cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stem Rust, Tan Spot, Stagonospora nodorum Blotch, and Hessian Fly Resistance in Langdon Durum–Aegilops tauschii Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat Lines

Diseases and pests of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cause serious yield and quality losses to wheat grown worldwide. In the current study we tested synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) lines developed from various lines of Aegilops tauschii Cosson crossed with the tetraploid durum wheat (T. turgidum L.) cultivar Langdon. These SHW lines were tested along with their durum wheat and A. tauschii parents for resistance to stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis Pers.:Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. and E. Henn.), tan spot [caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs.], and Stagonospora nodorum blotch [SNB; caused by Phaeosphaeria nodorum (E. Mull.) Hedjar] as well as for resistance to Hessian fly [Mayetiola destructor (Say) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)]. Langdon durum and all SHW lines were resistant to all races tested for stem rust. Although the durum parent Langdon was susceptible to tan spot, SNB, and Hessian fly, resistance was identified in several synthetic lines for each disease or pest indicating that the A. tauschii lines used in constructing the SHW lines are potentially useful sources of resistance. These resistant SHW lines are presently being used to characterize new sources of the resistance and introgress the resistance into bread wheat.
Robustness of sample size re-estimation procedure in clinical trials (arbitrary populations).

In clinical trials, one of the main questions that is being asked is how many additional observations, if any, are needed beyond those originally planned. In a two-treatment double-blind clinical experiment, one is interested in testing the null hypothesis of equality of the means against one-sided alternative when the common variance sigma2 is unknown. We wish to determine the required total sample size when the error probabilities alpha and beta are specified at a predetermined alternative. Shih provided a two-stage procedure which is an extension of Stein's one-sample procedure, assuming normal response. He estimates sigma2 by the method of maximum likelihood via the EM algorithm and carries out a simulation study in order to evaluate the effective level of significance and the power. The author proposed a closed-form estimator for sigma2 and showed analytically that the difference between the effective and nominal levels of significance is negligible and that the power exceeds 1-beta when the initial sample size is large. Here we consider responses from arbitrary distributions in which the mean and the variance are not functionally related and show that when the initial sample size is large, the conclusions drawn previously by the author still hold. The effective coverage probability of a fixed-width interval is also evaluated. Proofs of certain assertions are deferred to the Appendix.
Epidemiology of death from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in New Mexico

Background The authors report the first retrospective analysis of all reported cases of death from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the state of New Mexico from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2007. Methods Data were obtained from the New Mexico Vital Records and Health Statistics Department in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Results The incidence of death from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the state of New Mexico is 2.96/100 000 people per year. Each cultural subgroup and various risk factors in these patients were further analyzed. Conclusions This report represents the first documented review of death from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the state of New Mexico. There was a lower incidence in New Mexico compared with the national average. Cultural breakdowns and associated epidemiological factors are discussed.
Safety data on zimelidine hydrochloride following an overdose.

Zimelidine, a new antidepressant, has proved to be a potent and selective inhibitor of 5-HT uptake into central 5-HT neurons. Due to its structural differences from the tricyclic antidepressants, it has also been suggested that it might have a different pharmacological profile, and be devoid of anticholinergic and noradrenaline potentiating properties. During the treatment with zimelidine hydrochloride, as a part of an open trial, one of our patients, a 38-year-old chronically depressed woman, overdosed herself with more than 10 times the actual therapeutic dose of zimelidine with no undesirable side effects. Previous studies have indicated that zimelidine in comparison with imipramine and chlorimipramine has no, or at most, a slight effect on peripheral adrenergic neurons, and has less pronounced anticholinergic properties than imipramine. The findings of our overdose case provide some support for these findings.
A Review of Fusion-Fission (Hybrid) Concepts

The 14-MeV neutrons from a controlled DT fusion plasma can potentially be used to produce neutron source multiplication and energy multiplication through fission in a heavy-element blanket surround...
Characterization of specific δ-opioid binding sites in the distal small intestine of swine

Abstract Delta-opioid receptors modulate neurogenic smooth muscle contractions and mucosal ion transport in the porcine distal small intestine. We compared specific δ-opioid binding sites in neuronal membranes isolated from the inner submucosal plexus and myenteric plexus of this gut region. In both preparations, the δ-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole displaced [ 3 H]diprenorphine from two binding sites. [ 3 H]Naltrindole bound specifically to a single high-affinity site that was displaced by δ-opioid receptor ligands with the rank order of affinity: naltriben >7-benzylidenenaltrexone>deltorphin II>[ d -Pen 2 , d -Pen 5 ] enkephalin. Relative decreases in δ-opioid receptor agonist affinity in the presence of Na + and other ions differed in submucosal and myenteric membranes. The κ-opioid receptor antagonist norbinaltorphimine displaced [ 3 H]naltrindole binding in myenteric membranes ( K i =7.2 nM). Delta-opioid receptors in submucosal and myenteric plexuses of porcine ileum appear to differ in some respects.
Aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons isolated from Trinidad Lake asphalt

