cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast-track cardiac anesthesia: a comparison of remifentanil plus intrathecal morphine with sufentanil in a desflurane-based anesthetic.

Abstract Objective: To compare the effects of an intravenous remifentanil infusion plus intrathecal morphine with intravenous sufentanil infusion with respect to intraoperative hemodynamic variables, extubation times, and recovery profiles when administered as part of a desflurane-based fast-track anesthetic regimen for cardiac surgery. Design: A prospective, randomized, nonblinded study. Setting: University hospital. Participants: Forty patients undergoing elective primary coronary artery bypass graft, aortic valve replacement, or mitral valve replacement surgery. Interventions: After a standardized anesthetic induction, anesthesia was maintained with a remifentanil infusion, 0.1 μg/kg/min, and desflurane, 3% to 10%, inspired (group I, n = 20) or a sufentanil infusion, 0.3 μg/kg/h, and desflurane, 3% to 10%, inspired (group II, n = 20). Patients receiving remifentanil were administered intrathecal morphine, 8 μg/kg, for postoperative analgesia. Measurements and Main Results: Both anesthetic regimens provided comparable intraoperative hemodynamic stability and similar recovery profiles, with extubation times of 5.1 ± 4.3 hours (group I) and 5.8 ± 6.7 hours (group II). Conclusions: Use of remifentanil in combination with intrathecal morphine did not facilitate earlier tracheal extubation or improve intraoperative hemodynamic stability compared with sufentanil alone for fast-track cardiac anesthesia. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
MCPI: a sub-minute Monte Carlo dose calculation engine for prostate implants.

using a single Pentium 4 PC 2.4 GHz. MCPI is more than 10 3 and 10 4 times faster than MCNP5 for prostate dose calculations using 2- and 1-mm voxels, respectively. To illustrate its usefulness, MCPI is used to quantify the dosimetric effects of interseed attenuation, tissue composition, and tissue calcifications. Ignoring the interseed attenuation effect or slightly varying the prostate tissue composition may lead to 6% decreases of D100, the dose delivered to 100% of the prostate. The presence of calcifications, covering 1%–5% of the prostate volume, decreases D80, D90, and D100 by up to 32%, 37%, and 58%, respectively. In conclusion, sub-minute dose calculations, taking into account all dosimetric effects, are now possible for more accurate dose planning and dose assessment in prostate brachytherapy. © 2005 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. DOI: 10.1118/1.2126822
ZEROS OF THE PARTIAL-WAVE SCATTERING AMPLITUDE.

Under the general assumptions of analyticity, unitarity, temperedness, and normal threshold behavior, the relation between the number of zeros and the high-energy behavior of the partial-wave scattering amplitude is studied. If the left-hand-cut discontinuity makes a finite number of sign changes, the maximum and minimum numbers of zeros can be determined by the high-energy upper and lower bound of the partial-wave respectively. In particular, for $C{|s|}^{\ensuremath{-}1+\ensuremath{\epsilon}}l|{f}_{l}(s)|lC$, the number of zeros is determined. After having determined the number of zeros, the number of subtractions as well as the sign of the scattering length is obtained for given number and character of zeros of the left-hand discontinuity $\ensuremath{\Delta}{f}_{l}(s)$.
Seismic Waves in a Laterally Inhomogeneous Layered Medium, Part I: Theory

Seismic waves in a layered half-space with lateral inhomogeneities, generated by a buried seismic dislocation source, are investigated in these two consecutive papers. In the first paper, the problem is formulated and a corresponding approach to solve the problem is provided. Specifically, the elastic parameters in the laterally inhomogeneous layer, such as P and S wave speeds and density, are separated by the mean and the deviation parts. The mean part is constant while the deviation part, which is much smaller compared to the mean part, is a function of lateral coordinates. Using the first-order perturbation approach, it is shown that the total wave field may be obtained as a superposition of the mean wave field and the scattered wave field. The mean wave field is obtainable as a response solution for a perfectly layered half-space (without lateral inhomogeneities) subjected to a buried seismic dislocation source. The scattered wave field is obtained as a response solution for the same layered half-space as used in the mean wave field, but is subjected to the equivalent fictitious distributed body forces that mathematically replace the lateral inhomogeneities. These fictitious body forces have the same effects as the existence of lateral inhomogeneities and can be evaluated as a function of the inhomogeneity parameters and the mean wave field. The explicit expressions for the responses in both the mean and the scattered wave fields are derived with the aid of the integral transform approach and wave propagation analysis.
Temperature Dependence of a Diode-Pumped Cryogenic Er:YAG Laser

We report the laser performance of resonantly diode-pumped Er:YAG from liquid nitrogen temperature to above room temperature. Relative to incident pump power, the best performance was observed at approximately 160 K. Spectroscopy and modeling show that this is due primarily to the changing efficiency of diode pump absorption as the absorption lines broaden with temperature. However, the physics of the Er:YAG system indicates that even with arbitrarily narrow pump linewidth the most efficient laser performance should occur at a temperature somewhat above 77 K. The causes of the temperature dependence are at least qualitatively understood.
High performance medical visualization tools to aid in kidney assessment

