cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indoor Testing and Simulation Platform for Close-distance Visual Inspection of Complex Structures using Micro Quadrotor UAV

In recent years, using drone, also known as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in close-distance visual inspection has became an active area in many disciplines. However, many challenges still remain before we can achieve autonomous inspection, especially when inspecting complex structures. The complex civil structures, such as bridges, dams and wind turbines, are large-scale and geometrical complicated. It requires sophisticated path planning algorithms to achieve close-distance inspection and, at the same time, avoid collisions. In practice, directly deploying the path planning result on such structures is error prone, costly, and full of hazards. In this paper, rely on micro quadrotor UAV, the authors present an affordable experimental platform for testing drone-based path planning result. The platform allows the users to conduct many path planning experiments at any time without worrying expensive and time consuming outdoor test flying. This platform is developed based on the bundle of Crazyflie, which includes Crazyflie 2.0 quadrotor, Crazyradio and loco positioning system (LPS). Equipped with an onboard micro FPV camera, the visual data can be lively streamed to the host computer during flight. The functions of manual configuration and waypoints control are explicitly designed in this platform to increase its flexibility and performance on path following and debugging. To evaluate the practicability of the proposed test platform, two existing drone-based path planning algorithms are tested. The results show that even though certain level of error existed, the quality of visual data and accuracy of path following are high enough for simulating most practical inspection applications.
Identification of an ethyl 5,6-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline-1-carboxylate as a catalytic inhibitor of DNA gyrase.

Fluoroquinolones are a class of antibacterial agents used clinically to treat a wide array of bacterial infections and target bacterial type-II topoisomerases (DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV). Fluoroquinolones, however potent, are susceptible to bacterial resistance with prolonged use, which limits their use in the clinic. Quinazoline-2,4-diones also target bacterial type-II topoisomerases and are not susceptible to bacterial resistance similar to fluoroquinolones, however, their potency pales in comparison to fluoroquinolones. To meet the increasing demand for antibacterial development, nine modified quinazoline-2,4-diones were developed to probe quinazoline-2,4-dione structure modification for possible new binding contacts with the bacterial type-II topoisomerase, DNA gyrase. Evaluation of compounds for inhibition of the supercoiling activity of DNA gyrase revealed a novel ethyl 5,6-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline-1-carboxylate derivative as a modest inhibitor of DNA gyrase, having an IC50 of 3.5 μM. However, this ethyl 5,6-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline-1-carboxylate does not trap the catalytic intermediate like fluoroquinolones or typical quinazoline-2,4-diones do. Thus, the ethyl 5,6-dihydropyrazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline-1-carboxylate derivative discovered in this work acts as a catalytic inhibitor of DNA gyrase and therefore represents a new structural type of catalytic inhibitor of DNA gyrase.
Case 21-2020: A 66-Year-Old Homeless Man with Covid-19.

A Homeless Man with Covid-19 A 66-year-old homeless man was evaluated for cough and rhinorrhea during the Covid-19 pandemic. He had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 through a universal testing progra...
Spectrum Efficiency and Energy Efficiency in Wireless Communication Networks

The twelve articles in this special issue focus on spectrum and energy efficiency in wireless communications.
Effect of two parallel intruders on total work during granular penetrations.

The intrusion of single passive intruders into granular particles has been studied in detail. However, the intrusion force produced by multiple intruders separated at a distance from one another, and hence the effect of their presence in close proximity to one another, is less explored. Here, we used numerical simulations and laboratory experiments to study the force response of two parallel rods intruding vertically into granular media while varying the gap spacing between them. We also explored the effect of variations in friction, intruder size, and particle size on the force response. The total work ($W$) of the two rods over the depth of intrusion was measured, and the instantaneous velocities of particles over the duration of intrusion were calculated by simulations. We found that the total work done by the intruders changes with distance between them. We observed a peak in $W$ at a gap spacing of $\ensuremath{\sim}3$ particle diameters, which was up to 25% greater than $W$ at large separation (g11 particle diameters), beyond which the total work plateaued. This peak was likely due to reduced particle flow between intruders as we found a larger number of strong forces---identified as force chains---in the particle domain at gaps surrounding the peak force. Although higher friction caused greater force generation during intrusion, the gap spacing between the intruders at which the peak total work was generated remained unchanged. Larger intruder sizes resulted in greater total work with the peak in $W$ occurring at slightly larger intruder separations. Taken together, our results show that peak total work done by two parallel intruders remained within a narrow range, remaining robust to most other tested parameters.
Discrete Math with Programming: A Principled Approach

