cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of insulin treated and non-insulin-treated diabetes compared to patients without diabetes on 1-year outcomes following contemporary PCI.

Objective We compared 1-year outcomes in insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) and non-ITDM patients compared to nondiabetic (DM) patients following contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background ITDM is associated with extensive atherosclerotic disease and worse cardiovascular prognosis compared to non-ITDM patients. Methods We evaluated PCI patients at a large tertiary center from 2010 to 2016, grouped according to diabetes and treatment status at baseline. One-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or target vessel revascularization. Outcomes were adjusted using multivariable Cox regression methods. Results During the study period, 16,889 patients underwent PCI including 13.7% ITDM, 34.0% non-ITDM, and 52.3% non-DM patients. Patients with DM were younger, including more females and non-white patients, with higher body mass index and greater prevalence of prior revascularization and chronic kidney disease. Compared to others, ITDM patients more often presented with acute coronary syndrome, in-stent restenosis, or severe lesion calcification. There were no differences in discharge rates of dual antiplatelet therapy and statins, whereas beta-blockers were more commonly prescribed in DM patients. At 1-year, both ITDM and non-ITDM patients had greater risk of MACE compared with non-DM patients, and ITDM conferred greater adjusted risk than non-ITDM (ITDM = HR: 2.11, 95% CI [1.79,2.50]; non-ITDM = HR: 1.27, 95%CI [1.09,1.47]). Conclusions The negative prognostic effect of DM following contemporary PCI is heightened in the presence of insulin treatment, compared to non-DM patients. Focus on secondary prevention, prescription of and adherence to optimal medical therapy is necessary for post-PCI risk reduction.
Subglottic Stenosis: Development of a Clinically Relevant Endoscopic Animal Model:

ObjectiveDevelop a clinically relevant and reproducible endoscopic animal model for subglottic stenosis amenable to testing of minimally invasive therapeutic modalities.Study DesignCohort study.Set...
Measurement of rate constants for ion-ion reactions – O+ and N+ with the atomic halide anions Cl−, Br−, and I− at thermal energies

Abstract We present 300 K rate constants for the ion-ion reactions of O + a n d N + with the atomic halide anions: C l - , B r - , a n d I - measured using a flowing afterglow – Langmuir probe apparatus. All six rate constants were > 1 × 10 - 8 c m 3 s - 1 , larger than those typical for atomic ion – atomic ion reactions, approaching the rate constants of more complex ion-ion systems. Evaluation of literature atomic ion – atomic ion rate constants shows variation over orders of magnitude, but limited to below the expected value for a polyatomic ion-ion reaction of the same reduced mass, fitting into an expected physical picture. Unlike for polyatomic systems, estimation of rate constant for atomic ion – atomic ion reaction rates by simple means does not seem effective.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Equine and Viral Genes in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Horses during Equine Herpesvirus 1 Infection

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) affects horses worldwide and causes respiratory disease, abortions, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Following infection, a cell-associated viremia is established in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This viremia is essential for transport of EHV-1 to secondary infection sites where subsequent immunopathology results in diseases such as abortion or EHM. Because of the central role of PBMCs in EHV-1 pathogenesis, our goal was to establish a gene expression analysis of host and equine herpesvirus genes during EHV-1 viremia using RNA sequencing. When comparing transcriptomes of PBMCs during peak viremia to those prior to EHV-1 infection, we found 51 differentially expressed equine genes (48 upregulated and 3 downregulated). After gene ontology analysis, processes such as the interferon defense response, response to chemokines, the complement protein activation cascade, cell adhesion, and coagulation were overrepresented during viremia. Additionally, transcripts for EHV-1, EHV-2, and EHV-5 were identified in pre- and post-EHV-1-infection samples. Looking at micro RNAs (miRNAs), 278 known equine miRNAs and 855 potentially novel equine miRNAs were identified in addition to 57 and 41 potentially novel miRNAs that mapped to the EHV-2 and EHV-5 genomes, respectively. Of those, 1 EHV-5 and 4 equine miRNAs were differentially expressed in PBMCs during viremia. In conclusion, this work expands our current knowledge about the role of PBMCs during EHV-1 viremia and will inform the focus on future experiments to identify host and viral factors that contribute to clinical EHM.
SIGNALING PATHWAYS OF CONIDIAL GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA: HOST DETECTION, PATHOGENESIS ON VITIS VINIFERA AND PREFERENCE FOR WINE GRAPES

