cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiographic Evidence of Silicosis in Relation to Silica Exposure

Abstract Although the risk of silicosis has long been recognized as a consequence of exposure to crystalline silica, there are only limited data available for quantitatively estimating risk in relation to modern concentrations. Reports on three large groups of workers (Vermont granite workers, South African gold miners, and Ontario hardrock miners) form the basis for estimating silicosis risk; two other smaller studies, of British gypsum miners and North Carolina dusty trades workers, provide additional but less quantitative information. For 40 years of exposure to a respirable silica concentration of 0.1 mg/m3, the estimated cumulative risk of radiographic evidence of silicosis is approximately 1 to 3 percent based on the Ontario miners (depending on whether diagnosis requires a positive reading by a majority of five readers or by only one reader) and is 60 percent based on South African miners. Findings from Vermont granite workers and North Carolina dusty trades workers are more consistent with the low...
Technology Mapping for Field Programmable Gate Arrays using Content-Addressable Memory (CAM)

This paper describes LURU, a methodology for FPGA combinational technology mapping through the parallel search capability of Content-Addressable Memory (CAM). An overview is shown in Fig. 1. First, a circuit is partitioned into a set of subcircuits. Topologies of these subcircuits are described using textual string representations [(a) and (b) in Fig. 1]. A precomputed set of strings for the circuit topologies that can be contained in a LUT of K or fewer inputs [Fig. 1 (d)] can be matched against the circuit representation in parallel using the CAM shown in Fig. 1 (c). By using CAM, the search space is increased over traditional technology mapping algorithms. A final mapping is produced for an FPGA device consisting of a heterogeneous network of LUT?s of K or fewer inputs, shown in Fig. 1 (e). Experimental results demonstrate that LURU can improve mapping quality by up to 49%, with an average of 21% improvement over traditional technology mapping techniques such as FlowMap and CutMap [9]. LURU exceeds the quality of such algorithms because LURU uses CAM to achieve a global search space. CAM?s are capable of both exact and inexact matching. Using inexact matching, it is possible to match approximately 96% of subcircuits to a set of 16 basic CSE?s [8].
A Description of Vocal Maturation among Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Boys:

The present study was designed to explore the idea that boys' voices may be changing earlier than indicated in previous research. Singing and speaking voices of fifth-grade (h = 56) and sixth-grade (h = 43) boys were categorized and compared with the Cooksey changing voice stages. Data consisted of grade in school, age in years, highest and lowest sung pitches, overall singing range, speaking pitches, and voice stage categorization. Results indicated an earlier voice change than in previous research. Findings consistent with previous research included the fact that singing and speaking pitch lowered with each successive voice-change stage, the overall range narrowed in the predicted stages, and the speaking pitch remained 2-3 semitones above lowest sung pitch, regardless of voice stage.
The role of the cerebellum in classical conditioning of discrete behavioral responses

The cerebellum and its associated circuitry constitutes the entire essential neuronal system for classical conditioning of eye-blink and other discrete responses (e.g. limb flexion) learned with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) using the standard delay paradigm where the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the US coterminate. Evidence reviewed here strongly supports the following conclusions. The CS pathway involves sensory relay nuclei projections to the pontine nuclei and its mossy fiber projections to the cerebellar cortex and nuclei. The US pathway involves activation of the inferior olive (dorsal accessory olive for eye blink) and its climbing fiber projections to the cerebellar cortex and nuclei. The conditioned response (CR) pathway involves the cerebellar interpositus nucleus, the superior cerebellar peduncle pathway to the magnocellular red nucleus and rubral projections to premotor and motor nuclei generating the behavioral response. Anatomical data, neuronal unit recordings, electrical stimulation, lesions and methods of reversible inactivation all strongly support the hypothesis that the essential memory trace for the learning of these discrete conditioned responses is formed and stored in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus. Neuronal/synaptic plasticity is also established in the cerebellar cortex in this form of learning but the role of the cortex is less clear. We argue that the cortex plays a key role in normal acquisition and adaptive timing of the conditioned response, under certain circumstances, but it remains unclear exactly what features of conditioning are being encoded in the cerebellar cortex in this basic form of associative learning and memory.
Marital status and colon cancer outcomes in US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries: Does marriage affect cancer survival by gender and stage?

Abstract Background : Marital status has been associated with outcomes in several cancer sites including breast cancer in the literature, but little is known about colon cancer, the fourth most common cancer in the US. Methods : A total of 127,753 patients with colon cancer were identified who were diagnosed between 1992 and 2006 in the US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. Marital status consisted of married, single, separated/divorced and widowed. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between marital status and other variables. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate survival curves. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to estimate the effect of marital status on survival. Results : Married patients were more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage (and for men also at an older age) compared with single and separated/divorced patients, and more likely to receive surgical treatment than all other marital groups (all p Conclusions : Marriage was associated with better outcomes of colon cancer for both men and women, and being single was associated with lower survival rate from colon cancer.
Synexin binds in a calcium-dependent fashion to oriented chromaffin cell plasma membranes.

