cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Coulomb Interference in 113-Mev π + − p Scattering

Pion-proton scatterings with a small angle cutoff of 12.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in the center-of-mass system were detected using the area-scanning, nuclear-emulsion technique. Ilford G5 plates 600 microns thick were exposed to a flux of 4.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ mesons/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ in the 122-Mev ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ beam of the Chicago cyclotron. Various checks indicated a scanning efficiency greater than 90 percent for scatterings on the hydrogen content of the emulsion between 12.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 160\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Out of a total 420 hydrogen events only two scatterings were less than 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The data when analyzed according to the two possible sets of signs of the phase shifts give a strong preference for destructive interference, i.e., attractive ${p}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ interaction. In this case the maximum likelihood solution is ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{3}=\ensuremath{-}(10.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2)\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{33}=(27.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5)\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$, and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{31}=\ensuremath{-}(3.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1)\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ for the $s$- and $p$-wave phase shifts with no definite indication of a $d$-wave component. The total nuclear cross section is (79\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5) millibarns. The mean energy of pions in the emulsion is (113.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.6) Mev as determined from 33 events where the proton stops in the emulsion.
Coordination modes in the multisegmental dynamics of hula hooping

In hula hooping, organized motions of the body keep the hoop in stable oscillatory motion parallel to the ground. We examined the hypothesis that the multiple degrees of freedom (DF) of the lower limbs in producing the oscillations are resolved into a few control DF. The Karhunen-Loeve decomposition was applied to the kinematics of the lower limbs in three experiments in which oscillation amplitude and frequency were manipulated. Kinematic variance was accommodated by two modes whose relative contributions varied with task parameters. Complementary analyses of interjoint Hilbert relative phase suggested a lower-limb organization into a vertical suspension mode and an oscillatory fore-aft mode. These modes might stabilize the hoop’s angular momentum by controlling, respectively, its vertical and horizontal components.
Assessment of rampant genitalic variation in the spider genus Homalonychus (Araneae, Homalonychidae)

. Animal genitalia are often complex and thought to vary little within species but differ between closely related species making them useful as primary characters in species diagnosis. Spiders are no exception, with nearly all of the 40,462 (at the time of this writing) described species differentiated by genitalic characteristics. However, in some cases, the genitalia of putative species are not uniform, but rather vary within species. When intraspecific variation overlaps interspecific variation, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to place a name on a specimen. The quantification of shape variation in genitalia has not often been attempted, probably because until recently it was not a methodologically and computationally simple process. In the two currently recognized species of the spider genus Homalonychus, genitalic variation is rampant in both male and female structures, with some parts of the genitalia (e.g., the retrolateral tibial apophysis) differing in each specimen examined. In this study, geometric morphometric analysis employing landmark data is used to quantify both intra- and interspecific variation in this genus. The large amount of variation is condensed into two or three groups depending on the structures examined, and these groups correspond to either the two species or to previously established mitochondrial DNA clades within one of the species. The results also show that analyses of female structures do not separate the groups as readily as the analyses of the male structures. The large amount of variation present in some structures is not correlated with geography or population genetic structure.
Loose-parts monitoring: present status of the technology, its implementation in U. S. reactors, and some recommendations for achieving improved performance

At the request of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), an assessment of the technical development status of loose-parts monitoring systems (LPMS) and their performance record to date in commercial light-water-cooled nuclear reactor plants was made during the spring of 1977, using an on-site personal interview and equipment demonstration approach. Our study revealed that while presently demonstrated LPMS technology does indeed provide a capability for detecting the presence of those relatively massive loose parts that would likely constitute a serious operational or safety hazard to the plant, it unfortunately affords little information useful to the determination of the parts' safety significance and has not yet attained the levels of sophistication and reliability ordinarily associated with safety systems. We also found a definite need for specification of the functional requirements for LPMS, in the form of a clear and comprehensive statement of NRC policy regarding the formulation and implementation of safety-oriented, yet operationally practicable, loose-parts monitoring programs for both existing and future nuclear generating stations so that overall objectives of both the utilities and the regulatory agency might be satisfied simultaneously. While it is our best technical judgment that loose-parts monitoring programs providing reliable detection (but not characterization) capabilities could be implemented with today's technology, the path on which the nuclear utility industry should proceed in order to meet NRC expectations is not completely clear. A Regulatory Guide entitled “Loose Part Detection Program for the Primary System of Light-Water-Cooled Reactors,” soon to be issued for public comment, constitutes a first step towards satisfying this need for guidance and goal establishment.
Spurious reflection of elastic waves due to gradually changing finite element size

