cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The response of the myelinated nerve fiber to short duration biphasic stimulating currents

The response of a single Node of Ranvier to short duration biphasic stimulating currents was studied. Such stimulus patterns are known to be less likely to induce tissue damage than are longer monophasic stimuli. The presence of the anodic phase of a pulse pair was found to abolish excitation in cases where the cathodic phase alone was near threshold. In addition, peak twitch force from the tibialis anterior muscle of cat was found to be reduced by the use of biphasic motor nerve stimulation in place of monophasic stimulation. The abolition phenomenon could be eliminated by the introduction of a delay of 100 μs between the phases of a biphasic stimulus waveform.
The acute oral toxicity of cottonseed pigment glands and intraglandular pigments

Acute oral toxicity studies were carried out on cottonseed pigment glands, gossypol, diaminogossypol and gossypurpurin using rats as experimental animals. It was found that both diaminogossypol and gossypurpurin are considerably less toxic than pure gossypol. The pigment glands were more toxic than gossypol and it was concluded that the toxicity of pigments cannot be accounted for entirely on the basis of their gossypol content.
Urinary excretion of histamine in patients having asthma and hay fever: observations on changes produced by administration of cortisone.

Abstract Children excreted normal amounts of free and conjugated histamine in the urine in the intervals between attacks of allergy. During acute attacks, the excretion of free histamine tended to be decreased, suggesting that free histamine may be retained in the body. The administration of adrenocortical hormones to five patients having acute attacks of allergy resulted in an increased elimination of free histamine in the urine; in two of the patients who had severe attacks, this elimination was abnormally great. The effect of these hormones on conjugated histamine was variable.
On detecting a crack by tapping a beam

Abstract A simple model for the cracked elastic beam is employed to simulate its response to a sharp tap at an arbitrary location. Explicit expressions for the Fourier components of the response of a simply-supported beam make it possible to explore various strategies for detecting the crack via signature analysis and to provide rational explanations for some characteristic responses of cracked beams.
Initiation and characterization of a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) photoautotrophic cell suspension culture.

A heterotrophic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Stoneville 825) cell suspension culture was adapted to grow photoautotrophically. After two years in continuous photoautotrophic culture at 5% CO2 (balance air), the maximum growth rate of the photoautotrophic cell line was a 400% fresh weight increase in eight days. The Chl concentration was approximately 500 μg per g fresh weight. Elevated CO2 (1%–5%) was required for culture growth, while the ambient air of the culture room (600 to 700 ul CO2 1−1) or darkness were lethal. The cell line had no net photosynthesis at 350 ul 1−1 CO2, 2% O2, and dark respiration ranged from 29 to 44 μmol CO2 mg−1 Chl h−1. Photosynthesis was inhibited by O2. The approximate 1:1 ratio of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPcase) to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPcase) (normally about 6:1 in mature leaves of C3 plants) was due to low RuBPcase activity relative to that of C3 leaves, not to high PEPcase activity. The PEPcase activity per unit Chl in the cell line was identical to that of spinach leaves, while the RuBPcase activity was only 15% of the spinach leaf RuBPcase activity. RuBPcase activity in the photoautotrophic cells was not limited by a lack of activation in vivo, since the enzyme in a rapidly prepared cell extract was 73% activated. No evidence of enzyme inactivation by secondary compounds in the cells was found as can be found with cotton leaves. Low RuBPcase activity and high respiration rates are most likely important factors in the low photosynthetic efficiency of the cells at ambient CO2.
Hypothalamic self-stimulation: interaction of hypoxia and stimulus intensity.

Hypoxia effects on skilled motor task by rats, investigating interaction of hypoxia and electric stimulus intensity on hypothalmic self stimulation
Structure and properties of silver phosphate glasses — Infrared and visible spectra

Abstract The infrared and visible spectra of glasses in the Ag2OP2O5 glass-forming system were obtained. The infrared data were interpreted as indicating the presence of polymeric chains in these glasses. The partial covalent nature of the AgOP bond was discussed. A mixed NaPO3AgPO3 glass showed no unexpected bands in the infrared spectrum, again showing that silver is behaving in a manner similar to alkali metal ions in phosphate glasses. The shift in the absorption edge in the visible spectra of glasses of different Ag/P ratio was shown to arise from either an increase in the concentration of nonbridging oxygens with increasing silver content, or the presence of colloidal silver metal particles.
Global average gray and white matter N-acetylaspartate concentration in the human brain

