cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic features-driven machine learning-based predictions of clathrate hydrate equilibria in the presence of electrolytes

Abstract Gas hydrates have significant applications in the areas of natural gas storage, desalination and gas separation. Knowledge of the thermodynamic conditions associated with hydrate formation is critical to their synthesis. Presently, we use machine learning (ML) to train and evaluate the performance of three algorithms on an experimental database (>1800 data points) to predict hydrate dissociation temperatures as a function of the constituent hydrate precursors and inhibitors. Importantly, and in contrast to most previous studies, we use thermodynamic variables such as the activity-based contribution due to electrolytes, partial pressure of individual gases, and specific gravity of the overall mixture as input features in the prediction algorithms. Using such features results in more physics-aware ML algorithms, which can capture the individual contributions of gases and electrolytes in a more fundamental manner. Three ML algorithms, Random Forest (RF), Extra Trees (ET), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) are employed and demonstrate excellent accuracy in their predictions of hydrate equilibrium conditions. The overall coefficient of determination (R2) percentage is greater than 97% for all the ML models. XGBoost outperforms RF and ET with the highest overall coefficient of determination (R2) and the lowest overall Average Absolute relative deviation (AARD) of 99.56% and 0.086% respectively.
Contrastive Clustering: Toward Unsupervised Bias Reduction for Emotion and Sentiment Classification

Background: When neural network emotion and sentiment classifiers are used in public health informatics studies, biases present in the classifiers could produce inadvertently misleading results. Objective: This study assesses the impact of bias on COVID-19 topics, and demonstrates an automatic algorithm for reducing bias when applied to COVID-19 social media texts. This could help public health informatics studies produce more timely results during crises, with a reduced risk of misleading results. Methods: Emotion and sentiment classifiers were applied to COVID-19 data before and after debiasing the classifiers using unsupervised contrastive clustering. Contrastive clustering approximates the degree to which tokens exhibit a causal versus correlational relationship with emotion or sentiment, by contrasting the tokens' relative salience to topics versus emotions or sentiments. Results: Contrastive clustering distinguishes correlation from causation for tokens with an F1 score of 0.753. Masking bias prone tokens from the classifier input decreases the classifier's overall F1 score by 0.02 (anger) and 0.033 (negative sentiment), but improves the F1 score for sentences annotated as bias prone by 0.155 (anger) and 0.103 (negative sentiment). Averaging across topics, debiasing reduces anger estimates by 14.4% and negative sentiment estimates by 8.0%. Conclusions: Contrastive clustering reduces algorithmic bias in emotion and sentiment classification for social media text pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health informatics studies should account for bias, due to its prevalence across a range of topics. Further research is needed to improve bias reduction techniques and to explore the adverse impact of bias on public health informatics analyses.
Predicate Characterizations in the Polynomial-Size Hierarchy

The polynomial-size hierarchy is the hierarchy of ‘minicomplexity’ classes which correspond to two-way alternating finite automata with polynomially many states and finitely many alternations. It is defined by analogy to the polynomial-time hierarchy of standard complexity theory, and it has recently been shown to be strict above its first level.
The WinWin Approach: Using a Requirements Negotiation Tool for Rationale Capture and Use

A highly cost-effective approach for rationale capture and management is to provide automated support, and capture the resulting artifacts of the process by which software and system requirements and solutions are negotiated. The WinWin process model, equilibrium model, and collaborative negotiation tool provide capabilities for capturing the artifacts. The MBASE software process model provides an approach for using and updating the rationale artifacts and process to keep it in a win-win state. Supporting requirements negotiation with attaching rationale can have a high impact on all phases of development by enabling much better context for change impact analysis as the increasingly frequent requirements changes arrive. The WinWin approach involves having a system's success-critical stakeholders participate in a negotiation process so they can converge on a mutually satisfactory or win-win set of requirements. The WinWin framework in essence captures stakeholder-oriented objectives, options and constraints in the form of a decision rationale.
Persistent Pancreatic Fistula

Pancreatic fistula is defined as the leakage of pancreatic fluid from a pancreatic duct disruption either after a pancreatic resection or from acute or chronic pancreatitis. The frequency of fistula incidence varies between 2 and 50 %. In recent years, the international definition of pancreatic fistula has been standardized according to the approach of the International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF). The management of pancreatic fistula can be complex and mandates a multidisciplinary approach. The basic principle of care including fistula control/patient stabilization, delineation of pancreatic duct anatomy, and definitive therapy remain of vital importance.
Using Social Network Analysis to Investigate the Relationship between School-Based Team Communication Networks and Implementation of Positive Behavior Support Systems