Aliphatic hydrocarbons isolated from Trinidad Lake asphalt by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry appear to be unlike hydrocarbons
Edge-based structural features for content-based image retrieval

Abstract This paper proposes structural features for content-based image retrieval (CBIR), especially edge/structure features extracted from edge maps. The feature vector is computed through a “water-filling algorithm” applied on the edge map of the original image. The purpose of this algorithm is to efficiently extract information embedded in the edges. The new features are more generally applicable than texture or shape features. Experiments show that the new features can catch salient edge/structure information and improve the retrieval performance.
Stability of early-stage amyloid-β(1–42) aggregation species☆

Accumulation of aggregated amyloid-β protein (Aβ) is an important feature of Alzheimer's disease. There is significant interest in understanding the initial steps of Aβ aggregation due to the recent focus on soluble Aβ oligomers. In vitro studies of Aβ aggregation have been aided by the use of conformation-specific antibodies which recognize shape rather than sequence. One of these, OC antiserum, recognizes certain elements of fibrillar Aβ across a broad range of sizes. We have observed the presence of these fibrillar elements at very early stages of Aβ incubation. Using a dot blot assay, OC-reactivity was found in size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-purified Aβ(1-42) monomer fractions immediately after isolation (early-stage). The OC-reactivity was not initially observed in the same fractions for Aβ(1-40) or the aggregation-restricted Aβ(1-42) L34P but was detected within 1-2weeks of incubation. Stability studies demonstrated that early-stage OC-positive Aβ(1-42) aggregates were resistant to 4M urea or guanidine hydrochloride but sensitive to 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Interestingly, the sensitivity to SDS diminished over time upon incubation of the SEC-purified Aβ(1-42) solution at 4°C. Within 6-8days the OC-positive Aβ42 aggregates were resistant to SDS denaturation. The progression to, and development of, SDS resistance for Aβ(1-42) occurred prior to thioflavin T fluorescence. In contrast, Aβ(1-40) aggregates formed after 6days of incubation were sensitive to both urea and SDS. These findings reveal information on some of the earliest events in Aβ aggregation and suggest that it may be possible to target early-stage aggregates before they develop significant stability.
Do estrogens always increase breast cancer risk

The etiology of breast cancer is closely linked to the female hormone estrogen, with high life-time exposure being suggested to increase breast cancer risk [Nature 303 (1983) 767]. However, there appears to be a disparity between studies attempting to establish an association between high estrogen levels and breast cancer risk. This disparity becomes smaller by taking into consideration a timing factor, and we propose that estrogens can increase, decrease, or have no effect on breast cancer risk, depending on the timing of estrogen exposure. We further propose that the timing of estrogenic exposures may play at least as important a role in affecting breast cancer risk as life-time exposure.
Simultaneous two-frequency oscillation in a dye laser system

Abstract We describe a continuously tunable dye laser operating two-wavelengths simultaneously over a tuning range of about 250 A. With a beam splitter, two polarizers and two gratings the two output beams are spatially coherent and can be of any desirable polarizations with respect to each other.
Enterprise transformation through aspects and levels: Zachman Bayesian approach

Abstract The Zachman Framework allows a whole enterprise approach to quality by structuring the Bayesian consideration of quality measures throughout the health system enterprise and its multidimensional aspects. The idea is to summarize the state of quality at the health care enterprise level by considering the state of quality at the business, system, technology, and component and operations levels. In addition, the areas of processes, networks, organization, timing, motivation and inventory are considered within the 36-cell Zachman Framework as customized for healthcare enterprises. Bayesian inference may also be employed to update quality distributions in limited and particular areas of the enterprise where quality information is not available; in these cases, a temporary yet reasonable inference may be draw based upon quality performance measures available in complementary and incommensurate areas of the enterprise. Analyses are conducted which show correlation impacts and the importance of interrelationships throughout a healthcare enterprise. The collection and collocation of quality measures allows ready tests for the coherence and consistency of enterprise improvement campaigns. For example, the framework supports the determination of whether the enterprise is driven by functional sections, or whether it is more characterized by strata as a hierarchical organization.
Effects of Varying Austenitizing Temperature and Cooling Rate on the Ability of HSLA-80 Steel to Achieve a Yield Strength Comparable to HSLA-100

Heat treating experiments were conducted on HSLA-80 steel in order to maximize the yield strength. This paper concentrates on the optimization of the austenitizing treatment and the cooling rate. The optimum austenitization temperature was found to vary with plate thickness. In all cases, the time at temperature was 60 min followed by immersion in water. Double austenitization and other cooling rates did not significantly improve the yield strength. A heat treatment was found for the 19 mm and 32 mm thick plates that improved the yield strength beyond that specified for HSLA-100 steel.
Capsule Commentary on Bump et al., Hold-Over Admissions: Are They Educational for Residents?

