cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimizing the Standard Deviation of Spatially Averaged Surface Cross-Sectional Data From the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar

For an airborne or spaceborne radar, the precipitation-induced path attenuation can be estimated from the measurements of the normalized surface cross section, $\sigma ^{\mathbf {0}}$ , in the presence and absence of precipitation. In one implementation, the mean rain-free estimate and its variability are found from a lookup table (LUT) derived from previously measured data. For the dual-frequency precipitation radar aboard the global precipitation measurement satellite, the nominal table consists of the statistics of the rain-free $\sigma ^{0}$ over a $0.5 {^{\circ }} \times 0.5 {^{\circ }}$ latitude–longitude grid using a three-month set of input data. However, a problem with the LUT is an insufficient number of samples in many cells. An alternative table is constructed by a stepwise procedure that begins with the statistics over a $0.25 {^{\circ }} \times 0.25 {^{\circ }}$ grid. If the number of samples at a cell is too few, the area is expanded, cell by cell, choosing at each step that cell that minimizes the variance of the data. The question arises, however, as to whether the selected region corresponds to the smallest variance. To address this question, a second type of variable-averaging grid is constructed using all possible spatial configurations and computing the variance of the data within each region. Comparisons of the standard deviations for the fixed and variable-averaged grids are given as a function of incidence angle and surface type using a three-month set of data. The advantage of variable spatial averaging is that the average standard deviation can be reduced relative to the fixed grid while satisfying the minimum sample requirement.
The Federal Spending Paradox: Economic Self-Interest and Symbolic Racism in Contemporary Fiscal Politics:

We show how symbolic politics condition public opinion on federal spending and how this helps to explain an important puzzle in contemporary American politics. Using multilevel regression and posts...
Covariational reasoning among U.S. and South Korean secondary mathematics teachers

Abstract We investigated covariational reasoning among 487 secondary mathematics teachers in the United States and South Korea. We presented an animation showing values of two varying magnitudes (v and u) on axes in a Cartesian plane along with a request that they sketch a graph of the value of u in relation to the value of v. We classified teachers’ sketches on two independent criteria: (1) where they placed their initial point, and (2) their graph’s overall shape irrespective of initial point. There are distinct differences on both criteria between U.S. and South Korean teachers, suggesting that covariational reasoning is more prominent among South Korean secondary teachers than among U.S. secondary teachers. The results also suggest strongly that forming a multiplicative object that unites quantities’ values is necessary to express covariation graphically.
Naturally Occurring Autoantibodies Mediate Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Tissue Injury

Ischemia and reperfusion events within the heart and brain and similar trauma-induced ischemia/reperfusion events lead to significant morbidity and mortality. In the past two decades, an excessive innate immune response has been identified as the mediator of reperfusion-induced tissue damage. Recent evidence indicates that naturally occurring autoantibody (NAb) activation of complement is a major mechanism of injury due to ischemia/reperfusion. This chapter focuses on the antigens exposed by ischemia and recognized by NAbs, the mechanism of complement activation by damaging NAbs and the protective role of IVIG in ischemia/reperfusion-induced pathology.
Solution-phase reaction dynamics: Gaining control

Using infrared light to control the outcome of a chemical reaction is problematic in solution because of numerous interactions and non-specific sample heating. Now, condensed-phase results showing the vibrational enhancement of an otherwise thermally driven reaction may reinvigorate discussion of the practical applications of vibrational control.
Genitive Clitics and Nominal Infl

This paper offers an account of the different behaviour of prenorninal constituents such as his and su in the examples in (1) which are associated with one of the thematic roles assigned by the nouns picture and foto respectively. I argue that the prenominal element su is base-generated as a clitic adjoined to a nominal head in Spanish, whereas his in English attains its prenominal position via NP-movement to a nominal specifier.
Endoscopic Management of Recalcitrant Marginal Ulcers by Covering the Ulcer Bed.

Management options for marginal ulcers (MU) vary from medical therapy to revision surgery. Medical therapy is often ineffective and revision surgery is associated with a high morbidity and possible recurrence. To evaluate technical feasibility, efficacy, and safety of endoscopic management of MU by covering the ulcer bed using oversewing and/or deploying a fully covered self-expandable metallic stent (FCSEMS). Medical records of consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic suturing and/or FCSEMS deployment for recalcitrant MU between August 2016 and June 2017 at a single academic center were reviewed. Recalcitrant MU was defined as an ulcer that persists after 6 to 8 weeks despite maximal medical therapy (open capsule PPI, 40 mg bid as well as sucralfate qid), cessation of smoking and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and Helicobacter pylori eradication. Eleven patients (age range 31–60; all females) with mean BMI of 27.72 ± 5.93 kg/m2 underwent endoscopic suturing and/or stent deployment for recalcitrant MU with abdominal pain at a median of 50 months (range 3–120) post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Seven patients were managed by oversewing, two were managed by FCSEMS, and two patients required both. Technical success was 100%. All patients reported resolution of abdominal pain at 1 week. Surveillance endoscopy performed in 10/11 (90.9%) patients at 8 weeks revealed complete ulcer healing in 9/10 (90%). No adverse events were reported. Endoscopic management is an effective and safe method to treat MU and should be considered an alternative to surgical revision. It appears effective for perforated and recalcitrant MU.
Reduced non-bicarbonate skeletal muscle buffering capacity in mice with the mini-muscle phenotype.

