cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Hydrodynamical Performance of Migratory Salmon

The annual spawning migration of Pacific Coast salmon up the Columbia and Amur rivers has been analysed as an experiment on the maximum range of an unefuelled vehicle, since the fish do not eat during this migration. The fuel (primarily fat) available to real fish is compared to that computed for an equivalent rigid vehicle with the following performance specifications which may be regarded as optimum ones for marine vehicles. 1. A choice for the speed of ascent against the average river current corresponding to the least fuel consumption, without seeking systematically either low- or highvelocity water. 2. A drag coefficient corresponding to a turbulent boundary layer with no separation. 3. An overall efficiency of 24% for converting the heat of combustion of the fuel to directed kinetic energy in the wake. Under these assumptions, the vehicles usually require slightly more fuel than the corresponding fish which they are intended to approximate; in the case of blueback salmon, the vehicle requires about five times as much. One, therefore, concludes that the fish have a performance superior to that of the best engineered rigid vehicles, as defined and operated under the above three specifications. Suggested explanations for the apparently superior performance of the fish are: (1) a deliberate seeking, by the fish, of low-velocity water close to the bottom or shoreline; (2) the ability of the fish to maintain a laminar rather than turbulent boundary layer; (3) the ability of the fish to extract energy from the turbulent velocity fluctuationsof the river. Analysis of salmon counts over the Bonneville and Rock Island dams on the Columbia River shows that the average velocity of the fish upstream is influenced by the velocity of the water downstream in the following peculiar fashion, depending upon whether one considers water-velocity variations through the course of a year, or variations at a fixed season of the year, from one year to the next. The general effect of the water velocity as it varies through a year, is to slow the fish down when the water velocity is large (at the June flood peak) and to permit faster ascent when the water velocity is less, in both preceding and following months. But at a fixed season of the year, prior to the flood peak in June, relatively high-velocity water speeds the fish up. At a fixed season after the flood peak, relatively high-velocity water slows them down. These relationships are in agreement with other biological observations and with an analysis of navigation for minimum fuel consumption. Data and methods are given permitting a calculation of the average water velocity in the Columbia River, from the mouth to the headwaters, for any season of the year.
Do accruals exacerbate information asymmetry in the market

Abstract A considerable body of evidence, both archival and experimental, suggests that accounting accruals are heterogeneously interpreted by investors. We examine whether the information asymmetry among investors arising from this heterogeneous interpretation, implied in these empirical results, affects transactions costs in the form of the adverse selection component of the bid–ask spread. We examine this impact both, in a yearly setting and around the first release of quarterly accrual information. The results of the study provide empirical evidence of a positive association between the adverse selection component and accruals in the yearly analysis. Since wider bid–ask spreads are both theoretically and empirically linked to higher stock returns (Brennan & Subrahmanyam, 1996), our results provide a transaction cost basis for understanding one possible factor underlying the linkage between accruals and cost of equity capital, and accruals and information risk pricing as documented in Francis et al. (2005) and Ecker et al. (2006).
Non-combat military service in the United States and its effects on depressive symptoms among men

A large body of research has established that combat has negative effects on the mental health of soldiers, resulting in PTSD and a wide range of related mental health problems. However, very little research examines what effects non-combat military service may have on the mental health of men. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) we show that men who serve on active duty, and do not see combat, are less likely to experience depressive symptoms than their nonveteran and reserve duty counterparts, although this effect tends to dissipate after discharge from the military. We suggest several mechanisms through which active duty military service may act to reduce the likelihood of developing depressive symptoms.
Plasma electrode pockels cell for ICF lasers

In a plasma-electrode Pockels cell (PEPC), plasma discharges serve as transparent electrodes on each side of, an electrooptic crystal such as KDP. These plasmas facilitate rapid and uniform charging and discharging of the crystal. The authors describe PEPC technology deployed on Beamlet and envisioned for the National Ignition Facility. Performance on Beamlet is discussed in detail. They also discuss models which have shed light on PEPC operation. These models describe both the high-voltage sheath that forms near the crystal surface and the characteristics of the bulk plasma column.
Enhanced rate of ethanol production from D-xylose using recycled or immobilized cells of Pachysolen tannophilus

Enhanced rates of ethanol production byPachysolen tannophilus from D-xylose were obtained by performing the fermentation with recycled cells in suspension culture or immobilized in a Ca-alginate gel. Fermentation under these conditions did not require aeration. Increasing temperature from 30 to 37°C enhanced the amount of ethanol produced in 24 hours from the recycled or the immobilized cells.
Relationships of deer mouse movement, vegetative structure, and prevalence of infection with Sin Nombre virus.