Discrete mathematics is the foundation of computer science. It focuses on concepts and reasoning methods that are studied using math notations. It has long been argued that discrete math is better taught with programming, which takes concepts and computing methods and turns them into executable programs. What has been lacking is a principled approach that supports all central concepts of discrete math---especially predicate logic---and that directly and precisely connects math notations with executable programs. This paper introduces such an approach. It is based on the use of a powerful language that extends the Python programming language with proper logic quantification ("for all'' and "exists some''), as well as declarative set comprehension (also known as set builder) and aggregation (e.g., sum and product). Math and logical statements can be expressed precisely at a high level and be executed directly on a computer, encouraging declarative programming together with algorithmic programming. We describe the approach, detailed examples, experience in using it, and the lessons learned.
Fanon’s Frame of Violence: Undoing the Instrumental/Non-Instrumental Binary

The scholarship on Frantz Fanon’s theorization of violence is crowded with interpretations that follow the Arendtian paradigm of violence. These interpretations often discuss whether violence is in...
Managing in a Post-COVID-19 World: A Stakeholder Network Perspective

This article argues that technical leaders in a post-COVID-19 world should adopt stakeholder-oriented management techniques tailored to complex, chaotic, and disordered domains. In part, this is because the unprecedented breadth of the novel coronavirus's impact has required organizations to strengthen their stakeholder orientation, given the second-order, network effects of management decisions during a global pandemic on unseen, unknown constituencies. In part, this is because even our causal models and modes of group sense-making have been affected by the suffering and uncertainty caused by the pandemic. This article draws from ongoing research on complex stakeholder networks, applying recent advances in graph theory to establish that organizations with more resilient, more efficient, more globally connected stakeholder networks better satisfy the claims of their stakeholders, across an array of financial and environmental, social and governance metrics. This research can be extended into postcrisis, chaotic, and disordered domains by adapting the Cynefin framework, from the Welsh word for “habitat,” and applying it to the stakeholder theory literature. This stakeholder network perspective yields surprisingly simple and relevant tools for managers, as shown by a case study of the real-world performance of large US firms during the period of COVID-19’s initial diffusion and impact.
Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors

Germ cell tumors are rare CNS tumors predominantly diagnosed in pediatric and young adult patients. They are divided into two broad groups, germinoma and non-germinomatous germ cell tumor, based on management strategies. Radiotherapy is an integral part of the management of CNS germ cell tumors. Judicious target delineation and selection of radiation dose are crucial to a favorable therapeutic ratio.
At least two to tango: Choreographing chromatin through cooperative footprints.

Two recent papers, Rao et al. (2021), in this issue, and Sonmezer et al. (2021), investigate transcription factor cooperativity at cis-regulatory elements. Using data from nuclease- and methyltransferase-footprinting experiments, they demonstrate that factor co-occupancy at regulatory elements commonly occurs in vivo and is conserved from fly to mouse.
Critical Current Density of YBa{2}Cu{3}O{7-d} Low-Angle Grain Boundaries in Self-Field

A study has been perfomed on the superconducting critical current density J_{c} flowing across low angle grain boundaries in epitaxial thin films of YBa{2}Cu{3}O{7-d} (YBCO). The materials studied were dual grain boundary rings deposited on SrTiO{3} and containing 2, 3, 5 and 7 degree tilt boundaries. The current density in self-field was determined by magnetometric methods at temperatures from 5 K to T_c. We conclude that at the higher temperatures of coated conductor applications, there is limited potential for improving J_{c} by reducing the grain boundary angle below about 3 degrees.
p-Adic L-Functions on the Eigencurve

In Chap. 5, we defined, using the method of Manin, Visik and Amice-Velu as reinterpreted by Mazur-Tate-Teitelbaum and Stevens) the p-adic L-function of a classical cuspidal eigenform of non-critical slope of weight ≥ 2.
α-Synuclein inhibits Snx3-retromer retrograde trafficking of the conserved membrane-bound proprotein convertase Kex2 in the secretory pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We tested the ability of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) to inhibit Snx3-retromer mediated retrograde trafficking of Kex2 and Ste13 between late endosomes and the trans-Golgi (TGN) using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Kex2 and Ste13 are a conserved, membrane-bound proprotein convertase and dipeptidyl aminopeptidase, respectively, that process pro-α-factor and pro-killer toxin. Each of these proteins contains a cytosolic tail that binds to sorting nexin Snx3. Using a combination of techniques, including fluorescence microscopy, western blotting and a yeast mating assay, we found that α-syn disrupts Snx3-retromer trafficking of Kex2-GFP and GFP-Ste13 from the late endosome to the TGN, resulting in these two proteins transiting to the vacuole by default. Using three α-syn variants (A53T, A30P, and α-synΔC, which lacks residues 101-140), we further found that A53T and α-synΔC, but not A30P, reduce Snx3-retromer trafficking of Kex2-GFP, which is likely to be due to weaker binding of A30P to membranes. Degradation of Kex2 and Ste13 in the vacuole should result in the secretion of unprocessed, inactive forms of α-factor, which will reduce mating efficiency between MATa and MATα cells. We found that wild-type α-syn but not A30P significantly inhibited the secretion of α-factor. Collectively, our results support a model in which the membrane-binding ability of α-syn is necessary to disrupt Snx3-retromer retrograde recycling of these two conserved endopeptidases.
Further Analysis of the Decay π → e + ν + γ