This paper describes a suite of high performance medical visualization tools implemented using a networked computing configuration. The tools are designed to supply interactive and near-real-time visualization capability for volumetric data to assist in diagnosis, monitoring, and surgical planning for kidney disorders, especially the Von Hippel Lindau Syndrome. The networked configuration combines the computing power of a vector-parallel supercomputer with the interactive graphics capability of a high-end workstation. In this paper, our focus is on the image rendering and interactive data exploration functional units of the system. One computationally intensive feature extraction and image rendering function - including the marching cubes, volume ray casting, and surface ray tracing - have been vectorized and are discussed. We also present interactive exploration tools for viewing arbitrary orthogonal sets of planes and a probing tool for 3D measurements. These latter tools were implemented on the workstation.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Toxic diatoms in western Washington waters (U.S. west coast)

Members of the planktonic diatom genus Pseudonitzschia H. Peragallo, P. pungens (Grun.) Hasle f. multiseries (Hasle) Hasle and P. australis Frenguelli, that may produce the marine biotoxin, domoic acid, have been recognized in western Washington waters. Their distribution is not well-known in this area, probably because they often have been misidentified. However, they appear to be relatively common and may be abundant, especially in late spring and summer Domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin, was found at levels up to 154 μg g − 1 wet weight in razor clams, Siliqua patula Dixon, and Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister Dana, on the Pacific coast of Washington in late October 1991. It was also found in trace amounts in blue mussels, Mytilus edulis L., and oysters, Crassostrea gigas Thun., in the inland waters of northern Puget Sound in summer 1992.
Cross-Layer Optimization for Opportunistic Multi-MAC Aggregation

In this paper, we describe a RAT (radio access technology) agnostic approach referred to as OMMA (Opportunistic Multi-MAC Aggregation) that can aggregate multiple RATs operating over independent spectral bands. Aggregation and/or traffic shaping is performed above the air interface protocol stacks but below the IP layer. We investigate the problem of minimizing the average packet latency (the sum of queuing delay and serving delay) under certain constraints and propose an algorithm to compute optimal packet distribution ratio across RATs to be implemented by OMMA. Moreover, we statistically characterize the reordering delay for the OMMA system and propose an algorithm to compute a modified optimal packet distribution ratio which minimizes the packet end-to-end delay, i.e., the sum of average packet latency and average packet reordering delay. Finally, some numerical results are presented to study the average packet latency, average packet reordering delay and average packet end-to-end delay for different system parameters.
Hydrogen-abstracted adenine-thymine radicals with interesting transferable properties.

The formation of radicals on DNA bases through various pathways can lead to harmful structural alterations. Such processes are of interest for preventing alteration of healthy DNA and, conversely, to develop more refined methods for inhibiting the replication of unwanted mutagenic DNA. In the present work, we explore theoretically the energetic and structural properties of the nine possible neutral radicals formed via hydrogen abstraction from the adenine−thymine base pair. The lowest energy radical is formed by loss of a hydrogen atom from the methyl group of thymine. The next lowest energy radicals, lying 8 and 9 kcal mol-1 higher than the global minimum, are those in which hydrogens are removed from the two nitrogens that would join the base pair to 2-deoxyribose in double-stranded DNA. The other six radicals lie between 16 and 32 kcal mol-1 higher in energy. Unlike the guanine−cytosine base pair, adenine−thymine (A−T) exhibits only minor structural changes upon hydrogen abstraction, with all A−T deriv...
3D wavelet analysis of eye movements

Awareness of the viewer's gaze position in a virtual environment can lead to significant savings in scene processing in fine detail information is presented 'just in time' only at locations corresponding to the participant's gaze, i.e., in a gaze-continent manner. In the development of a gaze-continent manner. In the development of a gaze- contingent system, a model of eye movements is necessary for the exploration of vision and its underlying visual stimuli. The need here is to confidently classify eye movements within natural human viewing patterns. Assuming eye movements composed of dynamic fixations denote overt locations of visual attention, localization of these features is crucial to a gaze-contingent analysis and synthesis of visual information. Due to its simplicity and ease of implementation, a particularly attractive strategy for eye movement modeling involves linear time-invariant (LTI) filtering. In this paper, a conceptual piecewise auto- regressive integrated moving average (PARIMA) model of conjugate eye movements is proposed. The PARIMA model is a piecewise-LTI representation of stochastic signals. The analytical framework of the PARIMA model features a wavelet- based strategy for eye movement segmentation. An off-line video frame-based 3D wavelet analysis technique is proposed for classification of eye movements into smooth pursuits, fixations, and saccades.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Enhancement of p-type doping of ZnSe using a modified (N+Te)δ -doping technique

