cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GCViT: a method for interactive, genome-wide visualization of resequencing and SNP array data

Large genotyping datasets have become commonplace due to efficient, cheap methods for SNP identification. Typical genotyping datasets may have thousands to millions of data points per accession, across tens to thousands of accessions. There is a need for tools to help rapidly explore such datasets, to assess characteristics such as overall differences between accessions and regional anomalies across the genome. We present GCViT (Genotype Comparison Visualization Tool), for visualizing and exploring large genotyping datasets. GCViT can be used to identify introgressions, conserved or divergent genomic regions, pedigrees, and other features for more detailed exploration. The program can be used online or as a local instance for whole genome visualization of resequencing or SNP array data. The program performs comparisons of variants among user-selected accessions to identify allele differences and similarities between accessions and a user-selected reference, providing visualizations through histogram, heatmap, or haplotype views. The resulting analyses and images can be exported in various formats. GCViT provides methods for interactively visualizing SNP data on a whole genome scale, and can produce publication-ready figures. It can be used in online or local installations. GCViT enables users to confirm or identify genomics regions of interest associated with particular traits. GCViT is freely available at https://github.com/LegumeFederation/gcvit . The 1.0 version described here is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4008713 .
Further insights into the thermodynamics of the Kitaev honeycomb model

Here we revisit the thermodynamics of the Kitaev quantum spin liquid realized on the honeycomb lattice. We address two main questions: First, we investigate whether there are observable thermodynamic signatures of the topological Majorana boundary modes of the Kitaev honeycomb model. We argue that for the time-reversal invariant case the residual low-temperature entropy is the primary thermodynamic signature of these Majorana edge modes. Using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations, we verify that this residual entropy is present in the full Kitaev model. When time-reversal symmetry is broken, the Majorana edge modes are potentially observable in more direct thermodynamic measurements such as the specific heat, though only at temperatures well below the bulk gap. Second, we study the energetics, and the corresponding thermodynamic signatures, of the flux excitations in the Kitaev model. Specifically, we study the flux interactions on both cylinder and torus geometries numerically and quantify their impact on the thermodynamics of the Kitaev spin liquid by using a polynomial fit for the average flux energy as a function of flux density and extrapolating it to the thermodynamic limit. By comparing this model to Monte Carlo simulations, we find that flux interactions have a significant quantitative impact on the shape and the position of the low-temperature peak in the specific heat.
Racial Diversity Among Histology of Renal Cell Carcinoma at an Urban Medical Center

Abstract Background Non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are more likely to have papillary RCC (pRCC) than non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Data on histologic subtypes in RCC in Hispanics (H) are also sparse. Previous studies have shown that pRCC is more prevalent in NHB than in NHW, but they analyzed predominantly NHW populations. The Montefiore–Einstein Center for Cancer Care (MECC) serves a predominantly NHB and H population in the Bronx, NY. We investigated histologic subtype specific associations with established RCC risk factors in this population. Patients and Methods The MECC tumor registry was used to identify patients ≥ 18 years of age treated with partial or radical nephrectomy between January 2000 and December 2015. An institutional software program and individual chart review were used to obtain demographic data (including self-reported race, age, and sex), pathology data, and RCC risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, renal function, weight). Data were modeled by multinomial logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 1010 RCC cases were identified. Of these, 232 (23.0%) occurred in NHW, 383 (37.9%) NHB, 181 (17.9%) H, and 214 (21.2%) other. A total of 530 cases (52.5%) were clear cell (ccRCC) histology, 257 (25.4%) pRCC, 100 (9.9%) chromophobe (cRCC), and 123 (12.2%) other. Individuals with pRCC compared to ccRCC were more likely to be NHB than NHW (OR, 4.41; 95% CI, 2.81-6.93) but were less likely to be female (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.35-0.72). Individuals with pRCC were also less likely to be H than NHW (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.27-0.99). Patients with cRCC were also more likely to be NHB than NHW (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.06-4.67). Conclusion In the MECC data set, histology of RCC varies by race, confirming earlier reports that non-ccRCC is more common in NHB than NHW. We also report that pRCC is less common in H than NHW.
Real-Time Operating Systems: Course Development

There are applications, such as industrial machine systems or airplane flight control systems, which require high accuracy that traditional operating systems are not designed to provide. Traditional operating systems are designed for fair usage among many users and many applications. Additionally, they are designed for user interaction and thus intend to provide balanced operation across all applications and users. In time-sensitive cases, however, this balanced operation is not only not required but often detrimental. Real-time applications instead focus on temporal accuracy. There is not a single definitive method of addressing this functional requirement but rather multiple, each to be used depending on the situation. Often, real-time systems run their tasks according to a time schedule in order to fit with other time-sensitive systems. Such systems come in several different forms of varying complexity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate different RTOS implementations and the associated advantages and disadvantages in terms of timing latency and accuracy and to organize this information in an educational format for use in an operating systems course. We will incorporate this material into the curriculum to an existing undergraduate operating systems course. This course is an introduction to operating systems, and thus prior knowledge of process scheduling should not be assumed. The two main implementations that will be discussed here are FreeRTOS and RT Linux, two opposites in terms of complexity and implementation among the real-time operating systems that are available for the Raspberry Pi.
Gaseous and Particulate Content of Laser Tattoo Removal Plume.

