cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generalized Little's Law and an Asset Picking System to Model an Investment Portfolio: A Working Prototype

We are not aware of any meaningful application of Little's Law in the finance field. Our ambitious goal is to create an Asset Picking System (APS) structure that, combined with Little's Law (LL), Generalized Little's Law (GLL) and its corollaries, generates the GLL-APS model, a financial engineering tool bridging operations research and finance. In the process we extend Little's Law in certain ways and make its vocabulary specific to our application. Consider a financial adviser working with a customer to select and maintain a portfolio of investments over a time period. Individual investments are bought or sold and enter or leave the portfolio, which is thought of as a queue. The total value of the portfolio at a point in time is the sum of the values of each investment in the system. When an investment is sold, it departs, and its selling price becomes cash. Cash may be kept in a money market fund, waiting for re-investment, or accumulated in a savings account to be used for personal consumption. Little's Law (LL) in its basic form simply counts the number of investments and so deals with their rate of arrival, the average number in the system, and the average time an investment stays in the system. However, there is an advanced version of LL that we call Generalized Little's Law (GLL), in which each investment can be weighted, for example, by its dollar amount. Then we can calculate the average dollars of investments in the portfolio over a time interval and the average time that an investment remains in the portfolio with the duration of each investment weighted by its dollar size, as well as knowing the average arrival rate of investments. Our process uses decision rules to create the APS structure. which, through a four step process, selects assets and their numbers of shares to build a portfolio. Any change is accepted or rejected by the adviser and, ultimately, by the customer. Various environmental events, notably, recurrent global recessions, can negatively impact certain classes of investments and make them less appealing as choices for the customer. All clients are more concerned about the market opportunities and hold more reasonable expectations than before such crises. We take that into consideration. We concentrate on customizing and maintaining an investment portfolio for the person who owns it. The GLL-APS model does this. Currently it is a working prototype because it is operational but is evaluated by computer simulation with only one of the three customer profiles we have collected so far. Our investments test bed consists of a set of 14 asset classes, each with 10 blue chip securities. Later we intend to expand the number of customers and assets and plan an orderly rollout of our model in multiple phases.
Long‐term trends of coral imports into the United States indicate future opportunities for ecosystem and societal benefits

The international trade in corals used to be primarily a curio trade of dried skeletons, but now focuses on live corals for the marine reef aquarium trade. The trade is still rapidly evolving, creating challenges including the addition of new species that outpace effective management strategies. New species in the live coral trade initially command high prices, but as they become common the price radically decreases with feedback effects to the trade. To understand these trends, 21 years of live coral import data for the United States were assessed. Trade increased over 8% per year between 1990 until the mid-2000s, and has since decreased by 9% annually. The timing of the peak and decline varies among species, and is a result of the rising popularity of mini-reef ecosystem aquariums, the global financial crisis, and an increase in aquaculture production. The live coral trade offers opportunities for coral reef ecosystem conservation and sustainable economic benefits to coastal communities, but realization of these externalities will require effective data tracking.
Frail, Independent, involved? Care and the Category of the Elderly in Japan

This article examines how the category of the elderly in Japan is constructed through diverse forms of care, understood as moral practices intrinsic to peoples’ senses of self. It offers an analysis of a range of informal as well as institutional configurations of care in the Japanese urban context, highlighting the complexity as well as the overlapping nature of these diverse arrangements. It also explores ethnographically how older people experience these arrangements as they move through different sites of care, and how they negotiate the conflicting demands on their sense of self. The various types of care at work in these settings all contribute to different understandings of older persons, and different constructions of the category of the elderly: as clients; as visitors or guests; as fragile ‘struggling persons’; as ‘grannies’ in familial relations; as (caring) neighbours. More than a handful of labels, these variable configurations of personal identity affect care practices and social relationships in direct and tangible ways.
Homodyne frequency-domain instrument: I & Q Phase Detection System

The noninvasive NIR detection technique can be used to detect the clinic-related parameter such as hemoglobin concentration and saturation. By now, many techniques have been demonstrated in both time-domain and frequency domain to obtain quantitative optical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate one kind of simple homodyne phase modulation system -- in- phase and quadrature phase (I&O) detection system, introducing its principle and constitution, presenting its performance through the tests of ink, intralipid and blood model.
Discursive constructions of the plantation past within a travel guidebook

The purpose of the current study is to examine the discursive construction of former slave plantations within a Lonely Planet guidebook – Louisiana and the Deep South. This study interrogates the dynamics of representation by situating the analysis within collective memory. Generally the findings revealed a discursive schism between the counter memory embodied by the guidebook's focus and the dominant frames offered within the majority of the plantation descriptions. This narrativistic disparity is evidence of the mnemonic politics that characterize the interpretation and commemoration of the plantation past for the present. Although this inquiry is based on one source, it nonetheless sheds light on the pedagogical role enacted by guidebook producers in rearticulating contested histories vis-a-vis counter mnemonic practices. The article also engages the ubiquitous media generated discourse on post-racial America to highlight the need for further research on the politics of representation within contested ...
Testicular atrophy in therapeutic orchiectomy specimens from men with prostate carcinoma: Association with prior prostate bed radiation and older age