Oriented plasma membrane fragments from chromaffin cells, isolated on polylysine-coated polyacrylamide beads, bind synexin in a calcium dependent manner. Synexin binding was also detected on beads coated with chromaffin granule membranes, but not to beads coated with erythrocyte membranes or to uncoated beads. Synexin binding to plasma membrane coated beads showed a specific requirement for calcium (K12 = 200 μM) and was insensitive to other divalent cations such as magnesium, strontium and barium. Synexin binding to either plasma membrane or granule membrane coated beads was saturable, was partially reversible by EGTA and was directly observed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
General Anesthetics Lower Critical Temperatures in Plasma Membrane Vesicles and Disrupt Antigen Induced Signaling in RBL-2H3 Cells

There is a long standing debate whether general anesthetics act through non-specific perturbation of bilayer physical properties or through binding to specific sites within ion channels. In this study, we investigate how a series of liquid general anesthetics impact phase transition temperatures in giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) isolated from RBL-2H3 mast cells. We have chosen to use a series of alcohol general anesthetics with a range of chain lengths that have well characterized membrane partitioning properties and anesthetic potency. We find that all alcohols investigated lower critical temperatures in GPMVs. When alcohol concentrations are scaled by anesthetic potency, the magnitude of depression is equivalent within error. All compounds depress critical temperatures by 4±1°C when added to vesicles at their anesthetic dose. This is larger than depressions previously measured for the gel-liquid transition in vesicles. Since the functional effects of general anesthetic treated cells are well characterized in the ion channel context, we have chosen to investigate the effects of alcohols on another signaling pathway thought to be sensitive to membrane physical properties. RBL cells undergo immune signaling when IgE antibodies bound to FceRI receptors are cross-linked with a multivalent antigen, and early signaling steps are sensitive to plasma membrane lipids. We find that treatment with alcohols general anesthetics disrupts signaling as assayed by measuring de-granulation, a functional output downstream of receptor activation. Current work is investigating functional outputs at earlier signaling steps including calcium responses and receptor phosphorylation. We are investigating receptor mobility and signaling responses in cells treated with alcohol general anesthetics using super-resolution localization microscopy. By correlating the critical temperature lowering effects of alcohol with cell signaling events, we hope to better understand how membrane physical properties influence signaling processes.
Morphological relationships and leukocyte influence on steroid production in the epigonal organ-ovary complex of the skate, Leucoraja erinacea.

In elasmobranchs, a unique association exists between an immune tissue, the epigonal organ (EO), and the gonads. In this study, the histological and vascular relationships of the EO and ovarian follicles of the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, were assessed. Perfusions of Evans blue dye and Batson's monomer showed a shared vascular pathway from the gonadal artery into the epigonal-ovary complex, with blood first entering the EO and then perfusing the ovarian follicles. Histological studies demonstrated direct cellular contact between epigonal leukocytes and the follicle wall (FW), as well as the presence of leukocytes between the steroidogenic theca and granulosa cells. In vitro analyses demonstrated that epigonal cells co-cultured with FW cells cause a dose-dependent inhibition of estrogen (E2) and testosterone (T) production. In contrast, conditioned media from epigonal leukocytes, stimulated or unstimulated with lipopolysaccharide (10 μg/ml), increase the production of E2 and T from FW cells of the ovaries. These studies provide a basis for further investigations of leukocyte secreted factors and cell contact modulation of follicular steroid production. J Morphol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Approximation by multiinteger translates of functions having global support

Abstract We consider L p -approximation (1 ≤ p ≤ ∞) by multiinteger translates of several functions which are not necessarily compactly supported but have a suitable decay rate. In particular, we introduce a modified notion of controlled approximation and characterize the controlled approximation order in terms of the Strang-Fix conditions.
Hexanchorus bifurcatus sp. nov., a new tepui riffle beetle (Coleoptera: Elmidae: Larainae) from Tafelberg, Suriname.

Here we present the first published record of a laraine elmid from Suriname, which represents a new species – Hexanchorus bifurcatus sp. nov. Specimens were collected from the summit of Tafelberg, a table mountain near the Wilhelmina Range of Suriname. This species can be distinguished from all other Hexanchorus by the bifurcate elytral apices and median projection of the third abdominal ventrite of the female, as well as the distinctive male genitalia. Habitus photos, illustrations of the genitalia, a distribution map, notes on habitat, and comparative diagnoses are provided.
A Conditional-Test Sign Detector for Nonparametric Radar

The performance of a four-level sign detector in constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) radar is investigated. The detector uses a single independent reference noise observation per sweep and the nonparametric property is obtained through the use of a conditional statistical test. Detection performance is evaluated for the specific case of white Gaussian background noise with Rician statistics for signal plus noise. Both the asymptotic and finite-sample detection performance is determined and found to be significantly better compared with the sign detector.
The mean accuracy and the precision of using stem disc moisture contents to estimate stem dry weight of Pinus resinosa ait