This study by Bump et al.1 surveyed internal medicine residents in a large academic residency about factors related to the work and educational value of “hold-over” admissions (“a resident receiving a patient already admitted by another resident”), estimated to comprise 43 % of admissions. Residents report spending 30 % less time on hold-overs compared to new admissions (56 min vs. 80 min). They also report poorer understanding of the history and pre-admission course, and 26 % feel “decreased ownership” of hold-over admissions. Despite the above, they perceive a neutral effect of the “hold-over” on the educational value of an admission. Hold-overs are relatively new phenomena, first seen after the 2003 residency duty-hour restrictions (implementation of the 80-h work-week and 30-h shift), and now with much greater frequency, as the 2011 restrictions (limiting interns to 16-h shifts) resulted in widespread use of day/night shifts. Although this study was a single-center survey based on residents’ recall, it is nonetheless an important look at the mechanics and perceptions of hold-overs. The finding that resident perception of the educational value of an admission was not affected by hold-over status is notable, given concerns raised by internal medicine program directors in a survey in 2010 about the impending duty-hour restrictions.2 However, with significant reductions in time spent on a large portion of admissions, we should not assume educational non-inferiority. With the upcoming implementation of the Reporting Milestones,3 residency programs and teaching physicians will be charged with documenting readiness for independent practice in numerous domains. We’ve already seen our residents spend less time in direct patient care and more time on documentation and coordination of care,4 while having less availability for didactic activities.5 Even if the perception is that hold-over admissions provide similar educational benefit, we may very well see that key skills such a history-taking and physical examination suffer, while communication skills are more easily honed. The hold-over admission is here to stay. We will need to ensure that we maintain or improve the teaching and practice of all the skills necessary for completing an admission.
Simulation of low-density nozzle plumes in non-zero ambient pressures

The direct simulation Monte-Carlo (DSMC) method was applied to the analysis of low-density nitrogen plumes exhausting from a small converging-diverging nozzle into finite ambient pressures. Two cases were considered that simulated actual test conditions in a vacuum facility. The numerical simulations readily captured the complicated flow structure of the overexpanded plumes adjusting to the finite ambient pressures, including Mach disks and barrel shaped shocks. The numerical simulations compared well to experimental data of Rothe.
Alteration of inhibitor selectivity by site-directed mutagenesis of Arg294 in the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Anabaena PCC 7120

Previous alanine scanning mutagenesis of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Anabaena PCC 7120 indicated that Arg(294) plays a role in inhibition by orthophosphate [J. Sheng, J. Preiss, Biochemistry 36 (1997) 13077]. In this study, analysis of several site-directed mutants in the presence of different metabolic effectors showed that the primary inhibitor for two of the mutant proteins, R294A and R294Q, was no longer orthophosphate but rather NADPH, which was a reversal in the pattern of inhibitor selectivity from the wild-type. Despite the differences in charge and size, analysis of the purified R294K, R294E, and R294Q mutant enzymes demonstrated similar decreases in orthophosphate affinity as the R294A mutant, while most of the other kinetic values were similar to those reported for the wild-type. All these results suggest that the positive charge of Arg(294) is not specifically involved in orthophosphate binding and that it is important in determining inhibitor selectivity.
Tight-binding quantum molecular-dynamics simulations of hydrogen in silicon

We have carried out molecular-dynamics simulations of neutral hydrogen in crystalline silicon using tight-binding (TB) quantum-mechanical total energies and forces. A well-established model due to Goodwin et al. is used for the Si-Si interactions. For the Si-H interactions, we have fit our Harrison-type TB model to the known properties of silane and to both theoretical and experimental information about hydrogen in crystalline silicon. Several simulations performed in the temperature range of 1050 to 2000 K yield a diffusion curve in good agreement with experiment. The H diffusion is found to be jumplike between bond-centered (BC) sites, and the trapping of H at the BC site is mediated by a metastable onefold coordinated H configuration which weakens adjacent Si-Si bonds, allowing the H to enter the BC site. Vibrational frequencies for hydrogen at the BC site are also calculated and isotopic frequency shifts are discussed.
UV-induced mutation hotspots occur at DNA damage hotspots

The frequency of UV-induced mutations at specific nucleotides along the lacI gene of Escherichia coli varies by as much as 80-fold1. The spectrum of mutations to amber, ochre, and UGA chain-terminating codons includes five hotspots accounting for over 30% of these UV-induced nonsense mutations1. The simplest explanation for the hotspot phenomenon is that the mutation frequency reflects the frequency of UV-induced DNA damage at the mutation site. To test this possibility, we measured the distribution, in a 380-base pair (bp) region of the lacI gene containing the nonsense mutation hotspots, of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine–pyrimidine (6-4) photoproducts. The latter (also called the PydC lesion) is a UV-induced DNA lesion which occurs predominantly at TC and CC sequences2. The results reported here reveal the presence of UV-induced base damage hotspots which include the nonsense mutation hotspots. There is a linear relationship between base damage incidence and mutation incidence. The results suggest that the UV-induced pyrimidine–pyrimidine (6-4) lesion may be mutagenic.
On the Azimuthal Asymmetry of Cosmic-Ray Intensity above the Atmosphere at the Geomagnetic Equator