ABSTRACT Muscle pH decreases during exercise, which may impair function. Endurance training typically reduces muscle buffering capacity as a result of changes in fiber-type composition, but existing comparisons of species that vary in activity level are ambiguous. We hypothesized that high-runner (HR) lines of mice from an experiment that breeds mice for voluntary wheel running would have altered muscle buffering capacity as compared with their non-selected control counterparts. We also expected that 6 days of wheel access, as used in the selection protocol, would reduce buffering capacity, especially for HR mice. Finally, we expected a subset of HR mice with the ‘mini-muscle’ phenotype to have relatively low buffering capacity as a result of fewer type IIb fibers. We tested non-bicarbonate buffering capacity of thigh muscles. Only HR mice expressing the mini-muscle phenotype had significantly reduced buffering capacity, females had lower buffering capacity than males, and wheel access had no significant effect.
Adherence to hormonal therapy among commercially insured breast cancer patients.

532Background: Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (AI) are adjuvant hormone therapy (HT) routinely used for the treatment of early-stage estrogen-positive breast cancer, their use reduces the risk ...
New Approaches In Medicaid: Work Requirements, Health Savings Accounts, And Health Care Access

Alternative approaches in Medicaid are proliferating under the Trump administration. Using a novel telephone survey, we assessed views on health savings accounts, work requirements, and Medicaid expansion. Our sample consisted of 2,739 low-income nonelderly adults in three Midwestern states: Ohio, which expanded eligibility for traditional Medicaid; Indiana, which expanded Medicaid using health savings accounts called POWER accounts; and Kansas, which has not expanded Medicaid. We found that coverage rates in 2017 were significantly higher in the two expansion states than in Kansas. However, cost-related barriers were more common in Indiana than in Ohio. Among Medicaid beneficiaries eligible for Indiana’s waiver program, 39 percent had not heard of POWER accounts, and only 36 percent were making required payments, which means that nearly two-thirds were potentially subject to loss of benefits or coverage. In Kansas, 77 percent of respondents supported expanding Medicaid. With regard to work requirements, ...
A Reply To Hobbs

Hobbs (this volume) raises two issues concerning my use of Linear Programming (LP) methods to model optimal diet choices: the models are highly sensitive to parameter values and the digestive constraint is constructed using debatable assumptions about the kinetics of digestion. He further proposes a different formulation of the digestive constraint which fails to predict diet choices using an LP model. This leads Hobbs to claim that my use of an LP model is incorrect and should be discarded, even though it has been empirically successful.
Morphology and Reverse Osmosis Properties of Sulfonated 2,6-Dimethyl Polyphenylene Oxide Membranes

It is well known that ion exchange membranes are permselective and will pass water while rejecting dissolved salts under pressure. This is the case with the cation exchange membranes of sulfonated polyphenylene oxide (PPO), in which the anchored negative sulfonate ions repulse like charges (anions in solution) and, in order that electrical neutrality be preserved, cations must also remain behind. The advantage of using sulfonated PPO for reverse osmosis application compared to other commercially available ion exchange membranes, such as those discussed by Spiegler[l] and Merten et al.[2], is that it can be solvent cast as a thin (0.1 to 0.2 mil) unsupported membrane having excellent chemical and physical stability with good flux and rejection characteristics. Water contents are adjusted easily to give the desired permeability by controlling the ion exchange capacity of the sulfonated polymer. Techniques have also been developed for adjusting the water content of a sulfonated PPO membrane with a given ion exchange capacity. This work shows that for certain feeds sulfonated PPO may be comparable or superior to cellulose acetate.
High performance dynamic array structures

Simple arrays are often modified into more complex dynamic structures in order to increase the efficiency of applications. Two examples of these dynamic array structures are the telescoping wedge and adaptive blocks. Implementing high performance versions of these structures is often difficult because of their complexity. Challenges include efficiently locating data, maintaining cache use, and moving efficiently through the structure. Difficulties in implementation are especially acute when the program is created for a parallel computer. Challenges unique to parallel computers include communication and load balancing. This project addresses these challenges by investigating the implementation of high performance versions of the telescoping wedge and adaptive blocks. The above challenges were met for each data structure. For the telescoping wedge, efficient versions of two types of wedge were implemented. Both types of wedge allowed the solution of problems which were previously considered infeasible by reducing the amount of computational resources required. For example, the size of the problem solvable for the 3-arm bandit was expanded from n = 20 to n = 200. For adaptive blocks, a flexible and efficient general purpose tool was developed. The flexibility of the tool was demonstrated by the ease with which changes were made, such as switching between a large supercomputing platform and a home computer, and adding a new grid shape. The efficiency was demonstrated by the small percentage of time taken by the tool in an example application.
Input-Output Data Scaling for System Identification