Abstract The moisture content gradient of dominant-codominant red pine stems was examined. The moisture contents of discs removed from five positions on the stem were used to estimate the stem dry weight. Each disc when used alone, does not represent the moisture content of the stem accurately. All discs used together improve the precision of dry weight estimates but not to the degree expected. It is suggested that more than one disc be removed from the stem to adequately estimate the stem moisture content, and stem dry weight.
National Survey of Materials Engineering Program

In December 1989, an ASCE task committee conducted an opinion survey of civil engineering programs in the United States accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology to assess the present status of civil engineering materials courses and to report the results to both ASCE and the responding departments. The committee sought department views of the importance of materials courses and the desired course content in a typical civil engineering program. The respondents were asked to rate the relative importance of topics in design and rehabilitation. The results suggested that traditional civil engineering materials are typically taught in a three‐lecture, one‐laboratory sequence. The questionnaire revealed information on the equipment and other facilities to be marginal at best. Availability and quality of classroom instructional material are rated “good” by the respondents. In the area of incorporating real‐world problems into the materials course(s), the respondents report that the co...
GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetectors on GaAs-on-Si substrates

In this letter, we describe the characteristics of molecular beam epitaxy GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIP’s) grown on a GaAs substrate, and on a GaAs-on-Si substrate produced by metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition. Important issues for QWIP applications such as dark current, spectral response, and absolute responsivity are studied. We find that compared to a similar detector structure grown on a GaAs substrate, the detector grown on a GaAs-on-Si substrate exhibits similar dark current and absolute responsivity while displaying a small blueshift in the spectral response.
The travels of Maya merchants in the ninth and tenth centuries ad: investigations at Xuenkal and the Greater Cupul Province, Yucatan, Mexico

Abstract The region between the Maya capital of Chichen Itza and its port site on the Gulf of Mexico was one of the most heavily traversed landscapes during the Classic period. Vast quantities of trade goods were conveyed inland from the coast on the backs of long-distance traders. This study explores the experiences of these traders as they transported raw materials such as shell and obsidian as well as finished ornaments to the urban center in exchange for salt from the northern salt beds of Yucatan. We utilize archaeological data from sites along this trade route with a focus on Xuenkal, where we have conducted excavations into the nature of regional changes during the expansion of Chichen Itza since 2004. Archaeological data coupled with view-shed and travel-time analyses provide a nuanced perspective on the travel experiences of the traders who maintained one important component of the Classic Maya economy.
A study on regional brain calcium concentrations following acute and prolonged administration of ethanol in rats.

Abstract Regional brain calcium concentrations were assessed after acute and chronic ethanol administration. Prolonged exposure to ethanol was accomplished by a 10-day inhalation procedure. Acute administration of ethanol in doses of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g/kg failed to alter calcium content in the cerebellum, cortex, hypothalamus, midbrain, and pons-medulla 30 min after injection. However, ethanol at 4.0 g/kg reduced brain content in the hypothalamus, midbrain, and pons-medulla. When a 90-min interval between ethanol administration (2.0 g/kg) and sacrifice was used, no change was found in the calcium concentration of the five regions examined. During the induction of physical dependence on ethanol, no alteration in the brain calcium content was observed when compared with controls. In the withdrawal phase, which followed 10 days of ethanol inhalation, regional brain calcium concentrations were similar to control values. These animals were monitored up to 7 days postexposure. In experiments which involved acute administration of reserpine (5 or 10 mg/kg), it was shown that the 10 mg/kg dose decreased calcium content only in the hypothalamus by 19.6%. Based on the data derived from this investigation it appears that calcium ions may have a limited role, if any, in the central actions of ethanol when steady-state calcium ion concentrations are considered.
SOLAR INDUCED WATER SPLITTING WITH p/n HETEROTYPE PHOTOCHEMICAL DIODES: n-Fe203/p-GaP

LBL-12114 Preprint Submitted to Solar Energy Materials SOLAR INDUCED WATER SPLITTING WITH pjn HETEROTYPE PHOTOCHEMICAL DIODES: n-Fe 0 /p-GaP Howard Mettee, John W. Otvos, and Melvin Calvin January 1981 fi':NG .L. · t.ABORA'fCH ,. ' r .-u 1 ' 7 r 4 !981 TWO-WEEK LOAN COPY a Library Circulating Copy which may be borrowed for two weeks. For a personal retention copyy call This is Tech. Info. Divisiony Ext. 6782. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract W-7405-ENG-48
Ethical Issues Involved With the Use of Computer‐Assisted Counseling, Testing, and Guidance Systems

This article discusses (a) the growing use of computers in counseling, testing, and guidance; (b) potential ethical problems; and (c) principles for ethical use of computer applications.
Latchup in ATMEL TSS902E Viterbi Decoder at Elevated Temperatures

We report Single-Event latchup results for Atmel TSS902F Viterbi decoder, which was designed on a latchup -tolerant process (based on test structure evaluation). The latchup LET threshold is below 40 MeV-cm2/mg. The saturated cross section is about 10-5 cm2.
Phase compensation of laser beam modes: II. Optimization techniques

Phase compensation can lead to a significant improvement in the intensity characteristics of high order laser beam modes. Optimal design procedures for phase compensation structures are described, and the behaviour of the higher order spatial harmonics is considered in detail. The effects of possible phase errors are also derived analytically.
Nutrition of lead.