We have recalculated the structure-dependent part of the decay $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e+\ensuremath{\nu}+\ensuremath{\gamma}$, using the conserved vector current hypothesis, in order to derive information on the axial-vector-current form factor. Earlier calculations of Bludman and Young have been extended by including, as a phenomenological parameter, the axial-vector contribution relative to polar-vector, and by calculating integrals of the decay rate over various portions of phase space likely to be measured. The experiments can be analyzed in terms of the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rho}$ coupling to the axial-vector current. We conclude that the recent experiments of Depommier et al. establish the presence of such axial-vector structure contributing to the decay, but that one cannot assign this component to a weak-interacting vector meson rather than to strong-interaction structure.
Visual and vestibular cue integration for heading perception in extrastriate visual cortex

Natural behaviours, and hence neuronal populations, often combine multiple sensory cues to improve stimulus detectability or discriminability as we explore the environment. Here we review one such example of multisensory cue integration in the dorsal medial superior temporal area (MSTd) of the macaque visual cortex. Visual and vestibular cues about the direction of self-motion in the world (heading) are encoded by single multisensory neurons in MSTd. Most neurons tend to prefer lateral stimulus directions and, as they are broadly tuned, are most sensitive in discriminating heading directions around straight forward. Decoding of MSTd population activity shows that these neuronal properties can account for the fact that heading perception in humans and macaques is most precise for directions around straight forward, whereas heading sensitivity declines with increasing eccentricity of the reference direction. Remarkably, when heading is specified by both cues simultaneously, behavioural precision is improved in a manner that is predicted by statistically optimal (Bayesian) cue integration models. A subpopulation of multisensory MSTd cells with congruent visual and vestibular heading preferences also combines the cues near-optimally, establishing a potential neural substrate for behavioral cue integration.
Tutorial/Panel: Multi-Chip Modules for Hybrid Package

The contribution of packaging to circuit performance is becoming increasingly important. In high-speed computer systems, performance and density limits are being set more by interconnect and packaging constraints than by transistor switching speed. Multi-chip, silicon-on-silicon hybrid packages can significantly improve performance by eliminating a level of packaging. In this tutorial, a variety of approaches to advance multi-chip packaging techniques will be presented. In particular, a system will be presented that can achieve a factor of five to eight improvement in volume and a factor of two speed improvement.
No coreset, no cry: II

Let P be a set of n points in d-dimensional Euclidean space, where each of the points has integer coordinates from the range [−Δ, Δ], for some Δ ≥ 2. Let e > 0 be a given parameter. We show that there is subset Q of P, whose size is polynomial in (log Δ)/e, such that for any k slabs that cover Q, their e-expansion covers P. In this result, k and d are assumed to be constants. The set Q can also be computed efficiently, in time that is roughly n times the bound on the size of Q. Besides yielding approximation algorithms that are linear in n and polynomial in log Δ for the k-slab cover problem, this result also yields small coresets and efficient algorithms for several other clustering problems.
Macrophage Fusion: The Making of a New Cell

Cell–cell fusion is a critical developmental step in most eukaryotes, as it is required for fertilization as well as for the formation of placenta, muscle and bone, where macrophages fuse to form a new cell called osteoclast. Macrophages can also fuse in chronic inflammatory reactions and in tumors where they form giant cells. While our understanding of the fusion mechanism used by viruses to infect cells has made major progress, the mechanism used by eukaryotic cells to fuse with one another remains poorly understood. Macrophages are unique in that they are mononucleate cells that fuse in rare instances to make a new cell, which suggests a regulated divergence from their routine activity. Here we discuss the formation of osteoclasts and giant cells with a special focus on the fusion mechanism of their mononucleate precursors, which belong to the mononuclear phagocyte lineage. We also discuss the unique mechanism macrophages utilize to recognize each other as self before they merge their cytoplasm into a new cell.
The dark side of algae cultivation: Characterizing night biomass loss in three photosynthetic algae, Chlorella sorokiniana, Nannochloropsis salina and Picochlorum sp.