Abstract System identification, or modelling from data, is used to develop dynamic models for control design, performance prediction, and system analysis. Some system identification algorithms are sensitive to the relative scaling of different input and output channels. Ideally, the identified model would be insensitive to arbitrary scaling of the input and output channels. For system identification algorithms that are scale-sensitive, re-scaling the input and output data can alleviate poor identification results due to initial inappropriate relative scaling of the data. In this paper we describe several methods for choosing weighting matrices for system identification with application to a laboratory experiment.
Phonon-mediated superconductivity in low carrier-density systems

Motivated by the observation of superconductivity in SrTiO$_3$ and Bi, we analyze phonon-mediated superconductivity in three-dimensional systems at low carrier density, when the chemical potential $\mu$ (equal to Fermi energy at $T=0$) is comparable to or even smaller than the characteristic phonon frequency $\omega_L$. We consider the attractive part of the Bardeen-Pines pairing interaction, in which the frequency-dependent electron-phonon interaction is dressed by the Coulomb potential. This dressing endows the pairing interaction with momentum dependence. We argue that the conventional Migdal-Eliashberg (ME) approximation becomes invalid when $\mu \leq \omega_L$ chiefly because the dominant contribution to pairing comes from electronic states away from the Fermi surface. We obtain the pairing onset temperature, which is equal to $T_c$ in the absence of phase fluctuations, as a function of $\mu/\omega_L$. We find both analytically and numerically that $T_c$ increases as the ratio $\mu/\omega_L$ becomes smaller. In particular, in the dilute regime, $\mu \rightarrow 0$, it holds that $T_c\propto\omega_L\left(\frac{Ry}{\omega_L}\right)^\eta$, where $\text{Ry}$ is the Rydberg constant and $\eta \sim 0.2$.
Phenomenology in America (1964–1984)

An overview of the development of phenomenology in America, 1964-1984, within the philosophical context of the time, including the academic practices and politics of the time. Examination is made of the different practices of Anglophone analytic philosophy and European continental, including phenomenological practices. A tracing of the beginnings of the institutionalization of phenomenology related philosophy in relation to the then dominant analytic philosophical dominance with specific references to academic locations, graduate education and growth patterns is described.
Winning a Racquetball Match

SummaryWe find the probability of winning a best-of-three racquetball match given the probabilities that each player wins a point while serving.
Stress Management, CAM Approach*

Experts estimate that up to 90% of physician visits are for stress-related illnesses that manifest as headaches, hypertension, insomnia, gastrointestinal disturbances, chronic pain, fatigue, and skin disorders, to name a few. Psychological symptoms may include tension, anxiety, depression, anger, reclusiveness, pessimism, resentment, increased irritability, feelings of cynicism, and inability to concentrate or perform at usual levels. The primary hormones the body releases when one is stressed, adrenaline and cortisol, are important if one needs to run from danger or stand and fight. However, over time these hormones take their toll on the body, especially if one is chronically stressed out. A recent study demonstrated that stressed workers cost the health care system almost 50% more than their less-stressed colleagues. This article is an overview of clinical research findings, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private, that describe some of the ways that stress impacts us and that complementary and alternative strategies can significantly help one to manage stress-related symptoms.
Neural pattern similarity across concept exemplars predicts memory after a long delay

The irregularities of the world ensure that each interaction we have with a concept is unique. In order to generalize across these unique encounters to form a high-level representation of a concept, we must draw on similarities between exemplars to form new conceptual knowledge that is maintained over a long time. Two neural similarity measures - pattern robustness and encoding-retrieval similarity - are particularly important for predicting memory outcomes. In this study, we used fMRI to measure activity patterns while people encoded and retrieved novel pairings between unfamiliar (Dutch) words and visually presented animal species. We address two underexplored questions: 1) whether neural similarity measures can predict memory outcomes, despite perceptual variability between presentations of a concept and 2) if pattern similarity measures can predict subsequent memory over a long delay (i.e., one month). Our findings indicate that pattern robustness during encoding in brain regions that include parietal and medial temporal areas is an important predictor of subsequent memory. In addition, we found significant encoding-retrieval similarity in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex after a month's delay. These findings demonstrate that pattern similarity is an important predictor of memory for novel word-animal pairings even when the concept includes multiple exemplars. Importantly, we show that established predictive relationships between pattern similarity and subsequent memory do not require visually identical stimuli (i.e., are not simply due to low-level visual overlap between stimulus presentations) and are maintained over a month.
A Kinematic Error Observer for Robot End Effector Estimation

