cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal Employment and Overweight Among Hispanic Children of Immigrants and Children of Natives

This research examines the relationship between maternal employment and child overweight among fifth grade Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children. Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten (ECLS-K) cohort fifth grade sample (N = 4,360) were analyzed. OLS regression models were estimated predicting percentile BMI as a function of maternal employment, ethnicity, parental nativity status, income, and the interactions of employment, ethnicity/nativity, and income. Among Hispanic children of immigrants, maternal employment is associated with lower percentile BMI and this association strengthens at higher levels of income. Among Hispanic children of natives and non-Hispanic whites, maternal employment is beneficial (i.e. associated with lower percentile BMI) among low-income children but detrimental among high-income children, but this pattern is significantly greater in strength for Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites. Thus, maternal employment is associated with worse health outcomes only in the case of Hispanic children of natives, and maternal employment is associated with the best outcomes for Hispanic children of mothers from high-income families. We speculate that among children of immigrants, maternal employment may signify and/or accelerate assimilation towards middle- or upper-class American values of healthy weight and body size. Diet, meal regularity and supervision, and childcare did not mediate the relationship between maternal employment and overweight.
Ultrasonographic screening for the Down syndrome fetus.

The usefulness of ultrasonography in detecting fetuses with Down syndrome in the second trimester has been the subject of considerable debate during the past 3 years. Conflicting reports have led to increasing confusion about the subject in the medical community and among the public. A review of the existing literature indicates that structural malformations that are chiefly cardiac are present in half of Down syndrome fetuses but are not consistently found during routine second-trimester ultrasonography. Although excess posterior nuchal skin-fold thickness is frequently present in infants with Down syndrome, it is also not consistently identified during second-trimester ultrasonographic examinations. Studies evaluating the efficacy of screening programs that are based on femur length shortening associated with Down syndrome have revealed markedly discrepant intercenter results. Although variations in methods may account for some of the observed variability, the magnitude of femoral shortening in Down syndrome suggests that this measurement may be only marginally useful. In summary, antenatal ultrasonography will allow for the detection of only those fetuses with Down syndrome who have multiple characteristic phenotypic features or anomalies. Moreover, current second-trimester ultrasonography does not appear to be either sensitive enough or specific enough to be used as a unique Down syndrome screening modality; however, it may be a useful adjunct to maternal age and serum biochemical markers in the assignment of risk for Down syndrome.
A Record of Serolidae (Isopoda) From the North Atlantic Ocean

Serolis vemae Menzies a ete trouve a 4680 metres de profondeur dans la Mer des Sargasses, par 36° de latitude nord. C'est la premiere capture d'un Serolide dans l'Atlantique au nord de l'Equateur. La collection comprend une serie complete de quatre stades males et de cinq stades femelles, qui sont brievement decrits.
Nutritional composition of uk retail potatoes both raw and cooked

Over two seasons, four maincrop potato cultivars together with early varieties, were purchased from a range of retail outlets in three principal consumer areas (London, Birmingham and Glasgow). Samples were analysed for moisture, total nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen, fat, carbohydrates (sugars, starch and dietary fibre), vitamins and minerals. Analyses were carried out on both the raw and cooked (boiled, baked, roast and chipped) tubers every 12 weeks. Values for raw and cooked materials were compared with previously published figures, and cultivar, centre and seasonal effects were identified by analysis of variance. Nutrients found to be lower than the Food Composition Table data were riboflavin and niacin (50%), potassium (40%), iron, copper and zinc (20–30%); thiamin and total folate were 2–3 times higher, total ascorbate, initially similar, declined more rapidly after harvest. These differences were reflected in the values obtained for the cooked potato where the major difference was a reduction in the fat content of chips by about 40%. Cooking losses were similar to those in the Food Composition Tables. The main varietal effects were confined to the vitamins. Centre effects showed that potatoes from Glasgow had less ascorbate and dry matter but slightly more free sugars. The only significant seasonal effect was for total ascorbate where the second season was higher than the first.
Neonatal stress and coping in intensive care

Examples are given of research on (a) stressful procedures and assessments in the neonatal intensive care nursery and (b) natural caregiving stimulation and self-comforting behaviors that alleviate these stressful experiences. The data from the studies on stressful procedures and assessments revealed that (a) weaning from mechanical ventilation was associated with increased plasma cortisol levels; (b) heelsticks and tube insertions for gavage feedings were accompanied by decreases in oxygen tension (TcPO2); and (c) Brazelton neonatal behavior assessments were followed by increased cortisol levels and decreased growth hormone levels. To alleviate stress, various interventions were tried including caregiver comforting techniques and giving the neonates opportunities to comfort themselves by sucking on pacifiers. The caregiver intervention studies revealed that (a) a simple placement of hands on the head and abdomen of the NICU neonate resulted in a lesser need for oxygen and (b) massaging the NICU neonate resulted in greater weight gain and earlier discharge. In those studies that explored the infant's self-comforting, nonnutritive sucking behavior, the following results emerged: (a) sucking on pacifiers during heelsticks resulted in less crying and lower heart rate and respiration and (b) sucking on pacifiers during tube feedings resulted in smoother bottle feedings later and in greater weight gain. Thus, it appears that several forms of cost-effective interventions can alleviate these stressful procedures and facilitate infant growth and development.
Endoscopic management of postoperative biliary complications in orthotopic liver transplantation