At the levels to which human beings are exposed in the workplace as well as in the general environment, lead has been shown to be a toxic element in most of its chemical forms, whether it is inhaled or ingested in water or food. The four main sources of contamination of food are soil, industrial pollution, agricultural technology and food processing. Reasonable quantities of the metal can be stored by humans in a relatively inert form in bone; lead has an affinity for bone and acts by replacing calcium. Gastrointestinal lead absorption and retention, the major pathway of lead intake, has been shown to vary widely depending on the chemical environment of the gastrointestinal lumen, age and iron stores (nutritional status of the subject). Studies in animals have shown that certain substances bind lead and increase its solubility, thus enhancing its absorption. These dietary components consist of sodium citrate, ascorbate, amino acids, vitamin D, protein and fat, and lactose. Data suggest a three-compartmental pool for lead metabolism: (1) blood; (2) soft tissue (hair, nails, sweat, salivary, gastric, pancreatic and biliary secretions); and (3) skeleton. Lead absorption occurs primarily in the duodenum where lead enters the epithelial mucosal cells. The total bodily amount of lead does not affect lead absorption; lead does not have a feedback mechanism which limits absorption. In the adult rat, lead absorption from the intestinal lumen appears to proceed by both active transport and passive diffusion. Bile is an important route of excretion in the gut.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Convex separable optimization is not much harder than linear optimization

The polynomiality of nonlinear separable convex (concave) optimization problems, on linear constraints with a matrix with “small” subdeterminants, and the polynomiality of such integer problems, provided the inteter linear version of such problems ins polynomial, is proven. This paper presents a general-purpose algorithm for converting procedures that solves linear programming problems. The conversion is polynomial for constraint matrices with polynomially bounded subdeterminants. Among the important corollaries of the algorithm is the extension of the polynomial solvability of integer linear programming problems with totally unimodular constraint matrix, to integer-separable convex programming. An algorithm for finding a e-accurate optimal continuous solution to the nonlinear problem that is polynomial in log(1/e) and the input size and the largest subdeterminant of the constraint matrix is also presented. These developments are based on proximity results between the continuous and integral optimal solutions for problems with any nonlinear separable convex objective function. The practical feature of our algorithm is that is does not demand an explicit representation of the nonlinear function, only a polynomial number of function evaluations on a prespecified grid.
Difference in Airflow Obstruction between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Female Smokers

Smoking-related respiratory diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. However, the relationship between smoking and respiratory disease has not been well-studied among ethnic minorities in general and among women in particular. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the risk of airflow obstruction and to assess lung function among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (NHW) female smokers in a New Mexico cohort. Participants completed a questionnaire detailing smoking history and underwent spirometry testing. Outcomes studied included airflow obstruction, selected lung function parameters, and chronic mucus hyper-secretion. Chi square, logistic, and linear regression techniques were utilized. Of the 1,433 eligible women participants, 248 (17.3%) were Hispanic; and 319 had airflow obstruction (22.3%). Hispanic smokers were more likely to be current smokers, and report lower pack-years of smoking, compared to NHW smokers (p < 0.05 for all analyses). Further, Hispanic smokers were...
Calculation of a constitutive potential for isostatic powder compaction

A macroscopic constitutive potential has been developed for the deformation of a powder compact of cylindrical particles during pressure sintering. The derivation is based on finite-element simulations of the densification process that proceeds under the synergistic action of power-law creep deformation in the particles, evolution of the nonlinearly developing contact area between the particles, and interparticle and pore free-surface diffusional mass transport. Solution to this initial/boundary-value problem as deformation proceeds with time provides all necessary information for the calculation of the constitutive potential. The associated constitutive law predicts the densification rate of the powder compact at a given temperature and pressure in terms of material parameters, such as creep constants and diffusion coefficients, and reflects the role played in the densification process by various micromechanical features at the microscale such as the pore surface curvature. The model predictions are compared with the existing analytical models for plane strain densification and experimental data from sintering of copper wires by grain boundary and curvature-driven pore surface diffusion.
Technology in Everyday Life and Perceptions of Competence1

