cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A quantitative evaluation study of four-dimensional gated cardiac SPECT reconstruction

In practice, gated cardiac SPECT images suffer from a number of degrading factors, including distance-dependent blur, attenuation, scatter and increased noise due to gating. Recently, we proposed a motion-compensated approach for four-dimensional (4D) reconstruction for gated cardiac SPECT and demonstrated that use of motion-compensated temporal smoothing could be effective for suppressing the increased noise due to lowered counts in individual gates. In this work, we further develop this motion-compensated 4D approach by also taking into account attenuation and scatter in the reconstruction process, which are two major degrading factors in SPECT data. In our experiments, we conducted a thorough quantitative evaluation of the proposed 4D method using Monte Carlo simulated SPECT imaging based on the 4D NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) phantom. In particular, we evaluated the accuracy of the reconstructed left ventricular myocardium using a number of quantitative measures including regional bias-variance analyses and wall intensity uniformity. The quantitative results demonstrate that use of motion-compensated 4D reconstruction can improve the accuracy of the reconstructed myocardium, which in turn can improve the detectability of perfusion defects. Moreover, our results reveal that while traditional spatial smoothing could be beneficial, its merit would become diminished with the use of motion-compensated temporal regularization. As a preliminary demonstration, we also tested our 4D approach on patient data. The reconstructed images from both simulated and patient data demonstrated that our 4D method can improve the definition of the LV wall.
Lead substitution and elimination study

Because of the inherent risks of hazardous materials, every opportunityto eliminate or substitute them should be considered. Within the Nuclear MaterialTechnology Division, lead is used as shielding for a variety of operations,which include actinide chemistry, radiochemistry, and analytical chemistry.Lessons learned from recent exposures to lead demonstrate the urgency of replacinglead as a shielding media. In this study, available substitutes and coatingsare identified, and cost comparisons for each technology are discussed.
Spectral Energy Characteristics of the Mercury Vapor Lamp

By means of a large aperture quartz spectroradiometer the spectral energy distribution of a special variable-length mercury lamp was measured between 14,000 A and 2300 A under widely varying conditions. The effects of current, voltage and ventilation on the radiation at fifteen important maxima were measured, including three maxima in the infrared, four in the visible, and eight in the ultraviolet. The composition of each maximum is given, and curves are plotted showing the degree of resolution used; the variation in intensity of each maximum with voltage gradient at constant current; the variation of intensity of the strong ultraviolet maximum near 3660 A with voltage for five current values from two to four amperes; the stationary characteristic curves of a high pressure arc; two typical cases of spectral energy distribution at constant power; and the variation with current of the intensity of each maximum at constant power.It was found that for constant current the energy in each maximum except those in the infrared increased linearly with the voltage after a certain minimum (near 8 volts for 2.5 amperes) was reached. The pressure was measured for each stationary state used, the extreme values being 20 mm of mercury and two atmospheres. Where power input was constant the energy radiated in each maximum increased rapidly with decreasing current. It was found that the most satisfactory condition for running an arc at pressures under two atmospheres, at least, was to have the pressure as high as possible, so that for a given power input the voltage was high and the current low. This condition gives the greatest efficiency and the least change in energy distribution with total energy variation. The relation of pressure to the other variables and the effects at higher pressures are being investigated further; also an absolute determination is being made of the energy available in each wave-length for photochemical purposes.
REJOINDER TO “BLACK MALE CANCER AND AMERICAN URBAN HEALTH POLICY”

: This article is written in rejoinder to Dr. Michael R. Greenberg's article, “Black Male Cancer and American Urban Health Policy,” which appears in the Journal of Urban Affairs, 11(2):113–130.
Simple and efficient absorption filter for single photons from a cold atom quantum memory.

The ability to filter unwanted light signals is critical to the operation of quantum memories based on neutral atom ensembles. Here we demonstrate an efficient frequency filter which uses a vapor cell filled with 85Rb and a buffer gas to attenuate both residual laser light and noise photons by nearly two orders of magnitude with little loss to the single photons associated with our cold 87Rb quantum memory. This simple, passive filter provides an additional 18 dB attenuation of our pump laser and erroneous spontaneous emissions for every 1 dB loss of the single photon signal. We show that the addition of a frequency filter increases the non-classical correlations and the retrieval efficiency of our quantum memory by ≈ 35%.
The pursuit response of the housefly and its interaction with the optomotor response

Pursuit responses that are probably involved in chasing behavior can be evoked and quantitatively measured in male houseflies under conditions of tethered flight (Figs. 2, 3, 5). Pursuit responses of females are significantly different from those of males (Table 1).
Mode of inhibition of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase by synthetic peptide analogs of the regulatory site