The effects of vegetative structure on movement of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were examined in two distinct vegetation associations, one near Hesperus and the other near Molina in western Colorado (USA) from June–October 1994 to October 1998. We monitored movement by live-trapping small mammals within Gambel's oak/mixed-grass (Hesperus) and sage brush/juniper (Molina) vegetation types. Vegetative structure differed between the sites with Molina having more cover provided by shrubs and Hesperus having more cover provided by forbs. Adult male deer mice moved greater distances at Hesperus than at Molina. Sub-adult males tended to move greater distances than did adult females. Relative abundances of deer mice tended to differ by season, but the average relative abundance of deer mice was greater at Molina. Long-term prevalence of infection with SNV was greater at Hesperus and was greatest in adult males at Hesperus (36.1%). Adult males at Molina exhibited a prevalence of infection with SNV of 25.0%. I...
A method of applying fibrin sealant using an atomizing needle

A needle modification is described that enables fibrin sealant to be applied as a fine spray to the operative site. The techniques for modification and use of the needle are presented.
The forbidden fuel: Charcoal, urban woodfuel demand and supply dynamics, community forest management and woodfuel policy in Malawi

Abstract This article examines woodfuel policy challenges and opportunities in Malawi two decades after woodfuel-crisis narratives and counter-narratives. A nuanced examination of woodfuel supply, demand, use, and markets illuminated options to turn stagnant policies based on charcoal ‘bans’ and fuel-substitution into proactive, realistic ones acknowledging woodfuel dominance and its socio-economic importance. Findings revealed growing, spatially differentiated woodfuel deficits in southern and central Malawi and around Blantyre, Zomba and Lilongwe cities. Poverty, limited electricity access, reliability and generation exacerbated by tariff subsidies, and complex fuel-allocation decisions restricted energy-ladder transitions from woodfuels to electricity, producing an enduring urban-energy mix dominated by charcoal, thereby increasing wood consumption. Diverse socio-political interests prevented lifting of the charcoal ‘ban’ despite progressive forest laws. Despite implementation challenges, lessons already learnt, efficiency and poverty-reduction arguments, limited government capacity, growing illegal production of charcoal in forest reserves, and its staying power, make targeted community-based forest management (CBFM) approaches more practical for regulated, commercial production of woodfuels than the status quo. New differentiated policies should include commercial woodfuel production and licensing for revenue and ecological sustainability under CBFM or concessions within and outside selected reserves, an enterprise-based approaches for poverty reduction, smallholder/private tree-growing, woodfuel-energy conserving technologies, improved electricity supply and agricultural productivity.
Mechanisms of slope failure on Pyramid Mountain, a subglacial volcano in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia

Pyramid Mountain is a subglacial volcano in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia. Landslides deform the north and east flanks of the volcano. Field strength testing and rock ...
Brane boxes, anomalies, bending, and tadpoles

Certain classes of chiral four-dimensional gauge theories may be obtained as the world volume theories of D5-branes are suspended between networks of NS5-branes, the so-called brane box models. In this paper, we derive the stringy consistency conditions placed on these models, and show that they are equivalent to an anomaly cancellation of the gauge theories. We derive these conditions in the orbifold theories which are {ital T} dual to the elliptic brane box models. Specifically, we show that the expression for tadpoles for unphysical twisted Ramond-Ramond 4-form fields in the orbifold theory are proportional to the gauge anomalies of the brane box theory. Thus string consistency is equivalent to world volume gauge anomaly cancellation. Furthermore, we find additional cylinder amplitudes which give the {beta} functions of the gauge theory. We show how these correspond to bending of the NS-branes in the brane box theory. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Novel future therapeutic options in myasthenia gravis

Abstract Background Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease caused by complement-fixing antibodies against the acetylcholine receptors (AChR). Antigen-specific CD4 + T cells, Tregs and Th17 + are also necessary. Consequently, antibodies, B cells, molecules associated with signalling pathways on T helper cells, cytokines and complement are targets for more specific treatment options. Objectives Because available immunosuppressive therapies cause unacceptable side effects after long-term use or are not always effective in inducing remission, novel biological agents directed against the following targets might be options for future therapies in MG: 1) T cell Intracellular Signaling Pathways associated with T cell activation, such as monoclonal antibodies against CD52, Interleukin 2-receptor (IL-2 R), co-stimulatory molecules or compounds inhibiting Janus tyrosine kinases JAK1, JAK3; 2) B cells, against key B cell-surface molecules or trophic factors B cell activation factor (BAFF) and a proliferating inducing ligand (APRIL); 3) Complement, against C3 or C5 that intercept membranolytic attack complex formation; 4) Cytokines and cytokine receptors, including IL-6, IL-17, the p40 subunit of IL12/1L-23, and GM-CSF; and 5) Lymphocyte migration molecules. Construction of recombinant AChR antibodies that block the binding of the pathogenic antibodies, can be a future molecular tool. Conclusion New biological agents are in the offing for future therapies in MG. Their efficacy needs to be secured with vigorously controlled clinical trials and weighted against excessive cost and rare complications.
Constructing the self through modification of convention in computer‐mediated environments

