cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic optimal strategy for monitoring disease recurrence

Surveillance to detect cancer recurrence is an important part of care for cancer survivors. In this paper we discuss the design of optimal strategies for early detection of disease recurrence based on each patient’s distinct biomarker trajectory and periodically updated risk estimated in the setting of a prospective cohort study. We adopt a latent class joint model which considers a longitudinal biomarker process and an event process jointly, to address heterogeneity of patients and disease, to discover distinct biomarker trajectory patterns, to classify patients into different risk groups, and to predict the risk of disease recurrence. The model is used to develop a monitoring strategy that dynamically modifies the monitoring intervals according to patients’ current risk derived from periodically updated biomarker measurements and other indicators of disease spread. The optimal biomarker assessment time is derived using a utility function. We develop an algorithm to apply the proposed strategy to monitoring of new patients after initial treatment. We illustrate the models and the derivation of the optimal strategy using simulated data from monitoring prostate cancer recurrence over a 5-year period.
Organizational-Level Police Discretion An Application for Police Use of Lethal Force

Research on police behavior suggests that discretion is vital to police decision making. Although discretion can originate from many sources (e.g., officers, situations, structure), relatively few studies examine how organizational variables affect officer discretion. Of the studies that test whether organizational level influences shape discretion, even fewer examine their influence on lethal force. This oversight is notable in light of the overrepresentation of Blacks in lethal force incidents because organizational characteristics and policies may reduce racial disparities in the application of lethal force. Using administrative policy and police department size as proxies for organizational variables, this study tests for organizational effects and examines whether these effects vary by race. Using city-level data from 1980 to 1984, this research examines how organizational limits on discretion affect the volume of lethal force incidents. Negative binomial regression results indicate that administrati...
Coenzyme competition and precursor specificity during teratogenesis induced by 6-aminonicotinamide.

Abstract The teratogenic mechanism of the nicotinamide analog 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN), is thought to be inhibition of energy exchange reactions which in turn selectively interfere with synthesis of mucopolysaccharides. Nicotinamide and 6-AN were administered singly or in combination for studying micromelia in the embryonic chick limb. These coenzyme competition, protection, and reversibility experiments suggest that cells of 4-day embryos readily accept either nicotinamide or 6-AN. Preloading with nicotinamide 1–24 hours prior to exposure to 6-AN prevented teratogenicity of 6-AN. An excess of nicotinamide up to 2 times the maximal protective dose given 2 hours or more after 6-AN did not offset the teratogenicity of 6-AN. Once exposed either to 6-AN or to nicotinamide the cells do not readily accept either alternate molecule. This mutual exclusivity enabled demonstration that 6-AN is 80% effective as a teratogen in 4-day chick embryos within 2 hours after its administration. Duration of the effectiveness of a standard dose of 6-AN given to a 4-day embryo was studied by a 30-minute terminal label with 35S-sulfate. Maximum inhibition was seen 3 days after treatment and recovery to control values occurred in about 4 1 2 days. Because limb teratogenicity is a result of atypical chondrogenesis and because the experiments above were performed on mixed tissues of whole embryos or whole limbs, early rudiments of tibia at 9, 10, and 11 days were isolated and tested with 6-AN and labeled precursors. It was found that 2 hours of exposure of bone rudiments to 6-AN was sufficient to demonstrate selective inhibition of 35S incorporation while amino acid incorporation remained similar to controls. The effect of 6-AN in the limb of the chick embryo is prompt, demonstrable in 2 hours and temporarily irreversible. Recovery is seen in 4 to 5 days, but distortion of the cartilage model results in micromelia.
Judgment of like-dislike from facial expression and body posture.

The nonverbal communication of like-dislike information was studied by superimposing all possible combinations of three facial expressions which communicated liking, neutrality, or disliking onto two body-posture pictures of a female which communicated liking or disliking. A treatment by treatment analysis of variance indicated significant effects for facial expression, posture and the interaction of these factors for 30 female undergraduates. Post-experimental t tests indicated a complex relationship between facial expression and body posture. It was concluded that body posture can communicate information in the presence of facial expression and that body posture probably moderates the information communicated by the face.
Nurses' perceptions of the support of patient autonomy in do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decisions

This replication of Ott's study [Ott, B. (1986). An Ethical Problem Facing Nurses: The Support of Patient Autonomy in the Do Not Resuscitate Decision. University Microfilms International, Dissertation, Texas Women's University] and McLaughlin et al.'s study [McLaughlin, T., Brown, O. and Herman, J. (1988). Nurses' Perception of the Support of Patient Autonomy in Do Not Resuscitate Situations. Unpublished Research Report] explored hospital staff nurses' perceptions of their role in supporting patient autonomy in the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decision. One-hundred and sixty-five registered nurses (RNs) participated: 93 from the Veterans Administration Medical Center and 72 from a private non-profit hospital. Ott's questionnaire had four hypothetical cases in which a DNR decision would probably be made with three questions about whose opinion would most support patient autonomy and whose opinion would actually be regarded as the most appropriate for making the DNR decision. Seventy per cent of perceptions of the person whose decision would be best able to support the patient's autonomy in the DNR decision and 51% of the people perceived to actually be deemed most appropriate to make the DNR decision were consistent with Ott's DNR Decision Model.
Motoneuron loss in the abducens nucleus of wobbler mice.

