cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relating hydroclimatic change to streamflow, baseflow, and hydrologic partitioning in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, 1980 to 2015

Abstract Understanding how changing climatic conditions affect streamflow volume and timing is critical for effective water management. In the Rio Grande Basin of the southwest U.S., decreasing snowpack, increasing minimum temperatures, and decreasing streamflow have been observed in recent decades, but the effects of hydroclimatic changes on baseflow, or groundwater discharge to streams, have not been investigated. In this study, we determine how trends in precipitation, snowpack accumulation, and snowmelt rate relate to total streamflow, baseflow, and the hydrologic partitioning of baseflow and runoff at 12 sites in the Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) during 1980 to 2015. Total streamflow was partitioned into baseflow and runoff components at a daily time step using conductivity-mass-balance hydrograph separation. Trends in annual total streamflow, baseflow, runoff, baseflow index, precipitation, snowmelt rate, and peak snow water equivalent (SWE) were evaluated from 1980 to 2015 using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test. Results indicate that baseflow forms a large component of total streamflow, contributing an average of 49% of total discharge upstream of Albuquerque, NM. During 1980 to 2015, decreasing trends in total streamflow occurred at 9 of 12 sites and were almost always associated with decreases in baseflow, suggesting that baseflow volumes can respond to changing climatic and anthropogenic conditions within decades. Decreasing snowmelt rates were more frequently associated with decreases in baseflow and total streamflow than were decreases in precipitation and peak SWE, highlighting the importance of snowmelt rate as a process controlling streamflow generation. If snow accumulation and snowmelt rates continue to decrease in the future, results indicate that total streamflow and baseflow volumes will decline, and that baseflow will become a larger fraction of total streamflow in the URGB.
Illness uncertainty, coping, and quality of life among patients with prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE Illness uncertainty is a significant source of psychological distress that affects cancer patients' quality of life (QOL). Mishel's uncertainty in illness theory (UIT) proposes that illness uncertainty influences an individual's use of coping strategies, and directly and indirectly influences their QOL. This study tested the relationships depicted in the adapted UIT in cancer patients. METHODS This cross-sectional study is a secondary analysis of the baseline data from a randomized clinical trial (N = 263 prostate cancer patients). Patients were diagnosed with localized (64.6%), biochemical recurrent (12.6%), or advanced (22.8%) prostate cancer. Uncertainty, coping (avoidant and active coping strategies), and QOL (physical and mental well-being) were measured using the Mishel's uncertainty of illness scale, Brief COPE, and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item short form (SF-12), respectively. We used path analysis to achieve the research aim. RESULTS Patients' illness uncertainty directly, negatively influenced their physical well-being (P < .001) and mental well-being (P < .05). Patients' illness uncertainty was positively related to their avoidant coping strategies (P < .001). Patients' active and avoidant coping strategies influenced their mental well-being (P < .001). Uncertainty also negatively influenced mental well-being through avoidant coping strategies. The model had excellent fit to the data. CONCLUSIONS Our findings have indicated the potential of improving QOL by decreasing illness uncertainty and reducing avoidant coping strategies. Future research is needed to better understand the complex relationships between illness uncertainty, coping strategies, and domains of QOL among patients with different types of cancer using longitudinal research.
Unilateral Congenital Cataracts

Unilateral congenital cataracts are believed to result from localized ocular dysgenesis. Approximately 80–90% of unilateral cataracts are idiopathic. They are rarely associated with systemic anomalies and hence do not require systemic workup. Nuclear cataracts are common. Posterior capsule plaques are frequently encountered with unilateral congenital cataracts. Persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) poses special challenges in management. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are critical for visually significant unilateral congenital cataracts owing to competition from the dominant normal eye. Preoperative counselling should stress the importance of full-time optical correction and amblyopia management. The visual outcomes are limited by early onset of deprivation amblyopia.
Application of machine learning to the prediction of postoperative sepsis after appendectomy.

Abstract Background We applied various machine learning algorithms to a large national dataset to model the risk of postoperative sepsis after appendectomy to evaluate utility of such methods and identify factors associated with postoperative sepsis in these patients. Methods The National Surgery Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify patients undergoing appendectomy between 2005 and 2017. Logistic regression, support vector machines, random forest decision trees, and extreme gradient boosting machines were used to model the occurrence of postoperative sepsis. Results In the study, 223,214 appendectomies were identified; 2,143 (0.96%) were indicated as having postoperative sepsis. Logistic regression (area under the curve 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.68−0.73), random forest decision trees (area under the curve 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.68−0.73), and extreme gradient boosting (area under the curve 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.68−0.73) afforded similar performance, while support vector machines (area under the curve 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.50−0.52) had worse performance. Variable importance analyses identified preoperative congestive heart failure, transfusion, and acute renal failure as predictors of postoperative sepsis. Conclusion Machine learning methods can be used to predict the development of sepsis after appendectomy with moderate accuracy. Such predictive modeling has potential to ultimately allow for preoperative recognition of patients at risk for developing postoperative sepsis after appendectomy thus facilitating early intervention and reducing morbidity.
(Relative) Freedom in Algorithms: How Digital Platforms Repurpose Workplace Consent