Botrytis cinerea is a phytopathogenic filamentous fungus that infects and causes severe damages to numerous crops. However, the European grapevine ( Vitis vinifera ) remains the major host for the pathogen. Botrytis infects mainly ripe grapes (usually over 10 degrees Baume) unless primary infections by other fungi, or infestations by viticultural insect pests, or mechanical damages have occurred. The disease is commonly known in viticulture as “Botrytis bunch rot” or “grey mold” and can spread rapidly causing devastating losses on the field and post-harvest. Regardless of its generalist action, B. cinerea must develop strategies to recognise and invade its host. The fungus responds to physical and chemical stimuli, emanated from the environment to activate spore germination and growth. Once a signal from the external environment meets a target molecule of the cell, the signaling process begins. The target molecule is a protein that acts as a receptor. The physical and chemical signals that stimulate conidial germination depend on factors such as surface hardness, surface hydrophobicity, carbon sources and nutrient-rich substrates. Among sugars, fructose is the best growth inducer of B. cinerea. Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins) are involved in the regulation of a range of functions including germination, growth and host detection. G-proteins consist of three subunits, α, β and γ. Two of these subunits attach to the cell membrane with small lipid tails. At rest, unit α is bound to Guanosine Diphosphate (GDP) and the G-protein is inactive. When an extracellular ligand binds to the receptor, the latter interacts with the G-protein and activates it, forcing the α subunit to excrete the bound GDP and replace it with Guanosine Triphosphate (GTP). In addition to signals that trigger spore germination, pathogenesis is also influenced by several biotic and abiotic factors. In general terms, interactions between pathogen, its potential host and the environment affect level, speed and nature of the infection and must be substantially considered in integrated control strategies.
Towards continuous deoxygenation of acetic acid catalyzed by recyclable mono/bi/trimetallic zeolite catalysts

Abstract A series of mono (Ni, Cu, Co), bi (NiCu, NiCo, CuCo), and trimetallic (NiCuCo) mordenite supported catalysts were characterized and evaluated for the continuous, near-atmospheric pressure, thermal deoxygenation of acetic acid. Acetic acid was selected as a model reactant due to its abundance in both biomass pyrolysis upgrading streams and its analogous structure to carboxylic acids found in vegetable oil upgrading streams. Surface area and metal loading were nearly constant for all studied catalysts, allowing an in-depth direct comparison of the metallic activity for reaction pathways including gasification, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, hydrodeoxygenation, and ketonization. In the absence of Ni or in the absence of H 2, the observed catalytic activity was low. Results from the bimetallic samples at 400 °C highlighted the importance of Ni for H2 activation and Co for the simultaneous promotion of hydrodeoxygenation and gasification. A nearly linear correlation between the Ni content and the conversion of acetic acid was observed at 400 °C. Cryogenic argon isotherms revealed the location of metal sites within the mordenite pore, further emphasizing the impact of confining environments on the deoxygenation of bio-derived compounds. TGA, TPR, and TPD studies provided information on catalyst stability, reducibility, and acidity, respectively. HRTEM indicated that agglomerates formed under the studied reaction conditions. The fresh Ni/MOR catalyst, under differential conversion conditions, was stable for ~ 24 h at 460 °C, for an additional ~ 20 h upon regeneration at 460 °C, and for an additional 30 h upon regeneration at 500 °C. Long-exposure activity was observed in the Ni/MOR catalyst, favoring hydrodeoxygenation and decarbonylation for at least 70 h under integral conversion conditions. In the bimetallic NiCo/MOR catalyst, Co stabilized Ni active sites in a co-located configuration which promoted hydrodeoxygenation, but also promoted gasification, and eventually lead to coking/lower conversion.
The composition of human vaginal microbiota transferred at birth affects offspring health in a mouse model.

Newborns are colonized by maternal microbiota that is essential for offspring health and development. The composition of these pioneer communities exhibits individual differences, but the importance of this early-life heterogeneity to health outcomes is not understood. Here we validate a human microbiota-associated model in which fetal mice are cesarean delivered and gavaged with defined human vaginal microbial communities. This model replicates the inoculation that occurs during vaginal birth and reveals lasting effects on offspring metabolism, immunity, and the brain in a community-specific manner. This microbial effect is amplified by prior gestation in a maternal obesogenic or vaginal dysbiotic environment where placental and fetal ileum development are altered, and an augmented immune response increases rates of offspring mortality. Collectively, we describe a translationally relevant model to examine the defined role of specific human microbial communities on offspring health outcomes, and demonstrate that the prenatal environment dramatically shapes the postnatal response to inoculation. Exposure at birth to maternal microbiota has significant effects on offspring health and development. Here, the authors validate a model where inoculation of mice at birth with human vaginal microbiota produces significant effects on offspring health that are further amplified by an unhealthy prenatal environment.
Effect Sizes for Research: Univariate and Multivariate Applications

1. Introduction 2. Confidence Intervals for Comparing the Averages of Two Groups 3. The Standardized Difference Between Means 4. Correlational Effect Sizes and Related Topics 5. Parametric and Nonparametric Effect Size Measures that Go Beyond Comparing Two Averages 6. Effect Sizes for One-Way ANOVA and Nonparametric Approaches 7. Effect Sizes for Factorial Designs 8. Effect Sizes for Categorical Variables 9. Effect Sizes for Ordinal Categorical Dependent Variables (Rating Scales) 10. Effect Sizes for Multiple Regression/Correlation 11. Effect Sizes for Analysis of Covariance 12. Effect Sizes for Multivariate Analysis of Variance
Subvalvular apparatus and adverse outcome of balloon valvotomy in rheumatic mitral stenosis