Studies of technology in the workplace generally report that the use of de-skilling technology results in dissatisfied and alienated employees. To determine whether this relation existed in nonworkplace settings, a series of surveys were conducted to assess the relation between the kind of technologies people use and feelings of competence. In three separate surveys of cooking, photography, and driving cars, a positive relation was found between the skill requirements of the technology that people use and their assessment of their ability and level of enjoyment in these activities.
Isolation and characterization of the iron-binding properties of a primitive monolobal transferrin from Ciona intestinalis

Transferrins are bilobal glycoproteins responsible for iron binding, transport, and delivery in many higher organisms. The two homologous lobes of transferrins are thought to have evolved by gene duplication of an ancestral monolobal form. In the present study, a 37.7-kDa primitive monolobal transferrin (nicatransferrin, or nicaTf) from the serum of the model ascidian species Ciona intestinalis was isolated by using an immobilized iron-affinity column and characterized by using mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing. The protein binds one equivalent of iron(III) and exhibits an electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum that is anion-dependent. The UV/vis spectrum of nicaTf has a shoulder at 330 nm in both the iron-depleted and the iron-replete forms, but does not display the approximately 460 nm tyrosine-to-iron charge transfer band common to vertebrate serum transferrins under the conditions investigated. This result suggests that iron may adopt a different binding mode in nicaTf compared with the more highly evolved transferrin proteins. This difference in binding mode could have implications for the physiological role of the protein in the ascidian. The genome of C. intestinalis has genes for both a monolobal and a bilobal transferrin, and the sequences of both proteins are discussed in light of the known features of vertebrate serum transferrins as well as other transferrin homologs.
Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies in patients with cimetidine-associated mental confusion.

Abstract 15 cases of cimetidine-associated mental confusion have been reported. In order that this syndrome might be investigated changes in mental status (M.S.) were correlated with serum concentrations and renal and hepatic function in 36 patients. 30 patients had no M.S. change on cimetidine and 6 had moderate to severe changes. These 6 patients had both renal and liver dysfunction (p 2 -receptors in the central nervous system. Patients likely to have both raised trough-concentrations and mental confusion are those with both severe renal and hepatic dysfunction. They should be closely observed and should be given reduced doses of cimetidine.
Mycorrhizal Fungi from Protocorms, Seedlings and Mature Plants of the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindley: A Comprehensive List to Augment Conservation

Abstract The Federally threatened Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid, Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindley (Orchidaceae), has experienced long-term decline largely due to habitat loss and degradation. Although this species has been propagated from seed in the laboratory, achieving seedling survival ex vitro has been problematic, forcing conservationists to sow seeds directly into field sites in an attempt to generate seedlings. Given that the mycorrhizal fungi needed for germination in situ have sporadic distributions, sowing seeds of this threatened species indiscriminately is not a preferable option. Thus, locating fungal “hotspots” using seed baits, and amending soil with fungi may have practical merit. In anticipation of the latter possibility, we provide a comprehensive list of the 75 mycorrhizal fungi isolated from P. leucophaea protocorms, seedlings and mature plants during the past 10 y from sites in Illinois and Michigan, including newly acquired strains from five additional sites in Illinois. Coll...
Behaviour of calcium as a steam gasification catalyst

Abstract The catalytic coal gasification process for synthetic natural gas, which is being developed by the Exxon Research and Engineering Company, uses a potassium salt to catalyse the steam gasification of coal while it simultaneously catalyses methanation reactions in the same vessel. The catalyst is recovered from the gasifier residue and recycled, but some is lost. These relatively small, but inevitable, losses from the recovery process provide an incentive to find a lower-cost catalyst. Exploratory catalyst screening studies have shown that calcium compounds provide good catalytic activity under certain conditions. Essentially, the calcium must be atomically dispersed throughout the char to obtain good activity. Potassium compounds tend to be mobile and distribute themselves during gasification even when applied to the coal in a dry, mechanical mixture. Calcium, in contrast, is poorly active unless it is very well dispersed by chemical reaction with the organic matter. For example, it is an active catalyst when it is transferred to acid sites in coal by ion exchange. Sufficient sites occur naturally in lower-rank coals, and some of these coals have undergone ion-exchange with calcium naturally. Such coals show high reactivities during gasification for this reason. Higher-rank coals have fewer ion-exchangeable acid sites, but these can be created by a mild air-oxidation. This paper describes the experimental techniques used, to develop low-cost, calcium catalysts for the steam gasification of coal and presents the results obtained in this work.
Proportionality of intracellular resistance changes and receptor potentials in hair-cell models

Russell and Sellick (Russell, I.J. and Sellick, P.M. (1978): J. Physiol. (London) 284, 261-290) reported measurements in guinea pig inner hair cells of d.c. resistance and d.c. potential changes in response to tones delivered to the tympanic membrane. They reported that d.c. potential changes were proportional to d.c. resistance changes for a broad range of tone levels and frequencies, and concluded that this result is inconsistent with the variable-resistance model proposed by Davis (Davis, H. (1958): Ann. Otol, Rhinol, Laryngol. 67, 789-801). We show that this proportionality is consistent with the model. Furthermore, we show that such proportionality is a special case of a general property of a model that is a generalization of the Davis model. Namely, we show that the time-varying receptor potential is proportional to the time-varying resistance change.
Treatment of Coexisting Diabetes and Hypertension

