cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analog precorrection for improved-accuracy optical matrix operations

If we are dealing with a fixed matrix which we want to use for matrix-vector or matrix-matrix operation and if we can measure the effective matrix represented, then we can often calculate a precompensating matrix which can also be implemented optically. This effectively squares the accuracy, e.g., from the typical 4 bits to 8 bits. © 1993 John Wiley & sons, Inc.
Response of Lactating Dairy Cows to Steam-Flaked Sorghum, Steam-Flaked Corn, or Steam-Rolled Corn and Protein Sources of Differing Degradability

Protein sources with different degradabilities were fed to 48 lactating Holstein cows receiving 37 or 39% of dietary dry matter as steam-flaked sorghum (360 g/L), steam-flaked corn (360 g/L), or steam-rolled corn (490 g/L) in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Cows were fed an alfalfa-based diet with 7% soybean meal or 5% of an animal-marine protein blend and 37 or 39% grain. Although not significant, cows fed flaked grain yielded a mean of 1.5 kg/d more milk than did those fed rolled grain. Gross feed efficiency was not affected by grain processing or protein source, but diets with the animal-marine protein blend had 9% higher estimated net energy for lactation than did diets with soybean meal. The greater gains in body weight and increased digestibility of the diets with the animal-marine protein blend verify the higher energy concentration of those diets. Yield of milk protein was increased by flaked grain or the animal-marine protein blend, and flaked grain increased percentages of lactose and solids nonfat. Increasing the ratio of rumen-degradable starch to rumen-degradable protein increased milk protein content and yield linearly and increased contents of lactose and solids nonfat. A linear response of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and starch digestibilities was observed as the ratio of rumen-degradable starch to rumen-degradable protein increased. These data show improved performance of dairy cows fed a high rumen-undegradable protein source with diets high in rumen-degradable starch from steam-processed grains.
The enzymatic exchange of the acyl group of acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate with free fatty acids

Abstract Ehrlich ascites cell microsomes catalyze the exchange of the acyl group of acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate with free fatty acids. The reaction does not require ATP and CoA.
Time-series animation techniques for visualizing urban growth

Abstract Time-series animation is a visually intuitive way to display urban growth. Animations of landuse change for the Baltimore-Washington region were generated by showing a series of images one after the other in sequential order. Before creating an animation, various issues which will affect the appearance of the animation should be considered, including the number of original data frames to use, the optimal animation display speed, the number of intermediate frames to create between the known frames, and the output media on which the animations will be displayed. To create new frames between the known years of data, the change in each theme (i.e. urban development, water bodies, transportation routes) must be characterized and an algorithm developed to create the in-between frames. Example time-series animations were created using a temporal GIS database of the Baltimore-Washington area. Creating the animations involved generating raster images of the urban development, water bodies, and principal transportation routes; overlaying the raster images on a background image; and importing the frames to a movie file. Three-dimensional perspective animations were created by draping each image over digital elevation data prior to importing the frames to a movie file.
Democracy levels and the income–military expenditure relationship

I explore whether the level of democracy has an impact on the income sensitivity of military expenditures. Such an impact can exist if military support is a substitute for popular support in nondemocracies but not in democracies. For a panel of developing and less developed countries, I find that the sensitivity of military expenditures to income changes decreases with the level of democracy.
Evaluating Population Forecast Accuracy: A Regression Approach Using County Data

Many studies have evaluated the impact of differences in population size and growth rate on population forecast accuracy. Virtually all these studies have been based on aggregate data; that is, they focused on average errors for places with particular size or growth rate characteristics. In this study, we take a different approach by investigating forecast accuracy using regression models based on data for individual places. Using decennial census data from 1900 to 2000 for 2,482 counties in the US, we construct a large number of county population forecasts and calculate forecast errors for 10- and 20-year horizons. Then, we develop and evaluate several alternative functional forms of regression models relating population size and growth rate to forecast accuracy; investigate the impact of adding several other explanatory variables; and estimate the relative contributions of each variable to the discriminatory power of the models. Our results confirm several findings reported in previous studies but uncover several new findings as well. We believe regression models based on data for individual places provide powerful but under-utilized tools for investigating the determinants of population forecast accuracy.
Effect of caloric restriction on base-excision repair (BER) in the aging rat brain

