cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Same day barium esophagography and high-resolution manometry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Double contrast barium esophagography (BAS) and high-resolution manometry (HRM) are traditionally performed on separate days to allow for pre-procedural fasting. In an effort to minimize COVID-19 exposure and improve appointment efficiency with required pre-procedure testing, we permitted same day HRM prior to BAS. Our study aimed to evaluate the adequacy of barium mucosal coating with same day HRM prior to BAS compared to BAS alone. We performed a retrospective pilot cohort study including 14 patients undergoing same day HRM prior to BAS and 20 patients undergoing BAS alone over an 8-month interval during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three abdominal imaging subspecialty-trained radiologists blindly reviewed the images and graded adequacy of esophageal coating on a 4-point scale with a score of 1 representing inadequate coating and 4 representing optimal coating. For the cohort studied thus far, the mean grade of the HRM and BAS group was 3.17 with a standard deviation of 0.66. The mean grade of the BAS alone group was 3.13 with a standard deviation of 0.79. There was no statistical difference in the adequacy of esophageal coating between the two groups (p-value 0.97). Same day HRM prior to BAS has no detrimental effect on barium mucosal coating compared to BAS alone. Though created to limit patient exposures during the COVID pandemic, same day BAS and HRM may prevent delays in care and improve convenience towards improved patient-centered care beyond the pandemic.
Statistical Analysis of the Additive and Multiplicative Hypotheses of Multiple Exposure Synergy for Cohort and Case-Control Studies

In epidemiological studies, where there are multiple causes of a particular disease, the issue arises as to whether the multiple causes have a synergistic relationship so that their combined effect is both greater than that of either activity alone, and greater than what one would expect by the sum of their individual risk contributions. Two hypotheses are frequently tested. The first hypothesis states that when the sources of disease act independently, the relative risk of disease, given exposure, is an additive relationship. Thus, the relative risk of dying from cause A adds to the relative risk of dying from cause B to determine the combined relative risk of dying when exposed to both A and B. A second hypothesis states that the relationship between disease and the two causal factors is multiplicative. In this case, the combined risk is the product of the individual risks. Of course synergism is itself a concept that is model dependent. For instance, a lack of synergism in a logit model of risk, as demonstrated by the statistical insignificance of an interaction term, leads to a multiplicative model of relative risk. Consider the following example. Suppose that the probability of dying from a disease depends on two factors, A and B. Let δA denote exposure to A, and δB denote exposure to B.Suppose further that the probability of dying is logistic and given by: $$ P\left[ {D|{\delta_A},{\delta_B}} \right] = 1/\left( {1 + {e^{{ - \left( {{X_0}{\beta_0} + {\delta_A}{X_A}{\beta_A} + {\delta_B}{X_B}{\beta_B} + {\delta_A}{\delta_B}{X_C}} \right)}}}} \right) $$ where XA, XB, XC are vectors of explanatory factor, and β are true but unknown coefficient vectors.
Expression of Growth Control and Differentiation Genes in Human Lens Epithelial Cells with Extended Life Span

PURPOSE. Peptide growth factors including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), platelet-derived growtli factor (PDGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are mitogens for many cell types and may act as regulators of lens epithelial cell growth and differentiation. The present study was undertaken to investigate the expression of growth factor receptors and crystallin genes in the human lens epithelial cell line HLE B-3, created by infection with Adenol2-simian virus 40 (Adl2-SV40) hybrid virus. METHODS. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with gene-specific primers was used to detect transcripts, and Southern and western blot analyses were used for identification of gene products. Functional analysis of PDGF receptor was performed by measuring the effect of PDGF-BB on Ca 2+ release, cell growth, and western blot analysis, by using an antiphosphotyrosine antibody. RESULTS. Human lens epithelial B-3 cells expressed the growth factor receptors HGF-R, EGF-R, and PDGF-R/3, but not PDGF-Ra, and also expressed the oncogenes H-ras and raf and die growth inhibitor transforming growth factor-/3,. Stimulation of PDGF-Rj3 with PDGF-BB in HLE B-3 cells increased phosphorylation of the receptor, was associated with an increase in intracellular Ca 2+ levels, and produced a small increase in cell growth. In addition, HLE B-3 cells expressed transcripts for aA-, aB-, and j3B2-crystallins, and expressed the corresponding proteins. The transcripts for aA-crystallin decreased markedly at higher passages. CONCLUSIONS. The above findings suggest that the increased growth potential of human lens epithelial cells by Adl2-SV40 infection maintained certain lens-specific properties and response to PDGF. {Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1998;39:1387-1398)
The Value of a Promise: A Utilitarian Approach to Contract Law Remedies

