cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary programming for fast and robust point pattern matching

Matching model point patterns to observed point patterns is of important concern in machine vision. Conventional search algorithms not only fail to arrive at the optimal match, but are computationally expensive, time consuming, and search the solution space sequentially. This paper presents a fast, inexpensive, algorithmically and operationally parallel evolutionary program (EP) for optimal point pattern matching based on a stochastic and heuristic optimisation framework. Novel, knowledge-based, genetic operators are defined and are dynamically controlled to achieve "fast fine tuning" and an optimal global search by efficiently combining the elements of "gradient descent" and "random search". The developed EP algorithm outperforms existing techniques and is robust as it achieves a fast, optimal pattern match even in the presence of high noise and incomplete data sets, with insignificant degradation. >
Leisure activity, motivation, and academic achievement in high school students.

The present study investigated the reciprocal relationship between high school students' school achievement, on the one hand, and their leisure activities and motivation, on the other. Reciprocal r...
Data narratives: Increasing scholarly value

Data narratives or data stories have emerged as a new form of the scholarly communication focused on data. In this paper, we explore the potential value of data narratives and the requirements for data stories to enhance scholarly communication. We examine three types of data stories that form a continuum from the less to the more structured: the DataONE data stories, the Data Curation Profiles, and the Data Descriptors from the journal Scientific Data. We take the position that these data stories will increase the value of scholarly communication if they are linked to the datasets and to the publications that describe results, and have instructional value.
Visual tracking of high DOF articulated structures: an application to human hand tracking

Passive sensing of human hand and limb motion is important for a wide range of applications from human-computer interaction to athletic performance measurement. High degree of freedom articulated mechanisms like the human hand are difficult to track because of their large state space and complex image appearance. This article describes a model-based hand tracking system, called DigitEyes, that can recover the state of a 27 DOF hand model from ordinary gray scale images at speeds of up to 10 Hz.
Partial-wave analysis of the pi- + proton goes to eta meson + neutron and pi- + proton goes to neutral kaon + Lambda reactions

We investigate the hadronic reactions $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\eta}N$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ via single-energy partial-wave analyses in the c.m. energy range 1080 to 2100 MeV. Our results for the $K\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ channel are consistent with prior works; however, for the $\ensuremath{\eta}N$ channel our results differ significantly from previous energy-dependent partial-wave analyses that violate the $S$-matrix unitarity. We present results of $\ensuremath{\eta}N$ and $K\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ partial-wave amplitudes constrained by a unitary energy-dependent model. We obtain excellent predictions of integrated cross sections for the two reactions from a global energy-dependent solution. Our results imply that the region just above ${S}_{11}(1535)$ has a major contribution from ${P}_{11}(1710)$ for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\eta}n$, whereas the large peak near 1700 MeV in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{0}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ is dominated by contributions from both ${S}_{11}(1650)$ and ${P}_{11}(1710)$.
The Naturally Occurring Alleles of Mal1 in Saccharomyces Species Evolved by Various Mutagenic Processes Including Chromosomal Rearrangement

In order for a yeast strain to ferment maltose it must contain any one of the five dominant MAL loci. Each dominant MAL locus thus far analyzed contains three genes: GENE 1, encoding maltose permease, GENE 2 encoding maltase and GENE 3 encoding a positive trans-acting regulatory protein. In addition to these dominant MAL loci, several naturally occurring, partially functional alleles of MAL1 and MAL3 have been identified. Here, we present genetic and molecular analysis of the three partially functional alleles of MAL1: the MAL1p allele which can express only the MAL activator; the MAL1 g allele which can express both a maltose permease and maltase; and the mal1(0) allele which can express only maltase. Based on our results, we propose that the MAL1p, MAL1g and mal1(0) alleles evolved from the dominant MAL1 locus by a series of rearrangements and/or deletions of this yeast telomere-associated locus as well as by other mutagenic processes of gene inactivation. One surprising finding is that the MAL1g-encoded maltose permease exhibits little sequence homology to the MAL1-encoded maltose permease though they appear to be functionally homologous.
THIRTEEN BOYS WITH PROGRESSIVE SEPTIC GRANULOMATOSIS

1. Thirteen boys are described who present a syndrome of chronic suppurative lymphadenitis, chronic dermatitis, chronic pulmonary disease, and hepatosplenomegaly, with an eventually fatal outcome. 2. The cases described appear to have the same basic disorder as those previously reported by Landing and Shirkey and by Bridges, Berendes, and Good. 3. Despite the frequent finding of hypergammaglobulinemia, no defect of antibody synthesis has been demonstrated. 4. The existence of an as yet unidentified physiological defect common to these patients is suggested.
1‐Methoxy‐2‐methyl‐1‐(trimethylsilyloxy)propene