SUMMARY When a homogeneous elastic continuum is modelled by a non-uniform finite element grid. the differences in the size of adjacent finite elements can cause a spurious wave reflection which does not exist in the continuum. Extending previous studies in which the spurious wave reflection was investigated for the case of two uniform grids with a sudden element size change from one grid to the other, the present study deals with the case when the two uniform grids of different element sizes are separated by a transition zone through which the element size varies gradually, either by a geometric progression or by an arithmetic progression. The solution is carried out in complex variables and numerical plots of the results are given. When the ratio of wavelength to the largest element size is as low as 4: 1, the spurious wave reflection is very significant, while for the ratios over 10: 1 it is insignificant. Inserting a transition zone with gradually varying element size between the two uniform parts of the grid somewhat mitigates the phenomenon of spurious reflection, but this is significant only when the ratio of element sizes in the uniform grids is small (less than about 1· 5: 1). Varying the element size throughout the transition zone in an arithmetic progression seems slightly better than in a geometric progression. The spurious wave reflection is less pronounced for higher-order elements, in particular for linear strain elements as compared to constant strain elements. The spurious reflection is also less severe for consistent mass than for lumped mass.
On worst case design strategies

Abstract For sequential decision processes, we consider the problem of obtaining the min-max strategy which minimizes the worst case performance. This is a game against nature, where the controller attempts to minimize a specified cost criterion, while nature attempts to maximize it. It is apparently a folk theorem that such a min-max strategy can be obtained by means of a dynamic programming like recursion, even though we have not seen any general proof of this, applicable to stochastic systems, which does not rely on the existence of a saddle point. We prove this theorem, and also examine the precise roles of the strategy sets allowed to the minimizer and the maximizer in determining the upper value of the game. Improvements in the results for the case of deterministic systems, and generalizations to continuous time systems are indicated.
Effects of hyperhomocysteinemia on arterial pressure and nitric oxide production in pregnant rats.

BACKGROUND An elevated plasma level of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is thought to be an important risk factor for a variety of cardiovascular diseases including preeclampsia. Although clinical studies have reported a two- to threefold elevation in plasma levels of homocysteine in women who developed preeclampsia, the importance of hyperhomocysteinemia in causing endothelial dysfunction and increases in arterial pressure during pregnancy is unknown. METHODS Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a two- to threefold elevation in plasma homocysteine levels on arterial pressure, chronic pressure-natriuresis relationship, and endothelial factors during pregnancy in the rat. Homocysteine treatment for 4 weeks increased plasma homocysteine levels in pregnant rats from 7.1 +/- 1.9 to 16.7 +/- 2.3 micromol/l. RESULTS Homocysteine treatment decreased urinary nitrate/nitrite levels from 53 +/- 7 vs. 39 +/- 5 (micromol/24 h/kg body weight) in pregnant rats whereas having no effect on urinary excretion of endothelin. Homocysteine treatment had no effect on mean arterial pressure (MAP) in pregnant rats (104 +/- 2 vs. 107 +/- 3 mm Hg) nor on the chronic pressure-natriuresis relationship. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that although hyperhomocysteinemia decreases nitric oxide (NO) production in pregnant rats, hyperhomocysteinemia does not affect MAP, the chronic pressure-natriuresis relationship, or urinary excretion of endothelin in pregnant rats. Moreover, the reported two- to threefold elevation in plasma level of homocysteine in women with preeclampsia is unlikely to contribute to the hypertension of preeclampsia.
Genome-wide linkage analysis of systolic blood pressure: a comparison of two approaches to phenotype definition

Problem 1 of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 13(GAW13) contains longitudinal data of cardiovascular measurements from 330 pedigrees. The longitudinal data complicates the phenotype definition because multiple measurements are taken on each individual. To address this complication, we propose an approach that uses generalized estimating equations to obtain residuals for each time point for each person. The mean residual is then taken as the new phenotype with which to use in a variance components linkage analysis. We compare our phenotype definition approach to an approach that first reduces the multiple measurements to a single measurement and then models these summary statistics as regression terms in a variance components analysis. For each approach, multipoint linkage analysis was performed using the residuals and the SOLAR computer program. Our results show little difference between the methods based on the LOD scores.
Stroke-Associated Pneumonia: Major Advances and Obstacles

Background: Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) has been implicated in the morbidity, mortality and increased medical cost after acute ischemic stroke. The annual c
Dreidel lasts O( n2) spins

We show that the expected number of spins in a game of dreidel is O(n^2), where n is the number of tokens in the possession of each player at the beginning of the game. The implied constant depends on the number of players.
Foot-shock induced stress increases β-endorphin levels in blood but not brain

FOOT-SHOCK induced stress promotes a five to sixfold increase in β-endorphin plasma levels. Similar increases were also found for ACTH plasma levels. In the hypothalamus, foot-shock induced stress promotes a decrease of β-endorphin assayed by radioimmunoassays. These data suggest that physiological increases in plasma β-endorphin levels induced by stress do not result in elevated levels of brain β-endorphin.
Prognostic implications of fibrocystic dysplasia in breasts removed for mammary carcinoma

