cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Vibrio vulnificus in estuarine waters of the south Texas Coastal Bend region

Aims: To determine the occurrence of the human pathogen, Vibrio vulnificus, in south Texas coastal waters. Methods and Results: Coastal waters were sampled monthly between August 2006 and July 2007. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, conductivity and turbidity were measured during each sampling event. Culture-based techniques utilizing Vibrio vulnificus agar (VVA) and membrane-Enterococcus indoxyl-β-d-glucoside agar (mEI) were used to assess the occurrence and levels of V. vulnificus and the faecal contamination indicator group, enterococci, respectively. Vibrio vulnificus isolates were confirmed using colony-blot hybridization with the species-specific VVAP probe. Vibrio vulnificus was isolated at all sites throughout the year even when the water temperature dropped to 9·71°C. Significant correlations were found between concentrations of V. vulnificus and the abiotic factors, water temperature (P = 0·002) and dissolved oxygen (P = 0·028), as well as between concentrations of V. vulnificus and enterococci (P < 0·001). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the year-round presence of V. vulnificus in coastal waters of south Texas. Significance and Impact of the Study: These findings indicate that the potential for human exposure to the pathogen, V. vulnificus, exists throughout the year. It also suggests that routinely monitored data might be used to predict the occurrence of the pathogen.
Canonical correlation analysis for assessing the performance of adaptive spectral imagers

A new class of spectrally adaptive infrared detectors has been reported recently that has a spectral response function that can be altered electronically by controlling the bias voltage of the photodetector. Unlike conventional sensors, these new sensors have ``bands'' that have highly correlated spectral responses. The potential benefit of these sensors is that the number of bands (and their spectral features) used can be adapted to a specific task. The drawback is that there might not be enough spectral diversity to perform detection and classification operations. In this paper we present a new theory that describes the suitability of an arbitrary spectral sensor to perform a specific spectral detection/classification task. This theory is based on the geometric relationships between the sensor space that describes the spectral characteristics of the detector and a scene space that contains the spectra to be observed. We adapt the theory of canonical correlation analysis to provide a rigorous framework for assessing the utility of spectral detectors. We also show that this general theory encompasses traditional band selection methods, but provides much greater flexibility and a more transparent and intuitive explanation of the phenomenology.
Response modalities and time-sharing performance

An experiment performed to investigate the role of resource competition and asymmetric transfer in dual-task performance is described. It is shown that there is an advantage to mixed manual/speech response modality configurations that cannot be accounted for by asymmetric transfer. The present results support the multiple resources approach to the application of speech technology. Once speech recognition achieves an acceptable level of operational reliability, speech controls can be used to reduce resource competition and improve performance in multitask environments.
Evidence of fluid-filled upper crust from observations of postseismic deformation due to the 1992 Mw7.3 Landers earthquake

[1] Postseismic deformation due to the 1992 Mw7.3 Landers, southern California, earthquake is investigated using the entire catalog of the ERS synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, and GPS measurements made between 1992 and 1999. The stacked interferometric SAR (InSAR) data spanning the time period of 7 years between the Landers and the Hector Mine earthquakes reveal a transient postseismic deformation with a characteristic decay time of several years. The horizontal displacements measured with GPS exhibit somewhat smaller decay times of 1–2 years. I use a slip model of the Landers earthquake that fits all available geodetic data [Fialko, 2004] to calculate and compare permanent postseismic displacements due to viscoelastic and poroelastic relaxation. Viscoelastic models assuming weak mantle or lower crust do not agree with the InSAR data in the limit of complete relaxation, implying large (>10 years) relaxation times, essentially nonlinear rheology, or an appreciable yield strength of the lower lithosphere. A combination of poroelastic relaxation above the brittle-ductile transition and localized shear deformation on and below the Landers rupture is able to explain most of the available geodetic data. The InSAR data suggest that pore fluids and interconnected pore space are ubiquitously present throughout the seismogenic layer up to depth of 15 km or greater. The effective hydraulic diffusivity of the upper crust inferred from the kinetics of surface deformation is of the order of 0.1–1 m2/s, consistent with the laboratory, field, and deep borehole measurements. The post-Landers geodetic data suggest that discrete narrow fault zones extend into the lower crust and perhaps the uppermost mantle, thus lending support to a “block tectonics” model of the Eastern California Shear Zone.
Q From Pulse Width of Dispersed Arrivals

Measurements of pulse width and travel time are used to estimate for dispersed arrivals. The method is based on propagating a reference wavelet with the constant-Q plane wave response using the phase velocity and travel path from the data. Differences in pulse width and travel time between the reference wavelet and the propagated pulse are used to construct a reference curve, called a Q-gram. The Q-gram, together with the measured pulse width increase in the data, gives the Q of the data.
Second messengers mediating the effects of testis ecdysiotropin in testes of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar

Exposure of larval and pupal testes of Lymantria dispar to diacyl glycerol mimics, phorbol, 12-myristate, 13-acetate, and 11, 12 dibutyryl phorbol ester, induced or augmented synthesis of immunodetectable ecdysteroids. The non-esterified analog, 4α-phorbol, had little effect. H-7, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited ecdysteroid synthesis. When testis ecdysiotropin and phorbol esters were administered together at the maximum effective dose of each, steroidogenesis was further enhanced. Therefore, diacyl glycerol may be a second messenger for testis ecdysiotropin in testes. In addition, testis ecdysiotropin induced a rapid rise and fall in cAMP titers in both larval and pupal testes. The cyclic AMP analog, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, induced ecdysteroid synthesis in larval testes, but had little steroidogenic effect in pupal testis sheaths. However, dibutyryl cyclic AMP inhibited the steroidogenic effect of testis ecdysiotropin in larval as well as pupal testes. Cyclic AMP may act to modulate the effects of testis ecdysiotropin in inducing ecdysteroid synthesis by testes of L. dispar. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A linear eddy sub-grid model for turbulent reacting flows: Application to hydrogen-AIR combustion

A new sub-grid mixing model for use in large eddy simulations of turbulent combustion is presented and applied to a hydrogen-air diffusion flame. The sub-grid model is based on Kerstein's Linear Eddy Model (Comb. Sci. Tech 60, 391, 1988), which reduces the description of the scalar field to a locally one-dimensional representation. The formulation involves performing separate linear eddy calculations in each cell to describe the small-scale scalar mixing and reaction process. Convective transport across grid surfaces is accomplished by “splicing” events by which linear eddy elements are copied to and from neighboring grid cells based on the grid-resolved velocity field. The model is first used to predict, the mixing of a conserved scalar in a turbulent shear flow. The model correctly predicts the behavior of the pdf of the scalar field. In particular, it displays a non-marching peak at the preferred mixture fraction as the shear layer is traversed. It is then illustrated how a reduced chemical mechanism can be implemented within the linear eddy subgrid model formulation. The model is used to predict NO formation in a hydrogen-air diffusion flame using a reduced chemical mechanism involving nine reactive scalars.
Physicians' choice for their own hernia repairs.

ABSTRACT Background and Purpose: While the optimal method of inguinal herniorrhaphy is controversial, there is growing acceptance that laparoscopic hernia repair is a legitimate alternative to conventional techniques. This study sought to determine if physicians as patients had different preferences for their own hernia repairs than nonphysician patients. Patients and Methods: Total endoscopic preperitoneal (TEP) herniorrhaphy was introduced into the author's practice in 1995. Open herniorrhaphies (OH) were performed under local anesthesia and were almost all tension-free repairs. Patients were given the option of surgical technique after a discussion with the author, although patients with primary unilateral hernias were encouraged to undergo a tension-free OH. A prospective database was kept and subsequently analyzed. Results: In the 3 years from June 1, 1995, to June 1,1998, a total of 138 OH and 77 TEP repairs were performed. There were 19 physicians among the 215 patients. During the 3-year period, t...
Mechanisms underlying the increase in young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) density with habitat complexity

We tested three hypotheses used to explain the increase in young-of-the-year (YOY) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) density with habitat complexity: the territory-size, predator-refuge, and foraging-b...
Space–Time Extremes in Short-Crested Storm Seas

AbstractThis study develops a stochastic approach to model short-crested stormy seas as random fields both in space and time. Defining a space–time extreme as the largest surface displacement over a given sea surface area during a storm, associated statistical properties are derived by means of the theory of Euler characteristics of random excursion sets in combination with the Equivalent Power Storm model. As a result, an analytical solution for the return period of space–time extremes is given. Subsequently, the relative validity of the new model and its predictions are explored by analyzing wave data retrieved from NOAA buoy 42003, located in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Naples, Florida. The results indicate that, as the storm area increases under short-crested wave conditions, space–time extremes noticeably exceed the significant wave height of the most probable sea state in which they likely occur and that they also do not violate Stokes–Miche-type upper limits on wave heights.
Commodity Price Shocks and the Odds on Fiscal Performance: A Structural Vector Autoregression Approach

Unanticipated changes in commodity prices can generate significant movements in fiscal aggregates. This paper seeks to understand the dynamics of these fiscal movements in the context of transitory commodity price shocks, using sample data from four countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States—two oil-exporting and two non-oil-exporting commodity-intensive countries. It adopts a structural vector autoregression approach to identify dynamic effects of commodity price shocks on fiscal performance under two broad tax regimes. Stochastic simulations indicate high probabilities of fiscal overperformance in the short term when commodity prices are high. These probabilities deteriorate significantly, however, in the long run after the transitory positive commodity price shock has dissipated, particularly when lax fiscal policy is adopted during the period of the price boom.
High-spin hexa- and pentacoordinated complexes of some first row transition metals with thiodiethanol

