cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying the Fourier-Modified Mellin Transform (FMMT) to Doppler Distorted Waveforms

The magnitude spectrum of a time domain signal has the property of delay-invariance. Similar to the delay-invariance property of the Fourier transform, the Mellin transform has the property of scale-invariance. By combining these two transforms together one can form the Fourier-Mellin transform that yields a signal representation which is independent of both delay and scale change. Due to the undesired low-pass property of the Mellin transform (MT), the modified Mellin transform (MMT) which is also scale-invariant is applied in our approach. Therefore the Fourier-modified Mellin transform (FMMT) of the original signal and the Doppler-distorted signal will be identical. This signal representation is useful in signal detection and target recognition. Several examples dealing with different waveforms have been simulated to illustrate the applicability of this approach. The performance of the Fourier-modified Mellin transform under different levels of noise in the signal are also illustrated in this paper.
Formation of calcium aluminates in the lime-sinner process Part I. Qualitative studies

Abstract A study of the formation of several calcium aluminates, CaO.Al2O3, 12CaO.7Al2O3 and 3CaO.Al2O3, from pure components in the lime-sinter process was undertaken. The qualitative aspects of the formation of these aluminates were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis, EMPA, SEM, DTA and high-temperature X-ray diffraction analysis.
Syncope: An overview for the primary care physician

Abstract Syncope is a common occurrence and is seen in all age groups. Several well-defined causes have been described. The history and physical exam will frequently suggest the etiology. In the majority of patients, it is a benign condition. However, in certain subsets of patients, especially in those with organic heart disease, the morbidity and mortality may be significant. The challenge for the primary care physician is to identify those patients with potentially serious causes of syncope and develop an appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic treatment plan.
Personnel Administration vs. Human Resource Management: The Civil Service Dilemma

Personnel administrators in the public sector have become more and more restrained by rules and regulations in recent years. The article looks at some of these constraints, and the effect these have an personnel practitioners to operate effectively and efficiently. The author argues that this has given rise to too much emphasis on the means rather than the ends of personnel administration in the public sector. A move towards humanism and the appreciation of people as valuable assets is advocated.
Application of interferometry to myosin ATPase and ion binding

Abstract If the refractive index of a reaction mixture changes appreciably with extent of reaction, then an interferometer may be conveniently used to study reaction kinetics. This possibility is illustrated with a study of myosin-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis. The change in refractive index with extent of reaction is particularly large in the formation of complexes between ions, and it is shown that the interferometer is also a useful method of measuring the stability constants of such complexes when these are several thousands or less.
Morphology and Phase Transitions in Styrene−Butadiene−Styrene Triblock Copolymer Grafted with Isobutyl-Substituted Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

Two symmetric triblock polystyrene−butadiene−polystyrene (SBS) copolymers with different initial morphologies were grafted with varying amounts of isobutyl-substituted polyhedral oligomeric silsesq...
Resuscitation of severely burned military casualties: fluid begets more fluid.

Abstract : Background: In November 2005, institution of a military-wide burn resuscitation guideline requested the documentation of the initial 24-hour resuscitation of severely burned military casualties on a burn flow sheet to provide continuity of care. The guidelines instruct the providers to calculate predicted 24-hour fluid requirements and initial fluid rate based on the American Burn Association Consensus recommendation of 2 (modified Brooke) mL kg 1 % total body surface area (TBSA) 1 to 4 (Parkland) mL kg 1 %TBSA 1 burn. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the estimated fluid volumes calculated, either by the Modified Brooke or the Parkland formulas, and actual volumes received. Methods: From November 2005 to December 2008, 105 patients were globally evacuated with greater than 20% TBSA burns, of whom 73 had burn flow sheets initiated. Of these, 58 had completed burn flow sheets. Total fluids administered in the first 24-hour period for each patient were recorded. Chart reviews were performed to extract demographic and clinical outcomes data. Results: Of the 58, the modified Brooke formula was used in 31 patients (modified Brooke group) to estimate 24-hour fluid requirements and the Parkland formula was used in 21 (Parkland group).
In Memoriam: James Pusack, 1945–2008

OUR DEAR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, JIM Pusack, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on December 30, 2008, just after returning from the holiday break. Memorial services held throughout the year offered a forum for remembering the multifaceted Jim Pusack, who touched so many lives in positive ways. We bring one strand of these tributes to this focus issue of The Modern Language Journal because an important part of Jim's life was expressed in his work, and his lifelong work was in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). In fact, Jim started working in CALL before most of us had an idea that computer technology had anything to do with language teaching. Jim was a real pioneer in CALL; thus, it is appropriate to remember his life in this focus issue.
KGB and MfS: Friendly enemies

John O. Koehler, Stasi:The Untold Story of the East German Secret Police (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1999). Pp.460, index. $28/£20.95. ISBN 0–81333–4098.
Structural Response of Fiber Composite Fan Blades