Apyrimidinic/apurinic endonuclease (APE) is a key protein involved in the base-excision DNA repair (BER) pathway of oxidative DNA lesions. Using a novel oligonucleotide substrate, we demonstrate that APE activity in the frontal/parietal cortex (F/PCTX), cerebellum, brainstem, midbrain and hypothalamus declined with age in rats on an ad libitum (AL) diet. In contrast, APE activity for these brain regions was approximately 1.5-3 times higher in young, caloric restricted (CR) rats. Despite continuous CR treatment in all animals since six weeks of age, APE activity in the CR group started to decline by middle-age and continued into old age. However, CR maintained APE activity at a level that was significantly higher than that in AL rats across age and in the brain regions examined. Because Western analysis of APE, DNA polymerase beta and DNA ligase III levels in the F/PCTX of both CR and AL rats remained unchanged with age, this suggests that the increased APE activity in CR rats is the result of differential post-translational modification of APE.
The Structure and Function of Surfactant Protein-A

major phospholipid component, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Surfactant phospholipids assemble at the air-liquid interface into a tightly packed, noncompressible monomolecular membrane with a very low surface pres¬ sure.2 The three surfactant proteins that are unique to the lung and intimately associated with surfactant lipids are surfactant proteins A,4 B,57 and C8>9 (SP-A, SP-B, SP-C, respectively). As a group, the surfactant proteins function in the delivery of surfactant phospholipids to the monolayer, the spreading of phospholipids at the interface, and the structure of surfactant aggregates (for review see Weaver and Whitsett10). A more recently described polypeptide in the alveolar space, SP-D,11 has no clear role in the surface active functions of surfactant and is probably a host defense protein.12 The focus of this review is the most abundant protein component of surfactant, SP-A. To more fully appreciate the role of SP-A in surfactant function, it is useful to briefly review the life cycle of surfactant in the airspace. Surfactant components are synthesized by alveolar type II cells, packaged into intracellular organelles called lamellar bodies (LB), and secreted into the alveolar lining layer. The LB unfold to form the lattice-like array, tubular myelin (TM),13 that requires surfactant proteins A and B for formation and/or stabilization.14 SP-B and SP-C, and to a lesser extent SP-A, each contribute to the rapid delivery of DPPC from TM and other surfactant aggregates to the monomolecular phospholipid membrane at the alveolar air-liquid interface.6 The composition of the monolayer is refined with each respiratory7 cycle, squeezing some sur¬ factant components below the surface and enriching the film in DPPC. Vesicles of surfactant proteins and lipids in the subphase are internalized into type II cells and routed through the endocytic pathway to LB for resecretion.15 Metabolism of surfactant lipids and proteins by type II cells and macrophages constitutes the major routes of clearance,16 but the mechanisms involved and the role of surfactant proteins in the process are not fully understood.
The importance of 3,4-epoxy-1,2-butanediol and hydroxymethylvinyl ketone in 3-butene-1,2-diol associated mutagenicity

1,2:3,4-Diepoxybutane is hypothesized to be the main intermediate involved in mutagenicity following exposure to low levels of 1,3-butadiene (BD) in mice, while metabolites of 3-butene-1,2-diol (BD-diol) are thought to become involved in both rats and mice at higher exposures. BD-diol is biotransformed to hydroxymethylvinyl ketone (HMVK), a potentially mutagenic metabolite, and 3,4-epoxy-1,2-butanediol (EB-diol), a known mutagen. To determine the relative importance of HMVK and EB-diol in BD-diol associated mutagenesis, we have examined the dosimetry of a HMVK derived DNA adduct, as well as EB-diol derived DNA and hemoglobin adducts, in rodents exposed to BD-diol. We previously demonstrated similarities in the shapes of the dose-response curves for EB-diol derived DNA adducts, hemoglobin adducts, and Hprt mutant frequencies in BD-diol exposed rodents, indicating that EB-diol was involved in the mutagenic response associated with BD-diol exposure. To examine the role of HMVK in BD-diol mutagenicity, a method to quantify the alpha-regioisomer of HMVK derived 1,N(2)-propanodeoxyguanosine (alpha-HMVK-dGuo) was developed. The method involved enzymatic hydrolysis of DNA, HPLC purification, and adduct measurement by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry. Intra- and inter-experimental variabilities were determined to be 2.3-18.2 and 4.1%, respectively. The limit of detection was approximately 5 fmol of analyte standard injected onto the column or 5 fmol/200 microg DNA. The method was used to analyze liver DNA from control female F344 rats and female F344 rats exposed to 36 ppm BD-diol. In addition, liver samples from female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to 1000 ppm BD were analyzed. alpha-HMVK-dGuo was not detected in any of the samples analyzed. Several possible explanations exist for the negative results including the possibility that alpha-HMVK-dGuo may be a minor adduct or may be efficiently repaired. Alternatively, HMVK itself may be readily detoxified by glutathione (GSH) conjugation. While experiments must be conducted to understand the exact mechanism(s), these results, in addition to published EB-diol derived adduct dosimetry and existing HMVK derived mercapturic acid data, suggest that EB-diol is primarily responsible for BD-diol induced mutagenicity in rodents.
Tumor cells exhibit deregulation of the cell cycle histone gene promoter factor HiNF-D