BACKGROUND The significance of testicular atrophy at the time of therapeutic orchiectomy for prostate carcinoma has not been examined even though hypogonadism may occur after prostate bed radiation therapy for these tumors, may itself be symptomatic, and also may be associated with poor tumor prognosis. METHODS Therapeutic orchiectomy specimens from 78 men with prostate carcinoma and no preceding hormonal therapy were evaluated histologically for atrophy. Observations were related to prior radiation therapy, tumor grade and stage diagnosis, host age, obesity, and smoking habits. RESULTS Thirty-five men who previously received radiation therapy to the prostate bed had testicular atrophy more frequently than 43 men without prior radiation (71% vs. 28%) (P 70 years (7% vs. 38%) (P < 0.04). In men with prior radiation, prominent atrophy occurred with similar frequency in specimens from both younger and older men, and was more frequent in specimens obtained within 3 years after radiation therapy than in specimens obtained after longer postradiation intervals (89% vs. 53%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Testicular atrophy at the time of therapeutic orchiectomy for men with prostate carcinoma is much more common in patients with prior prostate bed radiation therapy. Available evidence suggests that this association may reflect both radiation-induced testicular injury and more frequent early tumor recurrence in men with atrophy preceding their radiation therapy. Cancer 1998;83:1174-1179. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
AUTOMATIC SPRING-LOADED BIOPSY GUN WITH ULTRASONIC CONTROL FOR RENAL TRANSPLANT BIOPSY

The automatic spring-loaded biopsy gun with 18-gauge needle was used to perform 20 renal transplant biopsies. A total of 35 needle passes were used during the 20 biopsies to obtain 31 cores of renal tissue (ratio of successful cores to passes 0.88). Nineteen of 20 biopsies (95%) resulted in renal tissue sufficient for diagnosis. One patient experienced gross hematuria that required blood transfusion and resulted in temporary ureteral clot obstruction. We believe the automatic spring-loaded biopsy gun with ultrasonic control allows rapid, accurate, and safe histologic assessment of the renal allograft, and we recommend this system for routine use.
Duplex perception: confirmation of fusion.

Duplex perception—the simultaneous perception of a speech syllable and of a nonspeech “chirp“—occurs when a single formant transition and the remainder (the “base“) of a synthetic syllable are presented to different ears. Two experiments were conducted to test whether the speech percept derives from the dichotic fusion of the transition with the base or from phonetic information extracted directly from the isolated transition. Experiment 1 showed that subjects were unable to assign speech labels to isolated transitions in a consistent manner, although the same transitions led to accurate identification when paired with the constant base in the other ear. Experiment 2 used an AXB paradigm to show that selective attention to the ear receiving the base does not prevent the contribution of the contralateral transition to the speech percept. Both experiments support the hypothesis that the speech percept in the duplex situation results from dichotic fusion at a relatively early stage in processing.
Isocyanate formation and reactivity on a Ba-based LNT catalyst studied by DRIFTS

Abstract Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and mass spectrometry (MS), coupled with the use of isotopically-labeled reactants ( 15 N 18 O and 13 CO), were employed to study the formation of isocyanate species during NOx reduction with CO, as well as isocyanate reactivity toward typical exhaust gas components. DRIFTS demonstrated that both Ba–NCO and Al–NCO were simultaneously formed during NOx reduction by CO under dry lean-rich cycling conditions. The Ba–NCO band was more intense than that of Al–NCO, and became comparatively stronger at high temperatures. During rich purging at 300 and 400 °C, a near linear relationship was found between the increase in Ba–NCO band intensity and the decrease in Ba–NO 3 band intensity, suggesting that Ba–NCO is directly derived from the reaction of Ba nitrate with CO. Both temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) and isothermal reaction modes (ISR) were utilized to study the reactivity of isocyanate species under lean conditions. Simultaneous DRIFTS and mass spectrometric measurements during TPSR indicated that isocyanate reaction with H 2 O, O 2 , NO and NO/O 2 took place almost immediately the temperature was raised above 100 °C, and that all NCO species were removed below 300 °C. The evolution of the NCO IR bands during ISR at 350 °C demonstrated that the kinetics of NCO hydrolysis are fast, although a delay in N 2 formation indicated that N 2 is not the initial product of the reaction. In contrast, immediate N 2 evolution was observed during NCO reaction with O 2 and with NO + O 2 . Overall, it can be inferred that under dry cycling conditions with CO as the sole reductant, N 2 is mainly generated via NCO reaction with NO/O 2 after the switch to lean conditions, rather than being evolved during the rich phase. However, in the presence of water, isocyanate undergoes rapid hydrolysis in the rich phase, N 2 generation proceeding via NH 3 .
On global motions of articulated tubes carrying a fluid