This research explores how the shift from human to algorithms as managers affects the nature of worker experience and autonomy, namely a new form of social relations of production. Drawing on a fou...
Global patterns of necrotizing soft tissue infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Frequency, microbiology, and outcomes of necrotizing soft tissue infections vary based on locoregional and environmental factors; however, there has been no global survey of these patterns. We performed a systematic review/meta-analysis on published reports of necrotizing soft tissue infections from across the globe. Methods Peer-reviewed empirical studies examining rates of polymicrobial and monomicrobial necrotizing soft tissue infections with microbial isolation and overall mortality rate were extracted along with geographic location using PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Web of Science. Random-effects meta-analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed, adjusting for publication bias. Meta-regression analyses examined moderator effects of risk factors. Results One hundred and five studies (8,718 total patients) were included. Pooled prevalence of polymicrobial and monomicrobial infections were 53% and 37.9%, respectively. Truncal necrotizing soft tissue infections were commonly polymicrobial (P Conclusion Although polymicrobial infections remain predominant worldwide, the incidence of monomicrobial infections is increasing. The observed decline in necrotizing soft tissue infection–related mortality is encouraging and may reflect advances in management, despite major variations in available healthcare resources globally.
Online Retrieval: Analysis and Strategy

Computer Power Computer Limits Online Retrieval Commercial Online Database Vendors Searching Fundamentals Search Strategy Search Concepts Database Selection Psychological Factors Search Aid Software Database Construction and the Workstation Conclusion - Problems, Solution and Significance.
High-Dose Methotrexate and Cis-Platinum in the Treatment of Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer

Chemotherapy has had only a limited role in the treatment of recurrent squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. Methotrexate (MTX), the most extensively studied drug, produces 30%–50% response rates. Most of these responses, however, are of short duration [1]. Although response rates with high-dose MTX with leucovorin rescue (LR) have not been shown to be superior to those with conventional doses of MTX [5, 12], the relative lack of hematologic toxicity with the high-dose regimen [13, 14] may be advantageous when MTX is combined with other chemotherapeutic agents.
In Balance, with a Little Help from the Plants

What happens to the carbon dioxide emitted during burning of fossil fuels? It is well known that three reservoirs--the atmosphere, the oceans, and the terrestrial biosphere--constantly exchange large amounts of carbon. In his Perspective, Tans discusses recent findings that support the idea of a biosphere nearly balanced with respect to carbon. The new work highlights the role of terrestrial plants in the global carbon cycle and is expected to result in narrowing uncertainties about the net carbon uptake by oceans.
Immunological identity of heparin-dependent plasma and urinary protein C inhibitor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-3.

Purified plasma and urinary protein C inhibitors (PCI) formed heparin-dependent complexes with activated protein C (APC) which were detected by immunoblotting after nondenaturing gel electrophoresis. Bands representing APC.PCI complexes were also seen on immunoblots after incubation of plasma with APC and heparin. The same immunoblot pattern of complexes was detected by three different methods: method A, monoclonal antibody to plasminogen activator inhibitor-3 (PAI-3, urinary urokinase inhibitor) + 125I-labeled anti-mouse IgG; method B, polyclonal antibodies to PCI + 125I-labeled purified plasma PCI; and method C, monoclonal antibody to protein C + 125I-protein C. Plasma depleted of PAI-3 by immunoadsorption with insolubilized monoclonal antibody to PAI-3 showed no detectable antigen or complexes with APC as visualized by methods A or B. This PAI-3-depleted plasma had less than 10% of the heparin-dependent inhibitory activity of normal plasma toward APC. Purified plasma PCI was fully reactive in an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay for PAI-3, and plasma and urinary PCI inhibited urokinase activity in a heparin-dependent manner. These data indicate that heparin-dependent plasma and urinary PCI and PAI-3 are immunologically and functionally very similar if not identical. This observation identifies a new interrelation between the protein C anticoagulant and the fibrinolytic systems. In addition, plasma contains a heparin-independent inhibitor of APC which is not immunologically related to plasma PCI or to PAI-3.
The California Critical Thinking Skills Test and Business School Performance.

An intent of many business programs is to enhance the critical thinking capabilities of their students. Since AACSB accreditation requires evidence that business schools fulfill their goals, our students were required to take the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). As expected, the CCTST was significantly related to SAT performance and to Business Core GPA. Nonetheless, the especially strong relationships with components thought to emphasize critical thinking, such as performance in the business capstone course, were not observed. SAT scores alone predicted 56% of the variance in CCTST. None of our other predictors added significantly to this total.
The Emulation, Preemption, and Prevention of External Impluses: Multiple Facets of Diffusion?