This Article critically examines the applicability of law and economics, or wealth maximization theory, to contract law by examining this theory from within the consequentialist framework of utilitarianism. Roughly speaking, wealth maximization theory is a consequentialist theory of justice holding that those actions that increase wealth are just and should be allowed, whereas those actions that decrease wealth are unjust and should be forbidden. This theory has been used not only to support such controversial doctrines as efficient breach, but also to inform the way that many scholars and judges think about remedies for the breach of contract. Although the growth and acceptance of wealth maximization theory has been rapid since it was first formalized several decades ago, it is by no means uncontroversial, having been subject to constant attack since its inception from many who, operating outside of consequentialism, have criticized the normative foundations upon which wealth maximization theory rests, expressing their dismay over a theory that encourages the breaking of a solemn oath in the name of efficiency. Until now, however, previous scholarship has not critically examined this theory from within the consequentialist framework to see whether it, in fact, actually maximizes wealth. This Article provides that approach.Unlike other scholarship in this area, this Article does not challenge the normative foundations upon which wealth maximization theory rests, but rather argues that, on its own terms, this theory fails to maximize wealth within contract law. This is because wealth maximization theory is a fundamentally utilitarian theory that depends upon, and derives its legitimacy from, the utilitarian concept of value. Notably however, wealth maximization theory often prevents value from being maximized in the name of wealth. This insight has profound implications, suggesting not only that the continued application of this theory to contract law ought to be seriously questioned, but also that the way both consequentialists and nonconsequentialists think about remedies in contract law may need to be rethought. Indeed, this insight may even help reconcile these divergent theories within contract law because, as this Article suggests, the best way to achieve the consequentialist end of utility maximization is often through the nonconsequentialist means of contract enforcement, including the enforcement of liquidated damages clauses and specific performance.
Female sperm use and storage between fertilization events drive sperm competition and male ejaculate allocation

Sperm competition theory has traditionally focused on how male allocation responds to female promiscuity, when males compete to fertilize a single clutch of eggs. Here, we develop a model to ask how female sperm use and storage across consecutive reproductive events affect male ejaculate allocation and patterns of mating and paternity. In our model, sperm use (a single parameter under female control) is the main determinant of sperm competition, which alters the effect of female promiscuity on male success and, ultimately, male reproductive allocation. Our theory reproduces the general pattern predicted by existing theory that increased sperm competition favors increased allocation to ejaculates. However, our model predicts a negative correlation between male ejaculate allocation and female promiscuity, challenging the generality of a prevailing expectation of sperm competition theory. Early models assumed that the energetic costs of precopulatory competition and the level of sperm competition are both determined by female promiscuity, which leads to an assumed covariation between these two processes. By modeling precopulatory costs and sperm competition independently, our theoretical framework allows us to examine how male allocation should respond independently to variation in sperm competition and energetic trade-offs in mating systems that have been overlooked in the past.
Dobzhansky and Montagu's Debate on Race: The Aftermath.

Dobzhansky and Montagu debated the use and validity of the term “race” over a period of decades. They failed to reach an agreement, and the “debate” has continued to the present. The ms contains an account of the debate to the present. This essay is part of a Special Issue, Revisiting Garland Allen’s Views on the History of the Life Sciences in the Twentieth Century.
College students' understandings of pressurized air movement: do isomorphic questions elicit isomorphic answers?

College undergraduates' explanations of pressurized air movement for two everyday situations were examined. Responses were categorized into one of five categories on two isomorphic, everyday events (tire pressure, balloons). The two items elicited similar kinds of explanations in the group as a whole, and in individual students. However, the majority of responses were at the least sophisticated levels of explanation. Consistently held simple models may be particularly resistant to instruction aimed at moving thinking forward.
Acquiring multichannel analyzer spectra with a mini computer

Abstract Spectra are produced on a multichannel analyzer from biological samples with monochromatic fluorescent X-radiation. This mini-computer system is designed (1) to provide spectral data in a form immediately usable for computation, (2) to provide a great number of spectra stored on magnetic tape, (3) to examine the spectra in the laboratory before committing the spectra to tape and (4) to facilitate the examining and manipulation of data in the laboratory. The spectra on the tape are used in high-level analyses. The mini-computer can examine parts of a spectrum, plot and print the values, identify and integrate peaks, all at the user's discretion.
A feed-forward circuit linking wingless, fat-dachsous signaling, and the warts-hippo pathway to Drosophila wing growth.