Delta doping techniques have been investigated to enhance the p-type doping of ZnSe. Tellurium was used as a codopant for improving the nitrogen doping efficiency. The net acceptor concentration (NA−ND) increased to 1.5×1018 cm−3 using single δ doping of N and Te (N+Te), while it was limited to 8×1017 cm−3 by δ doping of N alone. A promising approach was developed in which three consecutive δ-doped layers of N+Te were deposited for each δ-doping cycle. An enhancement in the (NA−ND) level to 6×1018 cm−3 has been achieved in ZnSe using this technique. The resultant layer has an average ZnTe content of only about 3%. This doping method shows potential for obtaining highly p-type doped ohmic contact layers without introducing significant lattice mismatch to ZnSe. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra reveal some Te-related emissions.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease in obese patients: the role of obesity in management

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common in obese patients. The implications of obesity in the etiology, management and outcomes in treatment for GERD have become increasingly important due to an epidemic of obesity. The increasing prevalence of patients with both obesity and GERD merits evaluation of the appropriate surgical intervention for GERD and its symptoms. With the additional advantages of weight loss and resolution of weight-related morbidity (including GERD) bariatric procedures should be the procedure of choice in patients with medically complicated obesity. Patients in lower obesity classes with body mass indices (BMI) of 30-35 kg/m2 without other substantive weight-related comorbidity should prompt consideration of both fundoplication and bariatric procedures, tailoring the best approach based on the specific patient and future implications. Patients classified as overweight but not obese (BMI < 30) are likely best treated with fundoplication; however, no randomized trials comparing fundoplication with the current antireflux bariatric procedures exist.
Timothy W.: The zero reject principle revisited

The purpose of this paper was to provide background information and to discuss the Timothy W. case which dealt with the legal parameters of the “zero reject” principle. Emphasis was given to the arguments presented by the plaintiff attorneys in requesting writ of certiorari from the United State Supreme Court, and the implications of the Court's denial to hear the case.
Utilization of Pyridoxine N-Oxide by Rats.

SummaryThe evidence shows that intact rats are capable of reducing pyridoxine N-oxide to Vit. B6 and utilizing it as a source of vitamin. Pyridoxine N-oxide supported growth of rats almost as efficiently as did an equivalent amount of pyridoxine.
Integrated Double-Sided Neural Sensor With Dry-Etch BCB

This paper presents a novel structure for a neural sensor using a surface micromachining technique with dry-etch benzocyclobutene selected as the substrate and packaging material. The finished device has intracortical recording sites on both sides and epidural recording sites on the front. The design doubled the total channel number of recording sites compared with the conventional single-sided electrode structure. The developed process shows reliable, high fabrication yield, and preliminary fabrication and impedance test results suggest that this newly developed neural sensor could improve the performance and efficiency of neural recording.
Protein hormone storage in secretory granules: mechanisms for concentration and sorting.

I. Introduction: Concentrating Protein Hormones in Secretory Granules II. A Well Characterized Sorting Mechanism: Lysosomal Hydrolases A. Sorting is linked to transport B. Specific transport is associated with specific vesicles III. Sorting of Soluble Transported Proteins in the Endoplasmic Reticulum A. Sorting in yeast B. Sorting in mammalian cells C. Implications for sorting into granules IV. Two Models for the Functioning of the Golgi Complex A. Vesicular transport of proteins vs. maturation of stacks B. Implications for sorting into granules V. Models for Formation of Secretory Granules A. Active budding off of secretory granules vs. active budding off of everything else B. Implications for sorting into granules VI. Hormone Aggregates in Cells A. Evidence for their existence B. Properties of hormone aggregates in cells VII. Hormone Aggregates in Solution VIII. Does Aggregation Cause Sorting in Cells? A. Ways to measure sorting B. Does sorting in cells correlate with aggregation in solution? IX. What K...
The structures of the solid solutions formed in the system (CrxFe1−x)VO4

Solid solutions (Cr/sub x/Fe/sub 1-x/)VO/sub 4/ can be prepared over a wide composition range and are thermally stable to above 900/sup 0/C. They are isomorphous with ..cap alpha..-MnMoO/sub 4/ rather than adopting the CrVO/sub 4/ or FeVO/sub 4/ structures. At 3000 atm pressure, a reversible transformation to a CrVO/sub 4/ type polymorph takes place. Substitution of small amounts of phosphate into CrVO/sub 4/ also produces an ..cap alpha..-MnMoO/sub 4/ isomorph.
Thermodynamics of Liquid Na — Sn Alloys Using CaF2 Solid Electrolytes

The thermodynamic properties of mixing for liquid Na – Sn alloys were determined between 750°C and 850°C by emf measurements using a CaF2 solid electrolyte. Concentrations were controlled by coulometric titration. Results are presented for partial and integral Gibbs energies, entropies, and heats of mixing across the entire composition range.
Time Perception and Rehabilitation of the Elderly