Abstract The potentially tridentate ligand thiodiethanol (TDEH2) forms 1 : 1 crystalline complexes with the chlorides of chromium(III), manganese(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II) and copper(II). It also forms 1 : 2 complexes with nickel(II) and cobalt(II) chlorides. Analytical, spectral and conductivity data indicate the 1 : 1 complexes are five coordinate and non-electrolytes. I.R. spectra indicate all hydroxyl groups are coordinated to the metal ion. The analytical, spectral and conductivity data of the 1 : 2 complexes support an octahedral structure. I.R. data indicates two hydroxyl groups are not coordinated to the metal ion. All compounds have magnetic moment values typical of high-spin complexes. Assignments for the electronic spectra are suggested.
The Political Economy of Parking Charges in "First" and "Second-best" Worlds

Abstract The paper explores ways in which economists view parking charges within the context of policy formulation. Recent trends in economic analysis have taken more note of the institutional structure in which decisions are made; institutions embracing both formal structures such as laws but also the de facto ways in which actual outcomes emerge. While this distinction is often applied to final consumers, it also has relevance for those setting and enforcing micro economic policies such as parking policies. Taking a neo-classical economic approach would lead parking policies in one direction, but allowing for transactions costs, hysteresis, second-best factors, game-playing, etc. as well as normative concerns over equity of various kinds, all of which reflect institutional structures, can lead into a variety of others. The aim is to explain why current parking policies deviate from classical economic ideals.
Local cytoplasmic calcium gradients in living mitotic cells

Cytoplasmic free calcium has been proposed as a regulator of many microtubule-mediated processes, including mitosis. It has been difficult to test this hypothesis because methods for local measurement of free Ca2+ in the living cell have not been available. We have used the fluorescent calcium indicator dye Quin-2 (methoxyquinoline-1bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N' -tetra acetic acid), which allows such observations to be made by digital processing of fluorescent images from the light microscope. Here we report the application of this technique to the study of local Ca2+ concentrations in mitotic endosperm cells of Haemanthus sp., and show that there is transient increase in free Ca2+ at the mitotic spindle poles during anaphase. This locally high Ca2+ may provide a mechanism for the regional control of microtubules and other cytoskeletal elements during anaphase.
On comparison of interactions of a "bitter-sensitive protein" from porcine tongues with human taste thresholds.

Doig, Lopiekes and I earlier reported the interactions of a porcine protein fraction with bitter compounds1. Price has recently commented on the poor agreement of our data with, as he states, “characteristics which might be expected of ‘the bitter-receptor protein’”2. I would like to make the following comments on comparisons drawn between porcine association constants and human bitter-threshold values.
T helper cells in cytotoxic T lymphocyte development: analysis of the cellular basis for deficient T helper cell function in the L3T4-independent T helper cell pathway.

Abstract In this present study, lymphokine (IL2/IL-4) production in VSV-induced Th cell (L3T4 + Lyt-2 − VSV-immune T cells) and memory CTL populations (L3T4-Lyt-2 + VSV-immune T cells) has been assessed in order to gain some understanding as to why the Lyt-2 + subset (L3T4-independent Th cell pathway) fails to provide Th cell function for anti-VSV CTL responses. Our studies demonstrated that following specific antigen (VSV, H-2 antigen) or mitogen stimulation, lymphokine activity was detected in the supernatants obtained from VSV-induced Th but not VSV memory CTL populations. The presence of blocking concentrations of PC61, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), revealed augmented lymphokine activity only in the VSV-induced Th cell supernatant. VSV-induced Th cells secreted both IL-2 and IL-4 following stimulation with VSV. Two lines of evidence supported the view that both these lymphokines were important for an anti-VSV CTL response: (1) mAb to either IL-2 or IL-4 inhibited CTL maturation and (2) the combination of exogenous IL-2 and IL-4 reconstituted a class I-restricted, VSV-specific CTL response in Th cell-depleted T cell cultures. The failure to detect lymphokine production in bulk cultures of the VSV memory CTL population was consistent with limiting dilution (1-D) analysis of lymphokine-producing cells in the spleen of VSV-immune mice. Thus, approximately 1/15,000 Lyt-2-depleted, VSV-immune T cells were positive for lymphokine production following VSV stimulation, whereas + subset. Lymphokine-secreting Lyt-2 + cells were detected at low but not high cell densities suggesting that Lyt-2 + cells may secrete another lymphokine(s) that inhibits IL-2/IL-4 production. Thus, these studies demonstrate an obligatory requirement for the L3T4-dependent Th cell pathway for optimal CTL responses derived from either CTLp or memory CTLs.
One-Period Model of Individual Consumption, Life Insurance, and Investment Decisions

This article studies individuals' optimal decisions on consumption, life in surance, and stock purchases in a one-period framework. With exponential utility functions, individuals' life insurance and stock purchases are indepen dent of each other; life insurance purchases are affected only by individuals' future income, bequest intensity, risk attitude, survival probability, and the insurance risk premium; stock purchases are affected only by individuals' risk attitude, the risk-free rate of return, the stock return, and stock volatility. With power utility functions, life insurance and stock purchases are posi tively related with each other and are affected by all the factors.
Regularity of minimizers of the calculus of variations in Carnot groups via hypoellipticity of systems of Hörmander type

We prove the hypoellipticity for systems of Hormander type with constant coefficients in Carnot groups of step 2. This result is used to implement blow-up methods and prove partial regularity for local minimizers of non-convex functionals, and for solutions of non-linear systems which appear in the study of non-isotropic metric structures with scalings. We also establish estimates of the Hausdorff dimension of the singular set.
Corticotropin-releasing factor type-1 receptor antagonists: The next class of antidepressants?

