave propagation in a heterogeneous soil with buried objects. Compared with the traditional seismic exploration, high attenuation is unfortunately ubiquitous for shallow surface acoustic measurements because of the loose soil and the fluid in its pore space. To adequately mode such acoustic attenuation. , we propose a comprehensive multidimensional finite-difference time-domain model to simulate the acoustic wave interactions with land miens and soils based on the Biot theory for photoelastic media. For the truncation of the computational domain, w use the perfectly matched layer (PML). The method is validated by comparison with analytical solutions. Unlike the pure elastic wave model, this efficient PML-FDTD model for photoelastic media incorporates the interactions of waves and the fluid-saturated pore space. Several typical and mine detection measurements are simulated to illustrate the application.
Is Informed Consent Required for the Administration of Intravenous Contrast and Similar Clinical Procedures

[Ann Emerg Med. 2007;49:231-233.] Aside from their professional responsibility, physicians also have a moral and legal obligation to provide their patients with the information necessary to make informed decisions. Communicating honestly with patients so that they may participate in decisionmaking is a recent, rather than historical, imperative. Based on a respect for patients, this cooperative physician-patient relationship reverses the time-honored paternalism that, since Hippocratic times, has guided physician interactions with their patients. In their article, Cowan et al 1 imply that emergency physicians should get informed consent from their patients before the administration of intravenous radiographic contrast material. To assess this claim, we first must review the background for, and the methods of, obtaining informed consent.
Peroxide detoxification affecting the production of immunoglobulin by mouse myeloma tumor cells in vitro.

Des peroxides detoxifiants peuvent empecher la reduction de la production des immunoglobulines par les cellules de la tumeur MOPC 46 en l'absence de glucose. Le contenu en glutathion de peroxydase de ces cellules est eleve tandis que s'abaisse le contenu en catalase.
Solutions of two minmax recurrences in parallel processing with variable recombination overhead

Abstract A variety of parallel algorithms are based on the paradigm of recursion. However, because of the partition and recombination overheads involved, such algorithms may perform poorly on real architectures. This paper deals with solutions of two minmax recurrence relations that result from optimal execution of parallel recursive algorithms in the presence of variable recombination overheads and constant partition overheads. We solve two models with the recombination overheads shown as a linear function of the partition size and the problem size, respectively. For model 1, we show that the optimal partition sizes for problem size n at any stage of the recursion can easily be found in O (log log n ) time using an O (log n ) size table. Model 2 is solved for cases k ≤ λ and k > λ , where k and λ are constants related to the parallel computing overheads. For the first case, the optimal partition size is derived to be [ n 2 ] and a closed-form solution of the complexity is exactly characterized. For the second case, the optimal partition size is found to be in the range [ (n − t) 2 ] ± 1 , where t is a nonnegative constant that depends on k and λ, and the overall complexity is shown to be O (2 λn + ( k − λt )log 2 ( n + t )). This paper develops the theory of solutions of minmax recurrences and provides some insight into this area of computational mathematics which has received little attention so far.
Potential sources of error in preparing doses of microbial insecticides.

Bioassay studies determining the susceptibility of various species of black fly (Simuliidae) larvae to several formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bri) have used different tenninology when reporting test concentrations. Specifically, some authors report concentration as weight/volume expressions (ppm) or as spores/mL or a combination of the two, but none report existing variations within and between concentrations.
Binding induced RNA conformational changes control substrate recognition and catalysis by the thiostrepton resistance methyltransferase (Tsr).