A fiber composite airfoil, typical for high-tip speed compressor applications, is subjected to load conditions anticipated to be encountered in such applications, and its structural response is theoretically investigated. The analysis method used consists of composite mechanics embedded in pre- and post-processors and coupled with NASTRAN. The load conditions examined include thermal due to aerodynamic heating, pressure due to aerodynamic forces, centrifugal, and combinations of these. The various responses investigated include root reactions due to various load conditions, average composite and ply stresses, ply delaminations, and the fundamental modes and the corresponding reactions. The results show that the thermal and pressure stresses are negligible compared to those caused by the centrifugal forces. Also, the core-shell concept for composite blades is an inefficient design (core plies not highly stressed) and appears to be sensitive to interply delaminations. The results are presented in graphical and tabular forms to illustrate the types and amount of data required for such an analysis, and to provide quantitative data of the various responses which can be helpful in designing such composite blades.
Transformation of yeast

A stable leu2- yeast strain has been transformed to LEU2+ by using a chimeric ColE1 plasmid carrying the yeast leu2 gene. We have used recently developed hybridization and restriction endonuclease mapping techniques to demonstrate directly the presence of the transforming DNA in the yeast genome and also to determine the arrangement of the sequences that were introduced. These studies show that ColE1 DNA together with the yeast sequences can integrate into the yeast chromosomes. This integration may be additive or substitutive. The bacterial plasmid sequences, once integrated, behave as a simple Mendelian element. In addition, we have determined the genetic linkage relationships for each newly introduced LEU2+ allele with the original leu2- allele. These studies show that the transforming squences integrate not only in the leu2 region but also in several other chromosomal locations.
Serious science games, social selves and complex nature of possible selves

Margaret Beier, Leslie Miller, and Shu Wang’s paper, Science games and the development of possible selves examines the effects of game-playing in a serious scientific game on science possible selves identity creation, utilizing a possible selves identification instrument they created. This paper continues the discussion that Beier and colleagues start in the paper by calling into question both the idea that a predictive model of science career choice can be attained by serious science game-playing and the nature of the instrument created and used by Beier and her colleagues to identify participants’ creation of science possible selves. Recommendations include incorporating the idea of possible selves as being complex, dynamic and intertwined with self-concept in interpreting their findings and casting a wider net to capture the phenomena of their participants’ identities and experiences by potentially making use of possible selves identification methodologies from the career training arena.
Robustness of discrete-time systems for unstructured stochastic perturbations

Several stochastic stability robustness measures are presented for nominally exponentially stable linear discrete-time systems with unstructured perturbations having second-moment bounds. Dependence of these measures on the stability degree of the nominal system and other parameters used in the procedure is illustrated. By using the time evolution of the second moment of the system state and stochastic Lyapunov stability results (positive super-martingale convergence theorems), the ability of nominally exponentially stable systems to maintain stability in the presence of unstructured stochastic (linear and nonlinear) perturbations is demonstrated. Quantitative results are given to determine the maximum modeling uncertainty which can be tolerated in design. Upper bounds on the second moments of stochastic perturbations to maintain the mean-square and almost sure stability of these systems in the presence of unstructured perturbations are obtained. >
Derivation of Plant Cell Wall Water Content by Examination of the Water-Holding Capacity of Membrane-Disrupted Tissues10

Plant cell lumina are several orders of magnitude larger than cell wall pores. If the membranes of the plant sample are disrupted and the tissue dried out, a 4 value should be reached at which the cell lumina have drained but the cell walls remain reiatively hydrated. The water content of membrane-disrupted tissues at low 4 may, therefore, serve as a good approximation of plant cell wall water content (CW). The relationship between 4 and water content of membrane-disrupted tissues was measured for four grass species over the 4 range of 0 to -40 MPa. It was found that most water loss occurred above a 4 of - 10 MPa. CW was estimated from the water content of membrane-disrupted tissues at lower 4 and it was found that there was very little intra-or intraspecific variability in CW estimates when water content was expressed as a percentage dry weight of the tissue. This is in contrast to the high variability in CW estimated from the analysis of inverse water potential-water content (IP-WC) curves measured with the thermocouple psychrometer. Applications of the membrane-disruption method of estimating CW of plant tissue are discussed.
Application of near-equilibrium criteria during adiabatic flow to representative propellant systems☆

Abstract Near-equilibrium criteria for chemical reactions during adiabatic flow through a nozzle are summarized.These criteria are then applied to two representative chemical systems. It is shown that the adiabatic expansion of the combustion products produced in the hydrogen-fluorine motor using the reactants in stoichiometric proportions should occur under conditions very closely approximating thermodynamic equilibrium. One of the near-equilibrium criteria is modified and used to demonstrate the departure from thermodynamic equilibrium for the decomposition of nitric oxide. This study of the equilibrium involving nitric oxide, nitrogen, and oxygen suggests the occurrence of practically frozen flow below a certain temperature, a result which is in agreement with the conclusions reached by a detailed numerical calculation.
Anti-pneumocystis activity of bis-amidoximes and bis-o-alkylamidoximes prodrugs