Abstract The ‘wobbler’ mutant mouse can be recognized at about 4 weeks of age by its tremor and atrophy of forelimb muscles. In addition to degeneration of spinal motoneurons, especially in cervical spinal cord, selected bulbar motoneurons have also been reported to degenerate in the mutant. We examined a cranial motor nucleus and found a 31% loss of abducens motoneurons in 4–5 week-old wobbler mice as compared to age-matched control mice.
RITUAL, TIME, AND ENTERNITY

It is argued here that the construction of time and eternity are among ritual's entailments. In dividing continuous duration into distinct periods ritual distinguishes two temporal conditions: (1) that prevailing in mundane periods and (2) that prevailing during the intervals between them. Differences in the frequency, length, and relationship among the rituals constituting different liturgical orders are considered, as are differences between mundane periods and ritual's intervals with respect to social rela- tions, cognitive modes, meaningfulness, and typical interactive frequencies. Periods, it is observed, relate to intervals as ever- changing to never-changing, and close relationships of never- changing to eternity, eternity to sanctity, and sanctity to truth are proposed. In the argument that ritual's "times out of time" really are outside mundane time, similarities to the operations of digital computers and Herbert Simon's discussion of interaction frequen- cies in the organization of matter are noted.
Politics, Corruption, and Political Culture A View from the State Legislature

Using as a data base 441 American state legislators, the authors explore the relationship of state political cultures to legislative attitudes toward corruption. Three measures of corruption are exammed: perception of acts as being corrupt, support for other officials engaged in corrupt acts, and perceived frequency of corruption m one's own state legislature. After controlling for other factors thought to be important in explaining political corruption, the authors find that compared to other legislators, legislators from states identified as "moralistic" are less tolerant of corruption and perceive that it is lower in frequency.
Failure of anabolism in malnourished cancer patients receiving growth hormone: a clinical research center study

Previous work demonstrated that the provision of adequate or even excessive nutritional support is unable to reverse the negative nitrogen balance in many cancer patients. Our goal in a preliminary, short term study was to determine whether three daily GH injections (0.125 mg/kg.day, im) in cancer patients would increase insulin-like growth factor I concentrations and reverse the catabolic metabolic response to cancer, as indicated by reduced urinary nitrogen loss. Three days of GH therapy were associated with a significant increase in mean circulating GH (1.6 +/- 0.4 vs. 15.4 +/- 3.0 micrograms/L; P < 0.01), insulin-like growth factor I (112 +/- 15 vs. 329 +/- 54 micrograms/L; P < 0.01), insulin (57 +/- 11 vs. 184 +/- 46 pmol/L; P < 0.01), glucagon (63 +/- 11 vs. 77 +/- 11 ng/L; P < 0.05), and glucose (5.4 +/- 0.1 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/L; P < 0.05) concentrations. Twenty-four-hour urinary urea nitrogen (6.7 +/- 0.9 vs. 4.9 +/- 0.5 g; P < 0.05) and total nitrogen (7.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 6.0 +/- 1.2 g; P < 0.05) w...
Innovation through Patient Health Records

Abstract Health care by its very nature is extremely data and knowledge intensive. Large volumes of data is generated and stored for a patient. This data originates at different offices and are fragmented. Paper copies of data captured by various medical devices are still routinely used in medical data exchange. However, electronic storage and communication of medical data is on the rise and will be part of medical infrastructure. We review the emerging architecture of US Nationwide Health Information Network and electronic medical records. A personal health record is a repository where health data and information related to the care of a patient is maintained by the patient. It combines data, knowledge, and software tools for the entire history of a patient. We believe that personal health records will foster innovation by empowering the patient and providing a complete medical history of patients.
Whiskers, hyperhemispheres, and a honeymoon

I plan to make a few historical comments on early research in antennas for submillimeter waves, as the area was known in the 1970's. The initial focus was on understanding the limits of the tungsten whiskers that were then used as antennas. However, as integrated-circuit technology improved, it became clear that planar antennas on semiconductor substrates were needed. However, these antennas interact strongly with substrate modes. One way to eliminate the substrate modes is to put a lens on the back of the substrate and to couple power in through the lens. These substrate-lens coupled antennas are widely used today in laboratory instruments and radio astronomy. Another approach to suppressing the substrate modes is through a periodic antenna structure. This is the basis for the grid amplifier, which combines the outputs of large numbers of transistors in free space. This allows much more transmitter power than was previously possible from solid-state devices. The Wavestream Corporation was founded to develop this technology. The company's best-selling product is a 50-W amplifier for 30-GHz satellite uplinks. Several thousand amplifiers have been sold to date.
The role of landscape pattern analysis in understanding concepts of land cover change