Abstract The functions associated with the inhibitory region and calmodulin binding region of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) were studied using various synthetic peptide analogs. Peptides 480–501 and 483–498 strongly inhibited 61 kDa Ca2+/calmodulin-independent MLCK activity with Ki of 25 nM. Peptides 493–512 and 493–504 were considerably less effective as inhibitor of the Ca2+/calmodulin-independent MLCK and Kiapp. were 2 and 3 μM, respectively. Inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-independent MLCK by the peptides 480–501 and 483–498 were competitive with ATP and 20,000 dalton smooth muscle myosin light chain. The inhibition of native MLCK by peptide 493–512 was explained by the calmodulin depletion model in which the peptide binds to free calmodulin and prevents it from activating MLCK. On the other hand, the inhibition of native MLCK by the peptides 480–501 and 483–498 was explained by the binding of these peptides to the MLCK-calmodulin complex. The present study suggests that the inhibitory region of MLCK directly binds to MLCK active site and competes with both ATP and 20,000 dalton light chain so as to inhibit the enzyme.
Positive and negative thyroid hormone response elements are composed of strong and weak half-sites 10 nucleotides in length.

The steroid-thyroid hormone receptors bind to imperfect repeats of two or more half-sites. It is generally accepted that a T3 response element (TRE) half-site consists of a six-nucleotide core motif (5'-AGGT(C/A)A-3'). It is less widely appreciated that the nucleotides flanking this core motif also have a major influence on the affinity of T3 receptor (TR) for its response element. We analyzed TR-DNA interactions under conditions in which the affinity of receptor monomers for individual TRE half-sites of the rat GH (rGH) gene was measured. These studies avoided the effects of half-site spacing and orientation on receptor binding. Variations in the nucleotides flanking the core sequence can modulate receptor binding by more than 15-fold. Systematic mutational analysis of TRE half-site structure demonstrated that at least two nucleotides flanking either side of the half-site core motif strongly influence TR binding affinity and activity, indicating that half-sites are approximately 10 nucleotides long. Thus...
ERK phosphorylation of MED14 in promoter complexes during mitogen-induced gene activation by Elk-1

The ETS domain transcription factor Elk-1 stimulates expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) in response to mitogens. These events require phosphorylation of Elk-1 by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphorylation-dependent interaction of Elk-1 with co-activators, including histone acetyltransferases and the Mediator complex. Elk-1 also recruits ERK to the promoters of its target genes, suggesting that ERK phosphorylates additional substrates in transcription complexes at mitogen-responsive promoters. Here we report that MED14, a core subunit of the Mediator, is a bona fide ERK substrate and identify serine 986 (S986) within a serine-proline rich region of MED14 as the major ERK phosphorylation site. Mitogens induced phosphorylation of MED14 on S986 at IEG promoters; RNAi knockdown of MED14 reduced CDK8 and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) recruitment, RNAPII C-terminal domain phosphorylation and impaired activation of IEG transcription. A single alanine substitution at S986 reduced activation of an E26 (ETS)-responsive reporter by oncogenic Ras and mitogen-induced, Elk-1-dependent transcription, whereas activities of other transcriptional activators were unaffected. We also demonstrate that Elk-1 can associate with MED14 independently of MED23, which may facilitate phosphorylation of MED14 by ERK to impart a positive and selective impact on mitogen-responsive gene expression.
Fractional moving blood volume: estimation with power Doppler US

PURPOSE: To estimate the fraction of moving blood in tissue with power Doppler ultrasound (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Power Doppler US measurements of moving scatterers in a flow tube were made as a function of successive dilutions of the perfusate. Measurements were normalized relative to the maximum Doppler power in the center of the flow tube at the highest concentration and were used to calculate the fractional dilution of the perfusate for each run with each dilution used to represent increasing amounts of non-moving soft tissue in the sample volume. The technique was also applied to two clinical examples. RESULTS: Successive dilutions of the perfusate in the flow experiment showed a monotonic, linear decrease in the Doppler power as a function of dilution. CONCLUSION: The power Doppler US technique has the potential to more accurately estimate alterations in blood flow and has the advantage of being a continuous parameter that can be depth normalized.
Bacon receives 1999 Bowen Award

Charles R. Bacon received the 1999 Bowen Award, presented by the Volcanology Geochemistry, and Petrology Section during the 1999 AGU Fall Meeting.
DIPHENYLBORINIC ACID IS A STRONG INHIBITOR OF SERINE PROTEASES

Abstract Diphenylborinic acid, a commercially available and reasonably air stable compound, was found to be a strong competitive inhibitor of three serine proteases. Compared to phenylboronic acid, it was a thirty-fold better inhibitor of α-chymotrypsin, a fifteen-fold better inhibitor of subtilisin BPN′, and a sixty-fold better inhibitor of bovine trypsin. The pKa and inhibitory ability of methylphenylborinic acid was also determined.
Sexual abuse of vulnerable adults: the medical director's response.