This paper, the introduction to a book, sets up a comparison of several waves of democratization, namely the “revolutions” of 1848 and 1917-19 and the “third wave of democratization” during the 1970 to early 1990s. It stresses the puzzle that over the course of history, the diffusion of political regime contention slowed down; but it also attained greater success in triggering actual steps toward democracy. The book’s main argument explains these inverse trends by claiming that in the 19th century, common people decided whether to join protests. Lacking in information and particularly bounded in their rationality, they acted rashly: they imitated external precedents quickly, but often failed. By the 20th century, organizational leaders had risen, who had higher calculating capacity, were less tightly bounded in their rationality, and therefore responded to external impulses more prudently; this slowed down diffusion, but guaranteed greater success. This argument rests on the micro-foundations of bounded rationality yet combines them with organizational macro-developments. The paper’s extensive methodological sections explain the logic of comparing three democratization waves across 150 years. Fortunately, a wealth of primary sources allows for the reconstruction of participants’ perceptions and thoughts. The paper also lays the conceptual groundwork for the book by discussing the notions of political regime contention, democratization, and diffusion. In the latter section, I define diffusion as the spread of external impulses that can trigger not only replication/imitation, but also preemptive reform or preventive measures. Since these responses are caused/prompted by demonstration and contagion effects, they should be subsumed under the concept of diffusion and are therefore included in the book’s analysis.
Crew and Display Concepts Evaluation for Synthetic Enhanced Vision Systems

NASA's Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) project is developing technologies with practical applications that strive to eliminate low-visibility conditions as a causal factor to civil aircraft accidents and replicate the operational benefits of clear day flight operations, regardless of the actual outside visibility condition. Enhanced Vision System (EVS) technologies are analogous and complementary in many respects to SVS, with the principle difference being that EVS is an imaging sensor presentation, as opposed to a database-derived image. The use of EVS in civil aircraft is projected to increase rapidly as the Federal Aviation Administration recently changed the aircraft operating rules under Part 91, revising the flight visibility requirements for conducting operations to civil airports. Operators conducting straight-in instrument approach procedures may now operate below the published approach minimums when using an approved EVS that shows the required visual references on the pilot's Head-Up Display. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the complementary use of SVS and EVS technologies, specifically focusing on new techniques for integration and/or fusion of synthetic and enhanced vision technologies and crew resource management while operating under the newly adopted FAA rules which provide operating credit for EVS. Overall, the experimental data showed that significant improvements in SA without concomitant increases in workload and display clutter could be provided by the integration and/or fusion of synthetic and enhanced vision technologies for the pilot-flying and the pilot-not-flying.
Diagnostic yield associated with multiple simultaneous skeletal muscle biopsies

Certain skeletal muscle disorders, such as inflammatory myopathies, may show regional variability, prompting consideration of simultaneous biopsy of more than 1 muscle to increase the likelihood of diagnosis. There are few data in the literature to support this approach. This study is a retrospective 8-year review of 99 cases (52 men; mean age, 61.8 years) who had multiple muscles biopsied simultaneously. The most common clinical symptoms prompting biopsy included weakness in 83 cases and myalgia in 15. The most common diagnoses were as follows: neurogenic atrophy, 48; inflammatory myopathy, excluding inclusion body myositis, 29; and type II muscle fiber atrophy, 24. Diagnoses were the same in both biopsied muscles in 54 cases (55%). In 17 cases, a diagnosis was made from only 1 biopsy. Of 29 inflammatory myopathies and vasculitis (excluding inclusion body myositis), a diagnosis could be made from only 1 of the 2 biopsies in 10 cases (34%). In a significant subset of cases, a potentially treatable inflammatory myopathic condition might have been missed if only 1 site had been biopsied, justifying biopsy of 2 sites in suspected cases of inflammatory myopathy.
Seasonal and diurnal measurements of carbon monoxide and nonmethane hydrocarbons at Mt. Wilson, California: Indirect evidence of atomic Cl in the Los Angeles basin

Abstract We present a study of the seasonal and diurnal variability of carbon monoxide and selected volatile organic compounds in the Los Angeles area. Measurements were made during four different nine-day field campaigns in April/May, September, and November, 2007, and February, 2008, at the Mt. Wilson sampling site, which is located at an elevation of approximately 1700 m in the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking Pasadena and the Los Angeles basin. The results were used to characterize the Mt. Wilson site as a representative location for monitoring integrated Los Angeles basin emissions, and, by reference to carbon monoxide emissions, to estimate average annual emissions. The considerable seasonal variability of many hydrocarbons, in both their measured mixing ratios and their relationship to carbon monoxide, was indicative of variable source strengths. Most interestingly, perturbation of C4 hydrocarbon ratios suggested an enhanced role for chlorine chemistry during the month of September, likely as the result of Los Angeles’ coastal location. Such coastal influence was confirmed by observations of enhanced mixing ratios of marine halocarbons, as well as air mass back trajectories.
Bootstrap confidence intervals and bias correction in the estimation of HIV incidence from surveillance data with testing for recent infection.