Background There is increasing awareness of the potential hazards of surgical plumes. The plume associated with laser tattoo removal remains uncharacterized. Objective To determine the gaseous, particulate, and microbiological content of the laser tattoo removal plume. Materials and methods Air sampling was performed during laser tattoo removal from pig skin and from patients. Measurement of metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (HS), and ultrafine particulates (UPs) as well as bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing were performed. Results Metals were identified in the plume from both pig and human skin. Volatile organic compounds were found at similar levels within and outside the treatment room. Several bacterial phyla were detected in the treatment room, but not outside. High levels of UPs were measured throughout the treatment room during tattoo removal from pig skin. Ultrafine particulates were detected at low levels in the room periphery during tattoo removal from human skin, but at higher levels in the immediate treatment zone. HS and CO were not detected. Conclusion Metals, VOCs, HS, and CO were found at levels below applicable occupational exposure limits. The presence of bacteria is of uncertain significance, but may be hazardous. High levels of UPs require further investigation.
“Compound” and “Coordinate” Bilingualism: A Conceptual Artifact

(1970). “Compound” and “Coordinate” Bilingualism: A Conceptual Artifact. WORD: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 254-261.
Multiple hemoglobins of catostomid fish. I. Isolation and characterization of the isohemoglobins from Catostomus clarkii.

Abstract Multiple hemoglobins from a fish (Catostomus clarkii) were separated and characterized by electrophoresis, column chromatography, ultracentrifugation, end group analysis, and oxygen equilibria studies. The hemoglobins were all tetramers of α and β chains. Two different α chains were detected in unfractionated hemoglobins. Two major β chains were isolated from the hemoglobin components which migrated electrophoretically toward the anode at pH 8.6. Two additional β chains, which were constituents of hemoglobins that migrated toward the cathode, could not be separated from the α chains. The β chains of the anodal and cathodal hemoglobin components of an individual fish were subjected to amino end group analyses with a sequenator. The partial sequences of the βa and βb chains of the anodal components differed by l10%, a finding consistent with the presence of mixed α2βaβb tetramers among the hemoglobins. The NH2-terminal segments of the two β chains of the cathodal hemoglobins were also similar to each other, but differed from the β chains in the anodal components by the same order of magnitude (40 to 45%) as the α and β chains of mammalian hemoglobins. Unlike the anodal components, the cathodal hemoglobins showed no Bohr effect. The chemical groups responsible for most of the Bohr effect were absent in the α and β chains of the cathodal components. These observations were used to propose a possible role for the cathodal hemoglobins in helping to maintain intrastream niche segregation of sympatric catostomid species.
Combining Audio and Video in Perceptive Spaces

Virtual environments have great potential in applications such as entertainment, animation by example, design interface, information browsing, and even expressive performance. In this paper we describe an approach to unencumbered, natural interfaces called Perceptive Spaces with a particular focus on efforts to include true multi-modal interface: interfaces that attend to both the speech and gesture of the user. The spaces are unencumbered because they utilize passive sensors that don’t require special clothing and large format displays that don’t isolate the user from their environment. The spaces are natural because the open environment facilitates active participation. Several applications illustrate the expressive power of this approach, as well as the challenges associated with designing these interfaces.
Clearing the way to mechanisms of autoimmunity

Mice with mutations in the Mer tyrosine kinase have deficits in the clearance of apoptotic thymocytes and increased titers of anti-DNA autoantibodies. These findings provide new in vivo evidence to suggest that impairments in clearance of apoptotic cells may underlie systemic autoimmunity.
Engaging Men as Fathers: The Courts, the Law, and Father-Absence in Low-Income Families

This Article considers father-absence in our country as a problem that might be addressed by the legal system, though it is commonly considered a problem that evades a legal solution. While it is true that many sociological, cultural, and economic factors contribute to the likelihood of father-absence and can drive fathers away from their children even before they have forged any relationship at all, the cohort of fathers that becomes absent only after interactions with the custody and child support systems challenges the characterization of this problem as a non-legal one. Further, this cohort raises questions about the potential relationship between fathers, their involvement with the legal system, and their subsequent absence. The Article considers the ways in which the legal system exacerbates preexisting barriers and creates new impediments to father-presence for nonresident low-income court-involved men. Analyzing the nature of the relationships between low-income nonresident fathers and their children by drawing on social science data and scholarship, the Article examines the barriers that most often interfere with court-involved low-income fathers’ consistent and positive relationships with their children. In considering ways in which the legal system could address its role in perpetuating father-absence for court-involved fathers, the Article analyzes the feasibility of legislative reform of child support law and the implementation of court procedures and programs aimed at addressing barriers to paternal involvement. The Article concludes that these legislative, procedural and programmatic reforms could induce a shift in our social norms, creating expectations that demand more of fathers as caretakers and that validate fathers for the contributions they do make, thereby encouraging their continued active and engaged presence in the lives of their children.
A Behavioral Model for Predicting Employee Contributions to 401(k) Plans