Background: Surgery, percutaneous cholangiography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) have been used in the management of biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation with varied results. We assessed the role of ERCP in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of post-orthotopic liver transplantation biliary complications. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 260 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. We examined the number of patients referred for ERCP and the indication, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, success, and complication rate of ERCP post orthotopic liver transplantation. We compared the survival and retransplantation rates of the patients who underwent ERCP with a control group of post-orthotopic liver transplantation patients not undergoing ERCP. Results: Of the 260 patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation, 64 (24.6%) underwent 137 ERCPs. Two categories of indications for ERCP were identified: bile leak (n = 31) and obstruction (n = 39). ERCP identified the site of the bile leak in 27 of 31 cases (87.1%) and the leak was treated by endoscopic means in 26 of 31 (83.9%). Treatment success differed significantly based on location of the leak (T tube, 95.2% vs. anastomosis, 42.9%; p = 0.009). ERCP identified the site of obstruction in 37 of 39 cases (94.9%) and obstruction was relieved by endoscopic means in 25 of 35 cases (71.4%). ERCP was significantly less successful in the treatment of biliary casts (25.0%, p = 0.048). There was no difference in survival or retransplantation between patients who did and did not undergo ERCP. Conclusion: ERCP should be the primary method for diagnosis and treatment of post-orthotopic liver transplantation biliary complications. Endoscopic therapy is safe and effective for the majority of post-orthotopic liver transplantation complications and temporizes management for those complications that may require surgery. (Gastrointest Endosc 2000;52:55-63.)
Outlook for inertial confinement fusion

During the next ten years the National Ignition Facility (NIF) will be completed and substantial fusion gains are likely to be achieved with the NIF megajoule class solid state laser. A facility very similar to NIF is being constructed by the French nuclear weapons program. Technological advances promise to make ICF increasingly attractive as a practical energy source. These advances include very high gain targets (e.g., the fast ignitor), petawatt lasers, diode pumped solid state lasers, and advanced heavy ion accelerators. Beyond the next ten years an experimental inertial fusion (IF) reactor will be needed to take the major step from NIF to a practical fusion power plant. A key question: how is this IF experimental reactor to be funded? A 100 MWe scale IF reactor could produce several kilograms per year of low cost tritium for DOE Defense Programs. Tritium produced by competing fission reactor and accelerator/spallation options is estimated to cost more than one hundred million dollars per kilogram, much more than the cost of tritium produced by a fusion reactor. Tritium production provides a defense funded option for IF`s next step beyond NIF.
Three-dimensional synaptic distributions influence neural processing through the resource consumption principle.

Our recent work on the mammalian cerebral cortex has focused on signals that define processing that takes place throughout a volume of neural tissue (Montague et al, 1991; Montague and Sejnowski, 1994; Montague et al, 1994; Montague, 1996a). As discussed in the companion paper (Montague, 1996b), this view of neural function extends standard neuron-centered views and it possesses some features of other approaches that appeal to selectional schemes (eg Changeux and Danchin, 1973). Under the resource consumption principle, single synapses act as units with pre-existing sensitivities to fluctuating neurotransmitter delivery and synapses must acquire a shared fluid-like resource in order to operate (transmit), reproduce (sprout), or die (retract) (Montague, 1996). Synapses cooperate and compete directly through tissue space by means of the shared resource. One working hypothesis of the theory is that each synapse’s collection of receptors defines the sequence and duration of incoming neurotransmitters that is likely to make the synapse consume resource and hence operate. In this sense, the collection of receptors possessed by a synapse acts as a label or code for a particular synapse type. As previously suggested, extracellular calcium displays features that make it a possible candidate for a shared, but limited, extracellular resource (Montague, 1996a). The main idea is a simple one in which many different physical features define a synapse’s capacity to obtain resource: the arrival of a spike along a parent axon followed by opening of voltage sensitive channels, binding of neurotransmitter, influence of intracellular signaling cascades, participation in local anatomical motifs, etc. The resource consumption principle avoids making explicit reference to these possible reasons that a synapse has consumed resource and simply lets the total resource captured define which synapses are likely to be working. In this sense, the theory is a strongly selective one: there is no specification for which synapses will
Potential biomedical applications of ion beam technology

Electron bombardment ion thrusters used as ion sources have demonstrated a unique capability to vary the surface morphology of surgical implant materials. The microscopically rough surface texture produced by ion beam sputtering of these materials may result in improvements in the biological response and/or performance of implanted devices. Control of surface roughness may result in improved attachment of the implant to soft tissue, hard tissue, bone cement, or components deposited from blood. Potential biomedical applications of ion beam texturing discussed include: vascular prostheses, artificial heart pump diaphragms, pacemaker fixation, percutaneous connectors, orthopedic pros-thesis fixtion, and dental implants.
Evaluation of viral and mammalian promoters for use in gene delivery to salivary glands.

