cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Light sensing by opsins and fungal ecology: NOP-1 modulates entry into sexual reproduction in response to environmental cues.

Understanding the genetic basis of the switch from asexual to sexual lifestyles in response to sometimes rapid environmental changes is one of the major challenges in fungal ecology. Light appears to play a critical role in the switch—but fungal genomes harbor diverse light sensors. Fungal opsins are homologous to bacterial green-light sensory rhodopsins, and their organismal functions in fungi have not been well understood. Three of these opsin-like proteins were widely distributed across fungal genomes, but homologs of the Fusarium opsin-like protein CarO were present only in plant-associated fungi. Key amino acids, including potential retinal binding sites, functionally diverged on the phylogeny of opsins. This diversification of opsin-like proteins could be correlated with life-history associated differences among fungi in their expression and function during morphological development. In N. crassa and related species, knockout of the opsin NOP-1 led to a phenotype in the regulation of the asexual-sexual switch, modulating response to both light and oxygen conditions. Sexual development commenced early in ∆nop-1 strains cultured in unsealed plates under constant blue and white light. Furthermore, comparative transcriptomics showed that expression of nop-1 is light-dependent and that the ∆nop-1 strain abundantly expresses genes involved in oxidative stress response, genes enriched in NAD/NADP binding sites, genes with functions in proton trans-membrane movement and catalase activity, and genes involved in the homeostasis of protons. Based on these observations, we contend that light and oxidative stress regulate the asexual-sexual switch via light-responsive and ROS pathways in model fungus N. crassa and other fungi. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Analysis of Acculturative Stress and Sociocultural Adaptation among International Students at a Non-Metropolitan University.

This quantitative descriptive study analyzed levels of acculturative stress and sociocultural adaptation among international students at a non-metropolitan university in the United States related to certain demographic characteristics. Surveys were used to measure international students’ levels of acculturative stress and sociocultural adaptation, including five subscales of sociocultural adaptation (N = 413). Demographic questions included gender, age, and country of origin, length of stay in the United States, degree level, and English language comfort. Results indicated a negative correlation between students’ levels of sociocultural adaptation and acculturative stress. Particularly, increased competency among the five sociocultural adaptation subscales (interpersonal communication, academic/work performance, personal interests and community involvement, ecological adaptation, and language proficiency) decreased levels of acculturative stress among the students.
Strategies for Analyzing EBSD Datasets

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) has emerged in recent years as a powerful tool for the characterization of micro- or meso-structure by measurements in orientation space. This is evident from the numerous examples of the applications of this technique given in other chapters of this volume. As discussed in the previous chapters, most EBSD acquisition software provide the x- and y-coordinates, the three Euler angles, and a number of other parameters including the quality of the electron backscatter diffraction pattern (EBSP) and the confidence in indexing. Commercially available software contains a myriad of functions to allow the investigator to analyze many aspects of the material micro structure. However, for certain problems in materials science, standard, commercially available software is unable to provide all the information that is required for the analysis. This chapter will explore additional representations of the EBSD dataseis and data processing software that have been developed to address particular problems encountered during investigations. Specific examples include: “clean-up” of dataseis; mapping of lattice rotations in deformed single crystals; three-dimensional reconstruction of the microstructure; and applications in the area of grain boundary engineering such as statistical information on the frequency of grain boundaries in deformed and annealed polycrystals, analysis of triple junction distributions, and mapping of the random grain boundary connectivity in the microstructure.
Parental perception of child vulnerability in childhood cancer survivors

Background Parents' perception of their children's vulnerability to illness following cancer treatment is largely unknown, but is important to understand given known challenges of transitioning survivors to postcancer care. We investigated the frequency of and factors associated with perceived vulnerability by parents of childhood cancer survivors attending a regional survivorship clinic. Procedure This cohort study was offered to all parents of pediatric patients (currently ≤18 years) attending the Yale childhood cancer survivorship clinic January 2010 to October 2016 who were ≥1 year postcurative cancer therapy. Participating parents (one per patient) completed the standardized Child Vulnerability Scale at the beginning of the clinic visit (cutoff score ≥10 for perceived vulnerability). Patient sociodemographics, cancer history, and posttherapy complications were abstracted from medical records. Results Overall, 116 parents participated (98% participation rate) consisting of 89% mothers; survivors were 46% female, had a current mean age of 12.7 ± 3.9 years, and were a mean of 6.4 ± 3.8 years posttherapy. Twenty-eight percent (n = 33) of parents perceived their children as vulnerable. Survivor sociodemographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, insurance, parental marital status, number of siblings), cancer diagnosis, years off-therapy, survivorship visit number, treatment intensity, and late complications (number, type, severity) were not associated with perception of vulnerability. Conclusions A sizeable proportion of parents continue to perceive their children as vulnerable even years after cancer therapy completion independent of current health status or past cancer history. Our data suggest the need to educate all parents of childhood cancer survivors regarding health risk, including those at lower risk for late complications.
Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in kidney and simultaneous pancreas kidney transplant recipients in the present era of routine post-transplant prophylaxis: risk factors and outcomes.

