cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
125I plaque therapy for uveal melanoma: Analysis of the impact of time and dose factors on local control

BACKGROUND. 125 I episcleral plaque therapy has gained wide acceptance for the treatment of uveal melanoma because of its potential to preserve vision, salvage the globe, and provide good local control. A rigorous analysis of the optimum radiation dose, dose rate, and overall treatment time has not been reported with this technique. METHODS. One hundred fifty patients with uveal melanoma treated with 125 I plaques between 1982 and 1990 and included in the uveal melanoma study (UMS) database of the Wills Eye Hospital were analyzed. Mean patient age was 60.7 years (range : 17.7-84.6 years). Initial mean tumor size was 9.7 x 8.5 x 3.7 mm with a range of 4.5 to 21.5 mm in basal dimension and 1.2 to 11.8 mm in height. Mean dose to the tumor apex was 94.77 gray (Gy) (29.5-141 Gy). Mean dose rate to the tumor apex was 92.9 cGy/hr (10-292 cGy/hr) ; the mean dose to the base was 359 Gy (181-692 Gy) ; the mean dose rate to the base was 348 cGy/hr (112-893 cGy/hr); and mean duration of treatment was 124.7 hours (range : 28-333 hours). RESULTS. With a median follow-up of 68 months, there have been 33 local failures. Mean time to local failure was 19 months (range : 6-78 months). Actuarial local control is 81% at 5 years. Multivariate analysis demonstrates significant correlation of local failure with larger tumor dimension (P = 0.0046), close proximity to the optic disc (P = 0.0029), lower radiation dose to the tumor apex (P = 0.03), lower radiation dose rate to the tumor apex and base (P = 0.01 and 0.03), and longer overall treatment time (P = <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS. This retrospective analysis reinforces the importance of dose rate, minimum tumor dose, overall treatment time, maximum tumor basal dimension, and proximity to the optic nerve in the treatment of uveal melanoma.
The Several Elections of 1824

In recent years, political pundits across America were excited by the prospect that Ross Perot's presidential candidacies could prompt a rare event in U.S. presidential elections: the lack of an electoral college majority by any of the three major presidential candidates. Searching for a historical precedent, observers recalled the election of 1824, as this was the last U.S. presidential election decided by the House of Representatives rather than the Electoral College (which failed to produce a majority winner). The standard interpretation of the 1824 elections resurfaced – that it was personality, not issues, that mattered most and that the election was stolen from the popular vote winner. Here, a different interpretation of the 1824 election is offered, one which has implications for contemporary campaigns as well. The 1824 election was fought over issues that were regionally, not nationally, defined and was unique for the presence of four viable candidates. Consequently, a House election is only likel...
Blow molding and thermoforming of plastics: Finite element modeling

Abstract A finite element analysis tool which has been specifically developed for modeling the thermoforming and blow molding of 2-D and axisymmetric shapes is described. Both the theoretical background and the finite element implementation is included. The hot polymer is modeled as a nonlinear elastic, incompressible, membrane. Results from finite element calculations are compared with theoretical predictions for selected problems and are shown to be in excellent agreement. In addition, comparison between analysis and experiment is given for a particular example of thermoforming.
Oxidant-induced increases in mucosal permeability in developing piglets.

ABSTRACT: Reactive oxygen metabolites have been implicated in the pathogenesis of mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion in adult animals, with recent interest centering on the capacity of polymorphonuclear neutrophilderived oxidants to mediate this injury. A role for oxidants has also been postulated in the etiology of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. Based on evidence that the intrinsic capacity of the neonatal piglet intestine to detoxify hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is minimal relative to that of older piglets, we characterized the changes in mucosal permeability induced by luminal perfusion with H2O2 and hypochlorous acid at concentrations that can be produced physiologically by activated neutrophils (0.05 mmol/L, 0.1 mmol/L, and 0.5 mmol/L), in the distal ileum of 1-d- and 1-mo-old piglets. Mucosal permeability was quantitated by measurement of blood-to-lumen clearance of 51-labeled chromium EDTA. Luminal perfusion with either H2O2 (0.05 mmol/L and 0.1 mmol/L) or hypochlorous acid (0.1 mmol/L and 0.5 mmol/L) significantly increased mucosal permeability in newborn piglets but did not affect mucosal permeability in 1-mo-old animals. Perfusion with 0.5 mmol/L H2O2 significantly increased mucosal permeability over control values in both age groups, but injury in the newborn intestine was significantly greater than that observed in 1-mo-old animals. Thus, as predicted by the reduced intrinsic capacity of the mucosa of neonatal piglets to detoxify H2O2, the ileum of newborn piglets is more vulnerable to oxidant-induced mucosal injury than is the ileum of older animals.
The discovery of a new acceleration and possible trapping region of the magnetosphere

