cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of immune systems from self/not self to danger to artificial immune systems (AIS).

This review will examine the evolution of immune mechanisms by emphasizing information from animal groups exclusive of all vertebrates. There will be a focus on concepts that propelled the immune system into prominent discourse in the life sciences. The self/not self hypothesis was crucial and so was the concern for immunologic memory or anamnesia, development of cancer, autoimmunity, and clonal selection. Now we may be able to deconstruct clonal selection since it is not applicable in the sense that it is not applicable to invertebrate mechanisms. Clonal selection seems to be purely as all evidence indicates a vertebrate strategy and therefore irrelevant to invertebrates. Some views may insist that anthropocentric mammalian immunologists utilized a tool to propel: the universal innate immune system of ubiquitous and plentiful invertebrates as an essential system for vertebrates. This was advantageous for all immunology; moreover innate immunity acquired an extended raison d'etre. Innate immunity should help if there would be a failure of the adaptive immune system. Still to be answered are questions concerning immunologic surveillance that includes clonal selection. We can then ask does immunologic surveillance play a role in the survival of invertebrates that most universally seem to not develop cancer of vertebrates especially mammals; invertebrates only develop benign tumor. A recent proposal concerns an alternative explanation that is all embracing. Danger hypothesis operates in striking contrast to the self/not self hypothesis. This view holds that the immune system is adapted to intervene not because self is threatened but because of the system's sense of danger. This perception occurs by means of signals other than recognition of microbial pattern recognition molecules characteristic of invertebrates. Response to danger may be another way of analyzing innate immunity that does not trigger the production of clones and therefore does not rely entirely on the self/not self model. The review will end with certain perspectives on artificial immune systems new on the scene and the product of computational immunologists. The tentative view is to question if the immune systems of invertebrates might be amenable to such an analysis? This would offer more credence to the innate system, often pushed aside thus favoring the adaptive responses.
‘TALKING POLITICS’: TYRANNY, PARLIAMENT, AND CHRISTOPHER BROOKE'S THE GHOST OF RICHARD THE THIRD (1614)

The career of the MP and poet Christopher Brooke, in particular his The ghost of Richard the third (i6I4) and his activity in the I6I4 'addled' parliament,forins the basis of this study of J7acobean political culture. Brooke's careerforegrounds the close initeraction of political and literary cultures in the period; he was a leading member of the political circle, the 'Sireniacs', which had strong parliamentary ties, and was onie of the Inns of Court-based 'oppositional' Spenserian poets. Together with his fellow 'Sireniac' MPs, Brooke vehemently opposed the definition of impositions as the domain of absolute rather than ordinary powers of the crown because of the threat this posed to the rights ofparliament and the subject. The ghost of Richard the third provides ani example of parliamentary debates entering a wider print culture, where imnpositions merged with broader civic issues. Political language in this period was not confined to the realms of high theory and Brooke's poem illustrates the complex mediation of political discourses through literary forms. A humanist discourse of tyranny provided Brooke with a coded language, enabling him to articulate his concern for the health of the comnmonwealth and to address areas of ideological conflict in earily Stuart political culture. In the Commons debates on impositions in the i6I4 'addled' parliament, the MP Christopher Brooke voiced his concern: 'If the King may impose by his absolute power, then no man certain what he has for it shall be subject to the King's pleasure.'1 Impositions, taxes on imported goods, raised important constitutional issues which drew MPs into debates over the definition of crown and parliamentary powers. James's insistence on his absolute power to levy taxes outside parliament, as determined by the judges in the Bate's case, encroached upon parliamentary privileges and threatened the survival of parliament. The dispute culminated inJames's dissolution of the Lower House. Soon after, four of its members were imprisoned and notes of more than six others were burned in an apparent attack on the parliamentary privilege of freedom of speech.2 Tension between the king and the Commons was not new in I6I4; from the beginning of his reign, James's definition of prerogative power had troubled a number of MPs. However, in I6I4 concerns were * I would like to thank Dr Anthony Milton and Dr Mike Braddick for their comments on an earlier version of this article. 1 Proceedings in parliament, I614 (House of Commons), ed. MaijaJansson (Philadelphia, I 988), p. 95. 2 Jansson, 'Introduction', Proceedings in parliament, I6I4, pp. xviii-xxi.
DIRECT ASSESSMENT OF LATTICE BOLTZMANN HYDRODYNAMICS AND BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR RECIRCULATING FLOWS

A hydrodynamic boundary condition is developed for lattice Boltzmann hydrodynamics using a square, orthogonal grid. A constraint based on energy considerations is developed to provide closure for the equations which govern the particle distribution at the boundaries. This boundary condition is applied to the two-dimensional, steady flow of an incompressible fluid behind a grid, known as Kovasznay flow. The results are compared to those using alternate boundary conditions using the known exact solution. The hydrodynamic boundary condition produces quadratic spatial convergence, while alternate techniques fail to maintain this second-order accuracy.
Weapons in the Lives of Battered Women