The goal of this study was to identify predictors for development of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in kidney and simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant recipients in the present era of universal primary prophylaxis. We reviewed adult recipients of kidney transplant or simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant at the University of Wisconsin between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 2016. Patients diagnosed with PJP during this time frame were included. Controls were randomly selected from among those whose post-transplant course was not complicated by PJP, matched on time since transplant through incidence density sampling with a 3:1 ratio. 28 (0.45%) of 6270 recipients developed PJP between 1994 and 2016. Median time since transplant was 4.6 years (interquartile range (IQR): 1.4–9.6 years). Affected recipients were older, had more HLA mismatches, and were more likely to have had BK viremia, CMV viremia and invasive fungal infections than matched controls. CMV viremia remained the only significant risk factor in multivariate analysis, and was a strong predictor (OR 6.27; p = 0.002). Ninety percent of the cases with prior CMV viremia had been diagnosed in the year preceding the diagnosis of PJP; among these, median time from diagnosis of CMV to diagnosis of PJP was 3.4 months (IQR: 1.74–11.5 months) and median peak CMV viral load prior to diagnosis of PJP was 3684.5 IU/mL (IQR: 1034–93,300 IU/mL). Additionally, 88.9% of patients with CMV in the preceding year had active infection at time of PJP diagnosis. Patient and graft survival were significantly worse at 2 years in recipients with PJP than our control group (42.4% vs. 88.5, and 37.9% vs. 79.9%; p < 0.001). Despite the low overall incidence of PJP in the era of universal prophylaxis, outcomes are poor. We suggest extending or re-initiating PJP prophylaxis for at least 6 months in the setting of CMV viremia due to the relatively low risk of therapy and potential significant impact on disease prevention.
Flowmeter based on a piezoelectric PVDF tube

Abstract The present work aims at demonstrating the applicability of using tubes made of the polymer PVDF as intrinsic flowmeters, considering the peculiar piezoelectric properties of the PVDF-β polymorph and using as flow measurement method the Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV) technique. The work methodology consisted of initially characterizing the material of a commercial PVDF tube spectroscopically, using the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique, to confirm the presence of PVDF-β. Then, the PVDF tube was installed in a hydraulic test circuit and electromechanically tested, to identify the levels of electrical voltages generated by the vibration caused by the passage of water through the tube. To compare the vibration signals, simultaneous measurements were made with commercial accelerometers and with a commercial PVDF film built specifically as a piezoelectric transducer. The results of the FIV tests allowed confirming that the standard deviation of the voltage signal measured by the PVDF tube is related to the flow rate. The uncertainties associated with flow rate measurement by the tube showed a considerable reduction in the higher flow rates. On the other hand, in the lowest flow rate levels, a high instability was observed, possibly due to the process of initial mechanical accommodation of the tube. Despite this, a strong relationship between the signal generated by the PVDF tube and the flow rate that induced this vibration has proven the potential applicability of the PVDF tube as a water flowmeter.
Semantic Perspicuity and the Locative Hypothesis: Implications for Acquisition

The structure of the grammar of American Sign Language (ASL) has important implications for the theory of universal grammar and the logical problem of language acquisition. A detailed study of the ...
The prediction of percentage of protein in pork carcasses.

Determination of percentage of protein in a pork carcass is a very costly and lengthy process. Therefore, we attempted to identify an easy and economical means to predict protein content of pork carcasses. Forty-seven market-weight pigs were slaughtered. The right side of each carcass was skinned, deboned and ground for composition analysis. Carcass data were collected on the left side and specific gravity analysis was performed on the side, ham and 8-9-10 rib loin section of each carcass. The hams and loin sections were dissected into skin, bone, subcutaneous fat, seam fat and individual muscles. After these components were weighed, they were analyzed for chemical composition. Percentage of chemical protein of each animal was determined and correlated with each of the weights and measurements taken on the carcass, ham and loin sections. Stepwise regression was used to predict decimal fraction of protein using either the carcass data, specific gravity, ham measurements, loin section measurements or various combinations of these. In a prediction equation, specific gravity of the carcass accounted for 73.4% of the variation found in percentage of protein. F’rediction equations using indicators from the ham and loin section resulted in equations with R-square values as high as .783. These results suggest that specific gravity or indicators from the carcass, ham or loin section can be employed to predict percentage of protein in pork carcasses.
The Role of Mass Spectrometry in the Cannabis Industry.