Abstract Global three-dimensional motions of articulated tubes conveying a fluid are studied by analytical as well as numerical methods. Several different kinds of limiting configurations and bifurcation phenomena are shown to occur in this system.
The Use of Sulphanilamide

Summary 1.Sulphamlamide should be given only under the closest supervision. 2.It is not a panacea. 3.It has great therapeutic values in certain types of bacterial infections 4.The author believes that huge doses should be avoided. 5.Toxic characteristics should be fully understood before prescribing, and one should be prepared to transfuse on short notice. 6.Much more knowledge is needed regarding all phases of action of this drug.
Excitation of K-Shell Electrons in Be by Soft X Rays and 20-keV Electrons*

The soft x-ray absorption spectra of Be and BeO were measured near the K edge using the NBS 180 MeV synchrotron as a background continuum source. The energy-loss spectrum of 20-keV electrons transmitted through thin Be films at zero scattering angle was measured in the corresponding 100–170 eV energy-loss range. The K edges of Be and BeO measured by x-ray absorption were at 112.1±0.2 eV and 118.4±0.2 eV, respectively. The Be K edge in the electron-energy-loss spectrum was at 111.7±0.4 eV. The positions of maxima in the absorption fine structure determined by the two techniques were also in good agreement.
Excitatory amino acids and memory: evidence from research on Alzheimer's disease and behavioral pharmacology

The excitatory amino acid transmitter (EAA) system is believed to play a crucial role in a variety of physiological processes related to neuronal plasticity. Substantial neurophysiological evidence suggests that, under normal physiological conditions. EAAs may be involved in mechanisms underlying learning and memory. However, overactivity of this system produces excitotoxic damage to neurons which is believed to be an etiological factor in various neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, and stroke-induced impairments. The fact that EAAs have been implicated in both, normal cognitive function and in degenerative neurological conditions suggests that they may contribute to the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), because AD is characterized by memory deficits and specific histopathological signs of neuronal damage. This paper summarizes information regarding 1) the involvement of EAAs in Alzheimer's disease and 2) results from psychopharmacological studies of EAAs in laboratory animal models of learning. Investigations of the pathophysiology of AD indicate that glutamatergic deficits are associated with this syndrome. However, there is controversy concerning the nature of this defect. As a result, it is unclear whether it is a consequence of excitotoxic changes produced by glutamatergic overactivity or result from a decrease in glutamatergic function. Evidence from behavioral studies is consistent with the conclusion that EAAs may be involved in the acquisition of conditioned responses. However, in parallel with the clinical findings, learning impairments have been produced by treatments which either increase or decrease activity within this transmitter system. Therefore, although present results suggest that the EAAs play a role in cognition and in clinical syndromes in which such function is compromised, the specific nature of that role needs to be elucidated by future research.
Female life expectancy, gender stratification, health status, and level of economic development : A cross-national study of less developed countries

A number of studies have attempted to account for cross-national differences in life expectancy, but relatively few have focused on female life expectancy, and even fewer on the relevance of predictors linked to gender stratification theory. The present study seeks to assess the utility of gender stratification theory in accounting for cross-national differences in female life expectancy in less developed countries. An incremental model building strategy is used to develop a final model that combines predictors linked to both industrialism theory and gender stratification theory. The analysis is based on multiple regression and cross-sectional samples that vary in size from 40 to 97 countries. Evidence is presented that several aspects of women's status have a positive effect on female life expectancy. Indicators of women's educational status, women's economic status, and women's reproductive autonomy all prove to be important predictors of female life expectancy. Analysis of interaction effects suggests that the strength of the effects of some aspects of women's economic status and the effect of some aspects of health status on female life expectancy vary with the level of economic development. A comprehensive assessment of the relative strength of alternative measures of women's education is carried out, and evidence is presented that it does make a difference how the level of women's education is measured.
A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record

Wayne Robins, New York and London: Routledge, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-415-97473-8, 315 pp, $24.95 (pb) Wayne Robins's A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record is a concise introduction to rock music's tre...
“PURE” VERSUS “PRACTICAL” EPISTEMIC JUSTIFICATION

: In this article I distinguish a type of justification that is “epistemic” in pertaining to the grounds of one's belief, and “practical” in its connection to what act(s) one may undertake, based on that belief. Such justification, on the proposed account, depends mainly on the proportioning of “inner epistemic virtue” to the “outer risks” implied by one's act. The resulting conception strikes a balance between the unduly moralistic conception of William Clifford and contemporary naturalist virtue theories.
Metamorphic changes in midgut lipids of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella☆