The incidence of new infections is a key measure of the status of the HIV epidemic, but accurate measurement of incidence is often constrained by limited data. Karon et al. (Statist. Med. 2008; 27:4617–4633) developed a model to estimate the incidence of HIV infection from surveillance data with biologic testing for recent infection for newly diagnosed cases. This method has been implemented by public health departments across the United States and is behind the new national incidence estimates, which are about 40 per cent higher than previous estimates. We show that the delta method approximation given for the variance of the estimator is incomplete, leading to an inflated variance estimate. This contributes to the generation of overly conservative confidence intervals, potentially obscuring important differences between populations. We demonstrate via simulation that an innovative model-based bootstrap method using the specified model for the infection and surveillance process improves confidence interval coverage and adjusts for the bias in the point estimate. Confidence interval coverage is about 94–97 per cent after correction, compared with 96–99 per cent before. The simulated bias in the estimate of incidence ranges from −6.3 to +14.6 per cent under the original model but is consistently under 1 per cent after correction by the model-based bootstrap. In an application to data from King County, Washington in 2007 we observe correction of 7.2 per cent relative bias in the incidence estimate and a 66 per cent reduction in the width of the 95 per cent confidence interval using this method. We provide open-source software to implement the method that can also be extended for alternate models. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The 1999 Electoral Reforms in Indonesia: Debate, Design and Implementation

This article describes some of the major ways in which the recent electoral reforms changed the Soeharto-era electoral system. The system of only three political parties adhering to a common philosophy (Pancasila) was replaced by hundreds of parties and considerable ideological diversity. To make elections of legislators more meaningful, responsibility for the administration and supervision of elections was placed with more neutral authorities. The reforms enhanced the representativeness, power and accountability of the legislatures in various ways, including multipartyism, establishment of standing subcommissions, bestowal of subpoena power, and decrease in appointed representatives. Particular attention is given to the debate surrounding the most sensitive issues in electoral reform: appointed military representatives, proportional versus district (plurality) electoral principle, and civil servants' involvement in political parties. Despite numerous flaws both in the design of the reforms and in their implementation, reasons for cautious optimism about Indonesia's political evolution are offered in conclusion.
NMDA R1 mRNA distribution in motor and thalamic-projecting sensory neurons in the rat spinal cord and brain stem

Abstract The N -methyl- D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor is important in both sensory and motor neurotransmission. In this study we examine NMDA R1 mRNA hybridization signal over individual sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem. A significantly greater quantity of NMDA RI mRNA was present in motor neurons of the lumbar spinal cord and hypoglossal nucleus compared to thalamic projecting sensory neurons in the spinal cord dorsal horn, the spinal trigeminal nucleus pars caudalis and the cuneate and gracile nuclei. No significant difference in the quantity of NMDA R1 mRNA was observed between sensory neurons known to relay predominantly nociceptive information (trigeminothalamic and spinothalamic tract neurons) and those that relay predominantly touch and proprioceptive information (dorsal column neurons).
Prophylactic trimethoprim-sulfadiazine during chemotherapy in dogs with lymphoma and osteosarcoma: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: The administration of chemotherapy is associated with risk for morbidity. Management of chemotherapy-related morbidity in veterinary oncology has been primarily supportive. Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of prophylactic antimicrobial use on chemotherapy-associated morbidity in dogs with lymphoma or osteosarcoma. Animals: Dogs presenting with histologically confirmed osteosarcoma or lymphoma were eligible. Methods: Patients were randomized to receive placebo or trimethoprim-sulfadiazine for 14 days after their first doxorubicin chemotherapy. Both owner and clinician were blinded with respect to treatment. Patient assessment included CBC, physical examination and performance, and toxicosis grading on days 7 and 14. Investigated outcomes were hospitalization, suspicion of infection, gastrointestinal toxicity, neutropenia, nonhematologic toxicity, and quality of life. Results: Seventy-three dogs were enrolled; 34 had osteosarcoma, and 39 had lymphoma. Dogs receiving trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (n = 36) had a significantly reduced hospitalization rate (P=.03), nonhematologic toxicity (P= 0.039), grade 2–4 nonhematologic toxicity (P < .0001), grade 2–4 gastrointestinal toxicity (P= .007). and altered performance (P= .015). By group, dogs with osteosarcoma (n = 34) that received the antimicrobial experienced fewer occurrences of nonhematologic toxicity (P= .02) and less severe nonhematologic toxicity (P= .038). Dogs with lymphoma (n = 39) had significant reductions in the occurrence of hospitalization (P= .035), severity of nonhematologic toxicity (P= .036), and alterations of performance (P= .015). Conclusions: The use of prophylactic trimethoprim-sulfadiazine has benefit in reducing morbidity in dogs with osteosarcoma or lymphoma during the first 14 days after treatment with doxorubicin.
Financial Networks with Intermediation and Transportation Network Equilibria: A Supernetwork Equivalence and Reinterpretation of the Equilibrium Conditions with Computations

