cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A technique for measuring proton total reaction cross sections at medium energies

Abstract Total proton reaction cross sections between 20 and 50 MeV have been measured at the UCLA 50 MeV Cyclotron Laboratory. Our method, a variation of the attenuation technique first proposed by Gooding and Eisberg, is described. Features include a tightly collimated and well defined beam, the ability to use either solid or gaseous targets, and rapid accumulation of the data.
Enhanced magnetic anisotropy of Mn12-acetate

Abstract Thin films of the single molecule magnet [Mn12O12(CH3COO)16(H2O)4]·2CH3COOH·4H2O (Mn12-acetate) have been fabricated on a Si-substrate by the dip-and-dry method, a simple and robust technique. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations reveal that homogeneous, thin films of a few molecular layers with smoothness at the molecular level are deposited. Significant changes in magnetic properties of Mn12-acetate exposed to the same solvent were observed in zero field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization, as well as AC-susceptibility measurements. The blocking temperature was found to increase to T B > 10 K at low magnetic fields, indicating an enhanced magnetic anisotropy.
Direct angioplasty of the basilar artery in baboons

The lower portion of the basilar artery is a site of significant disease, both aneurysmal and stenotic, but has been considered inaccessible via traditional surgical approaches. A baboon model was used to evaluate the feasibility of a direct surgical reconstruction via a transoral-transclival approach, utilizing temporary occlusion of the basilar artery. An arteriotomy was performed and either repaired primarily or a venous patch graft was sutured in place. All animals survived the surgery; one suffered fatal postoperative upper airway obstruction, but the other four were neurologically intact at the time of death. Patency at the site of repair was confirmed both angiographically and histologically. We conclude that temporary clamping in conjunction with direct reconstruction of the basilar artery is feasible in this primate model. Future studies will focus on further applications of this technique.
Selective doping of mbba to optimize display performance

Several researchers have reported that intrinsic material parameters of 4′-methoxybenzyl idene-4-butylaniline (MBBA), such as transition temperature and refractive indices, are sensitive to impurities. Electrooptic behavior also depends strongly on purity. Selective doping of MBBA to optimize characteristics important for display applications will be described. Emphasis will be on dc operation. For example, doping to raise conductivity above a critical level is essential for fast response and to achieve an abrupt threshold for light scattering. These effects are understood in terms of recent theory of the scattering mechanism in nematic liquid crystals.
The Bolsheviks and working women, 1905–20

(1974). The Bolsheviks and working women, 1905–20. Soviet Studies: Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 540-567.
Model-Free Adaptive On-Off Step Controller for Piezoelectric Micro-Robots

An adaptive, model-free on-off controller is described for situations in which a desired step response is to be repeated many times, but there is incomplete information available about the system dynamics. The controller adapts a set of on-off switching transition times as a function of certain objective measurements defined by the designer. While the controller does not utilize any model of the system to perform this adaptation, the effects of the adaptation on known plants can be analyzed to find a range of systems for which the on-off switching times will result meeting desired objectives. This analysis is applied to lightly-damped 2nd -order systems representative of micro-robotic leg joints driven by piezoelectric actuators, and used to identify on-off switching frequencies, sensing frequencies, and adaptation parameters that converge for many plants. This can produce a controller with good robustness to system variation and relatively low switching and sampling frequencies, which can keep power consumption of for piezoelectric servo control very low.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Use of the ADOS for assessing spontaneous expressive language in young children with ASD: a comparison of sampling contexts.

Purpose The current study compared the spontaneous expressive language of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across multiple language sampling contexts: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999) and play with an examiner or parent. Method Participants were children with ASD (n = 63; 55 boys) with a mean age of 45 months (SD = 3.94, range = 37–53). The number of utterances produced; percentage of intelligible utterances; number of different words; mean length of utterance; and the number of requests, comments, and instances of turn-taking were calculated for the ADOS, examiner–child play, and parent–child play. Children were categorized into Tager-Flusberg et al.'s (2009) developmental language phases for each context. Results Effects of sampling context were identified for all variables examined. The ADOS resulted in fewer utterances and lower structural and pragmatic language performance than examiner–child play and/or parent–child play. Categorizat...
Denitrification and Nitrogen Fixation Dynamics in the Area Surrounding an Individual Ghost Shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) Burrow System