The midgut lipids of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, were examined during its metamorphosis from larva to pupa. Results showed that the highest midgut lipid content (approximately 0.38 mg. per insect) was found in actively feeding, 14-day larvae. Following pupation the midgut lipid content dropped to only 0.04 mg. per insect. Thin-layer chromatography revealed that five neutral lipid classes could generally be detected in midgut extracts. For example, 14-day larval midguts contained the highest concentration of neutral lipids in the following proportions: triglycerides, 42 per cent; sterol esters, 29 per cent; sterols, 16 per cent; 1,2-diglycerides, 6 per cent; and traces of fatty acids and hydrocarbons. The titres of triglycerides, diglycerides, and sterol esters varied more than those of the other constituents at different nutritional and developmental stages. These lipid classes, along with free sterols, are apparently involved in neutral lipid storage or transport in midgut cells. Results obtained from midguts of insects which had been starved or fed lipid-free diets supported this interpretation. Possible mechanisms for lipid absorption, storage, and transport were evaluated.
Genotype‐environment interactions and developmental rate in the flour beetles Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

SUMMARY Developmental rates of a number of strains of the flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum, were measured at 40, 60 and 70% relative humidity. Significant genotype-environment interactions, as well as strain and humidity effects, were observed. The results indicate that the response to different humidities of some strains depends on their genetic composition.
Allowing for Missing Parents in Genetic Studies of Case-Parent Triads

In earlier work, my colleagues and I described a log-linear model for genetic data from triads composed of affected probands and their parents. This model allows detection of and discrimination between effects of an inherited haplotype versus effects of the maternal haplotype, which presumably would be mediated by prenatal factors. Like the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT), the likelihood-ratio test (LRT) based on this model is not sensitive to associations that are due to genetic admixture. When used as a method for testing for linkage disequilibrium, the LRT can be regarded as an alternative to the TDT. When one or both parents are missing, the resulting incomplete triad must be discarded to ensure validity of the TDT, thereby sacrificing information. By contrast, when the problem is set in a likelihood framework, the expectation-maximization algorithm allows the incomplete triads to contribute their information to the LRT without invalidation of the analysis. Simulations demonstrate that much of the lost statistical power can be recaptured by means of this missing-data technique. In fact, power is reasonably good even when no triad is complete-for example, when a study is designed to include only mothers of cases. Information from siblings also can be incorporated to further improve the statistical power when genetic data from parents or probands are missing.
Two enzymatic methods for determination of the phosphate content of phosphoproteins

Two new enzymatic methods are described for the determination of the amount of inorganic phosphate covalently bound to macromolecules. In the first method, the inorganic matter obtained after ashing is incubated with [1-14C] pyruvate in the presence of pyruvate oxidase and the enzymatically formed 14CO2 is collected. The other method uses glycogenolytic enzymes to generate NADH which is then measured fluorometrically. The use of these two phosphate-dependent enzymes allows the measurement of phosphate at up to 1000 times greater sensitivity than is obtainable with the phosphomolybdic acid method, thus permitting phosphate analyses to be performed on microgram quantities of proteins.
EFFECTS OF LASER IRRADIATION ON SOME SEROLOGIC PROPERTIES OF HUMAN GAMMA GLOBULIN.

Abstract High and low intensities of laser irradiation of 1 percent saline solutions of human (HGG) and rabbit (RGG) gamma globulin produced different effects than that of a thermal nature per se upon the precipitin reactions with rheumatoid factor. Heat treatment of globulin solutions at 63°C. for 15 minutes caused aggregation and measurably more precipitation with rheumatoid factor than untreated globulins, whereas the laser irradiation reduced or destroyed the capacity for the globulins to precipitate rheumatoid factor. Precipitin reactions between rabbit anti-HGG and laser irradiated HGG demonstrated a shift of position of precipitin curve peaks, as well as reduction of total amount of precipitation. Ultracentrifugal analyses to date did not reveal additional components with laser irradiation of HGG, as were observed with heat treatment of globulins. Immunochemical agar gel diffusion and immunoelectrophoretic analyses revealed slight differences of laser irradiated from native globulins. It was concluded that the interactions of high intensity electromagnetic (laser) radiation with globulins differ from those of heat per se, as demonstrated by differences in the serologic activity, certain physico-chemical changes and other pertinent parameters of the respective reactions.
A RECORDING-BASED APPROACH FOR IDENTIFYING SEISMIC SITE LIQUEFACTION AND NONLINEARITY VIA HHT DATA ANALYSIS