Abstract Since the amino acid derivative N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is almost exclusive to neuronal cells in the adult mammalian brain and its concentration has shown local (or global) abnormalities in most focal (or diffuse) neurological diseases, it is considered a specific neuronal marker. Yet despite its biological and clinical prominence, the relative NAA concentration in the gray and white matter (GM, WM) remains controversial, with each reported to be higher than, equal to, or less than the other. To help resolve the controversy and importantly, access the NAA in both compartments in their entirety, we introduce a new approach to distinguish and quantify the whole-brain average GM and WM NAA concentration by integrating MR-image segmentation, localized and non-localized quantitative 1H-MRS. We demonstrate and validate the method in ten healthy volunteers (5 women) 27 ± 6 years old (mean ± standard-deviation) at 1.5T. The results show that the healthy adult human brain comprises significantly less WM, 39 ± 3%, than GM 60 ± 4% by volume (p
Two-dimensional echocardiographic evaluation of intracardiac transvenous pacemaker leads

A two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiographic study was performed on 40 consecutive patients presenting for a routine check-up of their transvenous pacemaker devices, in order to assess the visibility of the intracardiac portion of the pacemaker lead. In 34 patients (85%) the presence of the lead could be demonstrated satisfactorily. In 4 of these 34 patients the entire intracardiac portion of the pacing wire was imaged, in 20 the distal fragment bearing the electrode(s) was seen, and in 10 an intermediate segment was visible. In 6 of the 40 patients (15%) the lead was not visible. In 3 of these 40 patients it was virtually impossible to image any cardiac structure. The less than 100% visibility of the pacing wire may be due to our randomized patient group with a high mean age of 75 years. We conclude that during follow-up examinations or when problems arise in patients with transvenous pacemakers, 2-D echocardiography may be an alternative to roentgenograms, especially if simultaneous information about heart function is desired or septal perforation is suspected. However, chest roentgenograms are still more accurate and remain the technique of choice under normal circumstances.
Time trends and geographic variation in use of minimally invasive breast biopsy.

Background Current guidelines recommend minimally invasive breast biopsy (MIBB) as the gold standard for the diagnosis of breast lesions. The purpose of this study was to describe geographic patterns and time trends in the use of MIBB in Texas. Methods We used 100% Texas Medicare claims data (2000–2008) to identify women older than 66 years of age who underwent breast biopsy. Biopsies were classified as open or MIBB. Time trends, racial/ethnic variation, and geographic variation in the use of biopsy techniques were examined. Results A total of 87,165 breast biopsies were performed on 75,518 breast masses in 67,582 women; 65.8% of the initial biopsies were MIBB. Radiologists performed 70.3% and surgeons performed 26.2% of MIBB. Surgeons performed 94.2% of open biopsies. Hispanic women were less likely to undergo MIBB (55.9%) compared with white (66.6%) and black (68.9%) women (p Conclusions Despite an increase in the use of MIBB over time, MIBB use was consistently lower than recommended. We must identify specific barriers in rural areas to effectively change practice and achieve the statewide goal of 90% MIBB.
Uretrocistopexia con anclajes óseos: modificación técnica

Resumen Objetivo Comunicar una modificacion tecnica de uretrocistopexia, consistente en la suspension de los ligamentos uretropelvicos a la cara posterior del hueso pubico mediante la utilizacion de anclajes oseos insertados con el sistema In-Fast Material y metodos Entre Agosto de 2000 y Enero de 2001, trece pacientes con una edad media de 56,1 anos fueron sometidas a dicha tecnica. Usando una via transvaginal y tras amplia apertura de la fascia endopelvica, colocamos un tornillo de anclaje a cada lado de la sinfisis pubica, dando posteriormente 2 o 3 pasadas al ligamento uretropelvico con la sutura de polipropileno del no 1 que cada uno de ellos lleva unido a su extremo Resultados La estancia media ha sido de 5,1 dias. La cistostomia se ha mantenido durante una media de 10,1 dias. No se observaron complicaciones intra ni postoperatorias. Con un seguimiento medio de 5,3 meses todas las pacientes presentan desaparicion de su incontinencia de esfuerzo Conclusiones A falta de confirmar con un mayor seguimiento y casuistica, la suspension de los ligamentos uretropelvicos mediante anclajes directamente colocados en el hueso pubico por via vaginal, se ha mostrado como un metodo sencillo, seguro y altamente confortable para las pacientes
The synthesis of fetal and adult hemoglobin in sheep during the perinatal period.

SummaryThe presence of adult hemoglobin has been detected in fetal sheep blood by column chromatography as early as 4 weeks prior to birth. The transition from fetal to adult hemoglobin synthesis in sheep is essentially completed within a 2-month period including one prenatal month and one postnatal month. This rate of transition is much faster than in man.
Advanced Onboard Signal Processors For Satellite Communication Systems

The Advanced Onboard Signal Processor (AOSP) is a distributed signal processing computer under development for space applications in the Post-1985 time frame. The processor architecture is based on an arbitrary-topology network of identical processing elements specialized to perform signal processing and controlled by a distributed operating system. Both the operating system and applications programs are written in a high order language which is effeciently supported by the processing elements. Examples of communication signal processing are presented which show the suitability of AOSP for this application. The design has been validated by extensive simulation and is presently in the breadboard hardware phase.
Graph groups, coherence, and three-manifolds