Cell cycle-regulated gene expression is essential for normal cell growth and development and loss of stringent growth control is associated with the acquisition of the transformed phenotype. The selective synthesis of histone proteins during the S phase of the cell cycle is required to render cells competent for the ordered packaging of replicating DNA into chromatin. Regulation of H4 histone gene transcription requires the proliferation-specific promoter binding factor HiNF-D. In normal diploid cells, HiNF-D binding activity is regulated during the cell cycle; nuclear protein extracts prepared from normal cells in S phase contain distinct and measurable HiNF-D binding activity, while this activity is barely detectable in G1 phase cells. In contrast, in tumor-derived or transformed cell lines, HiNF-D binding activity is constitutively elevated throughout the cell cycle and declines only with the onset of differentiation. The change from cell cycle-mediated to constitutive interaction of HiNF-D with the promoter of a cell growth-controlled gene is consistent with, and may be functionally related to, the loss of stringent cell growth regulation associated with neoplastic transformation.
Permanent deformation analysis of hot-mix asphalt mixtures with simple performance tests and 2002 mechanistic-empirical pavement design software

A complex laboratory study in characterization of permanent deformation resistance of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures is presented. Six plant-produced HMA mixtures were selected for this study. The main objective was to characterize the permanent deformation characteristics of HMA mixtures based on four laboratory tests, namely, the dynamic modulus |E*|, flow number, frequency sweep at constant height (FSCH), and Hamburg-type loaded wheel-tracking tests. The secondary objective was to evaluate the sensitivity of the dynamic modulus |E*|-test results in pavement rutting performance prediction with the 2002 mechanistic-empirical (M-E) pavement design software. Test results indicate that the |E*|-test was sensitive to the nominal maximum aggregate size in an HMA mixture. Larger aggregates combined with aged materials tend to have high |E*|-values at high temperatures. However, both the |E*|- and FSCH tests could not correctly rank the permanent deformation characteristics for the six HMA mixtures considered i...
Non-local exchange correlation energy in quasi-two-dimensional electron layers

Abstract We introduce a simple, non-local approximation for the exchange-correlation energy of an inhomogeneous electron gas. This approximation is shown to be quantitatively accurate in several important limiting cases. The method is used to calculate the non-local exchange-correlation energy for density distributions representing quasi-two-dimensional electron layers. These energies are compared to the widely used three-dimensional local-density approximation and suggest that the latter approximation may contain errors on the order of 10–30% for layer profiles typical of real systems.
Solid-phase crystallization kinetics and grain structure during thermal annealing of a-Si:H grown by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Solid-phase crystallization kinetics are examined during thermal annealing of as-deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films deposited by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The influence of deposition temperature of HWCVD material on crystallization is also considered. Real-time observation of the crystallization process using in situ transmission electron microscope heating allowed tracking of the crystalline volume fraction and grain number density by image-processing methods. Beyond an initial incubation period, roughly constant grain nucleation rate and growth velocity are observed. Extrapolation from early stages of crystallization allows estimation of the final average grain sizes. PECVD material shows a much lower nucleation rate than does HWCVD material under the same annealing conditions, whereas the grain growth velocities are comparable, leading to dramatically larger grain sizes in PECVD material. X-ray diffraction line widths from PECVD material are broader compared to HWCVD material. The diffraction line broadening is primarily determined by intragranular defect structure, rather than grain size. Low-temperature preannealing reduced the final XRD line widths of HWCVD material, indicating an influence on defect structure or density. Lattice contraction during crystallization of HWCVD material is observed to be independent of the initial hydrogen content.
Expression of aromatase cytochrome P450 in rat H540 leydig tumor cells

The rat H540 Leydig cell tumor has been shown to express cholesterol side-chain cleavage and 17α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450s, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-delta 4 isomerase, and steroid 5α-reductase, making it a useful model in which to study steroidogenesis. In the current studies, we report that cultured H540 cells express high levels of aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom), which converts androgens to estrogens. Levels of aromatase activity varied from 9.4 to 51.7 pmol/h/mg protein and inhibition of 5α-reductase with finasteride did not significantly effect aromatase measurements, indicating that 5α-reductase is not competing for the substrate used in the aromatase assays. Aromatase activity was decreased 95% by preincubating the cells with 4-hydroxyandrostenedione, an aromatase inhibitor. Characterization of the aromatase mRNA expressed in the H540 cell line demonstrates that, like R2C cells and rat ovarian tissue, three distinct P450arom mRNA species are detected by Northern analysis, and that these transcripts are derived from the same site of transcription initiation. Despite these similarities, the regulation of aromatase activity by 8-bromo-cAMP in H540 cells differs from both R2C cells and rat ovarian tissue. As the H540 and R2C cell lines appear to have distinct origins, H540 is the second rat Leydig tumor cell line characterized that constitutively expresses high levels of aromatase.
Pointer analysis for structured parallel programs