The focus of this critical insight article is a brief overview of analytical challenges the cannabis industry faces and how analytical chemists have new opportunities to demonstrate the merits of employing mass spectrometry for the chemical analysis of cannabis and its products. The current range of cannabis products extends from recreational use to medicines, edibles, beverages, and beyond. The standards employed to assure product quality, integrity, and safety are lacking compared to those currently used by the pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries. This manuscript overviews some of the important analytical issues that exist for the growth and harvest of the cannabis plant to the production of a wide variety of its products. Currently, the topics of interest for safety in cannabis testing where mass spectrometry can play an important role include what are currently referred to as potency, pesticides, terpenes, heavy metals, and mycotoxins from bacteria. Since each state in the USA as well as several countries has their own regulations, the analytical opportunities and challenges vary depending upon which jurisdiction a laboratory is supporting. This Critical Insight report will suggest where mass spectrometry can play an important role and provide valuable input on these topics.
From Literacy/Literacies to Graphic Pluralism and Inscriptive Practices

This article considers the ongoing importance of studying writing practices within and beyond anthropology. The works included here concentrate on scholarship that has appeared since the productive...
Quintuple Band Lambda/4 Stub by using Unbalanced Bridged CRLH Transmission Lines

In this paper, we demonstrate a quintuple band λ/4 stub using a Bridged Composite Right Left Handed (B-CRLH) transmission line approach. The five bands are achieved using two B-CRLH unit cells. Design is carried out using the B-CRLH transmission line theory and two numerical simulation tools of Advanced Design Systems (ADS, Keysight Technologies, Inc.) and High Frequency Structural Simulator (HFSS, ANSYS Inc.). A prototype device is fabricated on a PCB substrate using milling machine. The demonstrated five stub frequencies are 0.6 GHz, 1.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.2 GHz and 6.19 GHz. The dimensions of fabricated unit cell-1 and unit cell-2 are 2.52 cm^2 and 0.25 cm^2, respectively.
Exploring the Utility of Subjective Workload Measures for Capturing Dual Task Resource Loading

Our goal was to investigate the impact of dual-tasking on perceived workload, and to study the sensitivity of existing workload measures to components of primary and secondary tasks. Past research ...
Bilingual Language Experience Shapes Resting-State Brain Rhythms

An increasing body of research has investigated how bilingual language experience changes brain structure and function, including changes to task-free, or “resting-state” brain connectivity. Such f...
Feasibility and acceptability of the multicontext approach for individuals with acquired brain injury in acute inpatient rehabilitation: A single case series

The Multicontext (MC) approach, a metacognitive intervention designed to improve awareness, strategy use, and executive functioning, may be beneficial for individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) undergoing acute inpatient rehabilitation. The goal of this study was to provide evidence of feasibility and acceptability of the MC approach and to explore clinical outcomes. A case series of eight individuals with acquired brain injury and at least mild executive functioning impairment were recruited from an acute inpatient rehabilitation unit. The MC approach - involving guided questioning and patient self-generation of strategies practiced across everyday functional cognitive tasks - was implemented within routine occupational therapy. Occupational therapists implemented the MC approach with high adherence to the treatment protocol. Therapists' perceived challenges were the time constraints of inpatient rehabilitation as well as client factors. Participants rated the MC approach as highly satisfying and engaging. They described subjective improvements in their ability to use executive functioning strategies. The MC approach was associated with improvement in awareness, strategy use, and executive functioning at the conclusion of treatment. The MC approach may be a beneficial intervention for individuals with acquired brain injury and executive dysfunction undergoing acute inpatient rehabilitation. Further evaluation with larger samples in controlled trials is warranted.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04363645..
The Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaur ‘Morosaurus’ agilis Marsh, 1889 reexamined and reinterpreted as a dicraeosaurid

The holotypic materials of the sauropod ‘Morosaurus’ agilis—a partial skull, proatlases, and first three cervical vertebrae—have been a taxonomic and phylogenetic mystery since their initial descri...
Facing Discrimination: Choosing Equality over Technology

On its face, facial recognition technology poses advantages in the form of efficiency and cost-savings in sectors of society such as law enforcement, education, employment, and healthcare. However, these advantages perpetuate indirect forms of discrimination through unequal access to the technology’s benefits and—more significantly—direct forms of discrimination such as falsely identifying Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as suspects of crimes disproportionately. Facial recognition technology offers several opportunities to inject bias into its performance: through biased algorithm design, recycling racial bias in the form of past law enforcement data, and through biased user applications. The precautionary principle warns against regulating a technology before it is fully developed and implemented, but the consequences of allowing this technology to go unregulated are overcome by the startling implications on racial discrimination in the United States. Therefore, this technology should be regulated before any further harm is done. This Comment analyzes the legislation proposed to regulate facial recognition technology by considering the longevity and breadth of the proposed regulations.
Identifying Cultural Traits Contributing to Black Males' Success in Community College

