cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning and Adaptation in Infancy: A Comparison of Models

Publisher Summary Infant and especially newborn behavior represents only one point on a continuum of behavioral organization, anchored at one end in the initial biological activity of the single germ cell and leading to the group activity found in social organizations. The individual's life itself is only one point in the broader scale of evolution. The overriding principle that regulates functioning in both the individual and the species is adaptation to its environment. Understanding any specific process, such as learning, cannot be successful if the broader context is ignored. This chapter reviews the research on learning in early infancy and makes a contrast between those studies that have proven successful and those that have led to questionable findings. An infant's ability to perform separate components of the conditioning process is discussed, with special attention to stimulus variables. A theoretical position is developed, which places infant behavior in the broader context of the adaptation of living systems to their respective environments.
The role of instantons in scale-invariant gauge theories: (II). The short-distance limit☆

Abstract This is the second of two papers in which it is argued that instanton methods correctly describe the short-distance limit of scale-invariant gauge theories regardless of whether or not instantons are relevant to longer-distance behaviour.
Financial Reporting Quality Labels

Analyses a policy‐making issue concerning historically persistent phenomena with the potential, concurrently, to assist the social construction of the audit profession, and create expectation problems capable of accentuating the present audit crisis. The phenomena are the financial reporting quality labels commonly associated with the auditor′s opinion on the content of reported financial statements. Reveals the close historical relationship of accountancy and law in a process of professionalization in which accountants and lawyers vaguely and ambiguously describe financial reporting quality by means of various labels and supporting criteria. The analysis also suggests the strategic benefits and disbenefits of reporting quality labels and criteria to the audit profession within the context of the expectations gap.
Refining the stable isotope budget for Antarctic Bottom Water: New foraminiferal data from the abyssal southwest Atlantic

[1] Stable isotope tracer budget results suggest the transport to vertical diffusivity ratio for Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) in the Atlantic was higher at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Reduced mixing across the upper boundary of AABW is consistent with movement of this surface away from the seafloor and may be a factor in sequestering CO2 in the abyssal Atlantic. Two key unknowns in the budget are the isotopic composition of AABW and the spatial representativeness of isolated vertical profiles of δ18O and δ13C. Due to a lack of core material below 3 km water depth, Lund et al. (2011) based their Holocene budget on water column data and their LGM budget on extrapolation of isotopic trends from shallower cores. Here we determine δ18O and δ13C for AABW using new isotopic records from 3 to 4 km water depth at the Brazil Margin. The core top data yield tracer budget parameters consistent with water column data in the broader Southwest Atlantic. At the LGM, benthic δ18O reaches 4.9‰ at 4 km water depth, the highest LGM δ18O value in the published literature. The corresponding δ13C of −0.2‰ is less depleted than expected and >0.5‰ greater than δ13C in the Southeast Atlantic. Our Peclet number estimates suggest δ13C acted conservatively during both the Holocene and LGM. Both δ18O and δ13C imply the transport to vertical diffusivity ratio for AABW was an order of magnitude larger during the LGM, due to enhanced AABW transport or reduced mixing across its upper boundary.
Associations Between Organizational/Individual Factors and the Intentions of Employees

Abstract This study of a university school foodservice operation examines whether a positive or negative association exists between the individual and organizational factors and the intentions to stay or leave the current job for foodservice employees or internal customers. The individual factors include job status, service length, age, education level, and job position. The organizational factors include several job characteristics, intrinsic motivation, formalization, participative decision-making and psychological stress. Job characteristics indicated a significant positive impact on university retention across the job characteristics of autonomy, feedback, dealing with others, and variety. The organizational factors of perceived formalization and participative decision-making also had a significant positive impact on university employee retention. The organizational factors of intrinsic motivation, task identity, and friendship opportunities did not have a statistically significant positive or negativ...
Purification and characterization of VDE, a site-specific endonuclease from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract The 119-kDa primary translation product of the VMA1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergoes a self-catalyzed rearrangement ("protein splicing") that excises an internal 50-kDa segment of the polypeptide and joins the amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal segments to generate the 69-kDa subunit of the vacuolar membrane-associated H(+)-ATPase. We have shown previously that the internal segment is a site-specific endonuclease (Gimble, F. S., and Thorner, J. (1992) Nature 357, 301-306). Here we describe methods for the high level expression and purification to near homogeneity of both the authentic VMA1-derived endonuclease (or VDE) from yeast (yield 18%) and a recombinant form of VDE made in bacteria (yield 29%). Detailed characterization of these preparations demonstrated that the yeast-derived and bacterially produced enzymes were indistinguishable, as judged by: (a) behavior during purification; (b) apparent native molecular mass (50 kDa); (c) immunological reactivity; and (d) catalytic properties (specific activity; cleavage site recognition; and optima for pH, temperature, divalent cation and ionic strength). The minimal site required for VDE cleavage was delimited to a 30-base pair sequence within its specific substrate (the VMA1 delta vde allele).
America's Founding Editors