Abstract Background Balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) is a well-established therapeutic modality for rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS). However, there are chances of procedural failure and the more ominous post-procedural severe mitral regurgitation. There are only a few prospective studies, which have evaluated the pathogenic mechanisms for these major complications of BMV, especially in relation to the subvalvular apparatus (SVA) pathology. Methods All symptomatic patients of RMS suitable for BMV by echocardiographic criteria in a span of 1 year were selected. In addition to the standard echocardiographic assessment of RMS (Wilkins score and score by Padial et al.), a separate grading and scoring system was assigned to evaluate the severity of the SVA pathology. The SVA score was ‘I’, when none of the two SVAs had severe disease, ‘II’ when one of the two SVAs has severe disease, and ‘III’ when both SVAs had severe disease. With these scoring systems, the outcomes of BMV (successful procedure, failure, and post-procedural mitral regurgitation) were analyzed. Emergency valve replacement was performed depending on clinical situation, and in cases of replacement, the pathology of the excised mitral valves were compared with echocardiographic findings. Results Of the 356 BMVs performed in a year, 43 patients had adverse outcomes in the form of failed procedure (14 patients) and mitral regurgitation (29 patients). Forty-one among these had a SVA score of III. The sensitivity and specificity of the MR score was lesser than the SVA score (sensitivity 0.34 vs. 1.00, specificity 0.92 vs. 0.99, respectively). The mitral valvular morphology in 39 patients who underwent post-procedural valve replacements correlated well with echocardiography findings. Conclusion It is important to assess the degree of SVA pathology in the conventional echocardiographic assessment for RMS, as BMV would have adverse events when both SVAs were severely diseased.
E-Commerce Law Report: United States of America V. Kevin Cogill

This paper provides a summary of the factual background in United States of America v. Kevin Cogill.
A high performance single-chip VLSI signal processor architecture

The single-chip, high-performance signal processor design described in this paper departs from existing processor designs both in the way it is organized and the manner in which it performs computations. Major emphasis is placed on the exploitation of parallelism and pipelining inherently present in signal processing functions, and on novel processing architecture that allows mapping of high-level computations, such as Fast-Fourier-Transforms (FFT), directly into hardware. The single-chip design is based on a 2μ-CMOS technology, utilizes bit-serial arithmetic and is externally provided with appropriately organized first-in/first-out (FIFO) memory. The processor is suitable for use in real-time situations such as radar, sonar, and seismic data processing.
I think i voted: e-voting vs. democracy

Touch-screen voting machines store records of cast votes in internal memory, where the voter cannot check them. Because of our system of secret ballots, once the voter leaves the polls there is no way anyone can determine whether the vote captured was what the voter intended. Why should voters trust these machines? In January 2003, I drafted a “Resolution on Electronic Voting” stating that every voting system should have a “voter verifiable audit trail,” which is a permanent record of the vote that can be checked for accuracy by the voter, and which is saved for a recount if it is required. I posted the page with endorsements from many prominent computer scientists. At that point, I became embroiled in a nationwide battle for voting transparency that has continued now for three years. In this talk, I'll explain the basic problems and solutions in electronic voting.
Constitutional Law: 2008 Annual Report

Environmental, energy, and natural resources law continues to be shaped by the U.S. Constitution. While perhaps not as prevalent as in 2007, constitutional issues continue to play first fiddle in more than one-half of all federally reported decisions within the scope of our Section’s namesake. Key issues at the intersection of constitutional and environmental, energy, and natural resources law in 2008 include Standing, the dormant Commerce Clause, Preemption, and the Takings Due Process and Free Speech Clauses, as discussed herein. Other constitutional issues will remain instrumental in the years to come, including those respecting the jurisdictional reach of the Commerce Clause, the political question doctrine, sovereign immunity, and federalism, as well as a host of emerging lower profile constitutional issues, such as those under the Property and General Welfare Clauses, and the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Amendments.
A strained-layer InGaAs-GaAs buried heterostructure circular ring laser with integrated Y-coupled passive waveguide by selective-area metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Summary form only given. A strained-layer InGaAs-GaAs buried heterostructure circular ring laser with an integrated Y-coupled passive waveguide is fabricated by selective-area growth. The device operates (300 K cw) single mode with side mode suppression /spl ges/24 dB.
Dynamic agent-oriented reasoning about belief and trust

The newly envisioned Semantic Web contains as a component what may be called a Web of Trust, consisting of the trust relationships held between its participants. In terms of this, the degree to which participant A believes what is believed by participant B depends on the degree to which A trusts B. This paper presents a formal language with well-defined semantics within which such a participant (or agent) can express the relevant conditions of belief and trust, and outlines some key techniques for reasoning with these expressions. Novel in this treatment is the use of linguistic, rather than numeric, measures of belief. The aim in this is to make the language and reasoning system more intuitive for the human user. Also novel is an explicit delineation of the context within which the language and reasoning techniques are to be applied. The notion of a dynamic reasoning system is applied to model the agent's knowledge acquisition and belief revision processes as activities that take place in time.
Computer Assisted Analysis of Drivers' Body Activity Using a Range Camera