The disparities in representation of Blacks in institutions of higher learning are well documented. Even with significant rises in enrollment over the last several decades, Blacks comprise just 12.6 percent of the community college student body (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014). Recently there has been a resurgent spotlight placed on institutions’ need to increase diversity because of the emphasis being placed on bridging gaps in equity and inclusion. Black people aged eighteen to forty-four years old, are being admitted to community college at a rate that eclipses their proportion of the population (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014); and while this is encouraging, admission does not always correlate to completion, However, for an overwhelming number of Black community college students, graduation is attainable and achieved. This narrative case study will identify the personal traits that contribute to the success of Black males matriculating in community college. More specifically, the study will identify the personal cultural traits of Black males that underscore their collegiate efforts and sustain them until completion.
Chapter 2 Mixing in Stratified Fluids

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses several aspects of fluid dynamics that are useful in understanding and modifying the density structure in saline lakes. Small and strongly stratified lakes possess small rates of vertical mixing; thus, their vertical density structure could be easily altered and controlled. In fluids stratified by temperature and salinity, the qualitative nature of the convection and mixing can be different from those that occur in either pure thermal or pure haline convection. This is called “Double Diffusive” convection. The difference between the diffusivity of heat and salt (at the molecular level) is the underlying cause of a hierarchy of large-scale motions that are produced in a fluid whose mean density field decreases upwards. Surface cooling can result in significant cooling of the bottom water without destructing the pycnocline. The surface cooling can be achieved by the double-diffusive mechanics that allow the potential energy associated with the temperature field to be released without destructing the pycnocline.
Detecting Malingering on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery

Malingering is a condition in which a patient consciously feigns symptoms of a physical or psychological disorder for the purposes of gain. This purpose may be conscious or unconscious in terms of the individuals’ awareness of their own motivation. However, the attempts to falsify test responses are deliberate. Malingering cannot be confused with individuals who are simply uncooperative or who truly believe that they have the symptoms they are showing.
A web query system for heterogeneous government data

This paper describes a Web-based query system for semantically heterogeneous government-produced data. Geospatial Web-based information systems and portals are currently being developed by various levels of government along with the GIS community. Typically, these sites provide data discovery and download capabilities but do not include the ability to pose DBMS type queries.One of the main problems in querying distributed government data sources is the difference in semantics used by various jurisdictions. We extend work in schema integration by focusing on resolving semantics at the value level in addition to the schema or attribute level. We illustrate our method using land use data, but the method works for any domain having a heterogeneous set of values. Our work starts from an XML Web-based DBMS and adds functionality to accommodate heterogeneous data between jurisdictions. Our ontology and query rewrite systems use mappings to enable querying across distributed heterogeneous data. This paper describes our current system.
Organizational Knowledge Sharing in ERP Implementation: A Multiple Case Study Analysis

This study examines how firms are able to effectively share knowledge across diverse functions and perspectives during enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems implementation. The primary objective of the study is to provide a theoretically grounded assessment of factors that enable firms to articulate and integrate the diversity of knowledge required for effective use of ERP. This includes factors that impact how existing knowledge is shared and how new knowledge is absorbed and transferred to become part of the firm's core knowledge competency.
A screening test for speech pathology assessment using objective quality measures

Vocal dysfunctions and pathologies can be devastating to one's ability to produce speech properly. A novel method for approaching the problem of speech pathology assessment is presented in this paper. The focus is not on detecting or measuring all possible pathologies, but rather on assessing the vocal quality for those cases where the probability of pathology is high. The system is a screening test that uses objective quality measures that examine both excitation and vocal tract characteristics. The five integrated measures are pitch perturbation, amplitude perturbation, a main cepstral peak measure, the log-likelihood measure and an energy-weighted log-likelihood measure. They are evaluated over six speech phoneme classes and their ability to assess the quality of speech is examined. Ultimately, these measures are to be seamlessly integrated into an overall pathology assessment system using a hidden Markov model (HMM) speech recognizer. To demonstrate the ability of the quality measures to probe the multidimensional perceptual quality space, a neural network-based speech pathology detection scheme was established. This system attained an average classification rate of 85.8% for healthy and pathological speech.
Microsomal electron transport reactions. I. Interaction of reduced triphosphopyridine nucleotide during the oxidative demethylation of aminopyrine and cytochrome b 5 reduction.