Night biomass loss in photosynthetic algae is an essential parameter that is often overlooked when modeling or optimizing biomass productivities. Night respiration acts as a tax on daily biomass gains and has not been well characterized in the context of biomass production for biofuels. We examined the night biomass loss in three algae strains that may have potential for commercial biomass production (Nannochloropsis salina — CCMP1776, Chlorella sorokiniana — DOE1412, and Picochlorum sp. LANL-WT). Biomass losses were monitored by ash free dry weight (AFDW mg L− 1) and optical density (OD750) on a thermal-gradient incubator. Specific night biomass loss rates were highly variable (ranging from − 0.006 to − 0.59 day− 1), species-specific, and dependent on both culture growth phase prior to the dark period and night pond temperature. In general, the fraction of biomass lost over a 10 h dark period, which ranged from ca. 1 to 22% in our experiments, was positively correlated with temperature and declined as the culture transitioned from late exponential to linear to late linear phase. The dynamics of biomass loss should be taken into consideration in algae strain selection, are critical in predictive modeling of biomass production based on geographic location, and can influence the net productivity of photosynthetic cultures used for bio-based fuels or products.
Changes in the postsynaptic density with long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus.

The present study documents alterations in the size of the postsynaptic density (PSD) of synapses formed by entorhinal afferents with granule cell dendritic spines with long-term potentiation (LTP). These changes appear early and persist for at least 60 minutes after LTP-inducing conditioning stimulation. Each animal received test and conditioning stimulation typical of LTP paradigms. Electron microscopic preparation of the dentate gyri from each animal followed conventional procedures. PSD trace lengths of identified asymmetric synaptic profiles were measured. The total PSD length for four categories of synaptic profiles was determined for each third of the molecular layer. PSD surface area per unit volume of tissue (Sv) was then computed from these data. Statical analysis of the Sv data used multivariate analysis of variance. PSD surface area per synapse was also estimated. Total PSD surface area per unit volume does not change significantly throughout the entire molecular layer with LTP-inducing conditioning stimulation. However, in the activated portion of the molecular layer, total PSD surface area per unit volume tends to increase with conditioning stimulation. In the middle third of the molecular layer, total PSD surface area per unit volume associated with the concave spine profiles increases significantly while there is a statistically significant decrease in total PSD Sv associated with the nonconcave spine profiles. The PSD surface area per synapse also increases markedly. Since it seems that there is an interconversion of spine synapses from nonconcave to concave with LTP (Desmond and Levy: J. Comp. Neurol. In press, ′86a), these data suggest that potentiated synapses have larger responses because, in part, they have larger neurotransmitter receptive regions.
In situ FTIR microspectroscopy of extravasated blood-damaged brain tissue

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy enables the collection of infrared spectra from microscopic regions of tissue sections. The objectives of this study were to utilize FT-IR microspectroscopy to analyze the spatial distribution of chemical changes that result from the extravasation of blood into the brain and to determine if products of free radical damage are associated with the damaged areas. An animal model that involves the injection of blood into the white matter of rat brains was used. Maps depicting the relative concentrations of chemical functional groups of lesioned sites and surrounding areas were made. Significant decreases were observed for CH2, C equals O, P equals O, and HO-C-H functional groups at the lesioned site and penumbra regions compared to the neighboring normal tissue areas.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Walrasian Theory of Markets with Adverse Selection

The paper describes a Walrasian theory of markets with adverse selection and shows how refinements of equilibrium can be used to characterize uniquely the equilibrium outcome. Equilibrium exists under standard conditions. It is shown that, under certain conditions, a stable set exists and is contained in a connected set of equilibria. For generic models there exists a stable outcome, that is, all the equilibria in the stable set have the same outcome. These ideas are applied to markets with one-sided and two-sided uncertainty. Under standard monotonicity conditions, it is shown that the stable outcome is separating and implies a particular pattern of matches of buyers and sellers.
The impact of Medicare reimbursement changes on staffing and the quality of care in nursing homes

This study assesses the impact of recent Medicare reimbursement changes on nurse staffing and quality of care in skilled nursing facilities. We utilise data from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting System and Area Resource Files for the years 1997–2003. The impacts of the reimbursement changes on licensed nurse hours per resident day and on a quality index were estimated, controlling for facility and market factors, and including interaction between payer mix and policy. We find that the 1997 Balanced Budget Act had a negative effect on staffing and quality while the 1999 Balanced Budget Reconciliation Act and the 2000 Benefits Improvement and Protection Act had positive effects on staffing and quality. The percentage of Medicaid patients was a strong contributor to lower staffing and quality, and moderated the effects of all three policies. The results should be useful for policy makers considering cuts in Medicare or Medicaid spending for nursing homes.
The Soul of Scholarship.

Higher education in the twenty-first century calls for a paradigm shift in scholarship—a new approach that encourages academicians to consider not only the current practice and product of research at their institutions but also the well-being of the practitioner—in short, to explore the soul of scholarship.
Quantitative proteomics and protein network analysis of hippocampal synapses of CaMKIIalpha mutant mice.