1. INTRoOU~T~~N We study groups given by presentations each of whose defining relations is of the form ql= yx for some generators .Y and y. To such a presentation we associate a graph X whose vertices are the generators, two vertices .Y and 1’ being adjacent in X if and only if xy = yx is a defining relation. Given a graph X, we denote by GX the group defined by the presentation associated to X in this way. We call GX a graph group. These groups have been studied by Kim and Roush [S], and by Dicks [3]. In this paper we prove the following:
A numerical investigation of the detachment of the trailing particle from a chain sedimenting in newtonian and viscoelastic fluids

Particles sedimenting in a viscoelastic fluid form chains. It has been observed in experiments that, sometimes, the last particle in the chain gets detached. In this paper, we investigate this phenomenon, it is known that a long chain falls faster than a single particle in fluids. This long body effect tends to detach the last particle from the chain. The wake effect and the normal stress effect are the mechanisms that work against the long body effect. The last particle is not detached if the inertial wake effects are strong enough to cause substantial drag reduction on it. The detachment is also restricted by the elastic normal stress of the viscoelastic fluid
Mechanical properties of cardiac muscle from spontaneously hypertensive rats: accentuated aftercontractions.

SummaryIsometric properties of the isolated cardiac muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were compared to those from age-matched normotensive Wis-tar-Kyoto (WKY) preparations to assess the contribution of alterations in intrinsic contractile properties of cardiac muscle to the well-documented increase in cardiac output seen during the early phases of hypertension.At Lmax, there were no detectible differences in resting tension, active tension, rate of tension development, or rate of relaxation between SHR and WKY preparations, indicating that neither the hypertension nor the accompanying cardiac hypertrophy influences these particular contractile characteristics. However, interactions between individual contractions of cardiac muscle were different. With paired pulse stimulation, SHR preparations had longer mechanical refractory periods and larger and more frequent aftercontractions. Therefore, during the SHR's high cardiac output phase, certain, but not all, of the intrinsic mechanical propert...
NIC: LBTI's nulling and imaging camera

The Nulling and Imaging Camera is the main science camera being developed for use with the LBTI. The camera has two science channels: an 8-13 um wavelength Nulling Optimized Mid-Infrared Camera (NOMIC) and a 3-5 micron imaging camera, dubbed LMIRCam. The NIC cryostat also houses a K band fast readout camera (Phasecam) to sense phase variations between the LBT apertures and carry out closed loop correction. The design, comprising these three components, is housed in a single cryostat cooled by a mechanical pulse-tube coldhead. The optical design uses diamond-turned biconical mirrors to realize diffraction-limited performance in a compact space. A range of cryogenic actuators and alignment mechanisms have been developed to carry out fine alignment of the interferometer and to feed the several channels of NIC.
Preservation of facial nerve function after resection of vestibular schwannoma

Objective. Most data regarding facial nerve function in patients undergoing microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannomas predominantly include series performed at a single institution. In an effort to minimise individual surgeon or institutional bias, we performed an analysis of the published literature on facial nerve outcomes following microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannomas. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of reported outcomes for facial nerve preservation after VS surgery.Materials and methods. We identified a total of 296 studies involving over 25,000 patients that included outcome data for facial nerve function of vestibular schwannoma patients treated surgically. Data regarding surgical approach, tumour size, patient age, and use of intra-operative monitoring were extracted and correlated with facial nerve function after surgery. Patients with preoperative facial nerve dysfunction (House-Brackmann score 3 or higher) were excluded and ‘facial nerv...
End-user perceptions of intelligence dissemination from a state fusion center

This research examines end-user perceptions of an intelligence product disseminated from a state fusion center in the Northeast region of the United States. The current literature suffers from an empirical gap within the arena of contemporary law enforcement intelligence; largely because of the difficulty of obtaining data related to such practices. This research informs this gap and provides insights into local law enforcement intelligence sharing. Descriptive statistics and interview narratives are presented. Original survey data was collected from a sample of law enforcement agencies subscribed to the fusion center’s intelligence listserv. Random interviews with survey respondents were also conducted and NVivo software was utilized to develop qualitative constructs. Findings indicate the intelligence product is read daily and perceived to be moderately useful by recipients. End users are primarily concerned with jurisdiction-specific and officer safety-related information. Upper-level administrators are the organizational lynchpins for funneling information to patrol officers.
Errors in Shipping