During development, the Drosophila wing primordium undergoes a dramatic increase in cell number and mass under the control of the long-range morphogens Wingless (Wg, a Wnt) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp, a BMP). This process depends in part on the capacity of wing cells to recruit neighboring, non-wing cells into the wing primordium. Wing cells are defined by activity of the selector gene vestigial (vg) and recruitment entails the production of a vg-dependent “feed-forward signal” that acts together with morphogen to induce vg expression in neighboring non-wing cells. Here, we identify the protocadherins Fat (Ft) and Dachsous (Ds), the Warts-Hippo tumor suppressor pathway, and the transcriptional co-activator Yorkie (Yki, a YES associated protein, or YAP) as components of the feed-forward signaling mechanism, and we show how this mechanism promotes wing growth in response to Wg. We find that vg generates the feed-forward signal by creating a steep differential in Ft-Ds signaling between wing and non-wing cells. This differential down-regulates Warts-Hippo pathway activity in non-wing cells, leading to a burst of Yki activity and the induction of vg in response to Wg. We posit that Wg propels wing growth at least in part by fueling a wave front of Ft-Ds signaling that propagates vg expression from one cell to the next.
Cardiac disease in young adult patients with end-stage renal disease since childhood: a Dutch cohort study.

Cardiac disease in young adult patients with end-stage renal disease since childhood: A Dutch cohort study. Background Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of death in patients with pediatric end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Yet, few data exist on cardiac function in these patients. We assessed the extent of cardiac abnormality and analyzed its association with potential determinants in young adult patients with pediatric ESRD in a long-term follow-up study. Methods All Dutch living adult patients with ESRD onset at age of 0 to 14 years between 1972 and 1992 were invited for echocardiography and blood pressure assessment. Special attention was paid to evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), diastolic dysfunction, and aortic valve calcification. We collected data on determinants by review of all medical charts. Results Of all the 187 living patients, 140 participated in the study. Of those, 110 patients had received a transplant and 30 patients were on dialysis. Mean age was 29.2 (20.7 to 41.8) years. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) exceeded 150 g/m 2 in 47% of all male patients and 120 g/m 2 in 39% of all female patients, both consistent with LVH. Diastolic dysfunction, defined as an early over atrial transmitral blood flow velocity (E/A ratio) P P = 0.009), a low E/A ratio with aging (β = -0.28, P 2 (β = -0.29, P P Conclusion Young adult patients with pediatric ESRD are at risk for LVH caused by hypertension and for aortic valve calcification. Diastolic function decreases with age and is enhanced by a current low GFR. Prolonged peritoneal dialysis may enhance aortic valve calcification.
The state of undergraduate computer and data processing programs at public universities in Indiana

The Commission for Higher Education of the State of Indiana has created a study committee on occupational education. This committee, called the “Presidents' Committee on Occupational Education Programs,” consists of the Presidents from Purdue University, Indiana University, Ball State University, Indiana State University, Vincennes University, and the Indiana Vocational Technical College.This committee has identified six broad occupational categories, and subcommittees have been appointed to study each of these categories. This papers summarizes the work (reference 1) of one of the subcommittees, the “Task Force on Computer and Data Processing,” regarding undergraduate computer-related programs at public universities/colleges in the State of Indiana.
Distributed decision-making in wireless sensor networks for online structural health monitoring

In a wireless sensor network (WSN) setting, this paper presents a distributed decision-making framework and illustrates its application in an online structural health monitoring (SHM) system. The objective is to recover a damage severity vector, which identifies, localizes, and quantifies damages in a structure, via distributive and collaborative decision-making among wireless sensors. Observing the fact that damages are generally scarce in a structure, this paper develops a nonlinear 0-norm minimization formulation to recover the sparse damage severity vector, then relaxes it to a linear and distributively tractable one. An optimal algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) and a heuristic distributed linear programming (DLP) algorithm are proposed to estimate the damage severity vector distributively. By limiting sensors to exchange information among neighboring sensors, the distributed decision-making algorithms reduce communication costs, thus alleviate the channel interference and prolong the network lifetime. Simulation results in monitoring a steel frame structure prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
The Role of Chonoretinal Biopsy in the Management of Posterior Uveitis

Background: The ideal management of intraocular inflammation may require a tissue diagnosis. Diagnostic vitrectomy is a well-established method for acquiring such tissue. However, in some patients, the diagnostic pathology is limited to the choroid and retina and vitrectomy may yield no useful information. In such cases, a more aggressive sugical approach to obtain tissue may be useful. Methods: The authors performed chorioretinal biopsies on seven patients with progressive chorioretinal lesions of unknown etiology. Indications for biopsy included (1) macular-threatening lesions unresponsive to therapy, (2) suspicion of malignancy, or (3) suspicion of an infectious etiology. In all cases, it was expected that the results would alter therapy or other aspects of clinical care. Preoperative visual acuity was 20/200 or worse in each eye biopsied with one or more peripheral chorioretinal lesions present. Biopsy specimens were divided into three parts and submitted for light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and tissue culture. Results: On the basis of the biopsy findings, a diagnosis of multifocal choroiditis and subretinal fibrosis was rendered in three eyes, sarcoidosis in two eyes, and viral retinitis in two eyes. Therapy was changed in five patients. Final visual acuity was unchanged or improved in five eyes. Complications included the progression of lens opacity in all eyes and the development of phthisis in one eye that was extensively diseased preoperatively. Conclusions: Chorioretinal biopsy may provide useful information for determining the diagnosis and guiding the subsequent management of patients with progressive chorioretinal lesions of unknown etiology.
Spectral characteristics of ageing postural control