Quantitative analysis of synaptic proteomes from specific brain regions is important for our understanding of the molecular basis of neuroplasticity and brain disorders. In the present study we have optimized comparative synaptic proteome analysis to quantitate proteins of the synaptic membrane fraction isolated from the hippocampus of wild type mice and 3‘UTR-calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II α mutant mice. Synaptic proteins were solubilized in 0.85% RapiGest and digested with trypsin without prior dilution of the detergent, and the peptides from two groups of wild type mice and two groups of CaMKIIα 3‘UTR mutants were tagged with iTRAQ reagents 114, 115, 116, and 117, respectively. The experiment was repeated once with independent biological replicates. Peptides were fractionated with tandem liquid chromatography and collected off-line onto MALDI metal plates. The first iTRAQ experiment was analyzed on an ABI 4700 proteomics analyzer, and the second experiment was analyzed on an ABI 4800 proteomics...
Optoelectronic determination of insect presence in fruit

Opto-electronic methods represent a potential to identify the presence of insect activities on or within agricultural commodities. Such measurements may detect actual insect presence or indirect secondary changes in the product resulting from past or present insect activities. Preliminary imaging studies have demonstrated some unique spectral characteristics of insect larvae on cherries. A detailed study on spectral characteristics of healthy and infested tart cherry tissue with and without larvae (Plum Curculio) was conducted for reflectance, transmittance and interactance modes for each of UV and visible/NIR light sources. The intensity of transmitted UV signals through the tart cherry was found to be weak; however, the spectral properties of UV light in reflectance mode has revealed some typical characteristics of larvae on healthy and infested tissue. The larvae on tissue were found to exhibit UV induced fluorescence signals in the range of 400-700 nm. Multi spectral imaging of the halved tart cherry has also corroborated this particular behavior of plum curculio larvae. The gray scale subtraction between corresponding pixels in these multi-spectral images has helped to locate the larvae precisely on the tart cherry tissue background, which otherwise was inseparable. The spectral characteristics of visible/NIR energy in transmittance and reflectance mode are capable of estimating the secondary effect of infestation in tart cherry tissue. The study has shown the shifting in peaks of reflected and transmitted signals from healthy and infested tissues and coincides with the concept of browning of tissue at cell level as a process of infestation. Interactance study has been carried out to study the possibility of coupling opto-electronic devices with the existing pitting process. The shifting of peaks has been observed for the normalized intensity of healthy and infested tissues. The study has been able to establish the inherent spectral characteristic of these tissues. It was found that there existed promising futuristic possibilities to use opto-electronic sensing to estimate the degree of secondary effect of insect activities within the tissue.
Rejection of sinusoids from nonlinearly perturbed uncertain regular linear systems

An application-motivated system class - nonlinearly perturbed regular linear systems (NPRLS) - is considered, and the response of the latter to periodic inputs is characterized. A recently proposed robust control scheme for tracking bandlimited periodic signals by uncertain exponentially stable regular linear systems (RLS) is then applied to an uncertain system belonging to the NPRLS class, whose linearization is an exponentially stable RLS, to reject internally generated sinusoids from the system output. Assuming the uncertain NPRLS to be unknown, but its gain at the frequency of interest known and bounded away from zero, and using the aforementioned characterization, the stability and disturbance rejection of the resulting topology are shown to be guaranteed for sufficiently small nonlinearity.
TU-A-204B-04: A Technique to Correct Crescent Artifacts in On-Board CBCT

Purpose: Large dark and bright crescents are commonly seen in cone‐beam (CB) CTimages acquired onboard radiation therapy machines. The purpose of this project is to develop a technique for removing this artifact. Method and Materials: We propose that crescent artifacts are caused by small angle‐dependent shifts of the bowtie filter and that they can be avoided by using angle‐dependent blank projections when reconstructingCBCTimages. Blank projections are those acquired without an attenuating object in the field of view. Bowtie motion as a function of angle was quantified by tracking the center of mass of pixel intensity in blank projections. Computer simulations were used to demonstrate that crescent artifacts arise under that quantified level of bowtie motion. Clinical onboard scanner studies with a Catphan® 504 phantom were used to demonstrate that crescent artifacts are removed by incorporating angle‐dependent, rather than fixed, blank projections into image reconstruction.Results: The center of mass study indicated that crescent artifacts result from shifts in the bowtie filter of much less than 1 mm. The computer‐simulation studies demonstrated crescent artifacts when the same blank image was used for all projection angles. These crescent artifacts matched the positions, widths, and amplitudes of those seen clinically. In the computer‐simulation studies and with data acquired on clinical CBCT systems, the artifacts were removed when angle‐dependent blank images were utilized. Conclusion: Crescent artifacts are shown to arise from unaccounted motion of the bowtie filter during the acquisition of CBCT projections. Correction of this artifact, through use of angle‐dependent blank images, is proposed and demonstrated. This technique could be effectively implemented into clinical practice. Conflict of Interest: This research is partly supported by Varian Medical Systems.
Application of BIOMED-2 clonality assays to formalin-fixed paraffin embedded follicular lymphoma specimens: Superior performance of the IGK assays compared to IGH for suboptimal specimens