This article treats the editing that the Second Continental Congress did on Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence. The superb editing helped make Jefferson an American icon, but Jefferson resented the editing for the rest of his life. Professor Abrams authors a column, Writing it Right, in Precedent, The Missouri Bar's quarterly magazine. In a variety of contexts, the column stresses the fundamentals of quality legal writing - precision, conciseness, simplicity and clarity.
Does the dispersion matrix of a multivariate normal population have markov structures

Given the sequence of variables x0,x1,…,xm we show how to test the hypothesis that, for each j and t < j, the conditional distribution of xj given (x0,x1,…,xt) is free of (x0,x1,…,xt−1). Our assumptions are that the population from which the sequence is drawn has a multivariate normal density and that the population may be sampled repeatedly.
Charged particles on surfaces: coexistence of dilute phases and periodic structures at interfaces.

We consider a mixture of two immiscible oppositely charged molecules strongly adsorbed to an interface, with a neutral nonselective molecular background. We determine the coexistence between a high density ionic periodic phase and a dilute isotropic ionic phase. We use a strong segregation approach for the periodic phase and determine the one-loop free energy for the dilute phase. Lamellar and hexagonal patterns are calculated for different charge stoichiometries of the mixture. Molecular dynamics simulations exhibit the predicted phase behavior. The periodic length scale of the solid phase is found to scale as $\ensuremath{\epsilon}/({l}_{B}{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{3/2})$, where $\ensuremath{\psi}$ is the effective charge density, ${l}_{B}$ is the Bjerrum length, and $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ is the cohesive energy.
Fundamental studies of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using aerosolized substrates

The research presented in this paper improves potential for the application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in remote detection and analysis. Remote (stand-off) Raman sensing, with its ability to "fingerprint" analyte based on their unique vibrational spectra, offers great potential to address the challenging analytical problem of identifying unknown substances in low concentrations in the form of vaporous emissions or clouds. An inexpensive nebulizer/spray chamber was designed to study the mixing of aerosolized SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) active nanostructures with a vapor phase analyte, the fluorophore Rhodamine 6G (R6G). Improved signal intensities (EF=200) are gained via SERS. Vapor phase mixing of the analyte and substrate is rapid (< 5 seconds).
Free-flow electrophoresis on an anodic bonded glass microchip.

A micro-free-flow electrophoresis chip has been fabricated into a glass wafer etched with 20-μm-deep channels. Wafers were bonded anodically using an intermediate amorphous silicon film. Electric fields as high as 283 V/cm were applied across the separation channel to obtain baseline resolution of fluorescent standards in 4.8 s. The effect of electric fields ranging from 0 to 283 V/cm on the separations and resulting resolutions were examined. Resolution was shown to increase linearly with the applied electric field. Joule heating was not significant under the conditions tested. Instead, the generation of electrolysis products at higher currents proved to be the limiting factor preventing higher separation potentials from being used.
Optimal allocation of energy storage in a co-optimized electricity market: Benefits assessment and deriving indicators for economic storage ventures

Abstract This paper presents a framework for optimally allocating storage technologies in a power system. This decision support tool helps in quantitatively answering the questions on “where to and how much to install” considering the profits from arbitrage opportunities in a co-optimized electricity market. The developed framework is illustrated on a modified IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 24 bus RTS (Reliability Test System), and the framework finds the optimal allocation solution and the revenues storage earns at each of these locations. Bulk energy storage, CAES (compressed air energy storage) is used as the representative storage technology, and the benefits of optimally allocated storage integration onto the grid are compared with transmission expansion solution. The paper also discusses about system-level indicators to identify candidate locations for economical storage ventures, which are derived based on the optimal storage allocation solution; and applies the market price based storage venture indicators on MISO (Mid-continental Independent System Operator) and PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection) electricity markets.
Effects of Introducing Fibrinogen Aα Character into the Factor XIII Activation Peptide Segment

The formation of a blood clot involves the interplay of thrombin, fibrinogen, and Factor XIII. Thrombin cleaves fibrinopeptides A and B from the N-termini of the fibrinogen Aalpha and Bbeta chains. Fibrin monomers are generated that then polymerize into a noncovalently associated network. By hydrolyzing the Factor XIII activation peptide segment at the R37-G38 peptide bond, thrombin assists in activating the transglutaminase FXIIIa that incorporates cross-links into the fibrin clot. In this work, the kinetic effects of introducing fibrinogen Aalpha character into the FXIII AP segment were examined. Approximately 25% of fibrinogen Aalpha is phosphorylated at Ser3, producing a segment with improved binding to thrombin. FXIII AP ((22)AEDDL(26)) has sequence properties in common with Fbg Aalpha ((1)ADSpGE(5)). Kinetic benefits to FXIII AP cleavage were explored by extending FXIII AP (28-41) to FXIII AP (22-41) and examining peptides with D24, D24S, D24Sp, and D24Sp P27G. These modifications did not provide the same kinetic advantages that were observed with Fbg Aalpha (1-20) S3p. Such results further emphasize that FXIII AP derives most of its substrate specificity from the P(9)-P(1) segment. To enhance the kinetic properties of FXIII AP (28-41), we introduced substitutions at the P(9), P(4), and P(3) positions. Studies reveal that FXIII AP (28-41) V29F, V34G, V35G exhibits kinetic improvements that are comparable to those of FXIII AP V29F, V34L and approach those of Fbg Aalpha (7-20). Selective changes to the FXIII AP segment sequence may be used to design FXIII species that can be activated more or less readily.
A simplified technique for delivering total body irradiation (TBI) with improved dose homogeneity.