Abstract Industrial robots were initially designed to be low cost and highly repeatable for pick-and-place and assembly operations. As a result, their construction does not support the high-precision accuracy and bandwidth needed for more advanced industrial automation. Due to the growing interest in replacing high precision manufacturing equipment with industrial robots for some applications, external high-precision feedback sensors (e.g., laser trackers), are needed to improve robot position and orientation accuracy. Before external sensors can be combined with control methodologies to improve robot accuracy, it is important to properly condition the measurement signals. In this paper, a Kinematic Error Observer (KEO) is derived and used to estimate a robot’s slowly changing kinematic errors in real-time. An analysis of the KEO is first conducted to demonstrate its stability properties, transient response characteristics, noise sensitivity, and performance in non-deterministic measurement systems. Next, an implementation of the KEO was used in conjunction with a laser tracker and 6DoF sensor to dynamically estimate the kinematic errors of a Yaskawa/Motoman MH180 industrial robot. The results show that the KEO is capable of estimating the robot’s quasi-static kinematic errors in both static and dynamic environments. It was also found that the KEO, with small enough observer gain, attenuates high frequency measurement noise and produces a smooth estimation of the robot’s kinematic error.
Evaluating the Evaluators: Should Investors Trust Corporate Governance Metrics?

Companies are under increasing pressure to have their corporate governance rated by an independent corporate governance metrics firm, such as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) or Governance Metrics International (GMI). These rating firms claim to be able to determine how effective and responsive a company’s board is. Institutional investors have begun using these board governance ratings when deciding which firms to include in their stock portfolios. This paper considers whether investors, many of whom claim to be socially responsible, should be relying upon board governance metrics. We find that these metrics are not good indicators of either the quality of a firm’s earnings or of its ethics.
Action and Rationalization

According to the ‘standard story’ in the philosophy of action, actions are those movements of a creature’s body that are caused and rationalized by the creature’s mental states. The attractions of ...
Hippocampal Ripple Communicates with Retrosplenial Inhibitory Neurons During Slow-Wave Sleep

The hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex (RSC) both play indispensable roles in memory formation, and, importantly, a hippocampal oscillation known as ripple is key to the consolidation of new memory. However, it remains unclear how the hippocampus and RSC communicate and the role of ripple oscillation in coordinating information exchange between these two brain regions. Here we recorded from the dorsal hippocampus and RSC simultaneously in freely-behaving mice during sleep and revealed that the RSC displayed a shift of fast-to-slow oscillations preceding hippocampal ripples. Immediately after ripples, a group of RSC putative inhibitory neurons increased firing activity, while most RSC putative excitatory neurons decreased activity. Consistently, optogenetic activation of this hippocampus-to-RSC pathway activates and suppresses RSC putative inhibitory and excitatory neurons, respectively. These results suggest that the dorsal hippocampus mainly inhibits RSC activity via its direct innervation of RSC inhibitory neurons, which overshadows the RSC in supporting learning and memory functions.
Design of ternary high-entropy aluminum alloys (HEAls)

Abstract Two novel aluminum alloys were designed and studied by incorporating concepts of high entropy and conventional aluminum alloys. The alloys: Al–4Zn–4Mg and Al–4.5Zn–4.5Mg (mol.%) have a single-phase FCC matrix with a maximized concentration of the alloying elements. CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) approach was applied to determine the compositions and the design of heat treatment schedules. Both alloys show high stiffness and high strength after solution treatment and have excellent impact-resistance after artificial aging. The phase stabilities and strengthening mechanisms were investigated using Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The results show that the GP zones and T-phase nanoparticles are mainly responsible for the high stiffness-high strength and impact resistance properties.
Weed Control in Irrigated Corn with Combinations of Corvus, Balance Flexx, Capreno, Laudis, Harness, Atrazine, Glyphosate, Dual, and Diflexx

Most preemergence treatments followed by postemergence treatments provided better Palmer amaranth control than preemergence treatments alone or early postemergence treatments alone (Table 2). The better treatments provided good control of Palmer amaranth, kochia, Russian thistle, crabgrass, green foxtail, and shattercane. All treatments elevated yield over the untreated control.
Action of the Murine Toxin of Pasteurella pestis on Enzyme Complexes of the Electron Transport System