Sexual abuse is the least recognized and reported form of mistreatment of vulnerable adults (adults that are elderly or disabled), representing less than 1% of mistreatment reported in the United States. However, sexual victimization is underreported in all age groups and has been shown to be significantly underreported in the elder and disabled populations. This may be a result of generational beliefs about sexuality and morality, embarrassment, shame, and guilt. Sexual abuse of vulnerable adults may occur in the community as well as any long-term care setting. The purpose of this article is to present information for medical directors of long-term care facilities. The elderly sexual abuse victim is typically female (although males can be victims), cognitively impaired, and frail. The abusers are commonly male (although females can be abusers) and may be caregivers, relatives, or residents in a long-term care facility. Elders living in a long-term care setting may be at increased risk for this type of abuse because of frailty and dependence on others for their care. For persons with a disability, the rate of sexual abuse is higher than the general population and highest for those with developmental disability and intellectual impairment. The National Center on Elder Abuse defines sexual abuse as “nonconsensual sexual contact of any kind.” This can include unwanted sexual advances, fondling, forced viewing of pornography, sexualized kissing, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and rape. An alternate definition is when an elder is “forced, tricked, coerced or manipulated into unwanted sexual contact . . . also includes sexual contact with elders who are unable to grant informed consent.” In longterm care facilities, there are 2 subtypes of sexual abuse. First is coercion of a subject with capacity to consent, and second the exploitation of a subject without capacity to consent. The most commonly reported forms of sexual abuse in one study were sexualized kissing and fondling, but ranged from unwelcome sexual interest to rape. All forms of unwanted sexual contact can be abusive and may have adverse effects on the resident. The medical director must be aware of the risk of sexual abuse of elderly or disabled adults in any setting. As the leader
Colonizing Family: A Feminist Critique of Family Management Texts

There is a long tradition of applying managerial techniques and principles to more efficiently manage domestic and familial responsibilities. We argue that such appropriations of corporate practices, language, and thinking not only obscure distinctions between home and work but also integrate work values, patterns, and perspectives into everyday constructions of family life so thoroughly as to bring into question what a family is and what values, practices, and relationships make family life different from the corporate world. Using a feminist poststructuralist perspective, we analyze three texts illustrating the insinuation of managerialism into popular family management prescriptions. We conclude by critically examining four discursive strategies in these texts: (a) moral dichotomies; (b) managerial metaphors; (c) coopted concepts; and (d) emphasis on individualized choice. Our critique highlights the ironies that open these strategies to contestation and alternatives.
Patterns in the utilization of the intertidal salt marsh by larvae and juveniles of Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus) and Fundulus luciae (Baird)

Abstract Larval and juvenile fishes were collected at low tide from the surface of an intertidal salt marsh on Sapelo Island, Georgia every 6 days from 25 May through 20 December 1982. Larval fishes were present in shallow puddles of tidal water on the marsh from the beginning of the sampling period until the end of October. Juveniles were present throughout the year. Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus) and F. luciae (Baird) accounted for 96.3% (67.0% and 29.3%, respectively) of the 4355 fishes collected. These fishes exhibited synchronous, temporal pulses in larval abundance, suggesting that reproduction was discontinuous and controlled by the same factor(s) in both species. Larval F. heteroclitus inhabited aquatic micro-habitats near the upland edge of the intertidal marsh, but as the larvae grew to juvenile size (≈ 10 mm standard length) they moved to lower elevations near a tidal creek. Large juveniles and adults of F. heteroclitus infrequently occurred in the samples, presumably because they leave the intertidal marsh as the tide ebbs. F. luciae were rarely found in low marsh areas, but all age classes (including adults) occurred at higher elevations, supporting previous suggestions that this species prefers high marsh habitats. The vegetated, intertidal salt marsh appears to be the principal nursery habitat for both of these cyprinodontid species.
High-efficiency, high-speed VCSELs with deep oxidation layers

A novel method to reduce the parasitics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) using deep oxidation layers is proposed. Using this method, high-efficiency, high-speed 980 nm, tapered-aperture VCSELs with a −3 dB frequency of 17.9 GHz, the highest bandwidth without using proton implantation, are demonstrated.
Application of an elastoplastic boundary-element method to some fracture-mechanics problems

Abstract The boundary-integral equation (BIE) method for 3D elastic fracture mechanics has been extended to the elastoplastic problem. The formulation makes use of a special elastic Green's function for the crack, thereby eliminating the need to model the crack itself. Application of the general formulation is made to problems of localized or limited plasticity. Such problems occur through the local yield of stress concentrations, together with the plastic field of the crack tip. In these problems, the elastic stress intensity factor still provides a useful characterization for cyclic-crack-growth predictions. This paper reports on an accurate and efficient calculation procedure for crack-tip stress intensity factors for cracks in welds and prestressed bolt holes, where uncracked plastic strains are important. The use of the new algorithm for crack-tip plasticity modeling is explored for small- and large-scale plasticity conditions.
Stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in bone collagen as indices of prehistoric dietary dependence on marine and terrestrial resources in Southern California