A significant amount of research has been involved with the development of advanced driver-assistance systems. Such systems typically include radars, laser or video sensors that detect the vehicle trajectory and warn for an imminent lane departure, or sense the front vehicle's speed and apply the brakes of the following vehicle to maintain safe distance headways (i.e., collision avoidance system). However, most of these systems rely on the subject vehicle and surrounding vehicles' position and do not explicitly consider the driver's actions during the driving task. In addition, safety research has focused on eye tracking as a means of capturing driver's attention, fatigue, or drowsiness; however, the body posture has not been investigated in depth. This paper presents a novel approach for studying the actual movements of drivers inside the vehicle, when performing specific maneuver types such as lane changing and merging. A pilot study was conducted along a freeway and arterial segment, where the 3D shapes of selected participants were constructed with the use of Microsoft Kinect range camera while merging and changing lanes. A 7-point human skeletal model was fit to the captured range data (depth frame sequences) using the proposed framework. The analysis of the captured 3D data showed that there are important differences between participants when performing similar driving maneuvers. The preliminary results of this pilot research set the basis for implementing the proposed methodological framework for conducting full-scale experiments with a variety of participants, and exploring differences due to driver behavior attributes, such as age, gender and driving experience.
Incorporation of hypoxanthine by PHA-stimulated HPRT-deficient lymphocytes

Abstract Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) markedly stimulates 3H-hypoxanthine incorporation by lymphocytes of normal subjects as revealed by radioautography. There is no corresponding increase in activity of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) in lysates but the level of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP), the cosubstrate for the reaction, is higher. Lymphocytes from a patient with partial HPRT deficiency responded to PHA as did the normals, whereas the response in Lesch-Nyhan (LN) subjects was variable. PHA-stimulated lymphocytes from two LN patients showed some increase in 3H-hypoxanthine incorporation, while two others failed to respond. The observations provide further evidence of genetic heterogeneity among LN patients.
Implications of the B20 crystal structure for the magnetoelectronic structure of MnSi

Due to increased interest in the unusual magnetic and transport behavior of $\mathrm{MnSi}$ and its possible relation to its crystal structure (B20) which has unusual coordination and lacks inversion symmetry, we provide a detailed analysis of the electronic and magnetic structure of $\mathrm{MnSi}$. The nonsymmorphic $P{2}_{1}3$ spacegroup leads to unusual fourfold degenerate states at the zone corner $R$ point, as well as ``sticking'' of pairs of bands throughout the entire Brillouin zone surface. The resulting Fermi surface acquires unusual features as a result of the band sticking. For the ferromagnetic system (neglecting the long wavelength spin spiral) with the observed moment of $0.4{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}∕\mathrm{Mn}$, one of the fourfold levels at $R$ in the minority bands falls at the Fermi energy $({E}_{F})$, and a threefold majority level at $k=0$ also falls at ${E}_{F}$. The band sticking and presence of bands with vanishing velocity at ${E}_{F}$ imply an unusually large phase space for long wavelength, low energy interband transitions that will be important for understanding the unusual resistivity and far infrared optical behavior.
Stemphylium Leaf Spot of China Aster

Stemphylium callistephi n. sp. is described. It caused a previously unreported leaf spot of China aster in 1946 in cut-flower fields of southern California.4For the fungus to sporulate on the host,...
Superconducting poloidal field magnet engineering for the ARIES-ST

Abstract The critical issues of the poloidal systems for the ARIES-ST design have been presented in this paper. Because of the large plasma current and the need of highly shaped plasmas, the poloidal field (PF) coils should be located inside the toroidal field in order to reduce their current. Even then, the divertor coils carry large currents. The ARIES-ST PF coils are superconducting using the internally cooled cable-in-conduit conductor. The peak self field in the divertor coils is about 15 T and the highest field in the non-divertor coils is about 6 T. The PF magnets have built-in margins that are sufficient to survive disruptions without quenching. The costing study indicates that the specific cost of the PF system is $80/kg. Detailed design and trade-off studies of ARIES-ST are presented and remaining R&D issues are identified.
Effects of pre-strain on the compressive stress-strain response of Mo-alloy single-crystal micropillars

A NiAl-Mo eutectic was directionally solidified to produce composites with well-aligned single-crystal Mo-alloy fibers embedded in a NiAl matrix. They were pre-strained by compressing along the fiber axis and then the matrix was etched away to expose free-standing micropillars having different sizes (360-1400 nm) and different amounts of pre-strain (0-11%). Compression testing of the pillars revealed a variety of behaviors. At one extreme were the as-grown pillars (0% pre-strain) which behaved like dislocation-free materials, with yield stresses approaching the theoretical strength, independent of pillar size. At the other extreme were pillars pre-strained 11% which behaved like the bulk, with reproducible stress-strain curves, relatively low yield strengths, stable work-hardening and no size dependence. At intermediate pre-strains (4-8%), the stress-strain curves were stochastic and exhibited considerable scatter in strength. This scatter decreased with increasing pre-strain and pillar size, suggesting a transition from discrete to collective dislocation behavior.
Pattern-Directed Dewetting of Ultrathin Polymer Films