Purpose: Total body irradiation (TBI) with megavoltage photon beams has been accepted as an important component of management for a number of hematologic malignancies, generally as part of bone marrow conditioning regimens. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the authors' TBI technique, which both simplifies the treatment process and improves the treatment quality. Methods: An AP/PA TBI treatment technique to produce uniform dose distributions using sequential collimator reductions during each fraction was implemented, and a sample calculation worksheet is presented. Using this methodology, the dosimetric characteristics of both 6 and 18 MV photon beams, including lung dose under cerrobend blocks was investigated. A method of estimating midplane lung doses based on measured entrance and exit doses was proposed, and the estimated results were compared with measurements. Results: Whole body midplane dose uniformity of {+-}10% was achieved with no more than two collimator-based beam modulations. The proposed model predicted midplane lung doses 5% to 10% higher than the measured doses for 6 and 18 MV beams. The estimated total midplane doses were within {+-}5% of the prescribed midplane dose on average except for the lungs where the doses were 6% to 10% lower than the prescribed dosemore » on average. Conclusions: The proposed TBI technique can achieve dose uniformity within {+-}10%. This technique is easy to implement and does not require complicated dosimetry and/or compensators.« less
Image segmentation algorithms applied to wood defect detection

Abstract Image segmentation is a key stage in the detection of defects in images of wood surfaces. While there are many segmentation algorithms, they can be broadly divided into two categories based on whether they use discontinuities or similarities in the image data. Each algorithm can also be categorized based on other factors such as whether it uses color or gray-scale data and is a local or global operator. While this presents a wide variety of approaches for segmenting images of features on wood surfaces, it also makes it difficult to select the most appropriate techniques. This paper presents the results obtained from using a variety of algorithms for wood surface feature detection and defines several measures used for examining algorithm performance. A region-based, similarity algorithm that was a combination of clustering and region-growing techniques exhibited the best overall performance. This was particularly true for defects that are subtle, meaning they blend in with other natural features on wood surfaces that are not considered defects. Examples include blue stain, pitch streaks, and wane. The clustering with region growing algorithm improved the detection accuracy of pitch streaks by over 20 percentage points compared to the next best algorithm. However, if subtle defects are not of interest, the edge detection algorithms performed as well as the region growing algorithm but with slightly better clearwood detection accuracies. The influence of color information, local-basis analysis, and camera resolution on algorithm performance varied by segmentation technique and defect category. Because each wood processing application has its own unique set of defect detection requirements, conclusions regarding which algorithms and factors are best must be made in the context of those processing requirements.
Deep mining of the RBC proteome

Comment on Pasini et al, page [791][1] The comprehensive analysis of the normal human red cell proteome reported by Pasini and colleagues provides an invaluable parts list that will contribute to diverse studies of normal red cell function and pathogenic disease mechanisms. It has been nearly 40
Pure ℓ-Ideals in Lattice-Ordered Rings#

An l-ideal I of a commutative lattice-ordered ring R with positive identity element is called a pure l-ideal if R = I + l( x ) for each x ∈ I , where l(x) is the l-annihilator of x in R . In this article, we give some results on pure l-ideals and study the l-ideal structure of a commutative lattice-ordered ring with positive identity element by using pure l-ideals.
Study of Hyperfine and Fine Interactions of Nd3+ and Ce3+ Ions in LaNbO4 and PrNbO4 Crystals by X-Band EPR at Liquid-Helium Temperatures†

EPR studies on diamagnetic LaNbO4 and paramagnetic PrNbO4 crystals doped with the Kramers ions Nd 3+ and Ce 3+ were carried out at X-band (9.61 GHz) in the 4-30 K temperature range. The principal values of Nd 3+ and Ce 3+ g 2 and A ˜ 2 tensors, and the orientations of their principal axes, were determined accurately from angular variations of EPR line positions recorded for rotation of the external magnetic field in three mutually perpendicular planes in the two crystals at 8 K. The larger EPR line widths of these ions in the paramagnetic PrNbO4 host crystal as compared to those in diamagnetic LaNbO4 are ascribed to their interaction with the host Pr 3+ ions and presence of defects.
Strong shift equivalence and shear adjacency of nonnegative square integer matrices