By means of Geiger-Mueller tube telescopes in an Aerobee sounding rocket fired to high altitude at the geomagnetic equator, information on the azimuthal asymmetry of the cosmic-ray intensity above the atmosphere has been obtained. These results, in conjunction with previously reported vertical intensities and specific ionizations at $\ensuremath{\lambda}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and $\ensuremath{\lambda}=41\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$N, are consistent with the hypothesis that most of the primaries are positively charged protons with differential number spectrum of the form $dN=K{E}^{\ensuremath{-}1.9}\mathrm{dE}$ in the energy region 5 to 23 Bev.
The predictive utility of narcissism among children and adolescents: Evidence for a distinction between adaptive and maladaptive narcissism.

We examined the predictive utility of narcissism among a community sample of children and adolescents (N=98) longitudinally. Analyses focused on the differential utility between maladaptive and adaptive narcissism for predicting later delinquency. Maladaptive narcissism significantly predicted self-reported delinquency at one-, two-, and three-year follow-ups. This pattern held even when considering other intrapersonal risk factors for conduct problems (i.e., callous-unemotional traits, impulsivity), parenting practices, and when controlling for earlier conduct problems. In addition, adaptive narcissism was predictive of delinquency in the absence of positive parenting practices, with maladaptive narcissism being particularly predictive of delinquency in the presence of negative parenting. The implications for understanding delinquency in terms of the social and motivational characteristics that are the hallmark of maladaptive narcissism are discussed.
Disciplining Bodies at Risk Cardiac Rehabilitation and the Medicalization of Fitness

Based on ethnographic research in cardiac rehabilitation clinics, this article demonstrates how messages about risk are contradictory and shifting. In education sessions that teach clients about ri...
High-energy photons from quark-gluon plasma versus hot hadronic gas

Photons in the energy range of about one-half to several GeV have been proposed as a signal of the formation of a quark-gluon plasma in high-energy collisions. To lowest order the thermal emission rate is infrared divergent for massless quarks, but we regulate this divergence using the resummation technique of Braaten and Pisarski. Photons can also be produced in the hadron phase. We find that the dominant contribution comes from the reactions $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\gamma}$; the decays $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ are also significant. Comparing the thermal emission rates at a temperature $T=200$ MeV we conclude that the hadron gas shines just as brightly as the quark-gluon plasma.
POLITENESS AS A UNIVERSAL VARIABLE IN CROSS‐CULTURAL MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

Training programs designed to enhance managerial effectiveness at cross‐cultural communication tend to be directed at specific target cultures. This paper argues that an etic approach, one based on universal variables that occur in every culture and that vary across cultures, comprises an important alternative. This paper reviews anthropological/sociolinguistic research on one universal variable, “politeness.” Politeness, or linguistic indirection used to show social consideration, is a crucial element of interpersonal communication in all human cultures, yet it has received little mention in the literature. Implications of politeness for managerial cross‐cultural communication are explored. The implications of a universalistic approach to cross‐cultural communication training are discussed.
Polar synchronization and the synchronized climatic history of Greenland and Antarctica

Abstract Stable isotope proxies from ice cores show subtle differences in the climatic fluctuations of the Arctic and Antarctic, and recent analyses have revealed evidence of polar synchronization at the millennial time scale. At this scale, we analogize the polar climates of the last ice ages to two coupled nonlinear oscillators, which adjust their natural rhythms until they synchronize at a common frequency and constant phase shift. Heat and mass transfers across the intervening ocean and atmosphere make the coupling possible. Here we statistically demonstrate the existence of this phenomenon in polar proxy records with methane-matched age models, and quantify their phase relationship. We show that the time series of representative proxy records of the last glaciation recorded in Greenland (GRIP, NGRIP) and Antarctica (Byrd, Dome C) satisfy phase synchronization conditions, independently of age, for periods ranging 1–6 ky, and can be transformed into one another by a π/2 phase shift, with Antarctica temperature variations leading Greenland's. Based on these results, we use the polar synchronization paradigm to replicate the 800 ky-long, Antarctic, EPICA time series from a theoretical model that extends Greenland's 100 ky-long GRIP record to 800 ky. Statistical analysis of the simulated and actual Antarctic records shows that the procedure is stable to change in adjustable parameters, and requires the coupling between the polar climates to be proportional mainly to the difference in heat storage between the two regions.
The synthesis and chemistry of [11‐14C]‐dibenz[b,f] [1,4]oxazepine