[31469-15-5] C8H18O2Si (MW 174.35) InChI = 1S/C8H18O2Si/c1-7(2)8(9-3)10-11(4,5)6/h1-6H3 InChIKey = JNOGVQJEBGEKMG-UHFFFAOYSA-N (functional equivalent of enolate of methyl isobutyrate; ester enolate surrogate in electrophilic reactions including alkylation,2 aldol reaction,3-5 Michael reaction,5a,6-8 initiator for group transfer polymerization of acrylates,9 nitroarylation,10 oxidation,11 dimerization,12 and cycloadditions13-15) Alternate Name: dimethylketene methyl trimethylsilyl acetal. Physical Data: bp 35 °C/15 mmHg; d 0.858 g cm−3. Solubility: freely sol organic solvents. Form Supplied in: clear colorless liquid; 95% pure. Analysis of Reagent Purity: GC and NMR; likely impurities are methyl isobutyrate and hexamethyldisiloxane. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: irritant; flammable; moisture sensitive; use in a fume hood.
Solubility of Several Short-Chain Lithium Dialkyldithiocarbamates in Liquid and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

The solubility of lithium diethyldithiocarbamate, lithium dipropyldithiocarbamate, lithium dibutyldithiocarbamate, and lithium bis(trifluoroethyl)dithiocarbamate was measured in liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide at (298, 308, and 318) K and at pressures between (80 and 250) bar. The solubilites were measured experimentally through traditional cloud point observations using a variable-volume stirred vessel with a sapphire window for visual inspection of the contents. These four short-chain lithium dialkyldithiocarbamates showed an increase in solubility with increasing density (or pressure) at fixed temperature. This increase was fairly independent of the temperature. Solubilites also increased with increasing temperature. The data were accurately modeled using an equation derived from association laws, which had a strong solvent density and temperature dependence.
Inverse Effects on Gating and Modulation Caused by a Mutation in the M2-M3 Linker of the GABAA Receptor γ Subunit

M2-M3 linkers are receptor subunit domains known to be critical for the normal function of cysteine-loop ligand-gated ion channels. Previous studies of α and β subunits of type “A” GABA receptors suggest that these linkers couple extracellular elements involved in GABA binding to the transmembrane segments that control the opening of the ion channel. To study the importance of the γ subunit M2-M3 linker, we examined the macroscopic and single-channel effects of an engineered γ2(L287A) mutation on GABA activation and propofol modulation. In the macroscopic analysis, we found that the γ2(L287A) mutation decreased GABA potency but increased the ability of propofol to enhance both GABA potency and efficacy compared with wild-type receptors. Indeed, although propofol had significant effects on GABA potency in wild-type receptors, we found that propofol produced no corresponding increase in GABA efficacy. At the single-channel level, mutant receptors showed a loss in the longest of three open-time components compared with wild-type receptors under GABA activation. Furthermore, propofol reduced the duration of one closed-time component, increased the duration of two open-time components, and generated a third open component with a longer lifetime in mutant compared with wild-type receptors. Taken together, we conclude that although the γ subunit is not required for the binding of GABA or propofol, the M2-M3 linker of this subunit plays a critical role in channel gating by GABA and allosteric modulation by propofol. Our results also suggest that in wild-type receptors, propofol exerts its enhancing effects by mechanisms extrinsic to channel gating.
Resolutions of Stanley-Reisner rings and Alexander duality

Associated to any simplicial complex Δ on n vertices is a square-free monomial ideal IΔ in the polynomial ring A = k[x1, …, xn], and its quotient k[Δ] = AIΔ known as the Stanley-Reisner ring. This note considers a simplicial complex Δ∗ which is in a sense a canonical Alexander dual to Δ, previously considered in [1, 5]. Using Alexander duality and a result of Hochster computing the Betti numbers dimk ToriA(k[Δ],k), it is shown (Proposition 1) that these Betti numbers are computable from the homology of links of faces in Δ∗. As corollaries, we prove that IΔ has a linear resolution as A-module if and only if Δ∗ is Cohen-Macaulay over k, and show how to compute the Betti numbers dimk ToriA (k[Δ],k) in some cases where Δ∗ is wellbehaved (shellable, Cohen-Macaulay, or Buchsbaum). Some other applications of the notion of shellability are also discussed.
Spinning Straw into Gold: A Community College Library's Twenty First Century Transformation

This article describes a library renovation project in a community college that involved using existing space and reorganizing it to support the way students learn both individually and collaboratively. The article also looks at the importance of the academic library as place.
Surface-Exposure Chronology Using in Situ Cosmogenic 3He in Antarctic Quartz Sandstone Boulders

In situ-produced cosmogenic helium (3Hec) provides a new tool for constraining histories of Quaternary geomorphic surfaces. Before general application of the technique, however, the systematics and production rates of 3Hec must be well understood. In a companion study, 3He and 10Be data from sandstone and granite boulders in the Dry Valleys region of Antarctica have been used to constrain the ages of an important moraine sequence formed by the Taylor Glacier. Data from these deposits also provide information about the systematics of 3He in quartz that has important implications for geochronology based on 3Hec. In contrast to previous results from olivine and clinopyroxene, crushing quartz in vacuo releases helium with high 3He/4He ratios (up to 148 × Ra, where Ra is the atmospheric 3He/4He ratio), indicating that crushing cannot be used to determine the isotopic composition of trapped (i.e., noncosmogenic) helium in quartz. Analysis of 3He in different size fractions of the same samples indicates significant 3 He loss not predicted by existing 3He diffusion data for quartz. The origin of the discrepancy is not clear, but loss from these samples is not as significant as suggested by the limited data of previous studies.
What do successful computer science students know? An integrative analysis using card sort measures and content analysis to evaluate graduating students' knowledge of programming concepts