Abstract The purpose of this study was to apply techniques of spectral analysis to the study of postural control and determine if ageing results in changes to spectral parameters obtained from postural forces. Subjects were young adults and elderly who live independently and had no difficulty performing tasks of daily living. Ground reaction forces were obtained from a measurement platform during repeated trials of static standing. Forces were analysed using spectral analysis and selected parameters (central tendency and dispersion) were extracted from averaged spectral data. Significant differences were observed between age groups in all parameters extracted from spectra obtained from medial-lateral postural forces. Similar results were not obtained for data in the anterior-posterior direction. Results suggest that ageing affects the spectral characteristics of postural forces used to maintain stability in the m-I direction.
Primary-Care Decentralization in the Southern Cone: Shantytown Health Care as Urban Social Movement

Abstract Redemocratization in the Southern Cone has contended with a fiscally weakened state and ideologically divided groups. Years of free-market military rule have scaled back the welfare state and deteriorated public health care. Draconian cutbacks in public spending have forced private voluntary organizations (PVOs) to provide care for the urban poor. Shantytown health care and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have surfaced to fill the gap created by a shrinking public sector under military rule in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. This paper overcomes some shortcomings of Weberian and Marxian analyses of bureaucratic behavior and empowered social groups through the study of shantytown health care as a new social movement. A comparative review of medical-care policy in Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Montevideo reveals that only Santiago and Montevideo hold promise for decentralization. Neighborhood-based activities in shantytowns remove primary care from the marketplace by decommodifying it. Success of...
Strength of context does modulate the subordinate bias effect: a reply to Binder and Rayner.

Using a self-paced reading task, Kellas, Martin, Yehling, Herman, and Vu (1995) demonstrated that strength of context can modulate the effects of meaning frequency. Binder and Rayner (1998) initially replicated the results, using eye-tracking methodology. On further examination of the stimuli, Binder and Rayner eliminated 43% of the stimulus set and found that context strength failed to modulate meaning frequency. Binder and Rayner’s initial replication of Kellas et al. and the convergence of results between their two main experiments established the validity of self-paced reading as a measure of on-line reading, when compared with eye-tracking methodology. However, their central conclusion, that context strength cannot modulate the subordinate bias effect, is open to question. In this commentary, we examine the criteria adopted to exclude items from our homonym set and discuss the issue of local versus published norms. We also discuss the issue of context strength, as related to the specific rating procedures employed. Finally, we conclude that strong context can, in fact, eliminate the subordinate bias effect and that the context-sensitive model can more fully account for the available data on lexical ambiguity resolution.
SENSITIVITY OF THE HEAD TO X-RAY.

Rats have been trained to respond to signals consisting of very low doses of χ-ray directed to the head. This stimulus is probably received in the vicinity of the olfactory bulbs and adjacent neural structures.
The “Government Should Run Like a Business” Mantra:

The common phrase, government should run like a business evokes powerful ideas: It is a mantra. This article considers the layers of connotation contained in this mantra, noting first that comparisons between government and business is a classic and constant theme in public administration. In recent literature, the theme and focus of business-government comparisons has shifted to modeling government after the market ideas of business. This article adds to this discussion by considering formal constitutive factors present in three basic business forms—the sole proprietor, the partnership, and the corporation. The article further asks whether any of these business forms provides useful models for government. A fundamental concern is conceptualizing government within the context of America’s business mythology that echoes in the mantra, “government should run like a business.”
Full life-cycle toxicity assessment using rotifer resting egg production: implications for ecological risk assessment.

Abstract The majority of standardized toxicity tests incorporate only a fraction of the test organism's life-cycle. However, in natural ecosystems, organisms may be exposed at various times during their life-cycle or throughout their life-cycle. Thus, ecotoxicological data from standardized toxicity tests is of limited ecological relevance. Existing standardized toxicity tests using the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus utilize 24-h survival or 48-h asexual reproduction as endpoints, despite evidence that sexual reproduction is more sensitive. A 96-h B. calyciflorus resting egg toxicity test was developed and used to estimate the toxicity of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and copper. Results were compared to a variety of acute and sublethal endpoints for both toxicants. The B. calyciflorus 96-h resting egg production NOEC for PCP of 10 μg/l was 20 times lower than the 48-h asexual reproduction no observed effect concentration (NOEC) and 120 times lower than the 24-h acute lethal concentration 50%. The 96-h resting egg production NOEC for copper of 2.8 μg/l was 7 times lower than the 48-h asexual reproduction NOEC and nine times lower than the 24-h acute LC50. Resting egg production was a more sensitive indicator of toxicity than several other sublethal endpoints as well. These results indicate that partial life-cycle toxicity tests are not sufficiently sensitive to detect ecologically relevant adverse effects.
REMOVAL OF PLUTONIUM FROM NEONATAL RATS BY CHELATION THERAPY

