cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D displays based on integral imaging and their related content capture techniques (Conference Presentation)

Computational optical imaging is a combination of computationally designed illumination, optics, and processing algorithms. Some of these novel optical systems are either applied for capturing multi-dimensional information or for displaying this information to the user. These capture and display devices have been studied for a long time and a few are now slowly maturing toward commercial applications. Many 3D displays have been proposed over the years but only some of them promise to give true 3D perception to humans. In this talk, I will focus on one such display technique which is based on integral imaging, also known as light field displays, exploring how they provide 3D information and discussing enabling technologies which are required for their success. In parallel to developing these displays, understanding of how humans perceive 3D is also important and has to be taken in to account while designing these displays. I will highlight these issues for integral displays and show how these displays have a potential to provide accurate and comfortable 3D experiences. While exploring 3D displays, one of the obvious next questions is about generating the content and information these displays can show. While showing computer generated information is a relatively easier route, capturing and converting real world content for these displays is not trivial. I will show examples of capture methods for integral displays and talk about two specific methods to capture 3D information from real world scenes and show on integral displays.
Assessment of a Patient-Specific, 3-Dimensionally Printed Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgical Model.

Importance Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging tool in the creation of anatomical models for simulation and preoperative planning. Its use in sinus and skull base surgery has been limited because of difficulty in replicating the details of sinus anatomy. Objective To describe the development of 3D-printed sinus and skull base models for use in endoscopic skull base surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants In this single-center study performed from April 1, 2017, through June 1, 2017, a total of 7 otolaryngology residents and 2 attending physicians at a tertiary academic center were recruited to evaluate the procedural anatomical accuracy and haptic feedback of the printed model. Interventions A 3D model of sinus and skull base anatomy with high-resolution, 3D printed material (VeroWhite) was printed using a 3D printer. Anatomical accuracy was assessed by comparing a computed tomogram of the original patient with that of the 3D model across set anatomical landmarks (eg, depth of cribriform plate). Image-guided navigation was also used to evaluate accuracy of 13 surgical landmarks. Likert scale questionnaires (1 indicating strongly disagree; 2, disagree; 3, neutral; 4, agree; and 5, strongly agree) were administered to 9 study participants who each performed sinus and skull base dissections on the 3D-printed model to evaluate anatomical accuracy and haptic feedback. Main Outcomes and Measures Main outcomes of the study include objective anatomical accuracy through imaging and navigation and haptic evaluation by the study participants. Results Seven otolaryngology residents (3 postgraduate year [PGY]-5 residents, 2 PGY-4 residents, 1 PGY-3 resident, and 1 PGY-2 resident) and 2 attending physicians evaluated the haptic feedback of the 3D model. Computed tomographic comparison demonstrated a less than 5% difference between patient and 3D model measurements. Image-guided navigation confirmed accuracy of 13 landmarks to within 1 mm. Likert scores were a mean (SD) of 4.00 (0.71) for overall procedural anatomical accuracy and 4.67 (0.5) for haptic feedback. Conclusions and Relevance This study shows that high-resolution, 3D-printed sinus and skull base models can be generated with anatomical and haptic accuracy. This technology has the potential to be useful in surgical training and preoperative planning and as a supplemental or alternative simulation or training platform to cadaveric dissection.
Challenges Facing Public Sector Management in an Era of Downsizing, Devolution, Dispersion and Empowerment—and Accountability?

Agencies at all levels of government are facing strong ideological pressures to downsize, devolve, dispense, and empower both employees and recipients of services. These ideological pressures provide many performance advantages, but collectively they threaten historic notions of achieving economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, along with accountability. It has been widely assumed in recent years that advancements in information technology and performance measurement provide adequate replacements for the historic notion that accountability flows up-the-hierarchy to elected officials and the sovereignty. These technologies, however, are not yet able to ensure responsible administration or accountability in many areas of domestic government services. Today's public managers can play leading roles in developing alternative approaches for achieving accountability if they are supported by forward-looking human resources management (HRM) agencies.
Role of Humics in Actinide Behavior in Ecosystems

Humic substances are found in all natural waters throughout the world and have significant interaction with cations and other materials in those waters. The complexity of humics as chemical compounds is discussed and methods of characterization evaluated. Humic acids not only are important complexants for cations in natural waters, but also have significant redox properties. The effects of humics both in complexation and redox on actinides in soils and in natural waters is reviewed. A number of models have been proposed to discribe these interactions and to allow geochemical evaluation of the effect of humics on radionuclides which might be accidentally or deliberately discharged into soils and waters. Brief discriptions of some of the more useful models are provided.
Automated Defect Detection in Spent Nuclear Fuel Using Combined Cerenkov Radiation and Gamma Emission Tomography Data

Spent fuel monitoring and characterization has been central to safeguards and nuclear facility monitoring for many years. The Digital Cerenkov Viewing Device (DCVD) has been used since the 1980s as...
The rolling hotspot? Perceptions of behavioral problems on school buses among a nationally representative sample of transportation officials

This study presents results from a nationally representative survey of school district transportation officials (N = 2,595) to understand how common seven types of behavioral problems (fighting, bu...
Five Transformative Episodes in the History of the American Hospital

Our historical idea of a hospital as a place of hospitable refuge and/or a place for the provision of scientifically skilled and compassionate care for the sick has evolved. Hospitals are now linked to outpatient care, health professions education, biomedical research, and employment of physicians and frequently constitute a major component of the local economy. They are unquestionably an important part of the national economy.
Integrating Decision Support into a Laboratory Utilization Management Program

Overuse of clinical laboratory testing increases costs, contributes to iatrogenic anemia, and results in downstream costs, including unnecessary work-ups and treatments. Physicians order unnecessary laboratory tests because of lack of knowledge, the practice of defensive medicine and adherence to historical test ordering. Utilization management is increasingly important to control costs and ensure patients receive appropriate tests for diagnosis and management. Clinical decision support is essential for a successful utilization management program. Successful programs rely on clinical informatics to identify misutilization, implement interventions, and track effectiveness. We describe the role of clinical decision support in a laboratory utilization management program.
Theoretical Considerations for Art Education Research with and about "Underserved Populations"

Though it is widely used, the concept of “underserved” is sorely undertheorized in art education. Before the field of art education can effectively address the persistent educational disparities across different sociocultural and economic groups, we need deeper understandings of entangled sociocultural and political processes that create and conceal underservedness. The term “underservedness” moves us away from conceiving of populations, and instead draws attention to cultural articulations and material conditions that prevent certain groups from fully accessing and benefiting from the resources and opportunities for effective education, including high-quality art experiences. In this article, the authors discuss four theoretical perspectives—critical race theory, intersectionality, critical multiculturalism, and social justice education—that can foster nuanced analyses and cogent explanations of art education in the context of underservedness. The discussion focuses on key tenets of these theoretical per...
Comparison of marker selection methods for high throughput scRNA-seq data

Abstract Here, we evaluate the performance of a variety of marker selection methods on scRNA-seq UMI counts data. We test on an assortment of experimental and synthetic data sets that range in size from several thousand to one million cells. In addition, we propose several performance measures for evaluating the quality of a set of markers when there is no known ground truth. According to these metrics, most existing marker selection methods show similar performance on experimental scRNA-seq data; thus, the speed of the algorithm is the most important consid-eration for large data sets. With this in mind, we introduce RANKCORR, a fast marker selection method with strong mathematical underpinnings that takes a step towards sensible multi-class marker selection.
In Vitro Evaluation of Resistance and Warming Performance of a Small Blood Warmer on a Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Circuit.

Children on extracorporeal devices are at increased risk of hypothermia and require circuits with lower extracorporeal volume to avoid blood priming. We performed an in vitro study of the enFlow blood warmer to assess its warming performance and impact on circuit resistance at a high blood flow rate. The enFlow was added on the return line of a continuous renal replacement therapy circuit in a closed circuit primed with expired packed red blood cells (40% Hct). Return venous pressure and temperature pre- and post- both enFlow and Prismaflo II were measured at varying blood flow with different combination of the two blood warmers. Each variable was recorded eight times over 2 min. Return venous pressure was higher with the enFlow but was still within clinically usable range (127.5 ± 4.6 vs. 45.3 ± 1.4 mm Hg at 200 mL/min, P < 0.05). The enFlow was able to achieve post-warmer temperature between 34.1 and 35.2°C even at 200 mL/min with blood, lower than what was observed with crystalloid, but still more effective than the Prismaflo II (P < 0.05 vs. enFlow post-warmer temperature) achieving between 32.8 and 34.0°C. Combining both warmers achieved a higher post-warmer temperature between 35.1 and 36.5°C. The enFlow can warm blood at high flow rates with minimal extracorporeal volume increase (~5 mL) and improve hypothermia prevention but may have resistance issues at the highest flows. The use of this device could benefit pediatric practice where smaller extracorporeal volumes are needed and patients are at increased risk of hypothermia.
The Natural History and Composition of Urinary Catheter Biofilms: Early Uropathogen Colonization with Intraluminal and Distal Predominance.

Purpose:We sought to determine the composition and initiation site of bacterial biofilm on indwelling urinary catheters and to track biofilm progression with time.Materials and Methods:Indwelling u...
IVP: A Three Level Confusion-Diffusion Network Supporting Implicit Data Integrity

We present a cryptographic construction called IVP and study its security properties. IVP is a three level confusion-diffusion network that supports confidentiality and data integrity without requiring any message expansion of the content, such as, for example, for the computation of a MAC. We demonstrate that IVP is in the recently proposed class of cryptographic constructions called ‘Random Oracles according to Observer functions’ (RO2). These constructions support a new notion of data integrity called ‘implicit’ data integrity, which is based on the fact that user data usually demonstrate some patterns. If some ciphertext becomes corrupted, then the resulting plaintext no longer demonstrates such patterns. Thus, defense against data corruption attacks becomes possible by hardening the computation of ciphertext values, the plaintext of which demonstrates patterns. The encryption key is considered unknown.We show that IVP supports implicit data integrity and is secure in input perturbing and oracle replacing adversary models. The security of IVP is associated with a pattern which is frequently encountered among client and server data. This is the pattern of encountering 4 or more 16-bit words being equal to each other in a set of 32 words. The cryptographic strength of IVP is 30.215 bits, which is sufficient for defending against on-line data corruption and content replay attacks. Computationally, IVP is much lighter than other authenticated encryption approaches requiring only two additional rounds of AES, beyond the AES standard encryption rounds in the critical path. These correspond to some minimal computation overhead.
Beta cell function and insulin sensitivity in obese youth with maturity onset diabetes of youth mutations vs type 2 diabetes in TODAY: Longitudinal observations and glycemic failure.

OBJECTIVE In treatment options for type 2 diabetes in adolescents and youth (TODAY), 4.5% of obese youth clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) had genetic variants consistent with maturity onset diabetes of youth (MODY) diagnosis. The course of IS and β-cell function in obese youth with MODY remains unknown. In this secondary analysis, we examined IS and β-cell function in MODY vs. non-MODY obese youth at randomization and over time. METHODS Genetic data in TODAY included 426 non-MODY (T2D) and 22 MODY youth (7 glucokinase MODY mutation positive [GCK-MODY], 12 hepatocyte nuclear factor MODY mutation positive [HNF-MODY], 2 Insulin gene mutation [insulin (INS)-MODY], and 1 Kruppel-like factor 11 [KLF11-MODY]). Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-derived IS, C-peptide index, and β-cell function relative to IS oral disposition index (oDI) was measured at randomization, and over 24 months in addition to total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMWA). RESULTS At randomization, IS, total adiponectin, and HMWA were significantly higher in the two MODY groups than in non-MODY. β-cell function measured by C-peptide oDI was 3-fold higher in GCK-MODY than in HNF-MODY and 1.5-fold higher than non-MODY (P for both <.05). Glycemic failure rate was 75.0% in HNF-MODY, 46.9% in non-MODY, and zero in GCK-MODY youth. While the changes in IS and oDI were not different among the three groups in the first 6 months, IS improved from 6 to 24 months in HNF-MODY vs GCK-MODY youth. CONCLUSIONS In TODAY, β-cell function at randomization was worse in obese HNF-MODY youth compared with GCK-MODY youth, while insulin sensitivity was worse in non-MODY compared with the other two MODY groups. Over time, IS showed the greatest improvement in HNF-MODY youth. This raises the possibility that TODAY therapeutic modalities of insulin sensitization in these obese HNF-MODY youth may have played a beneficial role.
Horizontal distribution affects the vertical distribution of native and invasive container‐inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes within an urban landscape

The vertical dimension constitutes an important niche axis along which mosquitoes may adjust their distribution. Here, we evaluated whether the vertical distribution of container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes differs along a gradient of anthropogenic land-use intensity within an urban landscape. Using a pulley system, we hung oviposition cups at three heights (ground level, 4.5, and 9 m) and in three habitats: forest, park, and a built environment. We hypothesized that mosquito abundance and diversity would be highest in the least disturbed forest habitat, decrease in the park, and be lowest at the UNC-Greensboro campus. We also expected Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Ae. triseriatus (Say) to mainly oviposit at ground level and Ae. hendersoni (Cockerell) at canopy height. Aedes albopictus was the most common species (68.8%) collected in all three habitat types and was the only species found in the built environment. In that habitat, Ae. albopictus exhibited a bimodal distribution with the lowest activity at the intermediate height (4.5 m). Aedes triseriatus (28.9%) did not differ in egg abundance between the forest and park habitats but did exhibit diverse vertical habitat use while avoiding the canopy in the park habitat. Aedes hendersoni (2.3%) was the most sylvatic species and oviposited only at ground level. Our results indicate that the vertical distribution of mosquitoes is affected by the type of habitat in which they occur, and that this variation could be driven via local-scale modification of microclimatic factors.
Multi-scale HOG prescreening algorithm for detection of buried explosive hazards in FL-IR and FL-GPR data

A sliding window based prescreening algorithm, utilizing multi-scale histogram of oriented gradient (MS-HOG) features and a linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier, for detection of buried explosive hazards in forward-looking infrared (FL-IR) and forward-looking ground penetrating radar (FL-GPR) data is presented. This algorithm is compared to previously published FL-IR and FL-GPR prescreening algorithms. The MS-HOG prescreening approach has higher computational complexity, but improves overall detection rates, especially for low-contrast and obscured target signatures. Results are presented on several data sets collected at US Army test sites. These collections span several days, and the FL-IR collections include imagery from both long-wave and mid-wave infrared cameras at multiple standoff distances captured at different hours of the day and different times of the year.
Simultaneous Ca2+ Imaging and Optogenetic Stimulation of Cortical Astrocytes in Adult Murine Brain Slices

Astrocytes are actively involved in a neuroprotective role in the brain, which includes scavenging reactive oxygen species to minimize tissue damage. They also modulate neuroinflammation and reactive gliosis prevalent in several brain disorders like epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. In animal models, targeted manipulation of astrocytic function via modulation of their calcium (Ca2+ ) oscillations by incorporating light-sensitive cation channels like Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) offers a promising avenue in influencing the long-term progression of these disorders. However, using adult animals for Ca2+ imaging poses major challenges, including accelerated deterioration of in situ slice health and age- related changes. Additionally, optogenetic preparations necessitate usage of a red-shifted Ca2+ indicator like Rhod-2 AM to avoid overlapping light issues between ChR2 and the Ca2+ indicator during simultaneous optogenetic stimulation and imaging. In this article, we provide an experimental setting that uses live adult murine brain slices (2-5 months) from a knock-in model expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2(C128S)) in cortical astrocytes, loaded with Rhod-2 AM to elicit robust Ca2+ response to light stimulation. We have developed and standardized a protocol for brain extraction, sectioning, Rhod-2 AM loading, maintenance of slice health, and Ca2+ imaging during light stimulation. This has been successfully applied to optogenetically control adult cortical astrocytes, which exhibit synchronous patterns of Ca2+ activity upon light stimulation, drastically different from resting spontaneous activity. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Experimental preparation, setup, slice preparation and Rhod-2 AM staining Basic Protocol 2: Image acquisition and analysis.
Systematic Review of Typologies Used to Characterize Clinical Ethics Consultations

Introduction Classifying the ethical issues in clinical ethics consultations is important to clinical practice and scholarship. We conducted a systematic review to characterize the typologies used to analyze clinical ethics consultations. Methods We identified empirical studies of clinical ethics consultation that report types of ethical issues using PubMed. We screened these articles based on their titles and abstracts, and then by a review of their full text. We extracted study characteristics and typologies and coded the typologies. Results We reviewed 438 articles; 30 of the articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We identified 27 unique typologies. Each typology contained five to 47 categories (mean was 18). The most common categories were DNAR (do-not-attempt-resuscitation) orders (19 of the 27 typologies, or 70 percent), capacity (18 of the typologies, or 67 percent), withholding (18 of the typologies, or 67 percent), withdrawing (17 of the typologies, or 63 percent), and surrogate or proxy (16 of the typologies, or 59 percent). Only seven (26 percent) of the typologies contained all five of the most common categories. The typologies we used to characterize clinical ethics consultation exhibit significant heterogeneity and several conceptual limitations. A common typology is needed whose development may require multi-institutional collaboration and could be facilitated by professional organizations.
Biologically-Based Mathematical Modeling of Tumor Vasculature and Angiogenesis via Time-Resolved Imaging Data

Tumor-associated vasculature is responsible for the delivery of nutrients, removal of waste, and allowing growth beyond 2–3 mm3. Additionally, the vascular network, which is changing in both space and time, fundamentally influences tumor response to both systemic and radiation therapy. Thus, a robust understanding of vascular dynamics is necessary to accurately predict tumor growth, as well as establish optimal treatment protocols to achieve optimal tumor control. Such a goal requires the intimate integration of both theory and experiment. Quantitative and time-resolved imaging methods have emerged as technologies able to visualize and characterize tumor vascular properties before and during therapy at the tissue and cell scale. Parallel to, but separate from those developments, mathematical modeling techniques have been developed to enable in silico investigations into theoretical tumor and vascular dynamics. In particular, recent efforts have sought to integrate both theory and experiment to enable data-driven mathematical modeling. Such mathematical models are calibrated by data obtained from individual tumor-vascular systems to predict future vascular growth, delivery of systemic agents, and response to radiotherapy. In this review, we discuss experimental techniques for visualizing and quantifying vascular dynamics including magnetic resonance imaging, microfluidic devices, and confocal microscopy. We then focus on the integration of these experimental measures with biologically based mathematical models to generate testable predictions.
A novel big data approach to measure and visualize urban accessibility

Accessibility is a topic of interest to multiple disciplines for a long time. In the last decade, the increasing availability of data may have exceeded the development of accessibility modeling approaches, resulting in a modeling gap. In part, this modeling gap may have resulted from the differences needed for single versus multimodal opportunities for access to services. With a focus on large volumes of transportation data, a new measurement approach, called Urban Accessibility Relative Index (UARI), was developed for the integration of multi-mode transportation big data, including taxi, bus, and subway, to quantify, visualize and understand the spatiotemporal patterns of accessibility in urban areas. Using New York City (NYC) as the case study, this paper applies the UARI to the NYC data at a 500-m spatial resolution and an hourly temporal resolution. These high spatiotemporal resolution UARI maps enable us to measure, visualize, and compare the variability of transportation service accessibility in NYC across space and time. Results demonstrate that subways have a higher impact on public transit accessibility than bus services. Also, the UARI is greatly affected by diurnal variability of public transit service.
National Utilization, Survival, and Costs Analysis of Treatment Options for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A SEER-Medicare Database Analysis.

Rationale and Objectives To compare utilization, outcomes, and costs of surgery, radiation therapy, and percutaneous ablation for the treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods Using 2006-2016 Medicare-linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) databases, stage I NSCLC patients who underwent surgery, radiotherapy, or percutaneous ablation were identified using relevant billing codes. National utilization rates were determined. Overall survival for treatment arms were compared using log-rank test and Cox-proportional hazard modeling. Mean direct costs for each treatment strategy during the first year after diagnosis were compared using Analysis of Variance. Results A total of 15,847 Stage I NSCLC patients were identified; mean age at diagnosis was 75.5 years (minimum age = 66 years) and 59.2% were female. A total of 10,732 patients (67.7%) underwent only surgery, 5013 (31.6%) only radiotherapy, and 102 (0.6%) only ablation. Utilization of surgery and ablation decreased while radiotherapy utilization increased from 2007 to 2015 (p Conclusion In Medicare patients with stage I NSCLC, the utilization of radiation therapy has increased and surgery has declined, while utilization of percutaneous ablation has remained uniformly low. Although overall survival is best for surgery, then ablation, and then radiation therapy, first year treatment costs are lowest for ablation.
Sensitivity of Commercial & Industrial Loans to Regional Economic & Banking Conditions: An Analysis Across the Midwest

Commercial banking is a substantial industry with over 5,000 commercial banks in the United States. An important feature of a bank’s activity is lending for different purposes. Different types of loans distributed by banks are crucial to propel an economy forward. My research focuses on the commercial banking industry in the Midwest region of the United States. Specifically, I will examine Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Missouri (MS), Ohio (OH), and Wisconsin (WI). In 2013, these 10 states together housed 2,446 of the 5,865 banks in the nation, which is 42% of the nation’s total banks. Specifically, this paper will analyze how regional economic indicators and bank-specific indicators impact commercial and industrial (C&I) loans. Analyzing C&I loans is relevant because understanding the underlying factors that affect C&I lending is important from a bank’s risk management perspective. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol23/iss1/16 Sensitivity of Commercial & Industrial Loans to Regional Economic & Banking Conditions: An Analysis
An Investigation into the Firm Size Effect: A Security Market Plane Approach

This paper tests the firm size effect with two different approaches. First, the “messy” and “clean” methods of Fama and French are used; the firm size effect is found to remain but only after the regression residuals are analyzed. Then a security market plane and a proxy of it are defined and the proxy security market plane is used for testing. The results indicate that the firm size effect is reliably detected and statistically “explained” by a proxy security market plane for the sample period from July 1963 to June 1986.
Use of the wearable external cardiac defibrillator in children.

Background: The wearable cardiac defibrillator (WCD) is an alternative to the implantation of cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for patients at risk for sudden death who do not fulfill standard criteria for ICD implantation or in whom the risk:benefit ratio is equivocal. Published data pertaining to the WCD in children is sparse. We describe the utility of the WCD in children at a single tertiary care center. Methods: We retrospectively identified all patients aged birth to 18 years of age who were prescribed a WCD between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009. Patient information regarding diagnosis, clinical history, electrocardiograms, rhythm reports, and outcome at last follow-up was reviewed. Information regarding the WCD was obtained including indication for use, patient compliance, and accuracy of rhythm determination, inappropriate and appropriate shock events, and other complications. Results: Since 2007, four patients age less than or equal to 18 years have been prescribed the WCD at our institution. None of the patients had an inappropriate shock. Two patients had documented noncompliance with wear, which resulted in failure to detect and treat a life-threatening arrhythmia in one. Two patients required downsizing of the WCD during use in order to improve electrode contact and rhythm detection. Conclusions: The WCD is an option for children of appropriate size who are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death, but in whom the risk of ICD implantation outweighs the benefit. Careful patient selection and education is important to ensure safety, as noncompliance with wear was common in this series of children. (PACE 2010; 33:742–746)
A novel ecto-phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase activity mediates activation of neutrophil superoxide generation by exogenous phosphatidic acid.

Abstract Phosphatidic acid (PA) added to intact cells activates a variety of processes including mitogenesis in fibroblasts and superoxide generation in neutrophils. We have investigated the mechanism of activation of superoxide generation in intact human neutrophils by a short-chain (dioctanoyl) PA (diC8PA). After a lag, diC8PA caused a high rate of superoxide production (19.6 nmol of cytochrome c reduced/min/10(6) cells). Activation did not require extracellular Ca2+ and coincided with near quantitative conversion of diC8PA to dioctanoylglycerol (diC8-glycerol). diC8PA also activated cellular phospholipase D with release of long-chain PA and secondary production of long-chain diradylglycerol (sn-1,2-diacylglycerol and 1-O-alkyl-2-acylglycerol). The metabolism of diC8PA to diC8-glycerol was catalyzed by a novel PA phosphohydrolase on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane as demonstrated by the exclusive release of Pi into the extracellular medium. This enzyme also showed activity toward PA containing long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. The ecto-PA phosphohydrolase differed from the intracellular PA phosphohydrolase based on its relative insensitivity to desipramine and N-ethylmaleimide. The enzyme was also present in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and its activity did not change in transfected CHO cells expressing the two membrane-associated isoforms of alkaline phosphatase, indicating that the PA phosphohydrolase was not alkaline phosphatase. Non-hydrolyzable phosphonate analogs of diC8PA poorly stimulated superoxide production. Activation of superoxide generation by diC8PA was inhibited by staurosporine, suggesting a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism. We suggest that the action of a novel ecto-PA phosphohydrolase permits exogenously added short-chain PA to serve as "timed-release diacylglycerol" and that its biological effects in neutrophils are secondary to diacylglycerol-mediated protein kinase C activation.
Localization of Sarcomeric Proteins During Myofibril Assembly in Cultured Mouse Primary Skeletal Myotubes

It is important to understand how muscle forms normally in order to understand muscle diseases that result in abnormal muscle formation. Although the structure of myofibrils is well understood, the process through which the myofibril components form organized contractile units is not clear. Based on the staining of muscle proteins in avian embryonic cardiomyocytes, we previously proposed that myofibrils formation occurred in steps that began with premyofibrils followed by nascent myofibrils and ending with mature myofibrils. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the premyofibril model of myofibrillogenesis developed from studies developed from studies in avian cardiomyocytes was supported by our current studies of myofibril assembly in mouse skeletal muscle. Emphasis was on establishing how the key sarcomeric proteins, F-actin, non-muscle myosin II, muscle myosin II, and α-actinin were organized in the three stages of myofibril assembly. The results also test previous reports that non-muscle myosins II A and B are components of the Z-Bands of mature myofibrils, data that are inconsistent with the premyofibril model. We have also determined that in mouse muscle cells, telethonin is a late assembling protein that is present only in the Z-Bands of mature myofibrils. This result of using specific telethonin antibodies supports the approach of using YFP-tagged proteins to determine where and when these YFP-sarcomeric fusion proteins are localized. The data presented in this study on cultures of primary mouse skeletal myocytes are consistent with the premyofibril model of myofibrillogenesis previously proposed for both avian cardiac and skeletal muscle cells.
Mandatory severance pay : its coverage and effects in Peru

In Peru, as in many other developing countries, employers have the legal obligation to compensate workers who are dismissed through no fault of their own. Is this an efficient mechanism for providing income support to the unemployed? MacIsaac and Rama seek an answer to this question, using individual records from a household survey with a panel structure. Relying on five coverage indicators, they show that roughly one in five workers in the private sector, and one in three wage earners in the private sector, is legally entitled to severance pay. Coverage is more prevalent among wealthier workers. Results based on several empirical strategies suggest that workers "pay" for their entitlement to severance pay through lower wages. Consumption among unemployed workers who receive severance pay is 20 to 30 percent greater than among those who do not. Consumption among these workers is actually higher than consumption among employed workers, suggesting that mandatory severance pay is overgenerous in Peru. This paper - a product of Public Service Delivery, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to assess policies aimed at dealing with job loss.
A pilot-scale radioactive test using in situ vitrification

Pacific Northwest Laboratory is developing in situ vitrification (ISV) as a potential remedial action technique for previously disposed radioactive liquid drain sites. The process melts the contaminated soil to produce a durable glass and crystalline waste form and encapsulates the radionuclides. The development of this alternative technology is being performed for the US Department of Energy. The results of an ISV pilot-scale test conducted in June 1983 are discussed in which soils contaminated with actual radioactive transuranic and mixed fission product elements were vitrified. The test successfully demonstrated the containment of radionuclides during processing, both within the vitrified mass and in the off-gas system. No environmental release of radioactive material was detectable during testing operations. The vitrified soil retained >99% of all radionuclides. Losses to the offgas system varied from less than or equal to 0.03% for particulate materials (plutonium and strontium) to 0.8% for cesium, which is a more volatile element. The off-gas system effectively contained both volatile and entrained radioactive materials. Analysis of the vitrified soil revealed that all radionuclides were distributed throughout the vitrified zone, some more uniformly than others. Analysis of soil samples taken adjacent to the block indicated that no migration of radionuclides outside themore » vitrification zone occurred. Leaching studies have shown that the ISV process generates a highly durable waste form, comparable to Pyrex and granite. Based on geologic data from the hydration of obsidian, which is chemically similar to the ISV glass, the hydration or weathering rate is predicted to be much less than 1 mm in 10,000 yr.« less
Overview of the Pathway and Functions of Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide has been recognized for years as a toxic, reactive, free radical gas, but in recent years it has been identified as having functions in a variety of metabolic and signaling pathways. NO is synthesized, by nitric oxide synthase, on demand and diffuses to the site of action where it forms noncovalent and covalent linkages with target molecules. This overview presents the pathway of NO formation and also discusses the functions of NO in the nervous, immune and vascular systems.
Brain Amyloid and Inflammation Imaging: A Convergence of Concepts

Molecular imaging in the brain and other organs continues to advance understanding of disease mechanisms, new targets for treatment, and new diagnostic biomarkers. Brain amyloid and inflammation imaging are two areas of intense investigation. Progress in amyloid imaging has resulted in one approved PET tracer and several others in clinical development. Current efforts focus on early treatment with amyloid reducing drugs in patients who are amyloid scan positive prior to the onset of fully developed dementia. Inflammation imaging is primarily directed toward translocator protein imaging in multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory brain disorders. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), having an inflammatory component, is receiving increased attention from the standpoint of the genetics of inflammation and the use of inflammation imaging agents. A convergence of interest in the role of inflammation and amyloid deposition in AD may elucidate new disease mechanisms and advance therapeutic and diagnostic approaches.
A COMPARISON OF NORMAL FELINE THORACIC RADIOGRAPHS MADE IN DORSAL VERSUS VENTRAL RECUMBENCY

Thoracic radiographs of 11 normal cats were made in dorsal (VD) and ventral (DV) recumbency with a vertically directed x-ray beam. These radiographs were compared subjectively and objectively with each other and with an additional pair of radiographs made with the cats in dorsal and ventral recumbency using a horizontally directed x-ray beam. Differences were found between VD and DV thoracic radiographs but they were minimal. In VD radiographs the caudal mediastinum and accessory lobe region of the lung were more clearly seen but cardiac shape varied somewhat. In DV radiographs, the appearance of the heart was more constant and caudal lobar pulmonary arteries more clearly seen. The results of this study indicated that both VD and DV radiographs are satisfactory for radiographic examination of the feline thorax
DUAL-CODE SOLUTION STRATEGY FOR HYPERSONIC FLOWS

References Baldwin, B. S., and Lomax, H., "Thin Layer Approximation and Algebraic Model for Separated Turbulent Flow," AIAA Paper 78-257, Jan. 1978. Chien, K. Y, "Predictions of Channel and Boundary Layer Flows with a Low Reynolds Number Turbulence Model," AIAA Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1, 1982, pp. 33-38. Baysal, O., and Hoffman, W. B., "Simulation of Three-Dimensional Shear Flow Around a Nozzle-Afterbody at High Speeds," Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 114, June 1992, pp. 178-185. ^Launder, B. E., and Priddin, C. H., "A Comparison of Some Proposals for the Mixing Length Near a Wall," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 16, No. 3,1973, pp. 700-702. Nichols, R. H., "A Two-Equation Model for Compressible Flows," AIAA Paper 90-0494, Jan. 1990. Hu, J., and Rizzi, A., "Assessment of Compressibility and PressureGradient Corrections for Modeling Turbulent Hypersonic Nozzle Flows " AIAA Paper 95-2313, June 1995. Rizzi, A., Eliasson, P., Lindblad, I., Hirsch, Ch., Lacor, C., and Haeuser, J., "The Engineering of Multiblock/Multigrid Software for NavierStokes Flows on Structured Meshes," Computers and Fluids, Vol. 22, No. 2/3,1993, pp. 341-367. Hovstadius, G., "Measurement of Boundary Layer Properties in Two Hypersonic Nozzles," Aeronautical Research Inst. of Sweden, FFA Rept. AU-624, Stockholm, Sweden, May 1971.
TWO DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS OF ENHANCEMENT IN THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF PORPHYRIDIUM CRUENTUM IN FLASHING MONOCHROMATIC LIGHT

— Oxygen evolution from Porphyridium cruentum exposed to monochromatic light flashes with background light of different wavelengths and intensities was measured. Two different manifestations of the enhancement effect were found: (1) Type I (also referred as EH): an increase in the rate of O2 evolution and (2) Type II (also referred as Et): a prolongation of O2 evolution in time. Exposure of algae to red flashes with green background light revealed both types of enhancement whereas green flashes with red background light revealed only the first type of enhancement. Similar results were observed under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions except that in the latter, complications arise due to S-shape of the curve of rate of photosynthesis versus light intensitity in a nitrogen atmosphere. The results presented in this paper and those presented in the earlier papers of French have been interpreted in terms of the ‘spill-over’ and the ‘separate package’ model for the distribution of light energy into the two pigment systems. In both the models, we incorporate the idea that the product of light reaction I is long-lived (half-life of the order of seconds). No assumption is needed about the life time of the photoproduct of reaction II in the spillover model; in the separate package model, however, we have to incorporate an additional assumption that photoproduct II is short-lived (half-life less than 4 msec) to explain all the results.
Trisomy 8 in papillary serous carcinoma of the ovary studied by FISH

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy among women in the United States. In 1997, there were nearly 27,000 ovarian cancer cases with over 14,000 deaths. Recent attempts at early detection of ovarian cancer have been aimed at the identification of biomarkers that would indicate an underlining malignant process or reflect the biological behavior of the tumor. Our previous studies revealed that chromosome 8 copy number abnormality, especially trisomy, is common in several cancers. Archival tissues from 24 cases of papillary serous ovarian carcinoma (10 stage I and 14 stage III) were analyzed by FISH with a chromsome 8 α-satellite probe (Oncor, Gaithersburg, MD). The analysis was done according to standard protocols of the Lifespan Academic Medical Center Cytogenetics Laboratory at Rhode Island Hospital. Twenty-one out of 24 cases (87.5%) were found to be trisomic for chromosome 8, if a cutoff point of ≥15% cells with three signals is adopted. Overall 80% of stage I and 93% of stage III tumors had trisomy 8. This study confirms the presence of a high frequency of trisomy 8 in both early and late stages of the disease and suggests that trisomy 8 may be an early event in the multi-step process leading to ovarian cancer. (This study was funded in part by Vysis, Inc., Downers Grove, IL.)
241Pu in the marine environment by a radiochemical procedure

Abstract A purely radiochemical method is described for analysis of241Pu in environmental samples. Data are given showing that fallout-contaminated marine samples, of several kinds and provenances, exhibit241Pu/239,240Pu ratios slightly higher than, but not certainly distinguishable from, those reported for fallout-contaminated soils. Such ratios, however, in samples from several planned or accidental Pu releases, are clearly different, suggesting241Pu will be a useful tracer in following the spread of released Pu. The data have also clear implications for the source, and growth, of environmental241Am.
Diurnal Variability of Regional Cloud and Clear-Sky Radiative Parameters Derived from GOES Data. Part I: Analysis Method

Abstract A hybrid bispectral threshold method (HBTM) is developed for hourly regional cloud and radiative parameters from geostationary satellite visible and infrared radiance data. The quantities derived with the HBTM include equivalent blackbody temperatures for clear skies, for the total cloud cover and for the cloud cover at three levels in the atmosphere; the total fractional cloud cover and the fractional cloud amounts at three altitudes; and the clear-sky and total cloud reflectance characteristics. Geostationary satellite data taken during November 1978 are analyzed. A minimum reflectance technique is used to determine clear-sky brightness. A visible bidirectional reflectance model is derived for clear ocean areas. Clear-sky radiative temperature is found with a bispectral clear radiance technique during daylight hours. An empirical model is derived to predict clear-sky temperature at night. A combination of previously published infrared threshold and bispectral techniques is used to determine the...
Size, shape, and contrast in detection of targets by daylight vision; frequency of seeing and the quantum theory of cone vision.

Frequency-of-seeing curves have been obtained for targets having various image perimeters at background brightnesses of 2950 and 17.5 foot-lamberts, respectively. A description of the data has been obtained on the basis of the assumption that the absorption of a light quantum by a foveal cone is a random event which is subject to the laws of chance. On this basis the data indicate that the detection of a target takes place across the image boundary; that in order to detect the target, at least one of the cones along the boundary must absorb at least 4 quanta, and that this critical number of quanta is the same for each of the two background brightnesses investigated. At the higher brightnesses, this critical number of quanta absorbed from the target is about equal to the random fluctuation to be expected in the number absorbed from the background during the critical time of one exposure.
Treatment of female androgenetic alopecia with minoxidil 2

The safety and efficacy of minoxidil 2% for the treatment of female androgenetic alopecia was assessed in a 32-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-three women aged 22 to 44 years with hair loss classified as Ludwig's grade I or II were enrolled, and 28 completed the trial. Before the administration of treatment, mean nonvellus hair counts were taken within a 1-cm2 target area of the scalp. For the 15 patients in the minoxidil group, the mean count was 169 hairs compared with 161 hairs for the 13 patients in the placebo group. At the completion of the trial, the patients treated with minoxidil 2% had a mean nonvellus hair count of 195 hairs versus a mean hair count of 177 for patients in the placebo group; 60% (9) of the patients in the minoxidil group showed minimal to moderate hair growth compared with 46% (6) of the patients in the placebo group. No serious side effects were encountered during this study, nor any significant changes in safety parameters. There were no drop-outs due to medical events related to minoxidil 2%.
A New Low Mach Number Approach in Astrophysics

Astrophysical flows typically span a broad range of length and time scales. Specialized numerical algorithms can exploit the relationships between these scales and significantly improve the efficiency of numerical simulations without loss of accuracy. The authors describe the process by which an understanding of the important processes in Type Ia supernovae is guiding the development of new algorithms to model these phenomena.