The disabled elderly make up a continually increasing proportion of the occupational therapy caseload. Motivation with this population may be compromised by both a sense of entrapmen1 in the present because of pain and fear of illness and the future directed time orientation inherent in rehabilitation. A survey of literature on the topic of time orienla~ion in geriatric rehabilitation reveals inconsistencies in recognition of the influence of time perception on molivation. "Ritual" time as a compromise between immobilizing present time and furure directed linear is discussed. Suggestions for incorporating ritual time inlo the therapeutic regime are offered.
Toward an Anti‐disciplinary Global Studies

This article investigates the prospects for interdisciplinary global studies in the changing context of university education. Its central question is: as power and structure in the university become more and more integrated with the transformations of globalization, how can global studies become an authorized site of research and teaching while resisting the rules and micro-powers in the university that constitute it as such an authorized site which is increasingly determined by neoliberal globalization?
Lines of confluence in Fredrika Bremer and Charlotte Brontë

Abstract This article appiies the concept of “confluence”, rather than “influence”, to the comparative study of two 19th‐century women novelists, Fredrika Bremer (Sweden) and Charlotte Bronte (UK). Although some lines of direct connection between the two writers can be ascertained, a more meaningful pattern emerges from examining their shared interests in women's issues and concerns, namely the marriage plot, domesticity, and women's education. In particular, their social critiques interrogate the interrelation of style and ideology, encouraging us to reassess their mixing of literary conventions (realism, romanticism, gothicism) as well as their tendency to manipulate emotions (melodrama, sentimentality, sensationalism). Ultimately, this argument stresses the linkages among women writers as we “think back through our mothers”.
Hormonal regulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in sheep.

The presence of growth hormone receptors (GHR) on sheep peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMN) cells was studied in two ways. The first was to directly measure specific GH-binding sites on PBMN cells drawn from lambs from birth to 5 months of age. The second was to measure the effect of GH on resting and interleukin-2 (IL-2)-activated PBMN cells in vitro and also the effect of other hormones such as prolactin (PRL), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and glucocorticoid. The specific binding of [125I]human GH (hGH) was low on PBMN cells but increased (P < 0.05) with age up to 5 months. Interestingly, serum concentrations of GH-binding protein also increased (P < 0.01) with age and were highly correlated (r = 0.89; P < 0.05) with the specific binding of GH to PBMN cells. The addition of ovine GH (oGH) to PBMN cells in vitro resulted in increased (P < 0.01) proliferation (at a dose of 100 ng/ml). Higher doses of oGH (2 μg/ml) also increased PBMN cell proliferation. When PBMN cells were previously stimulated with IL-2, the dose of 100 ng/ml oGH was no longer able to stimulate proliferation. IGF-1 inhibited (P < 0.04) resting PBMN cell proliferation at 100 ng/ml but had no effect on IL-2-activated PBMN cells. Other hormones such as PRL caused a stimulation of PBMN cell proliferation (P < 0.01) at 100 ng/ml, whereas dexamethasone (dex) inhibited PBMN cell proliferation at doses as low as 63 ng/ml. These studies show that GH, PRL, IGF-1, and glucocorticoids are effective in modulating the proliferation of PBMN cells from sheep and therefore suggest that a modulation of immune system function in vitro by these hormones is consistent with a purpose in vivo.
Requirements and an approach for coating the Gravity Probe B gyroscope rotor

A process to coat a quartz gyroscope rotor uniformly with superconducting niobium as part of a NASA sponsored experiment to test general relativity is described. The requirements for uniformity, film adhesion, and superconducting properties of the niobium thin film rotor coating are discussed. A uniformity of 1.5 percent (peak to valley) (38 nm) with good adhesion, no pinholes larger than 0.25 mm, transition temperature of 9.8 K, and the ability to survive repeated thermal cycling to 4.2 K have been achieved. Problems concerning abrasive damage and electrical arc damage during earthbound testing have been observed. Many hours of ground-based gyro operation demonstrate the applicability of this approach to rotor coating.
The direct determination of the effect of pressure on enthalpy of a mixture of methane and propane

A new throttling flow calorimeter has been incorporated into the recycle facility of the Thermal Properties Laboratory. Energy is added to the expanding gas while it flows through a stainless steel capillary tubing from an insulated resistance wire located inside the entire length of the capillary. The calorimeter is designed to operate at pressures up to 2,000 lb./sq.in.abs. in the temperature range from −240 to +250°F. Data on the isothermal effect of pressure on enthalpy for a mixture containing 5 mole % propane in methane are presented and compared with data from the literature.
Phenomenological consequences of the color-flavor constraint on compositeness interactions

Abstract We make a phenomenological speculation on the compositeness interaction among quarks and leptons without explicit models, focusing on the consequences of generation independence of the interaction. The quark-antiquark collision will show a dramatic departure from its lowest order process when rescattering is included. A signature of compositeness may appear in the ŝ channel of q q collision at energies much lower than an actual compositeness scale.
Estimation of soil hydraulic properties and their uncertainty from particle size distribution data