Landscape ecology and landscape pattern analysis are important components of national-scale programs to identify trends in land cover change because: 1) Statistics on changes in land cover proportions are not spatial. A change matrix derived from GIS provides useful information, but it does not show the spatial form of change in the landscape. Landscape pattern metrics reveal spatial pattern. 2) A growing body of literature has shown that a change in landscape pattern might indicate important changes in ecological functions: forest connectivity and species movements, number and size of farm patches, effects on water quality. Spatial pattern is important in structuring ecological communities and in maintaining existence of competitors. Spatial pattern may be determined by disturbance and may in turn, determine how disturbances propagate through the system. 3) Sometimes landscape pattern may not significantly change, even though land cover proportions do change. Or, vice-versa, sometimes landscape pattern can significantly change, even though land cover proportions don’t significantly change. 4) Landscape pattern is an inherent and important part of describing landscapes: based on the literature, one of the most important descriptive characteristics of a landscape is its texture. The objectives of this paper are to: 1) Explain the importance of the role of landscape ecology and landscape pattern analysis in land cover change studies; 2) Review the literature that specifically incorporates landscape ecology into land cover change studies; and 3) List the theoretical and technical issues involved and suggest solutions for them.
Object-Oriented Nesting System on Two-dimensional Highly Irregular Resources

The objective of the automatic nesting problem is to find an arrangement for cutting irregular Shaped pieces that most efficiently utilizes an available space in a reasonable amount of time automatically. The available space, in this case, is highly irregular. Highly irregular resources not only have irregular boundaries but also defective areas that cannot be utilized. To solve this problem physical objects and mental concepts were represented in a framework called object-oriented representation. A recursive lookahead approach was also used, a novel way of segmenting an image in order to localize the search space. An abstract heuristic hill-climbing search was combined with a best-first search using a limited backtracking method to create a hybrid search technique. This system has been developed and the preliminary result is satisfactory. The testing has been performed by comparing the system against a human expert. The average yield difference has been within five percent.
Investigation of the flow behaviors of carbon nanotubes dispersed epoxy resin with modified bi-mode FENE dumbbell simulation

Abstract In this study, a modified bi-mode finitely extensible non-linear elastic (FENE) dumbbell model was introduced to investigate the concentration-dependent and shear-rate-dependent viscosity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed polymer solutions. It is called bi-mode because the aggregated CNTs and free CNTs are considered as two different types of CNTs with different mobility. The diffusion coefficient was simulated by classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and input into the FENE models. For the steady shear flow, the coupled Fokker–Planck equations and the corresponding stress tensors were solved numerically. The influence of CNT diameter and CNT mass on the shear viscosity was discussed. In addition, the bi-mode FENE dumbbell simulation can be applied to investigate the shear viscosity under different shear rates and increase of shear viscosity with time evolution. With the model, the influence of the anisotropy parameter, finite extensibility parameter was investigated. The shear-rate-dependent viscosity profile of resin solutions with different CNT concentrations was also predicted and validated with experimental rheological behavior. The simulation model can provide qualitative prediction of rheological behavior of CNTs dispersed resin.
Lateral asymmetry of personal optimism

Abstract By combining models of cerebral emotional asymmetry and unilateral hemispheric activation, it was hypothesized that orienting to the right would produce greater personal optimism about future events than would orienting toward the left. This was supported significantly in two experiments which differed from each other in their manipulations, hypothetical future events, means of responding, and settings. The results supported previous research on unrealistic optimism and extended the concept to show the effect of induced lateral orientation. It was proposed that this effect is mediated by mood, and possibly by perceived control, and that this methodology can be extended to other behaviors which have proven amenable to mood manipulation.
SU-E-J-67: A Potential New Technique to Measure Respiratory Tidal Volume Using Optical Surface Imaging: A Geometric and Deformable Phantom Study.