Abstract: This paper describes a multi-institutional study that used a repeated single-criterion card sort to investigate graduating computer science students' knowledge of programming concepts. The study seeks to improve computer science instruction by gaining insight into how graduating students retain and assimilate introductory programming knowledge into their broader understanding of the discipline. A total of 291 card sorts was elicited from 65 undergraduate students in their final year of study at eight colleges and universities throughout the USA. To fully exploit the rich qualitative and quantitative aspects of the card sort data, an integrative analysis process was used that combined content analysis with two measures, normalized minimum spanning tree and edit distance, both developed specifically to analyze card sort data.
Ethics and Executive Coaching: An Agency Theory Approach

In recent years executive coaching has become an important management development practice in many organizations. Executive coaching is a partnership between a management level client and a coach hired by an organization to assist the executive in becoming a more effective and successful manager. While executive coaching has become a frequent and important practice in organizations, there has been relatively little serious consideration of the complex ethical issues that arise for persons and organizations. This study proposes that executive coaching involves an agency relation with specific moral duties that go beyond the usual standards of professional ethics. Agency theory, and in particular a focused understanding of the agency relationship, can provide a needed ethical grounding and basis for moral thinking about executive coaching.
Anticonvulsant properties of phencyclidine-like drugs in mice.

Abstract Primarily on the basis of activity in [ 3 H]phencyclidine (PCP) binding assays and drug discrimination studies, a number of structurally dissimilar compounds have been found to be PCP-like. Drugs from four of these classes of PCP-like compounds were examined for anticonvulsant activity in the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure test. Male albino mice, eight per dose, were administered the drug or vehicle i.p. 10 min before PTZ (125 mg/kg s.c.). At each dose, the number of subjects and latency to clonic and/or tonic seizures within 15 min following PTZ were recorded. The anticonvulsant properties of PCP, ketamine, (+)-N-allylnormetazocine, etoxadrol, dexoxadrol and (−)-2-methyl-3,3-diphenyl-3-propanolamine ((−)-2-MDP) were selective for tonic seizures. The highest dose tested for each compound completely prevented the occurrence of tonic seizures. Levoxadrol and (+)-2-MDP, drugs devoid of PCP-like activity in other tests, were also inactive in the PTZ seizure test. These results demonstrate that similarities among PCP-like drugs previously shown using binding assays and drug discrimination procedures can be extended to include anticonvulsant effects, and they suggest common cellular sites of action for these properties.
A summary and the present status of adaptive array processing techniques

This paper first reviews the historical development and evolution of adaptive array processing techniques to the present and provides comparative evaluations of various techniques that differ in domain (time frequency) and space (element-beam) of operation, constraint requirements, algorithm implementation and concept formulation. State-of-the-art adaptive processing techniques are then introduced for optimal processing of narrow-band and broadband multi-channel data in a multidomain, multiconstraint and multiple signal parameter estimate regime.
Teaching Styles of Vocational Teachers Judged as More and Less Competent

Teachers are evaluated by supervisors whose evaluations reflect their preferences for teaching styles. This study examined the teaching styles of vocational teachers (rated on the Tuckman Teacher Feedback Form, or TTFF) who were judged or rated as either of high or low teaching competence by their supervisors. The 31 teachers judged more competent in teaching were rated by a trained observer to differ most greatly from 31 judged less competent on the dimensions of organized demeanor (organizational and control) and creativity with no significant difference on warmth and acceptance. A correlation of .68 was obtained between scores of organized demeanor on the TTFF and ratings on the Pedagogic Competency Instrument (PedaComp) as compared to correlations less than half that size for the other three teaching style dimensions
General formula for the errors in aerosol properties determined from lidar measurements at a single wavelength.

This Letter gives a general formula for the estimated error in the aerosol extinction coefficient at any range for any measured distribution of this quantity. This is an extension of the error analysis for aerosol extinction coefficients done by Klett1 who assumed a homogeneous atmosphere with uniform aerosol distribution and that done by Sasono and Nakane2 for a horizontal path in an atmosphere assumed to have a sinusoidally varying concentration of aerosol.
John Nelson Darby: His Contributions to Evangelical Christian Higher Education

The study reported in this article focused on the contributions of John Nelson Derby to biblical hermeneutics and contemporary eschatological thought. Darby continues to exert a great influence on Christianity, particularly conservative evangelical Christianity. This research provides a discussion of Darby's contributions to contemporary eschatological thought at selected American Christian colleges and theological seminaries.
SPATIAL FILTERING OF ASTRONOMICAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Applicability of spatial filtering to astronomical photography - auxiliary device for destroying coherence of laser light
Climatically related millennial-scale fluctuations in strength of California margin oxygen-minimum zone during the past 60 k.y.