We utilize chemically patterned substrates with arrays of progressively narrower stripes (1−15 μm) to investigate the influence of pattern size on the morphology of ultrathin dewetting polystyrene ...
Vibrations of simple fractal-based models

Dynamical systems with fractal geometry can be constructed in a variety of ways: We illustrate this variety with examples based on the Cantor set, the Sierpinski gasket, and on lattices of these fractal-based structures. Depending on the physical parameters, the models can exhibit both discrete and continuous spectra.
Cholecystokinic activity of Nα-hydroxysulfonyl-[Nle28,31]CCK26-33 analogues modified at the C-terminal residue

Three new analogues of N alpha-hydroxysulfonyl-[Nle28,31]CCK26-33 are reported in which the C-terminal L-Phe33 residue has been replaced by L-Leu, D-Phe or N-methyl-L-Phe. Biological evaluation in a series of binding and bioassays demonstrates that both L-stereochemistry and an aromatic side chain at position-33 are essential for full agonist activity. While the L-Leu33 and D-Phe33 analogues had reduced potencies in stimulating contraction of the guinea pig ileum or gall bladder, the D-Phe33 analogue was fourfold selective for the ileum. This latter analogue also exhibited apparent partial agonism in the rat pancreatic amylase release assay. The N-methyl-L-Phe33 analogue was almost equipotent to the parent analogue in all bioassays, suggesting that this modification might be useful for introducing enzymatic stability in CCK analogues.
Emission versus Absorption in Resonance Pressure Broadening

For a transition in a monatomic gas, it is shown that certain processes in which excitation is transferred from one atom to another lead to different resonance-broadened line shapes in emission and absorption. The absorption line shape is determined by an averaged diagonal matrix element of the resolvent operator (in the representation of the unperturbed states), while in emission some off-diagonal elements contribute. The differences are exhibited formally in terms of resolvent-operator theory, and also worked out explicitly for the case of pure impact broadening with the classical path approximation. In this case, the main effect is a shift of the emission line toward the red, relative to the absorption, by an amount of the same order of magnitude as the width. In the case where the lower level in emission is the one undergoing resonance broadening, the line shapes for emission and absorption (with the same final states) are the same.
Effect of acute uremia on arginine metabolism and urea and guanidino acid production by perfused rat liver.

Since arginine is a precursor of urea and other guanidino derivatives, we have evaluated its metabolism in acute uremia using the isolated perfused rat liver. Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bilateral nephrectomy (n=5) or sham operation (n=5) 48 h prior to liver perfusion. Fifty μCi ofl-[guanidino14C arginine and unlabelled arginine and aspartic acid were added to the recycling perfusate 15 min prior to liver perfusion. Perfusate concentrations of urea and other guanidino derivatives were measured with high-pressure liquid chromatography. After the initial 30 min of perfusion, net uptake of arginine was lower, and net release of guanidino-succinic acid (GSA) was higher in the livers of acutely uremic rats. Net release of urea was also higher in uremia but the results did not achieve statistical significance. In uremia, the percent conversion of14C arginine to14C urea was significantly higher (79 ±5 [SE]%) than in controls (58±7%). These results demonstrate increased GSA production by livers of acutely uremic rats and suggest that acute uremia may be associated with increased arginine utilization and increased production of urea.
The adverse effects of ethanol upon hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in males and females compared and contrasted.

The similarities and differences in the adverse effects of ethanol upon hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function of males and females are compared and contrasted. In addition, adverse effects upon gametes and the developing fetus are discussed.
Catalytic and Crystallization Behavior of a Mullite Precursor Aerogel Prepared from a Double Alkoxide: (Di-sec-butoxyaluminoxy)triethoxysilane (s-OBu)2AlOSi(OEt)3

We prepared a mullite precursor aerogel from a (di-sec-butoxyaluminoxy)triethoxysilane double alkoxide. The intimacy of mixing that results from the “built-in” Al−O−Si linkages delivers a mullite precursor displaying higher surface area, less Bronsted acid character, and more facile crystallization to mullite than an aerogel of the same composition prepared by a conventional prehydrolysis technique.
A prototype upper-atmospheric data assimilation scheme based on optimal interpolation: 2. Numerical experiments

Abstract In Part 1 of this work ( Akmaev, 1999 ), an overview of the theory of optimal interpolation (OI) ( Gandin, 1963 ) and related techniques of data assimilation based on linear optimal estimation ( Liebelt, 1967 ; Catlin, 1989 ; Mendel, 1995 ) is presented. The approach implies the use in data analysis of additional statistical information in the form of statistical moments, e.g., the mean and covariance (correlation). The a priori statistical characteristics, if available, make it possible to constrain expected errors and obtain optimal in some sense estimates of the true state from a set of observations in a given domain in space and/or time. The primary objective of OI is to provide estimates away from the observations, i.e., to fill in data voids in the domain under consideration. Additionally, OI performs smoothing suppressing the noise, i.e., the spectral components that are presumably not present in the true signal. Usually, the criterion of optimality is minimum variance of the expected errors and the whole approach may be considered constrained least squares or least squares with a priori information. Obviously, data assimilation techniques capable of incorporating any additional information are potentially superior to techniques that have no access to such information as, for example, the conventional least squares (e.g., Liebelt, 1967 ; Weisberg, 1985 ; Press et al., 1992 ; Mendel, 1995 ).
The extraction of phosphoproteins from bovine dentin