Objectives. We assessed weapon use in intimate partner violence and perspectives on hypothetical firearm policies. Methods. We conducted structured in-person interviews with 417 women in 67 battered women’s shelters. Results. Words, hands/fists, and feet were the most common weapons used against and by battered women. About one third of the battered women had a firearm in the home. In two thirds of these households, the intimate partner used the gun(s) against the woman, usually threatening to shoot/kill her (71.4%) or to shoot at her (5.1%). Most battered women thought spousal notification/consultation regarding gun purchase would be useful and that a personalized firearm (“smart gun”) in the home would make things worse. Conclusions. A wide range of objects are used as weapons against intimate partners. Firearms, especially handguns, are more common in the homes of battered women than in households in the general population.
Performance of the Visual Field Index in Glaucoma Patients With Moderately Advanced Visual Field Loss

Purpose To explore the relationship between the visual field index (VFI) and the visual field mean deviation (MD) in glaucoma patients with moderately advanced perimetric damage and to identify the magnitude of the boundary effect of VFI that occurred when the VFI estimation strategy changed from pattern deviation probability value to total deviation probability value as the MD crossed −20 dB in longitudinal visual field (VF) series. Design A retrospective cohort study of longitudinal data analysis. Methods The MD and VFI values obtained from VF tests conducted on 148 eyes of 148 glaucoma patients having an MD around −20 dB were studied. A total of 1286 VFs with MD values within the range of −16 dB to −24 dB were included. The eyes were divided into 2 groups, with the first having serial MDs all better than or all worse than −20 dB and the second with serial MDs crossing the −20 dB value. Change in MD (ΔMD) was defined as the absolute difference between the MD values of 2 consecutive VFs. Based on the 2 VFI values of the same VFs, the absolute value of change in VFI (ΔVFI) was calculated. Results The means (± standard deviation) for the ΔVFI were 4.17% (± 3.3%) in the group of eyes with MDs on either side of −20 dB, and were 15.8% (± 8.4%) in the group with MDs crossing −20 dB ( P P = .042). Conclusions The values of the VFI become highly variable in serial VFs of eyes with MDs crossing −20 dB, in comparison to those VFIs associated with MDs on either side of −20 dB. The likelihood for this effect is the change from use of pattern deviation probability value to total deviation probability value in the points included in the calculation of VFI at −20 dB of MD. The development of indices to measure VF rates that are free from this boundary effect in moderately advanced glaucoma is desirable.
Spatially Averaged Velocity Field Imaging By NMR

A technique for the measurement of the mean and variance of velocity field in each finite voxel by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) is introduced. Theoretical formalism and experimental results are presented. The experimental findings are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Feasibility study of the use of synchrotron radiation in the calibration of AXAF: initial reflectivity results

The 1-percent calibration accuracy goal of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility is being approached by way of an experiment at the National Synchrotron Light Source that will demonstrate the accuracy achievable in reflectance measurements conducted on coated flat mirrors in the 50 eV-12 keV energy range. The coatings will be of commercially produced Au, Ni, and Ir, deposited either by sputtering or by e-beam deposition. Optical constants will be estimated via the reflectance vs. angle-of-incidence method.
An empirical approach to estimating population parameters from censored fracture-length distributions

Most fracture data sets are length-censored because of incomplete exposure at the surface, so estimating values of parameters of the sampled populations is difficult. Unless the form of the distribution function of the population is known, or one which is analytically tractable is assumed, length-censoring presents formidable problems in determining population parameters. Tests conducted on experimental fracture patterns developed in clay samples subjected to simple shear loading are the basis of a distribution-free way to estimate population parameters. Comparison of random samples of censored and uncensored fracture lengths shows that a useful, homogeneous data set consists of those cracks which lie entirely within the sampling area (two-ended cracks). The properties of this data set can be used to estimate the mean and variance of uncensored data. Estimates of the maximum fracture length of uncensored data, using the variance and maximum length of these two-ended cracks, show good agreement with measured values. Knowledge of the mean, variance, and maximum value of fracture-length populations are of interest in engineering and hydraulic studies, as well as in remote sensing studies of the Earth and other planets. Application of these results to data on rock masses are subject to the caveat that different crack-growth mechanisms in clay and rock may affect the accuracy of the calculations.
Power loss at a step discontinuity in an asymmetrical dielectric slab waveguide

Power loss at an abrupt but small step discontinuity in an asymmetrical single-mode waveguide is analyzed. An integral expression is given for the power loss suffered by the transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic modes as a function of wavelength, film index, cover index, substrate index, and input and output waveguide widths so that any slab-waveguide discontinuity can be analyzed. Normalized power-loss plots are presented for two specific, commonly used waveguides with different degrees of asymmetry. It is shown that the magnitude of the power loss at a discontinuity depends more on the mismatch in the modal effective width than on the geometrical mismatch in waveguide width. In particular, close to cutoff, guides exhibit severe power loss even for small step size, whereas waveguides that are sufficiently far away from cutoff can tolerate a relatively large step discontinuity with surprisingly low power loss.
Comparison of Two Impedance Cardiographic Techniques for Measuring Cardiac Output