The specimens from 598 mastectomies performed for carcinoma were studied for the presence of fibrocystic dysplasia (FCD) and other benign changes. FCD was observed in 39.4% of all cancer-bearing breasts, an incidence not markedly different from that in benign breasts studied by other workers. Women who undergo mastectomy for mammary carcinoma and are found to show histologic evidence of FCD tend to have smaller tumors and less axillary nodal involve. ment than women whose breasts do not show FCD. In addition, the women with FCD comprise a younger population, are less likely to be Negroes, and have had more favorable clinical staging prior to surgery. Survival is slightly but consistently better at 5 years after surgery in women with FCD, and fewer of them have died of cancer at this time. We cannot explain these findings in terms of early detection of cancer, heightened host response, or hormone dependency of tumors associated with FCD, since the women in this group show no differences from women without FCD in duration of symptoms, incidence of sinus histiocytosis, or survival after prophylactic oophorectomy. Studies to determine whether women whose mastectomy specimens show FCD respond more favorably to subsequent therapeutic oophorectomy might be of considerable value. IBROCYSTIC DYSPLASIA (FCD) OF THE BREAST F has been assigned a premalignant significance by numerous authors, and an equal number has denied this relationship. dn both instances, the evidence quoted has been of 3 general types: prospective studies, in which patients with breast biopsies showing FCD are followed to see how many of them develop carcinoma, and how this incidence compares to that of the general population; retrospective studies, in which women with mammary cancer are queried as to whether they had prior breast biopsies, and the histologic material available from those who did is studied to try to identify significant premalignant changes; and concurrent studies, in which breasts removed for carcinoma are
Phosphatidylinositol induces fluid phase formation and packing defects in phosphatidylcholine model membranes

Liposomes consisted of phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) have been utilized as delivery vehicle for drugs and proteins. In the present work, we studied the effect of soy PI on physical properties of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes such as phase state of lipid bilayer, lipid packing and phase properties using multiple orthogonal biophysical techniques. The 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylamino naphthalene (Laurdan) fluorescence studies showed that presence of PI induces the formation of fluid phases in DMPC. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature dependent fluorescence anisotropy measurements, and generalized polarization values for Laurdan showed that the presence of as low as 10mol% of PI induces substantial broadening and shift to lower temperature of phase transition of DMPC. The fluorescence emission intensity of DPH labeled, PI containing DMPC lipid bilayer decreased possibly due to deeper penetration of water molecules in lipid bilayer. In order to further delineate the effect of PI on the physico chemical properties of DMPC is due to either significant hydrophobic mismatch between the acyl chains of the DMPC and that of soy PI or due to the inositol head group, we systematically replaced soy PI with PC species of similar acyl chain composition (DPPC and 18:2 (Cis) PC) or with diacylglycerol (DAG), respectively. The anisotropy of PC membrane containing soy PI showed largest fluidity change compared to other compositions. The data suggests that addition of PI alters structure and dynamics of DMPC bilayer in that it promotes deeper water penetration in the bilayer, induces fluid phase characteristics and causes lipid packing defects that involve its inositol head group.
How do I Get In? Criteria Shaping the High School Course Recommendation Process

Academic tracking is a common practice in American high schools. While its impact on the lives of teachers and students is well documented, few studies pay close attention to the criteria used to determine high school students’ academic trajectories or how teachers select and apply these criteria. This review, which examines the types of criteria guiding high school teachers’ course recommendation decisions, is organized into four parts. First, the literature search process is described and the terms tracking and ability grouping are defined. Second, the significance of course placement is addressed through an examination of the relationship between tracking and the opportunity gap. Third, research drawing attention to the meritocratic and non-meritocratic criteria guiding secondary teachers’ course recommendation decisions is examined. The review concludes by offering recommendations for making school-based course placement policies and the criteria driving teachers’ decisions more consistent and transparent.
The time of day effects of warm temperature on flowering time involve PIF4 and PIF5