The rapidly growing number of patients with coexisting diabetes and hypertension must be intensively treated to protect them from their very high risk for premature cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. After careful ascertainment of their out-of-the-office blood pressure, and testing for postural hypotension, therapy should consist of both lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive drugs. Usually, two or more such drugs are needed to bring blood pressure below the 130/85 mm Hg level. In addition, control of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia is usually required. Despite the costs and difficulties of achieving adequate control of these diseases, such patients can be protected from the debilities of diabetes and hypertension.
An evaluation of the FIN 46R consolidation standard

Abstract The FASB is reconsidering several provisions related to FIN 46R. The FASB and the IASB are also reevaluating the concept of an “entity” in their conceptual framework project. This study investigates the financial statement impact of Financial Interpretation (FIN) 46R. In addition, we examine changes in firms’ risk profile using bond yields. Our findings suggest that the impact of FIN 46R was minimal and largely confined to the financial sector and the energy production sector. In addition, corporate risk was largely unaffected. These findings suggest that FIN 46R is not entirely effective at reducing off-balance sheet financing and manipulations.
The Wavenumber–Frequency Content of Resonantly Excited Equatorial Waves

AbstractThe theoretical resonant excitation of equatorial inertia–gravity waves and mixed Rossby–gravity waves is examined. Contrary to occasionally published expectations, solutions show that winds that are broadband in both zonal wavenumber and frequency do not in general produce peaks in the wavenumber–frequency spectrum of sea surface height (SSH) at wavenumbers associated with vanishing zonal group velocity.Excitation of total wave energy in inertia–gravity modes by broadband zonal winds is virtually wavenumber independent when the meridional structure of the winds does not impose a bias toward negative or positive zonal wavenumbers. With increasing wavenumber magnitude |k|, inertia–gravity waves asymptote toward zonally propagating pure gravity waves, in which the magnitude of meridional velocity υ becomes progressively smaller relative to the magnitude of zonal velocity u and pressure p. When the total wave energy is independent of wavenumber, this effect produces a peak in |υ|2 near the wavenumber...
Immunologic Aspects of DiGeorge Syndrome

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the immune defects seen in DiGeorge syndrome. 2. Review recommended immune testing and immune follow-up in patients with DiGeorge syndrome. 3. Review the indications for screening for DiGeorge syndrome. 4. Describe the variety of other congenital defects that can be associated with DiGeorge syndrome. 5. Review recommended anticipatory guidance for patients with DiGeorge syndrome. DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) is a contiguous field defect of the third and fourth pharyngeal pouches, most often due to a hemizygous microdeletion in the chromosome 22q11.2 region. Although classically defined as the triad of conotruncal cardiac anomaly, thymic hypoplasia, and hypocalcemia, the syndrome encompasses a broad spectrum of congenital defects that have varying degrees of severity. Speech delay and dysmorphic features are two of the most common and consistent findings. It shares phenotypic features with velocardiofacial syndrome, conotruncal anomaly face syndrome, Opitz-G syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, and cranio-cerebello-cardiac dysplasia syndrome. In some patients, these other syndromes are the result of the same 22q11.2 microdeletion and may represent variation in the presentation of DGS rather than separate syndromes. This review focuses on the immune defects seen in the patient population with hemizygous 22q11.2 microdeletion. The underlying defect of DGS is due to inadequate contribution of neural crest tissue to the third and fourth pharyngeal pouches that contribute to facial, cardiac, thymic, and parathyroid tissues. DGS can be caused by either genetic defects or environmental exposures in utero. Fetal exposure to ethanol, retinoids, and maternal diabetes can result in a clinical DGS phenotype. In more than 90% of patients, however, the syndrome results from hemizygosity at the chromosome 22q11.2 region (del22q11.2). In a small subset of patients, a deletion of 10p13 has been identified as the causative factor, as has monosomy 18q21.33 and trisomy 18. No genetic or environmental cause can be identified …
Review article: Child language acquisition and language change

Il s'avere que la psycholinguistique, et en particulier l'etude du developpement du langage, est devenue, d'un point de vue theorique, centrale a la resolution des problemes du changement linguistique. Les processus, par lesquels le locuteur acquiert et modifie une langue, doivent etre pris en compte pour rendre plausible les justifications du changement historique. L'A. etudie dans cet article critique deux contributions, rendant compte de cette problematique du pourquoi et du comment du changement linguistique. Le premier ouvrage, The development of language (D.Lightfoot, 1999), tente d'offrir un modele du changement langagier. Le second, Language creation and language change: creolization, diachrony and development (1999) est un recueil d'une trentaine d'articles, se concentrant sur la pertinence de l'acquisition du langage, en rapport avec le changement linguistique, a travers l'exemple de creolisations.
Preparation, Isolation and Electrochemical Characterization of Cobalt Porphyrins with Ru(NH3)52+ Complexes Coordinated to 4-Cyanophenyl Substituents in the 5, 10, 15 and 20 Positions on the Porphyrin Ring