There exists a belief that the modern world, in which computers are so prevalent, “radically alters the nature of day‐to‐day social life and affects the most personal aspects of our experience” (Giddens, 1991, p. 1). Such a belief has been reflected in recent literature, suggesting that the on‐line world is one characterized by creative and innovative behavior. This research addresses the issue of how participants construct identity given technological advances that allow for participatory behavior no longer subject to the same physical or moral constraints found face‐to‐face. Findings suggest that the individual choice inherent in strategic use of programmed convention is not in fact welcome behavior. Virtual spaces emerge as being about far more than what individuals can do there based on technology. Such worlds are also apparently embedded in a larger set of cultural practices carried over from traditional face‐to‐face contexts.
A Mobile Tailgating Detection System for Law Enforcement Surveillance

A number of automotive crashes occur each year due to semitrailers following passenger vehicles too closely on interstate highways and secondary roads. This hazardous practice, called tailgating, accounted for over 40% of the 110,000 trailer-passenger vehicle crashes recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2010. Tailgating is difficult to detect and document using visual methods and law enforcement agencies must depend on trained officers, whose abilities may be limited. In this paper, a proposed tailgating detection system, mounted to the officer’s patrol vehicle, continuously monitors both passenger and commercial vehicles, as the officer travels down the roadway. A rotating laser range-finding sensor feeds information to a microprocessor that continuously searches for the occurrence of tailgating. A weighting algorithm determines when a tailgating event has definitively occurred to reduce system sensitivity. If an event is detected, the officer is notified with audio and visual cues. A time stamped record including all relevant system information for later use in legal prosecution is also produced. In a virtual case study, the computer generated roadway environment was populated with vehicles of varying velocity and location. The numerical results show that the detection algorithm was able to successfully locate all of the virtual vehicles and accurately determine tailgating events under a number of different simulation conditions.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The structure(s) of racial attitudes among White college students

Abstract In this study, the notion of racism is reviewed and defined. Recent research has proposed at least three structures to Whites’ racial attitudes: A one-dimensional structure in which racism is treated as a whole; target-based factors in which racism towards one target group might be different than racism towards another target; and function-based factors in which there are different aspects of racism towards a given target group. In this study, student responses to a measure of racism are used to test the three models. A three-factor solution provides the best explanation of the data, suggesting distinct, but interrelated views towards intimate interracial relationships, towards social relationships, and towards macro-social/political phenomena. These findings have both theoretical and policy implications.
Congress of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) in Barcelona.

The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology held its twelfth national congress on 21-23 October 2009. In Spain, the specialty of Medical Oncology started almost 30 years ago, and essentially all medical oncologists and oncologists in training are members of SEOM, which now has more than 1200 members. The majority of medicines for cancer therapies are administered and investigated in Spain by medical oncologists, a situation that is slightly different to that in other countries in Europe, where several specialties may be implicated. This makes SEOM a very participative society, which is becoming increasingly infl uential in Spanish public opinion. The SEOM meeting in 2009 was an outstanding success. There was a 29% increase in the number of attendees with respect to the last meeting, reaching more than 1100 participants. This is quite remarkable in the context of a global crisis and indicates Spanish oncologists’ interest in the meeting. More than 450 abstracts were submitted this year and there were 150 speakers. Some of the innovations of the 2009 meeting included specifi c training sessions for residents and fellows, and sessions dedicated to clinical trial organisation and data management. Two of the opening session lectures dealt with history. First, the new book History of Medical Oncology in Spain was presented and, after that, the role of the former SEOM president Pau Viladiu in breast cancer research was reviewed. The Presidential Session had three presentations by outstanding Spanish Oncologists that showed the audience the extraordinary level and worldwide infl uence of Spanish research. This year, the SEOM meeting had two Multidisciplinary Symposia, one about tumours of the CNS and one about colorectal cancer liver metastases. Specialists from Radiation Therapy, Pathology, Imaging, Surgery and Neurology participated in these sessions. During the meeting, SEOM awarded prizes for clinical research in cancer and other categories such as prizes for information about cancer, with a total of €400,000. A novel experience in this meeting was the organisation of a session in which 14 of the Spanish cooperative groups of cancer research showed their achievements and plans for the future. The number of cancer patients that have participated in one of the studies of the Spanish cooperative groups is approaching 100,000, which is an outstanding achievement. In conclusion, the 2009 meeting of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology showed the vitality of the specialty and the progress of the SEOM. The future of Medical Oncology in Spain looks bright and encouraging.
Magnetic Form Factor of Cobalt