Abstract A unified approach to the estimation of soil hydraulic properties and their uncertainty from particle size distribution data is presented. Soil hydraulic properties are represented by the parametric models of Van Genuchten and/or Brooks and Corey. Particle size distribution data are used to generate theoretical soil-water retention data using a modified form of the model proposed by Arya and Paris, which was calibrated in this study using a data set of 250 soil samples. Parameters in the Van Genuchten model are fitted to the predicted water content — capillary pressure data by nonlinear regression methods and may be optionally converted to equivalent Brooks-Corey retention parameters using an empirical procedure. Saturated conductivity is estimated from particle size data using a modified Kozeny-Carman equation which was developed from the data set of 250 soil samples. Uncertainty in parameter estimates is evaluated using first-order error analysis methods. Application of the proposed methodology to three soils which were not in the calibration set indicated water content-capillary pressure relations can be predicted with reasonable accuracy and precision. Uncertainty in predicted saturated hydraulic conductivity will be rather large making direct measurement of this variable highly desirable.
Clustered targets imaged by multizone optical tomography reconstruction method

To improve the light quantification of clustered lesions, a multi-zone reconstruction algorithm guided by co-registered ultrasound image was investigated using simulations and phantoms. The performance of the algorithm was demonstrated using clinical examples.
DSC enthalpic transitions during starch gelatinisation in excess water, dilute sodium chloride and dilute sucrose solutions.

BACKGROUND: Starch phase transition characteristics were studied by pre-treating starch samples in excess water, dilute sodium chloride and dilute sucrose solutions and subjecting them to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Unmodified maize, wheat and potato starches were held at specific temperatures between 30 and 90 °C for 30 min and promptly cooled to 25 °C. Treated samples were then analysed in situ by DSC. RESULTS: It was found that the progression of the phase transition behaviour differed among the three starches and was dependent on the solvent. It was also revealed that phase transition-related enthalpic changes started to occur at low temperatures and that this process involved a continuous sequence of structural changes, resulting in progressive differences in endothermic patterns from low to high temperatures. CONCLUSION: These findings are in agreement with recent evidence suggesting that starch gelatinisation occurs over a wider temperature range rather than as a sudden order–disorder transition taking place within a narrow temperature range. The phase transition mechanism is determined by starch type and solvent combination. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Trisomy 21-trisomy 18 mosaicism in a boy with clinical Down's syndrome.

Summary The case of a patient with clinically typical mongolism with a mosaicism of two trisomic cell lines is reported. To our knowledge this is the first such report in the medical literature.
Electronic structure of transition-atom impurities in GaP

We describe the elements of the electronic structure and the chemical trends in cation-substitutional Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn impurities in GaP and Fe in InP. First, using the recently developed method of Fazzio, Caldas, and Zunger, we deconvolute the observed acceptor, donor, and intracenter d..-->..d( excitation energies into a one-electron mean-field contribution and a many-electron multiplet correction. Then, using the self-consistent quasiband crystal-field Green's-function method of Lindefelt and Zunger, we show that one-electron theory explains the magnitudes and the trends in the mean-field part of the observed transition energies (evaluated as differences in total energies). Many-electron contributions are found to be sizable, and are responsible for the nonmonotonic trends of the observed acceptor energies with the impurity's atomic number and a reduction in the Mott-Hubbard Coulomb energies. We discuss in detail the impurity-induced energy levels (gap states as well as resonances), the photoionization and intracenter excitations, the attenuation of the Mott-Hubbard Coulomb repulsion energies with the attendant plurality of charge states, the self-regulating response of the electron density to excitations, and the nature of the transition-atom--host chemical bond with its relationship to the structure of bulk 3d phosphides.
Informal Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows cannot solely be determined by conventional variables such as availability of natural resources, high skilled manpower or modern infrastructure. Important explanations also include the crucial role of institutions in attracting investment flows. This study explores the role of informal institutions in investment flows as well as the relationship between formal and informal institutions in the context of FDI flows. The term "informal institutions" has been used to describe a diverse set of practices such as corruption or culture thus leading to a serious conceptual ambiguity. This study attempts to provide a more precise and analytically useful definition. It builds on the Helmke and Levitsky typology of informal institutions.
Computer Simulations of Optimum Boost and Buck-Boost Converters

The development of mathematical models suitable for minimum weight boost and buck-boost converter designs are presented. The facility of an augumented Lagrangian (ALAG) multiplier-based nonlinear programming technique is demonstrated for minimum weight design optimizations of boost and buck-boost power converters. ALAG-based computer simulation results for those two minimum weight designs are discussed. Certain important features of ALAG are presented in the framework of a comprehensive design example for boost and buck-boost power converter design optimization. The study provides refreshing design insight of power converters and presents such information as weight and loss profiles of various semiconductor components and magnetics as a function of the switching frequency.
Peptide‐linked molecular beacons for efficient delivery and rapid mRNA detection in living cells