Abstract A new acceleration and possible trapping region of the magnetosphere has been discovered by the POLAR spacecraft through the observations of the cusp energetic particle (CEP) events. The events were detected in the dayside high-altitude cusp and were associated with a dramatic decrease and large fluctuations in the local magnetic field strength. These events could last for hours, in which the measured helium ions had energies up to 8 MeV (Chen, 1997a, 1998). A fundamental question to be addressed is the origins of the cusp energetic ions. Simultaneous observations indicated that the ion fluxes in the CEP events were higher than that in both upstream and downstream from the bow shock. We have determined the power spectra of the local magnetic field turbulence calculated over the September 18, 1996 CEP event periods for fluctuations in the ultra-low frequency (ULF) ranges, corresponding to periods of about 0.33–500 seconds. It is found that the mirror parameter, defined as the ratio of the square root of the integration of the parallel turbulent spectral component over the ULF ranges to the local mean field, is correlated with the intensity of the MeV helium flux. A statistical study of the CEP events indicated that the MeV helium flux was also proportional to the difference between the maximum and the minimum magnetic field in the event. These results represent a discovery that the high-altitude dayside cusp is a new acceleration and possible trapping region of the magnetosphere.
Solid-phase extraction and direct high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of metoprolol enantiomers in plasma.

Abstract A method is described by which underivatized metoprolol enantiomers in plasma can be quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Samples are prepared for injection using a simple solid-phase extraction procedure which is essentially 100% efficient for all analytes. The metoprolol enantiomers are resolved using a cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase and a hexane—ethanol—diethylamine mobile phase. Samples were tested for adaptability to autoinjection and found to be stable for at least 16 h after reconstitution in mobile phase. The automated method was determined to be precise and accurate for enantiomer concentrations as low as 10 ng base per ml and was successfully employed in a pharmacokinetic investigation.
Testosterone selectively affects aromatase and 5α-reductase activities in the green anole lizard brain

Testosterone (T) and its metabolites are important in the regulation of reproductive behavior in males of a variety of vertebrate species. Aromatase converts T to estradiol and 5α-reductase converts T to 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Male green anole reproduction depends on androgens, yet 5α-reductase in the brain is not sexually dimorphic and does not vary with season. In contrast, aromatase activity in the male brain is increased during the breeding compared to non-breeding season, and males have higher levels than females during the breeding season. Aromatase is important for female, but not male, sexual behaviors. The present experiment was conducted to determine whether 5α-reductase and aromatase are regulated by T. Enzyme activity was quantified in whole brain homogenates in both the breeding and non-breeding seasons in males and females that had been treated with either a T or blank implant. In males only, T increased 5α-reductase activity regardless of season and up-regulated aromatase during the breeding season specifically. Thus, regulation of both enzymes occurs in males, whereas females do not show parallel sensitivity to T. When considered with previous results, the data suggest that aromatase might influence a male function associated with the breeding season other than sexual behavior. 5α-Reductase can be mediated by T availability, but this regulation may not serve a sex- or season-specific purpose.
Effect of surgeon training, fracture, and patient variables on calcaneal fracture management.

Background:There appears to be a general lack of consensus in treating calcaneus fractures. Many different patient-based variables such as smoking, diabetes, or occupation, may influence treatment ...
Portal hypertension in cystic fibrosis

Abstract Early diagnosis and prompt therapy aimed at minimizing and combating pulmonary and gastrointestinal complications have resulted in prolonged survival of children with cystic fibrosis. 1 The widespread exocrine glandular dysfunction seen in the disease has been found to involve the mucous secretions of the bilary tract in many. As a result of recurrent plugging of the smaller biliary ducts, focal biliary obstruction, cholangiolitis and biliary cirrhosis may ensue, 2 and in those surviving beyond the first few years of life, such hepatic involvement may become a prominent part of the disease complex. It has been estimated that more than 20 per cent of cystic fibrosis patients beyond adolescence have biliary cirrhosis of a degree sufficient to be clinically manifest. 1 Bleeding esophageal varices and/or hypersplenism may complicate portal hypertension and require surgical therapy for successful management. These children, unlike those with extrahepatic portal venous obstruction and normal hepatic function, act much more like the adult cirrhotic with bleeding esophageal varices. Exsanguinating hemorrhage is much more likely to occur, and the absorption of digested blood in the gastrointestinal tract may precipitate hepatic decompensation in an already impaired liver. At the Children's Hospital Medical Center, where well over 2,000 children with cystic fibrosis have been followed, 17 patients with cystic fibrosis and portal hypertension have been treated with portosystemic venous shunts for control of bleeding esophageal varices or varices and hypersplenism, or both, and serve as the basis for this report.
The gravity p-median model

Abstract In this paper we propose a new model for the p -median problem. In the standard p -median problem it is assumed that each demand point is served by the closest facility. In many situations (for example, when demand points are communities of customers and each customer makes his own selection of the facility) demand is divided among the facilities. Each customer selects a facility which is not necessarily the closest one. In the gravity p -median problem it is assumed that customers divide their patronage among the facilities with the probability that a customer patronizes a facility being proportional to the attractiveness of that facility and to a decreasing utility function of the distance to the facility. The model is analyzed and heuristic solution procedures are proposed. Computational experiments using a set of test problems, provide excellent results.
The influence of maternal cadmium exposure or fetal cadmium injection on hepatic metallothionein concentrations in the fetal rat