The purpose of the present study was to compare cardiac outputs obtained by both the Kubicek (MIC) and Sramek (NCCOM3) impedance cardiographic techniques with thermodilution (TD) in critically ill patients. The two impedance techniques were also compared in normal subjects. Seven healthy subjects and ten patients in the intensive care unit were enlisted in the study. Only those subjects with successful measurements by all three methods were used in the data analysis. Three measurements of cardiac output were made in each subject. In patients, there were no significant differences in cardiac outputs as measured by TD (6.61/min), MIC (6.3 1/min), NCCOM3 (6.4 1/min). MIC and NCCOM3 cardiac outputs were correlated and approximated the line of identify when compared to TD. In normals, however, the NCCOM3 overestimated the cardiac output (NCCOM3, 9.2 1/min; MIC, 6.2 1/min). Because of these inconsistent results, caution is urged when interpreting the values obtained by the NCCOM3. In contrast, the use of the MIC in both populations has been reaffirmed.
Does Reduced IGF-1R Signaling in Igf1r+/− Mice Alter Aging?

Mutations in insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway have been shown to lead to increased longevity in various invertebrate models. Therefore, the effect of the haplo- insufficiency of the IGF-1 receptor (Igf1r+/−) on longevity/aging was evaluated in C57Bl/6 mice using rigorous criteria where lifespan and end-of-life pathology were measured under optimal husbandry conditions using large sample sizes. Igf1r+/− mice exhibited reductions in IGF-1 receptor levels and the activation of Akt by IGF-1, with no compensatory increases in serum IGF-1 or tissue IGF-1 mRNA levels, indicating that the Igf1r+/− mice show reduced IGF-1 signaling. Aged male, but not female Igf1r+/− mice were glucose intolerant, and both genders developed insulin resistance as they aged. Female, but not male Igf1r+/− mice survived longer than wild type mice after lethal paraquat and diquat exposure, and female Igf1r+/− mice also exhibited less diquat-induced liver damage. However, no significant difference between the lifespans of the male Igf1r+/− and wild type mice was observed; and the mean lifespan of the Igf1r+/− females was increased only slightly (less than 5%) compared to wild type mice. A comprehensive pathological analysis showed no significant difference in end-of-life pathological lesions between the Igf1r+/− and wild type mice. These data show that the Igf1r+/− mouse is not a model of increased longevity and delayed aging as predicted by invertebrate models with mutations in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway.
ACCENTS AND SPEECH IN TEACHING ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY

ACCENTS AND SPEECH IN TEACHING ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY. Ewa Waniek-Klimczak and Patrick James Melia (Eds). Bern: Peter Lang, 2002. Pp. 358. $62.95 paper.This volume is a potpourri of articles written mostly by Polish scholars (all but four authors are from Polish universities; the others are from universities in Croatia, Slovenia, and England). Because of the shear number of articles (24), space limitations preclude my providing more than a brief summary and comments.
The prognostic significance of exercise-induced atrial arrhythmias

Abstract Objectives The purpose of the study was to determine if atrial ectopy (AE) or atrial arrhythmias during exercise are predictive of an increased risk of cardiac events and death. Background Although stress-induced atrial arrhythmias are common during exercise testing, there is a paucity of data regarding the correlation with underlying heart disease and cardiovascular outcomes. Atrial arrhythmias may reflect underlying left atrial enlargement and diastolic dysfunction, which are prognostic of mortality. We hypothesized that these stress-induced arrhythmias are associated with long-term adverse cardiac events. Methods Exercise echocardiography was performed in 5,375 patients (age 61 ± 12 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease. An abnormal result was defined as exercise-induced atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), or AE. Results A total of 311 (5.8%) patients died (132 [2.5%] from cardiac causes) over a period of 3.1 ± 1.7 years. In addition, 193 (3.6%) patients experienced a myocardial infarction (MI) and 531 (9.9%) patients required revascularization. During exercise testing, 1,272 (24%) patients developed AE, 185 (3.4%) developed SVT, and 43 (0.8%) developed AF. The five-year cardiac death rate was not statistically different between groups (none [3.8%], AE [4.3%], SVT [3.7%], AF [0%], p = 0.43). The five-year rate of MI was significantly different between groups (none [5.7%], AE [8.3%], SVT [0%], AF [9.0%], p = 0.005). The five-year rate of revascularization between groups was not significantly different (none [14.2%], AE [17.0%], SVT [11.8%], AF [14.8%], p = 0.50). A composite of all five-year adverse end points was similar between groups (none [22.7%], AE [27.8%], SVT [17.7%], AF [25.7%], p = 0.10). In stepwise multivariate analysis, AE was not predictive of myocardial infarction when taking into account traditional clinical variables and exercise test results. Conclusions In this large cohort of patients, the occurrence of AE was predictive of an increased risk of MI. However, the association did not persist after adjustment for clinical and exercise variables known to predict adverse long-term cardiovascular outcomes. The rate of long-term cardiac death or revascularization was not influenced by the development of stress-induced atrial arrhythmias.
Effect of the high-oleic trait on roasted peanut flavor in backcross-derived breeding lines