This paper presents a novel interprocedural, flow-sensitive, and context-sensitive pointer analysis algorithm for multithreaded programs that may concurrently update shared pointers. The algorithm is designed to handle programs with structured parallel constructs, including fork-join constructs, parallel loops, and conditionally spawned threads. For each pointer and each program point, the algorithm computes a conservative approximation of the memory locations to which that pointer may point. The algorithm correctly handles a wide range of programming language constructs, including recursive functions, recursively generated parallelism, function pointers, structures, arrays, nested structures and arrays, pointer arithmetic, casts between different pointer types, heap and stack allocated memory, shared global variables, and thread-private global variables. We have implemented the algorithm in the SUIF compiler system and used the implementation to analyze a set of multithreaded programs written in the Cilk programming language. Our experimental results show that the analysis has good precision and converges quickly for our set of Cilk programs.
Influence of Plant Spacing and Nitrogen Fertilization in Maize on Dalbulus maidis (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), Vector of Corn Stunt

The incidence of the corn stunt pathogen transmitted to maize by the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (Delong and Wolcott), was reduced in high-density plantings of maize ( Zea mays mays L.) in Nicaragua. Density was manipulated by modifying the distance between rows or between plants within a row. Although leafhopper populations were not strongly influenced by planting density in this study, the planting arrangement significantly affected leafhopper abundance. At equivalent planting densities, leafhoppers were more abundant in treatments with reduced between-row spacing. This difference was not reflected in the incidence of corn stunt, which tended to be lower in treatments with reduced row spacing. This result can be explained by the effects of planting arrangement on leafhopper movement. In contrast to a previous study, nitrogen fertilization affected maize growth early in the season, but did not significantly influence vector abundance or disease incidence.
Properties of compositional volume grating formation with photoinitiated cationic-ring-opening polymerization

We investigated compositional volume grating formation in the Polaroid medium that utilizes the cationic-ring-opening photoinitiated polymerization process, and compared our conclusions with the current physical model describing polymer holographic recording. We identified the effects of diffusion and polymerization during illumination, as well as significant postexposure grating development. Holographic recording in this medium allows for final strong gratings with high recording sensitivity (S approximately 2 cm/mJ), that were not limited at the higher recording intensities (I less than or equal to 250 mW/cm2) corresponding to photon (exposure) limited recording. The results of the present analysis allow for more comprehensive physical description of grating formation in the photoinitiated CROP process, and evaluation of the polymer recording process in a nonvolatile holographic storage system.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Caseloads, Performance, and Street-Level Bureaucracy

It is well known that staff in public agencies have substantial discretion in carrying out their tasks. And it is widely claimed that heavy caseload pressure exacerbates such discretion. This study tests models of discretionary behavior induced by heavy caseloads in public agencies. It finds strong support for the argument that, facing both high short- term and long-term case volume, staff will segment caseloads by using readily identifiable "cues" to select cases for predominant attention, consistent with dominant staff values. This segmentation, or tracking, is found in turn systematically to distort allocation of outcomes, because of correlations between cues and characteristics of clients. The analysis is based on both intra- and inter-agency variation in caseload pressure, using quantitative data derived from the study of consumer protection and white collar crime prosecution bureaus in local prosecutors' offices nationwide.
A Novel Modeling Method for Both Steady-State and Transient Analyses of Serial Bernoulli Production Systems

Conventionally, production system modeling (PSM) has been conducted for the purpose of steady-state analysis, which only facilitates characterizing the long-term performance of production systems. More recently, there has been a rising concern regarding analyzing production system transients, which depict the system behavior before reaching the steady state. Transients are generally undesirable because the performance measures can be quite different from those of the steady state, and such differences will cause substantial production loss. Compared to the rich knowledge on steady-state analysis of production systems, PSM for transient performance analysis is much less studied. In this paper, a novel analytical method has been established to model the production system for both steady-state and transient analyses. This research has overcome the restrictions of existing methods on the number of machines and the capacity of buffers. That is, it has greatly advanced PSM for both steady-state and transient analyses by directly dealing with general serial production systems with multiple unreliable Bernoulli machines and finite buffer capacities. The proposed PSM is a method derived based on probability theory and fixed-point theory. The solvability of the method is proved theoretically. The transient performance metrics, such as second largest eigenvalue modulus, duration of the transients ( ${t} {}_{ITER}$ ), settling time of work-in-process ( ${t} {}_{WIP}$ ) and production rate ( ${t} {}_{PR}$ ), and percent loss of production ( ${L} {}_{PR}$ ) have been investigated numerically based on the proposed PSM method. This research can serve as an atomic model for more complex optimization problems in production system design and operation.
Elastic stress analysis of constrained cylinders by a special finite element method

Abstract A method is given for computing the strength and intensity of stress singularities in cylindrical configurations. The method uses special finite elements that are formulated with a variable singularity strain matrix, in conjunction with a simple minimum potential energy technique. Four distinct combinations of geometry and loading are treated. Results are shown to have high resolution and are in good agreement with available theory.
Born-Oppenheimer molecular-dynamics simulations of finite systems: Structure and dynamics of (H2O)2.