Abstract For two square matrices A, B of possibly different sizes with nonnegative integer entries, write A ≈ 1 B if A = RS and B = SR for some two nonnegative integer matrices R , S . The transitive closure of this relation is called strong shift equivalence and is important in symbolic dynamics, where it has been shown by R.F. Williams to characterize the isomorphism of two topological Markov chains with transition matrices A and B . One invariant is the characteristic polynomial up to factors of λ. However, no procedure for deciding strong shift equivalence is known, even for 2×2 matrices A , B . In fact, for n × n matrices with n > 2, no nontrivial sufficient condition is known. This paper presents such a sufficient condition: that A and B are in the same component of a directed graph whose vertices are all n × n nonnegative integer matrices sharing a fixed characteristic polynomial and whose edges correspond to certain elementary similarities. For n > 2 this result gives confirmation of strong shift equivalences that previously could not be verified; for n = 2, previous results are strengthened and the structure of the directed graph is determined.
United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service research on biological control of arthropods †‡

During 1999-2001, ARS scientists published over 100 papers on more than 30 species of insect pest and 60 species of predator and parasitoid. These papers address issues crucial to the three strategies of biological control: conservation, augmentation and introduction. Conservation biological control includes both conserving extant populations of natural enemies by using relatively non-toxic pesticides and increasing the abundance of natural enemies in crops by providing or improving refuges for population growth and dispersal into crops. ARS scientists have been very active in determining the effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods and in studying movement of natural enemies from refuges into crops. Augmentation involves repeated releases of natural enemies in the field, which can be inoculative or inundative. Inoculative releases are used to initiate self-propagating populations at times or in places where they would be slow to colonize. ARS scientists have studied augmentative biological control of a variety of pest insects. The targets are mostly pests in annual crops or other ephemeral habitats, where self-reproducing populations of natural enemies are not sufficiently abundant early enough to keep pest populations in check. ARS research in augmentative biological control centers on methods for rearing large numbers of healthy, effective natural enemies and for releasing them where and when they are needed at a cost less than the value of the reduction in damage to the crop. ARS scientists have researched various aspects of introductions of exotic biological control agents against a diversity of pest insects. The major issues in biological control introductions are accurate identification and adequate systematics of both natural enemies and target pests, exploration for natural enemies, predicting the success of candidates for introduction and the likelihood of non-target impacts, quarantine and rearing methods, and post-introduction evaluation of establishment, control and non-target impacts. ARS scientists have published research on several general issues in biological control. Among the most important are the mechanisms affecting mate- and host-finding and host specificity.
Effect of juvenile hormone on DNA synthesis during embryogenesis inAcheta domesticus.

1) The effect of juvenile hormone on embryonic development in the cricket,Acheta domesticus, was investigated. Application of 1 to 2.5 μg of methyl 12,14-dihomojuvenate (cecropia juvenile hormone) in 1 μl of acetone to 7-day-old cricket embryos inhibited their further growth. In such embryos, differentiation of some of the embryonic organs and tissues such as nerves, muscles and cuticular structures continued. However, embryonic growth was arrested, their morphology was abnormal and they failed to hatch. 2) Lipid extracts from adult maleHyalophora cecropia which possess juvenile hormone activity also showed similar effects on embryonic development. But lipid extracts prepared from allatectomized adult maleH. cecropia lacking juvenile hormone activity, did not inhibit embryonic development. 3) DNA synthesis in the embryonic tissues of the JH-treated and control embryos was investigated using an autoradiographic method of determination of H3 thymidine incorporation into nuclear DNA. The results showed that DNA synthesis in epidermal and mesenchymal cells of the cricket embryo decreased gradually after application of 1 μg of JH to 7-day-old embryos and ceased within 6 days after application of JH. 4) From these observations it is suggested that JH may inhibit embryonic development by suppression of DNA synthesis and cell divisions.
Biomarkers of ischemia in patients with known coronary artery disease: do interleukin-6 and tissue factor measurements during dobutamine stress echocardiography give additional insight?

A fundamental understanding of the mediators and mechanisms associated with the pathophysiological process of reversible myocardial ischemic injury would be a substantial advancement in our basic understanding of this process and would speed the translation from “bench to bedside.” For example, elucidation of the chemical signals that both indicate the presence and extent of reversible ischemia and have a putative role in cellular dysfunction and injury would clearly have potential as a valuable biomarker for the development of diagnostic tools, in the clinical management of patients, and perhaps as a guide for the development of viable therapeutic targets. Focusing on the inflammatory process would seem to have a high likelihood for success because ischemic events, infection, and mechanical cell injury are known to activate numerous pluripotent pathways, cascades, and networks, including the cytokine and coagulation systems. These systems are highly integrated and redundant because of their critical role in the survival of the organism. Inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) are low-molecular-weight pluripotent glycoproteins with a dynamic range of local and systemic actions and a wide range of target cells and organs.1 In many instances, individual cytokines have multiple biological activities that confer functional redundancy during inflammation and tissue repair; different cytokines can also have the same activity. Inflammatory cytokines and cytokine networks are also intimately associated with other injury response systems, including the coagulation system that controls for fibrinogenesis and fibrinolysis, with all its associated matrices, proteases, and metabolites, including fibrin, thrombin, plasmin, fibrinopeptides, and fibrin metabolites, to name a few. Central to the coagulation system is the transmembrane glycoprotein known as tissue factor, which controls clot formation via the extrinsic pathway. The coordinated integration of cytokine networks and coagulation cascades is essential in controlling inflammation and repair. For example, cytokines such as IL-1, tissue necrosis factor, and …
A pair of ACEs, for openers?