Bioturbated sediments are thought of as areas of increased denitrification or fixed-nitrogen (N) loss; however, recent studies have suggested that not all N may be lost from these environments, with some N returning to the system via microbial dinitrogen (N(2)) fixation. We investigated denitrification and N(2) fixation in an intertidal lagoon (Catalina Harbor, CA), an environment characterized by bioturbation by thalassinidean shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis). Field studies were combined with detailed measurements of denitrification and N(2) fixation surrounding a single ghost shrimp burrow system in a narrow aquarium (15 cm by 20 cm by 5 cm). Simultaneous measurements of both activities were performed on samples taken within a 1.5-cm grid for a two-dimensional illustration of their intensity and distribution. These findings were then compared with rate measurements performed on bulk environmental sediment samples collected from the lagoon. Results for the aquarium indicated that both denitrification and N(2) fixation have a patchy distribution surrounding the burrow, with no clear correlation to each other, sediment depth, or distance from the burrow. Field denitrification rates were, on average, lower in a bioturbated region than in a seemingly nonbioturbated region; however, replicates showed very high variability. A comparison of denitrification field results with previously reported N(2) fixation rates from the same lagoon showed that in the nonbioturbated region, depth-integrated (10 cm) denitrification rates were higher than integrated N(2) fixation rates (∼9 to 50 times). In contrast, in the bioturbated sediments, depending on the year and bioturbation intensity, some (∼6.2%) to all of the N lost via denitrification might be accounted for via N(2) fixation.
Relationships between direction of wind flow and fine particle sulfur concentrations within and upwind of St Louis, MO

The relationships are considered between monthly and quarterly means of the fine particle sulfur (S) concentrations and wind flow direction, period of day and season of the year. The measurements used are those obtained at selected urban and at rural monitoring stations in the St Louis area during the Regional Air Pollution Study in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Higher mean fine particle S concentrations are observed with wind flows from the E compared to the W and from the NE and SE quadrants compared to the NW quadrant. Substantially higher fine particle S concentrations are obtained with wind flows from the E compared to the W even when conditions are selected so that the values of temperature, solar radiation intensity and wind speed are within the same restricted ranges. A consistent increase in the fine particle S concentrations occurs through the late morning and afternoon with decrease in the evening and especially in the early morning during spring and summer months with wind flows from the E. The contributions are estimated for local scale and regional scale processes to the observed fine particle S concentrations. Local scale processes include those involving atmospheric formation and primary emissions each contribute 0.6−1.0 and 0.6 μg m−3 of the fine particle S. Regional scale processes account for the greater part of the observed concentrations especially when the wind flows are from the SE or SW. Regional scale episodes involving passage of warm high pressure systems to the E of St Louis with accumulation of precursors made especially significant contributions to formation of fine particle S. The atmospheric gas phase and liquid phase chemical reactions contributing to the formation of fine particle S are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the effects of chemistry on the seasonal variations in concentrations of fine particle S.
Prolactin in murine systemic lupus erythematosus.

Murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) manifests several autoimmune perturbations that resemble human SLE, including cytokine aberrations, lymphoproliferation, hypergammaglobulinemia, autoantibody formation, and immune complex glomerulonephritis. In multiple studies, elevated serum prolactin concentrations (hyperprolactinemia) stimulated appearance or progression of murine lupus. Autoimmune disease acceleration by prolactin appears to be accentuated by estrogen stimulation of prolactin secretion and independent of immunosuppressive effects of androgens such as testosterone. Conversely, suppression of serum prolactin concentrations by bromocriptine inhibits development of murine SLE. These data clearly support the concept that prolactin is immunostimulatory in autoimmune disease and that the therapeutic goal of lowering serum prolactin concentrations may be beneficial to patients. Further utilization of murine SLE models will facilitate dissection of the actions and interactions of prolactin with estrog...
Quantifying Accidents: Cars, Statistics, and Unintended Consequences in the Construction of Social Problems Over Time

This paper investigates the potential effects of a single cultural means of claimsmaking—quantification—on the construction of a social problem through time. By analyzing salient historical uses of statistics in public debates on traffic accidents in the United States, the study seeks to advance the understanding of the role played by numerical claims in the broader dynamics of problem evolution and development. Specifically, key employments of numbers by early automobile clubs, the private insurance industry, safety movement and establishment, and printed media are closely traced and interrelated to flesh out their impacts on dominant representations of the issue over the long term. While numerical claimsmaking produced divergent, often contradictory effects on the construction of the problem, I argue that figures ultimately contributed to the gradual waning of the moralist and political zest that characterized much of the claimsmaking activities on the issue in the first half of the twentieth century. The argument provides one explanation of how traffic accidents can come to be defined in contemporary society as a “necessary evil”—a regrettable yet largely unalterable price to pay for the benefits of the automobile. To the extent that many of these quantification effects are unintended, they are linked to both the nature of statistical argumentation employed in this case and its institutional contexts.
Exact M-Theory Solutions, Integrable Systems, and Superalgebras

In this paper, an overview is presented of the recent construction of fully back-reacted half-BPS solutions in 11-dimensional supergravity which correspond to near-horizon geometries of M2 branes ending on, or intersecting with, M5 and M5$'$ branes along a self-dual string. These solutions have space-time manifold ${\rm AdS}_3 \times S^3 \times S^3$ warped over a Riemann surface $\Sigma$, and are invariant under the exceptional Lie superalgebra $D(2,1;\gamma) \oplus D(2,1;\gamma)$, where $\gamma $ is a real continuous parameter and $|\gamma|$ is governed by the ratio of the number of M5 and M5$'$ branes. The construction proceeds by mapping the reduced BPS equations onto an integrable field theory on $\Sigma$ which is of the Liouville sine-Gordon type. Families of regular solutions are distinguished by the sign of $\gamma$, and include a two-parameter Janus solution for $\gamma >0$, and self-dual strings on M5 as well as asymptotically ${\rm AdS}_4/{\mathbb Z}_2$ solutions for $\gamma <0$.
Superconducting low noise receivers