The BIOMED-2 PCR-based immunoglobulin gene rearrangement assays have quickly become the most commonly used laboratory method for detection of B-cell clonality. Therefore, the reliability of these assays under various conditions has become increasingly important. When studying paired cases of follicular lymphoma (FL) from individual patients, we used these assays to assess clonality in 40 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens from 19 patients diagnosed with FL. The assays of IGH rearrangement failed to give a clonal result in 26/40 (65%) specimens, while the IGK assays failed in only 3/40 (8%) specimens. The high failure rate of the IGH assays for this set of FFPE lymphomas cannot be explained by systematic problems with DNA extraction or amplification because the same IGH assays resulted in a low failure rate (3/32, 9%) for FFPE small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia specimens and for fresh frozen FL specimens (1/6, 17%). Furthermore, in a second validation set of 13 FFPE follicular lymphoma the failure rate was 9/13 (69%). Therefore, the BIOMED-2 IGH assay did not perform well on FFPE follicular lymphoma specimens, and the IGK assay may be superior for assessing clonality when no fresh/frozen tissue is available.
Functioning and interpersonal relationships as predictors of response in treatment-resistant depression.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether occupational functioning or the quality of interpersonal relationships is predictive of clinical response to a 6-week open trial of nortriptyline (NT) in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ninety-two subjects with TRD were treated openly with NT for 6 weeks. The longitudinal interval follow-up evaluation (LIFE) scale was administered at baseline. A logistic regression was performed using occupational functioning and interpersonal relationships (over the past month and over the past 5 years) as predictors of treatment response. Unpaired t tests were performed to examine mean composite LIFE score values between responders and nonresponders. The composite scores that were statistically significant were used as single predictors of treatment status in separate logistic regression equations. Better occupational function over the past 5 years predicted better response to treatment with NT in patients with TRD. Beyond a history of nonresponse to antidepressants, long-term occupational function may be a predictor of outcome in the treatment of TRD.
Multiple sequences in the Drosophila melanogaster U3 RNA gene are homologous to vertebrate U3 RNA.

Summary We have cloned and sequenced a DNA fragment from the genome of Drosophila melanogaster which is homologous to Novikoff hepatoma (rat) small nucleolar U3 RNA. DNA sequence analysis shows that the regions of homology between the cloned DNA and rat U3 RNA are distributed over the entire length of the molecule and the total homology of linear sequence is 53%. The present finding supports the generalization that U3 RNA has been evolutionally conserved but diverges between mammals and invertebrates. This clone contains the upstream and downstream sequences required for the efficient and correct transcription of small nuclear RNAs. The secondary structure proposed for the U3 RNA sequence deduced from the cloned DNA is similar in general topography to that reported for rat U3 RNA (Bernstein et al. , ref. 23).
The Jerusarema Dance of Zimbabwe

Very little has been written about the dance of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and virtually nothing about the Jerusarema dance specifically. Since the nation achieved its independence in April 1980, there has been considerable interest in understanding and interpreting the cultural aspects of the society, particularly since the overlay of European values and mores distorted the traditional manifestations of certain dances. The Shona, made up of several subethnic groups, including the Ndau, Zezuru, Manyika, Karanga, Kore Kore, and Kalanga people, are the largest linguistic group in Zimbabwe. Although they are mainly situated in Zimbabwe, the Shona people may also be found in Mozambique, Zambia, and as far north as Malawi and Tanzania. In the latter two countries their influence is primarily cultural. The Shona people are the builders of Great Zimbabwe-the massive stone structures that date from the Monomatapa Kingdom in the tenth century down to the fifteenth century. Pastorialists and ironsmiths of considerable reputation, the Shona were subdued by the invading Matabele under their
A miniature palladium-palladium-oxide enzyme electrode for urea determination.

Preparation et evaluation d'electrodes applicables au dosage de l'uree, qui combinent l'immobilisation de l'uree a une electrode constituee d'un fil de palladium et palladium oxyde
A Microprocessor Laboratory for a University Environment

A microprocessor-based laboratory facility is being developed as part of the computer science program in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of the University of Connecticut. This laboratory is structured to support graduate research in which the microprocessor will play a role, provide a means for introducing microprocessor-based material into the undergraduate computer science and electrical engineering curriculums, and be a medium whereby the untrained computer user who wishes to utilize a microcomputer may do so in a convenient manner. The laboratory is centered on a dual PDP-11 minicomputer system which provides a high level of software and hardware support to the microprocessor activity. This permits software development to take place in a comfortable, real-time environment on a machine suited to such a task plus providing hardware support not inherent in the microcomputer itself. Since a broad spectrum of people will use this facility, the involvement with the microprocessors and related devices must cover a broad spectrum of activities. This will range from new, designs starting at the device level to applications which simply integrate complex off-the-shelf hardware and software functions. To support this the laboratory provides a means to reliably breadboard a prototype of a new microcomputer system or subsystem. This would be done by an individual who is conversant with the intimate details of a given microprocessor device line and is knowledgeable in both hardware and software aspects of digital systems.
Comparison of anticonvulsant effect of pentobarbital and phenobarbital against seizures induced by maximal electroshock and picrotoxin in rats