Abstract Previous research on employee contribution behavior to 401(k) plans has often been limited by lack of adequate data. This is primarily because of the types of matching formulas utilized by sponsors. While these formulas are often complicated because of the desire of sponsors to provide sufficient incentives to non-highly compensated employees to contribute in order to comply with technical nondiscrimination testing, this complexity makes it virtually impossible to appropriately analyze the employee’s behavior if we are forced either to observe aggregate plan data or to use information on the plan contribution formulas provided by the participant. The purpose of this paper is to provide preliminary findings introducing new methodology to expand the usefulness of modeling these data as well as a better understanding of contribution behavior by 401(k) plan participants. We utilize a sequential response regression model to allow for the differing incentives faced by the employees at various levels of...
Identification and characterization of the protein encoded by the human N-myc oncogene

The human N-myc gene is related to the c-myc proto-oncogene, and has been shown to have transforming potential in vitro. Many studies have reported amplification of N-myc in human neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma cell lines. In primary tumors, amplification of the gene was found to correlate directly with behavior of the tumor. Specific restriction fragments of a partial complementary DNA clone of N-myc from LA-N-5 human neuroblastoma cells were placed into a bacterial expression vector for the purpose of producing antigens representative of the N-myc protein. Rabbits immunized with these antigens produced antisera that recognized a protein of 62-64 kilodaltons in neuroblastoma cells. By several criteria, this protein appears to be part of the same proto-oncogene family as the c-myc protein. Moreover, the antisera to fragments of this protein were capable of histochemically identifying malignant cells in clinical specimens.
Entanglement amplifier: passive and active schemes (Invited Paper)

In this paper, we discuss the theory of entanglement amplifiers. We first describe non-degenerate optical parametric oscillator as an entanglement amplifier and present an input-output calculation for the entanglement of the output fields. We show that two bright output entanglement beams can be produced from this system. We then show that a correlated spontaneous emission laser can be used to implement an entanglement amplifier.
Wireless Sensor Networks using android virtual devices and Near Field Communication peer-to-peer emulation

Several new Android smartphones support Near Field Communication (NFC). The Android SDK provides an NFC API that can be used to develop NFC applications that conduct peer-to-peer (P2P) data exchange. The Android emulator does not support P2P communication between instances of the Android Virtual Device (AVD). In addition to this constraint, P2P experimentation on actual smartphones is difficult due to limited NFC support. To fill the gap created by this minimal support, we propose the JavaMail NFC API (JNFC). JNFC uses the JavaMail API to emulate the functionality of the Android NFC P2P API. To evaluate the performance of JNFC, we created the DroidWSN Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) model and implemented it as an Android application. We design and conduct an experiment for our DroidWSN model to measure the execution time of our Android application WSN on AVDs. We compare our simulation results against those from a similar experiment that measured the execution time of a WSN composed of Sun SPOT wireless devices. While the execution time of our DroidWSN model is slower, we assert that our design is more simple and flexible than that of our comparison study. We conclude that this benefit and the factors of JNFC cost (it is open source), the quality and quantity of Android smartphone sensors, and imminent Android smartphone support for NFC P2P, combine to make JNFC and the Android AVD a platform for NFC and WSN research. Our study also emphasizes the need for Google to create Android NFC P2P and sensor emulation APIs.
The influence of sleep and mood on cognitive functioning among veterans being evaluated for mild traumatic brain injury.

ABSTRACTObjective: Veterans undergoing evaluation for mild traumatic brain injury commonly report insomnia, psychiatric symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction. This study examines the effects of self-reported amount of sleep and subjective sleep quality on neuropsychological test performance. Method: 262 veterans were seen for neuropsychological assessment in a Veterans Affairs traumatic brain injury clinic. All participants completed measures of depression, anxiety, and sleep satisfaction, and also estimated the number of hours they slept the night before the assessment. Factor scores of attention/concentration and memory were created using factor analyses. Data were analyzed with linear regression. Results: Depression and anxiety were significantly correlated with sleep satisfaction and predictive of cognitive ability. Both sleep satisfaction and hours slept were significantly correlated with memory, but not attention. After controlling for the effects of depression and anxiety, hours slept but not sleep s...
The microscopic analysis of a charge-exchange reaction: 42Ca(3He, t)42Sc