A strong oxygen-minimum zone (OMZ) currently exists along the California margin because of a combination of high surface-water productivity and poor intermediate-water ventilation. However, the strength of this OMZ may have been sensitive to late Quaternary ocean-circulation and productivity changes along the margin. Although sediment-lamination strength has been used to trace ocean-oxygenation changes in the past, oxygen levels on the open margin are not sufficiently low for laminations to form. In these regions, benthic foraminifera are highly sensitive monitors of OMZ strength, and their fossil assemblages can be used to reconstruct past fluctuations. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from Ocean Drilling Program Site 1017, off Point Conception, exhibit major and rapid faunal oscillations in response to late Quaternary millennial-scale climate change (Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles) on the open central California margin. These faunal oscillations can be correlated to and are apparently synchronous with those reported from Santa Barbara Basin. Together they represent major fluctuations in the strength of the OMZ which were intimately associated with global climate change--weakening, perhaps disappearing, during cool periods and strengthening during warm periods. These rapid, major OMZ strength fluctuations were apparently widespread on the Northeast Pacific margin and must have influenced the evolution of margin biota and altered biogeochemicalmore » cycles with potential feedbacks to global climate change.« less
Collaborative spatial classification

Interactive technologies have become an important part of teaching and learning. However, the data that these systems generate is increasingly unstructured, complex, and therefore difficult of which to make sense of. Current computationally driven methods (e.g., latent semantic analysis or learning based image classifiers) for classifying student contributions don't include the ability to function on multimodal artifacts (e.g., sketches, videos, or annotated images) that new technologies enable. We have developed and implemented a classifcation algorithm based on learners' interactions with the artifacts they create. This new form of semi-automated concept classification, coined Collaborative Spatial Classification, leverages the spatial arrangement of artifacts to provide a visualization that generates summary level data about about idea distribution. This approach has two benefits. First, students learn to identify and articulate patterns and connections among classmates ideas. Second, the teacher receives a high-level view of the distribution of ideas, enabling them to decide how to shift their instructional practices in real-time.
Interactions of sugar-beet curly top virus and an unusual mutant

Abstract A virus that produces marked vein yellowing was found in a Turkish to-bacco plant that had recovered from curly top. This virus is designated “yellow-vein virus” to differentiate it from typical curly top virus. Insofar as tested, it has the same host range as curly top virus except that it did not persist in Nicotiana glauca Graham, a host of the curly top virus. The yellow-vein virus was transmitted by the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus (Baker), by four species of Cuscuta , and by graftage. It was not transmitted by juice inoculation or through seeds. The yellow-vein virus has not been separated from typical curly top virus but the two have been transmitted in combination to tobacco, sugar beet, tomato, and other plants. No symptoms were produced by the yellow-vein virus on sugar beet but the virus was recovered from inoculated plants. The presence of the yellow-vein virus apparently results in a marked decrease in the curly top component in tobacco. Concentrations of the two components appear to vary greatly in different plants. If the yellowing component is dominant in tobacco, the plants are yellow and stunted; if the curly top component is dominant, leaves are green, curled, and dwarfed at first, but the plants recover. If the two components are more or less evenly balanced, usually little injury results. When tomato plants were inoculated by means of the beet leafhopper, those infected with curly top virus alone almost invariably died, whereas those infected with both yellow-vein and curly top viruses usually showed symptoms of only moderate severity and soon recovered. Tobacco plants that recovered from curly top appeared to be immune to infection with yellow-vein virus introduced by means of the beet leaf-hopper. They were resistant, but not immune, to infection with yellow-vein virus from diseased scions. Typical vein yellowing was produced on Nicotiana glauca Graham, immune to infection by yellow-vein virus, and Datura meteloides DC., immune to both curly top and yellow-vein viruses, when infected Turkish tobacco scions were in a position to supply carbohydrates and virus to plants of these two species. The virus was lost by the plants of both species in a few days after the tobacco scions were removed. The yellow-vein virus seems to be closely limited to the phloem, and rapid movement appears to be correlated with the transport of carbohydrates. Evidence indicates strongly that the vein-yellowing virus is a strain of curly top virus that probably arose as a mutant in a curly top-infected tobacco plant.
Theoretical Analysis of Bifurcating Branch Vessel Geometry for Stents