Preliminary results on the magnetic form fuctor of the face-centered cubic phase of metallic cobalt which indicate a deviation from spherical symmetry for its 3d electrons are given. The results of the measurements are graphically shown and tabulated. (A.C.)
The infrared spectra of the trimethylplatinum compounds

Abstract The infrared spectra of the trimethylplatinum compounds were studied in order to correlate the observed spectra with the known structures of these compounds. However, this could not be done because the spectra consisted entirely of the CH stretching and bending vibrations of the methyl group and the hydroxyl group in the case of the halides and hydroxide, and the methyl group and uncoupled ligand vibrations in the case of the ammonia and pyridine complexes. No bands were observed which could be classed as vibrations of the molecule as a whole. The spectra of the halotrimethylplatinum compounds showed similarities to those of the methyl halides.
Interactions of merocyanine 540 with human brain tumor cells

Merocyanine 540 (MC 540), a photosensitizing dye, has been used in preclinical studies and in a phase I clinical trial for the purging of leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma cells from bone marrow grafts. We evaluated MC 540 as an agent for the inactivation of brain tumor cell lines of medulloblastoma or glioma origin. The U373 glioma and 74SA medulloblastoma demonstrated significantly reduced survival as determined by in vitro clonogenic assay compared to normal glial cells when exposed to MC 540 and light. U87 glioma and Daoy medulloblastoma, however, were less sensitive than normal glial cells to MC 540 photoinactivation. In vivo injection of MC 540 into mice with malignant brain tumors disclosed greater dye incorporation into the malignant tissue compared with normal control mice brains or normal tissue surrounding the brain tumor. Increased uptake of MC 540 was observed in mice injected with either photosensitive (U373 and 74SA) or photoresistant (Daoy) cell lines. These data suggest that MC 540 may be an effective agent against certain brain tumors and that dye uptake in vivo does not reflect photosensitivity.
Polyamine-like effects of aminoglycosides on various messenger-indenpendent protein kinase reactions

Abstract Gentamicin and several other aminoglycoside antibiotics in millimolar concentrations directly stimulate the phosphorylation of casein by purified preparations of cAMP- and Ca 2+ -indenpendent protein kinases PK-C2 (equivalent to cytosolic casein kinase II) and its nuclear counterpart PK-N2 from rat liver and ventral prostate. These stimulatory effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics were similar to those exerted by the aliphatic polyamine spermine. Phosphorylation of casein by purified preparations of messenger-independent protein kinases PK-C1 (equivalent to cytosolic casein kinase I) and its nuclear counterpart PK-N1 was much less enhanced by spermine and the aminoglycoside antibiotics tested. Stimulations of PK-N2 reactions evoked by gentamicin or spermine (at 0.5 and 1.0 mM) were not additive. Several amino sugars tested were without effect on these protein kinases. Methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) which is known to block the stimulatory effects of polyamines on certain other enzymes did not alter spermine-stimulated phosphorylation of casein catalyzed by PK-N2 preparations.
A Rapid Modified Method for Compositional Carbohydrate Analysis of Lignocellulosics by High pH Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC/PAD)

Abstract During the last decade, high pH anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC/PAC) has gained increasing acceptance as the method of choice for analysis of neutral sugars commonly occurring in woods, pulps, and other lignocellulosics. This paper describes modified chromatographic conditions and discusses other critical factors that improve the precision and efficiency of this application. The method involves a controlled loading of acetate onto the column prior to equilibration with water and injection of sample. In-line solid-phase extraction is used to remove hydrophobic substances that have the potential to foul the analytical column. Critical operational parameters for the successful application of the method include a metal-free flowpath and a consistent application of anions with sample. Resolution of rhamnose is achieved while maintaining the resolution of xylose and mannose. Simplified sample pretreatment allows a ca. five-fold increase in sample through-put comp...
Perturbation response and pinch-off of vortex rings and dipoles