Warm temperature promotes flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana and this response involves multiple signalling pathways. To understand the temporal dynamics of temperature perception, tests were carried out to determine if there was a daily window of enhanced sensitivity to warm temperature (28 °C). Warm temperature applied during daytime, night-time, or continuously elicited earlier flowering, but the effects of each treatment were unequal. Plants exposed to warm night (WN) conditions flowered nearly as early as those in constant warm (CW) conditions, while treatment with warm days (WD) caused later flowering than either WN or CW. Flowering in each condition relied to varying degrees on the activity of CO , FT , PIF4 , and PIF5 , as well as the action of unknown genes. The combination of signalling pathways involved in flowering depended on the time of the temperature cue. WN treatments caused a significant advance in the rhythmic expression waveform of CO, which correlated with pronounced up-regulation of FT expression, while WD caused limited changes in CO expression and no stimulation of FT expression. WN- and WD-induced flowering was partially CO independent and, unexpectedly, dependent on PIF4 and PIF5 . pif4-2, pif5-3, and pif4-2 pif5-3 mutants had delayed flowering under all three warm conditions. The double mutant was also late flowering in control conditions. In addition, WN conditions alone imposed selective changes to PIF4 and PIF5 expression. Thus, the PIF4 and PIF5 transcription factors promote flowering by at least two means: inducing FT expression in WN and acting outside of FT by an unknown mechanism in WD.
Spoofing optimization over Nakagami-m fading channels of a cognitive radio adversary

We examine the performance of a cognitive radio system in a hostile environment where an intelligent adversary tries to disrupt communications by spoofing. We analyze a cluster-based network of secondary users (SUs), where sensing is performed by the cluster head. The adversary may attack during the sensing interval to limit access for SUs by transmitting a Gaussian noise spoofing signal. We present how the adversary can optimally allocate power across subcarriers during the sensing interval over Nakagami-m fading channels, using an optimization approach specific to this problem. We determine a worst-case optimal spoofing power allocation, when the adversary has knowledge of the system, which gives a lower bound to the average number of accessible bands for SUs under attack.
Pathophysiology of heart/lung disorders: pulmonary hypertension syndrome in broiler chickens

Pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS, ascites) in broiler chickens provides an outstanding example of the pathophysiological interplay between the lungs and heart. Recent research has confirmed the...
Mechanism of fluoride-induced MAP kinase activation in pulmonary artery endothelial cells.

In this study, we demonstrate that challenge of endothelial cells (EC) with NaF, a recognized G protein activator and protein phosphatase inhibitor, leads to a significant Erk activation, with incr...
Methods for Analysis of Skewed Data Distributions in Psychiatric Clinical Studies: Working With Many Zero Values

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric clinical studies, including those in drug abuse research, often provide data that are challenging to analyze and use for hypothesis testing because they are heavily skewed and marked by an abundance of zero values. The authors consider methods of analyzing data with those characteristics. METHOD: The possible meaning of zero values and the statistical methods that are appropriate for analyzing data with many zero values in both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs are reviewed. The authors illustrate the application of these alternative methods using sample data collected with the Addiction Severity Index. RESULTS: Data that include many zeros, if the zero value is considered the lowest value on a scale that measures severity, may be analyzed with several methods other than standard parametric tests. If zero values are considered an indication of a case without a problem, for which a measure of severity is not meaningful, analyses should include separate statistical models for t...
Applications of Dirichlet Process Mixtures to speaker adaptation

Balancing unique acoustic characteristics of a speaker such as identity and accent, with general acoustic behavior that describes phoneme identity, is one of the great challenges in applying nonparametric Bayesian approaches to speaker adaptation. The Dirichlet Process Mixture (DPM) is a relatively new model that provides an elegant framework in which individual characteristics can be balanced with aggregate behavior without diluting the quality of the individual models. Unlike Gaussian Mixture models (GMMs), which tend to smear multimodal behavior through averaging, the DPM model attempts to preserve unique behaviors through use of an infinite mixture model. In this paper, we present some exploratory research on applying these models to the acoustic modeling component of the speaker adaptation problem. DPM based models are shown to provide up to 10% reduction in WER over maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR) on a speaker adaptation task based on the Resource Management database.
Mazeno Pass Pluton and Jutial Pluton, Pakistan Himalaya: age and implications for entrapment mechanisms of two granites in the Himalaya

Zircon and monazite U-(Th)-Pb ion microprobe analysis were performed on the Mazeno Pass pluton and the Jutial pluton, two leucogranite bodies within the Nanga Parbat-Haramosh massif (NPHM), Pakistan Himalaya. Zircon rim ages and monazite ages indicate the Mazeno Pass pluton in southwest NPHM intruded at 1.40 ± 0.05 Ma; the Jutial pluton, to the north, similarly yields concordant zircon and monazite ages suggesting crystallization at 9.45 ± 0.06 Ma. The Jutial pluton was subsequently intruded by leucogranite dikes at 5.3 Ma, as revealed by monazite ages. Concordancy of U-Pb and Th-Pb accessory mineral ages demonstrates the robustness of the technique on young rocks. Both plutons, some of the youngest in the Himalaya, have a general association with nearby shear zones that we interpret to have played an integral role in granite evolution and emplacement setting (`deformation enhanced ascent'). Together with new field observations, these results provide an insight on the spatial and temporal relationship between plutonism and deformation relating to the development of the massif.
Prediction of Optimal Parallelism Level in Wide Area Data Transfers