Many different techniques for stenting bifurcation lesions are based on lesion locations, angiographic appearances, and types. Rigorous geometrical models have not been developed to give consistent descriptions. This study presents a rigorous geometrical analysis of vessel bifurcations to understand problems associated with tubular stents in order to help optimize stent placements. A 2-D bifurcating geometrical model of the side branch vessel (SB) angulations to the main vessel (MV) was analyzed and examined: (a) side branch exposed stent length (SBExpSt), (b) the side branch horizontal distance of the stent overhang (SBStOvH) into the MV, (c) side branch longitudinal axis of the ostial opening (SBLongOp), (d) the “saddle gap” at the ostium of branch to the wall of the MV. Formulas for SBExpStent, SBStOvH, SBLongOp, and saddle gap were derived. Results showed a curvilinear relation between the SBExpStent, the SBStOvH, and the SBLongOp to the SB angulations (θ). The relationship between saddle gap and the MV diameter also appears to be curvilinear. From the graphs, an acceptable ostial branch vessel stent coverage occurs between 70∘ and 90∘; for a 3 mm diameter SB at 70∘, the SBExpStent = 1.1 mm, SBStOvH = 1.03 mm, and SBLongOp = 3.05 mm were calculated. From the geometrical analysis, SB angulation should be considered before the stents are placed at bifurcating vessels, regardless of the different methods or types of vessels. Stent protrusion and/or incomplete coverage should be calculated at the bifurcating areas, especially at SB angulations < 70∘.
Evidence that Alterations in γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Acetylcholine in Rat Striata and Cerebella Are Not Related to Soman-Induced Convulsions

Many reports have suggested that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may play a role in organophosphate-induced convulsions. The balance between GABA and acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain also has been suggested by some investigators to be related to brain excitability. We examined these questions by studying the levels of GABA and ACh and the ratios of GABA to ACh in rat striata and cerebella (two major motor control areas in the CNS) after the administration of soman, an organophosphate acetylcholinesterase inhibitor also known as nerve gas. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g were injected subcutaneously with three different doses of soman: a subconvulsive dose of 40 micrograms/kg (approximately 30% of the ED50 for convulsions in rats), a convulsive dose of 120 micrograms/kg (approximately one ED50 for convulsions), and a higher convulsive dose of 150 micrograms/kg (approximately 120% of the ED50 for convulsions). The incidence and severity of convulsions were monitored in individual rats until they were sacrificed by focused microwave irradiation of the head at the following time points after soman administration: 4 min, a time prior to the onset of convulsions; 10 min, the time of onset of convulsions; 1 h, the time of peak convulsive activity; and 6 h, a time at which rats were recovering from convulsions. Results showed that in rat striata and cerebella, neither changes in levels of GABA and ACh nor changes in ratios of GABA to ACh were related to soman-induced convulsions, i.e., none of the changes in either levels or ratios of these two neurotransmitters were related to the initiation of, maintenance of, or recovery from soman-induced convulsions.
Emotion work in the public performances of male-to-female transsexuals.

Much research has shown that entering the public sphere is emotionally taxing yet key to male-to-female transsexuals’ status passage. Yet, little is known about how transsexuals actively manage their emotions during this important transitional phase. Taking a dramaturgical approach to emotions, we explored how some male-to-female transsexuals managed their emotions in ways that helped generate self-confidence and commitment to their paths. Interviewees engaged in three primary forms of emotion work: (1) preparatory emotion work mitigated anxiety and bolstered confidence, which motivated them to enter public arenas as women; (2) in situ emotion work transformed negative emotions as they arose when performing womanhood in public; and (3) retrospective emotion work reinterpreted past public performances to neutralize negative and accentuate positive emotions.
Disclosure of medical error: is it worth the risk?

INTRODUCTION The climate within the United States is rapidly changing with respect to patient and family knowledge of medical error and their expectations of the events that should occur after an error. OBJECTIVE This article examines the history and changing tide of medical error disclosure, reviews the limited but growing body of literature surrounding patient and physician attitudes toward disclosing and discussing medical error, makes suggestions on what and how to disclose to patients and families that an error has occurred, and finally, discusses the effect of error disclosure. CONCLUSION It seems that if disclosure of medical error is made with compassion, in a timely manner, and with good communication skills both during and after the disclosure process, patients and their families are at least no more likely to seek legal action and some lawsuits may actually be avoided.
The developmental gene Knotted-1 is a member of a maize homeobox gene family

The Knotted-1 (Kn1) locus is defined by several dominant gain-of-function mutations that alter leaf development. Foci of cells along the lateral veins do not differentiate properly, but continue to divide, forming outpocketings or knots. The ligule, a fringe normally found at the junction of leaf blade and sheath, is often displaced and perpendicular to its normal position. The phenotype is manifested in all cell layers of the leaf blade, but is controlled by a subgroup of cells of the inner layer. Mutations result from the insertion of transposable elements or a tandem duplication. We show that the Kn1 gene encodes a homeodomain-containing protein, the first identified in the plant kingdom. Sequence comparisons strongly suggest that Kn1 acts as a transcription factor. Here we use the Kn1 homeobox to isolate other expressed homeobox genes in maize. The Kn1 homeobox may permit the isolation of genes that, like animal and fungal counterparts, regulate cell fate determination.
Intravaginal pressure Assessed by the Kegel perineometer

A first attempt was made to provide norms for intravaginal pressure in normal women measured by the Kegel perineometer. Data obtained from 78 white females and 64 black females indicate that resting pressure approximates 5 mm Hg and pressure with appropriate pelvic musculature contracted reaches an average of 15 mm Hg. The difference between resting and contracted pressures is unrelated to the former. There is a moderate negative correlation between number of vaginal births and contracted pressure in the white sample.
Solubility of Iron in TiO2 (Rutile)