It is now possible to develop a new class of receivers for the millimeter and shorter wavelength region by application of Josephson and other electron tunneling phenomena which occur in superconducting materials. This development represents a major advance in receiver sensitivity and will be applicable over a wide frequency interval. Operating in the conventional heterodyne detection mode this receiver has a theoretical noise temperature as low as 20 Kelvin at 100 GHz. Three basic components required are: a superconductor-semiconductor Schottky diode mixer; a Josephson junction phase-locked multiplier local oscillator; and a Josephson parametric amplifier. The component and system design and limiting factors will be discussed.
Effect of hyperbranched surface-migrating additives on the electrospinning behavior of poly(methyl methacrylate).

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was electrospun in the presence of a low molecular weight, hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) additive partially functionalized with perfluorinated and aliphatic end-groups (Mn ∼ 1600 g/mol). The additive exhibited surface segregation with an insignificant influence on the rheological behavior of PMMA solutions. A morphological transition from beaded electrospun fibers to uniform fibers was observed upon introduction of additive at low PMMA concentrations. XPS revealed a surface enrichment of fluorine and nitrogen, which are both present in the hyperbranched additive. Surface fluorine content depended primarily on the amount of additive in solution, and a dependency on the PMMA/additive weight ratio was not observed.
Nuclear Internal Momentum Distributions

The nuclear internal momentum distributions of protons in light nuclei have been studied with the 340-Mev scattered proton beam from the synchrocyclotron. The two protons from a quasi-elastic scattering event are detected in coincidence, and the energy of one of them is magnetically analyzed. In the limit of the impulse approximation, conservation of energy and momentum can be employed to solve for the momentum of the struck proton. The best fit to the experimental data for beryllium was obtained with a Gaussian momentum density distribution with a $\frac{1}{e}$ value of about 20 Mev. Fermi (rectangular) and Chew-Goldberger distributions did not fit so well. Qualitative differences were observed between lithium, beryllium, and boron. The observed lithium spectrum was interpreted as being caused by two types of protons in lithium; two core protons that have a large momentum distribution and a third proton that has a rather low kinetic energy. This speculation was supported by the shape of the observed lithium spectrum, and by the relative yields from lithium, beryllium, and deuterium. The spectrum observed from beryllium indicated that the protons in beryllium have a larger momentum than the protons in the lighter elements studied. There were some indications that the fifth proton in boron may behave similarly to the third proton in lithium.
Correlation effects and excited states in conjugated polymers.

We apply the Hubbard-Peierls Hamiltonian to study the low-lying excited states of several model conjugated polymers. The calculations employ a numerical renormalization-group method for chains of intermediate length, and a more approximate truncated configuration-interaction scheme to extrapolate the results to longer systems. In the range of on-site Coulomb repulsion strengths of physical interest, we find that a correlated even-parity singlet excited state competes with the odd-parity singlet excitation expected in the U=0 limit of the model, in agreement with previous studies on the Pariser-Parr-Pople model. The lowest electronic excitations in the model are identified as triplet excitations. Self-consistently-relaxed lattice configurations surrounding these electronic excitations are studied. In addition to the stable photoexcitations predicted in the U=0 limit of the theory, we find that the interelectronic repulsive potential leads to a rich spectrum of competing neutral structures, which are studied and characterized. Coulomb correlations provide a mechanism for production of long-lived spin-1/2 neutral excitations for degenerate ground-state systems, and spin-1 neutral excitations for nondegenerate ground-state systems.
Experiences with pro-urokinase and potentiation of its fibrinolytic effect by urokinase and by tissue plasminogen activator.

Pro-urokinase is a single chain, precursor form of two chain, 54,000 Mrurokinase. Although originally isolated from urine, pro-urokinase is also found in blood, where it is believed to participate in natural fibrinolysis alongside tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). These two plasminogen activators share the property of inducing fibrin-selective plasminogen activation, but many of their other properties, including their modes of action, are dissimilar. A comparison of some of the clinically relevant properties of pro-urokinase and t-PA is provided. A multicenter, dose-finding clinical trial of native prourokinase is underway in the United States and in West Germany. At the time of this writing, 110 patients with angiographically proved acute coronary thrombosis have been treated. The findings from one center are summarized in some detail and the overall experience is reviewed. Preliminary evidence for a potentiating effect on pro-urokinase-induced thrombolysis by urokinase is presented. The findings suggest that a bolus of urokinase (200,000 IU) at the outset increases the reperfusion rate from 60 to >80% and shortens the lysis time from about 50 to 30 minutes. A modest (19%) but significant (p Some in vitro data are summarized that provide an explanation for the potentiating effect of urokinase, the mechanism for which is believed to be similar to that by which synergism between t-PA and pro-urokinase has been postulated to occur. Evidence is reviewed that indicates that pro-urokinase and t-PA induce thrombolysis far more efficiently when they are combined than when each is used alone. The findings suggest that a bolus of t-PA, in place of urokinase, followed by an infusion of pro-urokinase may be optimal because t-PA is more effective in triggering lysis and pro-urokinase is more reactive after fibrinolysis has started.
Toxicokinetics, Available Source, and Route of Entry of Lead in Fed and Food-Deprived Bullfrog ( Rana catesbeiana ) Larvae