The nonlinear perturbation response of two families of vortices, the Norbury family of axisymmetric vortex rings and the Pierrehumbert family of two-dimensional vortex pairs, is considered. Members of both families are subjected to prolate shape perturbations similar to those previously introduced to Hill’s spherical vortex, and their response is computed using contour dynamics algorithms. The response of the entire Norbury family to this class of perturbations is considered, in order to bridge the gap between past observations of the behaviour of thin-cored members of the family and that of Hill’s spherical vortex. The behaviour of the Norbury family is contrasted with the response of the analogous two-dimensional family of Pierrehumbert vortex pairs. It is found that the Norbury family exhibits a change in perturbation response as members of the family with progressively thicker cores are considered. Thin-cored vortices are found to undergo quasi-periodic deformations of the core shape, but detrain no circulation into their wake. In contrast, thicker-cored Norbury vortices are found to detrain excess rotational fluid into a trailing vortex tail. This behaviour is found to be in agreement with previous results for Hill’s spherical vortex, as well as with observations of pinch-off of experimentally generated vortex rings at long formation times. In contrast, the detrainment of circulation that is characteristic of pinch-off is not observed for Pierrehumbert vortex pairs of any core size. These observations are in agreement with recent studies that contrast the formation of vortices in two and three dimensions. We hypothesize that transitions in vortex formation, such as those occurring between wake shedding modes and in vortex pinch-off more generally, might be understood and possibly predicted based on the observed perturbation responses of forming vortex rings or dipoles.
Structural Dynamics in Chloroperoxidase: A Photoacoustic Study

Chloroperoxidase (CPO) is the most versatile heme containing enzyme that exhibits peroxidase, catalase, halogenase and monooxigenase activities. The heme iron coordination resembles to P450s enzymes whereas the composition of the distal pocket is more polar, containing Glu183 hydrogen bounded to His 105 and the heme pocket is connected with the surrounding solvent by two hydrophobic channels. To investigate the ligand-protein interactions in CPO we have employed time-resolved photoacoustic calorimetry and transient absorption study. Unlike other peroxidases, the CO photo-dissociation from CPO can be described as a two step process with distinct volume and enthalpy changes. The photodissociation of Fe-CO bond is associated with negligible volume change (V = 1 ± 8 mL mol−1 ) and a positive enthalpy change (H = 48 ± 34 kcal mol−1). Subsequent CO escape from the protein matrix is characterized by a positive volume change (25 ± 8 mL mol−1) and insignificant enthalpy change (−2 ± 33 kcal mol−1) and occurs with a lifetime of ∼ 20 ns. Similar thermodynamic parameters were found in D2O at pD 4.6 but the CO photo-release occurs two times slower (∼ 50 ns) than in phosphate buffer. Presence of substrates (halides or cyclopentanedione) did not show a significant impact on the thermodynamic profiles associated with the ligand dissociation.
Fluorescence yields of N,N′-dimyristoylindigo: effect of solvent polarity

Abstract The fluorescence yields at room temperature of the hydrophobic indigo derivative N,N′ -dimyristoylindigo have been measured in 14 organic solvents. Like the trans → cis photoisomerization quantum yields reported in our earlier publication (G. R. Seely and E.R. Shaw, J. Photochem. , 24 (1984) 383), the fluorescence yields vary with the polarity of the solvent, being greatest in hydrocarbons and least in highly polar solvents. There is in fact a near proportionality between these two yields. There is also a broadly linear relation between the Stokes shift and the polarity of the solvent as expressed by the equation of Bilot and Kawski. It is argued that it is the rate of internal conversion that is sensitive to solvent polarity and that strong multipolar forces between the excited indigo and the solvent molecules surrounding it are responsible for accelerating this rate in polar solvents.
A protein in crude cytosol regulates glucose-6-phosphatase activity in crude microsomes to regulate group size in Dictyostelium.

Dictyostelium discoideum form groups of ∼2 × 104 cells. The group size is regulated in part by a negative feedback pathway mediated by a secreted multipolypeptide complex called counting factor (CF). The CF signal transduction pathway involves CF-repressing internal glucose levels by increasing the Km of glucose-6-phosphatase. Little is known about how this enzyme is regulated. Glucose-6-phosphatase is associated with microsomes in both Dictyostelium and mammals. We find that the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in crude microsomes from cells with high, normal, or low CF activity had a negative correlation with the amount of CF present in these cell lines. In crude cytosols (supernatants from ultracentrifugation of cell lysates), the glucose-6-phosphatase activity had a positive correlation with CF accumulation. The crude cytosols were further fractionated into a fraction containing molecules greater than 10 kDa (S>10K) and molecules less than 10 KDa (S 10K from wild-type cells strongly repressed the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in wild-type microsomes, whereas S>10K from countin– cells (cells with low CF activity) significantly increased the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase in wild-type microsomes by decreasing Km. The regulatory activities in the wild-type and countin– S>10Ks are heat-labile and protease-sensitive, suggesting that they are proteins. S
Screening for spiritual distress in the oncology inpatient: a quality improvement pilot project between nurses and chaplains.