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neuropeptide that plays a primary role in the neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to stressors. Numerous reports suggest that alterations in CRF function contribute to the pathogenesis of depression. Recently, selective nonpeptide CRF type 1 (CRF1) receptor antagonists have been discovered and several of these CRF1 receptor antagonists have demonstrated antidepressant-like efficacy in animals. The CRF1 receptor antagonists appear to be unique, as they exhibit antidepressant-like activity principally in animal models that are hyperresponsive to stress or under experimental conditions that alter endogenous stress-hormone activity. A nonpeptide CRF1 receptor antagonist has also been shown to reduce symptoms of major depression in an open-label clinical trial. Accumulating evidence supports a role for nonpeptide CRF1 receptor antagonists among the future pharmacotherapies for the treatment of depression.
Welfare Implications of Oligopoly in U.S. Food Manufacturing

A statistical procedure is used to show that increased concentration in U.S. food-manufacturing industries is associated with increased total input productivity. A price leadership model is employed in order to estimate total welfare loss. If an elasticity of −1 is assumed, deadweight loss to society is estimated at 0.5% of food value. If an elasticity of −0.5 is assumed, total loss to consumers amounts to 6.11% of food value, which is $10 billion in 1975. The increase in total factor productivity which is linked to concentration is roughly sufficient to offset the entire loss to consumers.
Bypass grafts for recurrent or complex coarctations of the aorta

Twenty-three patients aged 5 to 53 years with recurrent or complex coarctations of the aorta were successfully operated upon using bypass grafts. This technique of repair was selected for 5 patients with recurrent coarctation, 11 with long-segment coarctation with or without hypoplasia of the transverse aortic arch, and 7 with inadequate collateral circulation. Nineteen patients had bypass grafts from the left subclavian artery to the distal descending thoracic aorta. The other 4 had a combined approach through a left thoractomy and median sternotomy with grafts between the ascending and descending thoracic aorta. All patients survived the operative procedure. One patient were reexplored for a hemothorax and 5 developed transient postoperative hypertension. There were no instances of abdominal vasculitis or lower extremity paralysis. These patients have been followed from 3 months to 11 years postoperatively, and all but 1 are alive and well. Twenty-two are normotensive, and none have the sequelae of hypertensive disease. Gradients up to only 15 mm Hg exist between upper and lower extremity blood pressures. Five patients have undergone postoperative catheterization and aortography, and all have patent grafts. This procedure is a useful and adjunct in difficult coarctations of the aorta and can be safely performed with excellent reproducible long-term results.
Relationships between the chemical constitution of aggregation inhibitors and human blood platelet response profile.

Abstract Gradually altered synthetic entities were employed as molecular probes, and arachidonic acid, ADP, human α-thrombin and the Ca 2+ ionophore A23187 as aggregation-inducing agents, in a comprehensive study on the response profile of human blood platelets with an emphasis on the effects of exogenous and increased intracellular Ca 2+ . Corroborating further previous conclusions, some representative carbamoylpiperidine derivatives, at concentrations effecting substantial inhibition of ADP-induced aggregation, failed to retain that effect when 5.0 mM Ca 2+ was introduced into the otherwise identical test medium; reference compounds chlorpromazine and propranolol registered corresponding inhibitory patterns. At increased concentrations the compounds' inhibitory potency was regenerated even in the presence of 5 mM Ca 2+ . In fact, in sufficiently high concentrations, the compounds were even capable of inhibiting aggregation elicited by 15 μM of the ionophore A23187; so did chlorpromazine and propranolol. Another set of congeners revealed the striking sensitivity of ionophore A23187-induced human blood platelet aggregation to the surface active potencies of inhibitor molecules. The loss in inhibitory potency was directly related to the lesser hydrophobic character of the molecule.
Application of a resource allocation system in a technology‐based public organization

A resource allocation system developed for a government laboratory has been subjected to a full-scale experiment within that organization. The experimental system includes: (1) a multiplicative benefit estimation procedure, (2) a constrained optimization resource allocation model hosting piecewise linear benefit functions and interactive capabilities for sensitivity analysis, and (3)a network tracking procedure for predicting progress on major laboratory objectives. It is applied to R & D activities representing 3/4 of the laboratory's total program. The methodological philosophy, structure, and experimental design are presented together with attitudinal data and informational insights gleaned from the experiment. The flexibility of the system for adapting to alternative management models and benefit functional forms is demonstrated.
Effect of recombinant tumor necrosis factor on HL-60 cells: cell-cycle specificity and synergism with actinomycin D.