Several toxic effects of lead (Pb) have been documented in amphibians, but few studies have measured tissue levels of exposed specimens or examined toxicokinetics, availability of dietary versus waterborne sources, or route of entry. We modeled the toxicokinetics and examined the availability of dietary and waterborne Pb in both fed and food-deprived bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) larvae. Uptake rates of Pb (1,000 μg Pb/L nominal exposure) were similar between fed and unfed larvae, but unfed larvae eliminated Pb slowly. Consequently, food-deprived larvae accumulated significantly more Pb compared to fed larvae. The intestinal tract contained > 90% of total body Pb in both fed and unfed larvae. Total body concentrations of Pb in fed larvae did not increase over 7 days although levels in food did increase. We concluded that food consumption influenced Pb accumulation through changes in elimination rates rather than in uptake rates. Pb appeared to enter the body of larvae through ingestion of contaminated water rather than food.
The private sector's perception of fiscal actions

Abstract This study attempts to investigate the household's perception of fiscal actions by testing the ultrarationality hypothesis advanced by David and Scadding (1974) . A transcendental logarithmic utility function was used to present the house hold's choice. Demand equations for private and public goods were derived directly from utility maximization and were estimated simultaneously. Empirical findings offered no support for the view that households perceive government activities and adjust their behavior accordingly.
Data Envelopment Analysis of clinics with sparse data: Fuzzy clustering approach

This paper presents a method for utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with sparse input and output data using fuzzy clustering concepts. DEA, a methodology to assess relative technical efficiency of production units is susceptible to missing data, thus, creating a need to supplement sparse data in a reliable and accurate manner. The approach presented is based on a modified fuzzy c-means clustering using optimal completion strategy (OCS) algorithm. This particular algorithm is sensitive to the initial values chosen to substitute missing values and also to the selected number of clusters. Therefore, this paper proposes an approach to estimate the missing values using the OCS algorithm, while considering the issue of initial values and cluster size. This approach is demonstrated on a real and complete dataset of 22 rural clinics in the State of Kansas, assuming varying levels of missing data. Results show the effect of the clustering based approach on the data recovered considering the amount and type of missing data. Moreover, the paper shows the effect that the recovered data has on the DEA scores.
Storage of human fetal retina in optisol prior to subretinal transplantation

We have previously reported that Optisol, a commercially available medium (Chiron Vision, Irvine, CA), is a favorable fluid for the storage of neural retina. We now characterize the cell survival and histologic integrity of the tissue following storage and then transplantation. Neural retinas from human fetal eyes obtained within 1 h or pregnancy termination were stored in Optisol-GS medium (containing TC-199 and MEM medium, 2.5% chondroitin sulfate, 1% dextran, HEPES buffer, gentamicin sulfate, 0.1 mmol/L nonessential amino acids, sodium bicarbonate, 1 mmol/L sodium pyruvate, and additional antioxidants), at 4 degrees C for the following time periods: 0, 1, 2, and 7 days, and then tested for viability. Retinas stored for 2 and 7 days were mechanically dissociated and grafted into the eyes of light-damaged Fischer 344 rats (17 animals, 28 eyes). Nontransplanted eyes received injections of vehicle only (5 animals, 6 eyes). All animals were immunosuppressed daily with cyclosporine (10 mg/kg). All experiments were conducted in strict accordance with institutional, federal, and ARVO guidelines. Cell viability averaged 94.8%, 90.2%, 83.2%, and 76.8% at 0, 1, 2, and 7 days storage, respectively. Light microscopy demonstrated that the fetal retina was preserved without evident changes for up to 48 h. Up to 7 days there was a good to very good preservation of the cells in the outer neuroblastic layer. One month after transplantation subretinal grafts of retinal tissue stored for 2 and 7 days in Optisol showed good integration with host retina and initial photoreceptor differentiation. Optisol is a widely used medium for the preservation of human corneas prior to transplantation. Our results show that this medium is also highly suitable for preserving human fetal retinas prior to transplantation.
Review Article: Epilepsy Surgery in Children

Neurosurgical procedures of established value in the treatment of the medically intractable epilepsies include temporal lobectomy, extratemporal cortical excision, hemispherectomy, and corpus callosotomy. The clinical decision to consider surgery in children with epilepsy requires an understanding of the natural history of pediatric seizures, the constraints of the presurgical evaluation, and the relationship between surgical outcome and tissue pathology. This article presents an overview of the indications, risks, and benefits of epilepsy surgery in the pediatric population. (J Child Neurol 2988;3:255-266).
Signal-processing algorithms on parallel architectures: a performance update