Purpose: To develop a new method for accurate measurement of dynamic respiratory tidal volume, we investigate the feasibility of measuring torso volume change using optical surfaceimaging (OSI). Methods: Based on a validated volume conservation theory, the tidal volume is equal to the volume change of the torso during quiet respiration (Li et al, PMB, 54:1693, 2009). A clinical OSI system was employed to acquire surfaceimages of seven geometric phantoms and two ‘deformable’ torso phantoms. The mesh surfaceimages were converted into contours for volume calculation using a treatment planning system. For geometric phantoms, their volumes under the incomplete surfaceimages were calculated with aid of their symmetry. The results were compared with theoretical calculation and water containment experiments. For deformable torso phantoms, we created volume‐controlled deformation stages by placing deformable PlayDoh (DPD) materials on top of rigid Rando/Thorax phantoms, mimicking respiration‐induced torso surface elevation and volume change. The volume difference under the surfaces with and without the DPD padding was calculated with aid of a common posterior line to enclose the region of interest. Three different volumes of DPD padding (>500cc) were mounted on the torso phantoms and CT scanned for volume measurements. Results: For geometric phantoms, the OSI measured volume had accuracy (±1s) of 0.0%±1.6% (vs. geometric volume calculation) and 0.6%±3.8% (vs. water containment experiment). For deformable torso phantoms, the volume change was measured using OSI with an accuracy of 1.5%±2.5% against the measured volume using CTimaging.Linear regression showed a one‐to‐one relationship between the OSI volumes and CT volumes with a slope of 1.003 (r2=0.999). Conclusions: The optical surfaceimaging system can accurately measure the volume of geometric phantoms and the volume change of deformable torso phantoms. The accuracy is about 3% against standard volume measurement methods. Further study on human subjects is under investigation. Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center has a reserach agreement with Vision RT, Inc.
A Brief History of the Mortality and Immortality of Cultured Cells

During the first half of this century it was believed that because cultured normal cells were immortal, aging must be caused by extracellular events. Thirty-five years ago we overthrough this dogma when we discovered that normal cells do have a limited capacity to divide and that aging occurs intracellularly. We also observed that only cancer cells are immortal. Normal cells are mortal because telomeres shorten at each division. Immortal cancer cells express the enzyme telomerase that prevents shortening. Recently, it was discovered that the telomerase gene when inserted into normal cells immortalizes them. There appears to be a relationship between these findings and aging, longevity determination and cancer. After performing the miracles that take us from conception to birth, and then to sexual maturation and adulthood, natural selection was unable to favor the development of a more elementary mechanism that would simply maintain those earlier miracles forever. This failure is called aging. Because few feral animals age, evolution could not have favored animals exhibiting age changes. Natural selection favors animals that are most likely to become reproductively successful by developing greater survival skills and reserve capacity in vital systems to better survive predation, dis-ease, accidents and environmental extremes. Natural selection diminishes after sexual maturation because the species will not benefit from members favored for greater development of physiological reserve. A species betters its chances of survival by investing its resources and energy in increasing opportunities for reproductive success rather than on post-reproductive longevity. The level of phy-siological reserve remaining after reproductive maturity determines potential longevity and evolves incidental to the selection process that acts on earlier developmental events. Physiological reserve does not renew at the same rate that it incurs losses because molecular disorder increases. These age changes increase vulnerability to predation, accidents or disease.
Clinical Manifestations of Sarin Nerve Gas Exposure

CHEMICAL WARFARE HAS EXisted for millennia. As far back as 1000 BC, the Chinese used arsenical smoke as a weapon. In the last century, chemical agents have been used in warfare on numerous occasions, from World War I to the Iran-Iraq conflict. The world remains vulnerable to the deliberate use of chemical agents as weapons of mass destruction. Chemical attacks can be delivered with almost any type of conventional ballistic weapon, spray device, or by nontraditional means, such as that used by the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult to launch 2 attacks in public places in Japan by using sarin gas. The first attack occurred in Matsumoto, Japan, in June 1994. The second attack occurred in a Tokyo subway in March 1995. Terrorists involved in this attack carried diluted sarin solution in plastic bags into subway trains and punctured the bags with sharpened umbrella tips. This released diluted sarin vapor into 3 convergent lines of the Tokyo subway system. This attack is the largest disaster caused by nerve gas in peacetime history. These attacks illustrated how an ill-prepared disaster management system can become overwhelmed. Sarin is a highly toxic nerve agent that can be fatal within minutes to hours. It was first synthesized in Germany in 1937 as an insecticide, although its battlefield potential was soon recognized. During World War II, Germany prepared thousands of tons of the potent nerve agents tabun and sarin but refrained from using them. Sarin was first used in wartime during the IranIraq conflict in the 1980s.
A consumer-oriented practice model for psychiatric mental health nursing

Psychiatric mental health (PMH) nurses are systematically examining the concepts of health, wellness, and culture as they relate to recovery processes in mental health consumers. This article describes the development of a holistic, consumer-oriented model, the Recovery and Monitoring Model, which integrates concepts involved in the recovery process and the manifestation and management of psychiatric symptoms. Information regarding a test of the model is presented using data from a cross-sectional study of 199 community-based, adult, public mental health consumers. The discussion focuses on issues surrounding the model's applicability for PMH nursing education, practice, and research.
Does an Earth system perspective provide fundamental insights into ecology