A method for calculations of the ground-state energy and structure of finite systems and for molecular-dynamics simulations of the evolution of the nuclei on the Born-Oppenheimer ground-state electronic potential-energy surface is described. The method is based on local-spin-density functional theory, using nonlocal pseudopotentials and a plane-wave basis set. Evaluations of Hamiltonian matrix elements and the operations on the wave functions are performed using a dual-space representation. The method, which does not involve a supercell, affords accurate efficient simulations of neutral or charged finite systems which possess, or may develop, multipole moments. Since the ground-state electronic energy and the forces on the ions are calculated for each nuclear configuration during a dynammical simulation, a relatively large time step can be used to integrate the classical equations of motion of the nuclei (1--10 fs, depending on the characteristic frequencies of the ionic degrees of freedom). The method is demonstrated via a study of the energetics, structure, and dynamics of the water dimer, (${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O${)}_{2}$, yielding results in agreement with experimental data and other theoretical calculations. In addition to the properties of the ground state of the dimer, higher-energy transition structures involved in transformations between equivalent structures of the (${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O${)}_{2}$ molecule, were studied, and finite temperature simulations of the dynamics of such transformations are presented.
Nodal Signaling: CrypticLefty Mechanism of Antagonism Decoded

The secreted TGFbeta factor Lefty antagonizes Nodal signaling during vertebrate embryogenesis, but how it does so has been a mystery. Recent analyses have elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying this function of Lefty.
The Limits of Terrorism: A Network Perspective

Capturing the spirit of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Robert Gilpin (1981) explained how the diffusion of technology and other capabilities was leading to the decline of US hegemony relative to rising challengers. After a brief hiatus during the halcyon decade of the 1990s that followed the end of the Cold War, the hegemon is once again under siege. This time, however, networks of discontented individuals and groups have joined the ranks of states in exploiting the diffusion of modern transportation, communication, and technology to challenge the dominant state(s) in the system (Deutsch 1966; Rosenau 1990; Rosenau and Czempiel 1992; Risse-Kappen 1995; Zacher and Sutton 1996; Slaughter 2004). Enabled or amplified by the technological innovations and diffusions that have characterized the last several decades, networkbased threats include identity theft, drug trafficking, infectious disease, and terrorism (Matthew and Shambaugh 1998; Lilley 2003; Sageman 2004; Friedman 2005).We agree with arguments that contend that network-based threats are difficult to defeat and pose a long-term challenge to security, especially at the individual level. But the resilience of networks is not limited to terrorists and criminals; it is a prominent feature of contemporary states and gives them considerable protection as well. Moreover, most networks face significant collective action problems that limit what they can achieve. These characteristics make it extraordinarily unlikely that terrorists or other such actors will be able to undermine the national or homeland security of countries or, indeed, achieve any long-term strategic goals (Matthew and Shambaugh 2005). Consequently, even though terrorism poses a grave and persistent threat to personal security and a wide range of devastating attacks are possible, we argue that its threat to national security is at times poorly characterized and, hence, misrepresented. The West is never likely to win a global war against terrorism or other network-based threats, but, like terrorists, nation-states can impose large costs on individuals or groups within the network. Their organizational structures enable them to do so with a greater efficiency and a greater degree of coordination over a longer period of time than their networkbased adversaries. If diffuse terrorist groups succeed in overcoming the collective action problems of networks, their institutionalization will generate new preferences and vulnerabilities that may make them easier to control.
Rebuilding Australia's Linguistic Profile: Recent Developments in Research on Australian Aboriginal Languages

The more than 250 languages spoken in Australia prior to the nineteenth century exhibit both striking similarities to one another and remarkable variation. The exponential increase in what linguists have learned about these languages since the 1960s has been sadly in inverse proportion to the number of people learning them as a mother tongue. This article will review some of the most exciting recent developments in Australianist linguistic research, while also acknowledging the context of language loss and disenfranchisement within which they are situated. The message it offers is ultimately optimistic, however. For the languages still spoken regularly, research into the previously neglected components of the multimodal communicative system that is language in use is adding new depth to the existing documentation. For the majority of Australia’s indigenous languages – where economic, social and political pressures have taken their toll – a different set of concerns has emerged. Linguists are now grappling with a range of theoretical and empirical questions regarding the mechanisms of language contact and attrition, even as they continue to contribute new insights into the traditional ‘core’ fields of phonetics and phonology, morphosyntax, semantics and historical linguistics. Moreover, an increasing consciousness of the respective roles of outsider researcher and speech community is changing not only the methodologies of linguists ‘in the field’, but also the research itself. All of these factors will shape the directions of future Australianist linguistic research, as well as the number and nature of languages that remain to be studied.
Id family of helix-loop-helix proteins in cancer