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) exhibits a multitude of activities depending on the type of target cells. We characterized the cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of recombinant TNF, alone and in combination with actinomycin D (AMD), on the human leukemic cell line HL-60. Because HL-60 cells, when triggered to monocytic differentiation by phorbol esters, are known to produce and secrete TNF, their sensitivity to the factor could indicate an autocrine function of TNF in this cell system. Indeed, HL-60 cells were affected by TNF; their doubling time was increased by about 50% and progression through the cell cycle was perturbed. Initially, (up to 8 h) TNF induced a temporary arrest in G2 while later (24–48 h) it delayed progression through the G1 phase. Also, a transient increase in RNA content peaking at 6–8 h was apparent. The cytotoxicity of TNF alone was low. Thus, TNF may be involved in the regulation of the cell cycle of HL-60 cells during early stages of their differentiation. The cytotoxicity of TNF was markedly potentiated in the presence of AMD; the effect was AMD but not TNF concentration-dependent. Whereas at 20 and 50 ng/ml of AMD alone nonviable cells did not exceed 20% during the first 24 h of treatment, their proportion increased to 80 and 90%, respectively, in the presence of TNF. The most sensitive were cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. The observed synergistic effect of TNF and AMD does not appear to be caused by the action of TNF increasing the permeability of the cell membrane to AMD. The results indicate that HL-60 cells, ordinarily resistant to the cytotoxic action of TNF, can be rendered sensitive by treatment with AMD. This implies that a combination of TNF and AMD may be considered in oncology for treatment of tumors otherwise nonresponding to TNF alone.
Adapting to environmental variations in a rule-based mobile robot controller

A method of adapting an entire rule-base to new environmental conditions is introduced. The method, based on curve fitting, is explained using the example of a rule-based mobile robot control. Specifically, it is shown that it is possible to transform a so-called generic rule-base, for operation on a firm surface with an acceleration of 6 ft/sec/sup 2/, to a working rule-base, for operation on a less firm surface with a lower allowable acceleration, using a family of fuzzy mappings. >
Ethyl 5β‐Cholest‐3‐ene‐5‐Acetate

Ethyl 5β-cholest-3-ene-5-acetate reactant: 970 mg. (2.50 mmoles) of cholest-4-en-3β-ol reactant: Triethyl orthoacetate product: ethyl 5β-cholest-3-ene-5-acetate solvent: Baker petroleum ether Keywords: esterification, unsubstituted monobasic acids; rearrangements; apparatus, for preparation, of allyl vinyl ethers and subsequent claisen rearrangement
A leaf disk assay for screening sweet cherry genotypes for susceptibility to powdery mildew

A detached leaf disk assay for screening sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) genotypes for susceptibility to powdery mildew (PM) (Podosphaera clandestina (Wallr.:Fr.) Lev.) was developed by evaluating the effects of photoperiod (24 hours light, 0 hours light, 14 hours light/10 hours dark), substrate nutrient content (sterile distilled water, 1% sucrose), leaf age (old, young, emergent), and leaf explant size (intact leaf, 30 mm, 20 mm) on PM growth on leaves from the susceptible cultivar Bing. The only parameter described that had a significant (P ≤ 0.001) effect on PM growth was leaf age. Old leaves, designated as the third fully expanded leaf from the basal end of current-year's shoot growth, were never infected with PM under controlled inoculations. In the absence of significant differences between treatments, those parameters with the highest treatment means were selected for subsequent evaluation. To test the leaf disk assay, 14 sweet cherry cultivars were screened in two experiments, and rated according to level of PM susceptibility. Rank sum comparison of results from cultivars used for leaf disk screening agreed with earlier field rankings of the same cultivars. The developed leaf disk assay greatly reduced the space required to screen sweet cherry cultivars, and was a repeatable and objective predictor of field resistance that may be useful for screening germplasm or breeding populations. trees (Grove and Boal, 1991a). These cleistothecia serve as the primary inoculum source. Infections in eastern Washington are first observed in late April to mid-May, ≈4 to 6 weeks after budbreak. Initially, PM appears as light-colored lesions on leaves, generally in the inner portions of the canopy. Developing colonies are white, and eventually cause blis- tering and leaf deformation. Young, vigorous shoots are infected most often, resulting in stunted growth. Foliar incidence of PM in- creases through May and June, with rapid increases in secondary inoculum (i.e., conidia of the pathogen). Foliar PM continues to be severe after harvest, partly because Washing- ton growers stop fungicide applications im- mediately before harvest (Grove, 1998). Podosphaera clandestina is controlled with sterol-inhibiting fungicides. However, recent reports identified site-specific incidences of P. clandestina resistant to fenarimol ( α-(2-
A dynamic pricing model for data services in GPRS networks

GPRS data services are subject to severe performance degradation due to limited network resources. The technical approaches taken to alleviate the problem are not sufficient to encounter a complete range of incoming scenarios. In this paper, we define and study analytically a performance model for GPRS data services that takes into account prices that change dynamically, depending on the congestion in the system. The model is based on a Markov modulated Poisson process (MMPP), where the arrival rates are affected by a demand function. Performance metrics are also calculated. We believe that the proposed model captures the effect of dynamic pricing on the performance of GPRS data services in a realistic manner.
Clinical Presentation of HPV-Driven Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