This study proposes an approach to identify earthquake-induced site liquefaction and/or nonlinearity from Hilbert–Huang–Transformation- or HHT-based data analysis of seismic motion recordings. The proposed approach fully utilizes unique features of the HHT method in characterizing instantaneous frequency and damping as well as temporal-frequency motion from the recordings, so as to single out and quantify liquefaction- and/or nonlinear-soil-related nonlinear phenomena shown in the recordings. With post-earthquake, site investigation as a reference, this study shows that the proposed approach is effective in characterizing site nonlinearity, quantifying nonlinear influences in site amplification, and diagnosing site liquefaction. Major results from this study are listed below. 1. Predominant instantaneous frequency of earthquake motion is defined as the frequency with the largest amplitude in Hilbert amplitude spectra of the motion at a time instant, and subsequently used together with other motion features for identifying site liquefaction conditions. Analysis of 29 sets of seismic recordings with different liquefaction conditions shows that the proposed approach is more effective in detecting site liquefaction than other Fourier-based methods. 2. HHT-based site amplification is defined as the ratio of marginal Hilbert amplitude spectra, similar to the Fourier-based one that is the ratio of Fourier amplitude spectra. The HHT-based site amplification can be used for effectively quantifying site nonlinearity in terms of frequency downshift in the low-frequency range and amplification-reduction factor in intermediate-frequency range in comparison with the Fourier-based one. 3. Instantaneous damping, and Hilbert and marginal Hilbert damping spectra are defined in way similar to instantaneous frequency, and Hilbert and marginal Hilbert amplitude spectra, respectively. Consequently, the HHT-based site damping is found as the difference of marginal Hilbert damping spectra, which can be used as an alternative, complementary index to measure influences of site nonlinearity in seismic ground responses.
Yeast ATP sulfurylase-ATP complex

Abstract A relatively stable enzyme-substrate complex was formed when highly purified yeast ATP sulfurylase was incubated with ATP. The entire ATP molecule was bound by the enzyme.
A Theoretically-Sufficient and Computationally-Practical Technique for Deterministic Frequency Seriation

Frequency seriation played a key role in the formation of archaeology as a discipline due to its ability to generate chronologies. Interest in its utility for exploring issues of contemporary interest beyond chronology, however, has been limited. This limitation is partly due to a lack of quantitative algorithms that can be used to build deterministic seriation solutions. When the number of assemblages becomes greater than just a handful, the resources required for evaluation of possible permutations easily outstrips available computing capacity. On the other hand, probabilistic approaches to creating seriations offer a computationally manageable alternative but rely upon a compressed description of the data to order assemblages. This compression removes the ability to use all of the features of our data to fit to the seriation model, obscuring violations of the model, and thus lessens our ability to understand the degree to which the resulting order is chronological, spatial, or a mixture. Recently, frequency seriation has been reconceived as a general method for studying the structure of cultural transmission through time and across space. The use of an evolution-based framework renews the potential for seriation but also calls for a computationally feasible algorithm that is capable of producing solutions under varying configurations, without manual trial and error fitting. Here, we introduce the Iterative Deterministic Seriation Solution (IDSS) for constructing frequency seriations, an algorithm that dramatically constrains the search for potential valid orders of assemblages. Our initial implementation of IDSS does not solve all the problems of seriation, but begins to moves towards a resolution of a long-standing problem in archaeology while opening up new avenues of research into the study of cultural relatedness. We demonstrate the utility of IDSS using late prehistoric decorated ceramics from the Mississippi River Valley. The results compare favorably to previous analyses but add new details into the structure of cultural transmission of these late prehistoric populations.
Expression of a DNA methylation (dam) gene inEscherichia coli K-12

Plasmid pMQ3, carrying thedam gene ofEscherichia coli on a 6.1 Kb fragment, shows a tenfold increase in relative DNA adenine methylase activity, while plasmid pdam118, with a 1.14 Kbdam insert, shows only a twofold increase, although both plasmids were derived from plasmid pLC13–42. Since a copy number effect did not seem to be the cause of this difference, we have subcloned pMQ3 in order to determine whether the additional chromosomal DNA present in this plasmid is responsible for the enhancement of methylase activity. We show that the 346 base pairs upstream ofdam contain sequences necessary for expression. DNA sequence analysis has revealed that in pdam118 only the 118 bases 5-prime to thedam gene are present in other constructs and that the additional upstream material is pBR322 DNA. This shows that pdam118 carries a DNA duplication.
Going Green in Quick-Service Restaurants: Customer Perceptions and Intentions

As many industries are realizing the ecological, financial, and social benefits to implementing green practices in business, the literature shows that restaurants are slowly following suit (Deveau, 2009; Dutta, Umashankar, Choi, & Parsa, 2008). Increased competition in the marketplace coupled with changing guest demand as well the need to ensure guest satisfaction are some of the driving factors for service organizations to go green. The current study analyzes perceptions of a random sample of quick service restaurant guests in the Midwest regarding the green practices of restaurants in order to determine the impact that these practices may have on satisfaction, the intent to patronize the restaurant, and therefore the bottom line of the businesses. The findings show that although respondents believed that restaurants should utilize green practices, most people were not willing to pay higher prices for those green practices. Another finding is that people who implement green practices at home tend to have...
Registration of RMPAP-C4, a Random-Mated Primitive Race Accession Cotton Germplasm Population