Wide area data transfer may be a major bottleneck for the end-to-end performance of distributed applications. A practical way of increasing the wide area throughput at the application layer is using multiple parallel streams. Although increased number of parallel streams may yield much better performance than using a single stream, overwhelming the network by opening too many streams may have an inverse effect. The congestion created by excess number of streams may cause a drop down in the throughput achieved. Hence, it is important to decide on the optimal number of streams without congesting the network. Predicting this "optimum” number is not straightforward, since it depends on many parameters specific to each individual transfer. Generic models that try to predict this number either rely too much on historical information or fail to achieve accurate predictions. In this paper, we present a set of new models which aim to approximate the optimal number with least history information and lowest prediction overhead. An algorithm is introduced to select the best combination of historic information to do the prediction for evaluation purposes as well as optimizing prediction by reducing error rate. We measure the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed prediction models by comparing to actual GridFTP data transfer by using little historical information and have seen that we could predict the throughput of parallel streams accurately and find a very close approximation of the optimal stream number.
Large scale integration of photonic integrated circuits on indium phosphide and high-index-contrast Si platforms

We report on development of large-scale and high functionality photonic integrated circuits on InP and Si platforms for transmitter, receiver, filtering and routing applications and discuss the merits of both platform.
Effect of flow rate and subcooling on spray heat transfer on microporous copper surfaces

Abstract In this work, we experimentally investigated spray boiling heat transfer performance with degassed HFE-7100 as the coolant on a conductive microporous copper surface, and observed enhanced heat transfer performance compared to that on a plain surface. Spray heat transfer data were measured using two full-cone spray nozzles spanning a range of volumetric flow rate from 1.1 cm 3 /s to 15.8 cm 3 /s. We also investigated the effect of different liquid subcooling levels ranging from 30 °C to 0 °C on the heat transfer data. Spray impingement on the microporous surface showed an enhancement of 300–600% in the heat transfer coefficient at a given wall superheat compared to spray impingement on a plain surface. The critical heat flux also increased by up to 80% for the case of spray impingement on a microporous coated surface as compared to impingement on a plain surface, depending on the flow rates and the subcooling levels. Contrary to the results in the literature, for a given nozzle we observed that the liquid spray at near-saturated temperature (0 °C subcooling) had higher heat transfer performance and critical heat flux than the subcooled spray on both plain and microporous surfaces except at the lowest flow rates. This likely results from the limited residence time of the liquid droplets in contact with the heater surface and the much higher efficiency of phase change heat transfer. The near-saturated spray undergoes phase change much faster than the subcooled liquid, removing heat more efficiently than the subcooled liquid. A modified correlation, based on the Estes–Mudawar correlation (1995) [22] , utilizing the experimental data from the present study and literature is proposed for the critical heat flux for spray impingement on both plain and microporous surfaces.
Gain control mechanisms in spinal motoneurons.

Motoneurons provide the only conduit for motor commands to reach muscles. For many years, motoneurons were in fact considered to be little more than passive “wires”. Systematic studies in the past 25 years however have clearly demonstrated that the intrinsic electrical properties of motoneurons are under strong neuromodulatory control via multiple sources. The discovery of potent neuromodulation from the brainstem and its ability to change the gain of motoneurons shows that the “passive” view of the motor output stage is no longer tenable. A mechanism for gain control at the motor output stage makes good functional sense considering our capability of generating an enormous range of forces, from very delicate (e.g., putting in a contact lens) to highly forceful (emergency reactions). Just as sensory systems need gain control to deal with a wide dynamic range of inputs, so to might motor output need gain control to deal with the wide dynamic range of the normal movement repertoire. Two problems emerge from the potential use of the brainstem monoaminergic projection to motoneurons for gain control. First, the projection is highly diffuse anatomically, so that independent control of the gains of different motor pools is not feasible. In fact, the system is so diffuse that gain for all the motor pools in a limb likely increases in concert. Second, if there is a system that increases gain, probably a system to reduce gain is also needed. In this review, we summarize recent studies that show local inhibitory circuits within the spinal cord, especially reciprocal and recurrent inhibition, have the potential to solve both of these problems as well as constitute another source of gain modulation.
Acute nitric oxide synthase inhibition and endothelin-1-dependent arterial pressure elevation.