USING SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS TO INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL-BASED TEAM COMMUNICATION NETWORKS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT SYSTEMS MAY 2015 SHANNON K. BARRY, B.A., ASSUMPTION COLLEGE M.Ed., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Rebecca H. Woodland & Professor Sara A. Whitcomb The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school-based team communication networks and implementation of school-wide reform efforts and initiatives, namely Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The study employed social network analysis (SNA) to determine if a relationship was present between the structure and properties of the team communication network and the level of implementation of PBIS, the position and properties of the PBIS leadership team and the level of implementation of PBIS implementation, and the quality of internal process for collaboration of the PBIS leadership team and PBIS implementation. It was predicted that schools in which teachers and staff have opportunities to communicate with their colleagues within and across teams have a network conducive to access of social capital and diffusion of innovation, supporting the school-wide implementation of reform efforts. Team network data were collected from eight elementary schools actively implementing PBIS and were analyzed at the network and ego-level using social network analyses. Network analyses were correlated with reports of PBIS implementation, as measured by
Highly space-efficient electrostatic zigzag transmissive micro-optic switches for an integrated MEMS optical display system

This paper presents likely the world's smallest electrostatic visible light highly space-efficient transmissive micro-optical switches (TMOS) for an integrated MEMS optical display system. Each TMOS represents one pixel with 150 /spl mu/m/spl times/150 /spl mu/m spacing in a display module. It is demonstrated that a zigzag electrostatic actuator of 47 /spl mu/m/spl times/160 /spl mu/m size can achieve a maximum static lateral displacement of 10 /spl mu/m at 38 V. Depending on the zigzag actuator design, these devices have a mechanical resonance frequency of up to 18.6 kHz.
Investing in Forecast Collaboration

Motivated by the mixed results of collaborative forecasting initiatives in the consumer goods sector, this paper investigates the conditions that favor the establishment of collaborative forecasting between a supplier and a retailer. We consider a two-stage supply chain where a single supplier sells to a single retailer who faces the newsvendor problem. Both the supplier and the retailer have forecasting capabilities and both can exert costly efiort to improve the quality of their local demand forecasts. We assume that the supplier and the retailer exert efiort independently and then pool their local forecasts to form a single shared demand forecast. We start by characterizing the conditions under which a joint forecasting equilibrium exists in a one shot investment game. We then consider a repeated investment game where the supplier and the retailer play the one shot investment game repeatedly. We interpret the existence of an equilibrium in which both parties invest in improving the forecast quality in the repeated investment game as collaborative forecasting being sustainable. We characterize conditions under which such an equilibrium exists. Our results have implications concerning the appropriateness of investing in collaboration technology to extract and use information from both parties in a supply chain.
Ignition Delay Time Measurements of C2HX Fuels and Comparison to Several Detailed Kinetics Mechanisms

Recent results from experiments and modeling by the authors are reviewed for the ignition of acetylene, ethylene, and ethane in oxygen/argon mixtures at temperatures between 1000 and 2300 K and pressures near 1 atm. The ignition measurements were obtained behind reflected shock waves using emission from electronically excited OH and CH radicals to monitor the reaction progress. While many discrepancies exist amongst previous studies for these lower-order hydrocarbons, the accuracy afforded by the present experiments provides conclusive evidence verifying the trends seen in certain studies from the literature. Several modern, detailed chemical kinetics mechanisms were compared to the new results with some models showing quite good agreement with both ignition delay times and species profiles, particularly for stoichiometric mixtures. However, improvement is still required to match the entire range of fuel concentrations, temperatures, and mixture ratios, particularly for fuel-rich mixtures.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Studies of the unique nature of the cytochrome P-450 active site. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy as a probe of the hemin iron of cytochrome P-450: the influence of buffer composition, alcohols, and nitrogenous ligands.

Abstract The electron spin resonance (esr) spectra of the low-spin form of hepatic microsomal cytochrome P -450 and of cytochrome P -450 isolated from Pseudomonas putida grown on d -camphor ( P -450 cam ) were studied in order to gain an understanding of the sensitivity of the hemin iron to changes in buffer. The shapes of the g x and g y esr signals of both the membrane-bound microsomal and soluble bacterial cytochromes P -450 were dependent upon buffer composition. With either system, the g x and g y signals were symmetric in some buffers and asymmetric in others. However, in potassium phosphate buffer, the esr spectra of low-spin cytochrome P -450 in microsomes isolated from phenobarbital (PB)- or 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC-induced rats and cytochrome P -450 cam are similar with symmetric g x and g y signals. The esr spectrum of the low-spin form of cytochrome P -450 in isolated hepatocytes is similar to that of the microsomal and bacterial enzyme, again with a symmetric g x signal. The effects of alcohols and nitrogenous ligands on the esr spectrum of the low-spin form were also investigated. The data indicate that extreme care must be exercised when interpreting esr spectra with respect to possible cytochrome P -450 heterogeneity in the microsomal membrane. The conditions for studying substrate interactions with microsomal cytochrome P -450 must also take into account these changes in symmetry of the esr spectrum.
Stellar photospheres and molecules — A view from the bridge