A random-mated population involving four cultivars of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and 30 day-neutral primitive accessions, RMPAP-C4 (Reg. No. GP-980, PI 670133) was developed and jointly released by the USDA–ARS and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in 2014. This population involved five cycles of random mating following the cross of 30 day-neutral primitive accessions to the conventional cultivars Sure-Grow 105, DP 393, FM 458, and ST 474. Random mating was facilitated by hand emasculation and bulk pollen methodology. The aim of this project was to incorporate alleles from day-neutral primitive accessions into a population useful to cotton breeding programs for trait improvement and genetic diversity. The mean values for agronomic traits measured following five cycles of random mating were not significantly different from those of cultivars, except for lint percentage, which was lower. Small nonsignificant changes occurred for fiber quality traits, except for fiber uniformity, which increased following random mating. Morphological trait diversity is also present in this population. This unique population should offer new genetic combinations and genetic diversity that may be useful to Upland cotton breeding programs.
Chlamydia pneumoniae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from individuals younger than 20 years or older than 60 years.

Serological studies of Chlamydia pneumoniae in humans have shown a correlation between the age of a population and the number of individuals positive for C. pneumoniae antibodies. Grayston ([1][1]) has reported that individuals younger than 30 had 50% seropositivity and that individuals older than
Asymptotic nature of grass canopy spectral reflectance.

The asymptotic nature of grass canopy spectral reflectance has been evaluated from field experimental data collected over the wavelength region of 0.500–1.000 μm at 0.005-μm intervals. The spectral reflectance of green vegetation against a soil background decreases in regions of absorption and increases in regions of minimal or no absorption as the vegetational density increases until a stable or unchanging spectral reflectance, called the asymptotic spectral reflectance, is reached. Results indicated spectral reflectance asymptotes occurred at significantly lower levels of total wet biomass, total dry biomass, dry green biomass, chlorophyll content, and leaf water content in regions of strong pigment absorption (low detectability threshold) than in the photographic ir region where absorption was at a minimum (high detectability threshold). These findings suggested that photographic ir sensors were more suited to remote sensing of moderate to high biomass levels or vegetational density in a grass canopy than were sensors operating in regions of the spectrum where strong absorption occurred.
SpC: synthesis of pointers in C: application of pointer analysis to the behavioral synthesis from C

As designers may model mixed software-hardware systems using a subset of C or C++, we present SpC, a solution to synthesize and optimize a C model with pointers. In hardware, a pointer is not only the address of data in memory, but it may also reference multiple variables mapped to registers, ports or wires. Pointer analysis is used to find the point-to-set of each pointer in the program. We address the problem of synthesizing and optimizing pointers to multiple variables and array elements. Temporary variables are defined to optimize loads and stores by minimizing the number of live variables. The combinational logic can also be reduced by encoding the pointer values. An implementation using the SUIF framework is presented, followed by some case studies such as the synthesis of a 2D IDCT.
Thirty-day outcomes in patients treated with en bloc colectomy and pancreatectomy for locally advanced carcinoma of the colon.

Objective The aim of this was to define 30-day outcomes of patients treated with colectomy and en bloc pancreatectomy for invasive colon cancer.
The transcription factor, Bright, is not expressed in all human B lymphocyte subpopulations.

Abstract Bright is an ARID family transcription factor that increases immunoglobulin heavy chain transcription. In the mouse, Bright expression is tightly regulated and B cell-restricted and the Bright protein associates with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk), the defective enzyme in X-linked immunodeficiency. Human X-linked agammaglobulinemia results from defects in Btk and leads to early blocks in B lymphocyte development. Because so little is known about human Bright, we sought to determine where human Bright is expressed in normal B cell differentiation and whether it also forms complexes with Btk. Although human and mouse Bright exhibited similar expression patterns in normal B cells, many human transformed B cell lines did not express Bright protein. However, the human protein bound prototypic Bright DNA-binding motifs and, like mouse Bright, was capable of associating with Btk. These data suggest potentially important similarities exist in Bright expression and activity in human and mouse B lymphocytes.
Boundary integral equation solution of moving boundary phase change problems