Over the past few decades, biologists have identified key molecular signatures associated with a wide range of human cancers. Recently, animal models have been particularly useful in establishing whether such signatures have functional relevance; the overexpression of pro-oncogenic or loss of anti-oncogenic factors have been evaluated for their effects on various tumour models. The aim of this review is to analyze the potential role of the inhibitor of DNA binding (Id) proteins in cancer and examine whether deregulated Id activity is tumorigenic and contributes to hallmarks of malignancy, such as loss of differentiation (anaplasia), unrestricted proliferation and neoangiogenesis.
Aggregation indices and sample size curves for binomial sampling of flower-inhabiting Frankliniella species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on tomato

Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), females inhabit tomato flowers and insert eggs into developing fruit, causing cosmetic damage. The species is a vector for tomato spotted wilt virus. Only larval thrips acquire the disease, and larvae developing to adult on infected plants can disperse and infect additional plants in a field. Tobacco thrips, F. fusca (Hinds), another vector species, and flower thrips, F. tritici (Fitch), a nonvector species, also inhabit tomato flowers but apparently do not reproduce in the flowers. Our objectives were to determine dispersion characteristics of these thrips in tomato flowers and to determine relationships between density and incidence for developing a presence/absence sampling program. Taylor’s power law indices indicated that populations of F. occidentalis and F. tritici were aggregated. Larvae of F. occidentalis were more aggregated than adults. Populations of F. fusca were aggregated in 1988, but randomly dispersed in 1989. Aggregation indices were used to determine relationships between incidence and density and to develop sample size curves for use in a binomial sampling program. Adults of F. occidentalis and F. tritici were estimated using presence/absence sampling at densities <1.4 per flower; binomial sampling was reliable for F. fusca at densities <2.0 per flower. Sixteen to 18 flower samples were needed to estimate thrips densities at the 25% precision level.
Coherent state approach to quantum clocks

The {open_quotes}problem of time{close_quotes} has been a pressing issue in quantum gravity for some time. To help understand this problem, Rovelli proposed a model of a two harmonic oscillator system where one of the oscillators can be thought of as a {open_quotes}clock{close_quotes} for the other oscillator, thus giving a natural time reference frame for the system. Recently, the author has constructed an explicit form for coherent states on the reduced phase space of this system in terms of Klauder{close_quote}s projection operator approach. In this paper, I will discuss the features of this model, and then by using coherent state representations and other tools from coherent state quantization, I investigate the construction of gauge-invariant operators on this reduced phase space and the ability to use a quantum oscillator as a {open_quotes}clock.{close_quotes} {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Guest Editorial Computing in Emerging Technologies (Second Issue)

The articles in this special issue focus on circuit, architecture, and system aspects of computing in beyond-CMOS electronics.
Pathways of Portability: Islamic and Christian Interchange from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century

This paper will focus on the role of the portable arts in cross-cultural interchange between Islamic and Christian realms from the tenth to the twelfth century. I will argue here for an expansion of the study of portable arts beyond the traditional focus on sites of production to the consideration of the arenas in which works were circulated and viewed. Instead of asking where objects came from, the question will be how objects were used and perceived interculturally? What were the implications of portability? Portability allowed objects to extend beyond themselves, as mediators for and as sites of interchange. I will explore how identities and the meanings of these objects – the way they were defined and redefined – were tied to and shaped by their portability.
Regulation of the phase and period of circadian rhythms restored by suprachiasmatic transplants

The influence of exogenous signals on circadian rhythms restored by transplants of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus has received little study. The authors tested the responsiveness of hamsters bearing SCN transplants to photic and pharmacological treatments. Light intensities as high as 6,500 lux were insufficient to produce entrainment, although masking was observed frequently. Triazolam failed to produce statistically significant phase shifts when administered during the subjective day, but 2 animals bearing functional SCN grafts responded to this benzodiazapine during the subjective night. The authors next tested the hypothesis that the host can retain circadian aftereffects that influence the period of the circadian system reconstituted by the graft. Intact hamsters were entrained to light:dark cycles of short (23.25-h) and long (25-h) period (T) for at least 3 months. Control hamsters released into constant darkness exhibited profound and long-lasting aftereffects of entrainment to T cycles. Hamsters that received SCN lesions after exposure to these T cycles and SCN grafts 3 weeks later exhibited marginal but statistically significant aftereffects that disappeared within 3 months. On subsequent transfer to constant light, tau lengthened by 0.25 +/- 0.6 h in hamsters with intact SCN (p < .05). Animals bearing SCN grafts continued to free run in constant light but differed from intact animals in that circadian period did not lengthen. Functional SCN grafts contained vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neurophysin (NP), and cholecystokinin (CCK) immunoreactive (ir) cells. Inputs of neuropeptide Y-and serotonin-ir fibers from the host brain to grafted SCN peptide cell clusters were variable. Limited observations using retrograde and anterograde tracers do not support the existence of extensive input to the graft. Retinal input overlapped only rarely with clusters of VIP-ir, CCK-ir, or NP-ir cells. The authors conclude that the circadian system reinstated by SCN transplants is relatively impervious to photic influences that exert parametric and nonparametric influences in intact hamsters. The transient expression of aftereffects induced in the host before transplantation indicates that extra-SCN systems of the host can influence the period of the reconstituted circadian system to at least a limited degree.
The chemical absorption hygrometer as a meteorological instrument