Abstract The microscopic description of the ( 3 He, t) reaction is used as a spectroscopic tool. First, an effective interaction is derived and its parameters are deduced from some simple transitions. This interaction is then employed for a microscopic study of the 42 Ca( 3 He, t) 42 Sc reaction using wave functions with both spherical and deformed components. The nature of the various 42 Sc even and odd parity states is discussed, in particular the inhibition of odd parity excitations is examined and a temptative explanation is proposed.
Surgical treatment of the "buried" penis

The "buried penis" occurs in a spectrum which varies from slight with only ventral webbing to almost complete burying of the penis dorsally in the prepubic fat pad and ventrally in the scrotum. From 1979 to 1985, the author operated on 80 children with these problems. Indications for surgery varied from unsatisfactory appearance of the penis before or after circumcision to almost complete concealment of the penis. Satisfactory cosmetic and functional results were achieved in most cases utilizing several surgical principles. The limitations of these procedures and their possible complications are described.
Processible polyaniline as an advanced potentiometric pH transducer. Application to biosensors.

An advanced potentiometric pH transducer based on processible polyaniline (PCPAn) is reported on. Both glassy carbon and screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with PCPAn by dip-coating exhibited a fully reversible potentiometric response of approximately 90 mV/pH unit over the range from pH 3 to 9. Such a significantly higher potentiometric response of PCPAn-modified electrodes as compared with those of existing devices is explained on the basis of the thermodynamics of polyaniline redox reactions. The PCPAn-based pH transducers exhibit both good operational stability and prolonged shelf life and display a negligible response toward singly charged cations. The new thick-film pH transducer was employed for designing a potentiometric biosensor for urea. In the model solution which mimics blood serum, the urea-sensitive electrode has a detection limit of 10-5 M urea and a maximum response of ∼120 mV. The attractive performance characteristics are advantageous over those of existing pH sensors and offer g...
Temperature variation of the plasma sheet during substorms

The temperature and density of the plasma in the earth's distant plasma sheet at downstream distances of about 20-25 earth radii, are examined during a high geomagnetic disturbance period. It is shown that the plasma sheet cools when magnetospheric substorm expansion is indicated by the AE index. During cooling, the plasma sheet temperature, T, and the number density, N, are related by T proportional to N to the 2/3 power (adiabatic process) in some instances, while by T proportional to 1/N (isobaric process) in other cases. The total plasma and magnetic pressure decreases when T is proportional to 1/N and increases when T is proportional to 1/N. Observation also indicates that the dawn-dusk component of plasma flow is frequently large and comparable to the sunward-tailward flow component near the central plasma sheet during substorms.
Unrealistic Optimism: Self-Enhancement or Person Positivity?

Researchers interested in unrealistic optimism disagree on whether the phenomenon reflects self-enhancement or person positivity. Past research in this area has used a paradigm that confounds the self/other dimension with the individual aggregate dimension, making it difficult to determine which alternative is correct. Two studies examined whether people are unrealistically optimistic only for their own futures or whether they are unrealistically optimistic for the future of any individual. Study 1 revealed that, in comparison with an aggregate of same-sex peers, participants were unrealistically optimistic for their own and a close friend's futures but not for the future of a non-self-relevant other Study 2 employed unconfounded measures and demonstrated that, in comparison with other individual social objects, participants continued to be unrealistically optimistic for their own futures. These results suggest that unrealistic optimism is a form of self-enhancement rather than person positivity bias.
Potential-game theoretical formulation of optimal power flow problems

This paper proposes a potential-game theoretical formulation of the optimal power flow (OPF) problem with practical operation constraints. Each generator operates as an independent player with marginal contribution utility function to minimize the generation cost. The proposed formulation alleviates the computational burden introduced by inequality constraints as they are converted to feasible action sets of players. Therefore, both the formulation and solution process of the constrained OPF problem are greatly simplified. A learning algorithm with guaranteed convergence to Nash equilibrium for potential games, called Carnot best response with inertia, is applied to solve the OPF. Analytical analysis on how players act as best responses to others is provided to investigate the economic reasoning of generator operations. As a numerical example, the solutions to a 15-unit system OPF by the proposed method are compared with solutions by particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithms (GAs). The proposed formulation show faster convergence and better result in terms of less generation cost.
Sensitivity of TLR4- and -7-induced NFκB1 p105-TPL2-ERK pathway to TNF-receptor-associated-factor-6 revealed by RNAi in mouse macrophages