Abstract 1. The murine toxin of Pasteurella pestis inhibits the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-cytochrome c reductase activity of electron transport particles (ETPh) as well as that of the purified complex, and the percentage inhibition is essentially the same with each of these preparations. 2. The NADH-coenzyme Q (CoQ) reductase activity of ETPh particles and the purified complex is likewise inhibited by the toxin. 3. The Amytal-insensitive NADH-ferricyanide reductase activity exhibited by NADH-CoQ reductase is not altered upon the addition of toxin, suggesting that the toxin has no effect on the NADH dehydrogenase activity of this enzyme complex. 4. Difference spectra of toxin-treated NADH-CoQ reductase reveal that the toxin has no effect on the reduction of the flavoprotein moiety of this enzyme complex. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic studies with NADH-CoQ reductase have shown that its nonheme iron content is not modified by the toxin. 5. Plague murine toxin has little or no effect on the reduced CoQ-cytochrome c reductase activity of ETPh particles, whereas the enzymatic activity of the purified complex is inhibited to a significant extent by the toxin.
Family of abstract interpretations for static analysis of concurrent higher-order programs

We develop a framework for computing two foundational analyses for concurrent higher-order programs: (control-)flow analysis (CFA) and may-happen-in-parallel analysis (MHP). We pay special attention to the unique challenges posed by the unrestricted mixture of first-class continuations and dynamically spawned threads. To set the stage, we formulate a concrete model of concurrent higher-order programs: the P(CEK*)S machine. We find that the systematic abstract interpretation of this machine is capable of computing both flow and MHP analyses. Yet, a closer examination finds that the precision for MHP is poor. As a remedy, we adapt a shape analytic technique--singleton abstraction--to dynamically spawned threads (as opposed to objects in the heap). We then show that if MHP analysis is not of interest, we can substantially accelerate the computation of flow analysis alone by collapsing thread interleavings with a second layer of abstraction.
High sensitivity overtone absorption spectroscopy with intracavity laser technique

Enhancing the detection sensitivity of absorption measurements from gases has been achieved via a laser methodology which incorporates the gas sample to be monitored into the optical resonator cavity of a multimode laser. Since the properties of the laser itself are modified by the intracavity absorber (gas), the absorption information is contained on the output laser beam. The absorption spectrum of the gas(es) appearing within the laser resonator is measured by spectrally dispersing the laser output. Under appropriate measurement conditions, the concentration of the intracavity gaseous species can also be quantitatively determined. Termed intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS), these techniques have been reported to enhance detection sensitivity of absorption by a factor of 10/sup 6/ to 10/sup 9/. To illustrate this enhanced detection sensitivity, the effective absorption pathlength of an ILS measurement compared to that required from a conventional absorption measurement can be compared. The effective ILS absorption pathlength can reach several hundred kilometers meaning that this optical pathlength would be required to obtain the same change in absorbance for the same ground-state concentration of the gaseous species, in a conventional absorption measurement. Such enhancement can be obtained while maintaining the other advantages traditionally associated with absorption spectroscopy.
Effect of Biofeedback on Psychological Burden and Symptoms in Older Women with Urge Urinary Incontinence

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of biofeedback (BFB) therapy on psychological burden of urge urinary incontinence (UI) and whether prior depression or current depressive symptoms affect older women's response to BFB. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of an ongoing trial. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-two community-dwelling women aged 60 and older with urge UI. INTERVENTION: BFB and behavioral training in urge suppression provided over 8 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: UI frequency on 3-day bladder diary, psychological burden assessed using Urge Impact Scale (URIS-24) total and subscale scores, history of depression, and depressive symptoms on the Mental Component Subscale (MCS) of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Age and chronic conditions were included as covariates. RESULTS: BFB improved UI (by 45%, P=.001) and psychological burden (P=.001 for total URIS-24 score and for all three of its subscales; P=.01 for SF36-MCS). However, although the magnitude of UI improvement was equivalent for those with and without a history of depression, improvement in psychological outcomes was twice as great in those with a history of depression, especially on the perception of control subscale, and improvement was not related to baseline depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: In older women with urge UI, BFB significantly improves psychological burden, especially in those with a history of depression, in whom psychological burden is linked to change in perception of control. Psychological factors are relevant outcome measures for UI, and these data suggest that focusing on UI frequency alone may have underestimated BFB's efficacy and additional therapeutic benefits.
Non-Restoring Integer Square Root: A Case Study in Design by Principled Optimization

Theorem proving techniques are particularly well suited for reasoning about arithmetic above the bit level and for relating different levels of abstraction. In this paper we show how a non-restoring integer square root algorithm can be transformed to a very efficient hardware implementation. The top level is a Standard ML function that operates on unbounded integers. The bottom level is a structural description of the hardware consisting of an adder/subtracter, simple combinational logic and some registers. Looking at the hardware, it is not at all obvious what function the circuit implements. At the top level, we prove that the algorithm correctly implements the square root function. We then show a series of optimizing transformations that refine the top level algorithm into the hardware implementation. Each transformation can be verified, and in places the transformations are motivated by knowledge about the operands that we can guarantee through verification. By decomposing the verification effort into these transformations, we can show that the hardware design implements a square root. We have implemented the algorithm in hardware both as an Altera programmable device and in full-custom CMOS.
Mass of the grazing fireball of August 1972