Abstract We report the synthesis of 2,5-bis-[4-amidinophenyl]furan bis-amidoxime( 2 ), the corresponding bis-O-methylamidoxime( 3 ) and the corresponding bis-O-ethylamidoxime( 4 ) and their evaluation as prodrugs against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
Granular cell tumor of the appendix

A case of granular cell tumor of appendix occurring in a 58-year-old man is described and the literature is reviewed.
Temperature-Profile Methods for Estimating Percolation Rates in Arid Environments

Percolation rates are estimated using vertical temperature profiles from sequentially deeper vadose environments, progressing from sediments beneath stream channels, to expansive basin-fill materials, and finally to deep fractured bedrock underlying mountainous terrain. Beneath stream channels, vertical temperature profiles vary over time in response to downward heat transport, which is generally controlled by conductive heat transport during dry periods, or by advective transport during channel infiltration. During periods of stream-channel infiltration, two relatively simple approaches are possible: a heat-pulse technique, or a heat and liquid-water transport simulation code. Focused percolation rates beneath stream channels are examined for perennial, seasonal, and ephemeral channels in central New Mexico, with estimated percolation rates ranging from 100 to 2100 mm d−1. Deep within basin-fill and underlying mountainous terrain, vertical temperature gradients are dominated by the local geothermal gradient, which creates a profile with decreasing temperatures toward the surface. If simplifying assumptions are employed regarding stratigraphy and vapor fluxes, an analytical solution to the heat transport problem can be used to generate temperature profiles at specified percolation rates for comparison to the observed geothermal gradient. Comparisons to an observed temperature profile in the basin-fill sediments beneath Frenchman Flat, Nevada, yielded water fluxes near zero, with absolute values <10 mm yr−1. For the deep vadose environment beneath Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the complexities of stratigraphy and vapor movement are incorporated into a more elaborate heat and water transport model to compare simulated and observed temperature profiles for a pair of deep boreholes. Best matches resulted in a percolation rate near zero for one borehole and 11 mm yr−1 for the second borehole.
Near-surface water vapor over polar sea ice is always near ice saturation

[1] During our yearlong participation in the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean experiment (SHEBA), we found the measured relative humidity, figured for saturation with respect to ice, to almost always be near 100%. Often, multiple humidity sensors even showed supersaturation. Four months of observations over sea ice in the Antarctic showed the same behavior. These frequent, ubiquitous, and reproducible measurements are too compelling to discount. We hypothesize that the high relative humidity is a consequence of plentiful water vapor given up by leads and polynyas. We thus develop a simple time-dependent vapor budget model that we solve analytically to assess the role of leads in supplying water vapor to the polar atmospheric boundary layer. The solution to that model shows that (1) because the polar marine boundary layer is generally thin, its timescale for reaching moisture equilibrium is much shorter than the timescale of the synoptic processes that tend to disrupt equilibrium, and (2) because they have relatively warm surfaces, open leads and polynyas supply water vapor more rapidly than the surrounding sea ice surface can remove it, despite an open water fractional area that may be only 5%. In concert, the two processes commonly lead to water vapor densities in the boundary layer over sea ice that are near the value for ice saturation.
Laparoscopic bowel injury: role of the site and the instrument type: study with an animal model

Unrecognized laparoscopic bowel injuries are complications that can occur during any laparoscopic procedure. These complications have variable morbidity and mortality rates, and their early clinical signs of inflammation are not typical. Therefore, a study was planned to predict the mechanical behavior of the injured bowel, taking into consideration two parameters: the size of the instrument and the site of the injury. For this study, 78 Wistar rats were divided into eight study groups and one control group with two subgroups. Bowel injury was created using different sizes of needles and electrocautery on two different bowel sites: the jejunum and the terminal ileum. The animals were killed 48 h after surgery, followed by harvesting of the injured part of the bowel and measurement of the intraluminal pressure at which the bowel ruptured. The mean jejunum and terminal ileum rupture pressures on the injured bowel were significantly lower than on the intact bowel. The mean terminal ileum rupture pressures were significantly lower than those of the jejunum. The terminal ileum appears to be more fragile than the jejunum regardless of the size of the instrument that caused the injury. However, wider instrument tips cause more serious consequences.
High-resolution endoluminal sonography assessment of the hematocystic spots of esophageal varices