Two-day-old rats injected intragastrically (i.g.) with 238Pu nitrate absorb about 100 times more 238Pu than adult animals. The mucosa of the small intestine retains about 10 times more Pu than is absorbed during the first week after gavage. To determine if chelate therapy is effective for removing deposited Pu or Pu retained in the mucosa, groups of rats were given 238Pu intragastrically and then treated with Ca-DTPA, either i.g. or parenterally, 2 hours (prompt) or 5 days (delayed) later. When the rats were killed, we found that the 238Pu in the intestine was reduced from 18% of the Pu dose to about 2% by prompt treatment. Delayed treatment also reduced the amount in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, to about 15% of untreated controls. Although DTPA is not well absorbed from the GI tract of adult rats, it was about as effective for removing Pu from the neonate when given by gavage as it was when given parenterally. Prompt DTPA treatment reduced the quantity of 238Pu retained in the skeleton, liver and soft tissue to about one-third of the untreated control value; delayed treatment reduced it to about one-half the control value. Treatment by the parenteral route was more effective for removing Pu from bone. The results suggest that 238Pu retained in the mucosa of the GI tract is loosely bound; consequently, chelate therapy is more effective in the GI tract than in the skeleton, where the 238Pu retained is more firmly bound.
Geometric Stability Conditions for Higher Order Difference Equations

Ž . is a higher order or delay autonomous difference equation if the order m is a fixed positive integer larger than 1. The real-valued function f is assumed continuous on R, and x , . . . , x g R are the initial values. In 1ym 0 addition to the fact that discretizations of scalar differential equations Ž . result in equations of type 1 , direct applications of difference equations of order greater than 1 date back to more than half a century ago and nowadays these equations are increasingly encountered in both social and w x w x natural sciences; see, 4 and 6 for some applications and additional references. Ž . Ž . A solution x of f x, . . . , x s x is a fixed point or equilibrium of Eq. Ž . Ž . Ž . 1 . Like its differential analogs, 1 can be and often is translated into a first-order vector equation; the instability or the asymptotic stability of x may then be determined by linearizing the associated vector function,
Creation of a Web-Based Lecture Series for Psychiatry Clerkship Students: Initial Findings.

Objective: In recent years, the trend in medical education has been to utilize clerkship settings outside the medical school. Subsequently, students rotate at distant sites from the main campus and have lectures of varying quantity and quality. The objective of the present study was to standardize the core didactic experience for students in the Psychiatry clerkship by using web-based lectures and to assess student satisfaction with such lectures. Methods: Students completed a brief satisfaction questionnaire after viewing both web-based and live lectures. Results: Students rated both web-based and live lectures positively, although overall satisfaction ratings were higher for live lectures. Shelf-exam scores improved for the current year, suggesting that learning was not negatively affected by the use of web-based lectures. Conclusions: Web-based lectures appear to be a feasible and satisfactory way to ensure didactic comparability across clinical sites.
Measuring the Financial Value of Marketing Strategy with Excess Stock Market Return

This paper proposes excess stock market return as a way to measure the impact of marketing strategy on firm value. First, it provides an overview of event study method. An event study examines the excess return to a firm's stock price after the release of information that is relevant to the firm's financial success. Second, it shows how excess return captures a marketing strategy's impact on firm value. It presents a model that illustrates how a marketing strategy impacts consumers, future cash flows, firm value, investor's expectations, and excess return. Third, a comparison shows that excess return stacks up well against standard marketing metrics. Excess return yields unbiased estimates, allows direct causal inference, is future oriented, includes all cash flows, accounts for opportunity costs, factors in risk, and takes into account the time value of money.
Structural and evolutionary comparisons of four alleles of the mouse immunoglobulin kappa chain gene, Igk-VSer.