Boundary integral equation methods are presented for the solution of some two-dimensional phase change problems. Convection may enter through boundary conditions, but cannot be considered within phase boundaries. A general formulation based on space-time Green's functions is developed using the complete heat equation, followed by a simpler formulation using the Laplace equation. The latter is pursued and applied in detail. An elementary, noniterative system is constructed, featuring linear interpolation over elements on a polygonal boundary. Nodal values of the temperature gradient normal to a phase change boundary are produced directly in the numerical solution. The system performs well against basic analytical solutions, using these values in the interphase jump condition, with the simplest formulation of the surface normal at boundary vertices. Because the discretized surface changes automatically to fit the scale of the problem, the method appears to offer many of the advantages of moving mesh finite element methods. However, it only requires the manipulation of a surface mesh and solution for surface variables. In some applications, coarse meshes and very large time steps may be used, relative to those which would be required by fixed grid domain methods. Computations are also compared to original lab data, describing two-dimensional soil freezing with a time-dependent boundary condition. Agreement between simulated and measured histories is good.
High-Resolution In Situ Profiling through the Stable Boundary Layer: Examination of the SBL Top in Terms of Minimum Shear, Maximum Stratification, and Turbulence Decrease

Abstract Some 50 separate high-resolution profiles of small-scale turbulence defined by the energy dissipation rate (e), horizontal wind speed, and temperature from near the surface, through the nighttime stable boundary layer (SBL), and well into the residual layer are used to compare the various definitions of SBL height during nighttime stable conditions. These profiles were obtained during postmidnight periods on three separate nights using the Tethered Lifting System (TLS) during the Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study (CASES-99) campaign in east-central Kansas, October 1999. Although the number of profiles is insufficient to make any definitive conclusions, the results suggest that, under most conditions, the boundary layer top can be reasonably estimated in terms of a very significant decrease in the energy dissipation rate (i.e., the mixing height) with height. In the majority of instances this height lies slightly below the height of a pronounced minimum in wind shear and slightly above...
Studies on the crystalline lens. XXIII. Electrogenic potential and cation transport.

Abstract Reducing temperature of rabbit lenses to 4°C or exposing them to ouabain or dinitrophenol resulted in a rapid and significant decrease in the bioelectric potential. Lowered temperature and ouabain also depressed active transport of potassium into the lens and sodium out of it, but had no effect on the diffusional fluxes of these cations. These observations are thought to indicate an impairment of an electrogenic cation pump which is responsible for a part, 10 to 19 mV, of the lens potential. DNP also lowered the potential but did not affect active transport of sodium or potassium. Reduction in potential by this metabolic poison may have resulted indirectly from a decrease in the diffusion potential associated with a dinitrophenate ion gradient resulting from the penetration of DNP.
Test-Taking Strategies of High and Low Mathematics Achievers

ABSTRACT The authors explored test-preparation and test-taking strategies that high school students used in algebra tests. From a pool of high school students (N = 156), 61 students participated in interviews, and of those interviewed, 26 represented those who were high achieving as well as highly interested in mathematics (n = 15) vs. those who were low achieving and showed a low level of interest in mathematics (n = 11). The authors performed category elicitation by using the interview protocols of 56 participants in 3 areas: test-preparation strategy, test-preparation awareness, and test-taking strategy. Elicited constructs included cognitive as well as emotional and motivational strategies and concerns. Whereas some strategies and awareness were common in high and low achievers in mathematics, some strategies varied between the 2 groups. The authors discussed the need for strategy instructions for enhancing high school students' study and test-taking strategies and for addressing their motivational co...
The Application of Linear Quasigeostrophic Dynamics to Gulf Stream Rings

Abstract We have used linear quasigeostrophic dynamics to calculate the motion, decay and dispersion rates of radially symmetric initial disturbances with scales appropriate to Gulf Stream Rings. Baroclinic rings translate westward at 1–3 km day−1; asymmetries in the initial shape can give northward or southward components. The pressure maximum decays to half its value in about 6 months. Both short-time and long-time estimates of the translational speed and strength of the central pressure minimum are obtained. The dispersed waves can spread over much of the northwestern Atlantic (for linear dynamics). Using estimates of the number of Gulf Stream Rings present at any time, their ages, their average strength and their distribution, we have calculated the distribution of fluctuation kinetic energy from the Rings and the associated dispersed wave field. This order-of-magnitude estimate suggests that Rings and the near-neighbor dispersed waves from the Rings may be responsible for fluctuation energies compara...
Darkness at the break of noon: Phytoplankton production in the Lower Mississippi River