In this paper, we consider two distinct classes of network problems – financial networks with intermediation and with electronic transactions and transportation network equilibrium problems, which have been modeled and studied independently. We then prove that the former problem can be reformulated as the latter problem through an appropriately constructed abstract network i.e., a supernetwork. The established equivalence allows one to then transfer the methodological tools, in particular, algorithms, that have been developed for transportation network equilibria to the financial network domain. In addition, this connection provides us with a novel interpretation of the financial network equilibrium conditions in terms of paths and path flows and a direct existence result. We further show how the theoretical results obtained in this paper can be exploited computationally through several numerical examples.
Fast fluorometric flow injection analysis of formaldehyde in atmospheric water.

Formaldehyde can be determined in aqueous solution at a rate of 45 samples/h with a small sample requirement (100 ..mu..L). The fluorescence of 3,5-diacetyl-1,4-dihydrolutidine formed upon reaction of formaldehyde with ammonium acetate and 2,4-pentanedione (25 s, 95 /sup 0/C) is monitored with a filter fluorometer. The detection limit is 0.1 ..mu..M (3 ..mu..g/L) or 10 pmol of HCHO. The response is linear up to 3.3 ..mu..M (100 ..mu..g/L), the departure from linearity at 0.33 mM is 21%, but high levels are satisfactorily determined with a second-order calibration equation. Interference from S(IV) has been investigated in detail and completely eliminated by addition of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ before rendering the sample alkaline. There are no effects from commonly occurring metal ions and anions; the method is very selective to formaldehyde compared to other carbonyl compounds. A S(IV)-containing preservative has been formulated for the stabilization of low concentrations of HCHO. Results are presented for fogwater samples. 8 figures, 41 references.
3D biopsy for tomosynthesis: simulation of prior information based reconstruction for dose and artifact reduction

Accurately targeting of small lesions for success is crucial in breast biopsy. In this paper, we proposed a new 3D tomobased biopsy, which is characterized in being more accurate, easier to perform, lower in dose, and free of metal artifact. In the scout phase, a conventional tomosynthesis scan is performed, and the reconstructed 3D image is then used for radiologists to accurately localize target volume and determine optimized needle path. In the prefire phase, two prefire stereotactic images are obtained at +24° and -24° angular levels for retrieving needle and shifted lesion locations. By combining the reconstructed 3D tomosynthesis image, needle location and lesion location, synthetic prefire and postfire images are generated for radiologists' reference before firing the real needle. The proposed scheme not only improves the biopsy accuracy but also reduces dose by 3.7-5.6 times compared to conventional mammo-based stereotactic biopsy. A simulation using anthropomorphic phantom was conducted to verify our method. Both needle and lesion were precisely recovered just based on two tomo angled images. For the needle registration, the sum of translation discrepancy is less than 3 pixels, and the sum of rotation discrepancy is less than 3 degrees. For the lesion registration, the sum of coordinate discrepancy is less than 4 pixels. The predicted 3D prefire and postfire images exhibited more intuitive spatial relationship of the shifted lesion and biopsy needle tip than mammo-based stereotactic biopsy.
Respiratory diseases among union carpenters: Cohort and case‐control analyses

Lung diseases, defined by ICD-9 diagnoses on medical insurance claims, were studied through the combined use of administrative records, private health insurance, and workers' compensation claims for a cohort of 10,938 active union carpenters between 1989 and 1992. The cohort defined the study base for a nested case-control study, in which cases (n = 220) were initially identified by an ICD-9 code for asthma in private health insurance or workers' compensation files. A questionnaire was used to collect information on respiratory history and potential home and workplace exposures. Questions used by Burney et al. to define a discriminant function predictor (DFP) of a bronchial response to histamine were used to reclassify cases and controls for further exploratory analyses. Bronchitis accounted for over 50% of the lung disease cases among this cohort followed by asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, and chronic bronchitis. Incidence density rates of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive airway disease adjusted for age, sex, and time in the union increased with increasing age. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data to estimate expected lung cancer cases in our cohort, an elevated standardized incidence rate (SIR) was seen among male carpenters between the ages of 45-54. Smoking history was not available for the entire cohort. Using the ICD-9 or Burney case definition of asthma, odds ratios were significantly elevated for exposure to hay, epoxy paints, enzymes, animals, and molds. Additional exposures associated with asthma using Burney's definition, are ones to which a majority of these carpenters were exposed including cement, drywall, and demolition dusts.
Polyimide insulators for multilevel interconnections