Contemporary manufacturing organizations have adopted just-in-time production philosophy for the last two decades in order to have the benefits of lean inventory at all levels. However, bulk of finished goods end up in warehouses before shipment to its final destination. This is especially true for commodities that require large distribution networks, or for components that are shipped for final assembly at customer site, or for products that are made in bulk but distributed through a wide network to the final consumers. Hence warehouses play an important role in the contemporary economy. However, they have their concerns as well. This case study investigates shipping errors in an existing warehouse from all perspectives, with an intent to improve productivity. It reports some interesting results. Care has to be ensured that they do occupy space economically, have state of the art storage and retrieval systems(ASRS). Care also has to be taken to ensure that they operate under reliable information system a...
858 INITIATION OF GLUCONEOGENESIS DURING FETAL DEVELOPMENT

Synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors has been considered to be absent in fetal liver of many mammals, with post-natal appearance of gluconeogenesis subject to hormonal regulation. Using a new method for perfusion of fetal liver and isolation of hepatocytes, the development of gluconeogenesis in the rat fetus was investigated.
A Survey of Assaultive Behavior in Veterans Health Administration Facilities

OBJECTIVE: To more clearly define the scope and impact of violence in health care facilities, national data on assaults in VA medical centers and freestanding clinics were examined. METHODS: A survey was distributed to all VA medical centers and freestanding clinics asking for cumulative data for one fiscal year (October 1990 through September 1991). Data were obtained on number, types, and locations of physical assaults and other assaultive behavior; the types of staff assaulted and number of workdays lost due to injuries; diagnoses of perpetrators; recommendations made after the incidents were reviewed; training in prevention and management of assaultive behavior; and the impact of training on rates of assaultive behavior. RESULTS: During the survey year, 24,219 incidents of assaultive behavior were reported by 166 VA facilities; 8,552 incidents involved battery or physical assault. Weapon possession by perpetrators was common (8.5 percent of incidents), and weapons were used in 130 assaults (1.5 percen...
The policy analysis role of the contemporary university

From society's standpoint, modern science and technology appears Janus-faced: It has given us wealth in one sense, and poverty in another; it has harnessed nature to man's basic needs in ways and to extents undreamed-of only a few decades ago, but it has fostered a continuingly lowered “quality of life.” In large measure, this outcome results from an economic and social philosophy in the Western world which rationalizes existing institutional structures as spontaneously arising “in response to felt needs.”
Rational design and assembly of M2M′3L6 supramolecular clusters with C3h symmetry by exploiting incommensurate symmetry numbers

A rational approach to heterometallic cluster formation is described that uses incommensurate symmetry requirements at two different metals to control the stoichiometry of the assembly. Critical to this strategy is the proper design and synthesis of hybrid ligands with coordination sites selective toward each metal. The phosphino-catechol ligand 4-(diphenylphosphino)benzene-1,2-diol (H2L) possesses both hard catecholate and soft phosphine donor sites and serves such a role, using soft (C2-symmetric) and hard (C3-symmetric) metal centers. The ML3 catecholate complexes (M = FeIII, GaIII, TiIV, SnIV) have been prepared and characterized as C3-symmetry precursors for the stepwise assembly (aufbau) of heterometallic clusters. While the single-crystal X-ray structure of the Cs2[TiL3] salt shows a C1 mer-configuration in the solid -state, room-temperature solution NMR data of this and related complexes are consistent with either exclusive formation of the C3-fac-isomer with all PPh2 donor sites syn to each other...
Perioperative Management of Oral Anticoagulation: When and How to Bridge

The management of patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC) who need to undergo surgery or invasive procedures is problematic. "Bridging" the subtherapeutic periods with either intravenous unfractionated heparin or subcutaneous treatment-dose low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) decreases the amount of time patients are not anticoagulated but may increase the risk of postoperative bleeding and is costly. The available literature does not provide sufficient information to allow clinicians to choose an optimal perioperative strategy. Recent studies primarily have examined the perioperative use of LMWH, and have found arterial thromboembolic rates of 0.4-1.5%. The observed incidence is greater than mathematically predicted, which may be due to a potential hypercoagulable state impacting the risk for arterial thromboembolic events. The literature suggests that major postoperative bleeding is low for invasive procedures but may be substantially higher for major surgery. Given the lack of definitive data or consensus, the decision must be based on estimates of the risks of thromboembolism and bleeding and the patient's preference. For most patients at low or moderate stroke risk, bridging will be unnecessary and may be harmful. Bridging is recommended for patients who have a high annual risk of stroke and thus have a more appreciable perioperative stroke risk. Postoperative anticoagulation must be used cautiously and patients monitored closely after major surgery due to the risk of postoperative major bleeding.
Conceptualizing Personal and Extrapersonal Associations

We recently introduced the term ‘extrapersonal associations’ and defined them as information that is available in memory but that does not contribute to one's attitudes toward a given object (Olson & Fazio, 2004). Here, we review our conceptualization of the term, contrast it to our conceptualization of attitudes as personal associations, and briefly summarize evidence that the Implicit Association Test, as it is traditionally employed, is influenced by extrapersonal associations. We discuss recent critiques of the concept and in so doing, elaborate upon the essence of the personal versus extrapersonal distinction. We conclude with speculations on the nature of extrapersonal associations, their origins, and relationship to attitudes.
Hydrolysis of Nucleoside Triphosphates Other than ATP by Nitrogenase