The high-oleic trait of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) has been suggested to have a positive impact on the roasted peanut sensory attribute. A series of lines derived by backcrossing the high-oleic trait into several existing cultivars were compared with their parent cultivars at locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Breeders grew their high-oleic lines and parents in three-replicate tests at one or two locations. The Florida high-oleic line F435-2-3-B-2-1-b4-B-B-3-b3-b3-1-B was grown at each location. The test included normal- and high-oleic variants of F435, GK 7, NC 7, NC 9, Sunrunner, Tamrun 96, and Tamspan 90. Sound-mature kernel samples were roasted, ground into paste, and evaluated by a sensory panel using a 14-point flavor intensity unit (fiu) scale. Background genotype had an effect (P < 0.01) on the heritable sensory attributes roasted peanut, sweet, and bitter. Oleate level had a positive effect on roasted peanut intensity, increasing it by 0.3 fiu averaged across all seven background genotypes. However, the magnitude of improvement varied across background genotypes. The high-oleic trait had no effect or increased the intensity of the roasted peanut attribute in each background genotype. The increase was greatest in Tamrun 96 (+0.6 fiu, P < 0.05) and Spanish genotypes Tamspan 90 (+0.4 fiu, P < 0.05) and F435 (+0.4 fiu, P < 0.10). A change of 0.5 fiu or more should be perceptible to consumers. Interaction between oleate level and background genotype was detected for sweet (P < 0.10) and bitter (P < 0.01) attributes. The trait had an increasing effect on the bitter attribute only in the background genotype of Tamspan 90 (+0.7 fiu, P < 0.01). There was a nonsignificant increase in bitterness in the other Spanish background genotype, F435. Changes in bitterness in runner- and Virginia-type backgrounds were close to zero. Incorporation of the high-oleic trait into peanut cultivars is likely to improve the intensity of the roasted peanut attribute, but it may also increase the bitter attribute in Spanish genotypes.
Measurement and reporting of knowledge‐based assets

This article provides a framework of classifying and valuing knowledge‐based assets for possible future presentation along with the historical‐cost basis financial statements. Further, this paper provides a definition and classification for knowledge‐based assets, provides reasons for including knowledge‐based assets with historical‐cost basis financial statements, and provides a three‐way classification system for knowledge‐based assets.
Laboratory Vortices in Rotating, Sheared Flow.

By placing a small convective source (electrical heater) in a rotating, vertically sheared, stratified flow in a rotating annulus, a well-organized vortex flow is generated. A qualitative description of the flow is given. The flow is always cyclonic below the heater and anticyclonic above, and is quite persistent in the sheared flow.
Eine hydrodynamische Studie über die Wasserstrahlzerstreuung von flüssigen Sprühern

Zusammenfassung Die Entwicklung von Kuhlsystemen fur die Herstellung von qualitativ hochwertigen Metallen und Stahlen bei gleichzeitigen Minimierung des erforderlichen Energie- und Wasserverbrauchs erfordert eine genaue Kenntnis der hydrodynamischen Vorgange beim Aufbringen des Kuhlmediums. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht in dem Bereitstellen experimenteller Ergebnisse fur das Dispersionsverhalten von Wasserspruhern, die oberhalb ebener Flachen angebracht sind. Hierbei werden auch die bestimmenden Parameter, wie die Dusengeometrie und der Druckeinflus erfast. In order to develop efficient cooling systems witch help to obtain a better quality of metal and steel with a possible minimum of energy and water expenses, it is necessary to have precise particulars about the hydrodynamic characteristics of the cooling liquid. The aim of this paper is to lead to an empirical result defining the dispersion profile of a water jet beneath liquid sprayers over a plane surface including the determining parameters such as the nozzle’s geometrical characteristics and pressure variation of liquid through the sprayer.
A rapid accurate culture assay for infectivity in Transmissible Encephalopathies.

The molecular and structural features of infectious agents that cause CJD, scrapie and BSE remain controversial. A major impediment for agent resolution is the very long and expensive animal assays of infectivity. It is crucial to develop a rapid and broadly applicable cell culture assay to titer and compare different TSE agent strains. Because we found GT1 hypothalamic cells, unlike neuroblastoma N2a clones, were highly susceptible to a variety of TSE agents, and could stably produce high agent titers for >1 year, we studied the progressive display of abnormal prion protein (PrP-res) in GT1 cells following exposure to serially diluted 22L scrapie brain homogenates; PrP-res was used as a surrogate, but non-quantitative marker of GT1 infection. Even as early as the first cell split after 22L exposure, GT1 cells produced their own PrP-res bands that were clearly different than brain bands. Plots from passages 3–7 showed a good discrimination of 3 fold differences in titer over a range of > 2 logs, with the same endpoint sensitivity (2 × 108 LD50/gm) as animal assays. Interestingly, the rapid production of de novo PrP-res suggested that GT1 PrP-res might be induced by interaction with an early-intermediate form of a particle that was not fully infectious. The GT1 assay here was also invaluable for rapidly identifying cell cultures with variant titers, even after detergent lysis. Additionally, in-situ PrP amyloid staining provided an independent measure of the minimum infectious dose per cell. Standardized GT1 assays can be used for direct comparison of different agent strains, and will facilitate the rapid isolation of essential agent components.
Neuronal death in cytokine-activated primary human brain cell culture: role of tumor necrosis factor-α†