Real-time visualization of specific endogenous mRNA expression in vivo has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnosis, drug discovery, developmental and molecular biology. However, conventional liposome- or dendrimer-based cellular delivery of molecular probes is inefficient, slow, and often detrimental to the probes. Here we demonstrate the rapid and sensitive detection of RNA in living cells using peptide-linked molecular beacons that possess self-delivery, targeting and reporting functions. We conjugated the TAT peptide to molecular beacons using three different linkages and demonstrated that, at relatively low concentrations, these molecular beacon constructs were internalized into living cells within 30 min with nearly 100% efficiency. Further, peptide-based delivery did not interfere with either specific targeting by or hybridization-induced fluorescence of the probes. We could therefore detect human GAPDH and survivin mRNAs in living cells fluorescently, revealing intriguing intracellular localization patterns of mRNA. We clearly demonstrated that cellular delivery of molecular beacons using the peptide-based approach has far better performance compared with conventional transfection methods. The peptide-linked molecular beacons approach promises to open new and exciting opportunities in sensitive gene detection and quantification in vivo.
Price of anarchy and price of information in N-person linear-quadratic differential games

The price of anarchy (PoA) has been widely used in static games to quantify the loss of efficiency due to noncooperation. Here, we extend this concept to a general differential games framework. In addition, we introduce the price of information (PoI) to compare game performances under different information structures. We further characterize these two relative measures of performance for a class of scalar linear quadratic differential games. We obtain bounds on the PoI and the PoA for feedback differential games. We also find their approximations in a large population regime.
Sex differences in cannabinoid pharmacology: A reflection of differences in the endocannabinoid system?

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the U.S., and marijuana use by women is on the rise. Women have been found to be more susceptible to the development of cannabinoid abuse and dependence, have more severe withdrawal symptoms, and are more likely to relapse than men. The majority of research in humans suggests that women are more likely to be affected by cannabinoids than men, with reports of enhanced and decreased performance on various tasks. In rodents, females are more sensitive than males to effects of cannabinoids on tests of antinociception, motor activity, and reinforcing efficacy. Studies on effects of cannabinoid exposure during adolescence in both humans and rodents suggest that female adolescents are more likely than male adolescents to be deleteriously affected by cannabinoids. Sex differences in response to cannabinoids appear to be due to activational and perhaps organizational effects of gonadal hormones, with estradiol identified as the hormone that contributes most to the sexually dimorphic effects of cannabinoids in adults. Many, but not all sexually dimorphic effects of exogenous cannabinoids can be attributed to a sexually dimorphic endocannabinoid system in rodents, although the same has not yet been established firmly for humans. A greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying sexually dimorphic effects of cannabinoids will facilitate development of sex-specific approaches to treat marijuana dependence and to use cannabinoid-based medications therapeutically.
Inspection of periodically poled waveguide devices by confocal luminescence microscopy

Using confocal defect-luminescence microscopy, we investigated Er3+-doped periodically-poled LiNbO3 waveguide devices and found that the Er3+ ion and vibrational Raman modes can be used effectively as probes to inspect and characterize the devices with high spatial resolution, non-destructively, and free of topographical artifacts. The technique is based on scanning over the sample, while simultaneously measuring and evaluating the emission or Raman spectra in terms of their moments (i.e., area, average emission wavelength, and spectral width). The contrast is observed even in tempered samples because of differences in intrinsic electric (strain) fields and defect arrangements that occur in regions inside and outside the waveguide as well as in regions in which domains have been inverted, or which are as grown. Evaluating different parts of the Er3+ spectra and/or using different moments, different aspects of the device can be highlighted and regions inside and outside the waveguide, in which domains have been inverted or not inverted, as well as domain walls, can be identified. Raman spectroscopy is less sensitive, but it still can identify the domain wall regions.
Evaluation of the Complementary Relationship Using Noah Land Surface Model and North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) Data to Estimate Evapotranspiration in Semiarid Ecosystems

Estimating evapotranspiration using the complementary relationship can serve as a proxy to more sophisticated physically based approaches and can be used to better understand water and energy budget feedbacks. The authors investigated the existence of complementarity between actual evapotranspiration (ET) and potential ET (ETp) over natural vegetation in semiarid desert ecosystems of southern Idaho using only the forcing data and simulated fluxes obtained from Noah land surface model (LSM) and North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data. To mitigate the paucity of long-term meteorological data, the Noah LSM-simulated fluxes and the NARR forcing data were used in the advection‐aridity (AA) model to derive the complementary relationship (CR) for the sagebrush and cheatgrass ecosystems. When soil moisture was a limiting factor for ET, the CR was stable and asymmetric, with b values of 2.43 and 1.43 for sagebrush and cheatgrass, respectively. Higher b values contributed to decreased ET and increased ETp, and as a result ET from the sagebrush community was less compared to that of cheatgrass. Validation of the derived CR showed that correlations between daily ET from the Noah LSM and CR-based ET were 0.76 and 0.80 for sagebrush and cheatgrass, respectively, while the root-mean-square errors were 0.53 and 0.61 mm day 21 .
On the geometric deformations of functions in L2[D]

We derive a formal relationship between the coefficients of a function expanded in either the Legendre basis or Haar wavelet basis, before and after a polynomial deformation of the function’s domain. We compute the relationship of coefficients explicitly in three cases: linear deformation with Haar basis, linear deformation with Legendre basis, and polynomial deformation with Legendre basis.
THEORY AND MEASUREMENT OF VISUAL MECHANISMS : VI. WAVE-LENGTH AND FLASH DURATION IN FLICKER.