An upper limit to the solubility of iron in rutile was determined in the range 800° to 1350°C by X-ray examination of mixtures of TiO2 and α-Fe2O3 powders reacted in 1 atm oxygen pressure and quenched to room temperature. The results indicate somewhat lower solubilities than would be inferred from previous measurements; the solubility ranges from 3 cation % iron at 1350°C to 1% at 800°C. There is no detectable change in rutile lattice parameters with iron content up to the limit of solubility.
Limiting Properties of Large [N]Phenylenes

Geometries, energies, and magnetic properties are reported at the ab initio B3LYP/6-31G* level for three classes of [N]phenylene: helical ([N]heliphenes) (N = 14, 19, and 24); zigzag, and linear (...
Competition-dispersal tradeoff ecologically differentiates recently speciated marine bacterioplankton populations.

Although competition–dispersal tradeoffs are commonly invoked to explain species coexistence for animals and plants in spatially structured environments, such mechanisms for coexistence remain unknown for microorganisms. Here we show that two recently speciated marine bacterioplankton populations pursue different behavioral strategies to exploit nutrient particles in adaptation to the landscape of ephemeral nutrient patches characteristic of ocean water. These differences are mediated primarily by differential colonization of and dispersal among particles. Whereas one population is specialized to colonize particles by attaching and growing biofilms, the other is specialized to disperse among particles by rapidly detecting and swimming toward new particles, implying that it can better exploit short-lived patches. Because the two populations are very similar in their genomic composition, metabolic abilities, chemotactic sensitivity, and swimming speed, this fine-scale behavioral adaptation may have been responsible for the onset of the ecological differentiation between them. These results demonstrate that the principles of spatial ecology, traditionally applied at macroscales, can be extended to the ocean’s microscale to understand how the rich spatiotemporal structure of the resource landscape contributes to the fine-scale ecological differentiation and species coexistence among marine bacteria.
Health and School Adjustment of Children Raised by Grandparents

(1993). Health and School Adjustment of Children Raised by Grandparents. Sociological Focus: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 81-86.
Two eosinophil granule proteins, eosinophil peroxidase and major basic protein, inhibit mucin release from hamster tracheal surface epithelial cells in primary culture.

Objectives and Design: Effects of eosinophil proteins on airway goblet cell mucin release were investigated using primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cell cultures.¶Materials and Methods: HTSE cells were metabolically labeled using 3H-glucosamine and chased in the presence of varying concentrations of eosinophil proteins. The amount of 3H-mucin in the spent media was measured by Sepharose CL-4B gel-filtration column chromatography. Possible cytotoxicity by the eosinophil proteins was assessed by measurements of both lactic dehydrogenase and mucin release during as well as after the treatment period.¶Results: (1) Neither eosinophil cationic protein nor eosinophil-derived neurotoxin affected mucin release at concentrations up to 10-6M; (2) both major basic protein (MBP) and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) inhibited mucin release in a dose-dependent fashion, and the inhibitory effect by these proteins appeared to be reversible; (3) neither MBP nor EPO caused any apparent cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 10-6M.¶Conclusion: Eosinophil proteins such as MBP and EPO inhibit mucin release from primary HTSE cells without causing any apparent cytotoxicity.
Direct observation of a transient ternary complex during IκBα-mediated dissociation of NF-κB from DNA

We previously demonstrated that IκBα markedly increases the dissociation rate of DNA from NF-κB. The mechanism of this process remained a puzzle because no ternary complex was observed, and structures show that the DNA and IκBα binding sites on NF-κB are overlapping. The kinetics of interaction of IκBα with NF-κB and its complex with DNA were analyzed by using stopped-flow experiments in which fluorescence changes in pyrene-labeled DNA or the native tryptophan in IκBα were monitored. Rate constants governing the individual steps in the reaction were obtained from analysis of the measured rate vs. concentration profiles. The NF-κB association with DNA is extremely rapid with a rate constant of 1.5 × 108 M−1⋅s−1. The NF-κB–DNA complex dissociates with a rate constant of 0.41 s−1, yielding a KD of 2.8 nM. When IκBα is added to the NF-κB–DNA complex, we observe the formation of a transient ternary complex in the first few milliseconds of the fluorescence trace, which rapidly rearranges to release DNA. The rate constant of this IκBα-mediated dissociation is nearly equal to the rate constant of association of IκBα with the NF-κB–DNA complex, showing that IκBα is optimized to repress transcription. The rate constants for the individual steps of a more folded mutant IκBα were also measured. This mutant associates with NF-κB more rapidly than wild-type IκBα, but it associates with the NF-κB–DNA complex more slowly and also is less efficient at mediating dissociation of the NF-κB–DNA complex.
Cultural studies of Oedogoniomyces and Harpochytrium, and a proposal to place them in a new order of aquatic Phycomycetes