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor-associated-factor-6 (TRAF6) is an adaptor protein involved in Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. Recent studies using macrophages from TRAF6 knockout mice have revealed that TRAF6 is required for TLR7 signaling. However, an essential role of TRAF6 in TLR4 signaling and cytokine production is slightly controversial. Using an RNAi approach to reduce the cellular levels of TRAF6, we tested the role of this adaptor protein on the sensitivity of the various components of the ERK pathway mediated by TLR4 and -7 in Raw264.7, a mouse macrophage cell line. ERK activation in macrophages by TLR4 and -7 is mediated via a MAP3K, called TPL2/COT, which under unstimulated conditions is associated with NF kappa B1 p105, a member of the I kappa B family of proteins. Upon stimulation with TLR ligands, p105 is phosphorylated by I kappa B kinase (IKK) complex and partially degraded, which releases TPL2. The free TPL2 is active and stimulates the ERK pathway via MEK1/2. The free TPL2, however, is also unstable and is targeted for degradation. We demonstrate here that reduced level of TRAF6 ( approximately 80% decrease) in macrophages does not significantly affect any of the components of the TLR4-stimulated ERK pathway, including p105 phosphorylation, TPL2 degradation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Surprisingly, however, TLR4-induced JNK1/2 phosphorylation is significantly blocked by TRAF6 knockdown, suggesting that ERK and JNK pathways are differentially sensitive to TRAF6 levels. Furthermore, although TLR4-mediated IKK-induced p105 phosphorylation is not sensitive to TRAF6 knockdown, I kappa B alpha phosphorylation (also, IKK-induced) is significantly blocked, suggesting that TLR4 activation results in a TRAF6-sensitive and -insensitive IKK activation in macrophages. In contrast to TLR4 signaling, TLR7 activation of ERK, JNK pathways and phosphorylation of p105 and I kappa B alpha are completely inhibited in TRAF6 knockdown cells. Compared to the signaling data, while TLR4-induced TNFalpha mRNA expression is not significantly inhibited by TRAF6 knockdown, TLR7-induced TNFalpha mRNA is significantly blocked. In contrast, both TLR4- and TLR7-induced IL6 mRNA are significantly blocked by TRAF6 knockdown. These results suggest that while TRAF6 is absolutely essential for TLR7 activation of ERK, JNK and NF kappa B pathways, TLR4-induced ERK, JNK pathways and IKK-mediated phosphorylation of I kappa B family members as well as cytokine expression are differentially sensitive to the cellular levels of TRAF6. These results have important implications in terms of therapeutic targeting of TRAF6 complexes in diseases where TLR4 and -7 are involved.
Space Shuttle solid rocket motor slag expulsion mechanisms

A 13 psi pressure perturbation occurred at approximately 68 seconds on the right Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) during the STS-54 space shuttle mission. While pressure perturbations are a normal characteristic of RSRM operation, the magnitude of the STS-54 perturbation and the resulting thrust imbalance between the left and right motors was outside of flight experience. A joint Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Thiokol Corporation (RSRM manufacturer) team soon narrowed the probable cause to a temporary nozzle restriction due to slag expulsion. In support of the team, Rockwell Aerospace performed fluid finite element simulations and vehicle flight dynamic correlations to investigate possible slag expulsion mechanisms responsible for pressure perturbations. Results of the simulations and analyses provided evidence that the combination of flight induced accelerations acting on accumulated slag and nozzle vectoring were the most probable cause of RSRM slag expulsion.
Local coherence oscillations in the EEG during development in the fetal baboon.

Abstract Objective To test the hypothesis that local coherence in extra-dural EEG recordings, a direct measure of synchronous cortical network activity, oscillates with the same periodicity as EEG power cycling and follows a similar developmental trajectory. Methods Local coherence was derived from continuous EEG recordings from closely spaced (1 cm) chronically implanted extra-dural electrodes over the right hemisphere in five fetal baboons (Papio sp.). A ratio of high to low frequency EEG band power (14–18 Hz to 4–7 Hz), was used to characterize EEG power cycling. Results Data were obtained within a developmental window (137–151 days; term ∼175 days) during which fetal EEG power cycling becomes increasingly well-organized. During this period ultradian oscillations in local coherence with periods of ∼ 1 h developed in parallel with EEG power cycling of approximately the same periods. However, the cross-correlation and phase relationship between local coherence and power oscillations were variable. Conclusions These findings suggest that cycles in cortical synchrony develop in parallel with fetal power cycles, but are not tightly coupled to them. Significance Coherence provides a direct measure of cortical network dynamics not possible with univariate EEG measures such as spectral power. Reported here are the first measurements of local coherence in the developing fetal brain. Local coherence is studied with the long-term goal of monitoring the development of cortical network activity.
Accessible designs in Solvay cluster synthesis

Abstract Solvay clusters are sets of intermediate chemical reactions that execute a desired net reaction. We show that May-Rudd polygons give access to all Solvay clusters that involve two and three intermediate reactions regardless of the number of chemical species involved, and to all clusters that involve fewer than nine chemical species regardless of the number of chemical reactions. More elaborate Solvay clusters are accessible providing they exhibit a planar topological structure.
Behavioral measures of vowel sensitivity in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) : effects of age and genetic origin