Abstract To optimize vectors for salivary gland gene transfer, we screened viral [cytomegalovirus (CMV; human immediate early), Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), simian virus 40, and Moloney murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat] and mammalian [elongation factor 1α (EF1α), cytokeratin 18 (K18), cytokeratin 19 (K19), kallikrein (Kall), and amylase (AMY), all human, and rat aquaporin-5 (rAQP5), and derivative elements] promoters driving luciferase activity in vitro and in vivo. In adenoviral vectors, the CMV promoter showed highest activity, with the EF1α and RSV promoters slightly less powerful, in rat submandibular glands (SMGs). The K18 2.5-kb, K19 3.0-kb, and rAQP5 0.4-kb and Kall promoters had intermediate activity, while the AMY promoter exhibited lowest activity. To localize transgene expression, enhanced green fluorescence protein was used. The CMV, RSV, EF1α, K18 2.5-kb, K19 3.0-kb, rAQP5 0.4-kb, and AMY promoters were not cell-type specific in SMGs; however, the Kall promoter was primarily active in ductal cells. These data will facilitate optimal expression cassette design for salivary gland gene transfer.
Multi-material metallic structure fabrication using electron beam melting

The fabrication of multi-material structures using Ti–6Al–4V and copper was explored with the additive manufacturing (AM) technology of electron beam melting (EBM). A new method was developed that included multiple build sequences to accommodate both materials. The process was enabled by machining a start plate so that the parts built with the first material could be press fit into the plate, providing a flat surface on which the second material fabrication would occur. This method provided the ability to fabricate simple multiple metallic material components built in the Z and X directions [1]. Registration of the electron beam was performed manually resulting in slight misalignment for the shift of diameters of specimens built in the Z direction, and along the width and length for specimens built in the X direction. Microstructures observed and hardness values measured for copper and Ti–6Al–4V were different to those observed in normally fabricated EBM parts. These observations might be explained by the different processing conditions required for multi-material fabrication in contrast to the regular EBM process where parts are built in a single machine run. The hardness profiles for as-fabricated and HIPed multi-material parts depicted an increase in hardness for both materials close to the interface with values leveling off to those of single material EBM fabricated parts as measurements proceeded away from the interface. As the benefits of EBM processing are exploited, the method introduced in this research can have profound implications in many technological applications including metal extraction, energy production and for the repair of metallic components.
Tomographic Visualization of Breast Calcifications by Ultrasound Scattering

Various types of malignant and benign breast tumors are associated with clusters of calcifications with grain sizes 0.1 to 1 mm spread out over volumes of a few cm3. These clusters have shapes ranging from spherical to elongated chains. A series of phantoms was made and the ultrasound scattering pattern from calcium carbonate grains embedded in a gelatin mixture was measured with 2.25 and 5 MHz transducers. A single send transducer with a few receive transducers placed at angles of 120° to 160° relative to the forward direction was used. Tomographic images of these distributions were obtained by a combination of transit time recording and positioning of the transducer array. Measurements have been done on grain sizes as small as 0.2 mm and show a clean signal above tissue scattering background.
Distributed data-acquisition systems (PAN-DA) for fermilab experiments

Abstract A new generation of data-acquisition software is being developed at Fermilab. The goal of this development is an all-encompassing (PAN) data-acquisition (DA) software architecture to support the many and various networked processors present in current data-acquisition systems; from from-end readout controllers to VME-based ACP and other processor boards, to host VAXes, VAXstations and UNIX based workstations.
Effects of Collection Terms on Class-Inclusion and on Number Tasks.

Abstract Ten experiments examined the effects on children's performance of using collection (e.g., “army”) versus class (e.g., “soldiers”) terms to describe sets of familiar objects. In seven experiments using number tasks (conservation of number and two other equivalence tasks) the facilitative effect of collection terms reported by Markman (1979) was not found. However, in experiments with a class-inclusion task, performance was better with collection than with class terms, replicating the original labeling effect reported by Markman (1973) and Markman and Seibert (1976) . Additional data supported the interpretation that collection terms facilitate class-inclusion performance because they help the child represent the class-inclusion situation as a combine object situation in which two sets are put together to form a combined aggregate set. Formation of a mental combined set is not required by the number tasks, where both sets are always available in their entirety.
Template-specific requirements for DNA synthesis by the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus DNA polymerase: Unique aspects