We examined cytokine-mediated neuronal death in neuron-astrocyte cultures from second trimester human fetal cerebrum. In these cultures, high-output inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) are expressed in astrocytes after exposure to IL-1beta/IFNgamma. Neuronal cell death was evident at >/=48 h following cytokine stimulation. Neutralizing anti-TNFalpha antiserum inhibited ( approximately 48%) neurotoxicity in IL-1beta/IFNgamma-treated cultures, demonstrating a role for endogenously produced TNFalpha. Interestingly, the degree of neuroprotection conferred by superoxide dismutase or N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists in these cultures was smaller and variable. Similarly, the effect of the NOS inhibitor, N(G)-monomethyl L-arginine (NMMA) on IL-1beta/IFNgamma-induced neuronal death was variable, showing no statistically significant effect when results from more than 30 independent cultures were averaged. Neurons die by apoptosis in cytokine-treated human fetal CNS cultures as shown by the characteristic nuclear morphology as well as positive labeling for TUNEL. Our results demonstrate a potent neurotoxicity mediated by the cytokine combination IL-1beta/IFNgamma in primary human neuron-astrocyte cultures and a crucial role for endogenous TNFalpha in mediating neurotoxicity in this system. These results firmly establish the neurotoxic potential of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNFalpha in the human CNS.
Pain, suffering, and other sources of support for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia

I write these words on the day after Oregon's electorate has passed the Death with Dignity Act; there is now a jurisdiction within the U.S. where it is perfectly legal for a physician to prescribe drugs with the express purpose of helping patients to kill themselves. This event makes Dr. Foley's article, quite important enough on its own terms, all the more significant, since we now stand at something of a watershed in the history of the relationship between medicine and society. Whatever one's views about the morality of physicianassisted death, it is, I believe, disingenuous to deny that there is a momentum built into proposals to legalize doctors playing active roles in bringing about the deaths of their patients. Oregon's new law is limited by geography and by restrictions on the kind of patients it deems "qualified" to get this particular kind of help from their doctors. But both limits are very likely to be permeable. If Oregon is to retain the distinction of being the only state where doctors can help patients procure this kind of dignity in their dying, and if "qualified patients" will continue to be only those who are competent, terminal, and physically able to take medication on their own, it will, I think, be arguments much like the one developed in Foley's article that account for it. And if these restrictions indeed remain in place, Oregon may provide for us a laboratory within which we can better assess the claims Foley makes as guides to public policy. Foley's argument is, largely, an empirical one, and in this fact resides both its persuasive power, and the potential relevance of the Oregon experience to its final assessment. It is based on hypotheses about why so
GAPWM: a genetic algorithm method for optimizing a position weight matrix.

Motivation: Position weight matrices (PMWs) are simple models commonly used in motif-finding algorithms to identify short functional elements, such as cis-regulatory motifs, on genes. When few experimentally verified motifs are available, estimation of the PWM may be poor. The resultant PWM may not reliably discriminate a true motif from a false one. While experimentally identifying such motifs remains time-consuming and expensive, low-resolution binding data from techniques such as ChIP-on-chip and ChIP-PET have become available. We propose a novel but simple method to improve a poorly estimated PWM using ChIP data. Methodology: Starting from an existing PWM, a set of ChIP sequences, and a set of background sequences, our method, GAPWM, derives an improved PWM via a genetic algorithm that maximizes the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. GAPWM can easily incorporate prior information such as base conservation. We tested our method on two PMWs (Oct4/Sox2 and p53) using three recently published ChIP data sets (human Oct4, mouse Oct4 and human p53). Results: GAPWM substantially increased the sensitivity/specificity of a poorly estimated PWM and further improved the quality of a good PWM. Furthermore, it still functioned when the starting PWM contained a major error. The ROC performance of GAPWM compared favorably with that of MEME and others. With increasing availability of ChIP data, our method provides an alternative for obtaining high-quality PWMs for genome-wide identification of transcription factor binding sites. Availability: The C source code and all data used in this report are available at http://dir.niehs.nih.gov/dirbb/gapwm Contact: li3@niehs.nih.gov Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Fast and Simple Algorithm for Computing Market Equilibria