The synthesis of [11-14C]-dibenz[b,f][1,4]oxazepine 1 is described. Chromium trioxide – pyridine oxidation of 1 gives [11-14C]-10, 11-dihydrodibenz [b,f][1,4] oxazepin-11-one 3 which on hydrolysis gives 2-amino-2′-[14C]-carboxydiphenylether 4. Hydrogenation of 1 affords [11-14C]-10, 11-dihydrodibenz[b,f][1,4]oxazepine 5. The enzymic conversion of 1 into 2-amino-2′-[14C]-hydroxymethyldiphenyl ether 6 is described.
Invincible, but Not Invisible: Imaging Approaches Toward In Vivo Detection of Cancer Stem Cells

With evidence emerging in support of a cancer stem-cell model of carcinogenesis, it is of paramount importance to identify and image these elusive cells in their natural environment. The cancer stem-cell hypothesis has the potential to explain unresolved questions of tumorigenesis, tumor heterogeneity, chemotherapeutic and radiation resistance, and even the metastatic phenotype. Intravital imaging of cancer stem cells could be of great value for determining prognosis, as well as monitoring therapeutic efficacy and influencing therapeutic protocols. Cancer stem cells represent a rare population of cells, as low as 0.1% of cells within a human tumor, and the phenotype of isolated cancer stem cells is easily altered when placed under in vitro conditions. This represents a challenge in studying cancer stem cells without manipulation or extraction from their natural environment. Advanced imaging techniques allow for the in vivo observation of physiological events at cellular resolution. Cancer stem-cell studies must take advantage of such technology to promote a better understanding of the cancer stem-cell model in relation to tumor growth and metastasis, as well as to potentially improve on the principles by which cancers are treated. This review examines the opportunities for in vivo imaging of putative cancer stem cells with regard to currently accepted cancer stem-cell characteristics and advanced imaging technologies.
BDMPI: conquering BigData with small clusters using MPI

The problem of processing massive amounts of data on clusters with finite amount of memory has become an important problem facing the parallel/distributed computing community. While MapReduce-style technologies provide an effective means for addressing various problems that fit within the MapReduce paradigm, there are many classes of problems for which this paradigm is ill-suited. In this paper we present a runtime system for traditional MPI programs that enables the efficient and transparent disk-based execution of distributed-memory parallel programs. This system, called BDMPI, leverages the semantics of MPI's API to orchestrate the execution of a large number of MPI processes on much fewer compute nodes, so that the running processes maximize the amount of computation that they perform with the data fetched from the disk. BDMPI enables the development of efficient parallel distributed memory disk-based codes without the high engineering and algorithmic complexities associated with multiple levels of blocking. BDMPI achieves significantly better performance than existing technologies on a single node (GraphChi) as well as on a small cluster (Hadoop).
Toward the optoelectronic ULSI: drivers and barriers

We describe the state of the art in optoelectronic component integration, and the current degree of commercial deployment of integrated optoelectronics as dictated by the balance of market pull and technology push. We also present the long-term outlook for optoelectronic integration, including the drivers and barriers that set the roadmap toward the optoelectronic ULSI. We discuss an optoelectronic integration platform that utilizes organic and inorganic materials for the hybrid integration of passive and active optical elements.
Consistency of Kaluza-Klein sphere reductions of symmetric potentials

In a recent paper, the complete (nonlinear) Kaluza-Klein Ansatz for the consistent embedding of certain scalar plus gravity subsectors of gauged maximal supergravity in D=4, 5, and 7 was presented in terms of sphere reductions from D=11 or type-IIB supergravity. The scalar fields included in the truncations were the diagonal fields in the SL(N,R)/SO(N) scalar submanifolds of the full scalar sectors of the corresponding maximal supergravities, with N=8, 6, and 5. The embeddings were used for obtaining an interpretation of extremal D=4, 5, or 7 AdS domain walls in terms of distributed M-branes or D-branes in the higher dimensions. Although strong supporting evidence for the correctness of the embedding Ansaetze was presented, a full proof of the consistency was not given. Here we complete the proof by showing explicitly that the full set of higher-dimensional equations of motion is satisfied if and only if the lower-dimensional fields satisfy the relevant scalar plus gravity equations. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
A three‐dimensional microstructure‐based photon‐tracking model of radiative transfer in snow

[1] Solar radiation is a key component of the energy budget of snow-covered landscapes. Even a thin snow cover reflects most of the incident sunlight and transmits little. An understanding of the interaction of solar radiation with snow is essential to the study of the snow thermodynamics, chemistry, hydrology, ecology, and remote sensing. To investigate this interaction, a microstructure-based photon-tracking algorithm is presented. The three-dimensional snow microstructure is provided either by a discrete element model defined by shape, size, and spatial arrangement of individual ice grains or by an X-ray microtomography image of a snowpack. The model uses refraction, Fresnel reflection, and absorption laws, and the only optical input parameters are the complex index of refraction and absorption coefficient. The model follows individual photons through the microstructure, a porous network of ice and air, applying the fundamental optics laws at the ice-air interfaces and within the ice. By firing tens of thousands of photons a detailed examination of the spectral radiance and irradiance above, below, and within the snowpack is possible. The model was compared to results from a discrete ordinates model, and its sensitivity to the microstructural representation was studied. It was applied to investigate changes in reflected, absorbed, and transmitted light as a function of wavelength, snow depth, grain size, and snow density, used to predict the amount and direction of scattering within the snowpack, and used to explore the interaction of a collimated beam with snow.
Connexin hemichannels and cell-cell channels: comparison of properties