The ability of Cd to induce the synthesis of fetal hepatic metallothionein (MT) was investigated in rat fetuses exposed to Cd throughout gestation via the mother's drinking water or injected directly with Cd through the uterine wall on Day 18 of gestation. On Day 21 all dams were killed and fetal and maternal tissues were removed. Tissue MT, Zn, Cu, and Cd concentrations were measured. Fetal hepatic Cd concentration was increased only at the high maternal Cd exposure, whereas Zn concentration was significantly reduced by Cd exposure. Both fetal liver and kidney MT were reduced following maternal Cd exposure. Unlike maternal hepatic MT, fetal hepatic MT was not increased after maternal Cd exposure nor did the direct injection of Cd into the 18 days of gestation fetus induce fetal MT synthesis. These data suggest that fetal rat liver is incapable of synthesizing MT in response to Cd, possibly because Cd is not transported to the site of MT synthesis in the fetal system. Furthermore, neither the route of exposure, the duration of prenatal Cd exposure, nor the stage of gestation appear to account for the differences observed between fetal and adult hepatic MT induction by Cd.
Studies of neonatal polymorphonuclear leukocyte function using a novel microanalytic chemiluminescence technique

Abstract Chemiluminescent (CL) assays are used to measure the oxidative function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). These assays generally require 105 to 107 PMNs per measurement. We report the development of a novel CL assay of PMN oxidative function for which only 104 PMNs per measurement are required. Using this assay, we confirm the observations of others that preterm neonatal PMNs have defective oxidative function. We suggest that these defects may be due to both oxidative damage to the PMN membrane as well as other metabolic defects, as yet unidentified. This assay can be used for more extensive studies of neonatal PMN function as the amount of sample blood required for multiple measurements is minimized (0.50 ml).
An Investigation of Primary Pupils’ Attitudes toward Reading

Using the Primary Pupil Reading Attitude Inventory with first and third graders, the relationships between attitude toward reading and achievement, sex, and grade placement were investigated. Also the stability of attitude scores over a period of time was studied. The results indicated that attitude was significantly related (p<.05) to Paragraph Meaning but not to Word Reading subtests of the Stanford Achievement Tests. Attitude scores were significantly higher for girls than for boys (p<.0001). Grade level was not significantly related to attitude when achievement was held constant. Attitude scores remained stable from spring to fall.
The interaction of 2,6-dichloroindophenol and protein sulfhydryl groups

Abstract The sulfhydryl proteins, d -aminoacid oxidase (EC 1.4.3.3) (porcine kidney), bovine-liver glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3) and ovalbumin, all in a denatured state, and in addition, thiolated gelatin are all capable of reacting with 2,6-dichloroindophenol in a stoichiometry approaching 1 mole of indophenol per protein sulfhydryl residue. The product of this type of reaction is a protein-reduced indophenol adduct which can be oxidized by suitable electron acceptors including oxygen to a protein dye derivative. The indophenol component is bound tightly to the protein and resists removal by exhaustive dialysis. Pretreatment of the initial protein with p- chloromercuriphenylsulfonate completely inhibits the reduction and binding of the indophenol. These observations are discussed in terms of a thiol-substitution reaction to a ring of the indophenol dye, similar to the production of an S- glutathionyldichloroindophenol described in an earlier investigation in this laboratory1.
Preparation of 8t, 10t-octadecadienoic acid

Oleic acid was brominated with N-bromosuccinimide, followed by addition of free bromine to the double bond. Upon debromination of the brominated product with zinc in ethanol and fractionation of the resultant ethyl esters, the fractions containing 74–75% of conjugated dienoic acids were combined. The ethyl esters were hydrolyzed; upon irradiation by ultraviolet light of the fatty acids in petroleum ether (40–60°) in the presence of a trace of iodine, and upon cooling, 8t,10t-octadecadienoic acid, m.p. 56–56.5°, was obtained in 15–20% yield.
An Ion Funnel Interface for Improved Ion Focusing and Sensitivity Using Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

To improve upon the already impressive sensitivity achievable with electrospray ionization sources, a novel electrohydrodynamic ion funnel interface has been developed and implemented with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ion funnel interface effectively consists of a series of ring electrodes of increasingly small internal diameters to which rf and dc electric potentials are coapplied. In the 1−10-Torr pressure range, the electric fields cause the collisionally damped ions to be more effectively focused and transmitted as a collimated ion beam. This paper describes the ion funnel design and presents an evaluation of its performance using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. Ion transmission and m/z discriminating parameters (resulting in both effective low- and high-m/z cutoffs) are presented based upon both ion current measurements and mass spectra. Electrospray ionization mass spectra of selected protein solutions demonstrated well over 1 order of magnitude increase in signal relative to th...
Sintered hydroxyapatite ceramic for wear studies