We give a new mathematical formulation of market equilibriausing an indirect utility function : the function of pricesand income that gives the maximum utility achievable. Theformulation is a convex program and can be solved when theindirect utility function is convex in prices. We illustrate thatmany economies including Homogeneous utilities of degreeα ∈ [0,1] in Fisher economies — thisincludes Linear, Leontief, Cobb-Douglas Resource allocation utilities like multi-commodityflows satisfy this condition and can be efficiently solved. Further, we give a natural and decentralized price-adjustingalgorithm in these economies. Our algorithm, mimics the naturaltâtonnement dynamics for the markets as suggested by Walras:it iteratively adjusts a good's price upward when the demand forthat good under current prices exceeds its supply; and downwardwhen its supply exceeds its demand. The algorithm computes anapproximate equilibrium in a number of iterations that isindependent of the number of traders and is almost linear in the number of goods. Interestingly, our algorithm applies tocertain classes of utility functions that are not weak grosssubstitutes .
The relationship between prenatal lethality or fetal weight and intrauterine position in rats exposed to diethylstilbestrol, zeranol, 3,4,3′,4′‐tetrachlorobiphenyl, or cadmium

When administered orally during gestation, diethylstilbestrol (DES), zeranol (ZN), and 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (4CB) but not cadmium (Cd) exhibited significant developmental toxicity, including elevated embryo- and fetolethality and reduced fetal weight, in Sprague-Dawley rats. An analysis was performed to determine the effect of intrauterine position on these parameters. In control dams sacrificed after day 18, the general pattern was that fetuses at the ovarian end of the uterine horns were significantly lighter in weight, while the heavier fetuses were located in middle positions. Treatment with each of the chemicals reduced fetal weight equally across all uterine positions. An inverse of the weight pattern was observed for prenatal mortality in controls. Embryonic resorptions were relatively more frequent at both ovarian and cervical ends, while conceptuses at intermediate positions were less vulnerable. No significant alterations in this pattern were observed in treated litters. The frequency of late fetal deaths in 4CB-treated litters was significantly higher at the cervical end of the horn, however. No differences between horns or between sexes were observed in the relative position patterns for either weight or mortality.
A meteorological study of Dry-fallout of radioactive debris

A general expression is derived for the intensity of dryfallout based on time variations of beta-activity in surface air, due to worldwide tropospheric distribution of debris from nuclear testings. Model assumptions are outlined for the consideration of large-scale effects of horizontal divergence of air flow, and small-scale effects of eddy diffusion. The parameterization is based on the concept of geostrophic drag coefficients and atmospheric boundary layer theory. The model is completed by a two-parameter representation of tropospheric profiles of beta activity. Case studies of dry-fallout in 1962 and 1963 at three stations of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) network are discussed. Dry-fallout rates per day are found to be approximately 10% of average wet-fallout rates of the same period. The average residence time of debris in the troposphere is estimated to be about 65 days if dry-fallout would be the only cleansing process.
A synthesis theory for linear time-varying feedback systems with plant uncertainty

Given a feedback system containing a linear, time-varying (LTV) plant with significant plant uncertainty, it is required that the system response to command and disturbance inputs satisfy specified tolerances over the range of plant uncertainty. The synthesis procedure guarantees the latter satisfied, providing that they are of the following form. Let h(t',\tau) be the system response at t'= t - \tau due to a command input \delta(t - \tau) , and h_{\tau}(s)=\int \liminf{0}\limsup{infty}h(t',\tau)e^-{st'}dt' is the Laplace transform of h(t',\tau) . There is given a set M_{\tau}(\omega)=\{m_{\tau}(\omega)\} , \omega \in[0, \infty) , with the requirement that |h_{\tau}(j\omega)| \in M_{\tau}(\omega) , over the range of plant uncertainty. The disturbance response tolerances are of the same form, in response to a disturbance input \delta (t- \tau) . The acceptable response set M_{\tau}(\omega) can depend on τ. The design emerges with a fixed pair of LTV compensation networks and can be considered applicable to time-domain response tolerances, to the extent that a set of bounds on a time function can be translated into an equivalent set on its frequency response. The design procedure utilizes only time-invariant frequency response concepts and is conceptually easy to follow and implement. At any fixed τ, the time-varying system is converted into an equivalent time-invariant one with plant uncertainty, for which an exact solution is available, with "frozen" time-invariant compensation. Schauder's fixed-point theorem is used to prove the equivalence of the two systems. The ensemble over τ of the time-invariant compensation gives the final required LTV compensation. It is proven that the design is stable and nonresonant for all bounded inputs.
Navigational infrastructure at the East Pacific Rise 9°50'N area following the 2005-2006 eruption: Seafloor benchmarks and near-bottom multibeam surveys

[1] Four seafloor benchmarks were deployed with ROV Jason2 at frequently visited areas along the northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR) ridge crest near 9°50′N, within the Ridge2000 EPR integrated study site (ISS) bull's eye. When used in concert with established deep-ocean acoustic positioning techniques, these benchmarks provide navigational infrastructure to facilitate the integration of near-bottom data at this site by allowing efficient and quantitative coregistration of data and observations collected on multiple dives and over multiple cruises. High-resolution, near-bottom multibeam bathymetric surveys also were conducted along and across the ridge crest to provide a morphological and geological context for the benchmark areas. We describe the navigation and data processing techniques used to constrain the benchmark positions and outline operational details to effectively use benchmarks at this and other deep-ocean sites where multidisciplinary time series studies are conducted. The well-constrained positions of the benchmarks provide a consistent geospatial framework that can be used to limit navigational uncertainties during seafloor sampling and mapping programs and enable accurate spatial coregistration and integration of observations. These data are important to test a range of multidisciplinary hypotheses that seek to link geological, chemical, and biological processes associated with crustal accretion and energy transfer from the mantle to the hydrosphere at mid-ocean ridges.
Learning schemata for natural language processing