In the Monthly Weather Review for January 1939 the author in collaboration with Benjamin Holzman [see 5 of “References” at end of paper] reported on a new method for measuring evaporation from land- and water-surfaces. The method involves recent developments in aerodynamics and employs the general equation Figure 1. in which A is the intensity of turbulent mixing or the Austausch-coefficient and (dq/dz) is the rate of change of concentration of atmospheric moisture with respect to height.
Prediction of Exfoliation and Stress Corrosion Performance of 7178-T76 and 7075-T76 Aluminum Alloy Sheet and Plate

Abstract In solutions of methyl alcohol and carbon tetrachloride, an abrupt change of several hundred millivolts occurs in the solution potential of 2000 series and copper-bearing 7000 series alumi...
Quantitative distribution of muscarinic receptors and choline acetyltransferase in rat medulla: examination of transmitter-receptor mismatch

Abstract Recent reports have identified discrepancies between the anatomical distribution of transmitters and their receptors, a phenomenon known as transmitter-receptor mismatch. However, quantitative determinations of transmitter activity and receptor density in individual brain regions have not been conducted in parallel. We therefore sought to determine quantitatively the relationship between muscarinic acetylcholine receptor density and the density of cholinergic innervation as reflected by activity of the biosynthetic enzyme for acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). To assure sampling of equivalent regions using the two methods, an ‘electronic micropunch’ technique was developed to allow measurement of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) binding within the corresponding cylinders of tissue obtained by the micropunch cannula. Nineteen regions of the rat medulla (1 mm diameter, 1 mm height) were studied. The micropunch region containing the gracile nucleus, the area postrema and the choroid plexus of the fourth ventricle contained the highest ChAT activity, but exhibited little [3H]QNB binding to muscarinic receptors. However, among the remaining 18 regions a strong correlation was obtained between uncorrected muscarinic receptor density and ChAT activity within each micropunched region (r = 0.89, n = 18). Correction for autoradiographic efficiency weakened the overall relationship between receptor density and ChAT activity (r = 0.58, n = 18). This was due to a relatively high density of receptors associated with fiber tract regions containing low ChAT activity. The presence of receptors within white matter is ordinarily obscured by high tritium quenching. This is consistent with the hypothesis that a portion of muscarinic receptors are located extrasynaptically and may be present within axons. When the 4 areas with the highest white matter content, as indicated by low autoradiographic efficiency, were considered separately, corrected muscarinic receptor density and ChAT activity were highly correlated in this group (r = 0.86, n = 4) and in the remaining regions (r = 0.70, n = 14). Thus, cholinergic innervation is a major determinant of muscarinic receptor density in both white matter and grey matter regions. We conclude that muscarinic receptor density is correlated with the extent of cholinergic innervation as indicated by ChAT activity. The transmitter-receptor mismatch which did occur could be accounted for by the existence of receptors undergoing axonal transport. These findings do not support the hypothesis that acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters diffuse across large distances to act on non-innervated receptors.
Response of brown-headed cowbirds to simulated conspecific intruders

Abstract The response of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) to simulated intruders was examined using playbacks of cowbird vocalizations in conjunction with a model of a male or female cowbird. Females reacted aggressively to female vocalizations but not to male vocalizations. Solitary males approached and often courted the female model but did not approach the male model. Males accompanying females showed little reaction to either model, although some evidence suggests that proximity to the male model may influence their response. These data support the hypothesis that female cowbirds are territorial and that males guard females from the solications of other males. The ecological pressures which may have influenced the development of this social system are discussed.
Freedom and responsibility in genetic testing.