Abstract Background: Many variables are associated with an increased potential for esophageal variceal rupture, especially the presence of hematocystic spots and other red signs on upper endoscopy. The etiology of hematocystic spots is unknown. High-resolution endoluminal sonography has been shown to be an accurate and sensitive imaging modality for detection, as well as the qualitative and quantitative assessment of esophageal varices. Because the high-resolution endoluminal sonography transducer permits detailed resolution of submucosal structures thereby allowing more precise examination of the actual wall of the varix, we sought to image variceal hematocystic spots in an effort to better define their anatomy. Methods: Simultaneous upper endoscopy and high-resolution endoluminal sonography were performed in 68 patients with cirrhosis. Endoscopy was performed as part of screening for varices during evaluation for liver transplantation or in patients with previous presumed variceal bleeding. On endoscopy and high-resolution endoluminal sonography, two independent reviewers identified the same 10 patients having esophageal varices with hematocystic spots. The patients who had bled from their varices had not received prior endoscopic treatment. Results: Hematocystic spots as seen with high-resolution endoluminal sonography imaging appeared as saccular aneurysm–like projections on the variceal surface in 6 of 10 patients. Four of six patients would later have recurrent bleeding; two of these patients were again noted to have hematocystic spots on endoscopy with a similar corresponding high-resolution endoluminal sonography appearance. Patients without hematocystic spots did not have similar high-resolution endoluminal sonography imaging. Conclusion: Aneurysm-like projections in the wall of varices may represent focal weaknesses of the variceal wall and thus play a role in the pathophysiology of esophageal variceal rupture. The present findings may help to explain why there is an increased risk of variceal hemorrhage associated with the presence of hematocystic spots on esophageal varices. (Gastrointest Endosc 1999;49:424-7.)
Creep and Intergranular Cracking Behavior of Nickel-Chromium-Iron-Carbon Alloys in 360°C Water

Abstract Mechanical testing of controlled-purity Ni-x% Cr-9% Fe-y% C alloys at 360°C revealed an environmental enhancement in intergranular (IG) cracking and time-dependent deformation in high-puri...
Effects of fixed frequency clock offsets in synchronous digital hierarchy networks

SDH networks require synchronous clocking in order to minimize network wander and jitter. In practice, the clocks in SDH networks are not ideal and thus are not all perfectly synchronous. The operation of SDH networks with non-ideal clocks results in undesirable wander and jitter effects. Two different philosophies are being used to minimize these undesirable synchronization effects in SDH networks. In Europe, where it is difficult to tighten clock specifications due to the multinational synchronization environment, desynchronizer designs are made more robust. In North America, where Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) is used, the specifications of both the clocks and the synchronization distribution are being tightened. Even with these different approaches, non-ideal synchronization effects still exist in SDH networks. In particular, the STM-N, AU, and TU overhead bytes cause gapped pointer effects when traditional fixed threshold pointer processors are used. Another type of pointer processor, a uniform pointer processor, can remove the gapped pointer effects caused by the STM-N, AU, and TU overhead bytes. Additionally, a compensating desynchronizer may be used to remove the gapped effects caused by the VC overhead bytes. If these gapped effects are not removed, then they cause jitter and wander in a reconstructed PDH signal. This paper focuses on the case where the SDH network clocks have fixed frequency offsets. An El-rate (2048 kbit/s) payload, which is transported over a network consisting of SDH and PDH islands, is used to show the effects of this non-ideal clocking in SDH networks. In theory, clock frequency differences in SDH networks are accommodated by the pointer processor mechanism without slips (i.e. losing or repeating data). In practice, non-ideal synchronization may still cause slips.
Simplified Model for Oxygen Transport With Reaction in a Polymer‐Electrolyte Fuel Cell

A simplified mathematical model for an ion-exchange membrane attached to a gas-fed porous electrode is developed to simulate the oxygen electrode of a solid-polymer-electrolyte fuel cell. In particular, the present model is derived from an earlier rigorous one of Bernardi and Verbrugge(1991) by neglecting the Peclet number for the transport of dissolved oxygen within the catalyst. The advantage of this simpler model is that it can be solved analytically, eliminating the need for numerical simulation. Longitudinal profiles for the dissolved oxygen concentration and catalyst current density calculated from the present model are in good agreement with results from the earlier rigorous model.
Transesophageal Echocardiographic Findings in Patients with Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

This study was performed to determine the diagnostic value of TEE in recipients of orthotopic heart transplantation. Findings on TEE were compared with those of TTE in 30 patients with orthotopic heart transplantation. Transesophageal echocardiography identified left atrial appendage and flow across the interatrial septum … findings not detected by TTE. In addition, pronounced bulging of the interatrial septum was seen in six patients by TEE and not by TTE. Spontaneous echo contrast (smoke) in the atria was detected by TEE in 14 patients and by TTE in one patient. Abnormal geometry of the atria and donor-recipient atrial anastomosis was identified in all patients by TEE and TTE. Our findings suggest that TEE should be selectively utilized in the operating room, in patients with suspected atrial thrombi, and in those with clinically significant right ventricular volume overload to assess integrity of interatrial anastomosis.
Cognitive deficiencies in emotionally disturbed children.