Abstract The Burg algorithm is a widely applied and extensively studied signal-processing procedure having a structure typical of a class of important batch signal-processing algorithms. Its implementation and performance on four different parallel machines were reported in the 1990 Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing Special Issue on Massively Parallel Computation. The machines were the Intel iPSC/2, the Denelcor HEP, the NASA/Goodyear MPP, and the Cray X-MP/48. The objective of the work reported here was to extend that study to two new parallel machines: the nCUBE 2 and the MasPar MP-1. These computers are related to the distributed-memory systems above (i.e., the iPSC and the MPP, respectively), but use newer technology. In addition to achieving significant performance gains on the new machines over machines in the same architectural class, we found that the original study underestimated the scalability of the algorithm. That is, the algorithm maps efficiently to small-scale as well as large-scale computers, including both SIMD and MIMD distributed-memory systems. Improvements in the parallel algorithm are highlighted. Of special import is the use of appropriate performance metrics and performance visualization to characterize the parallelism of the algorithm and give insight to understanding and evaluating its performance.
Management of Early Ovarian Cancer: Germ Cell and Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT) and sex cord-stromal tumors (OSCST), each of which account for less than 5% of all ovarian malignancies, are much less common than epithelial ovarian cancer. In young patients suspected of having an OGCT, laparotomy is initially indicated for both diagnosis and treatment. For most patients, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with preservation of the contralateral ovary and the uterus is appropriate. The basis for this surgical approach is retrospective studies that show an equivalent cure rate for patients who undergo unilateral or bilateral adnexectomy. No prospective studies have compared unilateral with bilateral adnexectomy. Surgical staging is also important to determine the extent of disease, to determine prognosis, and to guide postoperative management. If metastatic disease is encountered during initial surgery for OGCT, the same principles of cytoreductive surgery that have been applied to surgically manage advanced epithelial ovarian cancer are recommended, with resection of as much tumor as is technically feasible and safe. For all OGCT patients except those with well-documented stage IA grade 1 pure immature teratoma or stage IA pure dysgerminoma, postoperative chemotherapy is indicated. The current recommended regimen for OGCT is bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin--a combination that appears to result in at least a 95% cure rate for stage I disease and at least a 75% cure rate for advanced-stage disease. For patients with metastatic dysgerminoma, chemotherapy, which has the advantage of preserving fertility in the majority of patients, has supplanted radiotherapy as standard treatment. For patients with OSCST, no standard therapy exists. Surgery alone is currently acceptable treatment for all patients with OSCST except those who have metastatic disease or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors with poor differentiation or heterologous elements. Currently, platinum-based combination chemotherapy is favored for these latter patients, but the activity of such regimens appears only modest.
Specification analysis of linear quantile models

This paper introduces a nonparametric test for the correct specification of a linear conditional quantile function over a continuum of quantile levels. These tests may be applied to assess the validity of post-estimation inferences regarding the effect of conditioning variables on the distribution of outcomes. We show that the use of an orthogonal projection on the tangent space of nuisance parameters at each quantile index both improves power and facilitates the simulation of critical values via the application of a simple multiplier bootstrap procedure. Monte Carlo evidence and an application to the empirical analysis of age–earnings curves are included.
Can Agglomeration Economies Explain Why People are Leaving Large Cities

In this journal, Vining and Kontuly recently posed the question “Is out-migration from large cities consistent with agglomeration economy advantages that these cities are commonly said to enjoy”. Previous authors who have responded to this query have supplied an indifference curve analysis that examines the trade-off individuals face between income and urban size (environmental goods). This paper instead provides a general equilibrium model that explicitly incorporates urban agglomeration economies to examine the conditions under which out-migration and those economies may simultaneously exist. Under the assumption that the elasticity of substitution between the outputs of large and small cities is unity, four cases can be distinguished. Our conclusion is that labor will unambiguously migrate from large cities with an increase in agglomeration economies only if large city goods are income-inelastic and large cities are relatively capital-intensive. The more reasonable hypothesis, that out-migration is a r...
Generating Ordered Families of Lorenz Curves by Strongly Unimodal Distributions

From any strongly unimodal density on the real line, it is possible to generate a one-parameter family of Lorenz curves. The resulting families of Lorenz curves are Lorenz ordered with respect to the indexing parameter. Symmetry of the unimodal density results in the generation of symmetric Lorenz curves. A related characterization of the normal distribution is presented.
The Relative Ability of Glucose and Ascorbate to Glycate and Crosslink Lens Proteins In Vitro