Earth systems science focuses on exciting and integrative concepts that have emerged in the past few decades, catalyzing synthetic research among a variety of disciplines and examining processes that link the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. Ecology is a key component of Earth system science, but an Earth systems perspective has yet to emerge strongly in ecological journals. In Fundamental Processes in Ecology: An Earth Systems Approach, Wilkinson argues that an Earth systems perspective leads to the question, ‘what are the fundamental processes in ecology?’ and thereby provides a novel and thought-provoking organizational framework for ecology.
Limit theorems for Dempster's rule of combination

I show that Dempster's Rule of combination can be represented in the theory of Markov chains and use this representation to derive limit theorems concerning the long term effect of updating belief with Dempster's rule.
Effect of vegetation density and vegetation conditions on the spectral backscattering in the visible and the near infrared

The work presented in this paper investigates the sensitivity of the hyperspectral remotely sensed data to the vegetation density under different soil moisture conditions. The research testbed comprised four corn plots with 4 different densities, one grass plot, and one bare soil plot. For this purpose, the hyperspectral data were recorded simultaneously as the field measurements, which included soil moisture and temperature, soil characterization (gravimetric soil moisture, bulk density, surface roughness), and vegetation measurements (biomass; plant height; leaf orientations, length, thickness; dielectric constant of stalks and leaves; stalk diameter and height). The findings of this study showed that physical and physiological aspects, as well as the structure of the vegetation, have noticeable effects on its spectral response. The results showed distinct spectral response among the different vegetation densities, thus biomass. They also showed that hyperspectral data are effective in detecting soil moisture variability and discriminating among vegetation densities and conditions. The hyperspectral data were in agreement with the ground data and discriminated among small variations in soil moisture and vegetation densities and conditions. This study also showed that the variation in the spectral variability from different vegetation densities becomes negligible when the vegetation leaves cover completely the ground surface.
Effect of Collection and Preprocessing Methods on Neutrophil Elastase Plasma Concentrations

Objectives: Elevated plasma levels of the elastase α1-proteinase inhibitor complex (E-α1PI) have been proposed as a marker of bacterial infection and neutrophil activation. Liberation of elastase from neutrophils after collection of blood may cause falsely elevated results. Collection methods have not been validated for critically ill neonates and children. We evaluated the influence of preanalytical methods on E-α1PI results including the recommended collection into EDTA tubes. Design and methods: First, we compared varying acceleration speeds and centrifugation times. Centrifugation at 1550 g for 3 min resulted in reliable preparation of leukocyte free plasma. Second, we evaluated all collection tubes under consideration for absorption of E-α1PI. Finally, 12 sets of samples from healthy adults and 42 sets obtained from critically ill neonates and children were distributed into the various sampling tubes. Samples were centrifuged within 15 min of collection and analyzed with a new turbidimetric assay adapted to routine laboratory analyzers. Results: One of the two tubes containing a plasma-cell separation gel absorbed 22.1% of the E-α1PI content. In the remaining tubes without absorption of E-α1PI no differences were observed for samples from healthy adult patients. However, in samples from critically ill neonates or children, significantly higher results were obtained for plain Li-heparin tubes (mean = 183 μg/L), EDTA tubes (mean = 93 μg/L), and citrate tubes (mean = 88.5 μg/L) than for the Li-hep tube with cell-plasma separation gel and no absorption of E-α1PI (mean = 62.4 μg/L, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Contrary to healthy adults, E-α1PI results in plasma samples from critically ill neonates and children depend on the type of collection tube.
TQM—A predecessor of ERP implementation

Abstract Is total quality management (TQM) a predecessor of enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) implementation? This question draws a lot of interest from business managers. Many firms intend to implement both TQM and ERP systems to match the market competition. The question is: Which system should be implemented first? Using US manufacturing companies that have a focus on TQM and have implemented ERP systems, this study examines the relationship among TQM, ERP implementation, operations performance, customer satisfaction, and a firm's performance and subsequently provides a better understanding about the synergistic relationship between TQM and ERP implementation. Structural equation modeling is applied to analyze the data from 154 manufacturing companies in the US. We argue that TQM is a philosophy that emphasizes process improvement, whereas an ERP system is an IT mechanism that implements enterprise-wide process management. Conceptual development and our findings suggest ERP implementation can be successful if it is preceded by a TQM focus.
Detecting conjunctions of color and form: Reassessing the serial search hypothesis.