A sintered hydroxyapatite (HAP) ceramic for use in wear studies was prepared from a commercial tricalcium phosphate. The sintered HAP had physical properties close to those of human enamel. The coefficient of friction and wear of the sintered HAP ceramic as characterized by tangential force, track width, and surface failure data, approximated those of human enamel.
Simulation of repairing thin-film phase defect in masks for EUV lithography

Phase defects in extreme UV lithography masks made from Mo/Si multilayer thin films can be removed by heating the metal multilayer to produce a localized phase transition. The experimental situation has been simulated using a Monte Carlo method to determine the deposition of energy from the incident electrons, and the resultant elevation of temperature has been found by solving the thermal diffusion equation. The effects of operating parameters such as beam energy, beam current, and beam spot size have been investigated. It is shown that the effect of surface radiation cooling is negligible, and that only a steady state solution needs to be considered.
KcsA Barium Permeation Blocked by External Potassium

Block by Ba2+ is a distinctive property of K+ channels, and in a few cases this block can be used as a tool to determine the affinity for various ions at specific sites in the selectivity filter. We measure the discrete block of single E71A KcsA channels, a non-inactivating mutant, with micromolar concentrations of internal Ba2+ and find at high concentrations of external K+ the block time distribution is described by a double exponential. This suggests there are two Ba2+ sites in the selectivity filter, fitting well with the published Ba2+ containing structure of KcsA where a Ba2+ ion resides approximately in S2 and S4. Utilizing a kinetic analysis of the blocking events, we can determine the occupancy of K+ and other cationic monovalent ions in an extracellular site, presumably S1, and thus determine selectivity for this particular site. Our kinetic data has shown KcsA has an unusually high selectivity for K+ over Na+ with a ddG0 of −5.6 kcal mol−1.
Organic chemistry: Shape control in reactions with light.

The report of a light-activated catalyst that dictates the three-dimensional shape — the stereochemistry — of molecules formed in an organic reaction suggests a new strategy for controlling such reactions using visible light. See Letter p.100 The growing demand for optically active compounds in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries is focusing attention on asymmetric photocatalysis as a potentially economical means of synthesis, combining visible light photoredox chemistry with asymmetric catalysis. In this manuscript, the authors show that a chiral iridium complex can serve as a sensitizer for photoredox catalysis and at the same time provide effective asymmetric induction for the enantioselective alkylation of 2-acyl imidazoles. This new asymmetric photoredox catalyst, in which the metal centre serves simultaneously as the exclusive source of chirality, the catalytically active Lewis acid centre, and the photoredox centre, offers new opportunities for the 'green' synthesis of non-racemic chiral molecules.
Selectivity of polyacrylamide and dextran gels for simple cations and anions

Abstract Selectivity of Bio-Gel P-2 and P-100, and Sephadex G-10 gels for simple cations was shown by column chromatography of alkali and alkaline earth chloride and nitrates, and Mn 2+ , Tl + , and Ag + nitrates. When eluted with water, some of the cations were completely separated. Anion selectivity was demonstrated by chromatography of F − , Cl − , NO 3 − , and SO 4 2− , as sodium salts. Electrolyte behavior on these gels is discussed in terms of hydrated ionic size, adsorption, and chemical interaction.
Diagnostic parameters of an odd—even item short-form of the Luria—Nebraska neuropsychological battery

Abstract The current study examined the concurrent validity of a new short form of Luria—Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB). LNNB profiles of 100 subjects of a mixed brain damaged, psychiatric and normal pool were obtained from previously published sources. Levy corrected correlations among both the odd and even number short-forms with the full test ranged from .81 to .90. For the entire sample, absolute numbers of scales above the critical level, number of cases following within a given range of the critical level, and number of cases within each subscale exceeding the critical level were computed. Chi square values revealed significant differences only for the visual, reading, and memory subscales exceeding the critical level.
Making it personal: : Opportunity individuation and the shaping of opportunity beliefs

We develop a model that focuses on the individuation of opportunity beliefs. We adopt inferences from the ecology literature and integrate those with mental model theory to examine the ‘individuation’ of opportunity as the result of the interplay between industry conditions and person-specific factors. We test our predictions using conjoint analysis of 2880 opportunity decisions. We find that an entrepreneur's related knowledge, motivation to evaluate the opportunity, prior failure, and fear of failure shape perceptions of opportunity attractiveness as one individuates exogenous opportunity information. We articulate our findings as evidence that when combined with opportunity related data, an individual's cognitive resources play an important role as one forms opportunity beliefs about the personal attractiveness of pursing an opportunity.
Facilitating the adoption of information technology in a developing country