Absolute thresholds for complex vowel stimuli were compared in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) as a function of age and genetic origin. For a group of 12-month-old 'domestic' gerbils obtained from Tumblebrook Farms, lowest thresholds averaging 14 dB SPL occurred for the vowel /alpha/, which had its most intense formant (F1) at 730 Hz. Thresholds increased to 22 dB SPL for /i/, which had its two most intense formants (F1 and F3) at 270 and 3000 Hz, respectively. Highest thresholds of 30 dB SPL occurred for /u/, which had its most intense formant (F1) at 300 Hz. Thresholds increased by about 10 dB per year through the ages of 12-36 months, with most of the loss occurring for /alpha/ and /u/. The domestic gerbils' /alpha/ thresholds corresponded well to those measured in aging gerbils in electrophysiological studies. Vowel thresholds were also measured in a group of first-generation offspring of 'wild' gerbils imported from Asia, first tested at the ages of 18-24 months. Thresholds were similar to those of the 12-month-old domestic gerbils, and showed no hearing loss with age up to 36 months. The wild gerbils were also free of ear impactions, which commonly occurred in the domestic gerbils. The hearing loss with age in the domestic gerbils may have a genetic basis, and might be due to inbreeding in the domestic strain, in contrast to the hybrid vigor of the wild gerbils.
Welfare measurement for environmental improvements using the hedonic model: The case of nonparametric marginal prices

Abstract Research in environmental and natural resource economics frequently requires the use of hedonic models because of the differentiated products involved. This is true for studies of the relationship between environmental quality and property values or wages, or between the characteristics of a recreation site and the demand for its services. An obvious use of such studies is in estimating willingness to pay for improvements. With differentiated products there are usually nonlinear hedonic price schedules and thus nonlinear budget constraints. This makes welfare analysis difficult because standard duality results no longer hold. This paper develops a technique for estimating a psuedo demand system that can be used to derive exact measures of consumer welfare change. Similar techniques are developed for producers with a psuedo profit function that can be converted to an exact measure of the change in quasi-rents or rents. The paper also shows that the distance function can be used to develop an ex ante measure of welfare change.
Adaptive Optics Imaging of Low-Redshift Damped Lyα Quasar Absorbers

We have carried out a high angular resolution near-infrared imaging study of the fields of six quasars with seven strong absorption-line systems at z < 0.5, using the Hokupa'a adaptive optics system and the Quick Infrared Camera on the Gemini North telescope. These absorption systems include four classical damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs), two sub-DLAs, and one Lyman limit system. Images were obtained in the H or K' filters with FWHM between 02 and 05 with the goal of detecting the absorbing galaxies and identifying their morphologies. Features are seen at projected separations of 05-160 from the quasars, and all the fields show features at less than 2'' separation. We find candidate absorbers in all seven systems. With the assumption that some of these are associated with the absorbers, the absorbers are low-luminosity ≤0.1L or L; we do not find any large, bright candidate absorbers in any of our fields. Some fields show compact features that are too faint for quantitative morphology but could arise in dwarf galaxies.
What constitutes effective wayfinding directions: The interactive role of descriptive cues and memory demands

The main goal was to understand the interactive role that descriptive cues and memory demands play in wayfinding effectiveness. Participants followed directions containing route or survey cues from memory or read them piecemeal during wayfinding in a complex indoor environment. They also provided effectiveness ratings for the directions before and after wayfinding. Route cues resulted in higher effectiveness ratings and faster wayfinding with fewer errors than did survey cues. Interestingly, using piecemeal directions resulted in higher effectiveness ratings and fewer errors, but relying on memorized directions resulted in faster wayfinding. As expected, cues and memory demands interacted such that wayfinding was faster when using route cues than when using survey cues only when reading directions piecemeal. Moreover, women were faster during wayfinding when using route cues relative to survey cues, but men showed no difference in wayfinding time. Together, these findings provide important details about wayfinding processes.
Fission product Pd-SiC interaction in irradiated coated-particle fuels

Silicon carbide is the main barrier to fission product release from coated particle fuels. Consequently, degradation of the SiC must be minimized. Electron microprobe analysis has identified that palladium causes corrosion of the SiC in irradiated coated particles. Further ceramographic and electron microprobe examinations on irradiated particles with kernels ranging in composition from UO/sub 2/ to UC/sub 2/, including PuO/sub 2 -x/ and mixed (Th, Pu) oxides, and in enrichment from 0.7 to 93.0% /sup 235/U revealed that temperature is the major factor affecting the penetration rate of SiC by Pd. The effects of kernel composition, Pd concentration, other fission products, and SiC properties are secondary.
Metrics for Early-Stage Modeling of Many-Accelerator Architectures

The term “Dark Silicon” has been coined to describe the threat to microprocessor performance caused by increasing transistor power density. Improving energy efficiency is now the primary design goal for all market segments of microprocessors from mobile to server. Specialized hardware accelerators, designed to run only a subset of workloads with orders of magnitude energy efficiency improvement, are seen as a potential solution. Selecting an ensemble of accelerators to best cover the workloads run on a platform remains a challenge. We propose metrics for accelerator selection derived from a detailed communication-aware performance model and present an automated methodology to populate this model. Employing a combination of characterized RTL and our selection metrics, we evaluate a set of accelerators for a sample application and compare performance to selections based on execution time and Pollack's rule. We find that the architecture selected by our communication-aware metric shows improved performance over architectures selected based on execution time and Pollack's rule, as they do not account for speedup being limited by communication.
Regulation of guanine nucleotide turnover on Gi/Go by agonist-stimulated and spontaneously active muscarinic receptors in cardiac membranes.