Abstract The role of TPNH-cytochrome c reductase in microsomal mixed function oxidation reactions can be questioned because of a lack of agreement of the kinetic constants for TPNH between the purified, isolated flavoprotein and the membrane-bound enzyme complex. These constants have been redetermined using microsomes from rabbit liver; the Km TPNH during aminopyrine demethylation was found to vary with different conditions of experimentation but was approximately 1 μ m . This value is about an order of magnitude less than previously reported and correlates well with the kinetic constant for the isolated flavoprotein, TPNH-cytochrome c reductase. Evidence was also found for an apparent dual interaction of TPNH during microsomal electron transport reactions: (1) a stoichiometric interaction of TPNH with microsomes which is dependent upon the microsomal protein concentration and (2) a more conventional protein-independent interaction at higher TPNH concentrations. The rate of reduction of cytochrome b5, was also measured as a function of TPNH concentration. The concentration of TPNH required for half-maximal rates of cytochrome b5 reduction was approximately 0.5 μ m , a result which suggests that TPNHcytochrome c reductase may also be functional in the transfer of reducing equivalents from TPNH for the reduction of cytochrome b5.
Regulation of Aspartate Aminotransferase Isozymes by d-Erythrose 4-Phosphate and Glycoladehyde Phosphate, the Naturally Occurring Homologues of d-Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate

Abstract As part of a study of the regulation of aspartate aminotransferase isozymes (EC 2.6.1.1), we have investigated the characteristics of inhibition of the anionic and cationic isozymes by d-erythrose 4-phosphate and glycolaldehyde phosphate, the naturally occurring homologues of d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Erythrose-4-P has been found to be a time-dependent inhibitor of both the cationic and anionic isozymes. The inhibitor dissociation constants and types of inhibition were determined from residual enzyme activity after equilibration of each isozyme with the inhibitor and one substrate in the preliminary incubation mixtures. Inhibition of both isozymes by erythrose-4-P was completely competitive with respect to α-ketoglutarate and completely noncompetitive with respect to aspartate. The Ki values of the cationic isozyme were 1.44 and 0.135 mm for the pyridoxal and pyridoxamine forms, respectively. The Ki values of the anionic isozyme were 3.04 and 0.33 mm for the pyridoxal and pyridoxamine forms, respectively. Both forms of the cationic isozyme were more sensitive to inhibition than the corresponding forms of the anionic isozyme. Inhibition of aspartate aminotransferase isozymes by glycolaldehyde-P was complete and not time-dependent. Inhibition was competitive with respect to α-ketoglutarate as the variable substrate and uncompetitive with respect to aspartate as the variable substrate. The Ki values were 1.07 and 0.79 mm for the pyridoxamine form of the cationic and anionic isozymes, respectively. The characteristics of the inhibition of aspartate aminotransferase isozymes by erythrose-4-P, glyceraldehyde-3-P, and glycolaldehyde-P are not related to number of carbon atoms in these compounds. Kinetic analyses of the binding of glycolaldehyde-P and glyceraldehyde-3-P to the isozymes showed that their binding is mutually exclusive. The results suggest that glyceraldehyde-3-P and its naturally occurring homologues erythrose-4-P and glycolaldehyde-P may be involved in the regulation of gluconeogenesis in vivo by affecting the activity of the isozymes of aspartate aminotransferase.
FLUVIAL ENVIRONMENTS | Sediments

Fluvial sediments consist of channel (channel bar, channel fill) and overbank (natural levee, crevasse splay, flood basin) deposits. Channel deposits are comprised predominantly of sand and gravel and typically occur as lenticular bodies or thick tabular sheets with complex bedding geometries and erosive bases. Overbank deposits consist primarily of silt and clay and lesser amounts of sand, and often encase sand bodies. Organic and chemical sediments such as peat and carbonate can be important constituents of overbank sediments in humid and arid settings, respectively. Fluvial sediments are present in a diverse array of environments that range from tectonically quiescent continental interiors to actively subsiding continental margins and foreland basins. The geologic setting controls the abundance of fluvial sediments, the completeness of the record of fluvial activity, and the architecture of the deposits. In continental interiors where erosion predominates, fluvial sediments are often represented by down-stepping flights of terraces underlain by sand and/or gravel (see Terrace Sequences). Fine-grained overbank deposits are often rare in these settings. Periods of fluvial aggradation and sediment reworking are punctuated by river incision and soil formation. Records of fluvial activity in these settings are relatively incomplete. Along continental margins, fluvial sediments are represented by relative thick successions of muddy overbank and sandy channel deposits. Stacked deposits of Quaternary fluvial sediments in these settings provide relatively complete and long-term records of fluvial activity.
COMPUTER-AIDED STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF CONCRETE PIPE