Aims A quality improvement initiative of nursing/chaplain collaboration on the early identification and referral of oncology patients at risk of spiritual distress. Background Research shows that spiritual distress may compromise patient health outcomes. These patients are often under-identified, and chaplaincy staffing is not sufficient to assess every patient. The current nursing admission form with a question of ‘Any spiritual practices that may affect your care?’ is ineffective in screening for spiritual distress. Method(s) Ten nurses on the oncology unit were recruited and trained in a two-question screening tool to be utilized upon admission. Results Six nurses made referrals; a total of 14 patients. Four (28%) were at risk of spiritual distress and were assessed by the chaplains. Conclusions Nurses are interested in the spiritual well-being of their patients and observe spiritual distress. They appreciate terminology/procedures by which they can assess more productively the spiritual needs of their patients and make appropriate chaplain referrals. Implications for nursing management The use of a brief spiritual screening protocol can improve nursing referrals to chaplains. The better utilization of chaplains that this enables can improve patient trust and satisfaction with their overall care and potentially reduce the harmful effects of spiritual distress.
Positrons in metals: A real-space approach

A new, simple method for treating the short-range correlations in a one-positron, many-electron system is proposed. The method puts the emphasis on a real-space representation of wave functions. Our ultimate goal is to apply this method to situations in which the electron density is nonuniform, such as a metallic surface. In the present paper, we concentrate on the case of a uniform electron gas, which provides a useful test of the method. Our results for the total annihilation rate are well behaved at all densities, tend to the positronium limit at low density, and agree with experiment for simple metals. We show that the total rate is insensitive to electron-electron correlations, although such correlations could affect the momentum dependence of the partial annihilation rate measured in angular-correlation experiments. The extension of the method to nonuniform systems is briefly sketched.
MIXING IN JOSEPHSON TUNNEL JUNCTIONS.

Abstract Current structures at voltages corresponding to the mixing of RF field and junction resonant modes have been observed in strong-coupling Josephson junctions.
⁎4566 Tumor versus pseudotumor?: a prospective study of factors associated with missed cancers and nondiagnostic eus/fna in patients with pancreaticobilary lesions.

EUS/FNA is an accurate method of diagnosing pancreatico-biliary cancer (CA) but missed lesions have been reported. AIMS: 1) To evaluate the factors associated with non-diagnostic EUS/FNA and missed CA. 2) To determine the accuracy of EUS/FNA in diagnosing CA in chronic pancreatitis (CP) and the yield of adding FNA to EUS. METHODS: The history, CT scan, cytology, and pathology results were prospectively evaluated in patients (pts) with a suspicion of a pancreatico-biliary CA. The EUS diagnoses and technical aspects of FNA were recorded. EUS/FNA was performed with a 22-gauge needle and on-site cytologist. Final diagnoses were determined by surgery, repeat EUS/FNA (21 pts), or clinical follow-up. RESULTS: 232 pts underwent EUS, 129 had EUS/FNA, and 79 had surgery. 81 tumors were diagnosed (71 adenoCA, 1 acinar cell CA, 6 islet cell, 1 lymphoma). 1 CA with no mass by CT or EUS was found by random EUS/FNA passes. The EUS false negative rate for tumor was 3.7% (96% sensitivity). There were 2 missed adenoCA without a mass and 1 islet cell tumor misdiagnosed as pancreas divisum and CP. All were not evident by prior radiologic tests. 1 adenoCA was missed by surgical exploration and diagnosed only by random biopsies at a second operation. The EUS false positive rate was 9% (96% specificity) due to focal CP (n=5), primary sclerosing cholangitis (n=1), and pancreatic hamartoma (n=1). FNA gave a correct histologic diagnosis in all but 9 adenoCA (84% sensitivity). 3 of these had prior nondiagnostic CT-guided FNA. 7 were unresectable. 6 had firm or hard masses and all but 1 had inadequate specimens despite 6-12 passes. 1 mass was not seen well during EUS/FNA. 1 neuroendocrine tumor was misdiagnosed by EUS/FNA as an adenoCA (98% specificity). Nondiagnostic EUS/FNA for CA was not significantly associated with acute or chronic pancreatitis, pancreas divisum, mass location, tumor differentiation, or difficulty penetrating the lesion. 48 pts had CP;38% had a mass at EUS (12 with CA). 27% of EUS/FNA specimens from tumors in CP were inadequate. CP lowered the sensitivity of EUS/FNA for CA(87% to 80%). Although specificity was high (97%), FNA did not improve EUS accuracy for CA in CP (92%) or in its absence. CONCLUSION: EUS alone is highly accurate for the diagnosis of CA. FNA provides a specific histologic diagnosis but does not increase EUS accuracy in CP. Cancers missed by EUS are infiltrating lesions without a distinct mass and FNA should be performed if suspicion is high.
Maternal effects on egg investment and offspring performance in black widow spiders