The ratios of 15N to 14N and 13C to 12C tend to be higher in marine than in terrestrial organisms. The concentrations of these isotopes in human bone collagen consequently can be used to make inferences about the contribution of marine and terrestrial resources to prehistoric diets. The utility of studying 15N/14N and 13C/12C ratios in conjunction with each other is illustrated by our analysis of 40 human burials from archaeological sites in the Santa Barbara Channel area of southern California. The mean delta 13C and delta 15N values (in per mil) of collagen from these skeletons decrease progressively from the Channel Islands (delta 13C = -14.0, delta 15N = +16.3) to the mainland coast (delta 13C = -14.5, delta 15N = +14.9) to the interior (delta 13C = -17.2, delta 15N = +10.9). These data suggest that Indians living on the Channel Islands during the late prehistoric period were heavily dependent on marine resources. The inhabitants of the mainland interior, in contrast, had a diet composed largely of terrestrial foods. From their isotope ratios, it appears that the Indians who lived on the mainland coast consumed a mixed diet containing substantial quantities of both marine and terrestrial resources. Differences in 15N/14N and 13C/12C ratios of individuals from mainland sites dating from the early and late prehistoric periods show that the marine component of the diet increased substantially through time. These isotopic data are consistent with pathological, faunal, and artifactual evidence of increased marine resource exploitation during the late prehistoric period.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy: current and future applications in psychiatric research

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides a useful method for studying a number of psychotropic medications and metabolites in human brain in vivo. New insights regarding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of psychotropic medications in the target organ (i.e., brain) have been obtained using lithium-7 MRS and fluorine-19 MRS. Both proton and phosphorus-31 MRS have significantly enhanced our knowledge of the pathophysiology of a number of psychiatric disorders by providing estimates of brain concentrations of several important cerebral metabolites. Efforts are also being made to link MRS measures of cerebral metabolism with neurophysiologic and neurocognitive processes. Ongoing improvement and refinement in MRS techniques, including the installation of scanners with increased magnetic field strength and better methods of data processing, will improve both spatial and temporal resolution. In addition, efforts to develop multisite research studies may result in greater standardization of MRS procedures and methods for interpretation of results. In this review, the current status of MRS applications in psychiatric research is reviewed, and new frontiers and possible future developments are discussed.
Excess high frequency noise and flicker noise in MOSFETs

Abstract The noise parameter α=Rngm, where Rn is the noise resistance and gm the transconductance, was measured for n- and p-channel MOSFETs as a function of frequency with the temperature T as a parameter. At lower frequencies α varies as 1/f, as expected for flicker noise, whereas at higher frequencies α attains a limiting value α∞ that is larger than expected for thermal noise. Arguments are presented whether this high-frequency noise can be hot electron noise. The flicker noise resistance Rmf has a much stronger temperature dependence for n-channel than for p-channel devices; this is related to the energy dependence of the surface state distribution in the forbidden gap.
Duplications and Expression of DIVARICATA-Like Genes in Dipsacales

The genetics underlying flower symmetry shifts between radial and bilateral symmetry has been intensively studied in the model Antirrhinum majus. Understanding the conservation or diversification of this genetic pathway in other plants is of special interest in understanding angiosperm evolution and ecology. Evidence from Antirrhinum indicates that TCP and MYB transcription factors, especially CYCLOIDEA (CYC), DICHOTOMA (DICH), DIVARICATA (DIV), and RADIALIS (RAD) play a role in specifying dorsal identity (CYC, DICH, and RAD) and ventral identity (DIV) in the corolla and androecium of monosymmetric (bilateral) flowers. Previous data indicate that the ECE clade of TCP genes (including CYC and DICH) underwent two duplication events around the diversification of the core eudicots. In this study, we examined the duplication events within Dipsacales, which contains both radially and bilaterally symmetrical flowered species. Additionally, we report here the phylogenetic relationships of the DIV-like genes across core eudicots. Like TCP genes, we found three core eudicot clades of DIV-like genes, with duplications occurring around the diversification of the core eudicots, which we name DIV1, DIV2, and DIV3. The Antirrhinum genes, DIVARICATA and its sister DVL1, fall into the DIV1 clade. We also found additional duplications within these clades in Dipsacales. Specifically, the Caprifoliaceae (bilaterally symmetrical clade) duplicated independently in each of the three core eudicot DIV clades. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR), we showed that most of these copies are expressed across floral tissues in the Dipsacales species Heptacodium miconioides. One copy, DipsDIV1A (orthologous to DIV and DVL1), was expressed in a dorsal-ventral pattern. DipsDIV1A was expressed only in petal tissue, in both dorsal and ventral regions but was lacking from lateral petals. We argue that this suggests that DipsDIV1A may be expressed in a similar pattern to DIV in Antirrhinum, suggesting a broad conservation of this pathway. Finally, DIV contains a large intron near the beginning of the second MYB domain, which shows promise as a highly variable molecular marker for phylogenetic studies.
The Caterpillar’s Question: Contesting Anti‐Humanism’s Contestations