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) post-transcriptional modifications are essential for ribosome maturation, translational fidelity, and are one mechanism used by both antibiotic-producing and pathogenic bacteria to resist the effects of antibiotics that target the ribosome. The thiostrepton producer Streptomyces azureus prevents self-intoxication by expressing the thiostrepton-resistance methyltransferase (Tsr), which methylates the 2′-hydroxyl of 23 S rRNA nucleotide adenosine 1067 within the thiostrepton binding site. Tsr is a homodimer with each protomer containing an L30e-like amino-terminal domain (NTD) and a SPOUT methyltransferase family catalytic carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD). We show that both enzyme domains are required for high affinity RNA substrate binding. The Tsr-CTD has intrinsic, weak RNA affinity that is necessary to direct the specific high-affinity Tsr-RNA interaction via NTDs, which have no detectable RNA affinity in isolation. RNA structure probing experiments identify the Tsr footprint on the RNA and structural changes in the substrate, induced specifically upon NTD binding, which are necessary for catalysis by the CTD. Additionally, we identify a key amino acid in each domain responsible for CTD-RNA binding and the observed NTD-dependent RNA structural changes. These studies allow us to develop a model for Tsr-RNA interaction in which the coordinated substrate recognition of each Tsr structural domain is an obligatory pre-catalytic recognition event. Our findings underscore the complexity of substrate recognition by RNA modification enzymes and the potential for direct involvement of the RNA substrate in controlling the process of its modification.
Effects of septal lesions and testosterone on lordosis behavior and luteinizing hormone release in female rats

Abstract The increased behavioral sensitivity to estrogen following a septal lesion in female rats has previously been found to be blocked by chronic treatment with testosterone propionate (TP) following the lesion. The effects of this chronic treatment on the ability of progesterone (P) to facilitate the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the spayed septal lesioned rat primed with estradiol benzoate (EB) was tested in the present study. EB was injected and followed 72 hr later with an injection of P. Blood samples for measurement of plasma LH were taken at 1700 hr, 29 and 53 hr after EB and 5 hr after P injection. Although there was no effect of the lesion, TP treatment significantly inhibited LH values after P administration. In a second experiment, spayed septal lesioned or sham operated rats were given either 0.0, 0.5 or 2.0 μg EB followed by 0.5 mg P just 24 hr later. The display of lordosis behavior, tested 4–6 hr after P injection, was significantly greater in septal lesioned than in sham operated rats following priming injections of 0.5 or 2.0 μ EB. This indicates that septal destruction significantly shortened the duration required for estrogen to prepare neural mechanisms for the effect of progesterone on lordosis behavior. Following a similar steroid regime, no differences were found between lesioned and sham operated rats in plasma LH levels in blood samples taken 5 hr after EB or 5 and 29 hr after P injection.
The thalamic projection to cortical area 17 in a congenitally anophthalmic mouse strain

Abstract The thalamocortical projection innervating area 17 in the congenitally anophthalmic ZRDCT-An mouse was compared with its counterpart in normal-eyed mice of different strains by the horseradish peroxidase method. The results indicate that, despite absence of retinal afferents and a reduction of its neuronal population to 76% of normal, the dorsal nucleus of the lateral geniculate body in the ZRDCT-An mouse projects to area 17 in an essentially normal topographic pattern. Our evidence also indicates the existence, both in normal-eyed and ZRDCT-An mice, of an extrageniculate thalamocortical projection to area 17, arising in particular from the nucleus lateralis posterior but in lesser degree also from the nucleus lateralis dorsalis. In both normal and anophthalmic mice, this extrageniculate projection favors the lateral and posterior parts of area 17; however, the projection to these parts is considerably greater in the congenitally anophthalmic than in the normal-eyed mouse. Compensatory innervation thus appears to occur in the anophthalmic mouse not only at the level of the primary retinorecipient nucleus of the geniculostriate system, but also at the level of the visual cortex that is once removed from the direct effects of congenital denervation.
TOWARD ELUCIDATING THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF WARM RAINFALL: A SURVEY

[1] Quantitative measurement, estimation, and prediction of precipitation remains one of the grand challenges in the hydrological and atmospheric sciences with far-reaching implications across the natural sciences. Although the roots of current research activity in this topic go back to the beginning of the twentieth century, advances in radar technology and in numerical modeling have provided the impetus for prolific research in the area of cloud and precipitation physics over the last 50 years. As radar rainfall measurements progressively became the staple of hydrometeorological observing systems, cloud and precipitation microphysics emerged as increasingly preeminent areas of research. Here we present a synthesis of the state of the science with respect to the physical dynamics of hydrometeors and, specifically, the transient processes that affect the temporal evolution of rainfall microstructure and that are directly relevant to the quantitative interpretation of radar rainfall measurements and explicit numerical simulations. The focus of our survey is on raindrop morphodynamics (equilibrium raindrop shape and raindrop oscillations), drop-drop interactions (bounce, coalescence, and breakup), and the dynamical evolution of raindrop size distributions in precipitating clouds.
Primary-Grade Teachers' Use of within-Class Ability Grouping in Reading.