Temporal patterns in chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration and phytoplankton production were examined in the main channel of the Lower Mississippi River at two locations separated by ∼ 420 river km, near Tunica, Mississippi (51 sample-days, 2006–2009), and near Le Tourneau, Mississippi (15 d, 2006–2007). Phytoplankton production was estimated based on laboratory-derived photosynthesis-irradiance profiles coupled to field measurements of the light regime and temperature. Chl a concentration varied between 3 mg m−3 and 24 mg m−3, generally increasing at both sites from spring to late summer. Mean annual Chl a flux past Tunica averaged 3.6 × 106 kg in 2006–2007. During the 15 month period of sampling at both sites, there was no difference in mean Chl a flux between sites. Despite the presence of viable phytoplankton capable of gross primary production (GPP), and annually recurrent summer increases in Chl a concentration, net primary production (NPP) evaluated over the mean cross-sectional mixing depths of the river was consistently negative at both locations. Severe light limitation constrained NPP. The maximum percentage of time that phytoplankton were in the photic zone was only 25% of a 12 h day (i.e., 3 h), and the mean water-column irradiance required for NPP = 0 (GPP = phytoplankton respiration) was consistently greater than available daytime irradiance. We propose that viable phytoplankton in the main flow of the channel are subsidized from hydrologically connected regions where the light regime is favorable to positive NPP, including lateral slackwater portions of the channel and floodplain backwaters.
A brain of her own: a neural correlate of song assessment in a female songbird.

Abstract The song control region in the avian forebrain is a series of discrete, interconnected nuclei mediating song learning and production. It has been studied in males or in species where both sexes sing. Little is known about the neural correlates of song perception in nonsinging females, often the intended recipients of song. We studied cowbirds (Molothrus ater), a species in which only males sing but in which females discriminate between males on the basis of song. We focused on nucleus lMAN because it has been implicated in early song acquisition, a stage relevant to both sexes to choose among competing acoustic models. We found that volume of lMAN was monomorphic in cowbirds. Moreover, the volume and neuronal number of female lMAN were positively correlated with selectivity of copulatory responding. The results provide strong evidence of nonsinging female's use of “song” control nuclei for song perception without the possibility of song production.
Optimal maximum correlation filter for arbitrarily constrained devices

Almost all coherent pattern recognition architectures are based on optical correlation of the input with a designed filter. However, the filter can be implemented via many different media, and each medium will impose different realizability constraints on the filter. That is, different media will have different regions of physical realizability. In the past, there has not been much work addressing the problem of designing an optimal filter given an arbitrary region of realizability. This paper presents the theory for just such an optimal filter design. A fast algorithm is presented to implement the theory. The algorithm is demonstrated with two examples.
Nucleophilic additions of phosphines to a π-cyclobutadiene ligand

Nucleophilic addition of phosphines to the cyclobutadiene ring in [(h4-C4H4)Fe(CO)2 NO]+PF6− leads to the formation of (exo-phosphonium-h3-cyclobutenyl) dicarbonylnitrosyliron hexafluorophosphate.
Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in a Black male

The findings and course in a 55-year-old Black man with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis are described. This disorder appears to have a strong predilection for Orientals (∼ 90% of reported cases) with occasional reports in Caucasians and only one previous description in a Black. HLA phenotyping of the reported patient demonstrated neither of the two genetic markers previously noted among Chinese with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis, indicating that these haplotypes do not serve as markers for the disorder in Blacks.
Naproxen-Associated Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis: Case Report and Review

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is an acquired autoimmune subepidermal blistering disorder in which linear deposits of IgA are found along the basement membrane. Idiopathic, systemic disorder-related, and drug-induced forms of LABD have been described. Drug-induced LABD occurs in association with drug administration and resolves when the offending agent is discontinued. Other forms of LABD assume a more chronic course. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs piroxicam and diclofenac have been previously reported to induce LABD. To our knowledge, this article describes the first documented case of LABD associated with naproxen administration, which resolved after discontinuation of the drug.
Comparative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of propranolol and atenolol in normolipaemic and hyperlipidaemic obese subjects.

The lipophilic beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol and hydrophilic atenolol have been studied to define their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics in obese patients. A total of 43 subjects were allocated into three study groups: (1) healthy, lean, normolipaemic volunteers, (2) obese normolipaemic subjects, and (3) obese patients with lipid disorders. A crossover method with an interval of 2 weeks was applied for oral 80 mg propranolol and oral 100 mg atenolol administration. Heart rate as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded during 24 h. At each time-point of measurement blood serum concentration of propranolol and atenolol were evaluated. Pharmacokinetic parameters of the drugs were calculated using a one-compartment open model for extravascular administration. There were no statistically significant differences in blood serum concentrations of propranolol between the studied groups. The concentrations of atenolol were significantly lower in both normolipaemic and hyperlipidaemic obese subjects. A trend towards increase in Vd/F and Cl/F of propranolol in obese patients with hyperlipidaemia were noted. In the case of water-soluble atenolol, the AUC, C(max), Cl/(F x BW) were significantly lower in obese hyperlipidaemic and normolipaemic patients in comparison with lean subjects. The pharmacodynamic effects of propranolol and atenolol in obese and lean subjects were of similar magnitude. The observed differences between obese and non-obese persons were clinically not relevant.