Abstract The hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and Pi is an integral part of all substrate reduction reactions catalyzed by nitrogenase. In this work, evidence is presented that nitrogenases isolated from Azotobacter vinelandii andClostridium pasteurianum can hydrolyze MgGTP, MgITP, and MgUTP to their respective nucleoside diphosphates at rates comparable to those measured for MgATP hydrolysis. The reactions were dependent on the presence of both the iron (Fe) protein and the molybdenum-iron (MoFe) protein. The oxidation state of nitrogenase was found to greatly influence the nucleotide hydrolysis rates. MgATP hydrolysis rates were 20 times higher under dithionite reducing conditions (∼4000 nmol of MgADP formed per min/mg of Fe protein) as compared with indigo disulfonate oxidizing conditions (200 nmol of MgADP formed per min/mg of Fe protein). In contrast, MgGTP, MgITP, and MgUTP hydrolysis rates were significantly higher under oxidizing conditions (1400–2000 nmol of MgNDP formed per min/mg of Fe protein) as compared with reducing conditions (80–230 nmol of MgNDP formed per min/mg of Fe protein). TheK m values for MgATP, MgGTP, MgUTP, and MgITP hydrolysis were found to be similar (330–540 μm) for both the reduced and oxidized states of nitrogenase. Incubation of Fe and MoFe proteins with each of the MgNTP molecules and AlF4 − resulted in the formation of non-dissociating protein-protein complexes, presumably with trapped AlF4 −·MgNDP. The implications of these results in understanding how nucleotide hydrolysis is coupled to substrate reduction in nitrogenase are discussed.
Attributes of computer professionals

In order to ascertain the attributes of computer professionals and to determine their attitudes toward their undergraduate education, a questionnaire was sent to each of the graduates of the computer science program at The Pennsylvania State University who earned the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. This is a relatively new program having been established in 1967. By 1970 there were over 60 graduates, and to determine something about these people a survey was conducted. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. Part 1 dealt with job related information, such as salary, type of employment, job title, job satisfaction, etc. Part 2 delved into the graduates' attitudes concerning the baccalaureate program in Computer Science at Penn State. It was concerned primarily with courses and curriculum. A complete copy of the questionnaire is given in Appendix A. The survey did not substantiate any of these preconceptions; therefore, the survey results for each of these categories will be discussed in detail.
Position and Disposition: The Contextual Development of Human Values

Research on the importance of values often focuses primarily on one domain of social predictors (e.g., economic) or limits its scope to a single dimension of values. We conduct a simultaneous analysis of a wide range of theoretically important social influences and a more complete range of individuals’ value orientations, focusing both on value ratings and rankings. Results indicate that traditional institutions such as religion and parenthood are associated with more concern for the welfare of others and maintaining the status quo, whereas more individually oriented occupational factors like higher income and self-employment are linked to achievement and change-related values. Yet several factors, such as education and gender, have complex associations when individual values are examined as part of a coherent system rather than in isolation.
Ice Cream Seminars for Graduate Students: Imparting Chemical Information Literacy

SUMMARY This article provides information on a chemical information literacy program designed primarily for new graduate students. The full implementation of this program is discussed, including defining its purpose, topics covered, content presented, methods of marketing, and evaluation. The result is a series of voluntary seminars given biweekly throughout the academic year. Seminars are based either around a particular resource or database or are centered on a topical problem that may be addressed using multiple resources. Evaluations show that graduate students are pleased with the seminars, including content covered and the format. Areas for future development and experimentation are also suggested.
Volume Changes in Vesicles and Erythrocytes Probed by Microscopy and Spectroscopy at Variable Pressure

High pressure can change the cell morphology and membrane fluidity. We combine high pressure microscopy and micro-spectroscopic probes to study pressure effects at the single cell level. In single erythrocytes large, reversible volume changes are observed over the pressure range from 0.1 to 200 MPa. To probe the role of the cell membrane we conduct high pressure studies on vesicles. Vesicles were extruded using 400 nm pores after being resolubilized in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Giant vesicles were formed using extrusion, dehydration and rehydration techniques of the lipids 1,2-Dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC.) using phosphate buffered saline to rehydrate the desiccated lipids. Vesicles are characterized by direct optical imaging and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The similarities and differences between these vesicles and erythrocytes with variations in pressure are investigated.
Redesigning photodetector electrodes as an optical antenna.