It is noted that the mass of the August 1972 meteoroid has been estimated to be of the order of one billion grams, based on the magnitude of its near-IR and visible radiation. In the present letter, published velocities and altitudes are analyzed from the viewpoint of momentum considerations. It is shown that the meteoroid mass was about 1000 times smaller than that deduced from the luminosity data.
Why compensated cold‐core rings look stable

In contrast to many real-ocean rings and eddies, circular vortices in idealized two-layer models tend to be highly unstable, unless their radius is made small or their baroclinicity is made artificially weak. The addition of a middle layer with uniform potential vorticity weakens vertical coupling between the upper and lower layers that enhances vortex stability and makes the vortex lifespan more realistic. It is demonstrated here that such a three-layer vortex model in so-called compensated state (without rotation in the deep layer) possesses smaller lower interface slope than the two-layer model that reduces the potential vorticity gradient in the lower layer and provides less unstable configurations. Numerical simulations of an unstable cyclone with parameters typical for cold-core ring Bob reveal strong deformations and pulsations of the vortex core in the two-layer setup, while the ring becomes only slightly deformed and looks stable when the middle layer with uniform potential vorticity is added to be consistent with observations. Enhanced vortex stability in such three-layer setup has important implications for further studies of real-ocean eddies.
Organization of MAO A and MAO B promoters and regulation of gene expression

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B play important roles in the metabolism of catecholamines and xenobiotics in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. The ubiquitous presence of low level of MAO in all cells suggests essential functional for house keeping. Higher level of expression of MAO A and B also were observed in tissue and cell specific manner. The core promoter of human MAO A and B promoters have been characterized. Sp1 binding motifs were present in both promoters which constituted the major binding sites for Sp1 and Sp1-like family transcription factor binding, and other interaction proteins like Egr-1 in MAO B promoter. The presence of repeat units within the 2 kb human MAO A promoter which is associated with promoter activity and enzymatic activity in human fibroblast culture provided a tool to study human population with abnormal behaviors related to serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Conflicting results were reported from these studies due to the lack of basic understanding of MAO A promoter and the factors such as glucocorticoid which influences MAO A activity. Hopefully the enthusiasm will lead to more reliable tools to identify the major factor which caused the large difference in MAO A activity among human population. The overlapping Sp1/Egr-1/Sp1 binding site within MAO B promoter has been identified as the responsible element for PMA response. MAO B expression is selectively induced by the activation of protein kinase C and MAPK signal pathway.
A General Equilibrium Approach to Interenterprise Arrears in Transition Economies with Application to Russia

This paper presents a general equilibrium model of interenterprise arrears, characterized by n-stage production technology with random productivity shocks. The model shows that large interenterprise arrears in transition economies may reflect substantial business risks in those countries and that rapid privatization and commercialization may contribute to a huge initial accumulation of trade credits and arrears. The paper also suggests that administrative measures aimed at immediate reduction of IEA such as imposition of prepayments and penalty charges, would not be as effective as partial equilibrium frameworks suggest. Consequently, a fundamental solution should be sought instead in reducing business risks or improving enterprise information. Finally, the paper discusses the relevance of the model to Russian experience in 1993 and 1994.
Training program in child abuse for community health workers

Abstract A wide range of health workers in the community provide care for families that abuse or have a potential for abusing their children. Frequently these workers are unable to work effectively because of difficulty dealing with feelings aroused by contact with such families. An experimental child abuse training program for community health workers was designed by a pediatrician, a social worker, a public health nurse and two child psychiatrists. This program included a six-month study group which met weekly to focus on feelings and conflcts aroused during the course of work with abusing or potentially abusing families. Through analysis of the group experience, the leaders identified eleven sets of feelings or conflicts which seemed to interfere consistently with effective delivery of care: 1)anxieties about a) being physically harmed by angry parents and b) about the effects of a decision; 2) denial and inhibition of anger; 3) need for emotional gratification from clients; 4) lack of professional support; 5) feelings of incompetence; 6) denial and projection of responsbility; 7) feeling total responsibility for assigned families; 8) difficulty separating personal from professional responsibility; 9) feelings of being a victim; 10) ambivalent feelings a) toward clients and b) about one's professional role; 11) need to be in control. This type of group experience seems to be an effective method for exploration and resolution of feelings and conflicts.
A critique of the ayres-stein method of predicting cleavage planes in metals

The proper stress field used in the near-tip field of a mode I crack should consider the integrated plastic relaxations about the crack tip. When the correct crack stress field is used, the experimentally observed cleavage planes are not predicted. The method of least plastic relaxation does not correctly predict the cleavage planes in metal. The extent of plastic relaxation at the tip of the crack depends sensitively on the form of the crack tip stress field. (FS)
5′ sequences essential for trans-splicing of msp (gp63) RNAs in Leishmania chagasi