The allegory alluded to in the subtitle of my review came to mind in the early morning hours when I was battling insomnia after a successful observing run at our McDonald Observatory. Similar bouts with insomnia are more widely classified as “jetlag,” a condition probably too familiar to many of the readers! Imagine two villages connected by a bridge spanning a deep, fast-flowing river. In my village on the south bank live the astronomers. Across the bridge live the chemical physicists and the physical chemists who are engaged in determining by all possible theoretical and experimental means the structure and spectra of molecules (and atoms). The astronomical community can be sorted into various clans of whom I consider here only the stellar spectroscopists and, in particular, the small subclan fascinated by quantitative spectroscopy who to pursue their trade must establish and maintain excellent communications with the village on the other side of the bridge. The necessity for contacts between the two villages has grown with the development of the tools of the stellar spectroscopists’ trade: e.g., the advances of telescopes and spectrographs with respect to coverage of the electromagnetic spectrum and sensitivity, and the theoretical developments in the construction of model stellar atmospheres and the computation of synthetic stellar spectra. The recent decades of astronomical advances have been matched by exciting years in the village across the bridge: e.g., tunable lasers have spawned a renaissance in molecular (and atomic) spectroscopy, and theoretical work on molecular structure and spectra has advanced with the awesome growth of computers. Yet, a curious paradox may be sketched. These welcome and remarkable developments in the two villages have made it more difficult to maintain effective communications across the bridge. How can I possibly exploit fully the successes of MRD-CI calculations and appreciate their limitations? My counterparts across the bridge will echo my question: What experiments or quantum calculations might be usefully made in support of the astronomers’ programs ATLAS, MARCS, SOSMARCS, and their relatives?
Dietary starch composition and level of energy intake alter nutrient oxidation in "carbohydrate-sensitive" men.

The effect of dietary starch type on components of 24-h energy expenditure (total, sleep, exercise) were examined in 13 hyperinsulinemic and nine control men, aged 28-58 y. Subjects consumed products containing 70% amylopectin or 70% amylose cornstarch for two 14-wk periods in a crossover design. A 10-wk period of starch replacement in the subjects' self-selected diets was followed by a 4-wk controlled feeding period at 100% maintenance energy intake; diets during the last 4 d of the controlled feeding period provided excess energy, i.e., 125% of maintenance energy. Data for insulin, glucose, 24-h energy expenditure and its components, respiratory quotient and nutrient oxidation were analyzed by ANOVA for mixed models. Although insulin and glucose responses to a starch tolerance test remained greater for hyperinsulinemic than for control subjects, both were reduced with high amylose consumption (P < 0.04). No component of energy expenditure was significantly affected by dietary starch or subject type. However, excess energy intake did increase metabolic energy expenditure (P < 0.0001). Protein oxidation increased with excess energy intake when subjects consumed the high amylopectin starch but did not increase in response to excess energy consumption when the high amylose diet was consumed, suggesting increased protein retention. The magnitude of the response in carbohydrate and fat oxidation was blunted in hyperinsulinemic subjects consuming excess levels of the amylose diet. This may be due to an improvement in overall insulin response or to a change in available substrates for oxidation resulting from microbial fermentation.
Fracking for Natural Gas: Public Opinion on State Policy Options

This report presents the views of Pennsylvania citizens on a range of issues related to extraction of natural gas through “fracking” procedures. This report responds to a discovery of potentially massive deposits beneath the Marcellus Shale and a series of related issues concerning the economy, environmental protection, and public safety. The findings are drawn from an October 2011 telephone survey conducted by the Muhlenberg Institute of Public Opinion, in collaboration with the University of Michigan Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. This survey secured responses from 525 residents of the state, drawn from all regions and comprising a statistically-representative profile of citizens. It examines general public attitudes on this issue as well as consideration of a series of policy options that have been introduced in state and local government circles.
Multicast switch based on tandem expanded delta network

High speed networking applications like video-on-demand require the support of switches which can handle very high multicast loads. B-ISDN switches with multicasting capabilities can be used to support such applications efficiently. These switches must be fast and the routing delays for the packets must be small. The switches studied in the literature can support multicast loads (ratio of number of multicast packets to total number of packets) of 25-30%; without much degradation in performance. But, for higher loads, the delays of the packets can be very large. We describe a new design for a switch which can withstand multicast loads of 85-90% without a loss in performance. The switch has very low latency, small packet routing delay and minimal buffering. These features make the switch an attractive component for future high-speed networks.
Two amino acid sequences direct Aspergillus nidulans protein kinase C (PkcA) localization to hyphal apices and septation sites.