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has provided bountiful material for investigation by basic scientists and clinicians for more than 100 years. Renin, first identified in 1898 as a pressor substance present in kidney extracts,1 sits at the top of an enzymatic cascade that, in its simplest form, is now broadly known: renin cleaves the circulating precursor, angiotensinogen, to release the inactive angiotensin I, which is in turn cleaved by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) to release angiotensin II, a very potent vasoconstrictor. This ability of ACE, initially purified from plasma, to mediate the cleavage of the decapeptide angiotensin I (Ang1-10) to the octapeptide angiotensin II (Ang1-8) was reported in 1956.2 Localization of the bulk of this conversion reaction to tissue ACE, particularly in the pulmonary vascular bed, was demonstrated in 1968.3 Despite the central position ACE has assumed as a target for antihypertensive therapies, the significance of angiotensin in blood pressure regulation was not fully appreciated until the identification of pharmacological inhibitors of ACE (for review, see Vane4 ). The first of these, a nonapeptide called teprotide,5 was derived from an extract of venom from the Brazilian viper Bothrops jararaca ; once the link between angiotensin and hypertension was demonstrated through investigative6 and clinical7 administrations of teprotide, the utility of ACE inhibition was clear. Positing similarities of the active site of ACE to that of carboxypeptidase-A, investigators at the Squibb Institute for Medical Research designed, synthesized, and tested a series of about 60 compounds, an effort that led to the identification of captopril.8 Other orally available ACE inhibitors, including enalapril and lisinopril, soon followed. In addition to their effectiveness in treating hypertension, ACE inhibitors have been found in a series of large-scale clinical trials to lower the risk of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, …
Effects of an invertebrate grazer on the spatial arrangement of a benthic microhabitat

We demonstrated the effect of an aquatic herbivore on the spatial arrangement of benthic algal biomass within artificial stream channels. Transects of ceramic tiles were exposed to a gradient of snail (Physella) densities in a 30 d experiment. We observed positive effects of snails on the mean abundance of "overstory" algae (the filamentous chlorophyte Cladophora and associated epiphytes), an important benthic microhabitat in streams. Snails altered several aspects of the spatial arrangement of overstory algae. Snails reduced the strength of downstream gradients in overstory biomass, as well as residual variability around these gradients. Geostatistical analysis revealed that snails also reduced the strength of spatial dependence, and so reduced spatial heterogeneity of the overstory, at small scales (<40 cm). As a result, organisms inhabiting the overstory might experience a more fragmented habitat landscape at high snail densities. In addition, snails increased the scale of spatial dependence in understory algal biomass (algae remaining on tiles after overstory was removed) from 10 cm to 40 cm. Consumer effects on the spatial arrangement of a microhabitat argue for the inclusion of feedbacks between the biota and the environment in spatially-explicit models.
T7 DNA Helicase: A Molecular Motor that Processively and Unidirectionally Translocates Along Single-stranded DNA

DNA helicases are molecular motors that use the energy from NTP hydrolysis to drive the process of duplex DNA strand separation. Here, we measure the translocation and energy coupling efficiency of a replicative DNA helicase from bacteriophage T7 that is a member of a class of helicases that assembles into ring-shaped hexamers. Presteady state kinetics of DNA-stimulated dTTP hydrolysis activity of T7 helicase were measured using a real time assay as a function of ssDNA length, which provided evidence for unidirectional translocation of T7 helicase along ssDNA. Global fitting of the kinetic data provided an average translocation rate of 132 bases per second per hexamer at 18 degrees C. While translocating along ssDNA, T7 helicase hydrolyzes dTTP at a rate of 49 dTTP per second per hexamer, which indicates that the energy from hydrolysis of one dTTP drives unidirectional movement of T7 helicase along two to three bases of ssDNA. One of the features that distinguishes this ring helicase is its processivity, which was determined to be 0.99996, which indicated that T7 helicase travels on an average about 75kb of ssDNA before dissociating. We propose that the ability of T7 helicase to translocate unidirectionally along ssDNA in an efficient manner plays a crucial role in DNA unwinding.
Correlations in STAR: interferometry and event structure