A procedure has been devised by which quantitative coordination of Ru(NH3)52+ groups to the nitrile sites in [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-cyanophenyl)porphyrinato]cobalt(II) and [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-cyano-2,6-dimethylphenyl)porphyrinato]cobalt(II) can be achieved. The procedure takes advantage of the solubility of both [Ru(NH3)5(OSO2CF3)](CF3SO3)2 and either porphyrin in a mixed solvent consisting of 1,2-dimethoxyethane/N,N-dimethylacetamide (27:1 v/v). This new synthetic procedure allowed the fully ruthenated porphyrins to be isolated as solids in milligram quantities. The products were characterized using cyclic and rotating disk voltammetry and infrared and NMR spectroscopy.
Carnosol Delays Chemotherapy-Induced DNA Fragmentation and Morphological Changes Associated With Apoptosis in Leukemic Cells

Carnosol, from the herb rosemary, has been shown to induce apoptotic cell death in high-risk pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In the present study, carnosol was tested for its ability to sensitize leukemia cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Carnosol reduced the percentage of cell death in the pre-B ALL lines SEM, RS4;11, and REH when combined with cytarabine, methotrexate, or vincristine compared to the chemotherapeutic agents alone. Analysis of DNA strand breaks by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling showed that carnosol delayed DNA cleavage in the cells when combined with chemotherapeutic drugs. Co-treatment of the cells with carnosol and chemotherapeutic drugs did not reduce mitochondrial membrane depolarization compared to the drug treatment alone. Time course analysis of caspase-3 activation by flow cytometry showed co-treatment with carnosol and drugs increased the activation of caspase-3 above that observed for the chemotherapeutic drugs alone. A lower percentage of caspase-3 positive cells progressed to an apoptotic phenotype when co-treated with carnosol and the chemotherapeutic drugs compared to drugs alone. These data show that carnosol blocks the terminal apoptotic events induced by chemotherapeutic drugs and suggest that increased dietary intake of carnosol may potentially decrease the effectiveness of some standard chemotherapy treatments used for leukemia.
The misguided ethics of crossover trials.

Abstract Crossover is increasingly favored in trials of cancer therapies; even those that seek to establish the basic efficacy of novel drugs. Crossover is done in part for trial recruitment, but also out of a sense of doing the right thing—offering the investigational agent to more patients. In this paper, we argue that this ethical inclination—that crossover is a preferred trial choice—is misguided. In seeking to sate the desires of participants, we might undermine a trial's ability to answer a meaningful clinical question. When a trial is incapable of answering a question, it becomes unethical. Using a crossover strategy in oncology clinical trials can make trials less ethical, not more.
Personal-computer based digital and analog VLSI design laboratories

A goal in the Electrical Engineering Division at Alfred has been to expand the VLSI curriculum to a pyramid of courses structured to teach the students VLSI design from several aspects. Emphasis of the new VLSI design curriculum is on design methodologies and specific applied design paradigms. The VLSI tools are used solely on personal computers, and the courses are designed so the instructor can teach the laboratories with little or no computer technical assistance. The laboratories are designed so that 1-2 faculty can be used with help from workstudy students. The introductory course is offered to both juniors and seniors. Students taking the course in their junior year have the advantage of more detailed VLSI design experience in their senior year. Expansion of VLSI design increases the student's proficiency in analog design using full custom design and digital design using synthesis tools and Verilog HDL. In the VLSI special topics course, student work as a single group on a design problem and emphasis is on design methodologies, time to market strategies, design for testability and design for quality.
Assessing the efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of assistive technology interventions for enhancing mobility.

Purpose. The aim of this paper is to highlight the contributions that complementary efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness studies can make to assessing the outcomes of assistive technology interventions for enhancing mobility.Method. The terms, ‘assistive technology outcomes research’ and ‘assistive technology interventions’, are defined. Several bases are examined for the shortage of outcomes research pertaining to mobility-related assistive technology interventions. Three presuppositions are described for the research strategy of interlocking studies being recommended. They are assigning priority to evaluating both recently developed assistive technologies and ones that have long been available, acknowledging the complexity of assistive technology as an intervention, and appreciating the trade-offs necessary for strengthening studies' internal and external validity. Some key study preparations are considered, including treatment theory, treatment specification, and the selection of outcome dom...
Opioid-monoamine interactions in spinal antinociception: evidence for serotonin but not norepinephrine reciprocity.