Summary This research investigated development of cognitive abilities in a normal vs. emotionally disturbed school age population (N = 240) ages 6–12. The Ss had to display skills on the Southern Illinois University Test necessary to show understanding of Piagetian concepts of class inclusion, class exclusion, and complement of set. A three way analysis of variance indicated significant main effects for age, sex, and emotionality factors. There were, however, no significant interactions among these factors. Emotionally disturbed children were not only deficient in the measured cognitive skills, but even the rate of development of these cognitive skills was inferior to that of the normal population.
Performance Studies of Hamamatsu R647-01 Photomultiplier

Characteristics of the Hamamatsu R647-01 13 mm-diameter photomultiplier have been measured. Some typical photomultiplier characteristics-such as gain, dark current, transit and rise times-are compared with data provided by the manufacturer. Other photomultiplier characteristics, generally not available from the manufacturer, such as the single photoelectron time spread and pulse response for the full photocathode illumination were measured and are discussed. In particular the optimization of voltage divider for photomultiplier was investigated for timing applications in positron emission tomography systems.
The Forced Annual Reversal of the Atlantic North Equatorial Countercurrent

Abstract We analyze the variability of the thermal structure associated with the Atlantic North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) and its relation to the seasonally varying winds. The analysis performed allows us to establish the period of time and the region where the NECC reverses direction. West of 25°W, the depth of the thermocline in the southern side of the NECC (4 to 7°N) annually oscillates 180° out of phase to the oscillations on the northern side (7 to 10°N). East of 25°W the thermocline rises and falls nearly in phase across the countercurrent. If the flow can be uniquely presumed from the thermal structure, the NECC disappears during the boreal spring in the western basin. The reversal of phase from north to south over one part of the ocean, but no the other, is shown to be mirrored in the annual variation of the curl of the stress induced at the surface by the winds. In order to quantify this result, the different terms of the vorticity equation are calculated from the data. We conclude that t...
Solid polymer electrolytes of blends of polyurethane and polyether modified polysiloxane and their ionic conductivity

Abstract Polymer electrolytes based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polyether modified polysiloxane (PEMPS) blend with lithium salts were developed via an in-situ polymerization of TPU with the presence of PEMPS and salts. Morphological study of TPU/PEMPS electrolytes showed that TPU and PEMPS were immiscible and TPU/PEMPS electrolytes had a multiphase morphology. The lithium salt enhanced the interfacial compatibilization between TPU and PEMPS via the interaction of lithium ions with different phases. Three lithium salts with different interaction strengths with TPU and PEMPS were used to prepare TPU/PEMPS electrolytes with different levels of phase compatibilization: LiCl, LiClO 4 , and LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 (LiTFSI). The effect of PEMPS on ionic conductivity, dimensional stability and thermal stability of TPU/PEMPS electrolytes and their relationship with the blend morphology were investigated. TPU/PEMPS electrolytes showed good dimensional stability and thermal stability. The addition of PEMPS to TPU increased the ionic conductivity of TPU/PEMPS electrolytes. The room temperature ionic conductivity of TPU/PEMPS electrolytes with LiTFSI can reach up to 2.49 × 10 −5 S/cm.
Behavioral decisions in sensory landscapes: crayfish use chemical signals to make habitat use choices

Animals make many ecological decisions such as foraging, mating, and avoiding predators based on the information they extract from the sensory cues in their environment. Environmental stimuli which include the information animals use for decision making can be called a sensory landscape. To investigate ecological decision making in complex sensory landscapes, we presented a crayfish with a choice of resource rich and resource poor habitats under different simulated predatory conditions within a Y-maze setting. A simulated predation event (alarm odor) was alternately placed in either the resource rich or poor habitat to observe the impact of the predation event on the habitat choice and use. Habitats consisted of multiple food resources, multiple shelter resources or combined food and shelter resources. Trials were videotaped and crayfish behavior was analyzed for time spent in each habitat under different predatory and resource conditions. Results show that crayfish avoided the location of alarm odors, regardless of resource presence. Resource preference of crayfish differed among resources depending on the alarm odor location. Female and male crayfish made different decisions based on resource type and alarm odor location. Information from the crayfish’s sensory landscape drives the decision making of crayfish. Researchers need to understand the sensory environment of an animal in order to make the most accurate prediction on an animal’s decision making and behavior. We suggest using a sensory landscape model, because organisms use the entire umwelt of stimuli to guide their decision on habitat and resource use.
G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase-2 Constitutively Regulates D2 Dopamine Receptor Expression and Signaling Independently of Receptor Phosphorylation