Connexin46 (Cx46) forms functional hemichannels in the absence of contact by an apposed hemichannel and we have used these hemichannels to study gating and permeation at the single channel level with high time resolution. Using both cell-attached and -excised patch configurations, we find that single Cx46 hemichannels exhibit some properties expected of half of a gap junction channel, as well as novel properties. Cx46 hemichannels have a large unitary conductance (~300 pS) and a relatively large pore as inferred from permeability to TEA. Both monovalent cations and anions can permeate, but cations are substantially more permeable. The open channel conductance shows marked inward rectification in symmetric salts. We find that the conductance and permeability properties of Cx46 cell-cell channels can be explained by the series addition of two hemichannels. These data suggest that the pore structures of unapposed hemichannels and cell-cell channels are conserved. Also like cell-cell channels, unapposed Cx46 hemichannels are closed by elevated levels of H+ or Ca2+ ions on the cytoplasmic face. Closure occurs in excised patches indicating that the actions of these agents do not require a soluble cytoplasmic factor. Fast (<0.5 ms) application of H+ to either side of the open hemichannel causes an immediate small reduction in unitary conductance followed by complete closure with latencies that are dependent on H+ concentration and side of application; sensitivity is much greater to H+ on the cytoplasmic side. Closure by cytoplasmic H+ does not require that the hemichannel be open. Thus, H+ ions readily permeate Cx46 hemichannels, but at high enough concentration close them by acting at a cytoplasmic site(s) that causes a conformational change resulting in complete closure. Extracellular H+ may permeate to act on the cytoplasmic site or act on a lower affinity extracellular site. Thus, the unapposed hemichannel is a valuable tool in addressing fundamental questions concerning the operation of gap junction channels that are difficult to answer by existing methods. The ability of Cx46, and perhaps other connexins, to form functional unapposed hemichannels that are opened by moderate depolarization may represent an unexplored role of connexins as mediators of transport across the plasma membrane.
Going Home to Mother: Traditional Marriage among the Irigwe of Benue‐Plateau State, Nigeria1

The Irigwe marriage system in effect demands that men and women be married to several spouses in differing tribal sections during the course of their adult lives and precludes all divorce. It also ascribes patrivirilocal residence and assigns the paternity of each child a woman bears to the husband with whom she is residing at the time of the child's conception. Consequently women shift residence from husband to husband several times during the course of their lives, and unless childless they suffer intermittent separation from one or another of their dependent children. Spirit possession cults, involving nearly all the mature women of the tribe, supply both the emotional catharsis and the avenues for social integration to compensate the women for the repeated separations and social disjunctions the marriage system produces in their lives. [Irigwe; marriage; Nigeria; secondary marriage; spirit possession]
Hematin-induced hemolysis in acute porphyria.

Excerpt To the editor: Although complications associated with the use of hematin have been rare, we report a case of hematin-related hemolysis in a woman with severe acute intermittent porphyria. A...
Does length really matter? ... Oral and topical 5-aminosalicylic acid therapy for ulcerative colitis.

See relatedarticle onpagas 787-93 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) therapy has been the mainstay of therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC) for over 50 years. 5-ASA can be delivered to the colon with oral preparations that protect the compound from absorption in the proximal intestine so that it can be delivered to the colon to exert its effect, or delivered topically via enemas or suppositories. It has been known for quite some time that the combination of oral and topical 5-ASA therapy is superior to the use of either one alone, even for patients with pancolitis. Apparently, controlling rectal inflammation with topical therapy substantially diminishes some of the most troubling symptoms of UC like urgency, tenesmus, and bleeding even though more proximal inflammation is still present. The study by Paoluzi et al. in this issue of Digest Liver Dis (2002;34:787-93) from eight Italian specialty centres evaluated the effect of duration of topical therapy for the induction of remission on remission rates and maintenance effects ‘. A total of 149 patients with active UC were given 2.4 g of oral 5-ASA and randomized to either 4 weeks or 8 weeks of therapy with 2 g 5-ASA enemas. After the induction phase of the study, the 89 patients in remission were followed on 1.2 g of oral 5-ASA for one year. In the induction phase of the study, remission rates were 55% in the 4-week group and 64% in the 8-week group (not significant). In the maintenance phase of the study, remission was maintained in 50% of the patients in the 4-week group and 5 1% of the patients in the 8-week group (not significant). The conclusion of the study was that a longer induction period was not associated with a higher remission rate or with an improved maintenance of remission effect. The study by Paoluzi et al. compares favourably with other important studies of 5-ASA therapy for UC. Safti et al. in a multicentre US study compared 6 weeks of therapy with either 2.4 g of oral 5-ASA, once daily or 4g 5-ASA enemas, or a combination of both in patients with active left-sided UC 2. Remission rates, as defined by cessation of rectal bleeding for at least 4 days, were 45.5% in the oral 5-ASA group, 68.8% in the topical 5
Industry as a metabolic activity.