Abstract Many developing countries are ardently seeking ways to encourage greater computer usage. But results have been disappointing. The slow diffusion is partially attributed to social factors. This study, based on a survey of 187 professionals, examined the efficacy of opinion leadership approach in accelerating the acceptance of computers in Saudi Arabia. Findings indicate that the approach has promise. Opinion leaders, who express greater satisfaction with computers, can be crucial as change agents in helping to reduce anxieties and dissonant feelings towards computers. Marketing strategy implications of the findings are discussed.
Comments on Nardi's “Modes of Explanation in Anthropological Population Theory”

in social anthropology and ethology. Tinbergen, Callan reminds us, argued for the validity of comparing ethological with social anthropological methods. This may be a necessary, but certainly not a sufficient, condition for the validity of comparing results. While the sociobiological debate is moving into the empirical arena, we have to become more imaginative about how to test evolutionary theories. This means developing strategies for assessing efficiency of resource utilization and reproductive success according to standard and comparable units. "Interactions and constraints between foraging and reproduction constitute a very promising area for future theoretical work. The merger of aspects of optimal foraging theory with the theory of optimal reproductive tactics will be difficult and challenging, but is pregnant with potentially testable nontrivial predictions and seems to produce much greater realism" (Pianka 1976:781).
Infrared spectra of simple molecules in liquid-argon solution—I. CF4

Abstract The infrared spectra of solutions of CF 4 in liquid argon have been measured using a cell with a 4 cm optical path. A large number of overtone and combination bands have been observed and assigned. The technique promises to yield vibrational information useful in the calculation of anharmonic force constants.
Synthesis and characterization of a new π-extended nickel dithiolene complex for molecular materials

Abstract A new nickel complex consisting of extended thiophenedithiolene ligands has been synthesized. The complex has been characterized by UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray crystallography. The complex exhibits significant electron delocalization into the peripheral thiophene rings. The −1 complex displays diamagnetic behavior in the solid state, but is paramagnetic (S = 1/2) in solution. X-ray analysis shows a number of close contacts which could explain the diamagnetism.
A critical concentration for micellar diastereoselectivity

Abstract The onset of diastereoselectivity in the esterolyses of LL and DL - Z -Trp-Pro-PNP by a thiocholine surfactant is associated with a “critical” surfactant concentration which appears to lie above the apparent kinetic critical micelle concentration.
Properties of Calcium Transients in Cardiomyocytes with Impaired Insulin Signaling

Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and sudden cardiac death. In animal models of diabetes, cardiac calcium handling is severely impaired. However, as diabetes is a multifactorial disease it is difficult to separate the effect of systemic and local factors in disease development. Here, we investigate the effect of locally disrupted cardiac insulin signaling on cardiac calcium handling in a mouse model of diabetic cardiomyopathy.We measured calcium transients in isolated cardiomyocytes from Cardiac Insulin Receptor Knock-Out (CIRKO) mice. Littermate wild-type (WT) mice were used as controls. Cardiomyocytes were field stimulated and intracellular calcium was monitored using the fluorescent indicator fluo2-LeakRes (34oC, pHo 7.4, [Ca2+]o = 1.0 mM). Calcium transient amplitude and decay kinetics were measured at 1 and 5 Hz. While no significant differences were observed between WT and KO cardiomyocytes, there was a tendency towards reduced calcium transient amplitude in the KO group (Amplitude (F/F0): WT, 1.6±0.7 (n=9); KO, 1.0±0.4 (n=16); p=0.05). Calcium transient decay was similar (tau (ms): WT, 183±44 (n=9); KO: 232±84 (n=17); p=0.15) and frequency-dependent acceleration of decay kinetics was observed in both groups (tau: p<0.01 for both WT and KO (1Hz vs 5 Hz)).In conclusion, at the cellular level the CIRKO mouse model of diabetic cardiomyopathy display a very mild calcium handling phenotype. These findings suggest that impaired cardiac insulin signaling per se plays only a minor role in the contractile dysfunction observed in systemic models of diabetes.
Cryogenic testing of a foam-multilayer insulation concept in a simulated prelaunch environment

Foam multilayer insulation (FMLI), a reusable thermal control system (TCS), was evaluated in a simulated orbit hold environment on a test tank of 3.0 ft diameter, 5.6 ft length, and 34.5 cu ft volume. The TCS consisted of a 0.44-inch thick foam and a 16-layer (17 sheet) MLI blanket attached to the tank barrel and lower bulkhead, with the upper bulkhead covered with a 2.7-inch foam and a 31-layer (32 sheets) MLI blanket. Average insulation heating rates during orbit hold simulations ranged from 10.5 to 28.1 Btu/hr for warm boundary temperatures from 300 to 460 R, respectively. These rates corresponded to liquid losses of 0.9 and 2.3 percent of the tank's volume per day. This liquid loss rate would be significantly reduced for full size vehicle tanks due to the decreased surface area-to-volume ratio as compared to the test tank.
Microspacecraft and Earth observation: Electrical field (ELF) measurement project