Pentobarbital and phenobarbital exhibited anticonvulsant effect against maximal electroshock (MES) and picrotoxin-induced seizures in rats. Bicuculline, a GABAA receptor antagonist, reversed the anticonvulsant effect of pentobarbital, but not of phenobarbital, at a dose having no effect per se. Although picrotoxin (2 mg/kg, IP) potentiated MES seizures, it did not reverse the anticonvulsant effect due to either pentobarbital or phenobarbital. GABAB receptor antagonists such as delta-amino-n-valeric acid and homotaurine failed to modify the anticonvulsant effect due to pentobarbital or phenobarbital. Furthermore, GABAA agonist muscimol but not baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, exhibited the anticonvulsant effect against MES-induced seizures. However, baclofen when combined with sub-effective dose of pentobarbital or phenobarbital offered protection against MES seizures. Pentobarbital and phenobarbital were effective in almost equivalent doses against MES, as well as against picrotoxin-induced seizures. These observations indicated that pentobarbital exhibits anticonvulsant effect against MES seizures through the involvement of GABAA receptors, and activation of GABAB receptors alone does not seem to play any significant role in MES seizures and in the anticonvulsant effect of pentobarbital. However, activation of GABAB receptor does potentiate the facilitatory effect of barbiturates on GABAAergic transmission and in their anti-MES effect. Moreover, these results also suggest that the anticonvulsant effect of barbiturates against MES-seizures may involve other mechanisms in addition to GABAAergic transmission.
Approximate qualitative probability

Abstract Established sufficient conditions for probability representation of qualitative probability require either unintuitive conditions on probability orderings or very specific assumptions on the nature of atoms in the probability space. To address these concerns, an approximate representability framework is developed. Easily interpreted sufficient conditions for approximate representabilty that do not require perfect consistency over comparisons of sets that are nearly equiprobable are presented, Examples of nonrepresentable orderings that are approximately representable are constructed.
1182 CHEST WALL COMPLIANCE IN PREMATURE INFANTS

Twenty six premature infants, mean BW 1480 g, mean gestational age 32 wks. who needed mechanical ventilation because of respiratory failure were studied. Spontaneous respiration was suppressed by slight hyperventilation. Chest wall compliance was calculated by dividing tidal volume (VT) by the change in esophageal pressure (Pes) obtained at different peak inspiratory pressures. Changes in Pes reflect the amount of airway pressure transmitted to the pleural space. Means for VT and Pes measurements were: The results indicate that there is a linear correlation between VT and Pes (r=0.95) up to maximal inflation of the lung. The slope of the regression was 6.4 m]/cmH20×kg, which is the value of chest wall compliance. No linear correlation was found between airway pressure and Pes because the pressure volume curve of the lung is not linear but becomes progressively flatter at high volumes. Because chest wall compliance is four to six times higher than the normal lung compliance, no more than a sixth to a fourth of the airway pressure can be transmitted to the esophagus during positive pressure ventilation. Transmission will be even smaller when lung compliance is decreased as it occurs in hyaline membrane disease or when the tidal volume reaches the flatter part of the pressure volume curve of the lung. This poor transmission may protect the cardiovascular system from the effects of positive pressure.
A Simple Method of Repositioning the Wayward Central Venous Catheter

Malposition of a central venous catheter occurs despite improvements in catheter design and regardless of the skill of the physician. A simple method of repositioning a central venous catheter has been successful in 25 of 25 attempts. Documentation of the rationale for the use of this technique is provided using x-rays. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 13:438-439, 1989)
Preface: Reliable and Fault-Tolerant Computing

THIS is the eighth Special Issue on this subject published by the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTERS. The title of this Special Issue now includes the word reliable to better reflect a broader perception of the field as expressed in the Chinese subtitle of the 10th International Symposium on Fault-Tolerant Computing (FTCS) held in Kyoto, Japan two years ago. It says: —to make (electronic computers) reliable. Computers and digital control systems are relied upon in more and more avenues of our life, and naturally more is demanded of these machines' ability to perform accurately and adequately under a wide range of disturbances. There have been hundreds of published works and the research and development effort in this important area will continue to attract a large number of participants.
The polyester polyurethanase gene (pueA) from Pseudomonas chlororaphis encodes a lipase