The caterpillar’s question is the question Wonderland’s caterpillar posed to Alice: Who are you? This is a question Alice finds she cannot answer. According to postmodernist anti-humanism, Alice cannot answer the question because there is no coherent Alice there to answer it, no unitary subject of consciousness. This paper contests the anti-humanist denial of a coherent subject of experience. While it is conceded that phenomenologically, we may have difficulty today identifying who we are essentially, it is argued that, conceptually, we cannot do without the ontological category of the person as a unified center of consciousness.
Establishment and characterization of the tumors of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell line in nude and scid mice

A new cell line, designated MO1043, was established from the peripheral blood (PB) of a patient with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Both the PB leukemia cells and MO1043 were found to have an abnormal cytogenetic marker of trisomy 12, the most common cytogenetic abnormality in CLL. In addition, both the PB cells and MO1043 expressed a cell surface phenotype of typical B-CLLs. The MO1043 was efficiently transplanted into X-irradiated athymic nude mice by i.p. inoculation after it was subjected to serial passages in new born (1 week old) and irradiated adult nude mice. The tumor of a CLL cell line (termed CLL tumor) was also generated in the nude mice by s.c. inoculation of the cells. The MO1043 was inoculated i.p. into mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) which had not been subject to any preconditionings. The CLL tumor in the non-conditioned SCID mice was disseminated to various tissues in a manner more analogous to CLL tumors in patients as compared with nude mice, where the CLL tumors were not as widely disseminated. At each of four different tumor doses, i.e. 2 x 10(6), 6 x 10(6), 1.8 x 10(7) and 5.4 +/- 10(7) cells of MO1043, the transplantability was 100%. Titration experiments revealed a reciprocal relationship between survival and the number of tumor cells inoculated. FACS analysis showed that several cell surface markers of the parental MO1043 were maintained in CLL tumors from nude and SCID mice. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with novel DNA probes demonstrated that CLL tumors of both nude and SCID mice maintained trisomy 12. The CLL tumor models developed here, particularly the SCID mouse model, may be very useful for therapeutic studies of CLL.
Gas exchange and photosynthesis of Eucalyptus camaldulensis seedlings inoculated with different ectomycorrhizal symbionts

Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. seedlings inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker & Couch and Thelephora terrestris Ehrl. per Fr. were grown in well watered soil (ψs −0.03 MPa) or subjected to a long-term soil water stress of up to −1.0 MPa over 13-week period in a glasshouse. After 13 weeks, all seedling containers were watered to field capacity and then water was withheld from the E. camaldulensis seedlings to induce a short-term drought. Diurnal measurements of seedling photosynthesis rate (A), leaf stomatal conductance (g) and leaf water potential (ψp) were completed before, during, and after the short term drought. Although they were growing in an equal soil volume, photosynthesis rate (A), leaf stomatal conductance and leaf water potential (ψp) of larger seedlings with P. tinctorius ectomycorrhizae were similar to those of smaller seedlings colonized with T. terrestris during the short-term drought period. Seedlings inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius maintained higher photosynthesis rates over the course of the short-term drought. Thus, P. tinctorius ectomycorrhizae appear to be more efficient than those of T. terrestris in assisting seedlings to maintain gas exchange and photosynthesis under limited soil moisture conditions.
Suppression of gastric secretion by furosemide in dogs.

AbstractFurosemide (1 mg/kg bolus injection) caused a transient decrease of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion of 29 ± 4% in six dogs with gastric fistulas, whereas the same injection, followed by a continuous infusion of 1 mg/kg-hr, caused a sustained mean reduction of 40 ± 4%. A bolus injection of 5 mg/kg caused no further reduction in acid secretion. The relative decreases in C1- and volume outputs closely paralleled the reduction in acid secretion.
The facial expression musculature in primates and its evolutionary significance.

Facial expression is a mode of close-proximity non-vocal communication used by primates and is produced by mimetic/facial musculature. Arguably, primates make the most-intricate facial displays and have some of the most-complex facial musculature of all mammals. Most of the earlier ideas of primate mimetic musculature, involving its function in facial displays and its evolution, were essentially linear “scala natural” models of increasing complexity. More-recent work has challenged these ideas, suggesting that ecological factors and social systems have played a much larger role in explaining the diversity of structures than previously believed. The present review synthesizes the evidence from gross muscular, microanatomical, behavioral and neurobiological studies in order to provide a preliminary analysis of the factors responsible for the evolution of primate facial musculature with comparisons to general mammals. In addition, the unique structure, function and evolution of human mimetic musculature are discussed, along with the potential influential roles of human speech and eye gaze. BioEssays 30:212–225, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Propagation and characterization of human blood basophils.