Treisman and Gelade (1980), who had subjects search for conjunctions of color and form, observed that the slope relating reaction times to number of items in the display was twice as steep for negative (target absent) responses as for positive responses. This result is widely accepted as evidence that a serial self-terminating search is necessary to detect conjunctions. In Experiment 1 of the present study, the subjects searched for a conjunction target (a green T) in displays of 2, 4, or 8 items. Positive and negative display-size slopes were essentially the same in this range. In Experiment 2, the subjects searched for conjunction targets in displays of 2 to 24 items. In displays of 2 to 8 items, the positive and negative slopes were again comparable and the 2:1 ratio was again rejected. In displays of 8 to 24 items, on the other hand, the negative slopes were approximately twice the positive slopes. The same result was obtained in Experiment 3, which was modeled after the conjunction search experiment of Egeth, Virzi, and Garbart (1984). In summary, a 2\3n1 slope ratio appears to describe the function quite well in the range above 8 items (or if display size is coarsely sampled, as in previous research), but not in the lower range, in which the true ratio is closer to 1\3n1. These nearly parallel functions in the lower range probably do not, however, reflect a serial exhaustive search: in Experiment 4, positive reaction times were substantially reduced when redundant targets were added to the display. An alternative model of conjunction search is proposed on the basis of these data. This model postulates a molar serial self-terminating search over relatively large clumps of items, and a parallel search within these clumps. It appears, then, that the nature of the attentional limits arising in the process of feature conjunction must be very different from that suggested by Treisman and Gelade.
Genetic Variation in Two Cultures of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 110 Differing in Their Ability to Impart Drought Tolerance to Soybean

The polymerase chain reaction with arbitrary primers (RAPD) discriminated between two separately maintained cultures of Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 differing in symbiotic performance under drought conditions. Since strain 110 is used in inoculum production, the use of RAPD to monitor inoculum cultures could help to preserve their genetic composition and prevent the loss of important symbiotic properties. The use of RAPD could also be extended to other B. japonicum strains currently used in inoculum production.
Friction-aided strip rolling with unlimited reduction

Abstract The process of strip rolling is hindered by many obstacles. Some, like dimensional variability and imperfection of shape, can be overcome only within tolerated limits. Nevertheless, when deviations are tolerated, rolling is easily performed. Other limitations like roll flattening and skidding, limit the range of parameters for which rolling is a reality. For example, high friction and large rolls limit the thinness of the strip that can be rolled (limiting thickness) and the reduction possible when the strip is thicker than the limiting thickness. On the other hand, too low a friction value, with too small rolls, will cause the rolls to skid over the strip which will then remain stationary, avoiding its being rolled down in size. Thus, roll diameter cannot be too small or too large if rolling without skidding or excessive roll flattening, respectively, is to be effected. When the rolls are too small, with very little friction, rolling without skidding can still be effected, but only for limited reductions, either very small reduction below the maximum or very high reduction above the minimum required reduction. The present work addresses itself to developing a procedure to assure rolling without skidding for unlimited reductions, where the maximum possible and minimum required reductions overlap. The work in Chapter 15 of [5] provided the basic analysis for the present study. A criterion for maximum possible reduction is developed in [5]. It was also noted there that a term and criterion for minimum required reduction may also exist. In the present work the special conditions are determined for which the maximum possible reduction is eliminated because it evaporates into the minimum required reduction. Theseare very special conditions. Roll diameter must be chosen to suit the original strip thickness, friction conditions, and front and back tension. The procedure provides a quantitative computation for roll diameter which has to be considered a dependent variable. This specific diameter is small enough to prevent roll flattening and large enough to assure unlimited reduction with no skidding. After the choice of roll diameter is made, roll separation pressure and force are computed. Power, torque efficiency, and forward slip are also computed. It is noted that while higher and higher reductions are effected, efficiency becomes very poor, adding a constraint on the desirability of effecting unlimited reductions. This poor efficiency is to be weighed against the advantage of eliminating extra stands or passes. Another factor to consider is the appreciable temperature rise which becomes more pronounced for higher reductions. The validity and applicability of the concept of unlimited reduction were verified experimentally.
Time domain radiation and scattering by thin wires

Direct time domain solutions for radiation from and scattering by thin conducting wires are considered. The problem is formulated in terms of two coupled integrodifferential equations derived from the retarded potentials, the continuity equation, and the boundary conditions for the wire. Solution of these equations is effected using the method of moments resulting in a set of simultaneous time iterative matrix equations. A time domain reciprocity theorem suitable for thin wire objects is also presented. The theorem demonstrates the relationship between reciprocity and the adjoint operator for the problem. Two moment solutions are presented for straight wires: (1) a point tested solution, and (2) a pulse tested solution. The radiation field is found by direct application of the reciprocity theorem. All solutions are presented as algorithms suitable for computation. The algorithms are time iterative by nature, and inexpensive in terms of computer time. Computed results are presented for the straight wire scatterer excited by a plane wave with unit step time dependence. The “end fire” effects predicted by traveling wave theory are observed in the scattered field results. The source of these effects is shown to be the end of the wire last intercepted by the incident field. Additional results are presented for the straight wire antenna excited by a unit step voltage applied at an arbitrary driving point. The computed driving point current is compared to the results derived for the case of an infinite wire antenna over the time interval that the comparison is valid.
Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation Triggered by Human FCγRII