This paper describes the development of a finite-element computer program to simulate the structural behavior of a buried concrete pipe. The influence of the soil-structure interaction phenomenon is approximated by using appropriate material properties for the bedding and backfill, and by employing empirical hinging mechanisms which enable simulation of the progressive cracking behavior in the model of the concrete pipe. A second approximation, in which the pipe is represented as a linear frame, is introduced for the calculation of internal stress resultants. Various iteration techniques are employed to ensure deformation compatibility between the two pipe models. The results from full-scale experimentation are then used to validate the analytical models. This model of the soil-pipe system was combined with appropriate serviceability and ultimate strength design criteria for reinforced concrete pipe to produce a comprehensive computer program for the design of buried concrete pipe. The resulting program, entitled NUPIPE, accounts for nonlinear soil-structure interaction, and permits the engineer to obtain the structural design of a given size pipe having a specified fill height and installed in any manner (that is, arbitrary bedding or backfill procedures or both). The applicability of the new design method is demonstrated by designing various installations. The required steel areas for these installations are compared with those obtained by use of the current design method, and the differences are discussed.
Immunity to Error and Subjectivity

Since Sydney Shoemaker published his seminal article ‘Self-Reference and Self-Awareness’ in 1968, the notion of ‘Immunity to Error through Misidentification’ (IEM) has received much attention. It crops up in discussions of personal identity, indexical thought and introspection, and has been used to interpret remarks made by philosophers from Wittgenstein to William James. The precise significance of IEM is often unspecified in these discussions, however. It is unclear, for example, whether it constitutes an important status of judgments, whether it explains an important characteristic of judgments, or whether it merely marks an important characteristic of judgments. Nevertheless, reference to IEM abounds, making this obscure notion seem all the more significant.
Combatting the crime of arson: Detection, arrest, and conviction

The criminal aspect of arson, traditionally perceived as a firefighting rather than a law enforcement problem, has become of critical interest in recent years. Data are presented reflecting the escalating trend in arson fires which has developed over a five-year period in four cities in the southern California area. The ability of the law enforcement community to combat this trend effectively is discussed by focusing attention upon the innovative efforts of a multijurisdictional arson control project operating in southern California. Improvements in the detection, arrest, and conviction patterns in the project area for the crime of arson are also discussed.
Underdetermination and Meaning Indeterminacy: What is the Difference?

The first part of this paper discusses Quine’s views on underdetermination of theory by evidence, and the indeterminacy of translation, or meaning, in relation to certain physical theories. The underdetermination thesis says different theories can be supported by the same evidence, and the indeterminacy thesis says the same component of a theory that is underdetermined by evidence is also meaning indeterminate. A few examples of underdetermination and meaning indeterminacy are given in the text. In the second part of the paper, Quine’s scientific realism is discussed briefly, along with some of the difficulties encountered when considering the ‘truth’ of different empirically equivalent theories. It is concluded that the difference between underdetermination and indeterminacy, while significant, is not as great as Quine claims. It just means that after we have chosen a framework theory, from a number of empirically equivalent ones, we still have further choices along two different dimensions.
Numerical Modeling of Flow Distribution in Microfluidics Systems

This paper describes an application of a general purpose computer program, GFSSP (Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program) for calculating flow distribution in a network of micro-channels. GFSSP employs a finite volume formulation of mass and momentum conservation equations in a network consisting of nodes and branches. Mass conservation equation is solved for pressures at the nodes while the momentum conservation equation is solved at the branches to calculate flowrate. The system of equations describing the fluid network is solved by a numerical method that is a combination of the Newton-Raphson and successive substitution methods. The numerical results have been compared with test data and detailed CFD (computational Fluid Dynamics) calculations. The agreement between test data and predictions is satisfactory. The discrepancies between the predictions and test data can be attributed to the frictional correlation which does not include the effect of surface tension or electro-kinetic effect.
Some novel transcription attenuation mechanisms used by bacteria.

Abstract A variety of transcription attenuation mechanisms are used by bacteria to regulate gene and operon expression. This review summarizes previous and current studies designed to elucidate the features of the specific attenuation mechanisms that regulate expression of the tryptophanase (tna) operon of Escherichia coli and the tryptophan (trp) operon of Bacillus subtilis. Initiation of transcription in the tna operon is regulated by catabolite repression. Once initiated, transcription is regulated by tryptophan-induced inhibition of Rho-mediated transcription termination in the leader region of the operon. An operon-encoded leader peptide, TnaC, containing a crucial tryptophan residue, plays an essential role in induction. This peptide appears to act in cis on the ribosome translating tnaC to inhibit its release at the tnaC stop codon. The stalled ribosome would block Rho's access to the tna transcript, thereby preventing termination. Transcription of the trp operon of B subtilis is regulated by an attenuation mechanism that responds to a tryptophan-activated eleven subunit RNA-binding regulatory protein, called TRAP. Activated TRAP binds to repeated GAG sequences in the leader segment of the trp operon transcript, disrupting an RNA antiterminator and promoting formation of a terminator. Activated TRAP also regulates translation of trpG in the folate operon by binding to repeat GAG sequences surrounding the trpG ribosome binding site. A temperature sensitive tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (trpS) mutant was previously observed to overexpress the trp operon and trpG, when grown at elevated temperatures in the presence of tryptophan. We have found that the trpS defect increases trp operon and trpG expression by interfering with TRAP's ability to act. We suggest that either accumulation of uncharged tRNATrp or overproduction of a TRAP-binding transcript reduces the level of functional TRAP in the trpS mutant.
Aldolase C/zebrin gene regulation by prolactin during pregnancy and lactation.