STAR observes a complex picture of RHIC collisions where correlation effects of different origins–initial state geometry, semi-hard scattering, hadronization, as well as final state interactions such as quantum intensity interference - coexist. Presenting the measurements of flow, mini-jet deformation, modified hadronization, and the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect, we trace the history of the system from the initial to the final state. The resulting picture is discussed in the context of identifying the relevant degrees of freedom and the likely equilibration mechanism.
The Technical Approach to Radiation Treatment As a Component of Breast Conservation Treatment for Early Stage Breast Carcinoma

For the woman with newly diagnosed early stage breast carcinoma undergoing breast conservation treatment, definitive radiation treatment is delivered after breast conservation surgery. While the importance of the technical approach to breast conservation surgery is widely appreciated, the technical skill for radiation treatment is also critical to maximize local-regional control and to minimize toxicity. Recent advances have dramatically improved technical radiation treatment planning and delivery. The radiation treatment technique must be integrated with the surgical procedure performed, the pathology findings, and the systemic treatment delivered. The radiation treatment technique also must coordinate with newer treatment approaches in surgery (e.g., sentinel lymph node biopsy) and systemic therapy (e.g., neoadjuvant systemic therapy, agents with potential cardiac toxicity). To maximize long-term outcome, a sound approach to the technical radiation treatment is an integral component of the combined modality treatment for the patient with early stage breast carcinoma.
A new framework for recovery of shape of the right ventricle from GBP SPECT images

Assessment of right ventricle (RV) performance plays an important role in diagnosing cardiopulmonary diseases. Shape-based statistics describing the RV (e.g., RV volume (RVV)) are very important for developing a good comprehension of the performance of the RV. Automatic determination of the RV's location, position, and volume from medical images (e.g., CT, MRI, Echocardiography) can improve speed and consistency of diagnosis since most current procedures for obtaining such statistics rely on substantial human involvement. An RV geometric model can be very useful in guiding automated procedures, although only a few methods of describing and exploiting the RV's shape have been presented, in part due to the RV's complex shape. Most existing models imprecisely describe the RV shape. In this extended abstract, our new RV geometric model and a computational framework that exploits this new model for automatic detection and extraction of the RV from Gated Blood Pool (GBP) Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) datasets are presented.
Imbedding a Schwarzschild mass into cosmology

We develop a method for imbedding a Schwarzschild mass into a zero-curvature universe. We work with curvature coordinates ($R$,$T$), in terms of which the metric has the form $d{s}^{2}(R,T)={A}^{\ensuremath{-}1}(R,T)d{R}^{2}+{R}^{2}d{\ensuremath{\Omega}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}B(R,T)d{T}^{2}$, and coordinates ($R$,$\ensuremath{\tau}$), where $\ensuremath{\tau}$ is measured by radially moving geodesic clocks. We solve the field equations for a stress-energy tensor that corresponds to a radially moving perfect geodesic fluid outside some boundary ${R}_{b}$. Inside ${R}_{b}$ we take the stress-energy tensor to be composed of a perfect-fluid part and a Schwarzschild matter part. Specific examples of imbedding a mass into a de Sitter universe and a pressure-free Einstein---de Sitter universe are given, and we show how to extend our methods to general zero-curvature universes. A consequence of our results is that there will be spiralling of planetary orbits when a mass such as our Sun is imbedded in a universe. We relate our work to recent work done by Dirac with regard to his Large Numbers hypothesis.
Improving document representation by accumulating relevance feedback (abstract only): the relevance feedback accumulation algorithm

This paper presents a document representation improvement technique named the Relevance Feedback Accumulation (RFA) algorithm. Using prior relevance feedback assessments and a data mining measure called support this algorithm improves document representations and generates higher quality indexes. At the same time, the algorithm is efficient and scalable, suited for retrieval systems managing large document collections. The results of the preliminary evaluation reveal that the RFA algorithm is able to reduce the index dimensionality while improving retrieval effectiveness.
An Implementation of the Mode-Split Traffic-Assignment Method

This paper presents the exact formulation and solution of an integrated mode-choice traffic-assignment model. The model incorporates theoretically sound behavioral principles governing mode and route selection. The paper also demonstrates how to implement the model within powerful mathematical programming software and use it to analyze an intermodal transportation network. Results of the analysis show that the model is an excellent educational tool in aiding the understanding of traveler behavioral principles. As a practical tool, the model can be used to provide insights in the analysis of intermodal commuter corridors.
Action of bile salts on the metabolism and transport of water-soluble nutrients by perfused rat jejunum in vitro