Key evidence that endogenous nitric oxide (NO) inhibits the continuous, endothelin (ET)-1-mediated drive to elevate arterial pressure includes demonstrations that ET-1 mediates a significant component of the pressure elevated by acute exposure to NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors. This review examines the characteristics of this pressure elevation in order to elucidate potential mechanisms associated with the negative regulation of ET-1 by NO and, thereby, provide potential insight into the vascular pathophysiology underlying NO dysregulation. We surmise that the magnitude of the ET-1-dependent component of the NOS inhibitor-elevated pressure is 1) independent of underlying arterial pressure and other pressor pathways activated by the NOS inhibitors and 2) dependent on relatively higher NOS inhibitor dose, release of stored and de novo synthesized ET-1, and ETA receptor-mediated increased vascular resistance. Major implications of these conclusions include: 1) the marked variation of the ET-1-dependent component, i.e., from 0-100% of the pressure elevation, reflects the NO-ET-1 regulatory pathway. Thus, NOS inhibitor-mediated, ET-1-dependent pressure elevation in vascular pathophysiologies is an indicator of the level of compromised/enhanced function of this pathway; 2) NO is a more potent inhibitor of ET-1-mediated elevated arterial pressure than other pressor pathways, due in part to inhibition of intravascular pressure-independent release of ET-1. Thus, the ET-1-dependent component of pressure elevation in vascular pathophysiologies associated with NO dysregulation is of greater magnitude at higher levels of compromised NO.
Estimating scale-dependency in disturbance impacts: El Niños and giant kelp forests in the northeast Pacific.

Recent discussions on scaling issues in ecology have emphasized that processes acting at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales influence ecosystems and thus there is no appropriate single scale at which ecological processes should be studied. This may be particularly true for environmental disturbances (e.g. El Nino) that occur over large geographic areas and encompass a wide range of scales relevant to ecosystem function. However, it may be possible to identify the scale(s) at which ecosystems are most strongly impacted by disturbances, and thus provide a measure by which their impacts can be most clearly described, by assessing scale-dependent changes in the patterns of variability in species abundance and distribu- tion. This, in turn, may yield significant insight into the relative importance of the various forcing factors respon- sible for generating these impacts. The 1997-98 El Nino was one of the strongest El Ninos ever recorded. I examined how this event impacted giant kelp populations in the northeast Pacific Ocean at 90 sites ranging from central Baja California, Mexico to central California, USA. These sites spanned the geographic range of giant kelp in the Northeast Pacific and were surveyed just before, immediately following, several months after, more than 1 year after, and nearly 2 years after the El Nino. I used a hierarchical sample design to compare these impacts at five spatial scales spanning six orders of magnitude, from a few meters to more than 1,000 km. Variance Components Analyses revealed that the El Nino shifted control over giant kelp abundance from factors acting at the scale of a few meters (local control) to factors operating over hundreds to thousands of kilometers (regional control). Moreover, El Nino resulted in the near-complete loss of all giant kelp throughout one-half of the species' range in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Giant kelp recovery following El Nino was far more complex and variable at multiple spatial scales, presumably driven by numerous factors acting at those scales. Recovery returned local control of giant kelp populations within 6 months in southern California, and within 2 years in Baja California.
A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef

Growing consumer interest in grass-fed beef products has raised a number of questions with regard to the perceived differences in nutritional quality between grass-fed and grain-fed cattle. Research spanning three decades suggests that grass-based diets can significantly improve the fatty acid (FA) composition and antioxidant content of beef, albeit with variable impacts on overall palatability. Grass-based diets have been shown to enhance total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (C18:2) isomers, trans vaccenic acid (TVA) (C18:1 t11), a precursor to CLA, and omega-3 (n-3) FAs on a g/g fat basis. While the overall concentration of total SFAs is not different between feeding regimens, grass-finished beef tends toward a higher proportion of cholesterol neutral stearic FA (C18:0), and less cholesterol-elevating SFAs such as myristic (C14:0) and palmitic (C16:0) FAs. Several studies suggest that grass-based diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants such as glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries. Fat conscious consumers will also prefer the overall lower fat content of a grass-fed beef product. However, consumers should be aware that the differences in FA content will also give grass-fed beef a distinct grass flavor and unique cooking qualities that should be considered when making the transition from grain-fed beef. In addition, the fat from grass-finished beef may have a yellowish appearance from the elevated carotenoid content (precursor to Vitamin A). It is also noted that grain-fed beef consumers may achieve similar intakes of both n-3 and CLA through the consumption of higher fat grain-fed portions.
Programmable weighted arbiters for constructing switch schedulers

As the basic building block of a scheduler based on maximal weight matching algorithms, the design of a weighted arbiter is vital to the performance of the scheduler. All existing weighted arbiter designs are based on the binary comparator tree structure and consume O(bN) gates, where b is the number of bits needed to represent the weight. These designs are not desirable for implementing scheduling algorithms that require a large number of weighted arbiters. In light of the idea of radix sort, we propose a new weighted arbiter (WA) design and a programmable weighted arbiter (PWA) design, both with O(N) gates. Through simulations, we show that the proposed WA design achieves a significant improvement on area cost over existing WA designs. The proposed PWA design provides round-robin fairness for requests with the same weight. Both designs can be directly used to build schedulers based on maximal weight matching algorithms. They are also useful for other applications, such as the arbitration of a shared bus and control of real-time systems.
Complications of glaucoma drainage device surgery: a review.