Basophils were isolated and propagated in large numbers from the blood of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Propagation over 4–6 weeks of culture was dependent upon a growth factor(s) other than interleukin-2 obtained from a lectin-stimulated clone of the Jurkat cell line. Evidence that these basophils were dividing during culture included an increase in both the number of basophils and the histamine content of the cultures over time, as well as ultrastructural studies that demonstrated basophil cell division. The cells also had the capacity to be stimulated in an IgE-dependent manner characteristic of basophils. Cultured basophils passively sensitized with IgE underwent noncytotoxic degranulation after stimulation with specific antigen. Antigen-stimulated basophils released histamine, leukotrienes B4 and C4 and other 5-lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism. Culture models such as this may permit the propagation and purification of sufficient numbers of basophils to allow biochemical and immunological analyses of basophil physiology.
Eolian sedimentation on Earth and Mars: Some comparisons

Eolian sediments on earth are mostly formed from quartz. The quartz particles originally came from a granitic source. With respect to eolian sediments on Mars, it appears that an entirely different set of criteria must apply, but some critical parameters can be usefully compared. Impact experiments with basalt in eolian abrasion devices suggest that basalt sand-sized particles fragment rapidly to produce silt and clay-sized detritus. Cohesive forces must be more effective on Mars since the gravitational contribution to the bond/weight ratio is lower. Compared to the terrestrial situation, both larger and smaller particles can be expected to make significant contributions to eolian sediments on Mars. The low gravity and the high speed of moving particles and the relative weak rock material of which they are composed will allow large-scale fine particle production.
French Interest Group Politics: Pluralist or Neocorporatist?

Although France is not among those countries most frequently cited as examples of the trend toward corporatism, some observers have seen evidence of corporatist patterns of interest group-government contacts. Others assert that French groups have a distinctive protest form of action, and still others see France as a preserve of traditional pluralism. Interviews with 99 French interest group leaders in 1979 suggest that the pluralist model most accurately describes the actions reported by these leaders. Although the group leaders described some corporatist activities, such as participation in statutory commissions, and indicated a willingness to engage in protest, the most common actions were those more consistent with pluralism: personal contacts with government officials and lobbying. These activities were also the forms judged to be most effective in influencing policy, although the overall impression was of a political system in which organized interests had relatively limited impact.
Competitive Bidding: A Comprehensive Bibliography

This paper lists, alphabetically by first author, over 100 papers and books dealing with competitive bidding.
Steady Nonsymmetrical Gravity Waves with Shear in Water

A new type of steady two-dimensional inviscid gravity wave with shear is computed numerically. These waves appear at relatively low amplitudes and lack symmetry with respect to any crest or trough. A boundary integral formulation is used to obtain a one-parameter family of nonsymmetrical solutions through a symmetry-breaking bifurcation.
Sensitive analysis of [D-Pen2,5]enkephalin in rat serum by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection

A highly sensitive analytical method based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) coupled with a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detector was explored for the analysis of [D-Pen2,5]enkephalin (DPDPE) in rat serum. DPDPE and the internal standard Phe-Leu-Glu-Glu-Ile (P9396) were extracted from serum samples with C18 solid-phase extraction disk cartridges, followed by derivatization with tetramethylrhodamine-5-isothiocyanate (TRITC) isomer G before introduction onto the capillary column. Complete resolution of DPDPE and the internal standard from other serum components was achieved within 20 min on a 140 cm x 50 microns I.D. capillary column with borate buffer (25 mM. pH 8.3). With the current method, it is possible to detect 1.3E-18 mol of DPDPE on column. The results suggest that CZE-LIF is a promising method for the sensitive and specific quantitation of therapeutic peptides in biological matrices.
The development of strategic information systems: some case studies and research proposals

The strategic potential of information systems (IS) is widely recognised. However, there is a need to understand better the process leading to strategic IS applications and the way in which it may be affected by the context. This paper presents four case studies of the decision making, design and development, and implementation processes leading to strategic, intra-organizational systems. These cases are used to develop a set of general and contingency propositions about the strategic IS development process. The general propositions represent a longitudinal model of the role of senior management during various phases of the process, while the contingency propositions relate the nature of the process to four contextual factors, namely the organization's size, environmental uncertainty, the sector to which the organization belongs, and the maturity of its IS function. These propositions should serve as a basis for future empirical research on strategic IS development.
Crystal and molecular structure of the bidentate ligand 2,2-di(1-pyrazolyl)propane, CH3C(C3N2H3)2CH3

The title compound lies on a site of C2 symmetry, with the two planar pyrazolyl moieties oriented at 86.1° to one another. The hydrogen atoms were located and refined.
Post Si CMOS graphene nanoelectronics

IBM graphene FETs (GFET) yield the highest cut-off frequency (f T ) values reported: >200 GHz on epitaxially grown SiC wafer and >150 GHz1 on CVD-grown-transferred onto Si wafer which are well above Si MOSFET f T -L g trend in ITRS2. A novel reconfigurable graphene p-n junction based logic device is also introduced. Its switching is accomplished by using co-planar split gates that modulate the properties that are unique to graphene including angular dependent carrier reflection which can dynamically change the device operation, leading to reconfigurable multi-functional logic.
The technology of laser formed interactions for wafer scale integration