The Aspergillus nidulans ortholog of protein kinase C (pkcA) is involved in the organism’s putative cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway, and PkcA also is highly localized at growing tips and forming septa. In the present work we identify the regions within PkcA that are responsible for its localization to hyphal tips and septation sites. To this end, we used serially truncated pkcA constructs and expressed them as green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimeras and identified two regions that direct PkcA localization. The first region is a 10 amino-acid sequence near the carboxyl end of the C2 domain that is required for localization to hyphal tips. Proteins containing this sequence also localize to septation sites. A second region between C2 and C1B (encompassing C1A) is sufficient for localization to septation sites but not to hyphal tips. We also report that localization to hyphal tips and septation sites alone is not sufficient for truncated constructs to complement hypersensitivity to the cell wall compromisi...
Electrophysiology and pharmacology of cardiac arrhythmias. VI. Cardiac effects of verapamil.

Abstract It is clear from clinical and experimental data that have been reported thus far that verapamil is highly effective in the therapy of cardiac arrhythmias, and that it acts by a different mechanism than most of the commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs. The available clinical data indicate that on intravenous administration verapamil is as good as and perhaps superior to quinidine, procainamide and propranolol for the therapy of many atrial arrhythmias. Unfortunately the extent to which it is useful as longterm prophylaxis has not yet been reported, nor has its toxicity during protracted oral administration. The effects of verapamil on cardiac action potentials clearly indicate that it modifies the slow response to a much greater extent than the fast response. Studies of cardiac tissues from diseased human atria have indicated that slow response action potentials occur frequently. 31 It is possible that such action potentials are responsible for the reentrant and automatic arrhythmias which occur in association with clinical cardiac disease. Whether the efficacy of verapamil in the therapy of atrial arrhythmias is primarily due to abolishing slow response activity in diseased atrial tissues or to suppression of propagation through the atrioventricular node is uncertain. However, it is likely that the therapeutic action of the drug may result from altered propagation of an arrhythmia through the atrioventricular junction as well as from the effects of the drug on diseased atrial and ventricular tissues.
File-handling within FORTRAN

This note describes some FORTRAN subroutines to facilitate handling of tape files. They allow symbolic naming or information files, without violating the casual scientific programmer's idea of simplicity. Some comments on two years use of these subroutines are given.
Ahmedabad's Home Remedies: Housing in the Re-Making of an Industrial City, 1920–1960

Long known as innovative in modernist architecture, mid century Ahmedabad was also pioneering in another area of built form: housing. Starting in the 1920s when Indians seized control of urban politics, Ahmedabadis launched a number of bold new initiatives to improve housing in the city, involving a striking range of actors—labour activists, middle-class reformers, mill owners, and municipal leaders. Largely ignored under earlier British leadership, housing became a key way for Ahmedabadis to lay claim to a new, more inclusive vision of the city. Although housing continued to play a prominent role in politics after Independence, the 1950s actually marked a retreat from that earlier inclusive vision, ultimately enshrining the class and community segregation that marks Ahmedabad today.
Automated fiber-type-specific cross-sectional area assessment and myonuclei counting in skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle is an exceptionally adaptive tissue that compromises 40% of mammalian body mass. Skeletal muscle functions in locomotion, but also plays important roles in thermogenesis and metabolic homeostasis. Thus characterizing the structural and functional properties of skeletal muscle is important in many facets of biomedical research, ranging from myopathies to rehabilitation sciences to exercise interventions aimed at improving quality of life in the face of chronic disease and aging. In this paper, we focus on automated quantification of three important morphological features of muscle: 1) muscle fiber-type composition; 2) muscle fiber-type-specific cross-sectional area, and 3) myonuclear content and location. We experimentally prove that the proposed automated image analysis approaches for fiber-type-specific assessments and automated myonuclei counting are fast, accurate, and reliable.
Lessons Learned From the Lena Guyed Tower

The design, fabrication, and installation of the Lena guyed tower required the development of new offshore technology in several areas. Lessons learned from this experience include an understanding of the consequences of major design decisions and insight into the interactive behavior of the structural components. The guyed tower is now a proven deepwater production platform concept for the Gulf of Mexico and is also judged to be applicable for a wide range of water depths and deck loads in the North Sea and other areas of the world.
Antiepileptic drug nonadherence in children with epilepsy: Outcomes and potential intervention

Currently, no cure is available for many children with epilepsy, and the most frequently used treatment for seizures is antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. Since 20% to 30% of children with epilepsy experience seizures that are not completely controlled with treatment,1 it is imperative that these children achieve and maintain adherence to prescribed treatment to have the best possible health outcomes. Studies have consistently shown that nonadherence is related to increased health care utilization.2 However, adherence rates in children with epilepsy, even within the first month of AED initiation, are not ideal.3 Modi et al.4 previously found that 58% of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy exhibited nonadherence over the first 6 months of AED therapy, and they identified 4 nonadherent trajectories: severe early, severe delayed, moderate, and mild, in addition to a near-perfect trajectory.
Phase I/II Study of Hepatic Arterial Therapy With Floxuridine and Dexamethasone in Combination With Intravenous Irinotecan As Adjuvant Treatment After Resection of Hepatic Metastases From Colorectal Cancer