Nonenzymatic glycation by glucose and/or ascorbate leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are thought to be a critical element in lens protein aging and cataract formation. The relative participation of these two glycating agents was evaluated in vitro. The incubation of 100 mM [U-14C]-D-glucose and 10 mM [U-14C]-L-ascorbate with lens proteins resulted in an increasing incorporation over 3 weeks, reaching a maximum of 100 nMol mg-1 protein and 160 nMol mg-1 protein with ascorbate. Glycation was proportional to carbohydrate concentration with both reagents, however ascorbate was 18-fold more reactive with lens proteins than glucose. Protein crosslinking was not obvious with 250 mM glucose as measured by SDS-PAGE, however, ascorbate caused extensive crosslinking even at 3.0 mM. The sugar-dependent incorporation of N alpha-formyl-[U-14C]-L-lysine ([U-14C]Nfl) into proteins, gave values of 1.5 nMol mg-1 protein after 3 weeks with 100 mM glucose compared to 11 nMol mg-1 protein with 10 mM ascorbate. On a molar basis, ascorbate was 70-fold more active than glucose and 100-fold more active than fructose in the crosslinking assay. N alpha-formyl-N epsilon-fructosyllysine (1.0 mM) dissociated to cause the incorporation of 1.2 nMol of [U-14C]NfL, but 1.0 mM 3-deoxyglucosone, the putative active dissociation product of fructosyl-lysine, produced only 1.5 nMol mg-1 protein of crosslinks. The chelator, DTPA, had little or no effect on crosslinking in our assay except at the highest carbohydrate level. These data argue that glucose crosslinking can be shown in vitro with lens proteins, however, it does not proceed significantly via 3-deoxyglucosone, and does not require transition metal ion-mediated oxidation to occur. Quantitatively, however, it is almost two orders of magnitude less than the crosslinking by ascorbate oxidation products in vitro.
Instrumentation for direct observation of frozen hydrated specimens in the electron microscope

Instrumentation and techniques are described for the transfer and observation of frozen hydrated specimens in the transmission electron microscope. The transfer is accomplished without the complexity of a vacuum transfer device but also without significant sublimation of specimen ice or frosting. Examples are given of the transfer and observation of thin sections of rapidly frozen muscle and of rapidly frozen thin film preparations of isolated cells.
Models of various cell structures in GT

This paper develops optimal 0-1 Integer Programming models to represent various cell structures that are used in Group Technology (GT) to make cell formation decisions. Most of the methods used in the literature are based on the cell structure of Independent Cells, where a part family is completely processed in a single machine cell. Three other cell structures will be considered: (1) using a common cell, (2) allowing some part families to have alternate routes, and (3) arranging the machine cells in an assembly line fashion.
Study of the turbulent characteristics of the near-wake field of a medium-sized wind turbine operating in high wind conditions

The near-wake turbulent structure that is downwind of a medium-sized, horizontal axis wind turbine at a distance of one rotor diameter is discussed. The experimental site is the Samos Island Wind Park comprising nine wind turbines installed on the top of a 400 m-high saddle. The analysis is based on experimental data obtained mainly under strong wind conditions by two masts erected upstream and downstream of a wind turbine. The field of wind turbulence is examined both in integral and spectral form. Consideration of the perturbation produced by the tower construction is crucial in the interpretation of results. Observations show that the turbulent field varies from the edge to the center of the wake and strongly depends on the incident wind speed. Increased turbulent levels are observed near the blade tips, with evidence of a similar trend around the hub height for all wind speeds. Decreases of wind turbulence are observed in mid frequencies inside the wake due to the reduced shear associated with the flat crosswind velocity profile. This effect seems to dominate in the variation of the integral values of the longitudinal wind component variance. The low frequency portion of wind spectra reverses behavior in high wind speeds, i.e., an increase in energy relative to background values is observed. This is probably due to the shape of the turbine characteristic power curve. Cross-wind profiles of turbulent shear stresses at the lower boundary of the wake are also discussed.
The 32·6 kb Indian δβ-thalassaemia deletion ends in a 3·4 kb L1 element downstream of the β-globin gene

The Indian delta beta-thalassaemia, with elevated fetal gamma globin gene expression, was previously found to have a large deletion beginning 1 kb 3' of the (A) gamma globin gene at GenBank HUMHBB coordinate 42151, and extending into a new L1 sequence. We have now determined the 3' breakpoint of this deletion, and in doing so we have extended the known beta-globin gene cluster DNA sequence from its end at 73326 to projected GenBank coordinate 79016. These data show that the deletion is 32.6 kb long, terminating 11 kb 3' of the beta-globin gene. This 3' breakpoint is at 74772, within a 3.4 kb partial L1 repeat at 74263-77665; the Black ((A) gamma delta beta)(0)-thalassaemia also terminates in this L1, at 76508. In addition, two Alu sequences were found, at 73692-73816 and 78171-78441. Among the protein-binding DNA sequence motifs 3' to the Indian delta beta-thalassaemia breakpoint, at 76581/76607 there is a TGATAA/ACACCC pair that binds the erythroid-specific GATA-1 and ubiquitous CACCC-box binding proteins. We hypothesize that elevated fetal haemoglobin may be due to an enhancer or enhancers 3' to the deletion breakpoints and may involve the TGATAA/ACACCC pair.
Clinical Pharmacology of Ticarcillin (α-Carboxyl-3-Thienylmethyl Penicillin, BRL-2288)