The Utah State University space system design project for 1989 to 1990 focuses on the design of a global electrical field sensing system to be deployed in a constellation of microspacecraft. The design includes the selection of the sensor and the design of the spacecraft, the sensor support subsystems, the launch vehicle interface structure, on board data storage and communications subsystems, and associated ground receiving stations. Optimization of satellite orbits and spacecraft attitude are critical to the overall mapping of the electrical field and, thus, are also included in the project. The spacecraft design incorporates a deployable sensor array (5 m booms) into a spinning oblate platform. Data is taken every 0.1 seconds by the electrical field sensors and stored on-board. An omni-directional antenna communicates with a ground station twice per day to down link the stored data. Wrap-around solar cells cover the exterior of the spacecraft to generate power. Nine Pegasus launches may be used to deploy fifty such satellites to orbits with inclinations greater than 45 deg. Piggyback deployment from other launch vehicles such as the DELTA 2 is also examined.
School choice and changing authority: an analysis of the controversy over the Minnesota postsecondary enrollment options law

Interest in school choice has reached an unprecedented level in the USA. Magnet schools and open enrollment programs are growing rapidly; many different types of school choice proposals, including tuition vouchers and tax credits for private schools, have come before state legislatures and school boards nationwide. Some have become controversial; most have been opposed by public school groups. This paper analyzes the controversy surrounding a school choice policy, the 1985 Minnesota Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (PEO). Like the larger national debate over choice, questions about equity and feasibility arose in the controversy over PEO, but a closer examination of the language and tactics of the PEO debate reveals a more fundamental struggle over authority and a defense of professional control that is in key respects incompatible with goals of school choice. This study describes the theory, development and outcomes of the PEO law and analyzes the contending conceptions of authority contributing to t...
Adsorption of chlorinated hydrocarbon vapors onto soil in the presence of water.

Abstract Chlorinated solvents partition readily into the vapor-phase in unsaturated soils. Sorption from the vapor-phase affects both transport and recovery. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm has been used to model adsorption of chlorinated solvent vapors; however, the BET equation is not accurate above reduced vapor pressures (p/psat) of 0.35. New measurements of chlorinated alkane sorption have been used with a modified BET equation (MBET) to model the adsorption isotherms for five solvents. The MBET equation was found to fit experimental data accurately, especially at high reduced vapor pressures. The capacity of sandy loam soil to adsorb organic vapors decreased with increasing water content, probably due to less soil surface available for sorption. This effect is most evident at reduced vapor pressures greater than 0.5. Adsorption is related to distribution of excess surface energy, the number of molecular layers of water sorbed at the surface, and solute polarity. Results suggest that water films contain areas of high interfacial energy that interact with solute molecules via induced electrostatic forces.
Reactivity of Small MoxOy- Clusters toward Methane and Ethane

The reactions of Mo2Oy- suboxide clusters with both methane and ethane have been studied with a combination of mass spectrometry, anion photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. Reactions were carried out under “gentle” and “violent” conditions. For methane, a number of products appeared under the gentler source conditions that were more logically attributed to dissociation of Mo2Oy- clusters upon reacting with methane to form MoCH2-, Mo(O)CH2-, and HMo(O2)CH3-. With ethane, products observed under the same gentle conditions were Mo(O)C2H2-, Mo(O)C2H4-, Mo(O2)C2H4-, and Mo(O2)(C2H5)2-. As expected, more products were observed when the reactions were carried out under violent conditions. The photoelectron spectra obtained for these species were compared to calculated adiabatic and vertical electron affinities and vibrational frequencies, leading to definitive structural assignments for several of the products.
The Practical Application of a Flatbed Scanner for Air-Void Characterization of Hardened Concrete

Over the past 30 years, with the advent of computers and digital imaging, many automated systems have been introduced for the purpose of air-void characterization. The majority of the systems employs a contrast-enhancement procedure where a polished cross-section of concrete is darkened with paint, and white powder is forced into the depressions left by air-voids. The system described here follows the same approach and uses a flatbed scanner to collect a single digital image of the entire sample. For all of the systems based on contrast enhancement, the first step is to select a threshold level. Image pixels brighter than the threshold level represent air and image pixels darker than the threshold level represent non-air (i.e., paste or aggregate). Further digital processing steps may be employed but the initial selection of threshold level exerts a strong influence on whether a pixel in the final data set is classified as air or non-air. A systematic approach for threshold determination has been proposed based on an iterative procedure that compares automatically determined air-void parameters to manually determined air-void parameters from a set of training specimens. The calibration procedure finds a single optimum threshold level for the automated system that is to be used for all subsequent analyses. The approach was tested on a population of 88 specimens with manually determined air-void parameters, with the goal of determining an appropriate value for the number of training specimens.
Purification of recombinant ribonuclease T1 expressed in Escherichia coli.