Prolactin (PRL) is necessary for the genesis of mammary alveolar buds and for lactation. A cDNA library enriched for PRL-dependent genes was made by suppression subtractive hybridization. Aldolase C/zebrin (AldC/zebrin), a “brain-specific” aldolase, was found to be PRL-dependent in the mouse mammary glands. AldC/zebrin was preferentially expressed in the alveolar buds. Expression of the gene in the ovary was also evident. During pregnancy, mammary AldC/zebrin mRNA levels were elevated beginning at midpregnancy (d 10 of pregnancy) in accordance with the genesis of the lobuloalveolar system, and the expression level was gradually increased through the end of pregnancy. Lactating mammary gland contained a very high level of AldC/zebrin mRNA, and the gene expression decreased during involution. By contrast, levels of aldolase A and B mRNA expression in the mammary glands were less affected by pregnancy and lactation. The selective regulation of AldC/zebrin may contribute to a shift in nutrient metabolism during pregnancy and lactation to facilitate epithelial growth and biosynthesis of milk constituents.
Intentional retention of vital submerged roots in dogs.

Abstract Vital teeth were reduced to a level about 2 mm. below the alveolar crest bone; the gingiva was sutured to cover root surfaces. Regeneration of bone over the reduced root was seen in 3 weeks, and complete coverage occurred in 5 weeks. Histologic studies showed that the roots retained a vital pulp, that cementum covered the cut dentin, and that periodontal membrane surrounded the buried roots.
Directly correlated transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography of grain boundary oxidation in a Ni-Al binary alloy exposed to high-temperature water

Intergranular oxidation of a Ni-4Al alloy exposed to hydrogenated, high-temperature water was characterized using directly correlated transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. These combined analyses revealed that discrete, well-separated oxides (NiAl2O4) precipitated along grain boundaries in the metal. Aluminum was depleted from the grain boundary between oxides and also from one side of the boundary as a result of grain boundary migration. The discrete oxide morphology, disconnected from the continuous surface oxidation, suggests intergranular solid-state internal oxidation of Al. Keywords: oxidation; grain boundaries; nickel alloys; atom probe tomography; transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Positron emission tomography instrumentation.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a method by which the in vivo distribution of a radiopharmaceutical can be measured with high resolution and sensitivity. Conventional nuclear medicine imaging with a γ camera requires the use of an absorptive collimator that limits the percentage of internally emitted photons that are detected with the γ camera to about 0.01%. PET, on the other hand, uses annihilation coincidence detection rather than absorptive collimation to localize the event leading to an increase in sensitivity of several orders of magnitude for the same spatial resolution. This improved sensitivity is typically manifest as either an enhancement in image quality or an improvement in quantitative accuracy. The radioactive nuclides that are associated with the elements that are considered biologically interesting, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, tend to be positron emitters (e.g., 11 C, 13 N, and 15 O). In addition, an 18 F atom can often be used to substitute for an H or an OH. In this manner, positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals can be developed from naturally occurring materials (e.g., 15 O water, 11 C carbon monoxide, or 13 N ammonia). Also, radioactive analogues of other biologic substances can be developed, such as 18 F fluoro-2-deoxy-2-glucose (FDG) or 18 F labeled fluorodopa. 7 A variety of other positron-emitting agents have also been developed that, for example, can image the neuroreceptor system 9 or the proliferation rate of tumor cells. The improved physical capacity of PET scanning and the development of exciting positron-based radiopharmaceuticals has led to the development of PET instrumentation over the past 40 years. 1,2,8,10
Black concern for the environment: Myth versus reality

This article first discusses major misconceptions and limitations of research conducted in the United States on race and concern for the environment. An overview of four hypotheses pertaining to concern for the environment among blacks is then provided. Support for each hypothesis is judged by reviewing recent literature and by analyzing the National Opinion Research Center's (NORC) General Social Survey (GSS) trend data 1973–93. The overall evidence shows that concern for the environment is not just an issue for whites and that a “concern gap”; between whites and blacks probably does not exist. It also demonstrates that support among blacks for environmental protection did not decline more than it did for whites during hard economic periods. There is limited evidence to suggest that blacks place a slightly higher priority than do whites on improving the conditions of the social environment than on the state of the environment in general.
The influence of judges' attitudes on liability assessments related to failed audits exhibiting significant audit team over-time or significant use of off-shore auditors