Public statements by various international groups emphasize that decisions to undergo genetic screening, either for disease-carrier status or for predisposition-to-disease status, and decisions about the use of the resulting information should be made voluntarily by the party to be screened. For example, the World Medical Association, in its Declaration on the Human Genome Project, says, “One should respect the will of persons screened and their right to decide about participation and about the use of the information obtained.” Giving this principle a name, “voluntarism,” the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, in its Declaration of Inuyama (the host city for the conference), announced that “voluntarism should be the guiding principle in the provision of genetic services.
Organizational Culture and Marketing: Defining the Research Agenda:

Contemporary work on marketing management is grounded implicitly in a structural functionalist or contingency perspective of organizational functioning. However, the field of organizational behavio...
NEUROINFLAMMATION IN THE NORMAL AGING HIPPOCAMPUS

A consequence of normal aging is a greater susceptibility to memory impairments following an immune challenge such as infection, surgery, or traumatic brain injury. The neuroinflammatory response, produced by these challenges results in increased and prolonged production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the otherwise healthy aged brain. Here we discuss the mechanisms by which long-lasting elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus produce memory impairments. Sensitized microglia are a primary source of this exaggerated neuroinflammatory response and appear to be a hallmark of the normal aging brain. We review the current understanding of the causes and effects of normal aging-induced microglial sensitization, including dysregulations of the neuroendocrine system, potentiation of neuroinflammatory responses following an immune challenge, and the impairment of memories. We end with a discussion of therapeutic approaches to prevent these deleterious effects.
Influence of a strong radar reflector in the scene on the image formed by synthetic aperture radar using backprojection algorithm

When a synthetic aperture radar, employing an ultra-wideband impulse waveform, forms an image of an area on the ground by using a backprojection algorithm, artifacts occur due to any strong reflectors in the scene. These artifacts can obscure or influence the image of the area containing low-level reflectors that may be of interest. Herein, we examine the factors of the imaging geometry that leads to these artifacts or influences and propose a procedure for reducing them. We demonstrate the artifacts and the procedure to reduce them with the data collected by the ultra wideband radar of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
An analytical method for predicting damage zone in orthogonal machining of unidirectional composites

The objective of this research was to study chip formation mechanisms in order to predict damage in the orthogonal machining of unidirectional polymer–matrix composites by experimentation and analysis. This study presents a new analytical formula, which is able to successfully predict the fiber orientations at which depth of machining damage is higher based on different cutting parameters and can be used to minimize machining damage by selecting proper fiber and matrix materials. Orthogonal cuttings were conducted by experiments and then compared to the developed theory. The variables that were presented for this research were tool geometry and fiber orientation.
Paleomagnetism of the Zambales ophiolite, Luzon, northern Philippines

Abstract Paleomagnetic results are reported from 52 sites in the Zambales ophiolite. The sites provide vertical sampling from the overlying sediments, in the north and south, to layered gabbros and dunites in the Acoje and Coto mines, in the west. They extend over an area of approximately 100 by 50 km. A Late Miocene-Pliocene intrusion in the Tarlac region gives a direction marginally distinguishable from the present field indicating a small clockwise rotation. This is consistent with other indications of clockwise rotation since Late Miocene in Luzon. Early and Mid-Miocene sediments from Barlo in the north and Tarlac in the south indicate a period of rapid counterclockwise rotation during the Miocene, again consistent with other results from Luzon. Eocene-Oligocene sediments overlying the ophiolite in the north and south indicate further counterclockwise rotation with northerly translation. The interpretation of the directions in the ophiolite itself is more problematical. Directions similar to those in the Eocene-Oligocene and in Mid-Miocene sediments probably reflect secondary magnetizations and magnetization associated with the unroofing of the ophiolite. We interpret the most strongly counterclockwise rotated magnetizations represented by a 44 Ma sill in the Barlo area and of the 46 Ma dykes at Coto as the primary direction of the ophiolite. The counterclockwise rotation and northward translation interpreted from our results is consistent with the Holloway model of the origin of the Philippines. However, this model neglects the role of the Philippine Sea Plate in the tectonic history of the Philippines. The counterclockwise rotation is also consistent with rotation of Luzon in the left-lateral shear between the Philippine Sea Plate and Asia, as suggested by Sarewitz and Karig. Our data do not distinguish between counterclockwise rotation of a single block, or of a number of smaller blocks. The data suggest post-Late Miocene clockwise rotation for Luzon, when it was coupled to the Philippine Sea Plate. Our data are not consistent with a Philippine Sea Plate origin for Zambales.
Los homenajes de Ramón Gaya

Ramon Gaya’s “homages” constitute an example of an artist’s criticism by another, from the point of view of preference and admiration. In his “homages” R. Gaya quotes others’ works (he modifies them) in order to emphasize in them his own artistic ideal: fluidity and open-endedness. On the other hand, by creating an atmosphere together with its objects, he conjures up their authors’world.
Potassium-induced endothelium-dependent rhythmic activity in the canine basilar artery.

SummaryRings of canine basilar arteries with and without endothelium were suspended for isometric tension recording in modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate so-lution. Increased extracellular concentrations of potassium (3–20 mM) caused rhythmic activity in rings with endothelium. This activity was redu