Abstract The biochemical properties of DNA polymerase purified from Mason-Pfizer monkey virus were studied, with respect to synthetic and natural template-primer utilization. These studies revealed the following new information about the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus enzyme: (a) Mason-Pfizer monkey virus polymerase was found to prefer template : primer molar nucleotide ratios of 2.5–5 : 1 for optimal rates of synthesis with poly(C) · (dG) 12–18 as template-primer. (b) Poly(A)-directed synthesis was stimulated by the addition of low concentrations of inorganic phosphate to the reaction mixture. (c) Poly(2′- O -methylcytidylate), poly(rCm), was the only template studied for which Mn 2+ proved the preferred divalent cation. Combinations of divalent cations stimulated rather than inhibited poly(rCm)-directed poly(dG) synthesis by the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus enzyme. (d) Heteropolymeric regions of rabbit globin mRNA and avian myeloblastosis virus 70 S RNA could be copied by the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus polymerase with oligo(dT), oligo(U) or in the case of avian myeloblastosis virus RNA, endogenous primers. In all such studies, Mg 2+ was the preferred divalent cation and a distinct preference for the DNA primer in the reverse transcription of natural RNAs was observed. These new findings necessitated comparative studies with the DNA polymerases from Rauscher murine leukemia virus and murine mammary tumor virus, as representative type C and type B retroviruses. Although the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus enzyme was found to share some properties in common with both type C and type B mammalian viral enzymes, certain of the above properties rendered it unique among the polymerases examined.
Early Christian movements: Jesus movements and the renewal of Israel

This article investigates the origins and development of the earliest Jesus movements within the context of persistent conflict between the Judean and Galilean peasantry and their Jerusalem and Roman rulers. It explores the prominence of popular prophetic and messianic movements and shows how the earliest movements that formed in response to Jesus’ mission exhibit similar features and patterns. Jesus is not treated as separate from social roles and political-economic relationships. Viewing Jesus against the background of village communities in which people lived, the Gospels are understood as genuine communication with other people in historical social contexts. The article argues that the net effect of these interrelated factors of theologically determined New Testament interpretation is a combination of assumptions and procedures that would be unacceptable in the regular investigation of history. Another version of the essay was published in Horsley, Richard A (ed), A people’s history of Christianity, Volume 1: Christian origins, 23-46. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
Role of glutamine 151 of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 reverse transcriptase in substrate selection as assessed by site-directed mutagenesis.

A natural mutation at codon 151 (Gln → Met; Q151M) of HIV-1 RT has been shown to confer resistance to the virus against dideoxy nucleoside analogues [Shirasaka, T., et al. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 2398], suggesting that Gln 151 may be involved in conferring sensitivity to nucleoside analogues. To understand its functional implication, we generated two mutant derivatives of this residue (Q151M and Q151N) and examined their sensitivities to ddNTPs and their ability to discriminate against rNTPs versus dNTP substrates on natural U5-PBS HIV-1 RNA template. We found that Q151M was highly discriminatory against all four ddNTPs but was able to incorporate rNTPs as efficiently as the wild type enzyme. In contrast, the Q151N mutant was only moderately resistant to ddNTPs but exhibited a higher level of discrimination against rNTPs. The fidelity of misinsertion was found to be highest for the Q151N mutant followed by Q151M and the wild type enzyme. These results point toward the importance of the am...
Novel Technique for Hand Assisted Laparoscopic Right Donor Nephrectomy

Purpose: Most surgeons divide the renal vein with a laparoscopic stapler during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. The right renal vein is usually shorter than the left one and using the stapler on the right side can result in a higher incidence of vascular complications for right kidney recipients. We present our experience with a new technique for hand assisted laparoscopic right donor nephrectomy.Materials and Methods: We designed a new vascular clamp to be completely inserted into the peritoneal cavity through the hand port incision in hand assisted laparoscopy. The renal vein with a cuff of the inferior vena cava was then excised. The defect in the inferior vena cava was sutured intracorporeally.Results: A total of 80 kidney donors underwent hand assisted laparoscopic right donor nephrectomy using the new technique. Mean ± SD operative time was 184 ± 36 minutes. Operative time was decreased in the last 30 patients to 152 ± 22 minutes. Intracorporeal suture time on the inferior vena cava was 16 ± 3 minut...
An Anthropology of Prophecy

Prophets and monarchs were complimentary social institutions which balanced power in ancient Israel. Prophets were leaders of the monarch's loyal opposition. Some prophets were closely aligned with royal or religious centers of power, some were peripheral-dependent on popular constituencies for power. Power in ancient Israel was understood as ability to feed and ability to protect. Prophets and monarchs both believed that only Yahweh fed and protected Israel. Monarchs, however, argued that the social system which best acknowledged this belief was the surplus or centralized economic and military system common in Canaanite city states, whereas prophets argued for the subsistence or decentralized system attempted in early Israel (1250-1000 BCE). Royal policy stressed the biblical traditions of covenant stewardship; prophetic policy stressed the traditions of Israel as a slave-free society.
MAGNETISM AND HYPERFINE INTERACTIONS OF Fe/W(110) AND Ag-COVERED Fe/W(110)