The 5' sequences essential for spliced leader (SL) addition to RNA encoding the abundant Leishmania surface protease gp63 were determined. A DNA segment found upstream of all Leishmania chagasi gp63 genes was cloned in front of a luciferase gene, and luciferase activity was measured in transiently transfected L. chagasi promastigotes. Two hundred and twenty bp of the upstream region was needed for optimal luciferase activity. Deletions and point mutations were placed in this segment to determine which nucleotides participate in the splicing events. A region containing 87% pyrimidines located between 31 and 69 bp upstream of the splice acceptor dinucleotide and containing three potential branch point A residues was highly beneficial for reported gene activity. In contrast, a 30-nt pyrimidine-rich sequence immediately upstream of the splice acceptor site did not by itself enhance luciferase activity. Luciferase activity was associated with the presence of trans-spliced luciferase mRNA. The results suggest that sequences 31-69 bp upstream of gp63 genes enhance gene expression through provision of signals for efficient trans-splicing.
Potentiation of E7 antisense RNA-induced antitumor immunity by co-delivery of IL-12 gene in HPV16 DNA-positive mouse tumor

Down-regulation of oncogene expression by antisense-based gene therapy has been extensively studied, and in some cases, therapeutic effects have been demonstrated. We have previously shown that down-regulation of HPV16 E6 and E7 gene expression inhibited HPV DNA-positive C3 mouse tumor growth. Although not all of the tumor cells were transfected by pU6E7AS plasmid, complete tumor regression was achieved if the tumor size was small at the start of therapy in a syngeneic host. This suggests that some other antitumor mechanisms may be involved in addition to the direct down-regulation of HPV16 E7 oncogene expression by the antisense effect of E7AS. In the current study, we demonstrated that E7AS induces tumor cell apoptosis. More importantly, a strong antitumor immune response was elicited in the pU6E7AS-treated and tumor-regressed mice. There was no tumor growth after rechallenging the tumor-regressed mice with 1 million C3 cells. This E7AS-induced antitumor immune response was augmented by co-delivery of mIL-12 cytokine gene. The combination therapy strategy resulted in complete regression of 26 of 28 (93%) tumors. Only 12 of 31 (38%) tumors from the group treated with pU6E7AS alone and 14 of 28 (50%) tumors from the group treated with pCMVmIL-12 alone had completely regressed. Complete regression was also demonstrated in tumors located 1 cm from the treated tumors, which indicates that a systemic antitumor effect was induced by E7AS and mIL-12. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that a significant amount of CD4+ and CD8+ cells infiltrated into tumors treated with pU6E7AS, pCMVmIL-12 and pU6E7AS+pCMVmIL-12. These data indicate that host immunity is an important factor for antisense-based gene therapy approach which can be further enhanced by combination with cytokine gene therapy.
Relations between size and metabolism in larval and adult Taenia taeniaeformis.

Abstract The aerobic and the anaerobic metabolism of both larval and adult Taenia taeniaeformis is proportional to fractional powers of body weight intermediate between those characteristic for weight and surface proportionality.
Collisional perturbation of quantum regular and irregular intramolecular states: State-to-state study of a model

Abstract State-to-state analysis is presented of collisional energy transfer in quantum-mechanical collinear collisions between an atom and a triatomic molecule. The molecular potential was that of Henon and Heiles, while the interaction was modelled by both a soft, exponential repulsive potential and a Morse potential. This analysis emphasizes how different categories of molecular states (normal mode, local mode, or mode mixed) are influenced by the collision perturbation. The discussion centers around plots showing the energy dependence of P ??? ( X ), the probability that initial state i ends up in category X , and contour maps of state-to-state transition probabilities, P ??? ( E ). For the exponential repulsive model, there is a resistance to alteration of the molecular energy; “horizontal” transitions occur within bands of quasi-resonant states. By way of contrast, the Morse interaction model exhibits many vertical transitions, with many low-intensity transitions to a large number of final states. The special role played by extreme motion states, emphasized in recent studies by Hose and Taylor, is discussed in relation to their survivability. Finally, these results are related to trends that we found earlier in the energy dependence of the average energy transfer.
Intraoperative computed tomography guidance to confirm decompression following endoscopic endonasal approach for cervicomedullary compression.