The phosphoprotein obtained by the neutral pH tris buffer extraction of acetic acid demineralized bovine dentin has been compared with the phosphoprotein extracted directly during the neutral pH EDTA demineralization process. The phosphoproteins isolated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography from the neutral pH EDTA demineralization extract are not identical to those isolated by the same procedure from the dentin which had been subjected to acid demineralization. The two demineralization procedures yield phosphoproteins different in amino acid content and in presence of 260 nm UV absorbing moiety. Even after sequential acid demineralization, trisbuffer extraction and EDTA extraction, the residual dentin contains bound phosphoprotein. A peptide fragment containing both collagen and phosphoprotein moieties has been isolated following digestion and cleavage of the insoluble dentin collagen with cyanogen bromide. The acid demineralization process appears to be accompanied by degradation which removes both protein and non-protein components from the phosphoprotein.
Transduction of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response

Gormezano, Schneiderman, Deaux, and Fuentes (1962) introduced the rabbit nictitating membrane response (NMR) preparation and the use of a minitorque rotary potentiometer and hook and thread for NM coupling that, over the ensuing years, has remained the almost universally employed method of NMR measruement (see Gormezano, Prokasy, & Thompson, 1987). However, in recent years, our laboratory has been employing a photoresistive Polaroid transducer and ball-joint NM coupler that, in our judgment, has many advantages over any extant method of NMR measurement. The present paper provides a description of the design and functional properties of the transducer and coupler.
Clay Mineralogy and Weathering of a Red-Yellow Podzolic Soil from Quartz Mica Schist in the Alabama Piedmont

Mineralogical and chemical properties of Madison soil derived from quartz mica schist reflected the degree of weathering. The Madison soil had sandy surface horizons and clayey B horizons. The clay in surface horizons contained more mica than clay in the subsoils; a maximum of about 40 per cent mica in the coarse clay of surface horizons. Intergradient chlorite-vermiculite was present in appreciable quantities in clays of surface horizons. The presence in the whole soil of B2 horizons of about 15 per cent gibbsite and 12 per cent free iron oxides indicated a high degree of weathering. Kaolinite and gibbsite increased with depth and were the major clay minerals in all clay fractions in the lower portion of the profiles. Kaolinite and gibbsite also were important accessory minerals of the coarse and medium silt fractions and increased in percentage with depth. The B3 horizons had much of the morphology of the schist. Results indicated a high weathering intensity in the subsoil and leaching of weathering products.
THE INFLUENCE OF LOW PLANT WATER POTENTIAL ON THE GROWTH AND NITROGEN METABOLISM OF THE NATIVE CALIFORNIA SHRUB LOTUS SCOPARIUS (NUTT. IN T & G) OTTLEY'

Reduced plant water potential, induced by polyethylene glycol in hydroponics, inhibited growth and decreased the number of leaves per branch in the southern California droughtdeciduous species Lotus scoparius (Nutt. in T & G) Ottley. Decreasing plant water potential diminished the proportion of large leaves per branch and therefore reduced the leaf area. Nitrate uptake rate decreased with decreasing water potential, although the nitrate ion concentration increased in the roots and the leaves. Ammonium ion concentration increased significantly in the roots at - 5 bars and lower osmotic potentials in the root medium. Kjeldahl nitrogen remained the same in all treatments and tissues over the experimental period. It is suggested that the increase in ammonium ion in the roots was due to a decreased rate of ammonium transport caused by low plant water potential. The slight increase in nitrate ion in the roots may correspond to a decrease in nitrate reductase activity. This study indicates that some of the changes in nitrogen metabolism associated with low water potentials in agricultural plants occur also in a plant which experiences frequent droughts in its native habitat.
CTEAS: a graphical-user-interface-based program to determine thermal expansion from high-temperature X-ray diffraction

The coefficient of thermal expansion analysis suite (CTEAS) has been developed to calculate and visualize thermal expansion properties of crystalline materials in three dimensions. The software can be used to determine the independent terms of the second-rank thermal expansion tensor using hkl values, corresponding dhkl listings and lattice constants obtained from powder X-ray diffraction patterns collected at different temperatures. Using CTEAS, a researcher can also visualize the anisotropy of this essential material property in three dimensions. In-depth understanding of the thermal expansion of crystalline materials can be a useful tool in understanding the dependence of the thermal properties of materials on temperature when correlated with the crystal structure.
A Matter of Style: The Teacher as Expert, Formal Authority, Personal Model, Facilitator, and Delegator

(1994). A Matter of Style: The Teacher as Expert, Formal Authority, Personal Model, Facilitator, and Delegator. College Teaching: Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 142-149.
Endocervical stromal sarcoma.