Abstract A protocol for the rapid purification of ribonuclease T1 expressed from a chemically synthesized gene cloned into Escherichia coli is described. QAE ion-exchange and Sephadex G-50 chromatography are used to give over 300 mg (88% yield) of pure ribonuclease T1 from 6 1 of liquid culture in 3 days. We also report a new absorption coefficient for RNase T 1 : E 278 nm 1% = 15.4 .
Computers and policy-making: the CASCON experiment:

Most observers of US foreign policy decision-making would probably agree that, whatever the virtues or defects of a particular policy choice, the process by which decisions are reached on crisis or incipient crisis situations leaves something to be desired. Despite good intentions, there persists an all-toofrequent tendency to be taken by surprise, to lurch from crisis to crisis, to under-use instruments of preventive diplomacy, and to be faced with situations in which only undesirable military options are available. The Nixon administration has identified some aspects of this problem, and announced various organizational and methodological means to overcome them. The results to date are, to say the least, not entirely convincing. And while as Americans our first concern is with US policy, the problem is by no means confined to the US decision-making apparatus. Rather, this tendency represents a weakness of governments in general, and of in-
Digging deeper: participation and non-participation in post-disaster community recovery

Stakeholder participation is widely acknowledged as being critical to post-disaster recovery, but little is known about the dynamics and decision processes that lead to this participation or to non...
Searching for the greatest Bengali: The BBC and shifting identity categories in South Asia

Drawing on debates generated by the BBC Bengali Language Service's naming of the greatest Bengali of all time, this article investigates the shifting boundaries between group identity categories in our ‘globalising’ world. First, the controversy over the meaning of the term ‘Bengali’, which emerged in contemporary Bangladesh and India in response to the BBC's list, is investigated. Then writings and speeches of several of the individuals who were honoured as the greatest Bengalis are analysed in order to draw out the multiple ways they approached their own Bengali identities. In the conclusion, it is argued that rather than imagining the end of place-based identity categories through the process of globalisation, it is more useful to conceptualise shifting categories that continue to incorporate a place-based aspect, but in hybrid and contradictory ways.
Meeting the Cool Neighbors. VI. A Search for Nearby Ultracool Dwarfs in the Galactic Plane

Surveys for nearby low-luminosity dwarfs tend to avoid the crowded regions of the Galactic plane. We have devised near-infrared color-magnitude and color-color selection criteria designed to identify late-type M and early-type L dwarfs within 12 pc of the Sun. We use those criteria to search for candidates within the regions of the Galactic plane (|b| < 10°) covered by the Second Incremental Data Release from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. Detailed inspection of the available photographic images of the resulting 1299 candidates confirms only two as ultracool dwarfs. Both are known proper-motion stars, identified in the recent survey by Lepine et al. Despite the low numbers, the inferred surface density is consistent with comparable surveys at higher latitudes. We discuss the implications for the luminosity function and consider means of improving the efficiency and scope of photometric surveys in the plane.
Improving sparse laser scan alignment with Virtual Scans

We present a system to increase the performance of feature correspondence based alignment algorithms for laser scan data. Alignment approaches for robot mapping, like ICP or FFS, perform successfully only under the condition of sufficient overlap of features between individual scans. This condition is often not met, for example in sparsely scanned environments or disaster areas for search and rescue robot tasks. Assuming mid level world knowledge (in the presented case, weak presence of noisy, roughly linear or rectangular-like objects) our system augments the sensor data with hypotheses (dasiaVirtual Scanspsila) about ideal models of these objects. These hypotheses are generated by analyzing the current aligned map estimated by the underlying iterative alignment algorithm. The augmented data is used to improve the alignment process. Feedback between the data alignment and the data analysis confirms, modifies, or discards the Virtual Scans in each iteration. Experiments with a simulated scenario and real world data from a rescue robot scenario show the applicability and advantages of the approach.
Regulation of specific protein synthesis in cytodifferentiation.

The developmental features of the pancreas are reviewed as an example of cytodifferentiation and organogenesis. Attention is directed to the regulatory characteristics of the specific proteins synthesized and secreted by the endocrine and exocrine cells. The following topics are discussed: (1) number of specific protein species and, inferentially, the number of genes involved in differentiated function. (2) The stringent regulation of the concentration of these specific proteins and the probable restriction of their synthesis to exocrine and endocrine cells. (3) The multiphasic pattern of accumulation of these specific proteins during pancreatic development and the synchronized but noncoordinate regulation of individual protein species. Synthetic rates of specific exocrine proteins in vitro correlate closely with measurements of the accumulation of proteins during development. (4) A model postulating three regulatory transitions. The primary transition (related to organ “determination”) denotes the conversion of a “predifferentiated” cell to the “protodifferentiated” state in which low but significant levels of specific proteins are present. The secondary transition is viewed as an amplification of this specific protein synthesis and is associated with typical pancreatic histogenesis. In the third regulatory transition, the synthesis of specific proteins in the “differentiated state” is modulated by diet, or hormonal states, etc. The third regulatory transition may be similar to some types of “enzyme induction” as studied in multicellular systems. (5) The differentiative fidelity in an organotypic culture system; the role of mesenchymal tissue or a particle fraction derived therefrom in supporting the protodifferentiated state and the secondary regulatory transition. (6) The possible mechanisms of the secondary regulatory transition in exocrine cells. Effects of actinomycin D, bromodeoxyuridine, and other mitotic inhibitors suggest the requirement for a critical cell division prior to the loss of proliferative capacity. (7) The synthesis of pro-insulin and insulin during primary and secondary regulatory transitions; the possible interrelationships of endocrine and exocrine cells in pancreas development.
THE CAREGIVING STORY: HOW THE NARRATIVE APPROACH INFORMS CAREGIVING BURDEN