We investigated the regulatory effects of GRK2 on D2 dopamine receptor signaling and found that this kinase inhibits both receptor expression and functional signaling in a phosphorylation-independent manner, apparently through different mechanisms. Overexpression of GRK2 was found to suppress receptor expression at the cell surface and enhance agonist-induced internalization, whereas short interfering RNA knockdown of endogenous GRK2 led to an increase in cell surface receptor expression and decreased agonist-mediated endocytosis. These effects were not due to GRK2-mediated phosphorylation of the D2 receptor as a phosphorylation-null receptor mutant was regulated similarly, and overexpression of a catalytically inactive mutant of GRK2 produced the same effects. The suppression of receptor expression is correlated with constitutive association of GRK2 with the receptor complex as we found that GRK2 and several of its mutants were able to co-immunoprecipitate with the D2 receptor. Agonist pretreatment did not enhance the ability of GRK2 to co-immunoprecipitate with the receptor. We also found that overexpression of GRK2 attenuated the functional coupling of the D2 receptor and that this activity required the kinase activity of GRK2 but did not involve receptor phosphorylation, thus suggesting the involvement of an additional GRK2 substrate. Interestingly, we found that the suppression of functional signaling also required the Gβγ binding activity of GRK2 but did not involve the GRK2 N-terminal RH domain. Our results suggest a novel mechanism by which GRK2 negatively regulates G protein-coupled receptor signaling in a manner that is independent of receptor phosphorylation.
Intramedullary Spinal Cord Hemorrhage after Treatment with Bevacizumab in a Long-term Survivor with Metastatic Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

®49-year-old Hispanic male with stage IV non-squamous, non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on maintenance bevacizumab treatment, presented with progressive paresthesias over the back, abdomen, and chest; left foot numbness; unsteady gait; and mid-back pain. He had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer 14 months prior, including bulky thoracic adenopathy, brain metastases, and malignant pleural and pericardial effusions. Imaging demonstrated no spinal, dural, or vertebral lesions. He was initially treated with pericardiectomy and whole brain radiation therapy (RT), followed by administration of six cycles carboplatin-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab then 12 cycles of bevacizumab maintenance monotherapy. To evaluate the patient’s neurologic symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine was performed, which suggested the presence of intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCM) at the T4 level, with associated hemorrhage (Fig. 1A, B). Additional imaging revealed stable disease elsewhere. He was started on systemic steroids, and bevacizumab was discontinued. Neurosurgery was consulted with recommendation against surgical intervention. RT (45 Gray/25 fractions) was delivered to the intramedullary metastases. Back pain resolved, neurologic symptoms improved, and steroids were discontinued. MRI evaluation after RT demonstrated reduction in size of the metastases with resolution of hemorrhage. (Fig. 1C, D).
MAFLA (Mississippi-Alabama-Florida) Benchmark Program

The MAFLA study is currently entering into its third year of the BLM-OCS program. The initial program, conducted in May-July, 1974, established benchmark values for a wide variety of chemical, biological, geological and selected physical parameters in the lease tract areas. The southern zone is a pristine area with low trace metal and hydrocarbon concentrations in the water, sediment, biota, a carbonate type of geology and a wide infaunal diversity. The northern area is strongly influenced by the Mississippi River system. Chemical parameters (trace metals and hydrocarbons) are higher and more variable in concentration, the sediments are dominated by the presence of silts and clays, and the biota, while still abundant, is less diverse.
Variable bit-rate CELP coding of speech with phonetic classification

A variable bit-rate speech coder intended for digital cellular applications is described. A voice activity detection algorithm is used to distinguish active speech from background noise. Each frame of active speech is further classified to distinguish between three phonetic categories: voiced, unvoiced, and onset. Each input frame is assigned one of five bit rates according to voice activity and phonetic classification and coded using an analysis-by-synthesis algorithm tailored to the needs of the class that it belongs to. The resulting coder, called Variable Rate Phonetic Segmentation, produces good quality speech at an average bit-rate below 3 kbit/s when operating with a voice activity factor of 0.5. Informal subjective quality assessment for speech in clean and noisy backgrounds indicates a performance that is comparable to the TIA standard QCELP algorithm while operating at a 25% to 40% lower average bit rate.
Signaling through Homomeric and Heteromeric Dopamine D2 and Cannabinoid Cb1 Receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play important roles in signal transduction and represent about half of the drug targets. Accumulating evidence suggests that GPCRs exist and function not only as homomers but as heteromers as well. Coimmunoprecipitation and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) results have provided evidence for heteromerization of D2-CB1 receptors in co-transfected cell lines. Besides, co-localization of CB1 and D2 receptors in the somata and dendrites of striato-pallidal GABA neurons and cortical-striatal glutamate terminals has been demonstrated. Studies have shown that homomeric D2 and CB1 receptors are Gi/o coupled able to inhibit upon stimulation the forskolin-induced adenylyl-cyclase activation leading to a decrease in cAMP levels. However, stimulation of the CB1 receptor upon the co-expression of D2-CB1 receptors in cell lines increased cAMP levels presumably because CB1 receptors switch their specificity to becoming Gs-coupled when complexed with the D2 receptor. In this study, we utilized Xenopus laevis oocytes as a heterologous expression system in which G protein-sensitive inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels are co-expressed with GPCRs. Stimulation of GPCRs with specific ligands activates GIRK channels via the betagamma subunits of the G proteins (Gbg). The GIRK channel current is monitored by two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) to access receptor activity. We have found that stimulation of homomeric D2 and CB1 receptors increases the GIRK currents. This increase could be blocked by pertussis toxin (PTX) that specifically ADP-ribosylates Gi/o. Overexpression of Gs in Xenopus oocytes biases signaling to couple Gs coupled receptors to GIRK channels via Gbg. Using this approach, we demonstrated that neither the CB1 nor the D2 homomeric receptors can couple to Gs. We are in the process of testing whether the channel response of CB1 receptor ligands through the heteromeric D2-CB1 receptors proceeds via Gs.
Bizarreness and recall