Clinical pharmacological studies of ticarcillin (alpha-carboxyl-3-thienylmethyl penicillin, BRL-2288) were conducted in patients with metastatic cancer and leukemia. After administration of 0.5 g intramuscularly, 1 g intramuscularly, and 1 g intravenously, the mean peak concentrations in serum were 18, 35, and 106 mug/ml, respectively. Greater than 80% of ticarcillin was excreted in the urine during the subsequent 6-h period. The mean concentrations in the serum of patients 15 min after they received an intravenous injection of 4 g of ticarcillin with and without probenecid were 508 and 519 mug/ml, respectively. Serum levels were determined in patients who received ticarcillin for therapy of infection in doses of 5 g every 6 h. The mean drug concentration in serum 15 min after the rapid administration of the first dose was 433 mug/ml. Subsequent doses were given during a 2-h infusion and the study was repeated 2 days later. The average initial serum level (4 h after the completion of the preceding dose) was 19 mug/ml, and the mean serum level at 15 min was 213 mug/ml. Drug concentrations in the serum of patients receiving ticarcillin by infusion in doses of 3.5 g every 4 h were also determined. In patients with normal renal function, the average initial serum level (2 h after completion of the preceding dose) was 49 mug/ml and the mean level at 15 min was 210 mug/ml. Drug concentrations in the serum of patients with impaired renal function were considerably higher. No detectable levels of ticarcillin were found in the cerebrospinal fluid.
Patterns of gregarine parasitism in dragonflies: host, habitat, and seasonality

Gregarines are ubiquitous protozoan parasites that infect arthropods worldwide. More than 1,600 gregarine species have been described, but only a small percentage of invertebrates have been surveyed for these apicomplexan parasites. Adult dragonfly populations were surveyed for gregarines at two reservoirs in Texas, USA for 2 years. Gregarine prevalence and intensity were compared intraspecifically between host genders and reservoirs, among wing loads, and through time. Of the 29 dragonfly species collected, 41% hosted gregarines. Nine of these dragonfly species were previously undocumented as hosts. Among the commonly collected hosts, prevalence ranged from 18 to 52%. Parasites were aggregated among hosts and had a median intensity of five parasites per host. Gregarines were found only in hosts exceeding a minimum wing load, indicating that gregarines are likely not transferred from the naiad to adult during emergence. Prevalence and intensity increased during both years, suggesting that gregarine oocyst viability parallels increasing host population densities and may be short-lived. Prevalence and intensity also differed between dragonfly populations at two reservoirs. Regression analyses revealed that host species, host gender, month, and year were significant explanatory variables related to gregarine prevalence and intensity. Abundant information on odonate distributions, diversity, and mating activities makes dragonfly–gregarine systems excellent avenues for ecological, evolutionary, and parasitological research. Our results emphasize the importance of considering season, hosts, and habitat when studying gregarine–dragonfly ecology.
Neural Network Feedback Control: Work at UTA's Automation and Robotics Research Institute

This is an outline of research in neural networks for feedback control done since the mid 1990s at the Automation and Robotics Research Institute (ARRI) of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). It shows how the developments of Intelligent Control Systems based on neural networks have followed three main generations. This statement provides a short, broad-brush perspective on the development of intelligent neural feedback controllers.
Dynamically consistent hydrography and absolute velocity in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean

The problem of mapping a dynamically consistent hydrographic field and associated absolute geostrophic flow in the eastern North Atlantic between 24 deg and 36 deg N is related directly to the solution of the so-called thermocline equations. A nonlinear optimization problem involving Needler's P equation is solved to find the hydrography and resulting flow that minimizes the vertical mixing above about 1500 m in the ocean and is simultaneously consistent with the observations. A sharp minimum (at least in some dimensions) is found, apparently corresponding to a solution nearly conserving potential vorticity and with vertical eddy coefficient less than about 10(exp -5) sq m/s. Estimates of `residual' quantities such as eddy coefficients are extremely sensitive to slight modifications to the observed fields. Boundary conditions, vertical velocities, etc., are a product of the optimization and produce estimates differing quantitatively from prior ones relying directly upon observed hydrography. The results are generally insensitive to particular elements of the solution methodology, but many questions remain concerning the extent to which different synoptic sections can be asserted to represent the same ocean. The method can be regarded as a practical generalization of the beta spiral and geostrophic balance inverses for the estimate of absolute geostrophic flows. Numerous improvements to the methodology used in this preliminary attempt are possible.
A new type of insulated molecular wire: a rotaxane derived from a metal-capped conjugated tetrayne

The platinum butadiynyl complex trans-(C(6)F(5))(p-tol(3)P)(2)Pt(C≡C)(2)H and a CuI adduct of a 1,10-phenanthroline based 33-membered macrocycle react in the presence of K(2)CO(3) and I(2) or O(2) to give a rotaxane (ca. 9%) in which the macrocycle is threaded by the sp carbon chain of trans,trans-(C(6)F(5))(p-tol(3)P)(2)Pt(C≡C)(4)Pt(Pp-tol(3))(2)(C(6)F(5)). The crystal structure and macrocycle/axle electronic interactions are analyzed in detail.
Water-soluble Polymers. LXXXII. Shear Degradation Effects on Drag Reduction Behavior of Dilute Polymer Solutions