Restructurable VLSI wafer-scale circuits have been built using two methods, both using laser energy to create low resistance connections between bus lines on already existing circuits. In one technique verticle connections of about 10 Omega are made up from top metal, through silicon nitride, to first metal lines. The other involves melting of silicon in the gap between two implant regions, with the lateral diffusion of dopants creating connections of about 100 Omega . Details of the linking structures, their characteristics, and the apparatus used to interconnect them are described. >
A negative correlation between trait and mate preference in Xiphophorus pygmaeus

Variation in female mating preferences was compared with variation in male traits across populations of Xiphophorus pygmaeus. Females of this species prefer the large courting males of X. nigrensis to their own small, non-courting males. It was predicted that if large, courtingX. pygmaeus males were to occur, they would be preferred. The discovery, distribution and subsequent spread, of large X. pygmaeus males provided an unusual opportunity to analyse how sexual selection might act on a trait not currently fixed in a species. The present study showed variation between populations in female preference for large male body size that was negatively correlated with the presence of large males. This variation in preference persisted over a 5-year period. Female preference for larger body size and courtship are evolutionarily decoupled from the male traits of large size and courtship in X. pygmaeus. This pattern is not consistent with indirect selection models (e.g. runaway selection), which predict that female mating preferences and male traits evolve in concert due to a genetic correlation between preference and trait. ? 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Repression of BIM mediates survival signaling by MYC and AKT in high-risk T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Treatment resistance in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is associated with phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) deletions and resultant phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathway activation, as well as MYC overexpression, and these pathways repress mitochondrial apoptosis in established T-lymphoblasts through poorly defined mechanisms. Normal T-cell progenitors are hypersensitive to mitochondrial apoptosis, a phenotype that is dependent on the expression of proapoptotic BIM. In a conditional zebrafish model, MYC downregulation induced BIM expression in T-lymphoblasts, an effect that was blunted by expression of constitutively active AKT. In human T-ALL cell lines and treatment-resistant patient samples, treatment with MYC or PI3K-AKT pathway inhibitors each induced BIM upregulation and apoptosis, indicating that BIM is repressed downstream of MYC and PI3K-AKT in high-risk T-ALL. Restoring BIM function in human T-ALL cells using a stapled peptide mimetic of the BIM BH3 domain had therapeutic activity, indicating that BIM repression is required for T-ALL viability. In the zebrafish model, where MYC downregulation induces T-ALL regression via mitochondrial apoptosis, T-ALL persisted despite MYC downregulation in 10% of bim wild-type zebrafish, 18% of bim heterozygotes and in 33% of bim homozygous mutants (P=0.017). We conclude that downregulation of BIM represents a key survival signal downstream of oncogenic MYC and PI3K-AKT signaling in treatment-resistant T-ALL.
Evaluating Alternative Approaches to Incremental Health-Insurance Expansion.

After a small decline, the number of uninsured persons in the United States is on the rise again, at over 41 million (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2002). This increase is likely to spur efforts to cover the uninsured through legislative action. Given the failure of the most recent attempt at massive insurance expansions (David Cutler and Gruber, 2002), the likely approach is through incremental reforms. At the same time, there remains a fundamental conflict between the right and the left over the appropriate form that such incremental reforms should take. The left advocates additional expansions of the public-insurance safety net, for example, to parents of children already publicly insured. The right advocates subsidizing the purchase of private insurance through the tax code. In recent years, a number of analyses, both inside and outside of government, have studied the impact of these types of reforms (e.g., John Holahan et al., 1999; Gruber and Larry Levitt, 2000; Mark McClellan, 2000). These analyses have largely talked past each other, however, as there is little agreement on the "right" criteria on which to evaluate incremental reforms. Should we be concerned solely with the number of persons newly insured? What about the extent of displacement of other forms of insurance coverage, or "crowdout"? And what about the types of uninsured covered; should we count equally a low-cost child who is newly insured and a high-cost older person? In this paper, I lay out the issues surrounding the criteria along which alternative approaches to reform can be evaluated. I then present microsimulation estimates of the impacts of three types of reforms: tax credits for individual purchase of nongroup insurance, expansions of public insurance to children and parents, and expansion of public insurance to all adults. I use the results from these simulations to contrast these reforms using the various criteria developed here.
Horvitz-Thompson strategy vs. stratified random sampling strategy

Abstract Cassel (1977) discussed the correspondence between the Horvitz-Thompson strategy and the stratefied random sampling strategy for a special case of the general superpopulation model. We consider a more general model and discuss the correspondence between these strategies in a more formal way.
Three-Phase Measurements of Resistance