Although memory experts have long advocated the use of bizarre imagery to aid memory, most research has failed to find bizarreness to be effective. Recently, bizarreness has been shown to be effective, but those experiments involved mixed lists in which each subject had both bizarre and nonbizarre materials. The goal of the present research was to use the same materials but in an unmixed-list design in which each subject had only bizarre or only nonbizarre sentences. Contrary to previous research, there were no significant differences between bizarre and nonbizarre conditions in terms of the number of individual words recalled, and bizarreness produced significantly lower recall of complete sentences. It was concluded that bizarreness is effective only when bizarre and nonbizarre materials are provided by the experimenter in a mixed-list situation.
Neurotransmitter transporters: structure meets function

At synapses, sodium-coupled transporters remove released neurotransmitters, thereby recycling them and maintaining a low extracellular concentration of the neurotransmitter. The molecular mechanism underlying sodium-coupled neurotransmitter uptake is not completely understood. Several structures of homologs of human neurotransmitter transporters have been solved with X-ray crystallography. These crystal structures have spurred a plethora of computational and experimental work to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying sodium-coupled transport. Here, we compare the structures of GltPh, a glutamate transporter homolog, and LeuT, a homolog of neurotransmitter transporters for the biogenic amines and inhibitory molecules GABA and glycine. We relate these structures to data obtained from experiments and computational simulations, to draw conclusions about the mechanism of uptake by sodium-coupled neurotransmitter transporters. Here, we propose how sodium and substrate binding is coupled and how binding of sodium and substrate opens and closes the gates in these transporters, thereby leading to an efficient coupled transport.
CATALYTIC OLIGOMERIZATION OF METHANE VIA MICROWAVE HEATING

Catalytic microwave heating has been used as a method for the oligomerization of methane to higher hydrocarbons. Many catalysts were tested in this reaction. Nickel powder, iron powder, and activated carbon were the most active and efficient catalysts for the production of higher hydrocarbons. When helium was used as a diluent gas and the applied power was optimized, the selectivities were controlled to the most desired products. Iron powder was active only at high power (1130 W). At these conditions acetylene was avoided and ethylene and ethane were produced in the same proportion. At low power (378 W) with nickel powder as catalyst and no diluent, ethane was the major C2 hydrocarbon. The amount of acetylene increased when arcing was observed. The proportion of C2 products changed from ethane > ethylene > acetylene to ethylene > acetylene > ethane when the power was increased from 378 to 1130 W. The major product was CO when high power (1130 W) was used. Selectivities toward C3s and C4s were enhanced to ...
The Isolation and Characterization of an a,4 (4,5 Dehydrogalacturonosyl) Galacturonate Hydrolase

SUMMARY– An unsaturated oligogalacturonate hydrolase was isolated from the cell extracts of a Bacillus sp. This enzyme attacked only the a 1,4 glycosidic bond adjacent to the terminal 4,5dehydrogalacturonate of unsaturated oligogalacturonides and preferentially attacked short chain unsaturated uronides. The rate of activity was maximal with unsaturated dimer followed by trimer (65% that of dimer), tetramer (47%) and pentamer (35%). The pH optimum was 6.3 to 6.6 and the enzyme did not require calcium ions for its activity. The enzyme was relatively stable below 30°C but lost 90% of its activity after 10 min at 40°C.
Van der waals interactions between cell surfaces

Van der Waals energies of interaction between model cell surfaces are calculated for various distances of separation, layer thicknesses and compositions of cell surfaces and intercellular media. In these calculations the cell peripheries are considered to consist of two layers: (1) A phospholipid-cholesterol-protein plasma membrane and (2) a surface coat, which consists of protein, sugar and water. The required Van der Waals parameters of sugars, phospholipids and cholesterol are derived from refractive indices of their solutions in the visible and ultraviolet regions. Polarizabilities and Van der Waals parameters of these substances are determined and shown to be almost independent of concentration of solutions. Resulting isotropic polarizabilities differ by less than five percent from values obtained by the addition of bond polarizabilities. The magnitude of Van der Waals interactions between cell surfaces has been found to vary with composition according to the following sequence: water<phospholipid<cholesterol, protein<sugar. A decrease in the concentration of a given substance in the cell surface at the expense of a corresponding increase in the concentration of a substance preceding it in this sequence lowers the magnitude of attractive interactions, whereas a similar change in the extracellular medium would have an opposite effect. A consideration of experimentally found variations in composition of cell surfaces results in calculated values of Hamaker's coefficients between 8×10−15 ergs and 6×10−14 ergs at 50 A distance of separation, which corresponds to free energies per unit area of 210-1600kT/μ 2
The equations of change and the macroscopic mass, momentum, and energy balances