Maternal effects are powerful forces of adaptive evolution but their widespread implications, especially in human-disturbed environments, are still being realized. Here we examine the role of maternal effects in shaping fitness-related behaviour and life-history traits in black widow spiders, Latrodectus hesperus. We test the prediction that adult foraging success shapes maternal body condition, fecundity and egg investment, and that maternal prey abundance has a positive, cross-generational effect on a number of important offspring traits. Our results suggest that maternal foraging success is indeed translated into positive effects on maternal body condition, eggsac mass, egg number, egg mass, egg size, egg density and development rate. Maternal feeding had no effect on sibling cannibalism. Interestingly, despite the statistically significant effects of maternal food regime on offspring parameters listed above, some mothers in the high-food treatment nevertheless made low-density eggs and some mothers in the low-food treatment made high-density eggs. Thus, maternal egg investment, and several other life-history variables, were influenced by a family effect that cannot be explained solely by our manipulation of maternal foraging. For example, a strong effect of family on the latency to sibling cannibalism, in the absence of any link between maternal food regime, egg density and cannibalism, suggests that direct genetic effects, rather than maternal effects, may explain this fitness-related behavioural trait. We discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of the behaviour, ecology and evolution of this and other arthropods, with particular reference to the possibility that maternal effects may facilitate rapid evolution to human-disturbed habitats.
The hippocampus and inhibitory learning: a ‘Gray’ area?

Gray's approach to understanding hippocampal functioning [The Neuropsychology of Anxiety: An Enquiry into the Function of the Septo-hippocampal System, 1982; The Neuropsychology of Anxiety, 2000] departs from the prevailing view of that structure as a substrate for memory. Instead, Gray and McNaughton have proposed that hippocampus is involved with a function that is more fundamental than memory, namely the resolution of conflict between competing approach and avoidance tendencies. The present paper attempts to advance this perspective by describing how the effects of selective lesions of the hippocampus on performance in both relatively simple Pavlovian conditioning tasks and in more complex radial maze problems could be a consequence of an impairment in a simple form of inhibitory learning. Specifically, we consider the idea that the hippocampus is needed to form simple inhibitory associations between events that are concurrently embedded in simple excitatory associations [Behav Brain Res 119 (2001) 111]. This idea is compared with the conflict resolution hypothesis offered by Gray and McNaughton and avenues of integration are noted. In addition, the potential role for inhibitory learning in hippocampal-dependent spatial and contextual information processing is also discussed.
Oxidative signaling in renal epithelium: Critical role of cytosolic phospholipase A2 and p38SAPK

Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated a critical role of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and arachidonic acid in angiotensin II (Ang II) AT2 receptor-mediated signal transduction in renal epithelium. In primary proximal tubular epithelial cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), both the selective cPLA2 inhibitors and the cPLA2 antisense oligonucleotides significantly attenuated H2O2-induced arachidonic acid liberation and activation of p38(SAPK), ERK1/2, and Akt1. This H2O2-induced kinase activation was significantly attenuated by a Src kinase inhibitor PP2, or by transient transfection of carboxyl-terminal Src kinase (CSK) that maintained Src in the dormant form. Under basal conditions, Src coimmunoprecipitated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), while H2O2 increased EGFR phosphorylation in the complex. We observed that inhibition of EGFR kinase activity with AG1478 significantly attenuated H2O2-induced p38(SAPK) and ERK1/2 activation, but did not inhibit Akt1 activation. Furthermore, it seems that p38(SAPK) is upstream of ERK1/2 and Akt1, since a p38(SAPK) inhibitor SB203580 significantly blocked H2O2-induced activation of ERK1/2 and Akt1. Interestingly, overexpression of the dominant-negative p38(SAPK) isoform alpha inhibited ERK1/2 but not Akt1 activation. Our observations demonstrate that in these nontransformed cells, activation of cPLA2 is a converging point for oxidative stress and Ang II, which share common downstream signaling mechanisms including Src and EGFR. In addition, p38(SAPK) provides a positive input to both growth and antiapoptotic signaling pathways induced by acute oxidative stress.
A role for economic analysis in the ecosystem management debate