Abstract Anatomical and electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that enkephalinergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic pathways projecting from the brain-stem to the dorsal horn inhibit nociceptive transmission at the spinal level. Previous attempts to delineate interactions between opioids, norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5-HT) in the production of spinal analgesia have produced conflicting results. The present study determined the effect of intrathecal (i.t.) pretreatment with opioid, NE, and 5-HT antagonists upon i.t. monoamine- and morphine-induced antinociception as assessed with the rat tail-flick model. Naloxone, at a dose which antagonized i.t. morphine analgesia, had no effect upon i.t. NE but inhibited i.t. 5-HT antinociception. Corynanthine or yohimbine (NE antagonists) reduced analgesia elicited by i.t. NE but not morphine, while pretreatment with methysergide or ketanserin (5-HT antagonists) attenuated both i.t. 5-HT- and morphine-induced antinociception. These results suggest that 1. (1) an opioid link mediates spinal 5-HT but not NE antinociception, and 2. (2) 5-HT but not NE participates in spinal morphine analgesia.
HIGHER-ORDER CONTRIBUTIONS TO $mu$ DECAY IN A SPONTANEOUSLY BROKEN GAUGE MODEL.

The one-loop contributions to $\ensuremath{\mu}$ decay are calculated in Weinberg's model of the weak and electromagnetic interactions of leptons. The higher-order weak contributions are shown to be finite in this model, despite the high order of divergence of individual Feynman graphs. Thus this calculation is practical evidence in favor of the renormalizability of spontaneously broken gauge theories. The electromagnetic corrections to $\ensuremath{\mu}$ decay are finite after renormalization in the Weinberg model. The renormalized higher-order weak corrections do not affect the shape of the final electron spectrum. The effect on the $\ensuremath{\mu}$ decay rate is of the same order of magnitude as the electromagnetic correction, \ensuremath{\sim}\textonehalf{}%. Since this is effectively just a small "renormalization" of the weak coupling constant, it appears to be impossible to detect this effect experimentally unless other weak processes can be calculated and measured with comparable precision. The calculation is done by evaluating Feynman graphs dispersively. This calculational technique may be of interest in further work with spontaneously broken gauge theories.
Thermal Transitions in Gelatinized Wheat Starch at Different Moisture Contents by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

Gelatinized starch was analyzed by DMA and the resulting overlapped tan 5 curve was characterized. At high moisture contents (>30% w/w), transitions around ice melting region of tan 5 peak (>50°C wide) showed skewness at the low temperature side. After deconvolution, a symmetrical, sharp, main peak was correlated with the ice melting endotherm but the cause of the lower temperature asymmetrical peak was not identified. At <30% moisture, two deconvoluted Gaussian peaks indicated at least two separate, broadly distributed domains (slightly frequency dependent). Transitions (other than ice melting), if caused by glassy rubbery transitions, were small in tan 5 and broad (50–100°C wide).
MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Proteins and Lipids in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Reducing the incidence and mortality rates for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains a significant clinical challenge with poor 5-year survival rates. A unique tissue cohort was assembled of matched ccRCC and distal non-tumor tissues (n=20) associated with moderate risk of disease progression, half of these from individuals who progressed to metastatic disease and the other half who remained disease free. These tissues were used for MALDI imaging mass spectrometry profiling of proteins in the 2–20 kDa range, resulting in a panel of 108 proteins that had potential disease specific expression patterns. Protein lysates from the same tissues were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry, resulting in identification of 56 proteins of less than 20 kDa molecular weight. The same tissues were also used for global lipid profiling analysis by MALDI-FTICR mass spectrometry. From the cumulative protein and lipid expression profile data, a refined panel of 26 proteins and 39 lipid species were identified that could either distinguish tumor from non-tumor tissues, or tissues from recurrent disease progressors from non-recurrent disease individuals. This approach has the potential to not only improve prognostic assessment and enhance post-operative surveillance, but also to inform on the underlying biology of ccRCC progression.
MyBus: helping bus riders make informed decisions

The Smart Trek Model Deployment Initiative, a US Department of Transportation-funded intelligent transportation systems program in the Puget Sound region, has made great strides in integrating and disseminating traveler information. The initiative focuses on real time information to help travelers make informed decisions about their travel options. The Smart Trek project has brought about a variety of real time transit information applications. One of these is MyBus, which makes departure predictions and delivers traveler information to Web browsers and cell phones. MyBus aims to present to riders, in real time, the predicted departure times of buses at specific locations throughout a transit region. King County Metro, Seattle's transit agency, operates a large fleet. Up to 1200 vehicles are in service simultaneously, departing from over 1000 locations. MyBus predicts approximately 210000 weekday and 140000 weekend scheduled departure events. This is over a million departure predictions per week. MyBus has shown that predictions on this scale are feasible and manageable. Several technologies are central to the success of MyBus. A common format for the transit agency schedule and spatial data was crucial, letting us redeploy the Seattle pilot project with data from the Portland Tri-Met transit agency with minimal effort. The format we chose was a database schema based directly on the Transit Communications Interface Profiles standards.