Abstract The concept of "industrial economic metabolism" can provide a bridge to better understanding between environmentalists and industry. In nature each individual or species reacts to natural stimuli, competing with others for resources, extending its domain until it loses comparative advantage and comes to equilibrium with an adjacent competitor. Those species that succeed over time flourish; those that do not, diminish or disappear. Nature's rule book has no moral or ethical ingredient beyond self-interest. Corporate metabolisms are remarkably similar to those of nature. They too react to stimuli, collect and use resources, and grow or perish based on how effectively they compete. Corporate management recognizes and responds naturally and efficiently to cost and price signals. Through them it selects resources and converts them into useful products. The efficiency with which this is done is measured by profit, the lifeblood of the corporation and its means of growth. Profit thus provides a discipline on corporate behavior, encouraging efficient performers, and, by its absence, weeding out others. Unfettered by influences other than economics, the path to corporate success is unlikely to be a compassionate one. The dilemma of the manager is that to do what is socially "right" often conflicts with what must be done to survive and prosper. Fortunately, corporations' behavior can be altered by society when their purely economic role comes into conflict with other human values. The environment and the economy are not separate systems but intertwined to form a complex natural and social setting. The human-designed economic system depends on natural resource inputs, and in turn its metabolic wastes can overload the ecological system, threatening the long-term survivability of both. Increasing concern for the environment now gives the farsighted manager new latitude. There are competitive benefits in some pollution prevention. But there are not sufficiently strong forces to correct all current ills. In addition, we must harness the metabolism of the industrial world to the realities of the natural one by recognizing the immense value of depletable natural resources and ecosystems. Considering these resources as "cheap" or "free" encourages their overuse. What is needed are adjustments that price these resources at their true longterm value. Corporations will respond naturally, quickly, and efficiently to such signals. If we can send our metabolic industry the economic signals it can understand, we can retrofit our human economic system to live in harmony with the natural ecosystem of which we are a part. If we do not, nature assuredly will not accommodate our failure by changing its ways.
Simvastatin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced osteoclastogenesis and reduces alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontal disease

Background and Objective Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and have anti-inflammatory effects independent of cholesterol lowering. Recent clinical studies have indicated that statin intake has beneficial effect on periodontal disease. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been well understood. In the current study, we employed a rat model with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced periodontal disease and determined the effect of simvastatin, a commonly prescribed statin, on osteoclastogenesis, gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss.
IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE THAT LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH) AND FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH) ARE PRESENT IN THE SAME CELL TYPE IN THE RHESUS MONKEY PITUITARY GLAND1

ABSTRACT: Antisera to oLHB and hFSH8 subunits were used to identify the gona-dotrophic cells in partes distalis and tuberalis of the rhesus monkey pituitary gland. The same cell type in pituitary glands obtained from male and female rhesus monkeys stained with both antisera. Immunocytochemical staining was observed in PAS positive cells that were randomly dispersed throughout the entire pars distalis. The gonadotrophs did not react with antisera to either hTSH8 or oACTH. These observations indicate that only one gonadotrophic cell type is present in the primate pituitary gland.
Mastery of stress in mothers of preterm infants.

purpose.To explore the relationships among, stress, social support, mastery, and depression design.Descriptive correlational study setting.60-bed, Level 3 NICU in an urban medical center in a Mid-Atlantic state participants.31 mothers who delivered infants born between 26 and 36 weeks gestation. Inclusion criteria included no maternal illness or complications requiring hospitalization beyond four days, and no report of a recent major stressful life event other than the birth of the child. major outcome measures.The Mastery of Stress Instrument, the Account of Social Resources Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale results.Social support was positively related to mastery and inversely related to depression. conclusions.Mothers of preterm infants experienced significant levels of stress and depression in the early postpartum period.
Abstract: Comparing GPU and Increment-Based Checkpoint Compression