Abstract The highly purified, crystalline conjugated bile salts glycocholate and taurocholate at 8 mM did not affect: (1) the transport of glucose, sorbose, urea, lysine, leucine, acetate and sodium across perfused segments of rat jejunum; (2) the incorporation of leucine and lysine into protein, or of acetate into lipid by perfused jejunal segments; or (3) the uptake of oxygen and the conversion of glucose into triglyceride by jejunal rings. However, they did inhibit adenosine triphosphate activity of jejunal mucosal homogenates and brush border preparations, and at 4 mM significantly decreased the P:O ratios of respiring liver mitochondria. Deoxycholate, a common contaminant of conjugated bile salt preparations, at 0.4 mM inhibited the transport of all substances examined, except sorbose, and depressed the other metabolic functions studied. Cholate was a weaker inhibitor than deoxycholate. Longchain fatty acids, another common contaminant of bile salt preparations, caused an increased incorporation of glucose into triglyceride. Thus previous reports that conjugated bile salts stimulate or inhibit the absorption or intracellular metabolism of water-soluble nutrients by the gut may well have resulted from contamination of the bile salt preparations with deoxycholate or fatty acids.
Cell death suffers a TKO

The cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), initiates both cell cycle arrest and cell death in certain cell lines. Through a novel strategy of cell transfection with episomal vectors expressing antisense cDNAs, Deiss et al. have demonstrated that it is possible to isolate genes that are required for the initiation of cell death by the cytokine IFN-gamma. This approach, referred to as TKO, for Technical Knock Out, has identified several genes whose activity appears to be essential for the induction of apoptosis by IFN-gamma in HeLa cells. Interestingly, these genes appear to mediate IFN-gamma-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells, but their inhibition by antisense does not ameliorate the antiproliferative effects of IFN-gamma in these cells. The clever strategy employed by these authors holds promise for others who wish to isolate genes required for other differentiative processes in cultured cell lines.
A note on the use of CsCl centrifugation to purify bacterial plasmids prepared by the rapid boiling method

Abstract A modification of the rapid boiling method for the preparation of bacterial plasmids allows it to be readily used in conjunction with standard CsCl-ethidium bromide density centrifugation for the isolation of purified plasmids.
Exponential and Logarithm by Sequential Squaring

A simple scheme is presented for computing the exponential of a floating point number using only shift, add, and multiply instructions. The algorithm involves no range reduction and handles overflow and underflow conditions automatically. It can be used to provide a result of any desired accuracy, provided only that sufficient precision is used during the calculation. The basic algorithm and three improvements are described. Both computational complexity and numerical precision are discussed. For the sake of symmetry, a method for computing the logarithm along similar lines is given.
Effect of dual tocolysis on the incidence of severe intraventricular hemorrhage among extremely low-birth-weight infants.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the null hypothesis that dual tocolysis with magnesium sulfate and indomethacin does not alter the rate of grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhage. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-six neonates weighing 500 to 800 gm from mothers who received tocolytic therapy with magnesium sulfate alone or in combination with indomethacin were the subjects of this retrospective study. Demographic variables were evaluated with a Student t test, χ 2 analysis, Fisher exact test, or Mantel-Haenszel χ 2 as appropriate. RESULTS: There was an increased incidence of grade III to IV intraventricular hemorrhage among patients treated with dual therapy ( p = 0.02). Logistic regression showed that fetal age and dual tocolysis with indomethacin were the only independent prognostic factors for severe intraventricular hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that dual tocolysis with indomethacin may place extremely low-birth-weight infants at increased risk for grade III to IV intraventricular hemorrhage. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1996;175:1043-6.)
FAST NEUROPROTECTION (FAST-NPRX) FOR ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE VICTIMS: THE TIME FOR TREATMENT IS NOW

Since the inception of Translational Stroke Research, numerous significant scientific breakthroughs have been published as peer-reviewed contributions, and some have lead the way for significant advances in the stroke field, opening up new ways to think about stroke therapy research and development(1–5), animal models(6–9), mechanisms of injury & the ischemic cascade(3, 10–14), and clinical trials(1, 15–18). Many of the scientific advances are being directly applied to discover therapeutic approaches, but there remain some gaps in the systematic approaches being used to treat stroke patients. The best use or way of using neuroprotective agents and the clinical trial to adequately test them is somewhat of an unfinished puzzle. We have yet to put the pieces together to assemble a coherent picture and have success with a neuroprotectant. “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” —Abigail Adams (1744–1818).
Fijiolides A and B, Inhibitors of TNF-α-Induced NFκB Activation, from a Marine-Derived Sediment Bacterium of the Genus Nocardiopsis

Fijiolide A, a potent inhibitor of TNF-α-induced NFκB activation, along with fijiolide B, were isolated from a marine-derived bacterium of the genus Nocardiopsis. The planar structures of fijiolide...
Using Clickers to Facilitate Development of Problem-Solving Skills

Classroom response systems, or clickers, have become pedagogical staples of the undergraduate science curriculum at many universities. In this study, the effectiveness of clickers in promoting problem-solving skills in a genetics class was investigated. Students were presented with problems requiring application of concepts covered in lecture and were polled for the correct answer. A histogram of class responses was displayed, and students were encouraged to discuss the problem, which enabled them to better understand the correct answer. Students were then presented with a similar problem and were again polled. My results indicate that those students who were initially unable to solve the problem were then able to figure out how to solve similar types of problems through a combination of trial and error and class discussion. This was reflected in student performance on exams, where there was a statistically significant positive correlation between grades and the percentage of clicker questions answered. Interestingly, there was no clear correlation between exam grades and the percentage of clicker questions answered correctly. These results suggest that students who attempt to solve problems in class are better equipped to solve problems on exams.
CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT OF THE P1 SIDE CHAIN UPON PROGRESSION FROM THE MICHAELIS COMPLEX TO THE COVALENT SERPIN-PROTEINASE COMPLEX