Calculs a l'aide de la methode de l'onde plane amelioree linearisee sur tout le potentiel et comparaison avec des mesures de spectrometrie Mossbauer
ESR Studies of Nitrobenzene, o‐Dinitrobenzene, and m‐Dinitrobenzene Alkali‐Metal Salts

The hyperfine splittings for the lithium, sodium, potassium, and cesium salts of nitrobenzene and the sodium, potassium, and cesium salts of o‐dinitrobenzene over a range of temperature in DME are reported, as well as the splittings for the nitrobenzene and o‐dinitrobenzene radicals produced by electrolytic reduction in DME. The sodium salt of nitrobenzene was also studied in a mixture of DME and DMSO. Results for nitrobenzene and o‐dinitrobenzene are correlated with those previously reported for m‐dinitrobenzene salts. For all three anions it was found that the perturbation of the anion on ion‐pair formation increases along the series Cs+ to Li+. Line‐broadening effects associated with cation motion from one nitro group to the other in the o‐ and m‐dinitrobenzene salts correlate well with the extent of the perturbation of the anion by the metal cation. On the basis of (1) similar magnitudes and similar variation with temperature of the alkali‐metal hyperfine splittings for all three anions, (2) the absence of line‐broadening depending on alkali‐metal quantum number, and (3) the observations in the mixed solvent system, a model for the ion pairs in DME is proposed in which the cation interacts with a single nitro group at a given instant of time, the cation is tightly bound to the nitro group with a fairly strongly bound cage of DME molecules solvating the nitro group cation complex, and temperature variation of the alkali‐metal splitting is attributed to motion of the cation in the vicinity of the nitro group. Simple molecular‐orbital calculations were performed in which the electrostatic interaction of the cation with the nitro group was simulated by increasing both the oxygen and nitrogen Coulomb integral parameters and good agreement between calculated and experimental changes of anion hyperfine splittings on going from the nitrobenzene free ion in DME to the sodium salt was obtained.
SU-GG-J-95: Reproducibility of a Vaginal Dilator Used for Female Anal Cancer Patients

Purpose: Dysparunia is a major source of post‐treatment morbidity among patients treated with chemoradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. The main goal of IMRT plans in this setting is sparing of the anterior vaginal wall, vulva, and urethra. The daily of reproducibility vaginal dilators was investigated in this study. Method and Materials: Seven patients were included in this study. Patients were placed in a frog‐legged position and immobilized with a vacloc bag. A silicone vaginal dilator measuring 2.9 cm in diameter and 11.4 cm in length (Soul Source Enterprises, Portland, OR) was inserted in each patient before simulation and each treatment fraction. Antero‐posterior (AP) and lateral kV images were used for daily set‐up on bony anatomy. BBs inserted in the dilator improved visibility on kV images. Dilator and bony anatomy positions were compared with the digitally reconstructedradiographs(DRRs) generated from the simulation CT.Results: Within the AP images, the average deviation of bony anatomy from the DRR was 0.3 ± 0.2 cm, while for the lateral images, it was 0.5 ± 0.3 cm. The 3‐dimensional position of the apex of the dilator showed strong variation, with an average deviation of 1.3 ± 0.8 cm. However, the position of the dilator axis near the tumor volume showed less deviation, 0.5 ± 0.3 cm. Variation of the dilator angle was small in the AP images (−2° ± 3°) and slightly larger in the lateral images (−3° ± 9°). Conclusion: The reproducibility of a reference point along the vaginal dilator's longitudinal axis was comparable to that of bony anatomy. While dilator depth was not as reproducible, the reproducibility of the distal dilator was excellent and could allow maximal sparing of the female genitalia in patients undergoing IMRT.
Free DNA concentration in E. coli estimated by an analysis of competition for DNA binding proteins.