The mouseIgK-VSer gene encodes an immunoglobulin κ light chain variable region which gives rise to two phenotypic polymorphisms of mouse κ chains. The nucleotide sequences of coding and flanking regions of theIgk-VSerc andIgk-VSerd alleles found in recently inbred strains of wild mice are compared with those of theIgk-VSera andIgk-VSerb alleles described previously. Results suggest that the gene is evolving randomly and that framework 2 and complentarity determining region 2 are preserved, presumably for overall light chain structure. Results indicate that all four allels have an octamer motif upstream of the gene which should be functional and allow prediction of whether or not the product of the germ line gene will be detectable as either the IB-peptide or Ef1a phenotypic polymorphism. Southern hybridization of genomic DNA using as probe a 1-kbXba I-Xba I fragment located approximately 4 kb upstream of the BALB/cIgk-VSerb coding region demonstrated the presence of homologous DNA in mice bearing theIgk-VSera allele and absence from mice bearing theIgk-VSerc andIgk-VSerd alleles. Nucleotide sequence comparison of BALB/c and SK/CamRk (Igk-VSerd) DNA in this region demonstrated that BALB/c contained an insertion 2.4 kb in length which was absent from SK/CamRk. Both strains contain DNA homologous to the reverse complement of the mouse Bam5 repetitive element at the point of the insertion, with BALB/c containing approximately 70 nucleotides more of the element than SK/CamRk. Surprisingly, the strains containing DNA related to theXba I-Xba I probe are not those determined to be the most similar by nucleotide sequence comparisons and by the Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony program. The evolutionary relationship of the alleles and a possible basis for the inconsistency presented by theXba I-XbaI fragment-related DNA are discussed.
Sea turtle responses to barriers on their nesting beach

Abstract We experimentally studied the nesting behavior and nest-site choice of loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta ) that emerged to nest at night on a beach in southern Brevard County, Florida USA. Emerging turtles were divided between two paired treatments: wall and control. Intercepted turtles in the wall treatment were presented a portable wall that blocked their ascent of the beach. The position of the portable wall was shore-parallel and midway between the recent wrack line and the dune toe. Intercepted turtles in the control treatment ascended the beach and did not encounter a wall. We observed individual turtles in both wall and control treatments so that their nesting behavior could be measured. We observed 44 female loggerheads (22 paired samples). In the control treatment, 15 of 22 turtles completed a nest, and in the wall treatment, 14 of 22 turtles completed a nest. There was no significant difference in nesting success (nests/attempts) between treatments (Chi-square = 0.10, p = 0.75). However, effects from the wall resulted in wall-treatment nests being 3.5 m closer to the surf than control nests, on average. Although it was possible for turtles to nest within 0.5 m of the wall, mean distance of nests from the wall was 3.2 m (SD ± 2.0 m). Although the wall affected the location where nesting occurred, there was no observable effect on the effort turtles made to prepare the nest site, dig an egg chamber, fill it with eggs, cover the eggs, or camouflage the nest site. Egg survivorship did not differ significantly between treatments; however, the sample size was not large enough to detect biologically significant differences in hatching success amidst the high variation in the data. An additional factor that made our test of hatching success less rigorous was the absence of significant beach erosion during the study period. Erosion has been shown to be the principal cause of mortality for nests low on the beach and can cause 100% mortality in the region of beach where the wall-treatment nests were located.
Consortial review and purchase of networked resources: the California State University experience

The California State University System (CSU) utilizes a cooperative buying program to provide a wide range of electronic resources at the lowest negotiable prices. The System’s Electronic Access to Information Committee (EAR) surveys campus needs, identifies and reviews resources, and makes recommendations for purchase. The CSU Software and Electronic Information Resources Office arranges product demonstrations and negotiates contracts. This paper reviews the history and operations of EAR and SEIR, the Principles for the Acquisition of Electronic Information Resources, and the Criteria and Recommendations for an Initial Core Collection. The advantages, disadvantages, and future of this approach will also be considered.
CO EMISSION AND ABSORPTION TOWARD V1647 ORIONIS (McNEIL'S NEBULA)

We present high-resolution infrared spectra of V1647 Ori, the illuminating star of McNeil’s Nebula, which revealthepresenceofhotandcoldgas-phaseCOandicesofCO andH2O.Theemissionlinesof 12 CO(1–0),(2–1), and(3–2)likelyoriginatefrom � 2500Kgasinaninneraccretiondiskregion,wheresubstantialclearingofdusthas occurred. The width of the emission lines increases with increasing J-value, suggesting that the hottest CO gas we detect is located closest to the central star. The narrower widths of the low-J CO emission lines are indicative of more distant, cooler material in the inner disk. Superposed on the low-J emission lines are narrow 12 CO absorption components, which are typical of cold interstellar cloud material at a temperature of � 18 K. The very low column density and very cold temperature for the absorbing gas suggest that we are viewing the central star through intervening material within the L1630 cloud and that the disk is oriented nearly face-on. The Doppler shift of the cold CO is offset from the hot gas by 6 � 2k m s � 1 , so it is likely that the very cold CO originates in a foreground cloud rather than the circumstellar material surrounding V1647 Ori. Model fits to the strong H2 Oa nd CO ice absorption bands are consistent with cold (<20 K) amorphous water ice (� ¼ 0:65) and predominantly apolar CO ice (� ¼ 0:58). The CO and H2O ices are unprocessed (unannealed), similar to the ices in dense clouds. Subject headingg infrared: ISM — ISM: individual (McNeil’s Nebula) — reflection nebulae
Sampling and Analysis of Alkali in High-Temperature, High-Pressure Gasification Streams