Due to the relatively subtle symptoms caused by lesions in the pharynx, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) are frequently not identified until they are at an advanced stage. Neck masses are commonly the presenting symptom, with small primary masses in the oropharynx. In addition, patients with human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancer have a very different set of clinicodemographic characteristics than oropharyngeal cancer associated with smoking and alcohol usage. This may lead to physicians underestimating the significance of neck masses or throat pain in this younger, healthier patient population. This chapter will review the relevant clinical epidemiology, risk factors, and patient characteristics of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, as well as the anatomy of the oropharynx and the adjacent structures. The typical clinical presentation and appropriate evaluation for these carcinomas will be outlined and the challenges of diagnosing these patients will be discussed. Second primaries and patterns of recurrence will be compared between HPV (+) and (−) OPSCC. And finally, the need for a revised staging system will be explored.
Effects of Moderate Densities of Glossy Buckthorn on Forested Plant Communities in Southwest New Hampshire, USA

To investigate the hypothesis that Frangula alnus, glossy buckthorn, is causing a decrease in native plant diversity in forested plant communities of southwest New Hampshire, thirty nine 20-m × 20-m plots were established in five different forest types, and all buckthorn saplings and seedlings were removed from 15 of the plots. A nested plot design was used to sample shrubs and herbs. Treatment plots were kept free of buckthorn for five years. There was a positive relationship between pre-treatment buckthorn density and percent openness of the forest canopy, and with basal area of white pine (Pinus strobus), but not with soil wetness indicators. No significant changes in overall plant diversity or stem density were detected after buckthorn was removed, although stem density of woody plants, and seedlings of Acer rubrum did show significant increases in the treatment plots when compared to controls, but these effects were only seen in areas with the highest densities of buckthorn. No effects of buckthorn were observed below an average of 8.25 stems per m2. Compared to other areas of the northeastern United States, the densities of buckthorn were very low. Buckthorn seedling densities showed small increases in the control and monitoring plots, perhaps indicating a slow build-up to a “threshold” density, beyond which greater impacts on native species may be seen.
Chronic kidney disease and associated mortality after liver transplantation--a time-dependent analysis using measured glomerular filtration rate.

Background & Aims The accuracy of creatinine-based estimated GFR (eGFR) in assessing the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated mortality after liver transplantation (LTx) is unknown. Using measured GFR (mGFR) by iothalamate clearance, we determined the prevalence of the entire spectrum of renal dysfunction and the impact of CKD on mortality after LTx. Methods A database that prospectively tracks all LTx recipients at this academic transplant program from 1985 to 2012 was queried to identify all adult primary LTx recipients. Our post-LTx protocol incorporates GFR measurement by iothalamate clearance at regular intervals. A multistate model was used to assess the prevalence of CKD, kidney transplant, and death after LTx. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of mGFR and eGFR changes on survival. Results A total of 1211 transplant recipients were included. At the time of LTx, the median age was 54years, 60% were male and 86% were Caucasian. At 25years after LTx, 54% of patients died, 9% underwent kidney transplantation, whereas 7%, 21%, and 18% had mGFR >60, 59–30, and 2 respectively. The risk of death increased when mGFR decreased below 30ml/min/1.73m 2 : HR=2.67 (95% CI=1.80–3.96) for GFR=29–15ml/min/1.73m 2 and HR=5.47 (95% CI=3.10–9.65) for GFR 2 . Compared to mGFR, eGFR underestimated mortality risk in LTx recipients with an eGFR of 30–90ml/min/1.73m 2 . Conclusions An overwhelming majority of LTx recipients develop CKD. The risk of death increases exponentially when GFR 2 . Creatinine-based eGFR underestimates the mortality risk in a large proportion of patients.
Analytical solutions for static elastic deformations of wire ropes

This paper develops closed-form solutions for extension of twisted wire ropes subjected to axial forces for two different end conditions. The analytical results are compared with the corresponding numerical results obtained by Costello and Phillips. A close agreement between the two establishes validity of the analytical solutions. Finally, an expression for the effective rigidity modulus of the wire ropes is obtained in terms of the helix angle and the number of helical wires in the rope for each of the two end conditions.
Long-term outcome of vagus nerve stimulation therapy after failed epilepsy surgery

Abstract Objective Adequate control of intractable epilepsy continues to be a challenge. Little is known about the role of VNS therapy in intractable epilepsy in patients who failed to respond to surgical management. The objective of the present study is to determine the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation therapy in patients with intractable epilepsy who have failed surgical and medical therapy. Methods All the patients who had persistent seizures after cranial surgery who subsequently underwent vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) placement at our institution from 1998 to 2008 were included in the study. Thirty-seven consecutive patients were enrolled and followed for the outcome measures of seizure burden, anti-epileptic drug (AED) burden and quality of life (QoL). Minimum follow-up was 18 months. Results Overall, 24 (64.9%), 9 (24.3%), 4 (10.8%) patients reported less than 30%, between 30% and 60% and greater than 60% reduction in seizure frequency after VNS placement, respectively at a mean of 5 years follow-up period. Post-VNS anti-epileptic requirement exhibited a decreasing trend. 17 patients (45.9%) report an improvement in QoL (better or much better). Conclusion VNS therapy in patients who have failed medical and surgical therapies only provides marginal improvement in seizure control but has greater likelihood to improve subjective QoL issues. In addition, VNS has the potential to reduce AED burden without adversely impacting seizure management. Given the low surgical risk of VNS placement, vagus nerve stimulation as a therapeutic modality should be individualized to achieve best clinical response and fewest side effects.
Approximation algorithms for power minimization of earliest deadline first and rate monotonic schedules