Transcription in E. coli is often controlled by the binding of specific gene-regulatory proteins. Binding of these proteins to their specific DNA binding sites occurs in the presence of a large excess of "nonspecific" genomic DNA. Binding to a specific DNA site thus depends on the concentration of regulatory protein, on its affinities for specific and competing nonspecific binding sites, and on the free concentrations of those sites. Although it is probable that genomic DNA is largely occluded by protein binding or by condensation in vivo, the actual extent to which the DNA is available to act as a competitor for specific binding (i.e. the effective concentration of nonspecific DNA) is not known. Because many regulatory interactions occur simultaneously in a cell, it is reasonable to expect that they will have evolved to function at equilibrium with a shared concentration of competing nonspecific DNA. This premise was the basis for this study. In vitro binding data were compiled for six regulatory proteins that function in E. coli, and used to calculate theoretical equilibrium binding distributions. The calculated distributions were used to evaluate the regulatory states of promoters according to models based on the equilibrium occupancies of regulatory sites. For four proteins whose DNA-binding affinities are modulated by ligand binding (CAP, lac repressor, trp repressor and araC), regulation was assessed as the extent to which the presence of the modulator could affect the occupancy by protein of the specific sites (e.g. the difference in equilibrium occupancy by CAP of CAP binding sites between conditions of high and low concentrations of CAP's affinity modulator, cAMP). For two proteins whose site affinities are not modulated by ligand binding (lambda repressor and lambda-cro), regulation was assessed by specific site occupancy at equilibrium. These regulation profiles were compared to determine whether a single concentration of nonspecific competing DNA is compatible with effective regulation as defined for all of the systems. For five of the six modeled systems (CAP, trp repressor, araC, lambda repressor and lambda-cro), a free nonspecific DNA concentration on the order of 10(-4) M base pairs is compatible with regulation based on equilibria of the protein-DNA interactions. The lac repressor-operator system is an exception to these results: as has been shown previously, the regulation of operator binding by low molecular weight inducers increases with increasing concentrations of nonspecific DNA (von Hippel et al., 1974 Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 4808-4812).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Photon-echo behavior in ruby near 2.06 kG☆

Abstract Dips in the intensity of photon echoes in ruby have been observed at 2.06 kG for both σ - and σ + transitions. The magnitude of these dips show a nonexponential behavior.
Optical digital comparison unit for equal-to, less-than, and greater-than determination

A number of nonnumerical processing applications, including database management, full text search, and pattern recognition rely heavily on digital comparisons. The development of massive-capacity optical memories coupled with the high speed and parallelism of optics have led to the investigation of optical techniques for nonnumerical processing. This paper proposes a system design for an optical comparator capable of performing multiple equal-to, less-than, and greater-than comparisons between pairs of binary words. The comparator consists of three two-dimensional arrays of optical elements based on a new optical logic device called the light-amplifying optical switch. The first two stages contain inverters, nor gates, and flip-flops, while the third stage is a custom-designed winner-takes-all network. With a compact design and with small high-speed devices a comparator with 2.5 × 104 pixels could theoretically attain a processing rate of approximately 4 × 1010 16-bit word comparisons/s.
Fast temperature calculation for transient electrothermal simulation by mixed frequency/time domain thermal model reduction

In full-c hip elecrothermal analysis, the substrate is usually discretized into a lumped 3-D network to simulate the heat flow, which is computationally inefficient due to the numerous internal nodes represen ting the substrate interior. Y et traditional interconnect model reduction techniques are not v ery effectiv e at handling complex mlti-port networks with large port counts. In this work we overcome this limitation b y applying time-domain approximation techniques such as ARWE and Prony's method to further simplify the reduced substrate thermal netw ork. Experiments show that our method provides highly accurate simulation results with performance improvement in the range of 2x to 5x.
Hierarchy of formal descriptions for architectural analysis and design of complex CS

Traditionally, in the CS design process, it is considered more important to formalize the functionality of the system, while the system's environment plays a secondary role. From our point of view, a formalized representation of the system functionality and the system environment should be considered concurrently. In this paper, we propose four hierarchical levels of formalization for both the functionality and the environment of the system to be used at the concept development stage. To establish a design framework of the identified class of CS we formalized a decision-making process to choose a rational architecture of the real system. Formalization of the decision-making process involves: efficiency criteria, design strategy, and a set of goal functions. To find a solution to the set of goal functions we propose a framework of a simulation-based design methodology. The solution will provide a designer with a rational architecture of a real CS.
Is there really no place like home? Movement, site fidelity, and survival probability of translocated and resident turtles

Wildlife translocations, the deliberate movement of wild individuals from one part of their distribution to another, are increasingly being used as a conservation tool. Despite the popularity of translocations as a conservation technique, translocations are often not successful as a result of excessive movement, poor release site fidelity, and low survival. This study compares the movement patterns, site fidelity, and survival probability of resident and hard-released musk turtles (Sternotherus odoratus) in a complex of patchy distributed wetlands. Our results are different from most translocation studies as the majority of translocated turtles had movement (minimum convex polygon area, total distance moved, number of wetlands used, and the number of movement shifts between wetlands), release site fidelity, and wetland fidelity patterns that were similar to resident turtles. In addition, the survival probabilities of resident and translocated turtles were both high. We believe the combination of poor overland movement capabilities and the patchy distribution of wetlands surrounded by a strong boundary matrix of terrestrial habitat, potentially increased the costs of leaving the wetland. The high costs of travelling overland to more distant wetlands may have constrained the translocated turtles dispersal from the release site and increased release site fidelity. Our study suggests that hard-release translocations may be an effective conservation method for highly aquatic species unlikely to leave the wetland and travel long overland distances.
ECG Criteria to Distinguish Between Aberrantly Conducted Supraventricular Tachycardia and Ventricular Tachycardia:Practical Aspects for the Immediate Care Setting