At the nanoscale, semiconductor and metallic structures naturally exhibit strong, tunable optical resonances that can be utilized to enhance light-matter interaction and to dramatically increase the performance of chipscale photonic elements. Here, we demonstrate that the metallic leads used to extract current from a Ge nanowire (NW) photodetector can be redesigned to serve as optical antennas capable of concentrating light in the NW. The NW itself can also be made optically resonant and an overall performance optimization involves a careful tuning of both resonances. We show that such a procedure can result in broadband absorption enhancements of up to a factor 1.7 at a target wavelength of 660 nm and an ability to control the detector’s polarization-dependent response. The results of this study demonstrate the critical importance of performing a joint optimization of the electrical and optical properties of the metallic and semiconductor building blocks in optoelectronic devices with nanoscale components.
Worst case cochannel interference and spectrum efficiency of GMSK in cellular mobile radio systems

A general theoretical analysis of GMSK in cellular mobile radio system is presented. A closed form expressions for the probability of error is derived in fast Rayleigh fading and in the presence of Gaussian noise and worst case cochannel interference. The spectrum efficiency is evaluated for some cases of interest and compared with the results presented in [1]. It is shown that the spectrum efficiency is lower under fast fading environment than that presented in [1] because higher protection carrier to interference ratio is required in fast fading.
An Adaptive Method for Unknown Distributions in Distributive Partitioned Sorting

Distributive Partitioned Sort (DPS) is a fast internal sorting algorithm which rung in O(n) expected time on uniformly distributed data. Unfortunately, the method is biased toward such inputs, and its performance worsens as the data become increasingly nonuniform, such as with highly skewed distributions. An adaptation of DPS, which estimates the cumulative distribution function of the input data from a randomly selected sample, was developed and tested. The method runs only 2-4 percent slower than DPS in the uniform case, but outperforms DPS by 12-13 percent on exponentially distributed data for sufficiently large files.
Novel technique for generating macrophage foam cells for in vitro reverse cholesterol transport studies

Generation of foam cells, an essential step for reverse cholesterol transport studies, uses the technique of receptor-dependent macrophage loading with radiolabeled acetylated LDL. In this study, we used the ability of a biologically relevant detergent molecule, lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PtdCho), to form mixed micelles with cholesterol or cholesteryl ester (CE) to generate macrophage foam cells. Fluorescent or radiolabeled cholesterol/lyso-PtdCho mixed micelles were prepared and incubated with RAW 264.7 or mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results showed that such micelles were quite stable at 4°C and retained the solubilized cholesterol during one month of storage. Macrophages incubated with cholesterol or CE (unlabeled, fluorescently labeled, or radiolabeled)/lyso-PtdCho mixed micelles accumulated CE as documented by microscopy, lipid staining, labeled oleate incorporation, and by TLC. Such foam cells unloaded cholesterol when incubated with HDL but not with oxidized HDL. We propose that stable cholesterol or CE/lyso-PtdCho micelles would offer advantages over existing methods.
Mechanisms Mediating the Synergistic Anticancer Effects of Combined γ-Tocotrienol and Sesamin Treatment

Epidemiological studies have highlighted the ability of phytochemicals to reduce the risk of breast cancer by attenuating specific intracellular signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation and survival. γ-Tocotrienol is a natural form of vitamin E that displays potent anticancer activity at doses that have no discernible toxicity toward normal cells. Sesamin is an abundant phytochemical found in sesame seed oil that also shows antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity against human breast cancer cells. In this study, the combined treatment of subeffective doses of γ-tocotrienol and sesamin caused a synergistic inhibition of murine +SA mammary epithelial cell growth, as determined by the MTT assay and immunofluorescent Ki-67 staining. Western blot studies revealed that combined low-dose treatment of γ-tocotrienol and sesamin caused a marked reduction in EGF-induced ErbB3 and ErbB4 receptors phosphorylation (activation) and a relatively large decrease in intracellular levels of total and/or phosphorylated c-Raf, MEK1/2, ERK1/2, PI3K, PDK1, Akt, p-NFκB, Jak1, Jak2, and Stat1, as compared to cells treated with only one compound or in the vehicle-treated control group. These findings demonstrate that the synergistic growth inhibitory effects of γ-tocotrienol and sesamin treatment are associated with suppression of EGF-dependent mitogenic signaling in mammary tumor cells and suggest that dietary supplementation with these phytochemicals may provide some benefits in the prevention and/or treatment of breast cancer.
Development and validation of a method for the determination of a therapeutic peptide with affinity for the human B1 receptor in human plasma using HPLC-MS/MS