The axenic culture of two unusual, zoosporic Phycomycetes, Oedogoniomyces and Harpochytrium, is reported for the first time. Cultural studies have made it possible to clarify and document many developmental and morphological characteristics of the two genera thus revealing their fundamental similarity to each other and necessitating their taxonomic grouping in a new order of Chytridiomycetes, the Harpochytriales. For Oedogoniomyces it has been shown that the genus occurs outside Japan in tropical and temperate regions of the western hemisphere; that it has the capacity, probably by means of gemmae, to withstand drying for as long as 7 years; that some isolates form gemmae in culture whereas others under identical conditions do not; and that the extent to which the thallus becomes septated into reproductive structures also varies in different isolates. The thick-walled, pitted chlamydocysts, originally considered to represent a resistant stage of O. lymanaeae, were never developed in any of the present isolates, and it is concluded that they have no genetic relation to Oedogoniomyces but are, on the contrary, resistant sporangia of Allomyces. For Harpochytrium it has been shown that zoospore release occurs, not by gelatinization of the sporangial apex, but as a result of circumscissile weakening of the sporangial wall followed by displacement of a cap-like terminal portion; that the zoospores, only rarely seen before, are in fact posteriorly uniflagellate and have a central globule with associated smaller globules; and that, whereas a thallus very occasionally becomes entirely cleaved up into zoospores, a sterile, vegetative, nucleated portion almost always remains and provides the basis for internal sporangial proliferation. Histochemical studies have verified the presence of chitin in the walls of both genera but revealed no cellulose. The new order Harpochytriales, with the single family Harpochytriaceae Wille, amended to include Oedogoniomyces, is distinguished from all other Chytridiomycetes by the uniaxial thallus with its extracellular basal holdfast and the sporangium that opens by circumscissile weakening and rupture of the wall near its apex releasing a cap-like terminal portion.
Lithium Ion Extraction from Orthorhombic LiMnO2in Ammonium Peroxodisulfate Solutions

Abstract Well-crystallized orthorhombic LiMnO 2 was prepared by a flux method with a (LiCl+LiOH) mixture as the flux. The study of Li + extraction from the orthorhombic LiMnO 2 was carried out batchwise using a solution containing an oxidizing agent (0.5 mol·dm −3 (NH 4 )S 2 O 8 ). Lithium ions could be extracted from the LiMnO 2 without the dissolution of manganese. The time course of Li + extraction showed that the Li + extraction proceeded in three steps with different extraction rates. Chemical analysis showed that the reaction progressed mainly by a redox mechanism. A structural transformation of orthorhombic LiMnO 2 phase to spinel LiMn 2 O 4 took place at the first and second steps, accompanied by the Li + extraction. The structural transformation could be explained well by considering the migration not only of all the lithium ions but also of half of the manganese ions in both oxygen frameworks. The topotactic extraction of Li + from LiMnO 2 gave a rodlike manganese oxide with a spinel structure. A model of the Li + extraction process was proposed as well as a model for the structural transformation from the orthorhombic LiMnO 2 to spinel LiMn 2 O 4 . The Li + insertion into the Li + -extracted sample did not proceed in a mixed solution containing 0.1mol·dm −3 LiOH and 0.5 mol· dm −3 LiI.
The dissociation between upregulated endothelins and hemodynamic responses during polymicrobial sepsis.

Abstract Polymicrobial sepsis is characterized by an early, hyperdynamic phase followed by a late, hypodynamic phase. Although studies have suggested that endothelins (ETs) contribute to the development of shock after a bolus injection of endotoxin, little is known about the role of ETs in the transition from the hyperdynamic phase to the hypodynamic phase of sepsis. To study this, male adult rats were subjected to sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) followed by fluid resuscitation. Plasma levels of ET-1 and ET-2 were measured by radioimmunoassay at 2, 5, 10 h (i.e. the early stage of sepsis), and 20 h (late stage) following CLP or sham operation. Tissue levels of ET-1 and ET-2 were determined in the heart, lungs, small intestine, and spleen at 5 h after CLP or sham operation. In addition, preproendothelin-1 (precursor of ET-1) gene expression was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at 5 h in the heart, lungs, small intestine, spleen, and liver. The results indicate that plasma levels of ET-1 and ET-2 were not different from values of sham groups at 2 and 20 h, but were significantly higher than the sham values at 5 and 10 h after CLP. While there were no significant increases in tissue levels of ET-1 and ET-2 at 5 h post-CLP, RT-PCR analysis indicates a significant upregulation of preproendothelin-1 gene expression in the heart, spleen, and liver (but not in the lungs or small intestine) at 5 h after the onset of sepsis. These results indicate that the heart, spleen, and liver appear to be important ET-producing organs during the early stage of sepsis. The lack of significant increases in tissue ET levels could be due to the possibility that the newly converted peptide is quickly transferred to the bloodstream. Since the hyperdynamic phase of sepsis occurs at 2–10 h and the hypodynamic phase occurs at 20 h after CLP, the increased plasma levels of ET at 5 and 10 h suggest that mediators other than ETs (such as adrenomedullin) are responsible for producing the biphasic hemodynamic responses during the progression of polymicrobial sepsis.
Risk of thiazide-induced hyponatremia in patients with hypertension.