This paper describes the experiences leading to successful sampling of hot, contaminated, coal-derived gas streams for alkali constituents using advanced spectrometers. This activity was integrated with a multi-phase, combustion test program which addressed the use of minimally treated, coal-derived fuel gas in gas turbines. Alkali contaminants in coal-derived fuels are a source of concern, as they may induce corrosion of and deposition on turbine components. Real-time measurement of alkali concentrations in gasifier output fuel gas streams is important in evaluating these effects on turbine performance. An automated, dual-channel, flame atomic emission spectrometer was used to obtain on-line measurements of total sodium and potassium mass loadings (vapors and particles) in two process streams at the General Electric fixed-bed coal gasifier and turbine combustor simulator facility in Schenectady, New York. Alkali measurements were taken on (1) slipstreams of high temperature, high pressure, minimally clean, low-Btu fuel gas containing entrained particles from the gasifier and (2) a slipstream of the exhaust gas from the combustor/turbine simulator. Alkali detection limits for the analyzer were found to be on the order of one part per billion. Providing a representative sample to the alkali analyzer at the limited flows required by the instrument was a major challenge of this activity. Several approaches and sampling hardware configurations were utilized with varying degrees of success during this testing campaign. The resulting information formed the basis for a second generation sampling system which has recently been successfully utilized to measure alkali concentrations in slipstreams from the described fixed-bed coal gasifier and turbine combustor simulator.Copyright © 1985 by ASME
Classical versus non-classical behaviour of incommensurate systems from secondary order parameter susceptibility

Abstract A relation between the susceptibility of secondary order parameters (polarization, elastic strain, etc.) and the soliton density ns in incommensurate systems is derived from phenomenological considerations. It is argued, that this relation allows to distinguish between classical and nonclassical behaviour of ns. Present experimental findings support the idea, that the classical theory is essentially correct for three-dimensional systems.
Preparation of poly(diethylsiloxane) with the NaOH/12-crown-4 catalyst

Abstract A new technique for the preparation of poly(diethylsiloxane) (PDES) is described. The monomer hexaethylcyclotrisiloxane is polymerized with NaOH as a catalyst in the presence of the promoter 12-crown-4 (1,4,7,10 tetraoxacyclododecane). The effects of NaOH concentration, 12-crown-4 concentration, and polymerization time on the molecular weight distribution are reported. A mechanism for the polymerization is proposed based on current knowledge of anionic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic siloxanes. The advantages and disadvantages of this synthesis relative to previously published PDES syntheses are discussed.
Magnetic recording read head sensor technology

Abstract Since the invention of the hard-disk drive in 1956, the technology of the magnetic head sensor has never ceased to evolve. Today's sensors are drastically different from those used in these early heads; they can detect and transmit information from recorded data at densities greater than 200 Gbit/in2 and data rates approaching 1 GHz. Numerous advances in nanomagnetics, magnetic ultrathin films, magneto-electronics, as well as device processing, have fueled the remarkable progress of this technology. An overview of the science and technology behind magnetic read head sensors is presented. The dimensional, geometrical and magnetic requirements for the heads are first described, followed by a description of the state of the art giant-magnetoresistive read sensors. We then discuss characteristics and potential advantages of next-generation read sensors, including current-perpendicular-to-plane tunnel-magnetoresistance and giant magnetoresistive sensors. The interplay between sensor properties, size requirements, process limitations and head performance is emphasized. To cite this article: J.R. Childress, R.E. Fontana Jr., C. R. Physique 6 (2005).
X-RAY ANALYSES OF ELEMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS IN FEATHERS: COMPARISON OF XRF AND PIXE

The X-ray analysis techniques of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) were tested for their sensitivity, precision, and accuracy in conducting elemental analyses on feathers. XRF could detect 21 elements directly in the sample matrix with minimum detectable limits of 0.5 to 1 μg/g for most elements. Due to the feather's thickness, a correction factor was applied to account for X-rays absorbed within the sample matrix. To confirm the results obtained by XRF, atomic absorption spectroscopy was conducted for mercury on four samples analyzed by XRF and the results were consistent between the two analytical techniques. The feathers, which ranged from 3 to 7 mg/cm2 in areal density, proved too thick for straightforward analysis by PIXE. While corrections could have been applied, the feather's structure makes the task difficult and the beam attenuation correction would compound the already large X-ray absorption correction factor. The XRF system was then tested for its effectiveness in two field studies. The first project used XRF to determine geographic differences between two populations of brown pelicans where nine of the fourteen elements routinely detected varied between the populations. The second project used XRF to trace mercury contamination in birds at Clear Lake, CA. The feathers showed elevated mercury concentrations while other potential contaminants were low.
Blood transfusion in the critically ill: does storage age matter?