To reevaluate ECG criteria for distinguishing Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with aberrant conduction from ventricular tachycardia (VT), 133 wide QRS tachycardias were recorded in patients undergoing invasive electrophysiological (EP) study. Surface ECG leads (standard 12-lead and MCL leads) were compared to EP recordings to provide a standard for correct diagnosis. Criteria from six studies were pooled to select QRS morphology agreed to be highly specific for SVT or VT (specificity > 90%). Some morphological criteria were modified to simplify analysis for the immediate care setting. Results: Although the 12-lead ECG was useful in distinguishing aberrancy from VT, 13 tachycardias (10%) were misdiagnosed or could not be diagnosed. The MCL1 lead recorded clearly different QRS morphology than lead V1 in 40% of VT cases and was diagnostically inferior to V1.Most established criteria were highly specific for a diagnosis, but not very sensitive as individual criteria. Neither a QRS width of > 0.14 seconds nor a monophasic R wave pattern in lead V1 were valuable in diagnosing VT. Conclusions: In distinguishing SVT with aberrant conduction from VT: (1) Although the 12-lead ECG is valuable, about 1 in 10 wide QRS tachycardias defy differentiation; (2) tachycardias > 190 beats/mm often do not exhibit unequivocal criteria with which to make a certain diagnosis; (3) multiple leads are required for accurate assessment of QRS width, presence of AV dissociation or VA block, QRS axis, and morphological criteria; and (4) the MCL1 lead cannot be substituted for V1 in the use of morphological criteria for VT.
Radar-range equation

The radar-range equation, if not carefully applied, will indicate that power returned from corner-cube reflectors various as the inverse fourth power of the range. Careful attention to the meaning of each team in the equation leads to an inverse second-power relationship. This result is confirmed by analysis according to geometric optics.
Attentional control mediates the relationship between social anhedonia and social impairment

Social anhedonia, a traitlike disinterest in social contact and diminished capacity to experience pleasure from social interactions, is consistently associated with social impairments in both healthy and clinical populations. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between social anhedonia and social impairment are poorly understood. Attentional control, selecting and focusing on relevant information and inhibiting irrelevant, may be one such mechanism. We examined individual differences in social anhedonia, attentional control, and social impairment in 108 healthy adults. High social anhedonia related to low attentional control and high social impairment. Moreover, attentional control mediated the relationship between social anhedonia and social impairment, establishing attentional control as one mechanism underlying aberrations in the fundamental human need for social contact. Although both attentional deficits and social impairment have been separately noted in social anhedonia, the relationship between social anhedonia, attentional control and social impairment in this non-clinical sample reflects a novel contribution.
Effects of fisheries on marine ecosystems: a conservationist's perspective

There are ample data that suggest fisheries exploitation affects not only target stocks but also communities of organisms, ecological processes, and even entire ecosystems. Conservationists, and the non-governmental organizations they represent, consider such impacts a cause for concern, because the loss of biodiversity that can result is largely irreversible. Those of us who view conservation of biodiversity as paramount need good scientific information to inform our decisions on advocacy, public awareness-raising, and support to field and policy projects. In light of what seems to be global, serial mismanagement of commercial fisheries, conservation groups advocate a number of measures to supplement - not replace - conventional fisheries management regimes. First, better information is needed on the true, ecosystem-wide impacts of fisheries activity, particularly where new fisheries are being launched, major gear modifications are taking place, and/or major expansion of fishing effort is occurring. Second, there must be a paradigm shift in the way evidence of impact is gathered, so that the burden of proof and the resources spent on trying to establish that proof are not the sole responsibility of conservationists. Third, greater use must be made of marine-protected areas as a tool to strengthen management and to provide control sites to further scientific understanding and promote adaptive management.
Modeling electron-spin accumulation in a metallic nanoparticle

A model describing spin-polarized current via discrete energy levels of a metallic nanoparticle, which has strongly asymmetric tunnel contacts to two ferromagnetic leads, is presented. In absence of spin relaxation, the model leads to a spin accumulation in the nanoparticle, a difference $(\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\mu})$ between the chemical potentials of spin-up and spin-down electrons, proportional to the current and the Julliere tunnel magnetoresistance. Taking into account an energy dependent spin-relaxation rate $\ensuremath{\Omega}(\ensuremath{\omega})$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\mu}$ as a function of bias voltage $(V)$ exhibits a crossover from linear to a much weaker dependence, when $|e|\ensuremath{\Omega}(\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\mu})$ equals the spin-polarized current through the nanoparticle. Assuming that the spin relaxation takes place via electron-phonon emission and Elliot-Yafet mechanism, the model leads to a crossover from linear to ${V}^{1/5}$ dependence. The crossover explains recent measurements of the saturation of the spin-polarized current with $V$ in aluminum nanoparticles, and leads to the spin-relaxation rate of $\ensuremath{\approx}1.6\text{ }\text{MHz}$ in an aluminum nanoparticle of diameter 6 nm, for a transition with an energy difference of one level spacing.
Xylem embolism in response to freeze-thaw cycles and water stress in ring-porous, diffuse-porous, and conifer species.