Purpose: Patients who undergo resection of liver metastases from colorectal cancer have an average 2-year survival of 65%. With hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) plus systemic fluorouracil and leucovorin, 2-year survival increased to 86%. For further improvement in both local and systemic control, combinations of new systemic drugs with HAI are being explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of systemic irinotecan (CPT-11) and HAI floxuridine (FUDR) plus dexamethasone (DEX) as combination adjuvant therapy after liver resection. Patients and Methods: Ninety-six patients who underwent complete resection of liver metastases from colorectal cancer were treated with six monthly cycles of HAI FUDR plus DEX for 14 days of each 4-week cycle plus escalating doses of systemic CPT-11. The primary end points of the phase I/II study were the MTD and efficacy of this regimen. Results: The MTD for combined systemic CPT-11 and HAI FUDR was CPT-11 at 200 mg/m2 every other week and...
A mother-instruction program: Documenting change in mother-child interactions.

Measures of mother-child interaction change are reported in a series of 30 mothers and their children, aged 2 to 10. Videotaped play sessions were analyzed in detail to provide baseline measures from which individualized modification guidelines were derived. Mothers were instructed in eight weekly sessions via bug-in-the-ear. Postinstruction observations provided quantification of observed changes following instruction. The target of change was mother-child behavior contingency patterns, effected by intervening into the mother component on those patterns. Measured changes in mother and child behaviors, mother-child contingency patterns, and mothers' perceptions of child behaviors are compared.
In vitro development of one-cell embryos from outbred mice: Influence of culture medium composition

One-cell embryos from outbred mice (CF1, CD-1, and Dub:ICR) were cultured in various modifications of egg culture medium (ECM). The best development was observed in medium in which inorganic salts of modified T6 medium (mT6) replaced those of ECM. In this modification (TE), 66% of one-cell CF1 embryos developed into blastocysts, compared to 46 and 43% for ECM and mT6, respectively. Moreover, the cell numbers of blastocysts developing in TE (7.49 +/- 3.3) were higher than the cell numbers of those developing in ECM (55.1 +/- 2.4). The culture requirements of embryos varied between different stocks of mice: Fewer CF1 embryos developed to the blastocyst stage than either Dub:ICR embryos (90%) or CD-1 embryos (84%). Lowering the osmolarity of the medium from 300 to 280 mOSM, increasing the concentration of KC1 from 1.42 to 25 mM, or omitting lactate from the medium during Day 1 of culture did not further improve development of embryos, in contrast to previous reports. However, the time at which embryos were transferred to outgrowth medium influenced their postblastocyst development. The best development was observed when embryos were transferred on Day 4 of culture at the late morula-early blastocyst stage.
Nanoscale, Electric Field-Driven Water Bridges in Vacuum Gaps and Lipid Bilayers

Formation of a water bridge across the lipid bilayer is the first stage of pore formation in molecular dynamic (MD) simulations of electroporation, suggesting that the intrusion of individual water molecules into the membrane interior is the initiation event in a sequence that leads to the formation of a conductive membrane pore. To delineate more clearly the role of water in membrane permeabilization, we conducted extensive MD simulations of water bridge formation, stabilization, and collapse in palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers and in water–vacuum–water systems, in which two groups of water molecules are separated by a 2.8 nm vacuum gap, a simple analog of a phospholipid bilayer. Certain features, such as the exponential decrease in water bridge initiation time with increased external electric field, are similar in both systems. Other features, such as the relationship between water bridge lifetime and the diameter of the water bridge, are quite different between the two systems. Data such as these contribute to a better and more quantitative understanding of the relative roles of water and lipid in membrane electropore creation and annihilation, facilitating a mechanism-driven development of electroporation protocols. These methods can be extended to more complex, heterogeneous systems that include membrane proteins and intracellular and extracellular membrane attachments, leading to more accurate models of living cells in electric fields.
The Supersuit: An Example of Structured Naturalistic Observation of Children's Altruism

Summary A structured, naturalistic observational method of eliciting helping utilized a “superperson suit” which needed to be fastened by a day-carecenter classroom peer. This method produced a high number of opportunities to help, spontaneous offers of help, and recipient-prompted help. There was little evidence of peer reinforced help or reciprocal help. Although the low n (four girls and seven boys) prohibited definitive conclusions, it appeared that children with high general social competence ratings provided a disproportionate amount of both spontaneous and prompted helping. The future utility of this method as a means of promoting higher rates of spontaneously occurring helping to enhance study of children's altruism is suggested.
An examination of microcomputer usage in Taiwan