Drag reduction measurements were conducted on extensively characterized poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(acrylamide) utilizing a fully automated rotating disk rheometer equipped with an optical tachometer, torque transducer, and software allowing real-time data acquisition. The instrument sensitivity allowed the study of concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm. In addition, previously immeasurable concentration-and time-dependent shear degradation effects were readily observed. A power law equation was shown to adequately correlate the percentage of drag reduction and the volume fraction for each polymer. Furthermore, an empirical shift factor was utilized to superimpose data from all the systems that were studied. By conducting measurements in the proper concentration and time domains, it was possible to extract the minimal concentration for the maximum drag reduction efficiency in the absence of shear degradation. The resulting values were significantly higher than those previously reported by our laboratories for poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(acrylamide).
Choroidopathy of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Purpose: To describe the ocular and systemic manifestations associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) choroidopathy.Methods: Three new cases of choroidopathy in patients with active SLE were described. Twentyfive published cases of lupus choroidopathy were summarized.Results: There have been 28 cases of lupus choroidopathy (47 involved eyes) that have been reported in the English literature since 1968, including the three current cases. Only two of the patients were male. The choroidopathy was bilateral in 19 patients (68%). All 28 patients (100%) had active systemic vascular disease at the onset of their choroidopathy; 18 (64%) had nephropathy and 10 (36%) had central nervous system (CNS) lupus vasculitis. All but one of the patients had a known diagnosis of SLE at the onset of choroidopathy. 30 of the 47 involved eyes had presenting visual acuity of 20=40 or better; 14 eyes showed improvement in visual acuity with therapy. 23 patients (82%) had resolution of their choroidopathy when their syste...
Delayed Cerebral Vasculopathy Following Cranial Radiation Therapy for Pediatric Tumors

Abstract Background Radiation-induced cerebrovascular injury is a well-known phenomenon. We analyze reported cases of delayed radiation-induced cerebrovasculopathy that present as moyamoya syndrome and/or intracerebral hemorrhage and to statistically analyze the relationship between radiation dose and the interval period between radiation and the presentation of cerebrovasculopathy. Methods Patients ages Results The median age at radiation was 4.8 years, with a range of 0.5-20 years. Approximately, 75% of these patients received radiation at the age of P P P = 0.31). Conclusions Pediatric patients who presented with moyamoya generally presented earlier than those who presented with intracerebral hemorrhage, suggesting that moyamoya may be a factor that predisposes the patient to intracerebral hemorrhage. In patients who presented with moyamoya, there was a statistically significant correlation between increasing doses of radiation and shorter time from radiation to disease presentation.
Autonomic control of acid phosphatase exocrine secretion by the rat prostate.

In vivo prostatic secretion was collected from retired breeder Sprague Dawley rats using a method for isolated perfusion of the rat prostatic urethra. Enzymatic acid phosphatase determination was performed on the collected effluent. Control acid phosphatase secretion was 24.2±2.7 nm over 30 minutes. Intravenous phenylephrine 5 mg/kg stimulated a 10 fold increase in acid phosphatase secretion. The secretion seen with phenylephrine was dose dependent and could be blocked with prazosin, but not yohimbine, atropine, or propranolol. Intravenous β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol caused no increase in the secretion of rat prostatic acid phosphatese. Intravenous administration of the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine also resulted in a dose dependent rise in acid phosphatase secretion. The stimulation seen could be blocked by atropine but not phentolamine or propranolol. The stimulation of acid phosphatase secretion seen with α1 adrenergic or cholinergic agonists was not additive. Intravenous vasoactive intestinal peptide did not stimulate acid phosphatase secretion nor did it augment the secretion induced by α1 adrenergic or cholinergic agonists. Release of acid phosphatase into rat prostatic exocrine secretion is under both α1 adrenergic and cholinergic control.
Rank Regularization and Bayesian Inference for Tensor Completion and Extrapolation

A novel regularizer of the PARAFAC decomposition factors capturing the tensor's rank is proposed in this paper, as the key enabler for completion of three-way data arrays with missing entries. Set in a Bayesian framework, the tensor completion method incorporates prior information to enhance its smoothing and prediction capabilities. This probabilistic approach can naturally accommodate general models for the data distribution, lending itself to various fitting criteria that yield optimum estimates in the maximum-a-posteriori sense. In particular, two algorithms are devised for Gaussian- and Poisson-distributed data, that minimize the rank-regularized least-squares error and Kullback-Leibler divergence, respectively. The proposed technique is able to recover the “ground-truth” tensor rank when tested on synthetic data, and to complete brain imaging and yeast gene expression datasets with 50% and 15% of missing entries respectively, resulting in recovery errors at -11 dB and -15 dB.