Abstract Ecosystem management's underpinnings have been biological in nature—the concern for ecosystem integrity, health, and resilience. This intent has been translated into a similar societal goal. However, its philosophy is still evolving biologically and socially. Since the geographic boundaries of an ecosystem may probably cross many different ownership types, this leaves landowners wondering how this new management approach will affect them. We discuss the role of economics within the ecosystem management debate. In addition, we also examine three existing economic analytical techniques that can be used to analyze ecosystem management, discuss the contributions of these techniques and their limitations, and identify three key points that an economic analysis should address. Finally, we survey five examples of ecosystem management in practice on United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service lands.
Image registration by local histogram matching

We previously presented an image registration method, referred to hierarchical attribute matching mechanism for elastic registration (HAMMER), which demonstrated relatively high accuracy in inter-subject registration of MR brain images. However, the HAMMER algorithm requires the pre-segmentation of brain tissues, since the attribute vectors used to hierarchically match the corresponding pairs of points are defined from the segmented image. In many applications, the segmentation of tissues might be difficult, unreliable or even impossible to complete, which potentially limits the use of the HAMMER algorithm in more generalized applications. To overcome this limitation, we have used local spatial intensity histograms to design a new type of attribute vector for each point in an intensity image. The histogram-based attribute vector is rotationally invariant, and importantly it also captures spatial information by integrating a number of local intensity histograms from multi-resolution images of original intensity image. The new attribute vectors are able to determine the corresponding points across individual images. Therefore, by hierarchically matching new attribute vectors, the proposed method can perform as successfully as the previous HAMMER algorithm did in registering MR brain images, while providing more generalized applications in registering images of various organs. Experimental results show good performance of the proposed method in registering MR brain images, DTI brain images, CT pelvis images, and MR mouse images.
Conservative management of delayed, multicomponent coagulopathy following rattlesnake envenomation

Background: Crotaline Fab therapy is recommended for controlling local tissue effects, coagulation abnormalities, and other systemic signs following mild-to-moderate N American Crotaline envenomations. Occasionally, coagulation abnormalities emerge after control of tissue effects has been achieved. These coagulation changes range from minor, single parameter abnormalities to multicomponent, critical value derangements. The bleeding risk associated with these abnormalities is unknown, and dosing guidelines for Crotaline Fab therapy in treating coagulation abnormalities that are severe or delayed-in-onset have not been clearly established. Case Report: A 40-year-old man was envenomated in the right hand by a rattlesnake. Crotaline Fab therapy was started within 1 h of envenomation and arrest of edema progression was achieved by 48 h of admission. Although fibrinogen, platelet count, aPTT, and INR were all normal on initial assessment, hematologic changes were evolving over postenvenomation days 1 to 5 despi...
Independent vector analysis by entropy rate bound minimization

An extension of independent component analysis from one to multiple datasets, independent vector analysis, has recently become a subject of significant research interest. Since in many applications, latent sources are non-Gaussian, have sample dependence, and have dependence across multiple data sets, it is desirable to exploit all these properties jointly. Mutual information rate, which leads to the minimization of entropy rate, provides a natural cost for the task. In this paper, we present a new algorithm by using an effective entropy rate estimator, which takes all these properties into account. Experimental results show that the new method accounts for these properties effectively.
Interactions between Young-of-the-Year Exotic Rainbow Smelt and Native Yellow Perch in a Northern Temperate Lake

Abstract Yellow perch Perca flavescens recruitment in Crystal Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin, has declined since the exotic rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax increased in abundance. The yellow perch population is in decline because of low juvenile survival. However, diet analyses indicate that predation by adult smelt does not appear to be the cause. We investigated interactions between age-0 yellow perch and age-0 rainbow smelt by comparing changes in abundance and distributions, maximum mouth gapes, and the amount and type of prey eaten. During 1995 and 1996, age-0 smelt and perch hatched at similar times, had similar spatial distributions, and preferred similar prey. Diet overlap exceeded 45% on all sampling dates during the spring and summer of 1995 and 1996 and exceeded 60% on all but the first and last sampling dates in 1996. Two species of Diaptomus were the preferred prey of both smelt and perch, although smelt ate more of the larger size-classes than did perch throughout 1996. Consumption by smelt may ...
Gender differences, physical activity and body weight

We investigate the effect of physical activity on bodyweight and the gender differences in such effects, following the copula approach to endogenous switching regression. