cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity of histidine transport in the Ehrlich cell.

Abstract We have reexamined the heterogeneity shown by histidine in its uptake by the Ehrlich ascites tumor cell, in the face of a contradiction of our earlier interpretation. We again find the fraction of histidine uptake at neutral pH inhibitable by the model substrate for System A, 2-(methylamino)-isobutyric acid, to be fully dependent on the presence of Na+ or Li+. The small Na+-independent component not attributable to System L can be identified with System Ly+ through its inhibitability by homo-arginine. This component increases as the pH is lowered with an apparent p K′ a of 6.1. The simultaneous decrease in the uptake by the neutral systems could be identified, for System L, with the same titration of histidine to its cationic form, but for System A the sharp decrease is identified with the protonation of a structure on the membrane rather than one on the substrate. The action of H+ in the latter case proved approximately non-competitive with Na+ when tested with ordinary substrates.
Fexofenadine Transport in Caco‐2 Cells: Inhibition with Verapamil and Ritonavir

This study investigated fexofenadine (FXD) transport and the inhibition of FXD transport in Caco-2 cell monolayer transwells, using rhodamine 123 (RH123) transport as a positive control. FXD transport from the basolateral (B) to apical (A) compartment was fivefold higher than A to B transport. FXD transport was linear with respect to time (up to 270 min) and concentration (up to 300 microm). Similar results were seen with the positive control RH123. Ritonavir (100 PM) and verapamil (100 microm) reduced transport of FXD and RH123 by more than 80%, whereas transport was not inhibited by 100 m indomethacin or 2 mM probenecid. This suggests predominantly P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated transport as opposed to transport by multidrug resistance protein. In concentration-response experiments, FXD transport was inhibited by verapamil and ritonavir with IC50 values of 6.5 microm and 5.4 microm, respectively. Results from this in vitro study demonstrate differential transport of FXD across Caco-2 cell monolayers and inhibition of FXD transport by established P-gp inhibitors. Thefindings support the use of FXD as an index or probe compound to reflect P-gp activity in vivo.
Desmoplastic melanoma of the head and neck

The pathologic and clinical findings in cases of desmoplastic melanoma of the head and neck seen at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, during the past 20 years were analyzed. The nine cases acceptable for study included six usual and three neurotropic variants as defined by light microscopic criteria. Immunopathologic studies of all cases using S-100 protein and desmin, and electron microscopy in four cases, were unsuccessful in distinguishing between the two subtypes. Clinical behavior was aggressive regardless of histologic subtype. Extensive surgical treatment when the diagnosis is made is advocated. The combination of the rarity and the subtle histologic features of desmoplastic melanoma continues to make the correct diagnosis of this entity a challenge for the clinician and pathologist.
Numerical Simulations of a Gravity Wave Event over CCOPE. Part I: The Role of Geostrophic Adjustment in Mesoscale Jetlet Formation

Abstract Mesoscale model simulations are performed in order to provide insight into the complex role of jet streak adjustments in establishing an environment favorable to the generation of gravity waves on 11–12 July 1981. This wave event was observed in unprecedented detail downstream of the Rocky Mountains in Montana during the Cooperative Convective Precipitation Experiment. The high-resolution model simulations employ a variety of terrain treatments in the absence of the complicating effects of precipitation physics in order to examine the complex interactions between orography and adiabatic geostrophic adjustment processes. Results indicate that prior to gravity wave formation, a four-stage geostrophic adjustment process modified the structure of the mid- to upper-tropospheric jet streak by creating secondary mesoscale jet streaks (jetlets) to the southeast of the polar jet streak in proximity to the gravity wave generation region (WGR). During stage I, a strong rightward-directed ageostrophic flow i...
Objective Indicators of the Impact of Rural Tourism Development in the State of Florida

Abstract Over the past decade, many rural communities have been encouraged to incorporate tourism in their economic development strategies. Tourism is increasingly seen as a potential basic industry providing employment opportunities, income and economic diversity. However, concerns over the potential impacts have created a demand for comprehensive planning and research on the effects of tourism development on residents' quality of life. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate an objective means of determining the impact tourism development has on rural residents' quality of life. Using census data from rural counties in a US state, the findings suggest that tourism development is a viable means of improving the quality of life in rural communities. However, as in the case of any economic development alternatives, there are a number of underlying consequences that should be anticipated and planned for in pursuing a tourism development strategy that is appropriate and sustainable.
Parsimonious measurement of customer satisfaction with personal service and the service setting

This paper develops a concise customer satisfaction survey instrument to help organizations measure satisfaction with their services. A seven‐stage process was used to develop the instrument. Following pilot studies, a preliminary instrument of 24 items was administered to consumers of a variety of business firms and government agencies providing service to customers or clients. After further analysis, a revised instrument was developed consisting of 18 statements. Additional analysis and further purification led to an even more parsimonious final version of the customer satisfaction survey, employing nine statements in two factors; satisfaction with the personal service (SatPers) and satisfaction with the service setting (SatSett). Organizations could use the scale internally to identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as measuring their customer satisfaction.
Techniques for Removing Interstitial Water from Coarsegrained Sediments for Chemical Analyses

Three methods, (a)dessication, (b)gas extraction and (c)immiscible-liquid extraction, are described and evaluated for removing interstitial water from coarse-grained sedi- ments for semi-quantitative and quantitative chemical analyses. The dessication method is useful for chlorinity or chlorosity determinations and (with a correction of 5%) gives results probably accurate to within about ± 2O% Extraction of interstitial water with gas of high relative humidity gives results which are correct to within an error of ± l.O% The chlorosity of interstitial water extracted by forcing a high- viscosity epoxy plasticizer (immiscible with water) through the sediment falls within about ± 0.1% of the correct value. The immiscible-extraction method is therefore recommended for work requiring quantitative knowledge of interstitial water chemistry.
Testing the Fidelity of Methods Used in Proxy-Based Reconstructions of Past Climate

Abstract Two widely used statistical approaches to reconstructing past climate histories from climate “proxy” data such as tree rings, corals, and ice cores are investigated using synthetic “pseudoproxy” data derived from a simulation of forced climate changes over the past 1200 yr. These experiments suggest that both statistical approaches should yield reliable reconstructions of the true climate history within estimated uncertainties, given estimates of the signal and noise attributes of actual proxy data networks.
Microleakage of pin-retained amalgam and composite resin bases

The marginal leakage of a composite resin (Adaptic) and an amalgam (Tytin) utilized as pin-retained bases was studied. The results indicated that the amalgam bases had less leakage than composite resin bases. No significant difference was found between the degree of leakage at enamel margins and dentinal margins.
The New Theory of Foreign Direct Investment: Merging Trade and Capital Flows

What is the origin and purpose of a multinational firm? How is it different from its native counterparts? In what countries and industries should one expect to see more of them? What is their impact on the pattern of trade and the distribution of wealth across countries? With the enormous growth of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last 25 years, these questions have found voices in two divergent literatures, both rooted in the general
Application of a high frequency Ultra-Wide-Band waveform to the Small Marine User

A high frequency UWB waveform has been investigated, including application to surface wave propagation over seawater. A calculation based upon anticipated noise (approximately galactic for non-populated locations) and the computed electric field at one mile range indicates that a 13 dB signal to noise ratio is available at 31 miles. Assuming that the minimum time between pulses is equal to a pulse width, or 800 ns, the maximum data rate would be 1.25 Mbits/sec, enabling significant data transfer for the short transmit times anticipated with multiple small users.
Special Issue on WODES'06

The 8th International Workshop on Discrete Event Systems—WODES’06 took place on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on July 10–12, 2006. The WODES series was officially started in 1992 in Prague, after an initial workshop in Amherst, USA, in 1991. Since then, WODES conferences have been held every other year under the supervision of the WODES Steering Committee. The other editions were held in Sophia-Antipolis (1994), Edinburgh (1996), Cagliari (1998), Ghent (2000), Zaragoza (2002), and Reims (2004). The WODES’06 program included three invited lectures by Albert Benveniste (INRIA), Xi-Ren Cao (HKUST), and Nancy Lynch (MIT), 69 contributed papers selected by the 45-member Scientific Program Committee from 94 submissions, and 15 invited papers on software tools. The titles of the plenary talks were, respectively, “Partial Order Techniques for Distributed Discrete Event Systems” (A.B.), “Event-based Stochastic Learning and Optimization” (X.C.), and “Analyzing Security Protocols Using Probabilistic I/O Automata” (N.L.); the slides used by the presenters are available on the conference web site.1 The contributed papers covered a wide range of topics from supervisory control to fault diagnosis, logic
C-Pattern Inferior Vena Cava: Embryogenesis and Clinical Implications

THE EMBRYOLOGY of the inferior vena cava is an exceptionally complex mechanism involving phases of development and regression by various segments of three paired longitudinal venous channels draining the lower extremity, trunk, and abdominal viscera. Recognition of the occasional anomalous or accessory inferior vena cava and of the possibility of agenesis has been simplified by development of radiographic techniques and necessitated by progress in vascular surgery, particularly portocaval shunting and prevention of pulmonary embolism. The present report was prompted by the incidental finding at surgery of an exceedingly rare type of anomalous inferior vena cava with subsequent radiographic visualization. Report of a Case A 58-year-old white man was referred to the USAF Hospital Andrews because of the incidental finding of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient had been treated for the past four years for hypertension, and recent intravenous pyelography, as part of a definitive reevaluation, demonstrated the presence of
Evaluation of Pure Red Pericarp and Eight Selected Maize Accessions for Resistance to Corn Ear worm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Silk Feeding

New sources of com ear worm, Helicoverpa zea (Baddie), silk feeding resistance art' needed to protect the maize, Zea mays L., crop without increasing the use of pesticides. Previous evaluation of popcorn germ plasm with red peri carp color showed a high incidence of resistance. Within the National Plant Germ plasm System, there are 15 maize accessions with pure red peri carp color. These 15 accessions were grown in the field at Ames, lA, and Tifton, GA. Fresh silks were collected, dried, and incorporated into a standard pinto bean diet for rearing corn ear worms. Diets were infested with neonates, and the larvae were weighed after 8 d. Results of the diet testing identified four plant introduction accessions that produced 8-d larval weights equal to the resistant control, ‘Zapalote Chico’. The 15 accessions were analyzed for the presence of maysin, three of its analogues, and chlorogenic acid. One accession, PI 245138, had low levels of maysin but was resistant. In addition, eight maize accessions acquired by the National Plant Germ plasm System from 1948 to 1951 were evaluated for corn ear worm silk feeding resistance at Ames and Tifton. One accession, PI 172.328, was rated resistant at both locations.
50 GHz spaced, 32 × 10 Gbit/s dense WDM transmission in zero-dispersion region over 640 km of dispersion-shifted fibre with multiwavelength distributed Raman amplification

The authors present, for the first time, 32/spl times/10 Gbit/s transmission (50 GHz channel spacing) in the zero-dispersion region of dispersion-shifted fibre (DSF) by employing multiwavelength distributed Raman amplification. Each transmission span is bi-directionally pumped at two wavelengths, 1450 and 1465 nm, to construct a wideband distributed Raman amplifier. A hybrid amplifier formed by a gain-flattened erbium-doped fibre amplifier and a gain-flattened distributed Raman amplifier is used to successfully realise dense WDM transmission in the zero-dispersion region over 8/spl times/80 km of DSF.
Imaging of the testicle: the painful scrotum and nonpalpable masses.

Scrotal pain is initially evaluated by color Doppler ultrasonography providing information on the presence or absence of flow within the testis and B Scan imaging providing important complementary information about lesions such as torsion of the appendix testis and testicular abscess. While radioisotope scanning provides similar information to color Doppler about testicular flow, it does not demonstrate the anatomy. Testicular imaging is extremely sensitive for “silent masses” and useful to evaluate palpable ones. Characteristic findings may be seen with simple testicular cysts and epidermoid cysts. Homogeneously hyperechoic masses have a variety of etiologies but are virtually always benign. A major limitation of a ultrasonography is the large number of nonneoplastic lesions which may mimic tumors.
Letter Regarding Article by Korte et al, “Female Mice Lacking Estrogen Receptor β Display Prolonged Ventricular Repolarization and Reduced Ventricular Automaticity After Myocardial Infarction”

To the Editor: The article by Korte et al1 was insightful in that it provided evidence that female mice with chronic left anterior myocardial infarction (MI) and lacking estrogen receptor β (ERβ) have prolonged ventricular repolarization compared with noninfarcted ERβ-deficient and wild-type mice. The prolongation of ventricular repolarization in the ERβ-deficient mice with MI was demonstrated by the prolonged QT and QTc interval with an associated reduction of the expression of Kv4.3 channel (coding for I to). The authors surmised that the observed reduction in ventricular premature beats (VPB) and nonsustained runs of VPB in ERβ-deficient mice with MI …
Distinguishing features of progenitor cells in the late embryonic and adult hippocampus.

Adult neurogenesis occurs within the subgranular layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. In this study, we examined dividing cells in the late embryonic and adult rat hippocampus to identify distingui
AIDS, ARC and the Occupational Therapist

This paper suggests precautions to be taken around individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Infection control and health risks are discussed, which are of relevance to the occupational therapist in the hospital and in a domiciliary setting. The importance of safe sex for the total population is emphasized. Counselling issues are discussed briefly.
Electron cloud cyclotron resonances in the presence of a short-bunch-length relativistic beam

Computer simulations using the 2D code POSINST were used to study the formation of the electron cloud in the wiggler section of the positron damping ring of the International Linear Collider. In order to simulate an x-y slice of the wiggler (i. e., a slice perpendicular to the beam velocity), each simulation assumed a constant vertical magnetic field. At values of the magnetic field where the cyclotron frequency was an integral multiple of the bunch frequency, and where the field strength was less than approximately 0.6 T, equilibrium average electron densities were up to 3 times the density found at other neighboring field values. Effects of this resonance between the bunch and cyclotron frequency are expected to be non-negligible when the beam bunch length is much less than the product of the electron cyclotron period and the beam velocity, for a beam moving at v ≈ c. Details of the dynamics of the resonance are described.
A model of mother-child coping and adjustment to HIV.

Abstract An increasing proportion of newly diagnosed AIDS cases is being reported among African American urban women. Recent research regarding the psychosocial and behavioral impact of a mother's HIV status on her uninfected children as well as a growing body of clinical evidence suggest that these children are extremely vulnerable and at risk for problems in psychosocial adjustment. The present paper reports the results of research designed to examine the pathways by which a mother's HIV-positive status affects the psychosocial adjustment of her uninfected school-age child. The principal predictor variables of the model are family sociodemographic characteristics, social support available to mother and child, HIV-related symptom distress in the mother, coping strategies of both mother and child, emotional distress of the mother, and quality of the parent–child relationship. The dependent variable is the psychosocial adjustment of the child. Data were collected on 147 mother–child dyads using standardized questionnaires and personal interviews. Eighty-six percent of the mothers were African American and over 96% were on public assistance. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model of mother–child coping and adjustment. After adding three paths, the model had a good fit to the data (comparative fit index=0.94; root mean square estimate of error=0.06). Five model constructs accounted for 36% of the variance in child adjustment. The constructs in order of importance were maternal HIV-associated stressors, maternal emotional distress, child social support, child coping, and quality of parent–child relationship.
USING RANGES TO ESTIMATE VARIABILITY

(2000). USING RANGES TO ESTIMATE VARIABILITY. Quality Engineering: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 211-217.
MEASURING GENERAL CULTURE AMONG STUDENT TEACHERS

It is felt that the cultural background and experience of college of education students is a relatively neglected variable in discussions about college objectives and curricula. This paper describes an attempt to devise a test which will give us some gauge of general cultural knowledge among students. The test devised is a modification of one used successfully in a university department of education. The tests, the modifications and the results among student teachers are reported.
A DEPOSIT CONTRACT METHOD TO DELIVER ABSTINENCE REINFORCEMENT FOR CIGARETTE SMOKING

Eight smokers were randomly assigned to a deposit contract ($50.00) or to a no-deposit group. Using a reversal design, participants could recoup their deposit (deposit group) or earn vouchers (no-deposit group) for smoking reductions and abstinence (breath carbon monoxide [CO] ≤ 4 parts per million) during treatment phases. Treatment was delivered via a novel Internet-based method to monitor smoking status. Although equivalent decreases in breath CO and abstinence were observed during treatment in both groups, $178.50 in vouchers were distributed to participants in the no-deposit group, whereas a small surplus remained in the deposit group. A deposit contract method may represent a cost-effective model to deliver abstinence reinforcement for cigarette smoking.
On Runs and Longest Run Tests: A Method of Finite Markov Chain Imbedding

Abstract In this article, under very general assumptions on Bernoulli trials, a simple numerical method based on the finite Markov chain imbedding technique is systematically developed to determine (a) the joint distribution of the number of success runs and the number of successes; (b) the conditional distribution of the number of success runs given the number of successes, that is, the exact distribution of the success runs test statistic; (c) the joint distribution of the length of the longest success run and the number of successes; and (d) the conditional distribution of the length of the longest success run given the number of successes, that is, the exact distribution of the longest success run test statistic. The critical regions and powers of these two tests (success runs and longest success run) are derived under the null hypothesis of independence and identical distribution (iid) as well as under the alternative hypothesis of Markov dependence. The application of the success runs test is illust...
Superconformal compactifications in weighted projective space

We discuss some aspects of string vacua constructed from orbifolded nonminimal Landau-Ginzburg theories which correspond to Calabi-Yau manifolds in weighted projective space. In contrast to previous expectations, we find that these theories allow for the construction of numerous stable (2, 0) Calabi-Yau vacua (most of which are not simply deformations of an underlying (2, 2) theory) thus indicating that this phenomenologically promising sector of the space of classical vacua is quite robust. We briefly discuss methods for extracting the phenomenology of these models and show, for example, that the full renormalizable superpotential of ourSU(5) theories is not corrected by world sheet instantons and is thus given exactly by its tree-level value.
Myocardial damage after head trauma and simulated intracranial haemorrhage in mice: the role of the autonomic nervous system.

In normal untreated mice experimental intracranial haemorrhage produced myocardial damage. Adrenalectomy and pretreatments with atropine and reserpine reduced the incidence of myocardial damage after intracranial haemorrhage.
The concept of information overload: A preliminary step in understanding the nature of a harmful information-related condition

The amount of content, both on and offline, to which people in reasonably affluent nations have access has increased to the point that it has raised concerns that we are now suffering from a harmful condition of ?information overload.' Although the phrase is being used more frequently, the concept is not yet well understood --- beyond expressing the rather basic idea of having access to more information than is good for us. This essay attempts to provide a philosophical explication of the concept of information overload and is therefore what philosophers call ?conceptual analysis' --- a task that, along with normative ethical analysis, is distinctive to Anglo-American style analytic philosophy. I will begin with an analysis of the atomic concepts expressed by the terms ?information' and ?overload' and then attempt to give a philosophical explanation of the concept of information overload that more precisely identifies exactly what the condition amounts to.
EPA science: casualty of election politics

The struggle between the Congress and the White House over environmental issues provides an opportunity for improving science at the US Environmental Protection Agency, a chance that may be lost in the fray of election-year politics.
The theory and technique of transformations in drama therapy

This paper presents the theoretical and technical applications of Transformations, an advanced form of the Developmental Method (Johnson, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1991), in the treatment of motivated, neurotic clients in individual psychotherapy. First, I will present the basic theoretical concepts of this approach and then articulate the goals of therapy that are derived from this theoretical perspective. After a brief review of the developmental method, transformations will be described in terms of the basic session format, the role of the therapist, types of interventions, and stages of therapy. A detailed case example will then be presented and discussed.
ATM and ATR Activities Maintain Replication Fork Integrity during SV40 Chromatin Replication

Mutation of DNA damage checkpoint signaling kinases ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) or ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) results in genomic instability disorders. However, it is not well understood how the instability observed in these syndromes relates to DNA replication/repair defects and failed checkpoint control of cell cycling. As a simple model to address this question, we have studied SV40 chromatin replication in infected cells in the presence of inhibitors of ATM and ATR activities. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and southern blotting of SV40 chromatin replication products reveal that ATM activity prevents accumulation of unidirectional replication products, implying that ATM promotes repair of replication-associated double strand breaks. ATR activity alleviates breakage of a functional fork as it converges with a stalled fork. The results suggest that during SV40 chromatin replication, endogenous replication stress activates ATM and ATR signaling, orchestrating the assembly of genome maintenance machinery on viral replication intermediates.
Electroporation-mediated transfer of plasmids to the lung results in reduced TLR9 signaling and inflammation.

Electroporation can deliver DNA efficiently and safely to tissues in live animals, including the lung where it causes little inflammation or lung injury. In contrast, cationic lipid-mediated gene transfer has been shown to induce an inflammatory response caused by unmethylated plasmid CpG residues, which activate the toll-like receptor (TLR9) signaling pathway. As TLR9 is located in the endosomal/lysosomal compartment, we hypothesized that plasmids do not activate TLR9 during electroporation because they enter the cytoplasm directly through transient pores in the plasma membrane. To test this, plasmids were transfected into kidney epithelial cells overexpressing TLR9 (HEK293-TLR9+) and cells lacking TLR9 (HEK293-TLR9-null). Interleukin (IL)-8 expression, an indicator of TLR9 activation, increased more than 10-fold at 24 h post-liposome transfection in HEK293-TLR9+ cells, but showed no significant increase in electroporated cells, compared with untransfected cells. In vivo liposome-mediated gene transfer caused increases in IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor α and interferon γ in mouse bronchial alveolar lavage fluid, whereas the levels of these cytokines were more than 10-fold lower by comparison following electroporation. Depletion of alveolar macrophages suggested that this inflammatory response is mediated by resident pulmonary epithelial cells. These results suggest that electroporation-mediated gene transfer bypasses the TLR-9 pathway, thus accounting for the low levels of inflammation seen with this approach.
Analysis of VEP using phase information

Although VEP (visual evoked potential) is an electrophysiological test commonly used in investigating different neurophysiological disorders, there are not many objective criteria for distinguishing a normal from an abnormal VEP. The authors used the phase characteristics of the power spectrum for the distinction of VEPs. The phase spectrum of a VEP was proved to have a certain periodicity in the 0-40-Hz region. By studying the phase characteristics of VEP waveforms, the authors were able to determine the range of the period that characterizes normal and abnormal VEPs and to establish an experimental method for distinguishing the different populations. >
Increase of intracellular pH in secreting frog gastric mucosa.

Abstract A method of estimation of pH in frog gastric mucosa by measuring the apparent creatine kinase equilibrium was studied. In a resting, in vitro preparation of frog stomach the intracellular pH was found to increase linearly with an increase in the serosal pH. This increase was also accompanied by an increase in the apparent equilibrium constant of the creatine kinase reaction. A similar increase was found when the resting mucosa was stimulated with histamine plus theophylline. During this procedure the total content of adenine nucleotides and creatine plus creatine phosphate remained constant.
Epidemiologic aspects of recurrent aphthous ulcerations.

Abstract Epidemiologic precepts have been applied to studies of recurrent aphthous ulcerations of the mouth and to related disorders in the past, resulting in a body of information about the disease. These data have served to distinguish RAU-susceptible persons from RAU-resistant persons, on the basis of group analyses, and have characterized the person most likely to have this syndrome. In addition, the data have served to identify the factors that affect expression of disease severity. The epidemiologic approach has provided effective control mechanisms not available from selected and biased samples of patients referred to individual investigators.
Selective Impairment of Vagally Mediated, Nitric Oxide–Dependent Coronary Vasodilation in Conscious Dogs After Pacing-Induced Heart Failure

Background Activation in conscious dogs of the carotid chemoreflex or cardiac receptors results in coronary vasodilation that is mediated by a vagal cholinergic mechanism. Our previous study showed that the coronary vasodilation following activation of carotid chemoreflex is also mediated by nitric oxide (NO). In addition, NO production is depressed after the development of heart failure. Therefore, we hypothesized that the coronary vasodilation after activation of reflexes that elicit efferent vagal coronary vasodilation would be blunted in conscious dogs after pacing-induced heart failure due to the disappearance of NO. Methods and Results Mongrel dogs were chronically instrumented using sterile techniques for measurements of systemic hemodynamics and left circumflex coronary blood flow (CBF). Without the heart rate controlled, intra-atrial injection of veratrine (4 μg/kg) caused bradycardia (−36±3 beats per minute). With the heart rate controlled, veratrine increased CBF in a dose-dependent manner: for...
Computational feasibility of structured matching

Structured matching is a task-specific technique for selecting one choice out of a small number of alternatives based on a given set of parameters. In structured matching, the knowledge and control for making a decision are integrated within a hierarchical structure. Each node in the hierarchy corresponds to a different aspect of the decision and contains knowledge for directly mapping the results of its children nodes (or selected parameters) into a choice on the subdecision. The root node selects the final choice for the decision. The authors formally characterize the task and strategy of structured matching and analyze its computational complexity. They believe that structured matching captures the essence of what makes a range of decision-making problems computationally feasible to solve. >
The Arab—Israeli Conflict: Learning Conflict Resolution

The Arab—Israeli conflict, which at first had a zero-sum, protracted nature, has changed over time because of effective conflict management that has made conflict reduction and even resolution possible. Following an adaptation process in response to the outcomes of the Six Day War, and the shifts from suppression to regulation, and vice versa, both sides experienced after the Yom Kippur War some learning process by which they became ready to transform their mode of thinking in the conflict. However, without the active encouragement of the USA, the learning process could not be developed. However, the Arab—Israeli conflict is not a single conflict, especially when analyzing and evaluating movements toward new forms of behavior in a given conflict system. The differences in the rate and scope of learning in each conflict influenced differently the shifts in conflict management, and from conflict management to conflict resolution. An initial learning process proved to be necessary for shifting from regulatio...
Service Delivery to the Handicapped The Role of the Federal Procurement Process Part III. Appealing Contract Award

In this concluding segment of the three-part series on the federal procurement process and service delivery, the focus is on the appeal-of-award supposition. Following the major topics of program definition and selection of contractors, Part III implies by its very presence that offerors to federal solicitations may need to expand their proposal-preparation procedure to include a monitoring function, one calculated to yield the facts surrounding just how the institution's bid was processed through the agency's procurement model.Why one offer is selected over another remains speculative to an extent — not that it could be otherwise, for the federal procurement process cannot ever be totally objective. Nevertheless, the process must favor objective review, shunning the purely subjective but lending itself to subfective and intuitive insights. Empirical assessment, however, is the backbone of any justifiable evaluation procedure. It is in this arena that marked differences between real/ideal models begin to ...
Self-identity, rationalisation and cognitive dissonance in undergraduate architectural design learning

This theoretical paper addresses the persistence of architecture students in undergraduate design learning despite the considerable sacrifices that this frequently entails, and proposes a framework for some of the mechanisms that explain students' diligence in their love-hate relationship with the design studio. Such love-hate association is poorly understood, but is clearly a pervasive dilemma in architecture education. The proposed model includes a number of cognitive mechanisms that students may use to reconcile their idealised and romanticised self-image with the incoherent sacrifices of design studio.
Viscoelastic‐cycle model of interseismic deformation in the northwestern United States

SUMMARY We apply a viscoelastic cycle model to a compilation of GPS velocity fields in order to address the kinematics of deformation in the northwestern United States. A viscoelastic cycle model accounts for time-dependent deformation following large crustal earthquakes and is an alternative to block models for explaining the interseismic crustal velocity field. Building on the approach taken in Pollitz et al., we construct a deformation model for the entire western United States—based on combined fault slip and distributed deformation—and focus on the implications for the Mendocino triple junction (MTJ), Cascadia megathrust, and western Washington. We find significant partitioning between strike-slip and dip-slip motion near the MTJ as the tectonic environment shifts from northwest-directed shear along the San Andreas fault system to east–west convergence along the Juan de Fuca Plate. By better accounting for the budget of aseismic and seismic slip along the Cascadia subduction interface in conjunction with an assumed rheology, we revise a previous model of slip for the M∼ 9 1700 Cascadia earthquake. In western Washington, we infer slip rates on a number of strike-slip and dip-slip faults that accommodate northward convergence of the Oregon Coast block and northwestward convergence of the Juan de Fuca Plate. Lateral variations in first order mechanical properties (e.g. mantle viscosity, vertically averaged rigidity) explain, to a large extent, crustal strain that cannot be rationalized with cyclic deformation on a laterally homogeneous viscoelastic structure. Our analysis also shows that present crustal deformation measurements, particularly with the addition of the Plate Boundary Observatory, can constrain such lateral variations.
Preservation of Mouse Sperm by Convective Drying and Storing in 3-O-Methyl-D-Glucose

With the fast advancement in the genetics and bio-medical fields, the vast number of valuable transgenic and rare genetic mouse models need to be preserved. Preservation of mouse sperm by convective drying and subsequent storing at above freezing temperatures could dramatically reduce the cost and facilitate shipping. Mouse sperm were convectively dried under nitrogen gas in the Na-EGTA solution containing 100 mmol/L 3-O-methyl-D-glucose and stored in LiCl sorption jars (Relative Humidity, RH, 12%) at 4°C and 22°C for up to one year. The functionality of these sperm samples after storage was tested by intracytoplasmic injection into mouse oocytes. The percentages of blastocysts produced from sperm stored at 4°C for 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months were 62.6%, 53.4%, 39.6%, 33.3%, and 30.4%, respectively, while those stored at 22°C for 1, 2, and 3 months were 28.8%, 26.6%, and 12.2%, respectively. Transfer of 38 two- to four-cell embryos from sperm stored at 4°C for 1 year produced two live pups while 59 two- to four-cell embryos from sperm stored at 22°C for 3 months also produced two live pups. Although all the pups looked healthy at 3 weeks of age, normality of offspring produced using convectively dried sperm needs further investigation. The percentages of blastocyst from sperm stored in the higher relative humidity conditions of NaBr and MgCl(2) jars and driest condition of P(2)O(5) jars at 4°C and 22°C were all lower. A simple method of mouse sperm preservation is demonstrated. Three-O-methyl-D-glucose, a metabolically inactive derivative of glucose, offers significant protection for dried mouse sperm at above freezing temperatures without the need for poration of cell membrane.
Toward an automated analysis system for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. I. Efficient pulse sequences for simultaneous T1-T2 imaging.

Simultaneous T 1 and T 2images have been obtained using multiple‐echo self‐normalizing sequences. Differential T 1 and T 2 discrimination for two of these sequences, double saturation recovery and inversion–saturation recovery, have been explored in detail. The inversion–saturation recovery sequence exhibits T 1 discrimination comparable to, and in many cases better than, that of optimal T 1 weighted conventional pulse sequences, but is poor for T 2imaging. The double saturation recovery sequence yields comparable tissue discrimination for T 1 and T 2imaging, but is poor compared to optimal T 1 weighted and T 2 weighted conventional pulse sequences. Simultaneous T 1 and T 2images represent quantitative maps of intrinsic tissue properties, and hence form a natural basis for an automated image analysis and tissue classification system.
Direct evolution of hierarchical solutions with self-emergent substructures

Linear genotype representation and modularity have continuously received extensive attention from the genetic programming (GP) community. The advantages of a linear genotype include a convenient and efficient implementation scheme. However, most existing techniques using a linear genotype follow the imperative programming language paradigm and a direct hierarchical composition for the functionality of the solution is underachieved. Our work is based on prefix gene expression programming (P-GEP), a new GP method featured by a prefix notation based linear genotype representation. Since P-GEP uses a functional language paradigm, its framework results in natural self-emergence of substructures as functional components during the evolution. We propose to preserve and utilize potentially useful emergent substructures via a dynamic substructure library, empowering the algorithm to focus the search on a higher level of the solution structure. Preliminary experiments on the benchmark regression problems have shown the effectiveness of this approach.
Is Average Run Length to False Alarm Always an Informative Criterion

Apart from Bayesian approaches, the average run length (ARL) to false alarm has always been seen as the natural performance criterion for quantifying the propensity of a detection scheme to make false alarms, and no researchers seem to have questioned this on grounds that it does not always apply. In this article, we show that in the change-point problem with mixture prechange models, detection schemes with finite detection delays can have infinite ARLs to false alarm. We also discuss the implication of our results on the change-point problem with either exchangeable prechange models or hidden Markov models. Alternative minimax formulations with different false alarm criteria are proposed.
Microglia constitute a barrier that prevents neurotoxic protofibrillar Aβ42 hotspots around plaques

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), b-amyloid (Ab) plaques are tightly enveloped by microglia processes, but the significance of this phenomenon is unknown. Here we show that microglia constitute a barrier with profound impact on plaque composition and toxicity. Using highresolution confocal and in vivo two-photon imaging in AD mouse models, we demonstrate that this barrier prevents outward plaque expansion and leads to compact plaque microregions with low Ab42 affinity. Areas uncovered by microglia are less compact but have high Ab42 affinity, leading to the formation of protofibrillar Ab42 hotspots that are associated with more severe axonal dystrophy. In ageing, microglia coverage is reduced leading to enlarged protofibrillar Ab42 hotspots and more severe neuritic dystrophy. CX3CR1 gene deletion or anti-Ab immunotherapy causes expansion of microglia coverage and reduced neuritic dystrophy. Failure of the microglia barrier and the accumulation of neurotoxic protofibrillar Ab hotspots may constitute novel therapeutic and clinical imaging targets for AD.
Numerical solution of the state dependent noise problem

A numerical technique is given for solving the matrix quadratic equation that arises in the optimal stationary control of linear systems with state (and/or control) dependent noise. The technique exploits fully existing, efficient algorithms for the matrix Lyapunov and Ricatti equations. The computational requirements are discussed, with an associated example.
Consumer Involvement in Relationship Marketing of Services

The authors examine the impact of consumer involvement on consumers'willingness to engage in relationships with service providers, because healthy relationships between consumers and service providers depend on the voluntary participation of consumers in relationships. They also examine the effect that involvement has on consumers' expectations of relational efforts by the service provider. On the basis of survey results from the telecom and health sector, the authors' results indicate that more involved consumers express greater interest in engaging in relationships with service providers. Also, although high-involvement customers do not differ from their low-involvement counterparts in terms of their expectations that their service providers communicate with them regularly and be price-competitive, they express a greater desire for fairness in treatment and being involved in solutions to their problems. These results indicate that the opportunity exists to engage high-involvement customers in long-term ...
Audio structuring and personalized retrieval using ontologies

The goal of this work is to improve the accuracy (precision and recall) and communication effectiveness of a database system response to a user information request, by utilizing a domain-specific ontology. This ontology is employed along with user profile information, to automatically select and deliver appropriate information units from a database. Specifically, the focus is on multimedia audio databases. We are developing a Personal AudioCast system at the USC Integrated Media Systems Center which creates and delivers to an end-user personalized audio programs constructed from an audio database. Techniques are developed to segment and structure audio information, process user requests to generate custom audio results, create and optimize SQL queries, and present the results to the user.
Relation of degree of saturation of milk fat to development of oxidized flavor.

Summary A marked variation in the iodine number of the milk fat produced by six individual cows fed a control ration of alfalfa hay, corn silage and grain mixture was observed. Differences in the susceptibility of the milk to become oxidized were noted, yet there was very little correlation between the iodine number of the fat and the tendency of the milk to develop an oxidized flavor. When the degree of saturation of the milk fat was varied by the addition of either corn oil or coconut oil to the ration the iodine number of the milk fat was altered markedly, yet there was only a slight change in the susceptibility of the milk to oxidized flavor development, The susceptibility of milk to development of oxidized flavor was not correlated to the iodine number in the range of 24 to 40. However, milk with an iodine number greater than 40 developed a slightly greater degree of oxidized flavor than milk having a lower iodine number. The differences, however, do not appear to be significant. Although the duration of the feeding trials covered a relatively short period of time, it is likely that if any important relation existed between saturation of the milk fat and oxidized flavor development it would have been evident within the period studied. It seems reasonable to conclude that the seasonable nature of the occurrence of oxidized flavor cannot be explained on the basis of changes in the iodine number of the milk fat.
Site-Specific Validation of Random Vibration Theory-Based Seismic Site Response Analysis

Seismic site response analysis is typically performed using a suite of rock acceleration-time histories prescribed at the base of a soil column and propagated to the ground surface. To develop statistically stable estimates of the site response, a large number of input motions are required. Alternatively, random vibration theory (RVT) can be used to predict statistically stable estimates of the surface response spectrum in one analysis without the need to prescribe the input rock motion in the time domain. Thus, the critical and time consuming activity of choosing appropriate input ground motions and fitting them to a target spectrum is avoided. This paper describes the RVT approach, its analytical background and input requirements, and provides a site-specific validation of the procedure against traditional site response predictions. The single-corner frequency Brune source spectrum is used in the RVT procedure to describe the input motion in the frequency domain. RVT site response predictions using the ...
Teaching and learning in the interactive classroom

The Claude Bernard Distinguished Lectureship of the Teaching of Physiology Section is presented annually at the Experimental Biology meeting. The lectureship is named for Prof. Claude Bernard, the experimental physiologist who is credited with introducing the concept of homeostasis. The 2006 Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecture was given by Dr. Dee U. Silverthorn from the University of Texas at Austin, TX.