Endocervical stromal sarcoma (ECSS) is a very rare neoplasm and only 16 cases have been reported in the literature (Abell and Ramirez 1973; Abdul-Karim et al. 1987; Amr and Sheikh 2000; Jaffe et al...
When is contralateral mastectomy warranted in unilateral breast cancer

Contralateral mastectomy, in the setting of unilateral breast cancer, may only offer a survival benefit in selected patients. In fact, most women with a unilateral breast cancer will never develop a contralateral breast cancer. Despite this, there is a rapidly increasing trend of patients undergoing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. The Society of Surgical Oncology has provided relative clinical indications for this prophylactic procedure; however, there are other clinical and more important patient factors that are relevant to the decision. In this article, we discuss the indications for this controversial procedure and also explore the patient's motivation to undergo this preventative measure. Nevertheless, the decision to perform a contralateral mastectomy should include a multidisciplinary team approach in conjunction with a patient who has been appropriately informed regarding the risks, benefits and alternatives of this procedure.
Similarities between the Hedgehog and Wnt signaling pathways.

Abstract Hedgehog and Wnt proteins are signaling molecules that direct many aspects of metazoan development through signal transduction pathways that are just beginning to be understood. Recently, the common use of glycogen synthase kinase 3 and casein kinase 1 has been added to a growing list of straightforward similarities between Hedgehog and Wnt signaling pathways. These kinases silence both pathways by labeling a key transcription factor (Cubitus interruptus) or co-activator (β-catenin) for proteolysis, and it is possible that reversal of these phosphorylation events is, in each case, central to pathway activation. This review compares the two pathways to explore whether our more extensive knowledge of Wnt pathways can be of predictive value for investigating Hedgehog signaling.
Conductance fluctuations in large metal-oxide-semiconductor structures in the variable-range hopping regime.

Etude des fluctuations de la conductance dues aux sauts de taille variable dans les couches d'inversion du silicium de largeur 8 mm ayant une aire grande (3.2 mm 2 ). La dependance thermique du logarithme moyen de la conductance varie avec la densite des porteurs N s , de l'etat presque active a l'etat tres faiblement active. Les fluctuations de ln G avec le potentiel chimique (μ) surviennent sur deux echelles differentes. La fonction de distribution des fluctuations dans ln G est egalement analysee, et les resultats sont compatibles avec le modele de la conduction via des chaines unidimensionnelles de sauts, fortement conducteurs (les sauts), et exponentiellement rares
The growth and transport in thermal oxide films formed on silicon

Abstract The growth and transport in oxide films formed on (100) Si (p-type) in O2 at 1.33 kPa and 950°C was studied using the 18O/SIMS technique. Samples were oxidized sequentially in 18O2 and 16O2 for times up to 48 h to produce films in the thickness range 2–50 nm. The kinetic data approximate to a linear rate relation apart from an initial more rapid growth region. Sputter profiles of both 18O- and 16-containing species (Si2O+) showed the distribution of each within the thin oxide films. When samples are oxidized first in 16O2 and then in 18O2 the 18O is concentrated in the vicinity of the gas-SiO2 interface and at the Si-SiO2 interface. The concentration at the latter interface increases with increasing time of exposure to 18O2 and predominates at longer times. The SIMS profiles confirm that the principal transport process is inward oxygen diffusion through the oxide during oxidation probably along short circuit paths such as micropores.
Atomic sputtering in the Analytical Electron Microscope

Abstract The advent of UHV medium-voltage electron microscopes has brought the microanalyst to a regime of operating conditions in which electron-beam induced damage can now be introduced to metallic specimens of medium to high atomic number. We report upon calculations of electron-beam-induced atomic sputtering which will have bearing upon the next generation of medium-voltage analytical electron microscopes. The cross-section calculations reported herein have been completed for all solid elements of the periodic table for indicent electron energies up to 1.5 MeV. All computer code needed to duplicate these computations is available through the Electron Microscopy and Microanalysis Public Domain Library (EMMPDL).
Study of magnetorheological fluids at high shear rates

The tunable rheological properties of magnetorheological (MR) materials at high shear rates are studied using a piston-driven flow-mode-type rheometer. The proposed method provides measurement of the apparent viscosity and yield stress of MR fluids for a shear rate range of 50 to 40,000 s−1. The rheological properties of a commercial MR fluid, as well as a newly developed MR polymeric gel, and a ferrofluid-based MR fluid are investigated. The results for apparent viscosity and dynamic and static shear stresses under different applied magnetic fields are reported.
Directed Tree-Width

We generalize the concept of tree-width to directed graphs and prove that every directed graph with no “haven” of large order has small tree-width. Conversely, a digraph with a large haven has large tree-width. We also show that the Hamilton cycle problem and other NP-hard problems can be solved in polynomial time when restricted to digraphs of bounded tree-width.
Femtochemistry of Norrish Type‐I Reactions: III. Highly Excited Ketones—Theoretical