Abstract This study reports the results of a survey on the use of microcomputers in Taiwan. Eighty five users participated in this study. Microcomputer usage was represented by four indicators: frequency of use, time of use, number of business tasks, and number of software applications. The frequency of each of the indicators were shown and the relationships between the four indicators and demographic variables, computer experience, and user training were examined. We also examined the relationships between organizational support, task characteristics, and beliefs about microcomputers, and the four indicators of microcomputer usage. Results show that a significant positive correlation exists between computer experience, user training, management support, and attitudes and negative correlations between task complexity and all the four indicators of microcomputer usage. Results also show that information center support has a strong relationship with number of tasks and that user satisfaction is highly correlated with number of applications, frequency of use, and time of use.
Key Output Indicators in performance evaluation of Research and Development organizations

Abstract This paper proposes a model of performance evaluation of Research and Development (R&D) organizations, which employs a macro index of Key Output Indicators (KOI) as a figure of merit. The KOI value is obtained by integration of indexes of performance of four stages of the R&D process: immediate, intermediate, preultimate, and ultimate. Multiple indicators (quantiative and qualitative) are used to construct the indexes. An illustrative application is shown for two federal R&D laboratories and an evaluative comparison is made between the laboratories. Benefits of the model include the focus on users and impactees and the composite aspect of the overall index. Managerial implications are discussed.
Cyclic AMP-mediated stimulation of thymocyte proliferation by low concentrations of cortisol.

SummaryLow concentrations (10-9 to 10-8M) of Cortisol strongly stimulate the proliferation of rat thymocytes maintained in vitro by a process which involves cyclic AMP. On the other hand, cortisol concentrations greater than 10-7M inhibit cell proliferation. The steroid's stimulatory effect may be due to sensitization of the cells to the mitogenic action of cyclic AMP.
Delayed hypersensitivity in alcoholic cirrhosis.

Since there is evidence for an increased incidence of infection in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, a study was performed to determine whether or not impairment of delayed hypersensitivity reaction was a contributory factor. Fifty consecutive patients with alcoholic cirrhosis were studied. The dermal antigens employed were DNCB (2,4-dinitro-1-chlorobenzene), PPD, histoplasmin, streptokinase-streptodornase, coccidioidin and candida. Thirty-two percent of the patients could not be sensitized to DNCB, in contrast to an expected number of 5% in control groups (X2>9,P<0.01). Of the 50 patients tested, 7 reacted negatively to all the antigens including DNCB. No significant difference in reaction was found between the patients and the controls for coccidioidin, histoplasmin, PPD, candida or streptokinase-streptodornase. This evidence indicates that there is a partial impairment of the delayed hypersensitivity reaction in some patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, and complete impairment to the antigens employed in a lesser number.
Assignment of the human antithrombin III structural gene to chromosome 1q23–25

The human antithrombin III (ATIII) structural gene was mapped by in situ hybridization and quantitative analysis of ATIII gene dosage in DNA isolated from carriers of chromosome 1 deletions. These studies indicate that the ATIII structural gene maps to human chromosome q23-q25 and so is likely identical to AT3.
Temperature selection by the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

Abstract 1. 1. Behavioral responses of juvenile bullfrogs, both in an aquatic temperature gradient and in an apparatus which offers a choice of discrete water temperatures, demonstrate a capability for maintaining specific levels of nearly constant body temperature by selection of an appropriate thermal environment. 2. 2. Previous thermal history alters the level of preferred body temperature, whereas feeding and photoperiod do not. Hypothalamic lesions interfere with normal thermoregulatory behavior. 3. 3. Statistical parameters of preferred body temperatures maintained by bullfrogs under controlled laboratory conditions are generally similar to those of body temperatures recorded from bullfrogs under natural conditions. Small discrepancies between the means of preferred body temperatures maintained in the laboratory and body temperatures recorded under natural conditions can be explained by consideration of limitations of experimental apparatus and/or ecological factors. 4. 4. It is concluded that behavioral responses solely to temperature can account for body temperatures of bullfrogs observed in nature.
Tracing the assimilation of organic compounds using δ13C analysis of unique amino acids in the bacterial peptidoglycan cell wall