Abstract Polyimide films are reliable high temperature planarizing insulators for multilevel interconnection systems, which may be the key to high yielding bipolar and MOS very large-scale integrated circuits. In this paper we review the chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of polyimides. The important process steps are traced: planarization by coating, adhesion and patterning both by photoresist masking and by photosensitization of the polymide film. Reliability discussions include the influence of sodium ions on h FE at high temperatures and the effect of water contamination of the starting copolymers on the high temperature stability of the final cured resin. Emphasis is placed on the importance of polyimide adhesion to the substrate in order to retard the metal lead corrosion that occurs at high temperatures and under conditions of moisture. Methods to deal with the higher conductivity of polyimide relative to that of ceramic insulators are summarized.
A construction of pseudo salinity profiles for the global ocean: Method and evaluation

[1] This study demonstrates a reconstruction of salinity profiles for the global ocean for the period 1993–2008. All available temperature-salinity (T-S) profiles from the Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program and Argo data are divided into two subsets; one half is used for producing the vertical coupled T-S empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes, and the other half is used for the verification. We employed a weighted least-squares method that minimizes the misfits between the predetermined EOF structures and independent observed temperature and altimetry data. Verification shows that the South Indian and North Atlantic oceans maintain good correlations to 900 m depth between the observed and reconstructed salinity with altimetry data. Meanwhile, the Pacific and Antarctic oceans below 500 m shows significant negative correlations which are associated with the relationship between steric height and salinity variability in these basins. In order to guarantee general agreement with observations for all ocean depths, we calculate a regional correlation index considering the impact of altimetry data and employ it for our final products. Except for the surface ocean, the pseudo salinity profiles show general improvements compared to the existing climatology and the reanalysis outputs from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's ensemble coupled data assimilation system. Near the surface layer, reanalysis outputs show a relatively high performance due to the coupling between the atmosphere and ocean. An assimilation system produces reliable surface flux variability not accounted for the construction of the global pseudo salinity profiles. These results encourage the application of the global pseudo salinity profiles into an assimilation system for the 20th century when the observed salinity data are sparse.
Effects of Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) on Preharvest Fruit Drop and Maturity of ‘Delicious’ Apples

Abstract Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) applied 2 to 6 weeks before the optimum harvest date dramatically reduced preharvest drop of ‘Delicious’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh). The loss of fruit firmness, starch, and water core was reduced by AVG sprays particularly when harvest was delayed beyond the optimum harvest date. Color development and soluble solids concentration (SSC) generally was unaffected. Equivalent dilute airblast concentration (EDAC) of 44 mg·L−1 AVG was no more effective than a standard rate of napthalene acetic acid (NAA), but a rate of 44 mg·L−1 AVG EDAC + a silicone surfactant ABG 7011 or 88 mg·L−1 AVG EDAC was more effective than NAA. When fruit were left on the tree for periods of 3 to 5 weeks after the optimum harvest date, NAA enhanced softening and loss of starch and increased water core of ‘Delicious’. Soluble solids and red color generally were unchanged by NAA. Ethephon sprays hastened the rate of fruit drop. When NAA was tank mixed with ethephon, it delayed fruit drop caused ...
Gel permeation chromatography and cellulose. II. Application of universal calibration

In previously reported work concerning the chain-length distributions obtained by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) in celluloses, degrees of polymerization (DP) of unusually high magnitude were reported. Later work in GPC has shown that the concept of relating extended nolecular chain length of different polymers to elution volume for obtaining molecular weight is not theoretically sound. Correlation of molecular hydrodynamic volume (indicated by the product of intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight) with elution volume has been found to place polymers of vastly different natures on a single curve, such is now designated universal calibration. Application of universal calibration to the determination of DP distributions in celluloses required a different method of converting counts to DP. This new procedure is described in detail. Weight-average DP's given by the procedure for samples of cellulose I, II, III, and IV were 5190, 4520, 4795, and 3390, respectively. These are decreases of 74–75% from the results obtained by the extended-chain procedure. The results compare favorably with the viscosity-DP's of the samples. Number-average DP's were 1580, 1040, 1140, and 490 for the four samples, respectively, these being decreases of 87–93% from the values formerly reported. The polymolecularity ratios for the samples are now unusually large, being 3.4, 4.7, 4.2, and 7.1, respectively.
Structure-activity and mechanistic relationships: the effect of chemical overlap on structural overlap in data bases of varying size and composition

Similarities between structures in SAR models derived from different data bases, termed 'structural overlap', can be used for determining mechanistic similarities, e.g., mutagenicity vs. carcinogenicity. However, the structural overlap may be affected by the proportion of common chemicals in the data bases, termed 'chemical overlap'. In order to refine our ability to determine mechanistic similarities, we investigated the relationship between chemical and structural overlap as well as the effect of the ratio of active to inactive chemicals and data base size on that relationship, using a data base of Salmonella mutagenicity. A linear relationship between chemical overlap and structural overlap with a slope of 0.332 was found. For data bases of 210, 300 and 390 chemicals, this relationship was consistent. Differences in ratios of active to inactive chemicals, i.e., 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1, did not appear to affect the linear model. We can use this relationship to adjust for chemical overlap when examining the structural overlap of data bases developed for different endpoints to determine the extent of mechanistic similarities.
Molecular clusters: Structure and dynamics of weakly bound systems