The peptide described in this report (MW 1180 Da; 10-amino acid synthetic peptide) is a potent and selective antagonist of the human B1 receptor (B1) that has been investigated for the treatment of chronic pain. A method to quantitate this peptide in human plasma has been developed to support human clinical trials designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of this compound. Plasma samples (0.2 mL) were extracted using a Waters Oasis MAX (10 mg) 96-well plate and the resulting samples were analyzed using an Applied Biosystems API-5000 HPLC-MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The method was validated for the determination of the B1 peptide in human plasma over the concentration range of 1-50 ng/mL. Isotopically labeled B1 peptide ((13)C6(15)N(2)-B1 peptide) was used as an internal standard. Interday precision and accuracy, determined from analysis of quality control (QC) samples, yielded coefficients of variation (CV) of less than 5.3% and accuracy within a 2.4%. Within batch precision and accuracy determinations provided CV values of less than 7.3% and accuracy within a 6.0% bias. Precautions had to be taken to prevent B1 peptide loss to container surfaces and contamination of the HPLC-MS/MS. The validated assay was used in support of human clinical trials.
Gaussian beams for surface waves in transversely isotropic media

Summary We present formulae for the application of the Gaussian beam method to surface waves propagating in a transversely isotropic medium with slowly varying lateral heterogeneities. Average vertical structures are represented in terms of Love and Rayleigh wave eigenfunctions determined using normal mode theory. Such eigenfunctions are considered to propagate along the surface following a phase velocity map, similar to the 2-D body wave case with lateral heterogeneities. Final results are almost identical to those for a perfectly isotropic case. Thus, we can extend all the concepts and schemes for an isotropic medium to a more general transversely isotropic medium without any major modifications to obtain synthetic seismograms.
Visual multifrequency entrainment: can 1:2, 2:3, and 3:4 coordination occur spontaneously?

Complex patterns of interlimb coordination, such as multifrequency relationships of 1:2, 2:3, or 3:4, are difficult to perform intentionally without extensive practice. The current study investigated whether these patterns might nonetheless occur spontaneously given an appropriate balance between the movement frequencies, or oscillatory periods, of an individual's movements and a visual-environmental stimulus. In order to test this, partic- ipants swung a fixed-period wrist-pendulum while observing an oscillating computer-generated stimulus. Results indicated that at given differences in period, 1:2, 2:3, and 3:4 coordination patterns emerged between the participant and stimulus. This suggests that large period differences do not altogether prevent the emergence of rhythmic visuomotor coordination, but instead provide the opportu- nity for complex patterns of coordination to emerge spontaneously.
Nearly free-molecular slit flow at finite pressure and temperature ratios

An analytical study is made of nearly free-molecular flow of a noble gas from one reservoir to another through a two-dimensional slit, with finite pressure and temperature ratios across the slit. The fundamental solution of the linear Boltzmann equation is employed in the study. The total mass flow is calculated to the first-order correction terms, of the order of α ln α and α, where α is the inverse Knudsen number. The coefficients of these terms are in general multiple integrals, but they become explicit functions of the pressure and temperature ratios after the multiple integrations are carried out by using Krook collision model. When the general result is simplified to the isothermal case the first-order correction has a negative value, indicating the reduction of the total mass flow due to intermolecular collisions in the counter flows.
An Efficient, Parametric Fixpoint Algorithm for Analysis of Java Bytecode

Abstract interpretation has been widely used for the analysis of object-oriented languages and, in particular, Java source and bytecode. However, while most existing work deals with the problem of finding expressive abstract domains that track accurately the characteristics of a particular concrete property, the underlying fixpoint algorithms have received comparatively less attention. In fact, many existing (abstract interpretation based-) fixpoint algorithms rely on relatively inefficient techniques for solving inter-procedural call graphs or are specific and tied to particular analyses. We also argue that the design of an efficient fixpoint algorithm is pivotal to supporting the analysis of large programs. In this paper we introduce a novel algorithm for analysis of Java bytecode which includes a number of optimizations in order to reduce the number of iterations. The algorithm is parametric -in the sense that it is independent of the abstract domain used and it can be applied to different domains as ''plug-ins''-, multivariant, and flow-sensitive. Also, is based on a program transformation, prior to the analysis, that results in a highly uniform representation of all the features in the language and therefore simplifies analysis. Detailed descriptions of decompilation solutions are given and discussed with an example. We also provide some performance data from a preliminary implementation of the analysis
Statistical Timing Analysis for Intra-Die Process Variations with Spatial Correlations

Process variations have become a critical issue in performance verification of high-performance designs. We present a new, statistical timing analysis method that accounts for inter- and intra-die process variations and their spatial correlations. Since statistical timing analysis has an exponential run time complexity, we propose a method whereby a statistical bound on the probability distribution function of the exact circuit delay is computed with linear run time. First, we develop a model for representing inter- and intra-die variations and their spatial correlations. Using this model, we then show how gate delays and arrival times can be represented as a sum of components, such that the correlation information between arrival times and gate delays is preserved. We then show how arrival times are propagated and merged in the circuit to obtain an arrival time distribution that is an upper bound on the distribution of the exact circuit delay. We prove the correctness of the bound and also show how the bound can be improved by propagating multiple arrival times. The proposed algorithms were implemented and tested on a set of benchmark circuits under several process variation scenarios. The results were compared with Monte Carlo simulation and show an accuracy of 3.32% on average over all test cases.
Arctic Environmental Change of the Last Four Centuries