Abstract It is well-known how the Bernoulli equation of mathematical hydrodynamics is obtained by forming the scalar product of the velocity vector with the Euler equation of motion for an inviscid fluid and integrating the resulting equation along a streamline (S treeter [8]). It is here shown how the “engineering Bernoulli equation” — containing the mechanical work term and the friction loss term — may be obtained by a similar integration of the Navier-Stokes equation of motion for a viscous fluid over the volume of a flow system. For the sake of completeness it is first shown how the macroscopic mass, momentum, and energy balances used in engineering are obtained from the “equations of change” of theoretical physics. In these derivations the role played by the moving surfaces is taken into account explicitly, and the fluid flowing in the system may consist of several chemical species with chemical reaction occurring. The development leads to the unsteady state expressions for the macroscopic balances and the Bernoulli equation. The correct types of average velocities to be used in the macroscopic balances arise naturally in the course of the derivations.
Mathematics in electrical graduate education

The mathematical training of an engineering student should be designed to meet his current and future needs. College faculties should consider carefully the needs which are common to all and should stress the importance of application in the teaching of general courses.
Radiographic marker for the early detection of recurrent pituitary tumors

Report of a case in which a clinically asymptomatic recurrence of a chromophob pituitary adenoma was detected by the upward displacement of silver clips placed in the capsule of the tumor. The authors recommend the routine use of clips as radiographic markers for pituitary tumors treated by intracranial operation.
At Home During the Depression in Rabbithole Springs, Nevada, USA

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the housing used by residents of a small mining community called Rabbithole Springs in Nevada, USA, during the era of the Depression (1929 through the early 1940s). The interiors of the homes provide insights into how people lived during this trying economic period—and about how they lived on marginal land on the edges of society. In a study that considers the organization and elaboration of interior space, the “lifespace” of the residents is examined through the archaeological study of standing structures and subsurface remains of four buildings.
Landscapes of war

Drawing on established connections between Roman identity and an agricultural landscape, this paper examines how the imagery of disrupted pastoral and agrarian landscapes and characters represent the effects of civil war on the Roman people in Vergil’s Aeneid and Lucan’s Bellum Civile. While disturbance and turmoil are already a part of the natural landscape in Vergil’s Eclogues and Georgics, in epic, a genre that concerns itself with how empire and imperial power mediate Roman identity, the displacement of shepherds and agriculture partially redefines Roman identity in militaristic terms. Vergil’s pastoral characters, written into military roles as civic landscapes displace agrarian ones in the Aeneid, survive but fail to find a place in Lucan’s ruined and desolate Pharsalian landscape in the Bellum Civile. There, the broken natural landscape, unfit for agriculture, pastoralism, or trade, mirrors the redefinition of what is “Roman” and the occlusion of Rome’s link to an idealized bucolic past.
General features of steroid resistance in lymphoid cell lines

Abstract Some general features of dexamethasone resistance in five murine lymphoid cell lines were investigated. To obtain large numbers of dexamethasone-resistant (Dex r ) variants, a technique was developed by which mouse lymphoid cell lines can be grown with high efficiency on the surface of agar plates without a feeder layer. A total of 271 Dex r variants were investigated, and 90% of them turned out to lack detectable steroid receptor whereas 10% have receptor with, in most cases, a normal affinity for the steroid hormone. Most of this latter class of variants, however, have reduced amounts of receptor and the receptor of all of them displayed altered nuclear binding characteristics. None of the five investigated lymphoid cell lines yielded a Dex r variant with a normal receptor. These results confirm the idea that the high incidence of receptor variant may be due, at least in part, to the haploid state of a gene coding for the receptors. In cell fusion experiments it could be shown that Dex s is dominant over Dex r , but that a Dex r allele in a tetraploid cell can lead to an increased frequency of steroid resistance.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the Medicare cohort with advanced ovarian cancer

Objective The value of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer has yet to be determined. While NAC may facilitate and simplify complete cytoreduction and reduce the risk of surgery, the delay of surgery related to NAC needs to be balanced against any potential benefit.
Polyarylate gas separation membranes

The molecular design of polymers for membrane separation of gases is illustrated for the oxygen/nitrogen pair by a series of polyarylates. The use of tetrabromo ring substitutions combined with a fluorene connector group on the bisphenol with or without a t-butyl group on the isophthalic acid monomer leads to state-of-the-art productivity-selectivity combinations.
Anomalous Ultrasonic Attenuation above the Magnetic Critical Point

The mode-mode coupling theory of Kadanoff and Swift is used to describe the rise in the ultrasonic attenuation as a material approaches its magnetic transition. Near the transition, dynamic fluctuations in the magnetic order cause increased absorption of the sound. Predictions are made of the increased attenuation in various models of magnetic systems. A comparison with experiment is carried out.