For spectral regions associated with violet, blue, green, and red the relation between mean critical flash intensity I(m) for visual flicker and the flash frequency F is modified as already found with white light when the light time fraction t(L) in the flash cycle is changed. For a square image 6.13 degrees on a side, foveally fixated, the "rod" and "cone" contributions to the duplex contour are analyzed in the way already used for white. It is pointed out that several customary qualitative criteria for cone functioning do not necessarily give concordant results. The analysis shows that the three parameters of the probability summations giving the "rod" and "cone" curves are changed independently as a function of wave-length composition of the light, and of the light time fraction. The correlation of these changes, and of those found in the associated variability functions, can be understood in terms of differences in (1) the numbers of neural units potentially excitable and (2) in the numbers of elements of neural effect obtained from them. In a multivariate situation of this kind it is necessary to compare intensities of luminous flux required to activate half the total population of potentially available elements when this total size is held constant for the different conditions. The results of this comparison, for the filtered lights used, are discussed in relation to certain aspects of excitation vs. wave-length. The problem is a general one, arising where the effects produced as a function of a particular variable are concerned. In the distinction between (1) units excited and (2) the actions they produce may be found the clue for the curious fact that with certain wave-lengths the critical intensities are lower than for white. The extension of the observations to other parts of the retina may be expected to further this analysis.
Strain dependence of the interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Co/Au/Cu(111) films

We observe a systematic increase in interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) with increasing Au-interlayer thickness t{sub Au} ranging from 1 to 5 ML in Cu/Co/Au/Cu(111), where misfit strain in Co due to the epitaxial growth increases with increasing t{sub Au}. In addition, we have found an unexpected suppression of this variation of interface PMA with the use of Au overlayers instead of Cu. Also, the volume PMA significantly increases with the Au overlayer. (c) 1999 The American Physical Society.
Using the first-level caches as filters to reduce the pollution caused by speculative memory references

High-performance processors employ aggressive branch prediction and prefetching techniques to increase performance. Speculative memory references caused by these techniques sometimes bring data into the caches that are not needed by correct execution. This paper proposes the use of the first-level caches as filters that predict the usefulness of speculative memory references. With the proposed technique, speculative memory references bring data only into the first-level caches rather than all levels in the cache hierarchy. The processor monitors the use of the cache blocks in the first-level caches and decides which blocks to keep in the cache hierarchy based on the usefulness of cache blocks. It is shown that a simple implementation of this technique usually outperforms inclusive and exclusive baseline cache hierarchies commonly used by today's processors and results in IPC performance improvements of up to 10% on the SPEC CPU2000 integer benchmarks.
Smokeless tobacco use and its relation to panic disorder, major depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder in American Indians.

Introduction: Rates of nicotine use are high in American Indians. Anxiety and depression tend to be associated with cigarette use, but the association of anxiety and depression with smokeless tobacco (ST) is less clear. We asked if panic disorder, major depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are related to lifetime ST use in 2 American Indian tribes.
Singular normal form for the Painlevé equation P1

We show that there exists a rational change of coordinates of Painleve's P1 equation and of the elliptic equation after which these two equations become analytically equivalent in a region in the complex phase space where y and are unbounded. The region of equivalence comprises all singularities of solutions of P1 (i.e. outside the region of equivalence, solutions are analytic). The Painleve property of P1 (that the only movable singularities are poles) follows as a corollary. Conversely, we argue that the Painleve property is crucial in reducing P1, in a singular regime, to an equation integrable by quadratures.
A CARLEMAN ESTIMATES BASED APPROACH FOR THE STABILIZATION OF SOME LOCALLY DAMPED SEMILINEAR HYPERBOLIC EQUATIONS

First, we consider a semilinear hyperbolic equation with a locally distributed damping in a bounded domain. The damping is located on a neighborhood of a suitable portion of the boundary. Using a Carleman estimate [Duyckaerts, Zhang and Zuazua, Ann. Inst. H. Poincare Anal. Non Lineaire (to appear); Fu, Yong and Zhang, SIAM J. Contr. Opt. 46 (2007) 1578–1614], we prove that the energy of this system decays exponentially to zero as the time variable goes to infinity. Second, relying on another Carleman estimate [Ruiz, J. Math. Pures Appl. 71 (1992) 455–467], we address the same type of problem in an exterior domain for a locally damped semilinear wave equation. For both problems, our method of proof is constructive, and much simpler than those found in the literature. In particular, we improve in some way on earlier results by Dafermos, Haraux, Nakao, Slemrod and Zuazua.
On the construction of weak orders from fragmentary information