This paper describes a natural language system which improves its own performance through learning. The system processes short English narratives and is able to acquire, from a single narrative, a new schema for a stereotypical set of actions. During the understanding process, the system attempts to construct explanations for characters' actions in terms of the goals their actions were meant to achieve. When the system observes that a character has achieved an interesting goal in a novel way, it generalizes the set of actions they used to achieve this goal into a new schema. The generalization process is a knowledge-based analysis of the causal structure of the narrative which removes unnecessary details while maintaining the validity of the causal explanation. The resulting generalized set of actions is then stored as a new schema and used by the system to correctly process narratives which were previously beyond its capabilities.
Swan-Ganz Catheter Location and Left Atrial Pressure Determine the Accuracy of the Wedge Pressure When Positive End-expiratory Pressure is Used

In 43 percent of 30 consecutive open heart surgery patients, Swan-Ganz catheter tips lodged within 1 cm of or above the left atrium. When in this position the wedge pressure measured by the catheter was not an accurate estimate of left atrial pressure when positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) was used, especially when left atrial pressure was low. Catheters located below the left atrium were accurate at all levels of PEEP tested. The position of Swan-Ganz catheters should be confirmed by a lateral chest roentgenogram when PEEP is used, and catheter tips not below the left atrium should be repositioned.
CONTAMINATION OF SILICIC MAGMAS AND FRACTAL FRAGMENTATION OF XENOLITHS IN PALEOCENE PLUTONS ON KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA

Paleocene plutons on Kodiak Island, in Alaska, contain host-rock xenoliths that have undergone varying degrees of fragmentation, metamorphism and assimilation in the surrounding granitoid rocks, and therefore provide an excellent natural laboratory to study the processes of xenolith fragmentation and magma contamination. Kodiak Island has two belts of Paleocene plutons: the Kodiak batholith that runs along the axis of the Island, and the trenchward belt, which is comprised of plutons and dikes intruded into the Ghost Rocks Formation south of the Contact fault. Within the Kodiak batholith, there are two different populations of xenoliths, one near its exterior margin and another near its center. The exterior xenoliths are relatively rare but, where present, are angular and have retained sedimentary structures. Xenoliths from the center of the Kodiak batholith are abundant, rounded, gneissic, garnet- and sillimanite-bearing, and had an extended residence-time in the batholith. In the trenchward belt, the Shaft Peak pluton contains a high abundance of Ghost Rocks Formation xenoliths that underwent extensive fragmentation at length scales ranging from >10 m to a submillimetric scale. The frequency-size distributions of xenolith in both the Kodiak batholith and the Shaft Peak pluton can be modeled by power-law functions and can be described by renormalization-group fractal methods of fragmentation. Our qualitative descriptions and the fractal analysis indicate that the Shaft Peak xenoliths underwent catastrophic fragmentation and were in a state of disequilibrium when its system froze, whereas the Kodiak batholith xenoliths, once they fragmented down to a diameter of <10 cm, approached thermal and chemical equilibrium with the surrounding magma.
Asymmetric FIR digital filters with specified group delays

Presents a new algorithm for designing asymmetric FIR digital filters. The proposed algorithm is based on extending the algorithms that were presented in Adams et al. (1993). >
Bistability in the JNK cascade.

Abstract Background: Important signaling properties, like adaptation, oscillations, and bistability, can emerge at the level of relatively simple systems of signaling proteins. Here, we have examined the quantitative properties of one well-studied signaling system, the JNK cascade. We experimentally assessed the response of JNK to a physiological stimulus (progesterone) and a pathological stress (hyperosmolar sorbitol) in Xenopus laevis oocytes, a cell type that is well-suited to the quantitative analysis of cell signaling. Our aim was to determine whether JNK responses are graded (Michaelian) in character; ultrasensitive in character, resembling the responses of cooperative enzymes; or bistable and all-or-none in character. Results: The responses of JNK to both progesterone and sorbitol were found to be essentially all-or-none. Individual oocytes had either very high or very low JNK activities, with few oocytes possessing intermediate levels of JNK activity. Moreover, JNK activation was autocatalytic, indicating that the JNK cascade is either embedded in or downstream of a positive feedback loop. JNK also exhibited hysteresis, a form of biochemical memory, in its response to sorbitol. These findings indicate that the JNK cascade is part of a bistable signaling system in oocytes. Conclusions: In Xenopus oocytes, JNK responds to physiological and pathological stimuli in an all-or-none manner. The JNK response shows all the hallmarks of a bistable response, including strong positive feedback and hysteresis. Bistability is a recurring theme in the biochemistry of oocyte maturation and early embryogenesis; the Mos/MEK/p42 MAPK cascade also exhibits bistable responses, and the Cdc2/cyclin B system is hypothesized to be bistable as well. However, the mechanisms underpinning the positive feedback and bistability in the three cases are different, suggesting that evolution has repeatedly converged upon bistability as a way of producing digital responses.
Heat Transfer in Porous Green Bodies During Binder Removal by Minimum Time Heating Cycles