Abstract The role of the cytoplasmic domain of human FcγRII in cellular activation was studied by transfecting P815 cells with different isoforms or deletion mutants of this receptor and then assaying protein tyrosine phosphorylation after crosslinking with anti-CD32 monoclonal antibodies. FcγRIIa, but not FcγRIIb1 or b2, was able to trigger tyrosine phosphorylation. Deletion of just the carboxyl-terminal 19 amino acids of FcγRIIa markedly reduced induction of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Deletion of the carboxyl-terminal 38 amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain completely eliminated this response. These results indicate the cytoplasmic domain of human FcγRIIa, the form of FcγRII that predominates on human myeloid cells and platelets, contains sequences that allow activation of tyrosine phosphorylation; FcγRIIb isoforms, the form of FcγRII on human B lymphocytes, lack these sequences.
Tumor differentiation-dependent local immunity in human head and neck cancers.

Abstract Distribution of markers of local cell-mediated immunity was examined in oral tumors exhibiting different histological stages of differentiation. Using a RT-PCR-based semiquantitative technique we determined levels of Langerhans cells, CD4- and CD8-positive T-cells, macrophages/NK cells, β 2-microglobulin and IFN- γ mRNAs from tissue biopsies. A positive correlation was found between levels of these immunological markers and the tumor differentiation stage. Since tumor differentiation may correlate with the prognosis and response to various treatment modalities, our results may be useful clinically.
Relation of meteoroid protection to the luminous efficiency

Spacecraft meteoroid protective shield thickness sensitivity relationship to luminous efficiency
Automation and ethics: a view from the trenches

It is important that librarians know that unethical practices occasionally have occurred, and will occur in the future, in the field of library automation. Some vendors have “low‐balled” a bid—undersized a system—in order to make a sale. Some have bid undeliverable products. Libraries have occasionally “wired” a request for proposal—stated required specifications so that only one vendor can qualify. Consultants have occasionally compromised their objectivity and independence. Examples of unethical practices are described, as are procedures that will help identify and prevent those practices in the future.
Drift time detection and adjustment procedures for processes subject to linear trend

This paper considers production processes when the mean of a quality characteristic is drifted linearly with time. First, it introduces a procedure to detect the drift time of the process mean as early as possible. Then, based on the estimate of the drift time, a new adjustment procedure based on the maximum likelihood estimate of the drift time is developed to keep the process mean on target. The paper analyses and compares the performance of the proposed estimator with cumulative sum (CUSUM) and exponentially moving average (EWMA) change point estimation procedures. It is observed that the proposed procedure indeed estimates the drift time effectively for moderate and large trend rates. However, there is a noticeable decrease in its ability to detect drift time at small trend rates. Furthermore, the performance of the new adjustment procedure is compared with EWMA controllers. It is shown that the new procedure is more stable through a wide range of trend rates and its performance does not depend on any...
Performance of MBE grown CdTe photoconductor arrays for hard X-ray detection

Abstract Photoconductor linear array detectors for hard X-ray photon detection were fabricated using Molecular Beam Epitaxially (MBE) grown (111)B CdTe on (100) Si substrates. The ohmic contact to the CdTe was excellent and provided a linear response to the X-ray photons. The response current was linearly increased in a 7–19 keV energy range. The stability of the detectors was very satisfactory and they were tested over an extended period of time without noticeable degradation. The excellent response uniformity of a 64 linear array was obtained. The performance of the photoconductor was greatly improved when the detector was cooled. At 230 K, the dynamic range of the detector response increased to nearly four decades.
How an Elite-Engineered Moral Panic Led to the U.S. War on Iraq

Critics argue that the G.W. Bush administration deliberately misled the U.S. public about an Iraqi threat after 9/11 but empirical evidence that presidential deception influenced public support for war has been lacking. An examination of presidential rhetoric concerning Iraq in the U.S. media revealed that it changed in tone after 9/11, consistent with moral panic processes. Logistic regression analysis of public opinion leading up to the war revealed that shifts in support for invasion directly mirrored presidential rhetoric. The findings of this study suggest that the Bush administration engineered a moral panic over Iraq with the support of the media.
Assessing the impact of the manufacturing executive’s role on business performance through strategic alignment

Abstract Many researchers over time have stressed the importance of incorporating the manufacturing perspective in the formulation of business strategy. Prior work in this area has tended to focus primarily on the involvement of the manufacturing executive in strategic decision making processes, while relatively little attention has been given to the level of influence enjoyed by the manufacturing executives. This study jointly examines the role of both influence and involvement in achieving better business performance, which we posit is expected to occur through alignment between the organizational and manufacturing strategies rather than directly. A research model based on procedural justice and strategic information management literature is proposed to represent this phenomenon. Structural equation modeling is used to empirically test the research model and its related hypothesis on the basis of data collected from 202 senior manufacturing executives representing mid to large sized firms from diverse industry groups across the US. In addition, interviews with a sub-sample of respondents are used to further explore the contextual nature of these relationships. The results indicate that involvement and influence are indeed two different, but highly related, aspects of the manufacturing executive s role. The interviews revealed numerous differences between the two with respect to achieving each and individual benefits derived from them. As expected, both involvement and influence are important determinants of strategy alignment with influence appearing to play a more substantive role. More importantly, it is this alignment that affects business performance. Implications of our findings for improving manufacturing practice, along with possible avenues for future research directions in this area, are also provided.
An efficient synthesis of D-ribo- and L-lyxo-phytosphingosine from D-tartaric acid

The preparations of d-ribo- and l-lyxo-phytosphingosines (1, 2) are described. Chelation-controlled addition of tetradecylmagnesium bromide to pentylidene-protected d-threitol aldehyde 6 afforded the key intermediate tetrol 7, providing the desired l-lyxo stereochemistry of phytosphingosine. Inversion at C4 of intermediate 7 provided the d-ribo stereochemistry.
UNUSUAL CLEAVAGE FURROWS IN VERTEBRATE TISSUE CULTURE CELLS : INSIGHTS INTO THE MECHANISMS OF CYTOKINESIS

In cultures of the epithelial cell lines, PtK2 and LLC-PK, some cells assume unusually large flattened morphologies and, during cell division, produce unusual cleavage furrows. We have microinjected some of these large cells with fluorescent actin and myosin probes to determine how the cell’s shape and the position of its mitotic spindle affect the deposition of actin and myosin in the forming cleavage furrow. In cells with two spindles, contractile proteins were recruited not only to the cortex bordering the former metaphase plates but also to the cortex midway between each pair of adjacent nondaughter poles or centrosomes. The furrowing between adjacent poles seen in these cultured epithelial cells conformed to the furrows seen when echinoderm eggs were manipulated into a torus shape so that the poles of two mitotic spindles were adjacent to one another [Rappaport, 1961]. The recruitment of contractile proteins and the formation of furrows between adjacent centrosomes was a function of the distances between them. When adjacent centrosomes were positioned too close together neither contractile protein recruitment nor furrow formation occurred. If a normal-sized spindle was present in a very large cell, fibers of contractile protein assembled in the cortex above the former metaphase plate but they did not extend to the cell periphery, resulting in an inhibition of cytokinesis. In all injected cells, the recruitment of actin and myosin to the cell surfaces could first be detected at mid-anaphase before there was any visible sign of furrowing. Our results suggest that vertebrate cells share common mechanisms for the establishment of the cleavage furrow with echinoderm cells. The results are consistent with a model in which (1) the positions of the centrosomes and their linearly connected microtubules determine the position for the assembly of the cleavage furrow, and (2) the signal arrives at the surface within a few minutes after the initiation of anaphase. We speculate that an interaction of the ends of microtubules from adjacent centrosomes with the cell surface promotes a clustering of integral membrane protein(s) that interact with and target contractile proteins to a position midway between centrosomes where furrowing occurs. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 39:95‐106, 1998. r 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Amiloride inhibits taste nerve responses to NaCl and KCl in Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats

In a two-bottle test, Sprague-Dawley rats preferentially consume a greater amount of hypotonic and isotonic NaCl solutions relative to water, whereas inbred Fischer 344 (F344) rats fail to prefer NaCl solutions at any concentration relative to water. To determine whether taste contributes to this strain difference, we measured the integrated neural responses of the chorda tympani nerve to a concentration range of NaCl and KCl solutions. The amiloride-sensitive component of the taste nerve response was assessed by adding amiloride during salt stimulation in Experiment 1, and by pretreating the taste receptors with amiloride prior to salt stimulation in Experiment 2. Adding amiloride to NaCl during sustained neural activity suppressed chorda tympani nerve responses more than pretreating the tongue with amiloride. Adding amiloride during salt stimulation also partially suppressed chorda tympani neuron responses to KCl, a presumed control stimulus. The neural responses of the chorda tympani nerve to NaCl and KCl were similar for salt-avoiding F344 and salt-preferring Sprague-Dawley rats. However, amiloride pretreatment suppressed the taste nerve responses to NaCl significantly less in F344 rats than in Sprague-Dawley rats. The strain difference in the amiloride-sensitive component of the taste response may contribute to the difference in NaCl preference.
Student attitudes regarding self-directed clinical assignments

Abstract Many nursing programs are incorporating a variety of teaching methods that place an increased emphasis on adult learning theory using the concept of self-direction. Research was undertaken to explore the students' perspectives toward a system of self-selection of clinical assignments. Results showed that self-selection better enhanced students' individual learning needs while still functioning within meeting the course objectives. Student's satisfaction with the clinical experience increased, and sense of responsibility for their individual learning was promoted.