Weakly bound atomic and molecular clusters can be viewed as finite-size “pieces” of the condensed phases of matter. From both the experimental and theoretical points of view, the finite size of the...
Human isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase: Sequence of the cDNA, alternative mRNA splicing, and the characteristics of an unusually long C-terminal extension

Abstract The human isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IRS)-encoding cDNA, whose primary structure we report here, has an open reading frame (ORF) which encodes a protein of 1262 amino acids (aa) with strong homology to IRS from yeast (53.5%) and Tetrahymena (51.0%) and contains all the major consensus motifs of class-I hydrophobic amino-acyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS; MRS, LRS, VRS, IRS). However, the human enzyme has an unusually long C-terminal extension composed, in part, of a twice-repeated motif which shows no homology to any reported protein. We also report the presence of a coiled-coil-like motif in the C-terminal half of the protein. The mRNA has an additional exon in the 5'-untranslated region ( UTR ) which is alternatively spliced, giving rise to two types of mRNA, both of which are expressed in several human tissues. The longer of the two transcripts contains predicted secondary structure in the 5 ′ - UTR which may reduce the translational efficiency of this mRNA. Two possible regulatory elements in the 5 ′ UTR , an interferon-stimulated response element ( ISRE )- like sequence and a short ORF, have been identified. Because human IRS has previously been shown to be the target of antibodies in autoimmune disease, we discuss the role of protein structural features in the development of an autoimmune response to IRS.
Expression, Isolation, and Purification of Soluble and Insoluble Biotinylated Proteins for Nerve Tissue Regeneration

Recombinant protein engineering has utilized Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression systems for nearly 4 decades, and today E. coli is still the most widely used host organism. The flexibility of the system allows for the addition of moieties such as a biotin tag (for streptavidin interactions) and larger functional proteins like green fluorescent protein or cherry red protein. Also, the integration of unnatural amino acids like metal ion chelators, uniquely reactive functional groups, spectroscopic probes, and molecules imparting post-translational modifications has enabled better manipulation of protein properties and functionalities. As a result this technique creates customizable fusion proteins that offer significant utility for various fields of research. More specifically, the biotinylatable protein sequence has been incorporated into many target proteins because of the high affinity interaction between biotin with avidin and streptavidin. This addition has aided in enhancing detection and purification of tagged proteins as well as opening the way for secondary applications such as cell sorting. Thus, biotin-labeled molecules show an increasing and widespread influence in bioindustrial and biomedical fields. For the purpose of our research we have engineered recombinant biotinylated fusion proteins containing nerve growth factor (NGF) and semaphorin3A (Sema3A) functional regions. We have reported previously how these biotinylated fusion proteins, along with other active protein sequences, can be tethered to biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative purposes. This protocol outlines the basics of engineering biotinylatable proteins at the milligram scale, utilizing a T7 lac inducible vector and E. coli expression hosts, starting from transformation to scale-up and purification.
Audit selection and income tax underreporting in the tax compliance game

Abstract This paper uses a game-theoretic model of the tax compliance game to estimate a model of audit selection and income tax underreporting in Jamaica. The empirical analysis make use of audited tax returns for individual taxpayers, and a random sample of tax returns for the population from which the audited returns are selected. The estimation results strongly indicate a nonrandom audit strategy, and thus provide support for the game-theoretic approach. The results also indicate that the probability of underreporting and the level of underreporting are positively related to the marginal tax rate and to income, and negatively related to marginal payroll tax benefits; in general, the underreporting elasticities are small.
Action principle for nonequilibrium statistical dynamics based on the Lindblad density matrix evolution

Abstract A time-dependent variational principle is constructed which gives the Liouville-von Neumann-Lindblad equation governing the time evolution between pure and mixed states. This construction, besides providing an efficient approximation scheme, leads to an underlying physical principle of stationary “effective action” for nonequilibrium statistical dynamics. Implications of these to nonisoentropic processes are briefly discussed by examining the Gaussian ansatz. The results are contrasted with those for the Markovian model of dissipation.
Control and characterization of cyclopentene unimolecular dissociation on Si(100) with scanning tunneling microscopy.