Abstract This study provides evidence on how audit firms' decisions to use offshore (outsourced) auditors or to assign on-site (local) auditors extensive overtime affect judges' evaluation of auditor legal liability I conduct a behavioral experiment in which actual judges responded to a hypothetical audit lawsuit. The results suggest auditors may be penalized during the litigation process depending on the extent of overtime or off-shoring and judges' attitude toward the public accounting profession. Judges with a positive attitude toward public accounting assessed more liability for an audit firm that used offshore (outsourced) auditors than for the use of extensive overtime for on-site auditors or a control condition. However, judges with a negative attitude toward the auditing profession assessed higher liability for auditors except when on-site auditors bore significant overtime in the final weeks of the audit.
Simultaneous graphics and multislice raster image display for interactive image-guided surgery

A surgeon typically uses information from a number of tomographic imaging methods (e.g., CT, MR, PET) during the course of a surgical procedure. These imaging techniques represent three-dimensional information as a set of two-dimensional images. To use this information, the surgeon is required to mentally construct a three-dimensional visualization from the set of two- dimensional images. The formation of the mental image becomes more complicated with the inclusion of multiple imaging modalities and multiple imaging planes. We have developed a technique to enhance the mental three-dimensional visualization process through simultaneous graphics and multislice raster image display. The composite display, capable of displaying up to three raster images along with a patient-specific graphics model, is viewed on a 1280 X 1024 monitor. The raster images, displayed in a 512 X 512 format, may be any combination of imaging methods and imaging planes. The graphics model, determined from the imaging data, may be freely rotated as a depth-cued wireframe or shaded-surface model. Regions-of-interest may be incorporated into the graphics model for additional visual cues. Trajectory information may be obtained by moving a three-dimensional cursor in any raster image space or in the graphics model with instantaneous update of the remaining display area. This design allows the surgeon to interactively obtain orientation and visualization information from the images in the operating room. Because the classic imaging planes are used, the surgeon is not required to deal with a new information format or a loss of resolution.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neumann problem and one oblique-derivative problem for an improperly elliptic equation

We study the problem of solvability of an inhomogeneous Neumann problem and an oblique-derivative problem for an improperly elliptic scalar differential equation with complex coefficients in a bounded domain. A model case in which the domain is a unit disk and the equation does not contain lower-order terms is investigated. It is shown that the classes of boundary data for which these problems are uniquely solvable in a Sobolev space are formed by the spaces of functions with exponentially decreasing Fourier coefficients.
Development of specificity in corticospinal connections by axon collaterals branching selectively into appropriate spinal targets

Corticospinal projections in adult rodents arise exlusively from layer V neurons in the sensorimotor cortex. These neurons are topographically organized in their connections to spinal cord targets. Previous studies in rodents have shown that the mature distribution pattern of corticospinal neurons develops during the first 2 weeks postnatal from an initial widespread pattern that includes the visual cortex to a distribution restricted to the sensorimotor cortex. To determine whether specificity in corticospinal connections also emerges from an intially diffuse set of projections, we have studied the outgrowth of corticospinal axons and the formation of terminal arbors in developing hamsters. The sensitive fluorescent tracer 1, 1′, dioctadecyl-3, 3, 3′, 3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorat (DiI) was used to label corticospinal axons from the visual cortex or from small regions of the forelimb or hindlimb sensorimotor cortex in living animals at 4–17 days postnatal. Initially axon outgrowth was imprecise. Some visual cortical axons extended transiently beyond their permanent targets in the pontine nuclei, by growing through the pyramidal decussation and in some cases extending as far caudally as the lumbar enlargement. Forelimb sensorimotor axons also extended past their targets in the cervical enlargement, in many cases growing in the corticospinal tract to lumbar levels of the cord. By about 17 days postnatal these misdirected axons or axon segments were withdrawn from the tract. Despite these errors in axon trajectories within the corticospinal tract, terminal arbors branching into targets in the spinal gray matter were topographically appropriate from the earliest stages of innervation. Thus visula cortical axons never formed connections in the spinal cord, forelimb sensorimotor axons arborized only in the cervical enlargement, and hindlimb cortical axons terminated only in the lumbar cord at all stages of development examined. Corticospinal arbors formed from collaterals that extended at right angles from the shafts of primary axons, most likely by the process of interstitial branching after the primary growth cone had extended past the target. Once collaterals extended into the spinal gray matter, highly branched terminal arbors formed within 2–4 days, beginning at about 4 and 8 days postnatal for the cervical and lumbar enlargements, respectively. These results show that specificity in connectivity is achieved by selectivty growth of axon collaterals in to appropriate spinal targets from the beginning and not by the later remodeling of intially diffuse connections. In contrast, errors occur in the initial outgrowth of axons in the corticospinal tract, which are subsequently corrected. Copyright © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.