Muscarinic receptor regulation of guanine nucleotide turnover on Gi/Go proteins in ventricular sarcolemma was investigated. In the absence of a muscarinic receptor (MR) agonist, GTP bound to background sites with a Kapp value of 60 nM and a Bmax of 50 pmol/mg. The addition of the MR agonist, carbachol, further increased GTP binding by 50 pmol/mg to sites with the same Kapp value of 60 nM. Pertussis toxin treatment reduced GTP binding to carbachol-regulated and background binding sites, thus identifying both sites as Gi/Go. The identity of the carbachol-regulated GTP binding sites was further confirmed by demonstrating that carbachol stimulated GTP binding and inhibited adenylyl cyclase with an EC50 value of 200 nM. Background and carbachol-regulated guanine nucleotide binding sites bound GDP with a Kapp value of 150 nM. However, maximal background GDP binding was 50 pmol/mg, whereas maximal carbachol-regulated GDP binding was only 12-15 pmol/mg. In sarcolemma preloaded with [3H]GDP, carbachol-regulated [3H]GDP release was strictly dependent on the presence of guanine nucleotides. The Kapp values for GTP and GDP to support carbachol-regulated [3H]GDP release were 60 nM and 150 nM, respectively. Guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GDPbetaS) facilitated carbachol-regulated [3H]GDP release with a Kapp value of 2 microM. However, GTP was two times more efficacious than GDP or GDPbetaS in facilitating carbachol-regulated [3H]GDP release. Mn2+ also stimulated [3H]GDP release from carbachol-regulated sites by a mechanism not requiring guanine nucleotides. These studies indicate that two pools of muscarinic receptors, carbachol regulated and spontaneously active, regulate guanine nucleotide turnover on pertussis toxin sensitive Gi/Go. These studies further suggest that guanine nucleotide binding provides the signal to stimulate GDP release from receptor activated Gi/Go proteins. A quaternary mechanism involving G-protein interactions may be necessary to promote guanine nucleotide exchange on Gi/Go.
Pedunculated pharyngeal lesions.

Abstract Dentists enjoy a unique position in the health care field because they examine and treat more intraoral disease than any other specialty. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the dentist to examine the entire oral cavity and not just the teeth. Thorough intraoral examination may reveal undiagnosed pathologic lesions which arise outside the oral cavity but are pedunculated and present in the mouth or oropharynx. This article presents three case reports of such lesions which are potentially life threatening but may be cured if detected and treated early.
A Contrasting effect of the diabetic state upon the contractile responses of aortic preparations from the rat and rabbit

Abstract Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg kg-1). Rabbits were rendered diabetic by injecting alloxan (100 mg kg-1) into the lateral ear vein. Diabetes was confirmed by a significant elevation of serum glucose in both species 8 weeks after injection. The maximum contraction to noradrenaline (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and KCl was markedly diminished in thoracic aortic rings (AR) from diabetic rats with no change in the EC50 of the agonists. There were no differences in the contractile properties of AR from diabetic rabbits to NA, 5-HT or KCl. Diabetes did not alter the responsiveness of AR from the rat to angiotensin II (AII). However, AR from diabetic rabbits displayed a decreased maximal contraction and an increased EC50 to AII. The magnitude of the acetylcholine-induced relaxation to precontracted AR was not different between diabetic and control rats and rabbits. The contractile responses of AR to NA, 5-HT and KCl were depressed in diabetic rats, regardless of the control tissue to which they were compared. The decrease in maximal contraction to NA, 5-HT and KCl seen in diabetic animals was prevented by insulin replacement. The results demonstrated that while both rats and rabbits exhibited a similar degree of hyperglycemia after treatment with a diabetogenic agent, aortic preparations from the rabbit are not affected in the same way as the aorta from the diabetic rat when exposed to NA, 5-HT and KCl. This feature may be related to the marked differences between the extent of sympathetic innervation of the aorta in the rabbit and rat. Furthermore, the decrease in maximal contraction in rat aorta was non-specific with respect to agonists since it could also be demonstrated with KCl. Therefore, it follows that the diabetic state may affect processes responsible for contraction beyond the level of receptor activation.
Postural responses during standing in subjects with spinal-cord injury