Dissociation of individual cyclopentene molecules on the Si(100) surface is induced and investigated using cryogenic ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Using a secondary feedback loop during elevated tunneling current and sample biasing conditions, the cyclopentene dissociation products are isolated and then characterized with atomic-scale spatial resolution. Using multibias STM and density functional theory, the cyclopentene dissociation products are shown to consist of a C5H7 fragment and an individual H atom. The C5H7 fragment contains a C═C double bond and is bound to the Si(100) surface via a single Si−C covalent bond, while the individual H atom can be induced to hop between two sites on a single silicon dimer with the STM tip. This study shows that the use of feedback control during STM-induced single molecule reactions allows transient reaction products to be captured and thus more thoroughly studied. While demonstrated here for cyclopentene on Si(100), this feedback-controlled ...
Robustness of granulometric moments

Granulometric moments are used for classification of random sets and estimation of their parameters. These moments are random variables possessing their own probability distributions. For certain random sets composed of nonoverlapping grains, there are expressions for the granulometric moments, the moments are asymptotically normal, and their asymptotic means and variances are known. All representations depend on the grain sizing distributions being known for all grain primitives generating the random set. This paper investigates model robustness by considering the effects of the following violations of the assumptions: (1) assuming an incorrect sizing distribution, (2) using erroneous parameters for the sizing distribution, and (3) prior segmentation when there is modest overlapping. The last situation occurs because the paper proposes segmentation prior to granulometric analysis when there is modest overlapping. Both nonreconstructive and reconstructive granulometries are investigated in the case of prior segmentation.
Kindergarten predictors of first-grade reading achievement: a regular classroom sample.

Routinely collected measures for 38 children in the kindergarten program in a middle-class school in a small midwestern city were analyzed as predictors of first-grade reading achievement on the Io...
Approximate theory for diffuse first‐order phase transitions

The phenomenon of diffuse phase transitions occurs widely in simple inorganic and organic systems, such as the solid-solid transitions in ammonium chloride and in methane. It is known that in a finite temperature interval centered around the transition temperature, both the low temperature phase A and the high temperature phase B coexist. The most renowned manifestations of this phenomenon are the unusual specific heat curve (the lambda point anomaly); the appearance of x-ray lines of two distinct phases, A and B, in the temperature interval of transition; and a gradual rather than a discontinuous change of volume in the transition interval. A statistical thermodynamic model of the Ising type was developed which describes all of these seemingly diverse phenomena in a unified and quantitative manner. The central feature of the theory is that it postulates the existence of a geometrically simple boundary phase which coexists with phase A and phase B. The theory introduces only a simple constant to describe a diversity of experimental results, the constant being the free energy of formation of the boundary phase, denoted as ΔGk. The theory was applied to the diffuse phase transitions in such solids as (NH4)2SiF6, Ag2H3IO6, KH2AsO4, KH2PO4, NH4Cl, and CH4, as well as to the diffuse melting of polymers, such as polyethylene, and to the helix-coil transition in polypeptides and in polynucleotides. By use of a single constant, ΔGk, for each substance a very good fit of the experimental heat capacities versus temperature is generated for (NH4)2SiF6, Ag2H3IO6, KH2PO4, KH2Aso4, NH4Cl, and CH4. For diffuse solid-solid transitions, the width of the x-ray lines in the coexistence regions was predicted- Since such experimental data are not yet available, this prediction is offered as a very severe experimental test of the theory. In this paper we present very simple approximate equations of the Gaussian form which represent an excellent fit to the exact theory and to experiment.
Managing food price risks and instability in a liberalizing market environment: Overview and policy options

Abstract Managing food price risks and instability is a major challenge in the midst of ongoing food market reforms. Key findings from the papers in this special volume revolve around five broad areas: (i) the sources and magnitudes of food price instability in different country contexts; (ii) the economic and social costs stemming from price instability; (iii) the lessons from food market reforms to date; (iv) the design of policy reforms in ways that promote efficient and stable market development and protect the interests of the poor; and (v) potential policy responses to food price instability in a liberalizing market environment.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a UDP-glucose-4-epimerase gene (galE) and its expression in pea tissues

Abstract We cloned a cDNA encoding for the enzyme UDP-glucose-4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.2; UDP-galactose-4-epimerase or ‘galactowaldenase’) in pea ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Wando). This enzyme functions in the interconversion of UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose. The open reading frame within this cDNA contains 350 amino acid residues and the polypeptide product has a predicted molecular mass of 38 994 Da. The pea enzyme exhibits extensive homology with the deduced sequences of other prokaryotic and eukaryotic UDP-glucose-4-epimerases. Northern analysis of expression of the UDP-glucose-4-epimerase gene ( galE ) in pea tissues revealed 3- and 5-fold higher mRNA levels in the leaves and roots, respectively, of 3-week old seedlings, as compared with 4-day old seedlings. GalE transcript levels did not differ significantly in the roots and leaves of light-grown versus etiolated 4-day old seedlings. Increased galE expression in the roots of older seedlings may be correlated with the copious secretion of mucigel at the root tip, as increased availability of the UDP-galactose precursor may be required to support the synthesis of this pectinaceous extracellular matrix.