We address power minimization of earliest deadline first and rate monotonic schedules by voltage and frequency scaling. We prove that the problems are NP-hard, and present (1+∈) fully polynomial time approximation techniques that generate solutions which are guaranteed to be within a specified quality bound (QB= ∈) (say within 1% of the optimal). We demonstrate that our techniques can match optimal solutions when QB is set at 1%, out perform existing approaches [1] even when QB is set at 10%, generate solutions that are quite close to optimal ( 5%) for large 100 node task sets.
Aluminum nitride grown on lens shaped patterned sapphire by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

Thick c-plane aluminum nitride (AlN) films were grown directly onto lens shaped patterned c-plane sapphire substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). The sapphire patterning consisted of convex hemispherical lenses in a hexagonal pattern. These films were fully coalesced, planar, colorless, specular and up to 20 μm thick. Full widths at half maximum of X-ray rocking curves for the on-axis (0002) and off-axis (201) AlN reflections for fully coalesced films reached 914 and 1502 arcsec respectively. Plan view transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the threading dislocation density which was ∼8 x 108 cm-2. An interrupted growth series was also performed to evaluate the growth evolution of the AlN. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the initial growth and coalescence of the films. The AlN was determined to grow in hexagonal pillars initiated on the lenses, eventually coalescing together. These AlN films offer a promising substrate for AlGaN based UV optoelectronics thanks to both its transparency in the UV region and patterning effects. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Assessment of on-farm losses in rice due to insect pests.

The rice plant is an extremely versatile crop that is grown under both tropical and sub-tropical conditions in various ecological conditions. Several insect pest species attack the rice crop at all growth stages while in the field. The nature and magnitude of crop loss due to insect pest attack in tropical and sub-tropical Africa are highlighted. Reliable evaluation techniques for establishing relation between insect pest intensity/damage and crop loss are outlined. Natural insect pest infestation in the field, manipulation of pest infestation with chemicals, caging to confine or keep out insect pests and the use of resistant varieties as methods of estimating on-farm losses due to insects are discussed. In tropical Africa, the major constraint to the determination of crop loss due to insect pests of rice is research-related.
Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of flavored soymilk during refrigeration storage

The goal of this study was to investigate changes in physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of flavored soymilk under refrigeration storage. The soymilk contained 85.7% moisture, 10.5% carbohydrates+ash, 2.2% protein, and 1.6% fat. Sensory analysis showed that chocolate and almond flavorings improved the aroma of soymilks (P < 0.05). Addition of gum partially masked the beany flavor and off-flavor. All the soymilks had less than 10 CFU/mL of total aerobic, coliform, and E. coli counts. After one month's storage, TBARS decreased by about 20% (P < 0.05). All soymilk samples exhibited a pseudoplastic flow, and addition of 0.05% iota-carrageenan increased their viscosity and shear stress (P < 0.05). Overall, flavored soymilks had improved desirable attributes and reduced undesirable characteristics over plain soymilk, and all were stable for one month at refrigeration condition.
The Geostationary Fourier Transform Spectrometer

ABSTRACT The Geostationary Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GeoFTS) is an imaging spectrometer designed for a geostationary orbit (GEO) earth science mission to measure key atmospheric trace gases and process tracers related to climate change and human activity. GEO allows GeoFTS to continuously stare at a region of the earth for frequent sampling to capture the variability of biogenic fluxes and anthropogenic emissions city to continental spatial scales and temporal sfrom cales from diurnal, synoptic, seasonal to interannual. The measurement strategy provides a process based understanding of the carbon cycle from contiguous maps of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) collected many times per day at high spatial resolution (~2.7km×2.7km at nadir). The CO 2 /CH 4 /CO/CF measurement suite in the near infrared spectral region provides the information needed to disentangle natural and anthropogenic contributions to atmospheric carbon concentrations and to minimize uncertainties in the flow of carbon between the atmosphere and surface. The half meter cube size GeoFTS instrument is based on a Michelson interferometer design that uses all high TRL components in a modular configuration to reduce complexity and cost. It is self-contained and as independent of the spacecraft as possible with simple spacecraft interfaces, making it ideal to be a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite mission. The hosted payload ch for measuring the approamajor carbon-containing gases in the atmosphere from the geostationary vantage point will affordably advance the scientific understating of carbon cycle processes and climate change. Keywords: Fourier Transform Spectrometer, atmospheric trace gases, diurnal land-atmosphere carbon exchange, geostationary orbit, hosted payload
Insulin action during late pregnancy in the conscious dog