Unsymmetrical spacing of conductors produces errors in the values of a-c resistance measured on the individual conductors, of a 3-conductor system, with 3-phase current. The average of two sets of 3-phase measurements, one with positive sequence current and the other with negative sequence current gives the true value of conductor resistance. An analysis given in the Appendix evaluates the effect of unbalanced inductive reactance upon the measured resistance. Experimental data are shown which support the analysis.
Chapter Five: Distributed Education and Libraries

Teaching and learning unencumbered by time or location increasingly involves some type of electronic conferencing, an umbrella term that covers everything form email to virtual reality. It is even more likely to occur on- than off-campus which is why distributed education or learning may be the more appropriate term than distance education or learning. Many librarians are unfamiliar with all of the aspects of distributed education and electronic conferencing. This article will explore how faculty and students are using these technologies and then give examples of how libraries are or could be taking advantage of electronic conferencing, particularly as regards collections and collections-related services
Cationic polymerization of alkenes and heterocyclics. More similarities than differences

The cationic polymerization of alkenes and heterocyclics is compared in a critical way. After a brief introduction to the polymerizability of various monomers and efficiency of initiators, various active sites involved in propagation are discussed. They include covalent species, onium ions and carbenium ions of different degrees of association. Proportions and reactivities of these active sites are discussed for different monomers. Structure-reactivity correlations for both systems are described. The construction of a general unifying theory of cationic polymerization is attempted, with peculiarities typical for each system pointed out.
ERP correlates of attention allocation in mothers processing faces of their children.

This study employed visually evoked event-related potential (ERP) methodology to examine temporal patterns of structural and higher-level face processing in birth and foster/adoptive mothers viewing pictures of their children. Fourteen birth mothers and 14 foster/adoptive mothers engaged in a computerized task in which they viewed facial pictures of their own children, and of familiar and unfamiliar children and adults. All mothers, regardless of type, showed ERP patterns suggestive of increased attention allocation to their own children’s faces compared to other child and adult faces beginning as early as 100–150 ms after stimulus onset and lasting for several hundred milliseconds. These data are in line with a parallel processing model that posits the involvement of several brain regions in simultaneously encoding the structural features of faces as well as their emotional and personal significance. Additionally, late positive ERP patterns associated with greater allocation of attention predicted mothers’ perceptions of the parent–child relationship as positive and influential to their children’s psychological development. These findings suggest the potential utility of using ERP components to index maternal processes.
PREFERENCE BASED ON REASONS

We describe a logic of preference in which modal connectives reect reasons to desire that a sentence be true. Various conditions on models are introduced and analyzed.
Clinically relevant doses of chemotherapy agents reversibly block formation of glioblastoma neurospheres

Glioblastoma patients have a poor prognosis, even after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with temozolomide or 1,3-bis(2-chloroethy)-1-nitrosourea. We developed an in vitro recovery model using neurosphere cultures to analyze the efficacy of chemotherapy treatments, and tested whether glioblastoma neurosphere-initiating cells are resistant. Concentrations of chemotherapy drugs that inhibit neurosphere formation are similar to clinically relevant doses. Some lines underwent a transient cell cycle arrest and a robust recovery of neurosphere formation. These results indicate that glioblastoma neurospheres can regrow after treatment with chemotherapy drugs. This neurosphere recovery assay will facilitate studies of chemo-resistant subpopulations and methods to enhance glioblastoma therapy.
Burkitt Lymphoma: beyond discoveries.

First described in 1958 in Uganda, Burkitt lymphoma (BL) attracted interest worldwide following reports of its uneven geographic distribution and rapidly fatal clinical course. Both suggested infectious etiology and curability. Seminal discoveries followed in quick succession. Viral etiology – due to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – was confirmed. Chromosomal translocations, involving cellular MYC, a protooncogene, were discovered, shown to be a hallmark of BL, and central to the genetic basis of cancer. Cure of BL using combination chemotherapy was demonstrated. Unfortunately, civil disturbance in Africa disrupted BL research and blunted its impact on education and oncology care in Africa. Important questions went unanswered. The risk of BL due to malaria or EBV was not quantified. Efforts to answer whether BL could be prevented – by preventing malaria or early EBV infection – were abandoned. The mechanism of malaria in BL is unknown. In Africa, BL remains mostly fatal and diagnosis is still made clinically. Unprecedented advances in molecular, genomics and proteomic technologies, promising to unlock mysteries of cancers, have re-awakened interest in BL. With return of stability to Africa, the unanswered questions about BL are re-attracting global interest. This interest now includes exploiting the knowledge gained about genetics, proteomics, and bioinformatics to enable the development of targeted less toxic treatment for BL; and simpler methods to diagnose BL with high accuracy and sensitivity. The articles in the Burkitt Lymphoma (BL): Beyond Discoveries in Infectious Agents and Cancer highlight BL as priority. Authors explore etiology, pathology, pathogenesis of BL, and whether knowledge gained in the studies of BL can catalyze sustainable cancer services in one of the world’s poorest served regions.