Abstract The purpose of this study is to establish the arm as a postural limb in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) who stand using their arms for balance. This study examines whether repeatable responses are elicited in the arm muscles of subjects with SCI while standing and performing cued arm raises, and whether the muscle activity results in adequate postural correction as compared to able-bodied standers. Four subjects with thoracic-level SCI performed standing trials using orthoses or functional neuromuscular stimulation and while using one hand for balance. Under two stereotypical conditions (quiet standing and rapid arm raises in response to a cue), EMG responses and force-plate sway measures were obtained. During the arm-raise trials the EMG signals from the muscles of the support arm were analysed for their onset times, revealing consistent sequences of muscle activity for a given subject, irrespective of the mode of standing, but showing variability from person-to-person. These results were interpreted as ‘personal strategies’ for postural control. These strategies involved choosing an initial body position and maintaining a level of cocontraction of the wrist and elbow musculature to provide stiffness about the joints. The effectiveness of these postural strategies was quantified by looking at the mean velocity of sway of the centre of pressure. These results were compared to 15 young, able-bodied subjects. Subjects with SCI showed mixed degrees of postural stability as compared to the ablebodied subjects. Factors that may contribute to the effectiveness of fine postural control are discussed, including the lack of sensory feedback from the lower extremities, the possible biomechanical disadvantage of the arm in providing precorrecting movements of the body, and the comfort level exhibited by the subjects.
Treatment of Hepatitis C Infections with Interferon: A Historical Perspective

Interferons were first described in 1957, but it was not until 34 years after their discovery that sufficient quantities of it were available for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, Clinicians now have an excellent understanding of the basis for the effectiveness of interferon alpha (IFN-𝛼) in the therapy of this disease. Treatment with IFN-𝛼 is more efficient when it complemented by the antiviral ribavirin and the IFN-𝛼 is conjugated with polyethylene glycol to form peginterferon. In the near future treatment of HCV with IFN-𝛼 may involve new anti-HCV agents that are currently under development.
Spectroscopic and electrochemical investigation of strongly luminescent homobinuclear Re(I) complexes

We report the synthesis of a series of bimetallic rhenium(I) complexes having the general formula [(CO) 3 (bpy)Re(L)Re(bpy)(CO) 3 ] 2+ , where L represents a pyridine-based bridging ligand such as pyrazine, 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bpy), 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, or 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane. Unlike most earlier examples of binuclear rhenium complexes of this type, several of these new compounds are strongly luminescent even in room-temperature fluid solution
SU‐FF‐J‐23: Treatment Margins for Pancreatic Cancer Based On Daily IGRT with Cone Beam CT (CBCT)

PURPOSE: To evaluate interfraction pancreatic motion as evidence by daily image guided radiotherapy(IGRT) using daily CBCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Daily kilovoltage CBCT was used during the definitive treatment of seven patients. Daily CBCTimages were registered to planning CT with automatic software tools that put higher importance on boney anatomy as proxy for pancreatic motion. Validation scans were employed when preset constraints were not met. A single treating physician reviewed and approved each fusion. Data regarding interfraction deviation from these daily shifts are analyzed for translation and rotation in the anterior‐posterior (AP), right‐left (RL), and superior‐inferior (SI) directions. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty registration scans were utilized and revealed average shifts of 0.24, 0.15, and .01 cm in the SI, AP, and RL directions, respectively with standard deviations of 0.42, 0.27, and 0.45 cm. Using this data in the Van‐Herk model suggests treatment (PTV) margins of 0.39 cm in RL, 0.91 cm in SI, and 0.58 cm in AP direction to ensure that 90% of all of the clinical target volumes (CTV) receive 95% of the prescribed dose. The average vector displacement was 0.61 cm with a standard deviation of 0.41 cm. The maximum observed vector shift was 1.95 cm in the SI direction. The registration yielded an average rotation of 0.97°, −.06°, and −.20° in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes respectively with standard deviations of 0.8°, 1.25°, and 1.1°. The maximum rotation noted in any direction was 4.6°. CONCLUSIONS: CBCT is an important tool to monitor interfraction pancreatic motion. Bony fusion as proxy provides some confidence and may translate into smaller margins. However, further assessment with soft tissue fusion and the use of internal fiducials are needed to help provide further confidence.
Filament-directed intercellular contacts during differentiation of cultured chick myoblasts

Detergent-extracted, critical point dried chicken myoblasts at early stages of development in tissue culture were observed by electron microscopy. It was found that the organization of filaments within these cells changes significantly during development. A particular specialization of the cellular filament framework is the formation of microprocesses; long extensions of the cellular filament system. These microprocesses appear to be involved in cell-to-cell contact. The filaments of these processes appear to integrate with the filament system of a contacted cell, and possibly transmit tension from one cell to another. The role of these structures in effecting muscle differentiation by forming cytoplasmic connections and the implications for muscle gene expression are discussed.