Serpins inhibit proteinases by forming a kinetically trapped intermediate during a suicide substrate inhibition reaction. To determine whether the kinetic trap involves a repositioning of the P1 side chain of the serpin following formation of the initial Michaelis complex, we used the tryptophan of a P1 M-->W variant of human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor as a fluorescent reporter group of the environment of the P1 side chain. The P1W variant was a valid model serpin and formed SDS-stable complexes with both trypsin and chymotrypsin with a stoichiometry of inhibition close to 1.0. Rates of inhibition of chymotrypsin for wild-type and variant alpha1-proteinase inhibitor differred only approximately 1.8-fold. Rates of inhibition of trypsin were, however, 25-fold lower for the variant than for the wild-type inhibitor. Steady-state fluorescence spectra showed a change in environment for the P1 side chain upon forming both covalent complex with trypsin or chymotrypsin and noncovalent complex with anhydrochymotrypsin. The P1 environments in the chymotrypsin and anhydrochymotrypsin complexes were, however, different. Fluorescence quenching studies confirmed the burial of the P1 side chain upon formation of both the noncovalent and covalent complexes, but were not able to discriminate between the solvent accessibility in these complexes. Stopped-flow fluorescence measurements resolved the covalent intramolecular reaction that led to covalent complex and showed that, during the course of the covalent reaction, the environment of the P1 side chain changed consistent with a repositioning relative to residues of the proteinase active site as part of formation of the trap. This repositioning is likely to be a crucial part of the trapping mechanism.
Estimation of myocardial infarct size with ultrasonic tissue characterization.

BACKGROUNDUltrasonic tissue characterization (UTC) can distinguish normal from infarcted myocardium. Infarcted myocardium shows an increase in integrated backscatter and loss of cardiac cycle-dependent variation in backscatter. The cyclic variation of backscatter is closely related to regional myocardial contractile function; the latter is a marker of myocardial ischemia. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that intramural cyclic variation of backscatter can map and estimate infarct size.METHODS AND RESULTSTransmural myocardial infarction was produced in 12 anesthetized, open-chest dogs by total occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 4 hours. A real-time ultrasonic tissue characterization instrument, which graphically displays integrated backscatter Rayleigh 5, cardiac cycle-dependent variation, and patterns of cyclic variation in backscatter, was used to map infarct size and area at risk of infarction. Staining with 2,3,4-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and Pa...
DSM-IV alcohol and substance abuse and dependence in homeless youth.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe endorsement rates of substance use criteria among homeless adolescents and to evaluate the reliability of diagnostic formulations among a group of adolescents who use more frequently and more heavily than other samples of adolescents. Method: Substance use rates and DSM-IV abuse and dependence criteria were assessed among 198 (109 male) homeless youths between the ages of 13 and 19, as part of a larger study. Endorsement rates and reliability analyses were completed for diagnostic criteria assessed for alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines and heroin. Results: Consistent with other studies of homeless youth, data revealed high rates of substance use and high rates of substance dependence. Both dependence and abuse diagnoses were associated with greater rates of use. DSM-IV criteria showed acceptable internal reliability, although variability was observed when applied to different substances. Of the drugs assessed, problems with heroin use appeared to be best,...
A Fast Frequency-Domain Eigenvalue-Based Approach to Full-Wave Modeling of Large-Scale Three-Dimensional On-Chip Interconnect Structures

As on-chip circuits have scaled into the deep submicron regime, electromagnetics-based analysis has increasingly become essential for high-performance integrated circuit (IC) design. Not only fast, but also high-capacity electromagnetic solutions are demanded to overcome the large problem size facing on-chip design community. In this paper, we present a novel, high-capacity, and fast approach to the full-wave modeling of 3-D on-chip interconnect structures. In this approach, the interconnect structure is decomposed into a number of seeds. In each seed, the original wave propagation problem is represented as a generalized eigenvalue problem. The resulting eigenvalue representation can comprehend both conductor and dielectric losses, arbitrary dielectric and conductor configuration in the transverse cross section, and arbitrary material. A new mode-matching technique applicable to on-chip interconnects is developed to solve large-scale 3-D problems by using 2-D-like CPU time and memory. A junction matrix acceleration technique is proposed to speed up the mode matching process. A fast frequency sweep technique is employed to obtain the response over the entire frequency band by solving at one or a few frequency points only. An extraction technique is developed to obtain S-parameters from the solution of the eigenvalue system. The entire procedure is numerically rigorous without making any theoretical approximation. Experimental and numerical results demonstrate its accuracy and efficiency.