Time-dependant density functional theory (TDDFT) and ab initio methods (CASSCF and CASMP2) are applied here for the investigation of the excited-state potential energy surfaces of ketones studied experimentally in the accompanying paper, number IV in the series. The aim is to provide a general and detailed physical picture of the Norrish type-I reaction from S_0 and S_1 potentials (papers I and II) and from higher-energy potentials (papers III and IV). Particular focus here is on reactions following excitation to the 3s, 3p, and 3d Rydberg state and to the (n_z → π^*) and (π → π^*) valence states. It is shown that the active orbitals in the CASSCF calculations can be chosen so that accurate results are obtained with a small active space. Dynamic corrections of the state-specific CASSCF energies at the multireference MP2 level do not improve the results for the Rydberg states but are significant for the valence states. The geometries of the Rydberg states are similar to the ground state; the S_1 and other valence states are not. A common property of the valence states is the elongated CO bond and the pyramidalization of the carbonyl carbon atom. As a consequence, these valence states cross all Rydberg states along the CO stretching coordinate and provide an efficient pathway down to the 3s Rydberg states (S_2) through a series of conical intersections (CIs). The nonadiabatic coupling vector of the CI between the (π → π^*) and the 3s Rydberg states guides energy channeling into the asymmetric CC-stretching mode. The energy demand for the CC bond breakage (Norrish type-I) on the S_2 surface is lower than that of the CI leading to the S_1 state. This CC bond breakage leads to a linear excited state acetyl radical (3s Rydberg). Crossing a small barrier the 3s acyl radical can access a CI leading either to a second CC bond breakage or to a hot ground-state acetyl radical. The barriers for the Norrish type-I reaction on the various excited-state surfaces can be rationalized within the framework of valence-bond theory. The dynamic picture of the Norrish type-I reactions is now clear: The excitation to high-energy states leads to the nonconcerted breakage of the α-CC bonds by an “effective downhill” potential in space involving the active excitation center CO, CC stretching, and CCO bending nuclear motions, but not, as usually thought, a direct repulsive potential along the CC bond. In our accompanying paper (part IV), it is shown that the results from the experimental investigations of Norrish type-I reactions on the femtosecond timescale are consistent with these theoretical results.
Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Exerts Neurotrophic Effects on Dopaminergic Neurons In Vitro and Promotes Their Survival and Regrowth After Damage by 1-Methyl-4-Phenylpyridinium

The effect of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on the growth of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons and on their survival following exposure to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP + ) was examined in vitro. In cultures developing under normal conditions, GDNF at 1 ng/ml optimally improved the survival and stimulated the growth of dopaminergic neurons without affecting glial growth. In cultures treated with MPP + , GDNF could not prevent toxicity to dopaminergic neurons. The uptake of [ 3 H]dopamine and the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons were similarly reduced by MPP + in the presence or absence of GDNF. However, after removal of MPP + , GDNF protected dopaminergic neurons from the continuous cell death and stimulated the regrowth of dopaminergic fibers damaged by MPP + . We conclude that GDNF supports the growth of normally developing dopaminergic neurons and stimulates their survival and recovery after damage. These findings suggest that GDNF could be useful in the development of therapeutic approaches to Parkinson's disease, which is characterized by dopaminergic cell loss.
Deep level studies of oxygen doped GaAs-Au Schottky barrier diodes

Electrical characteristics of Au - n GaAs Schottky barrier diodes prepared on oxygen doped bulk GaAs were studied. The experimental results indicate the presence of three donor levels. DLTS study shows these levels to be located at 0.226 eV, 0.692 eV and 0.932 eV below conduction band. The presence of native oxide appears to introduce a shallow donor level.
Real-time VLSI techniques for processing of computer images

The domain of industrial automation has been of heightened interest since the introduction of robotic vision in the work place. The system discussed in this abstract is designed to be utilized in the areas of machine and robotic vision for the industrial field. It can serve as an inspection or location finding device for real-time closed loop automated systems. The performance advantage of this system is gained through the use of a massively parallel architecture. The system is built on a VLSI wafer, where the concept of a full application specific system is fabricated on a chip. These design techniques take advantage of massive parallel hardware at the lower stages of image processing, whereby increasing the performance of this stage can significantly improve the total throughput of the system. The design procedure is based on custom ASIC hardware that is optimized for the task at hand. Additionally, the elements have been designed in a modular and reusable manner. The processing of system data is accomplished, primarily, by parallel hardware units, with firmware assigned the responsibility of configuring and defining the task. This system incorporates the design theorems of image processing with the fundamentals of high speed architectures. This design technique, in conjunction with parallel processing principles, will overcome the current time limitations that have been persistent in the current approaches. The system is designed with three functional layers, each composed of parallel architectures and local control. A main control system is also present to monitor overall system functionality and issue queuing commands for the processes, in a non-blocking manner. The proposed system theory and design will be presented with the VLSI layout, simulation and modeling with the CADENCE design environment. TEst results and prototype examples are used to determine the success of the system and test its limitations.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.