An iterative method is proposed for constructing a weak order from a partial order on a set of stimuli that is based on individual pairwise comparison data. The method generalizes Duncan Luce's construction of the weak order induced by a semiorder. Various aspects of the iterative procedure are discussed, including its rationale, the number of iterations required to obtain a weak order, and the extent to which the data support additions to the initial partial order as a function of the number of iterations performed before the additions occur.
What Is Coefficient Alpha? An Examination of Theory and Applications

Coefficient alpha (Cronbach, 1951) is certainly one of the most important and pervasive statistics in research involving test construction and use. A review of the Social Sciences Citations Index for the literature from 1966 to 1990 revealed that Cronbach's (1951) article had been cited approximately 60 times per year and in a total of 278 different journals. In addition to the areas of psychology in which one may expect to see alpha used, such as educational, industrial, social, clinical, child, community, and abnormal psychology, this list of journals included representatives from experimental psychology, sociology, statistics, medicine, counseling, nursing, economics, political science, criminology, gerontology, broadcasting, anthropology, and accounting. In spite of its widespread use, however, there is some confusion as to the true meaning and proper interpretation of the statistic. In this article I address this confusion in two ways. First, a theoretical discussion of alpha is presented. This includes some of the many statements that have been made about alpha and an attempt to integrate these statements. Second, I take a more practical approach in which the interpretation of alpha is examined by observing the changes in alpha as the number of items and interitem correlations are manipulated.
The Drosophila kinesin-13, KLP59D, impacts Pacman- and Flux-based chromosome movement.

Chromosome movements are linked to the active depolymerization of spindle microtubule (MT) ends. Here we identify the kinesin-13 family member, KLP59D, as a novel and uniquely important regulator of spindle MT dynamics and chromosome motility in Drosophila somatic cells. During prometaphase and metaphase, depletion of KLP59D, which targets to centrosomes and outer kinetochores, suppresses the depolymerization of spindle pole–associated MT minus ends, thereby inhibiting poleward tubulin Flux. Subsequently, during anaphase, loss of KLP59D strongly attenuates chromatid-to-pole motion by suppressing the depolymerization of both minus and plus ends of kinetochore-associated MTs. The mechanism of KLP59D's impact on spindle MT plus and minus ends appears to differ. Our data support a model in which KLP59D directly depolymerizes kinetochore-associated plus ends during anaphase, but influences minus ends indirectly by localizing the pole-associated MT depolymerase KLP10A. Finally, electron microscopy indicates that, unlike the other Drosophila kinesin-13s, KLP59D is largely incapable of oligomerizing into MT-associated rings in vitro, suggesting that such structures are not a requisite feature of kinetochore-based MT disassembly and chromosome movements.
Civic Talk and Civic Participation The Moderating Effect of Individual Predispositions

Individuals who discuss politics and current events in their social network also participate in civic activities. However, analytical biases make it difficult to show a causal relationship between these two phenomena. To obtain a more accurate measurement of the effect that civic talk has on civic participation, data were collected through a panel study conducted on students who were randomly assigned to their college dormitory roommates. These data show that engaging in civic talk causes civic participation. The evidence also shows that the civic talk effect is mitigated for individuals who are not already predisposed to participate in civic activities.
The Muscular Basis of Aquatic And Aerial Ventilation in the Air-Breathing Teleost Fish Channa

SUMMARY The mechanisms of aquatic and aerial ventilation in four bimodally breathing species of teleosts of the genus Channa were studied by highspeed light and X-ray cin6 films, pressure transducer recordings and electromyography. Neither inter- nor intraspecific differences were found in the pattern of aquatic and aerial ventilation. Aquatic ventilation proceeds with a partially air-filled buccopharyngeal cavity. The electromyographic patterns, pressure waveforms in the buccal and opercular cavities, and kinematics of jaw and opercula resemble those found for aquatically breathing teleosts. The pattern of aerial ventilation differs significantly from that of aquatic ventilation. Aerial ventilation is initiated by a reversed flow of water brought about by a low pressure in the buccal cavity. In this way the air in the suprabranchial cavity is moved forward and expelled from the mouth. The buccal, suprabranchial and opercular pressures are maintained at below ambient pressures throughout the aerial respiratory cycle. The kinematic pattern of bone movements, pressure waveforms and electromyographic profiles during air ventilation are identical to those of the cough and do not differ interspecifically. The complex aerial ventilation mechanism in Channa may be homologous with the primitive cough mechanism. Fishes employing the cough mechanism for air ventilation remain totally dependent on water and are therefore poorly adapted to explore terrestrial habitats.
On the Relationship of Crystalline Lecithins to Cholesterol Esterase of Serum

When serum is incubated in the presence of 1-α-dimyristoyl lecithin, the expected disappearance of free cholesterol is greatly enhanced. This effect is not seen in replicate experiments employing two other crystalline lecithins.