Introduction Cervicomedullary compression often requires an anterior approach to address the compressive vector. In certain cases an endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) is ideal for decompression. It is essential that an adequate decompression be achieved and verified before the patient leaves the operating room. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use intraoperative computed tomography (IO-CT) in assessing the adequacy of decompression. Methods A retrospective chart review revealed 11 cases of EEA odontoid resection IO-CT verification of decompression. Operative reports and review of imaging was used to determine if further decompression was performed following the intraoperative scan. Results Out of 11 EEA cases, 4 (36%) patients showed evidence of residual compression following an initial IO-CT. Further operative decompression was undertaken following the first scan in all cases. A second intraoperative scan was then used to confirm complete decompression. No patient left the operating room with residual compression. Discussion IO-CT provided valuable utility in 36% of the cases after the initial resection was incomplete. The standard fluoroscopic guidance may not provide adequate resolution and enhanced utility like IO-CT.
Quantitative genetics of zooplankton life histories

Quantitative genetic techniques are powerful tools for use in understanding the microevolutionary process. Because of their size, lifespan, and ease of culture, many zooplankton species are ideal for quantitative genetic approaches. As model systems, studies of zooplankton life histories are becoming increasingly used for examination of the central paradigms of evolutionary theory. Two of the fundamental empirical questions that zooplankton quantitative genetics studies can answer are: 1) How much genetic variance exists in natural populations for life history traits? 2) What is the empirical evidence for trade-offs that permeate life history theory based on optimality approaches? A review of existing data onDaphnia indicates substantial genetic variance for body size, clutch size, and age at first reproduction. Average broad-sense heritabilities for these three characters across 19 populations of 6 species are 0.31, 0.31, and 0.34, respectively. Although there is some discrepancy between the two pertinent studies that were designed to decompose the total genetic variance into its additive and non-additive components, a crude average seems to suggest that approximately 60% of the total genetic variance has an additive basis. The existing data are somewhat inconsistent with respect to presence/absence of trade-offs (negative genetic correlations) among life history traits. A composite of the existing data seems to argue against the existence of strong trade-offs between offspring size and offspring number, between present and future reproduction, and between developmental rate and fecundity. However, there is some evidence for a shift toward more negative (less positive) covariances in more stressful environments (e.g., low food). Zooplankton will prove to be very useful in future study in several important areas of research, including the genetics and physiology of aging, the importance of genotype-environment interaction for life history traits, and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.
Factors that affect the molecular nature of germ-line mutations recovered in the mouse specific-locus test.

The morphological specific locus test (SLT), which allows the scoring of 2,000 loci/hr/person, has been in use for four decades for measuring mammalian germ-line mutation rates under various conditions of exposure. More recently, the SLT's capabilities for the qualitative characterization of mutations have been exploited. The large sets of mutations centered on specific loci that have been accumulated over the years, including sets of nested deletions, have provided prime material for fine-structure genetic analyses. Subsequent molecular entry to these regions has led to intensive physical/functional mapping of megabase segments of the genome. In turn, these investigations have generated genetic and molecular tools for analyzing individual mutations as to extent and nature of the genomic lesion. Using the results of such analyses, it has been shown that germ-cell-stage at which mutagenic treatment is administered, rather than the nature of the mutagen used, may be the chief determinant of the nature of genomic lesions. These and related quantitative findings now make it possible to optimize conditions for the use of mutagens in providing desired types of mutations as tools (e.g., high incidences of deletions or other rearrangements vs. high incidences of point mutations).
A Millennium of Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystals—the mysterious expression used to describe the class of materials that can flow yet remain ordered—have a surprisingly long history reaching well back into the last millennium. The earliest days of liquid crystal existence and use are difficult to define because so little is recorded. And the most recent history of liquid crystals is difficult to track because so much is recorded. A recounting of the history of liquid crystals is like flying over mountains—it is easy to see the high points but the beauty of the details requires a closer look. In this fly-over of the field of liquid crystals, we will see the high points and be introduced to some of the scientists who trekked through the details.
Critical fields of liquid superconducting metallic hydrogen

Liquid metallic hydrogen, in a fully dissociated state, is predicted at certain densities to pass from dirty to clean and from type-II to type-I superconducting behavior as the temperature is lowered.
V-ATPase-dependent ectodermal voltage and ph regionalization are required for craniofacial morphogenesis

Using voltage and pH reporter dyes, we have discovered a never-before-seen regionalization of the Xenopus ectoderm, with cell subpopulations delimited by different membrane voltage and pH. We distinguished three courses of bioelectrical activity. Course I is a wave of hyperpolarization that travels across the gastrula. Course II comprises the appearance of patterns that match shape changes and gene expression domains of the developing face; hyperpolarization marks folding epithelium and both hyperpolarized and depolarized regions overlap domains of head patterning genes. In Course III, localized regions of hyperpolarization form at various positions, expand, and disappear. Inhibiting H(+) -transport by the H(+) -V-ATPase causes abnormalities in: (1) the morphology of craniofacial structures; (2) Course II voltage patterns; and (3) patterns of sox9, pax8, slug, mitf, xfz3, otx2, and pax6. We conclude that this bioelectric signal has a role in development of the face. Thus, it exemplifies an important, under-studied mechanism of developmental regulation.