Our aim was to assess the magnitude of peripheral insulin resistance and whether changes in hepatic insulin action were evident in a canine model of late (3rd trimester) pregnancy. A 3-h hyperinsulinemic (5 mU.kg(-1).min(-1)) euglycemic clamp was conducted using conscious, 18-h-fasted pregnant (P; n = 6) and nonpregnant (NP; n = 6) female dogs in which catheters for intraportal insulin infusion and assessment of hepatic substrate balances were implanted approximately 17 days before experimentation. Arterial plasma insulin rose from 11 +/- 2 to 192 +/- 24 and 4 +/- 2 to 178 +/- 5 microU/ml in the 3rd h in NP and P, respectively. Glucagon fell equivalently in both groups. Basal net hepatic glucose output was lower in NP (1.9 +/- 0.1 vs. 2.4 +/- 0.2 mg.kg(-1).min(-1), P < 0.05). Hyperinsulinemia completely suppressed hepatic glucose release in both groups (-0.4 +/- 0.2 and -0.1 +/- 0.2 mg.kg(-1).min(-1) in NP and P, respectively). More exogenous glucose was required to maintain euglycemia in NP (15.2 +/- 1.3 vs. 11.5 +/- 1.1 mg.kg(-1).min(-1), P < 0.05). Nonesterified fatty acids fell similarly in both groups. Net hepatic gluconeogenic amino acid uptake with high insulin did not differ in NP and P. Peripheral insulin action is markedly impaired in this canine model of pregnancy, whereas hepatic glucose production is completely suppressed by high circulating insulin levels.
Reinforced vesicles withstand rigors of microfluidic electroporation

Abstract Living cells synthesize and utilize femtomole and picoliter amounts of material, and an important goal of analytical chemistry is to develop artificial interfaces to efficiently study substances on this scale. This could be achieved with a picoliter container that could be controllably loaded, transported, and unloaded, most desirably in a microfluidic environment. Phospholipid vesicles – surfactant multilayers that can form 10 μm spheres – have been studied for this purpose, but they suffer from fragility and high deformability, which have made them difficult to handle and have limited their application. We present an approach in which a gel is formed in vesicles shortly after they are created. Microfluidic mechanical testing of these vesicles shows that, in the absence of gel, vesicles are difficult to maintain in a trapped state, but the reinforced vesicles exhibit a wide window of pressures under which they can be trapped and manipulated. This improvement is likely to be an essential feature of practical applications of vesicles as microfluidic cargo containers.
Design and upgrade of nonredundant and redundant linear sensor networks

The design of sensor networks featuring minimum cost, while satisfying constraints of redundancy only, is examined. For this purpose, the concept of degree of redundancy for measurements and degree of observability for unmeasured variables are merged into one single property, the degree of estimability of a variable. In addition, the concept of estimation efficiency is introduced. Based on these concepts, mathematical programming procedures are presented that allow the design of sensor networks for different degrees of estimability of key variables.
Surface Elastic Properties of Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Melanosomes

Atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging and nanoindentation measurements in water were used to probe the mechanical properties of retinal pigment epithelium melanosomes isolated from 14-year-old and 76-year-old donors. Topographic imaging reveals surface roughness similar to previous measurements on dry melanosomes. Force-indentation measurements show different types of responses that were catalogued into four different categories. In these measurements no permanent surface damage of melanosomes was observed as revealed by imaging before and after indentation measurements. The indentation measurements that exhibited nearly elastic responses were used to determine the Young's modulus of melanosomes. The average Young's modulus values are similar for 14-year-old and 76-year-old melanosomes with a somewhat narrower distribution for the 14-year-old sample. These elastic modulus values are considerably higher than the modulus of organelles with cytoplasm (<1 MPa) and approaching values of the modulus of protein crystals (approximately 100 MPa) indicating rather high packing density of biologic material in melanosomes. The width of the Young's modulus distributions is considerable spanning from few megapascals to few tens of megapascals indicating large heterogeneity in the structure. A fraction of the force curves cannot be described by the homogeneous elastic sample model; these force curves are consistent with approximately 10 nm structural heterogeneity in melanosomes. The approach-withdraw hysteresis indicates a significant viscoelasticity, particularly in the samples from the 14-year-old sample. Adhesion of the AFM probe was detected on approximately 3% and approximately 20% of the surface of 14-year-old and 76-year-old samples, respectively. In light of previous studies on these same melanosomes using photoelectron emission microscopy, this adhesion is attributed to the presence of lipofuscin on the surface of the melanosomes. This suggestion indicates that part of the difference in photochemical properties between the old and young melanosomes originates from surface lipofuscin.
Law Reviews and Academic Debate

The author argues that, if a legal journal publishes a response to one of its own articles, it has the obligation to let the original author respond to the critic, even if only briefly. If that doesn’t happen, it looks as though the journal is accepting the critic’s views as the final word on the subject. (This essay was the result of the author’s unhappy experience with one high profile journal.)