Abstract Stable isotope analysis of bacterial nucleic acids can be used to trace carbon that is assimilated and respired by the bacterioplankton in aquatic ecosystems. However, in sediment and soil environments humic acids co-extract with the nucleic acids, resulting in inaccurate isotope analysis. In this study we have examined the use of amino acids found in bacterial cell walls as biomarkers to trace carbon sources that support growth. In the development of the method, peptidoglycan from laboratory grown Pseudomonas sp. was hydrolyzed to amino acids. Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) were analyzed with a dual mass spectrometer, ion trap and isotope ratio, equipped with a gas chromatograph sample inlet (GC/ITMS/IRMS). Comparisons of δ13C values of whole cells, cell wall peptidoglycan and the amino acids d -alanine and diaminopimelic acid from the cell wall were made using different carbon substrates and through different stages of growth to determine isotopic fractionation of these compounds. The δ13C values of whole cells, peptidoglycan and d -alanine and the substrate sources (glucose, glutamic acid, isoleucine, lysine, phenylalanine) were similar. The δ13C values of the d -alanine were within 0.5‰ of the substrate. In comparison, diaminopimelic acid was enriched in 13C by 10.3‰ relative to the whole cells, peptidoglycan and substrate. Additional laboratory experiments also demonstrated that the δ13C of d -alanine did not vary significantly relative to the whole cell and substrate through different growth stages. Stable carbon isotope analysis of the bacterial amino acids was determined at two field locations, water from Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, a humic rich estuarine ecosystem, and jet-fuel contaminated soils of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. d -alanine and diaminopimelic acid were isolated from these water and soil samples and the amino acids were analyzed for purity after extraction and for their δ13C values relative to organic matter in the environments. In the Santa Rosa Sound the δ13C value of d -alanine was −27.6±0.6‰. This value is in the range of δ13C values of bacteria and organic matter previously measured in the system, −24.0 to −27.0‰. The δ13C value of d -alanine in soil samples from Tyndall Air Force Base was −20.5±1.7‰ (n=4) similar to ranges of values measured for spilled jet-fuel and CO2 respired from the soil at this site. Results from this study demonstrate that d -alanine can be used as a biomarker for analysis of carbon sources that are assimilated by bacteria in soils and sediments.
SU‐FF‐T‐122: Progressive Articulation of Radiotherapy Planning Goals Based On Soft‐Constraints

Purpose: Inverse-planning in radiation therapy is involved with multicriteria decision-making problems as it aims to achieve multiple planning goals that are conflicting with each other in target(s) or surrounding healthy tissues. To facilitate an intuitive and explicit way of articulating planning goals, the concept of soft-constraints has been implemented into our in-house IMRT planning system using a Goal Programming (GP) technique. In addition, traditional linear GP has been extended to handle nonlinear goal functions so that the nonlinear metrics highly relevant to clinical protocols (such as DVH, EUD, TCP, and NTCP) can be directly utilized in the planning process. Method and Materials: In order to achieve a high convergence speed of the optimization, a gradient-based, nonlinear constraint search algorithm has been used in the implementation of nonlinear GP. The system is designed to handle multiple goals either by a weighted-sum approach (Archimedean GP) or lexicographic ordering (Preemptive GP). For some planning criteria exhibiting poor numerical performance for gradient searches (e.g., min, max, DVH), surrogate models have been used in such a way that the general idea of soft-constraint is consistently maintained. Results: For clinical IMRT cases, the nonlinear GP provides a fast and practical approach to articulate planning goals. Moreover, prioritization of planning goals based on their importance significantly simplifies the RT multicriteria problem representations. The Lagrangian Multiplier values obtained after each level of optimization facilitate informed decisions on goal tradeoffs between different priority levels. Conclusion: The soft constraint concept has been implemented for clinically relevant nonlinear criteria in RT inverse planning. Due to the fast search convergence exhibited by the present system, the planning process can be interactive with the decision maker in setting or adjusting appropriate goal levels, leading to progressive tailoring of the individual plan results. Supported in part by NIH grant R01-CA59827.
Systematic comparison of two low-voltage amplifiers using topology matching and performance constraints

This paper presents the comparison of two low-voltage amplifiers using a systematic, two step procedure: (i) automated topological matching highlighting common and different signal path structures and symbolic expressions and (ii) constraint extraction and analysis illustrating how dissimilarities between circuits impact relevant performance and showing design flexibility with respect to trade-offs. The obtained comparison is important for understanding benefits and limitations of unique features in designs, for selecting better fitting topologies, and for analog circuit synthesis tools.
Enalapril worldwide experience.