A random sample of primary-grade teachers from across the United States was surveyed about within-class ability grouping in reading. Sixty-three percent of participants reported using within-class ability groups. Groups are smaller and more flexible than those formed in the past, with teachers emphasizing teaching comprehension, reading vocabulary, and other basic reading skills to each of their groups. Most teachers reported that they used within-class ability grouping because it helps them meet their students' instructional needs, although there were some reasons for concern. For instance, students in lower ability groups spend more time involved in noninstructional activities, are less likely to be asked critical comprehension questions, and are given fewer opportunities to select their own reading material.
Making Holographic Television a Consumer Product

Recent holographic video research at the MIT Media Laboratory has focused on making a display suitable for consumer use. We discuss our new display architecture, and its novel electro-optical aspects.
Compressive deformation of polycrystalline uranium at low temperatures

Abstract Polycrystalline α-uranium was tested in compression from 20 to 300 K and, with the exception of the 20 K tests, no cracking was observed during extensive plastic deformation ( ϵ ⩽ − 3.0 ). Alpha uranium was found to be a strongly work hardening material; the dislocation and twinning structures developed, however, are not stable arid resulted in unexpectedly weak material when samples were tested at temperatures above the initial deformation temperature. On the other hand, the results obtained suggest that large strain deformation at warm temperatures should lead to high yield strength uranium at room temperature. The stress-strain curves for annealed polycrystalline α-U from 78 to 300 K can be predicted accurately from the phenomenological relation: σ = σ s − exp[-(Nϵ) p ] · (σ s − σ y ) , where N and p are material constants equal to 0.613 and 0.58, respectively, and σ y is the yield strength. The saturation flow stress, σ s , is predicted to be 6200 MPa (900 ksi) at 78 K and 2900 MPa (420 ksi) at room temperature.
Lumbar puncture for suspected meningitis after intensive care unit admission is likely to change management.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of lumbar punctures (LPs) in critically ill medical patients and how likely the results were to change case management. Materials and Met...
Fluorescence spectroscopic investigations of the dynamic properties of proteins, membranes and nucleic acids

Abstract Fluorescence spectroscopy can reveal the dynamic properties of proteins, membranes and nucleic acids on the nanosecond timescale. Dynamic processes which can affect the fluorescence spectral characteristics of biopolymer-bound fluorophores include dipolar relaxation ariund excited state dipoles, rotational diffusion of flurophores, and permeation of bipolymers by fluorescence quenchers. The occurence of these processes is revelead by the time-dependence of the Stoke's shifts, the time dependence of fluorescence anisotropies and the quenching of fluorescence, respectively. We will describe each of these processes in detail using examples of data obtained for membrane-bound fluorophores. In addition, we will review the fluorescence spectral evidence for nanosecond structural fluctuations in proteins and nucleic acids. In total, fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that both proteins and membranes fluctuate rapidly on the nanosecond and subnanosecond timescale. In contrast, base pairs in double-helical DNA appear to be immobile on this timescale.
The efferents interconnecting auditory inner hair cells

Abstract The work describes the system of efferent terminals that interconnect inner hair cells through a chain of direct somatic synapses organized in repetitive patterns. The efferent boutons were discovered in the apical turns of 12-day-old (hearing) mice. Clusters or short rows of vesiculated boutons are located between adjoining hair cells at the lower half of the receptors, close to their modiolar side. The individual endings, about 1.2 μm in diameter, adjoin inner hair cells and form one synapse per hair cell. On the hair cell side, the synaptic contact is apposed by a classical postsynaptic cisterna. Within a cluster of endings, some synapse simultaneously with either or both neighbouring inner hair cells. The efferent boutons also connect synaptically with each other and with other—different in type—vesiculated and nonvesiculated endings. These endings seem to derive from the climbing collaterals of the inner spiral bundle, and we believe them to be GABAergic.
The X(5) critical point nuclei and the interacting boson model symmetry triangle