Morphologic and biochemical changes occur during red cell storage prior to product expiry, and these changes may hinder erythrocyte viability and function following transfusion. Despite a relatively large body of literature detailing the metabolic and structural deterioration that occurs during red cell storage, evidence for a significant detrimental clinical effect related to the transfusion of older blood is relatively less conclusive, limited primarily to observations in retrospective studies. Nonetheless, the implication that the transfusion of old, but not outdated blood may have negative clinical consequences demands attention. In this report, the current understanding of the biochemical and structural changes that occur during storage, known collectively as the storage lesion, is described, and the clinical evidence concerning the detrimental consequences associated with the transfusion of relatively older red cells is critically reviewed. Although the growing body of literature demonstrating the deleterious effects of relatively old blood is compelling, it is notable that all of these reports have been retrospective, and most of these studies have evaluated patients who received a mixture of red cell units of varying storage age. Until prospective studies have been completed and produce confirmative results, it would be premature to recommend any modification of current transfusion practice regarding storage age.
Origin of the carbon 1s-core level shifts in polyimide model compounds

Carbon 1s (C1s) core-level positions have been calculated for two model compounds which are similar in structure to the PMDA part of the PMDA-ODA monomer of polyimide. It is found that either one or two N-phenyl imide groups fused to a benzene ring will lower the C1s energy levels of the benzene ring. The difference in previous interpretation of the origin of the C1s (ESCA) spectra between the two model compounds examined is shown to be consistent with the difference in calculated magnitude of this shift between the two compounds.
A footnote to the 1939 census of the USSR

(1963). A footnote to the 1939 census of the USSR. Soviet Studies: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 421-424.
Two-level system coupled to a boson mode.

The thermodynamics of a two-level system coupled to a boson field is investigated by means of a functional-integral method. The model can be used to describe the motion of a small polaron between two sites on a molecule, or a spin-1/2 magnetic moment coupled to a phonon bath. The model is also relevant to the problem of dissipation in macroscopic quantum phenomena. We use a functional-integral method to investigate a two-level electronic system coupled linearly to a harmonic oscillator. The density matrix is cast as a functional integral over paths obeying one-sided boundary conditions at either 0 or \ensuremath{\beta}=1/${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$T. The integration variables are c numbers for the oscillator and Grassmann numbers for the electrons. The oscillator variables are integrated out, leaving an effective density matrix for the electrons containing retarded interactions. The partition function is then calculated up to second order of an expansion about the exact fermionic classical paths. Then, the free energy, specific heat, and average hopping energy are obtained. We find that the most significant reduction in the hopping energy is manifested at intermediate temperatures.
Hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of Cretaceous aquifers, Southern High Plains, U.S.A.

Abstract Cretaceous rocks in the Southern High Plains, traditionally considered to be part of the High Plains aquifer and to be recharged by the overlying Ogallala aquifer, actually contain three aquifers with different recharge sources. Two separate subcrop areas of Cretaceous rocks underlie the Ogallala Formation. These subcrops are composed of sandstones, limestones, and shales having a total thickness of as much as 76 m. Three aquifers, the Trinity sandstone, the Edwards limestone, and the Duck Creek-Kiamichi sandstones and limestones, were identified within the Cretaceous section. Wherever the Ogallala aquifer is thin or missing, Cretaceous aquifers are the main water supply. Major recharge sources are (1) percolation through thick surficial alluvial deposits and sand dunes in New Mexico and northwestern Texas and (2) leakage from the underlying Dockum aquifer in eastern New Mexico. Recharge from the overlying Ogallala aquifer is restricted to small parts of the study area. Elsewhere, differences in hydraulic heads and similarities in chemical and isotopic composition suggest cross-formational flow from Cretaceous aquifers into the overlying Ogallala Formation or into the underlying Dockum Group.
Determining the duration of antidepressant treatment: application of signal detection methodology and the need for duration adaptive designs (DAD).

Background With remission now the treatment goal, antidepressant trial duration has increased. However, most patients do not remit and are exposed to prolonged, ineffective treatment. Methods Conditional probabilities and signal detection methodology were contrasted in early detection of nonremitters in three comparator, 12-week antidepressant trials conducted in late- or mid-life depression. Results The mid- and late-life samples did not differ in rates or time-to-onset of remission or accuracy of early identification of nonremission. Using conditional probabilities, there were marked differences in predictive power depending on the remission criterion. With signal detection methods, sensitivity and specificity of early identification were uniform across the differing medication conditions, remission criteria, and the three studies. By week 6, ≥ 60% of ultimate nonremitters were identified, while maintaining a false positive rate ≤ 20%. Conclusions The goals of providing maximal opportunity to achieve remission, while minimizing exposure to ineffective treatment can be satisfied by use of duration adaptive designs (DAD). While use of conditional probabilities has been the traditional method for early detection of nonremitters, this approach is inferior to use of signal detection methods. The findings also contradicted the widely held view that patients with late-life depression require longer treatment duration.