Overall, the worldwide experience on enalapril to date is very encouraging. The drug produces good to excellent responses in 54 to 66 percent of patients with essential hypertension and is at least as effective as either diuretics or beta blockers. The effects of enalapril compared with those of diuretics confirm that patients more dependent upon the renin-angiotensin system respond better. When hydrochlorothiazide is administered concomitantly with enalapril, almost all patients respond, with good long-term maintenance. In patients with severe hypertension, Blocadren or Aldomet may be added in addition to hydrochlorothiazide and will produce additional benefit. Enalapril attenuates the adverse metabolic effects of hydrochlorothiazide, particularly hypokalemia. Overall, although the efficacy of enalapril and that of captopril are similar, enalapril is better tolerated and does not appear to be associated with any significant occurrence of captopril-type side effects, particularly the skin rash and loss of taste. As expected, enalapril and other converting enzyme inhibitors may be associated with azotemia in patients with bilateral renovascular hypertension.
Biocatalytic strategy toward asymmetric β-hydroxy nitriles and γ-amino alcohols

Abstract A library of 20 bakers’ yeast reductases, that are overexpressed in Escherichia coli, were screened against a variety of β-keto nitriles. Enzymes from the aldose reductase and the short chain dehydrogenase family displayed activity toward these substrates. All of the seven substrates were reduced with high enantioselectivities and in some cases both antipodes could be synthesized in high ees. These whole-cell reactions afforded gram quantities of asymmetric compounds that could ultimately lead to scaleable and simple synthesis to new drug analogs of serotonin reuptake inhibitors and β-adrenergic blocking agents.
Detoxification of malathion a chemical warfare agent analog using oxygen activation at room temperature and pressure

The organophosphorus insecticide malathion was selected as an analog for the chemical nerve agent, VX. Degradation of 0.44 mM malathion in a 10 mL aqueous solution containing 0.50 g granular zero valent iron (ZVI) under ambient air and pressure was complete after 4 h to the detection limit of GC-FID. The degradation kinetics demonstrate the system to be pseudo-first-order with respect to malathion disappearance with a rate constant of 0.92 h−1. The only non-polar organic intermediates detected were diethyl succinate and malaoxon, of which malaoxon is degraded to below the limit of detection of the GC-FID after 12 h. Electrospray ionization mass spectral analyses show the final reaction products to be low molecular weight carboxylic acids (propionic, oxalic and iminodiacetic acid).
Raised galactose plus galactose-1-phosphate blood levels in patients under PUVA therapy

Abstract Background PUVA has become a preferred method of treatment for vitiligo and psoriasis. However, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) as well as a high galactose diet may cause liver and kidney function damage and enhance cataract formation. Patients and Methods Twenty one patients aged 32 ± 2.6 yrs with vitiligo ( N = 11) or psoriasis ( N = 10) underwent eye-examination, liver and kidney function tests and galactose + galactose 1-phosphate (gal + gal P) blood evaluation using Porton-Cambridge Ltd reagents, before and after the 12th PUVA treatment during a 35–40 day study. Results All these functional tests including eye-examination were normal before and after commencing therapy. However, the mean gal + gal P blood levels (1.29 ± 0.41 mg/dl) were statistically elevated (2.95 ± 0.42 mg/dl) at the end of the study. It is suggested that 8-MOP either impairs liver function or acts as an inhibitor of the enzymes responsible for galactose metabolism. We propose gal + gal P blood estimation in all patients before and, at intervals, after the initiation of PUVA therapy in order to prevent as early as possible an additional risk factor for liver or kidney dysfunction as well as cataract formation.
Psychological symptoms among persons 50 years of age and older living with HIV disease.

Although persons 50 years of age and older account for 10% of all US AIDS cases, the mental health needs of this growing group remain largely overlooked. The current study delineated patterns and predictors of psychological symptoms amongst late middle-aged and older adults living with HIV/AIDS in two large US cities. In late 1998, 83 HIV-infected individuals 50-plus years of age ( M = 55.2, Range = 50-69) completed self-report surveys eliciting data on psychological symptomatology, HIV-related life-stressor burden, social support, barriers to health care and social services, and sociodemographic characteristics. Based on the Beck Depression Inventory, 25% of participants reported 'moderate' or 'severe' levels of depression. HIV-infected older adults also evidenced an elevated number of symptoms characteristic of somatization. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that HIV-infected older adults who endorsed more psychological symptoms also reported more HIV-related life-stressor burden, les...
Bacterial interactions and transport in unsaturated porous media.

Abstract The convection-dispersion transport model, which can well define solute transport, has been introduced to describe bacterial transport. Due to different interaction natures within the porous media, bacterial transport in the subsurface, especially in the vadose zone is a complex scenario. When transported in the vadose zone, bacteria may be captured on the media surface, at the air–water interface, or at the media–air–water three-phase interface depending upon the predominant interactions of concerned bacteria within the pore system. In this study, transport of Echerichia coli , Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis in silica sand under water unsaturated conditions was investigated using column experiments. Bacterial interactions within the system were characterized based on bacterial and media surface thermodynamic properties, which were determined independently by means of contact angle measurements. These calculated interactions provided solid evidence of the bacterial retention mechanisms in the pore system, which served as the bases for suitable assumptions of bacterial transport modeling. The micro-scale interaction investigations helped eliminate uncertainties arising with bacterial transport modeling.