Shape/phase transitions in low-energy nuclear spectra, the new critical point symmetries E(5) and X(5), and their empirical realization have recently been the subject of many experimental and theoretical investigations. With a set of polar coordinates, the precise location of the critical phase transition region and of X(5)-type nuclei can be mapped in the interacting boson model symmetry triangle. An empirical mapping of the symmetry triangle for the N=82–104 rare-earth nuclei is also obtained.
A multi-evidence, multi-engine OCR system

Although modern OCR technology is capable of handling a wide variety of document images, there is no single OCR engine that performs equally well on all documents for a given single language script. Naturally, each OCR engine has its strengths and weaknesses, and therefore different engines tend to differ in the accuracy on different documents, and in the errors on the same document image. While the idea of using multiple OCR engines to boost output accuracy is not new, most of the existing systems do not go beyond variations on majority voting. While this approach may work well in many cases, it has limitations, especially when OCR technology used to process a given script has not yet fully matured. Our goal is to develop a system called MEMOE (for "Multi-Evidence Multi-OCR-Engine") that combines, in an optimal or near-optimal way, output streams of one or more OCR engines together with various types of evidence extracted from these streams as well as from original document images, to produce output of higher quality than that of the individual OCR engines, or of majority voting applied to multiple OCR output streams. Furthermore, we aim to improve the accuracy of OCR output on images that might otherwise have low accuracy that significantly impacts downstream processing. The MEMOE system functions as an OCR engine taking document images and some configuration parameters as input and producing a single output text stream. In this paper, we describe the design of the system, various evidence types and how they are incorporated into MEMOE in the form of filters. Results of initial tests that involve two corpora of Arabic documents show that, even in its initial configuration, the system is superior to a voting algorithm and that even more improvement may be achieved by incorporating additional evidence types into the system.
BOUNDS ON SCATTERING PHASE SHIFTS. I

This paper investigates the method of obtaining bounds on scattering phases developed by T. Kato. Circumstances under which it is possible to obtain rather good bounds on the phase shifts by simple procedures are investigated. Useful formulas and techniques are presented and illustrative examples given. (auth)
Mediator caused induction of a human bradykinin B1 receptor minigene: participation of c-Jun in the process.

The bradykinin B1 receptor (BKB1R) gene is expressed in selected tissues such as lung and kidney. In these tissues it is expressed at a very low level until induced by inflammatory mediators. Our aim has been to understand the mechanism of this regulatory process. A human BKB1R minigene was constructed. It contained a 1.8 kb promoter, the entire exon I, 1.5 kb of intron I, the entire exon II and intron II, and the luciferase gene as a reporter. Transient transfection of the minigene into SV40-transformed IMR90 cells (IMRSV) resulted in a promoter activity which was activated by the mediators, lipopolysaccharide and (LPS) desArg10-kallidin. In contrast, these mediators did not induce the activity of the 1.8 kb promoter construct alone. Thus, motifs exclusive of the promoter such as 5′-UTR and/or intron regions are required for mediator-induced expression of this gene. Promoter activities of both the minigene and the 1.8 kb promoter construct were enhanced in a dose-dependent manner upon cotransfection with c-Jun. Furthermore, cotransfecting c-Jun with the minigene achieved the maximal promoter activity with no further increase in response to mediators. Conversely, the induction of the minigene promoter activity by mediators was abolished upon cotransfection with a dominant negative mutant of c-Jun. Other experiments suggest that multiple AP-1 sites are interactive with the c-Jun upregulation of this gene. Taken together, these results point to c-Jun as a key intermediary in the activation of the expression of this gene by mediators. However, participation of motifs outside of the promoter are necessary to obtain this inducible expression. J. Cell. Biochem. 82: 163–170, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Migration in eighteenth-century Mexico: case studies from Michoacán

The paper provides an overview of the data sources which may be used to reconstruct the patterns of migration in colonial Mexico, stressing the problems of their interpretation and providing methods that may be used to utilise them to the most advantage. It then examines, as an example of the use of such sources, the patterns of migration in eighteenth-century Michoacan, a densely populated region located to the west of Mexico City. Here data from a dozen parishes are studied, revealing unknown fluctuations in the migration fields of the marrying population, complex patterns of net immigration and emigration, and changing rates of spatial exogamy. Conclusions drawn from this study are related to our knowledge of wider issues within the context of eighteenth-century Mexico.