A gene (pueA, polyurethane esterase A) encoding an extracellular polyurethanase (PueA) was cloned from Pseudomonas chlororaphis into Escherichia coli. The enzyme secreted from E. coli showed esterase activity when assayed with p-nitrophenyl acetate. Subcloning of a 3.2-kb SalI–EcoRI fragment into a T7 RNA polymerase expression vector (pT7-6) produced a 35S-labeled protein of 65 kDa. Nucleotide sequencing of pueA showed an open reading frame encoding a 65-kDa protein of 617 amino acid residues, with the serine hydrolase consensus sequence GXSXG. PueA was over-expressed using the pT7-6 vector transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) and was purified in one step using Sephadex G-75.
Ecto‐Protein Kinase and Surface Protein Phosphorylation in PC12 Cells: Interactions with Nerve Growth Factor

The phosphorylation of surface proteins by ecto-protein kinase has been proposed to play a role in mechanisms underlying neuronal differentiation and their responsiveness to nerve growth factor (NGF). PC12 clones represent an optimal model for investigating the mode of action of NGF in a homogeneous cell population. In the present study we obtained evidence that PC12 cells possess ecto-protein kinase and characterized the endogenous phosphorylation of its surface protein substrates. PC12 cells maintained in a chemically defined medium exhibited phosphorylation of proteins by [gamma-32P]ATP added to the medium at time points preceding the intracellular phosphorylation of proteins in cells labeled with 32Pi. This activity was abolished by adding apyrase or trypsin to the medium but was not sensitive to addition of an excess of unlabeled Pi. As also expected from ecto-protein kinase activity, PC12 cells catalyzed the phosphorylation of an exogenous protein substrate added to the medium, dephospho-alpha-casein, and this activity competed with the endogenous phosphorylation for extracellular ATP. Based on these criteria, three protein components migrating in sodium dodecyl sulfate gels with apparent molecular weights of 105K, 39K, and 20K were identified as exclusive substrates of ecto-protein kinase in PC12 cells. Of the phosphate incorporated into these proteins from extracellular ATP, 75-87% was found in phosphothreonine. The phosphorylation of the 39K protein by ecto-protein kinase did not require Mg2+, implicating this activity in the previously demonstrated regulation of Ca(2+)-dependent, high-affinity norepinephrine uptake in PC12 cells by extracellular ATP. The protein kinase inhibitor K-252a inhibited both intra- and extracellular protein phosphorylation in intact PC12 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cervical spine MR imaging using multislice gradient echo imaging: Comparison with cardiac gated spin echo

Forty-one patients with suspected cervical spine disorders were studied using multislice gradient echo imaging (GE) technique, with a 1.5-T system. The images were compared to cardiac-gated spin echo (CGSE) images in the diagnosis of suspected cord and spinal disorders. Images were graded for ability to detect cord lesion, cord-CSF contrast, CSF-bone contrast and contrast between CSF and extradural abnormality. The signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio were used to compare images. There was 44% decrease in contrast between cord lesion and normal cord on GE when compared to CGSE, except for spinal cord hemorrhage. There was a 40% improvement between bone and CSF contrast on GE compared to CGSE. GE images were significantly better qualitatively as well as quantitatively in the detection of extradural lesions. This effect was more marked in axial plane where CGSE images are extremely suboptimal. CGSE images are better than GE for spinal cord lesions, while GE are superior in the diagnosis of degenerative disease in the cervical spine.
Characterization of mass and density distributions of sized coal fractions

Abstract Novel measurement systems are applied to characterize external surface area, volume, and drag coefficient/mass ( C d /m ) ratios of two sized coal fractions and a sample of carbon spheres. Measurements are made on individual particles with nominal diameters ranging from 75 to 150 μm. The measurement system incorporates an electrodynamic balance, to isolate particles, with video-based and high-speed diode array imaging systems for particle characterization. Accurate estimates of the Stoke's drag are obtained for the coal particles by applying a general solution method developed for slightly deformed spheres. Analysis methods are developed using shape and drag information to calculate mass and density distributions for the two coals studied. Results of these measurements and analyses are validated by independent mass measurements using a particle weighing and counting technique. For the coals studied surface area equivalent particle diameters range from 4% to 20% higher than the corresponding volume equivalent particle diameters. Particle densities ranged from 1.01 to 1.34 g/cm 3 for a 23 particle sample set of Pittsburgh seam hva bituminous coal and from 0.81 to 1.38 g/cm 3 for a 30-particle sample set of New Mexico subbituminous coal. From a combustion perspective, the results presented indicate that particle sphere assumptions employed in most combustion models can lead to significant errors (20%–25% on average for the samples studied) in calculated particle volume and associated thermal mass. Particle-to-particle density variations indicate that even if surface area and volume differences are adequately handled in a heat transfer analysis, large uncertainties result in particle temperature response due to particle property variations. The measurement and analysis techniques presented are capable of providing the detailed particle property data required for developing improved combustion models.