AbstractPurpose: To review current literature on the complications of the use of glaucoma drainage device surgery. Summary: The use of glaucoma drainage devices has increased significantly in recent years for both primary treatment of glaucoma and refractory glaucoma. The efficacy and safety of glaucoma drainage devices has been well established, so they are a viable surgical option in patients who fail medical therapy. With the increased use of these devices, understanding their complications is essential in managing these patients. The prevention and management of complications associated with glaucoma drainage device insertion has some similarities to that of a trabeculectomy. The glaucoma drainage devices have additional complications associated with the fact that hardware is left within the eye. There have been no definitive answers as to the perfect surgical technique to prevent complications but careful surgical performance, tube placement and use of a double-layered graft over the tube are likely ...
Diagnosis and management of patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplastic condition that arises, usually diffusely, from the serosal membranes of the abdominal cavity. MPM represents about 7% to 10% of all mesothelioma diagnoses and this translates into approximately 800 cases per year in the United States. The disease has variable tumor biology but progression, when it occurs, is almost always within the abdominal cavity. Although many patients can be successfully treated at initial presentation, the disease is almost always fatal in time. It afflicts men and women almost equally and the median age at presentation is 50 years. The diagnosis is made when a diffuse malignant process within the abdominal cavity is observed and a tissue sample reveals the characteristic histopathology and immunohistochemical profile of mesothelioma. Initial staging is usually via a cross sectional imaging study of the abdomen and pelvis making sure that the lower thorax is also assessed. If the disease burden and distribution is favorable then operative exploration, cytoreduction, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are considered first line treatment in selected patients. Systemic pemetrexed and cisplatin (or gemcitabine) have modest response rates that are of limited duration. Research advances with novel systemic or intraperitoneal agents hold promise.
Beyond isolated cells: microfluidic transport of large tissue for pancreatic cancer diagnosis

For cancer diagnoses, core biopsies (CBs) obtained from patients using coring needles (CNs) are traditionally visualized and assessed on microscope slides by pathologists after samples are processed and sectioned. A fundamental gain in optical information (i.e., diagnosis/staging) may be achieved when whole, unsectioned CBs (L = 5-20, D = 0.5-2.0 mm) are analyzed in 3D. This approach preserves CBs for traditional pathology and maximizes the diagnostic potential of patient samples. To bridge CNs/CBs with imaging, our group developed a microfluidic device that performs biospecimen preparation on unsectioned CBs for pathology. The ultimate goal is an automated and rapid point-of-care system that aids pathologists by processing tissue for advanced 3D imaging platforms. An inherent, but essential device feature is the microfluidic transport of CBs, which has not been previously investigated. Early experiments demonstrated proof-of-concept: pancreas CBs (D = 0.3-2.0 mm) of set lengths were transported in straight/curved microchannels, but dimensional tolerance and flow rates were variable, and preservation of CB integrity was uncontrolled. A second study used metal cylinder substitutes (L = 10, D = 1 mm) in microchannels to understand the transport mechanism. However, CBs are imperfectly shaped, rough, porous and viscoelastic. In this study, fresh/formalin-fixed porcine and human pancreas CBs were deposited into our device through a custom interface using clinical CNs. CB integrity (i.e., sample viability) may be assessed at every stage using an optomechanical metric: physical breaks were determined when specimen intensity profile data deviated beyond xavg + 2σ. Flow rates for human CBs were determined for several CNs, and microfluidic transport of fresh and formalin-fixed CBs was analyzed.
Predatory Price Cutting and Standard Oil: A Re-examination of the Trial Record

John McGee's 1958 paper, “Predatory Price Cutting: The Standard Oil (NJ) Case,” has had an astonishing influence on both antitrust policy in the United States and economic lore. McGee argued that predatory pricing is irrational and his analysis of the Standard Oil Company Matter, decided in 1911, led him to conclude that the Record in this case does not show that Standard Oil engaged in predatory pricing. This single publication appears to serve as a foundation of the U.S. Supreme Court's position on the issue of predatory pricing, as well as the assertion by many economists that predatory pricing is irrational and rarely occurs. Numerous arguments have been advanced during the past 25 years that predatory pricing can be a rational strategy. As to McGee's empirical findings, there has been no re-examination of the Record of the Standard Oil case to determine the validity of his finding that the trial “Record” does not support the claim that Standard Oil engaged in predatory pricing. We examined this Record and have found that the trial Record contains considerable evidence of predatory pricing by Standard Oil. Therefore, the Record does not support McGee's conclusion that Standard Oil did not engage in predatory pricing. Thus, the decisions of the Supreme Court in recent years, as well as the opinions of many economists, concerning predatory pricing are not consistent with either current theory or the empirical record.
Status of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program – 4 Years since Expansion