Increasing size and complexity of high performance computing systems have led to major concerns over fault frequencies and the mechanisms necessary to tolerate these faults. Based on expected increases in core counts (to at least on the order of millions) and expected increases in component complexities, it has been projected that system MTBF for future extreme scale systems will fall below 10 minutes. Previous studies have shown that state-of-the-field checkpoint/restart, commonly employed mechanisms for application fault tolerance in HPC, will not scale sufficiently for these systems. Checkpoint/restart protocols periodically records the state and address space of all application processes to stable storage during normal operation. On a failure, a new incarnation of the failed process is recovered from the failed process' most recent checkpoint - thereby reducing the amount of lost computation. But due to the overhead associated with checkpoint/restart, researchers have been trying to optimize it using different strategies for example, hiding or reducing commit latencies or reducing checkpoint sizes for example Increment-based checkpoints. Instead of saving the whole address space, Increment-based checkpoints only save the changes in application's address space that was made after the last checkpoint was taken, thus reducing the size of the checkpoints. In our previous study, we explored the feasibility of checkpoint data compression to reduce checkpoint commit latency and storage overheads. We also demonstrated that checkpoint data compression can improve an application's makespan significantly. In this work, we compare checkpoint compression against Increment-based checkpoints and also look into GPU-based compression algorithm for faster compression performance. GPUs are known for their extreme parallelism and can be very fast. In this study, we compare CPU-based compression algorithm with GPU-based checkpoint compression and tried to leverage from the faster parallel implementation of GPU-based compression algorithm. We demonstrate that although GPU-based compression algorithm can accelerate compression/decompression speed significantly, their poor compression performance limits their usefulness. We compare checkpoint compression against increment-based checkpoint optimization and demonstrate that checkpoint compression can exceed the performance of an optimal incremental checkpointing scheme. We show that the greatest checkpoint performance can be realized when CPU-based compression is used in conjunction with incremental checkpointing. Lastly we motivate future GPU-based compression development by exploring various hypothetical scenarios.
Numerical Study on Flow Characteristics in a Stirring Vessel

In order to improve the desulphurization efficiency of KR mixing method in the process of molten iron refining, the method of CFD was used to analyze the flow field in a stirring vessel. The Fluent software was adopted to simulate and analyze the internal flow rule in a 3D stirring vessel with the method of multiple reference frame approach, and the corresponding models of Euler two-phase flow fluid model and standard k-e turbulence model were used. By comparing with the experimental result, the influence of important parameters of agitator on internal flow field in the stirring vessel, such as rotational velocity, immersion depth and impeller type was discussed, and the flow structure was analyzed as well.
An indirect estimate of auditory‐frequency selectivity from acoustic‐reflex measurements

Changes in the magnitude of the acoustic reflex were used to estimate frequency resolution of the auditory system for five human subjects. Acoustic‐reflex adaptation (decay) was produced by presenting a 2000‐Hz sinusoid (adaptor) for 25 s. The spread of this adaptation to adjacent (test) frequencies was determined by evaluating the effect of the adaptor upon the magnitude of the acoustic reflex. The mean data from the experiment suggest that recovery from acoustic‐reflex adaptation is more rapid for test frequencies below the adaptor frequency than for test frequencies above the adaptor. When these data are compared to tone‐on‐tone masking functions, qualitative similarities emerge between frequency selectivity observed psychophysically and those observed during measurement of acoustic‐reflex activity.
The Red Side of Photomorphogenesis

The importance of light to normal plant growth and development cannot be overstated. As sessile photoautotrophs, plants depend on efficient light capture to compete and reproduce successfully within a relatively restricted geographical realm. For this purpose, these organisms have evolved very
White, Black, and Latino Homicide Rates: Why the Difference?

The racial homicide differential in the United States is extraordinarily large, with minorities exhibiting much higher homicide rates than non-Latino whites. Several sociological explanations for crime suggest that if whites were subjected to the same structural pressures as minorities, white homicide rates would approach levels currently experienced among minorities. Based on 1990 data for 129 U.S. metropolitan areas, this study quantifies the extent to which differences in structural characteristics among the non-Latino white, non-Latino black, and Latino populations contribute to the homicide differential. The analysis reveals that all of the white-Latino homicide differential and about half of the white-black homicide gap could be reduced if the characteristics of minorities were improved to levels currently exhibited by whites.
Yes We Can! Prejudice Reduction Through Seeing (Inequality) and Believing (in Social Change)

We investigated the effect of differential perceived efficacy to reduce racial inequality (in the context of increased awareness of illegitimate in-group advantages) on White Americans’ intergroup attitudes and antidiscrimination behavior. White American university students read a passage describing the underrepresentation of African Americans in their university’s faculty and then wrote letters to the university administration in support of appointing more African Americans to the faculty. We experimentally varied feedback concerning efficacy to change institutional racism. Before writing their letters, participants were told that there was a low, moderate, or high chance that their efforts would be effective. Later in the experiment, participants’ perceived efficacy to influence their university system was measured. Intergroup attitudes improved and antidiscrimination actions increased among participants with higher perceived efficacy in comparison with participants with low perceived efficacy. Collective guilt partially mediated the effects of efficacy beliefs on antidiscrimination actions and fully mediated the effects of efficacy beliefs on intergroup attitudes.