Heat transfer in ceramic green bodies is examined during rapid binder removal cycles predicted by a variational calculus algorithm. Both the heat transfer and the mass transfer problems are described by one-dimensional spatial models, for which analytical solutions are available. During the minimum time heating cycles, the temperature difference within the green body is shown to depend on the thermal diffusivity, on the permeability, on the threshold pressure at which failure of the green body occurs, and on a number of other kinetic and transport parameters. The temperature difference within the green body is smallest during the early part of the minimum time heating cycle, when the constraint on pressure buildup within the green body limits the rate at which the temperature can be increased.
On the form of steady-state solutions to the coagulation equations

Abstract This paper examines the general equations for steady-state coagulation in a spatially homogeneous particle system with sources and sinks. Solutions to these equations are shown to have the following characteristics. (I) If the particle size dependence of the removal mechanism is at least as strong as that of the coagulation mechanism, then the concentration of large particles falls off faster than any power of particle size. (2) If there is no physical removal of particles, then the concentration of large particles is asymptotic to some power of particle size. These results are distinguished by their generality; no additional restrictions are placed on the equations and their coefficients. Exact analytical solutions exemplifying the above characteristics are exhibited for systems, with and without sinks, in which the coagulation kernel is of the form ij = bi β j β . Systems in which the coagulation kernel is of the form b ij = b ( i + j ) are shown to admit no steady-state solution of any form absent a physical sink.
Stochastic modeling of a terrorist event via the ASAM system

The ability of terrorist networks to conduct sophisticated and simultaneous attacks - the most recent one on March 11, 2004 in Madrid, Spain - suggests that there is a significant need for developing information technology tools for counter-terrorism analysis. These technologies could empower intelligence analysts to find information faster, share, and collaborate across agencies, "connect the dots" better, and conduct quicker and better analyses. One such technology, the adaptive safety analysis and monitoring (ASAM) system, is under development at the University of Connecticut. In this paper, the ASAM system is introduced and its capabilities are discussed. The vulnerabilities at the Athens 2004 Olympics are modeled and patterns of anomalous behavior are identified using a combination of feature-aided multiple target tracking, hidden Markov models (HMMs), and Bayesian networks (BNs). Functionality of the ASAM system is illustrated by way of application to two hypothetical models of terrorist activities at the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Seismic Methods for Detecting and Quantifying Marine Methane Hydrate/Free Gas Reservoirs

Seismic methods are the most widely used approach for indirect detection and quantification of gas hydrate in marine sediments. Historically, the presence of methane hydrate has been inferred on the basis of bottom simulating reflections (BSRs), which mark the phase boundary between hydrate and the underlying free gas zone (e. g. Shipley et al., 1979). In addition to their association with BSRs, hydrates and the underlying free gas affect the elastic properties of the host sediment in ways that are seismically detectable. Partial replacement of pore fluid by rigid gas hydrate causes an increase of both compressional wave velocity (Vp) and shear wave velocity (Vs) (Chapter 20), while the presence of free gas will strongly decrease Vp. Compressional- and shear-wave attenuation (Qp -1, Qs -1) may also prove to be hydrate/gas indicators: hydrate may increase both Qp and Qs, while gas certainly decreases Qp (Wood and Ruppel, 2000). Accurate, detailed images of the elastic properties of hydrate deposits therefore hold great promise for remotely quantifying hydrate and gas occurrence and concentrations.
Language screening test.

The article by Schwartz and Murphy1 in the May 1975 issue emphasizes the key position of the pediatrician in recognition of speech and language disorders, as well as the lack of training of health professionals in this important area of development. We would like to call attention to a five-minute screening test appropriate for children 6 months to 6 years of age. The Physician9s Developmental Quick Screen for Speech Disorders (PDQ)2 is designed for use by non-speech pathologists.
Renal clearance and tissue accumulation of gentamicin

Multiple-dose studies of gentamicin pharmacokinetics were performed in 2 treated patients. After the final dose, serum and urine concentration declined in biphasic fashion with beta ha(f-lives of 87 and 173 hr. Recovery of the total dose administered required urine collection for at least 10 to 20 days after the last dose. A two-compartment model was used to describe the biphasic decline in serum concentrations, to simulate all measured concentrations during treatment, and to predict the amount of gentamicin in the tissue compartment. Analysis of autopsy tissues yielded the predicted amount of drug. A linear two-compartment model adequately quantitates gentamicin disposition until about 4 days after cessation of therapy when gentamicin renal clearance begins to decline because of tubular reabsorption.
Young Investigator Perspectives. Choosing an intellectually generous mentor.

> Dr. Jill Hoffman is a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Harry Pothoulakis in the Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles, supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health. She obtained a Ph.D. from the University of