A compilation of paleoclimate records from lake sediments, trees, glaciers, and marine sediments provides a view of circum-Arctic environmental variability over the last 400 years. From 1840 to the mid-20th century, the Arctic warmed to the highest temperatures in four centuries. This warming ended the Little Ice Age in the Arctic and has caused retreats of glaciers, melting of permafrost and sea ice, and alteration of terrestrial and lake ecosystems. Although warming, particularly after 1920, was likely caused by increases in atmospheric trace gases, the initiation of the warming in the mid-19th century suggests that increased solar irradiance, decreased volcanic activity, and feedbacks internal to the climate system played roles.
Adverse effects of phenobarbital on morphological and biochemical development of fetal mouse spinal cord neurons in culture

The effects of chronic phenobarbital treatment on neuronal development were assessed in cell cultures of fetal rodent spinal cord. The activity of the principal enzyme involved in acetylcholine synthesis, choline acetyltransferase (CAT), and counts of large spinal cord neurons were used as indicators of neuronal development Phenobarbital (30 to 120 micrograms/ml) added to cultures for two- or six-week periods produced dose-dependent decreases in both CAT activity and neurons counts. Barbituric acid at doses equimolar to those at which phenobarbital produced these decreases had no effect.
Gender and Psychological Distress

Gender is a multidimensional construct that encompasses the many ways society is differentiated on the basis of sex. To understand the role of gender in psychological problems of the sexes, counselors need to be aware of gender-socialized individual characteristics, which may affect what psychological problems people develop, associated symptoms, and how people respond to the problems. It is also important to recognize how the broader sociocultural context presents men and women with different expectations, opportunities, and rewards.
Direct modeling of spoken passwords for Text-Dependent Speaker Recognition by compressed time-feature representations

Traditional Text-Dependent Speaker Recognition (TDSR) systems model the user-specific spoken passwords with frame-based features such as MFCC and use DTW or HMM type classifiers to handle the variable length of the feature vector sequence. In this paper, we explore a direct modeling of the entire spoken password by a fixed-dimension vector called Compressed Feature Dynamics or CFD. Instead of the usual frame-by-frame feature extraction, the entire password utterance is first modeled by a 2-D Featurogram or FGRAM, which efficiently captures speaker-identityspecific speech dynamics. CFDs are compressed and approximated version of the FGRAMs and their fixed dimension allows the use of simpler classifiers. Overall, the proposed FGRAM-CFD framework provides an efficient and direct model to capture the speaker-identity information well for a TDSR system. As demonstrated in trials on a 344speaker database, compared to traditional MFCC-based TDSR systems, the FGRAM-CFD framework shows quite encouraging performance at significantly lower complexity.
Phase shifting the circadian clock with cycloheximide: response of hamster with an intact or a split rhythm of locomotor activity

Systematic administration of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, induced both phase advances and phase delays in the circadian rhythm of wheel-running activity in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) maintained in constant darkness or constant light. The magnitude and direction of the phase shifts were dependent on the circadian time (CT) of drug treatment. The phase response curves in constant darkness and constant light were of similar general shape, but they differed in the overall mean amplitude of the phase shifts. Maximal phase advances were observed after injections around CT 6–8, maximal delays at CT 0–2. Injections of various doses of cycloheximide at CT 0 induced a dose-dependent phase delay in the rhythm with a maximum delay induced by 10 mg cycloheximide. Injections of cycloheximide in animals with a split activity rhythm caused phase shifts of both components in the same direction (20/39) and in different directions (10/39). The results support the hypothesis that 80S ribosomal protein synthesis plays an important role in the biochemical mechanisms of circadian systems.
The coming-of-age of software architecture research

Over the past decade, software architecture research has emerged as the principled study of the overall structure of software systems, especially the relations among subsystems and components. From its roots in qualitative descriptions of useful system organizations, software architecture has matured to encompass broad explorations of notations, tools, and analysis techniques. Whereas initially the research area interpreted software practice, it now offers concrete guidance for complex software design and development. We can understand the evolution and prospects of software architecture research by examining the research paradigms used to establish its results. These are, for the most part, the paradigms of software engineering. We advance our fundamental understanding by posing research questions of several kinds and applying appropriate research techniques, which differ from one type of problem to another, yield correspondingly different kinds of results, and require different methods of validation. Unfortunately, these paradigms are not recognized explicitly and are often not carried out correctly; indeed not all are consistently accepted as valid. This retrospective on a decade-plus of software architecture research examines the maturation of the software architecture research area by tracing the types of research questions and techniques used at various stages. We will see how early qualitative results set the stage for later precision, formality, and automation and how results build up over time. This generates advice to the field and projections about future impact.