Abstract Background Although hyponatremia is a well-recognized complication of treatment with thiazide diuretics, the risk of thiazide-induced hyponatremia remains uncertain in routine care. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a multicenter clinical research registry to identify 2613 adult outpatients that were newly treated for hypertension between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005 at 2 teaching hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts, and followed them for up to 10 years. Results Two hundred twenty patients exposed to ongoing thiazide therapy were compared with 2393 patients who were not exposed. In the exposed group, 66 (30%) developed hyponatremia (sodium ≤130 mmol/L). The adjusted incidence rate of hyponatremia was 140 cases per 1000 person-years for patients treated with thiazides, compared with 87 cases per 1000 person-years in those without thiazides. Patients exposed to thiazides were more likely to develop hyponatremia (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.25). There was no significant difference in the risk of hospitalizations associated with hyponatremia (adjusted rate ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.46-2.32) or mortality (adjusted rate ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.12-1.42). The number needed to harm (to result in one excess case of incident hyponatremia in 5 years) was 15.02 (95% CI, 7.88-160.30). Conclusions Approximately 3 in 10 patients exposed to thiazides who continue to take them develop hyponatremia.
Utility Models for Goal‐Directed, Decision‐Theoretic Planners

AI planning agents are goal-directed: success is measured in terms of whether an input goal is satisfied. The goal gives structure to the planning problem, and planning representations and algorithms have been designed to exploit that structure. Strict goal satisfaction may be an unacceptably restrictive measure of good behavior, however. A general decision-theoretic agent, on the other hand, has no explicit goals: success is measured in terms of an arbitrary preference model or utility function defined over plan outcomes. Although it is a very general and powerful model of problem solving, decision-theoretic choice lacks structure, which can make it difficult to develop effective plan-generation algorithms. This paper establishes a middle ground between the two models. We extend the traditional AI goal model in several directions: allowing goals with temporal extent, expressing preferences over partial satisfaction of goals, and balancing goal satisfaction against the cost of the resources consumed in service of the goals. In doing so we provide a utility model for a goal-directed agent. An important quality of the proposed model is its tractability. We claim that our model, like classical goal models, makes problem structure explicit. This structure can then be exploited by a problem-solving algorithm. We support this claim by reporting on two implemented planning systems that adopt and exploit our model.
Effect of preferential concentration on the settling velocity of heavy particles in homogeneous isotropic turbulence

The behaviour of heavy particles in isotropic, homogeneous, decaying turbulence has been experimentally studied. The settling velocity of the particles has been found to be much larger than in a quiescent fluid. It has been determined that the enhancement of the settling velocity depends on the particle loading, increasing as the volume fraction of particles in the flow increases. The spatial and temporal distribution of the particle concentration field is shown to exhibit large inhomogeneities. As the particles interact with the underlying turbulence they concentrate preferentially in certain regions of the flow. A characteristic dimension of these particle clusters is found to be related to the viscous scales of the flow. Measurements of the settling velocity conditioned on the local concentration of particles in the flow have shown that there is a monotonic increase in the settling velocity with the local concentration (the relation being quasi-linear). A simple phenomenological model is proposed to explain this behaviour.
Review of design and operational concepts for the dupont regional incinerator sabine river works, Orange, Texas☆

Abstract DuPont is presently constructing a large (140 M Btu/h or 147 GJ/h), state of the art, Regional RCRA Incinerator at the Sabine River Works located at Orange, Texas to service six Gulf Coast plants in Texas and Louisiana. This activity is one step in implementing the corporate environmental policy “to minimize waste generation to the extent that is technically and economically feasible and to handle all waste in an environmentally sound manner. Treatment or disposal will be, whenever practicable, on site or at another DuPont facility.” Fundamentals for good incinerator performance are: clearly defined project objectives; in-depth understanding of the regulations; knowledge of the wastes to be burned; application of the best technology available; assignment of experienced personnel to all phases of the project; selection of a knowledgeable design contractor; purchase of high quality equipment; thorough check-out of the installation; attention to details; attention to fugitive emission control; containment of all spills; timely detection of any leaks; experienced operators and mechanics; high quality training; and a thorough review of all safety and environmental aspects. Responsible waste management is vital to the health of our industrial community and to the protection of the community and our environment from harmful exposure to the products of our industrial operations. A general understanding of some of the specifics of the Incinerator Project and a feel for some of the more important operating considerations are addressed in this document.
Effect of preliminary heat treatment of alumina on the thermal-shock resistance and strength of corundum ceramics

The firing temperature of the starting alumina is one of the important factors influencing the formation of the microstructure of corundum materials and determines the properties of the ceramics. At low alumina firing temperatures (1400°C) the structure of the specimens is finely crystalline. An increase in the firing temperature (to 1600–1750°C) causes an increase in the crystal sizes.