Vulnerability to xylem embolism by freeze-thaw cycles and water stress was quantified in ring-porous ( Quercus gambelii Nutt.), diffuse-porous ( Populus tremuloides Michx., Betula occidentalis Hook.), and conifer species ( Abies lasiocarpa Nutt., Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.). Embolism was measured by its reduction of xylem hydraulic conductivity; it was induced by xylem tension (water-stress response) and by a tension plus a freeze-thaw cycle (freeze response). Conifers showed little ( Juniperus ) or no ( Abies ) freeze response even to repeated cycles. In contrast, Quercus embolized more than 90% by freezing at tensions below 0.2 MPa, whereas similar embolism without freezing required tensions above 4.5 MPa. Diffuse-porous trees ( Betula, Populus ) showed an intermediate freeze response. The magnitude of the freeze response was correlated with conduit volume but occurred at higher tensions than predicted from theory. Large early-wood vessels (2.8 × 10 −9 m 3 ) in oak were most vulnerable to embolism by freezing, small vessels in Populus and Betula were intermediate (approximately 7 × 10 −11 m 3 ), and tracheids in conifers (about 3 × 10 −13 m 3 ) were most resistant. The same trend was found within a stem: embolism by freeze-thawing occurred preferentially in wider conduits. The water-stress response was not correlated with conduit volume; previous work indicates it is a function of interconduit pit membrane structure. Native embolism levels during winter corroborated laboratory results on freezing: Quercus embolized 95% with the first fall freeze, Populus and Betula showed gradual increases to more than 90% embolism by winter9s end, and Abies remained below 30%.
Efficient Precision Orbit Computation Techniques

A comparison is made of the methods of Cowell, Encke and the variation-of-parameters for the computation of high precision orbits. Analysis of the integration of an analytical three-body trajectory and an analytical low thrust spiral trajectory indicates the importance of decreasing the overall number of integration steps to avoid roundoff errors. Comparative computations demonstrate tha t Encke's method is preferable in the ballistic lunar trajectory, variation-of-parameters in the low thrust trajectory, and Cowell's method in the high thrust trajectory. The overall computational efficiency of Encke's and the variation-of-parameters method is also shown.
A new look at an old problem: defining weight acceptance in human walking.

Abstract Background Weight acceptance (WA) is an important phase of bipedal gait that has received relatively little study to date. This study tested the hypothesis that the first peak knee flexion would better demarcate the end of WA power absorption activity across varying gait speeds than would the more commonly used event of contralateral toe off (CTO) or the peak hip adduction angle. Methods Eight control subjects (4F/4M) walked on a treadmill at slow, self-selected, and fast speeds. Kinematic and kinetic data were recorded. Joint angles and power absorption were analyzed about the, lower extremity joints (sagittal ankle, knee, hip and frontal hip). Differences in event timings and, magnitudes of negative work were analyzed (ANOVA). Results Knee sagittal power absorption continued after the CTO event at self-selected ( p = 0.009) and fast speeds ( p = 0.001), while hip frontal power absorption continued after the CTO event at slow ( p = 0.019), self-selected ( p = 0.001), and fast speeds ( p = 0.001). The contribution of frontal hip to overall power absorption increased as speed decreased. Discussion Peak hip adduction angle is the best kinematic marker of the end of the WA phase, and peak knee flexion angle is the best alternative marker across speeds. CTO is only appropriate to use when gait speeds are slow. In addition, the relative contribution of power absorbed in the frontal hip during WA highlights the importance of frontal plane pelvic control in locomotion, especially when gait speed is slow.
Chlamydospore Formation during Hyphal Growth in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans, a basidiomycetous fungal pathogen, infects hosts through inhalation and can cause fatal meningoencephalitis in individuals if untreated. This fungus undergoes a dimorphic transition from yeast to filamentous growth during mating and monokaryotic fruiting, which leads to the production of hyphae and airborne infectious basidiospores. Here we characterized a novel morphological feature associated with the filamentous stages of the life cycle of C. neoformans which resembles resting or survival structures known as chlamydospores in other fungi. The C. neoformans chlamydospore-like structure is rich in glycogen, suggesting that it might have a role as an energy store. However, characterization of mutants with decreased or increased levels of glycogen production showed that glycogen levels have little effect on filamentous growth, sporulation, or chlamydospore formation. These results suggest that the formation of chlamydospores is independent of glycogen accumulation level. We also show that chlamydospore formation does not require successful sporulation and that the presence of chlamydospores is not sufficient for sporulation. Although the biological functions of chlamydospores remain to be established for this pathogenic fungus, their formation appears to be an integral part of the filamentation process, suggesting that they could be necessary to support sexual sporulation under adverse conditions and thereby facilitate the production of infectious basidiospores or long-term survival propagules in harsh environments.