The burdens of giving care to a chronically ill or dependent family member can be overwhelming. The therapeutic utilization of narrative can assist elderly female care givers to transform their feelings of depression and burden into a healthy acceptance of the required care and disabilities of the elder for whom they care. This technique, which assists clients to re-story negative aspects of their perceived reality, has emerged from the theoretical framework of postmodernism. Using the narrative approach to a family case study involving a daughter and dependent mother, this article examines interventions that can facilitate the positive development of a client's care-giving story.
Stroke After Thrombolysis Mortality and Functional Outcomes in the GUSTO-I Trial

Background Stroke is the most feared complication of thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction because of the resulting mortality and disability. We analyzed the incidence, timing, and outcomes of stroke in an international trial. Methods and Results Patients were randomly assigned to one of four thrombolytic strategies. Neurological events were confirmed clinically and anatomically and were adjudicated by a blinded committee. Stroke survivors, categorized by residual deficit and disability, assessed their quality of life with a time trade-off technique. Multivariable regression identified patient characteristics associated with intracranial hemorrhage. Overall, 1.4% of the patients had a stroke (93% anatomic documentation). The risk ranged from 1.19% with streptokinase/subcutaneous heparin therapy to 1.64% with combination thrombolytic therapy (P=.007). Primary intracranial hemorrhage rates ranged from 0.46% with streptokinase/subcutaneous heparin to 0.88% with combination therapy (P<.001). Of all str...
STICS: SCSI-to-IP cache for storage area networks

Abstract Data storage plays an essential role in today's fast-growing data-intensive network services. New standards and products emerge very rapidly for networked data storage. Given the mature Internet infrastructure, the overwhelming preference among the IT community recently is using IP for storage networking because of economy and convenience. iSCSI is one of the most recent standards that allow SCSI protocols to be carried out over IP networks. However, there are many disparities between SCSI and IP in terms of protocols, speeds, bandwidths, data unit sizes, and design considerations that prevent fast and efficient deployment of storage area network (SAN) over IP. This paper introduces SCSI-to-IP cache storage (STICS), a novel storage architecture that couples reliable and high-speed data caching with low-overhead conversion between SCSI and IP protocols. A STICS block consists of one or several storage devices and an intelligent processing unit with CPU and RAM. The storage devices are used to cache and store data while the intelligent processing unit carries out the caching algorithm, protocol conversion, and self-management functions. Through the efficient caching algorithm and localization of certain unnecessary protocol overheads, STICS can significantly improve performance, reliability, and scalability over current iSCSI systems. Furthermore, STICS can be used as a basic plug-and-play building block for data storage over IP. Analogous to “cache memory” invented several decades ago for bridging the speed gap between CPU and memory, STICS is the first-ever “cache storage” for bridging the gap between SCSI and IP making it possible to build an efficient SAN over IP. We have implemented software STICS prototype on Linux operating system. Numerical results using popular benchmarks such as vxbench, IOzone, PostMark, and EMC's trace have shown a dramatic performance gain over the current iSCSI implementation.
An Efficient, Practical Parallelization Methodology for Multicore Architecture Simulation

Multiple core designs have become commonplace in the processor market, and are hence a major focus in modern computer architecture research. Thus, for both product development and research, multiple core processor simulation environments are necessary. A well-known positive feedback property of computer design is that we use today's computers to design tomorrow's. Thus, with the emergence of chip multiprocessors, it is natural to re-examine simulation environments written to exploit parallelism. In this paper we present a programming methodology for directly converting existing uniprocessor simulators into parallelized multiple-core simulators. Our method not only takes significantly less development effort compared to some prior used programming techniques, but also possesses advantages by retaining a modular and comprehensible programming structure. We demonstrate our case with actual developed products after applying this method to two different simulators, one developed from IBM Ibrandot and the other from the SimpleScalar tool set. Our SimpleScalar-based framework achieves a parallel speedup of 2.2times on a dual-CPU dual-core (4-way) Opteron server
Health Survey of House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) from Wisconsin

Abstract We conducted a health survey of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) without evidence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in order to establish baseline population health measures and estimate prevalence of potential pathogens likely to influence host susceptibility to mycoplasmosis. Seasonal changes in several physiologic parameters were observed. Weights were greater in winter compared with the breeding season (P < 0.01), fat scores were greater in winter than during fall migration (P < 0.01) or the breeding season (P < 0.01), and packed cell volume and total plasma protein measures during fall migration (P < 0.05) and winter (P < 0.01) were greater than during the breeding season. Culture of voided fecal material yielded 13 bacterial isolates likely representative of normal gastrointestinal flora. Avian pox lesions and blood and gastrointestinal parasite infections were at low prevalence (≤4%) compared with Proctophyllodes spp. feather mite infestations (32%) in the population. All parasites...