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) across the US with the goal to create healthier food environments in lower-incom...
Monitoring Attorney Performance and Evaluating Program Outcomes: A Case Study of Attorneys for Abused and Neglected Children

Policy researchers have long argued that legislative programs should have built-in evaluation and monitoring components. Although law is viewed as a self-regulating profession, this article argues that there are foreseeable circumstances when it is unlikely that either self-regulation or other existing regulatory mechanisms of lawyer activity will be effective. In these circumstances, and particularly when there have been substantial and continuing criticisms of the specific program, governments should feel obligated to institute oversight mechanisms. In state-funded representation programs for poor and powerless clients, there is a clear need for additional regulation. This article uses the provision of attorneys for children in cases of child abuse and neglect as a case study to illustrate how the policy science tools of monitoring and evaluation may provide effective means of regulating and improving attorney performance in state-funded programs. The article describes several approaches to the development of monitoring and evaluation systems. Although the institution of a monitoring and evaluation system may add to the costs of a program, these costs must be balanced against the dubious value of continuing inadequate programs.
Increased expression of sulfated gp300 and acinar tissue pathology in pancreas of CFTR(-/-) mice

The CFTR (-/-) mouse model of cystic fibrosis (CF) has revealed that the mouse pancreatic duct has a Ca(2+)-regulated chloride conductance that allows ductal electrolyte transport to remain unaffected by loss of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Therefore, this model provides a unique opportunity to investigate effects of CF on the acinar tissue. It has been reported that exocrine secretions contain higher levels of sulfate in CF. We discovered in CFTR(-/-) acini that gp300, the major sulfated glycoprotein of the mouse acinar cell, has increased steady-state and biosynthetic levels. However, there are no apparent changes in sulfate or carbohydrate composition of gp300, indicating that posttranslational processing of this sulfated glycoprotein is not altered in CF. In addition to the increase in gp300, the morphology of CF acinar tissue is dramatically altered: acinar lumina of CFTR(-/-) mice are greatly dilated and filled with aggregated protein. gp300, which in the normal tissue is mainly localized to the zymogen granule membrane, was found to line the distended luminal membranes in the CF tissue. These results demonstrate that the acinar tissue is affected in the CF mouse and that expression of the major sulfated glycoprotein is also increased. It is suggested that increased expression of gp300 in CFTR(-/-) mice may cause poorly soluble exocrine protein secretion, contributing to the development of CF in the pancreas.
Evaporation and elevated duct properties over the subtropical eastern pacific ocean region using MAGIC data

Electromagnetic wave propagation that behaves differently from that in the standard atmosphere is known as anomalous propagation (AP). Ducting is one type of AP in which the radio and microwaves become trapped within a nearly horizontal layer known as the duct. This energy trapping leads to enhanced propagation range and weak propagation loss of electromagnetic energy within the duct. A corresponding reduction in the electromagnetic signal strength also occurs above or below the duct. Knowledge on ducting is imperative for radar and communication applications such as ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore radio communication and radar based ocean navigations. Ducting also affects the ground-to-satellite radio links and radar based precipitation measurements. Strong vertical gradients in temperature and/or moisture create favorable conditions for ducting.
Response of immunoregulatory lymphocyte subsets to methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis

In an attempt to define the immunoregulatory mechanisms operating in rheumatoid arthritis, the authors examined peripheral blood functional lymphocyte subsets in 15 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who were not receiving remittive therapy, as well as 33 healthy controls. The percentage and absolute numbers of total T cells (CD3), T-helper/inducer cells (CD4), and T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8) did not differ among the groups, nor did the CD4:CD8 ratio or the numbers of T cells coexpressing CD4 and the activation markers Ia or IL-2R. However, rheumatoid arthritis patients did have reduced percentages and numbers of CD4+ cells coexpressing the 2H4 antigen (CD45R-naive T cells) (P less than .0003) and CD8+ cells coexpressing the Leu-15 (CD11b) marker (suppressor/effectors) (P less than .0005). Twelve patients then received oral methotrexate, 7.5 mg weekly. Most showed clinical improvement by 4 weeks and all did by 8 weeks. Although changes in the T-cell subsets were not statistically significant, several tended toward normalization. These findings may help explain the immunoregulatory defect in rheumatoid arthritis and the effectiveness of methotrexate in modifying disease activity.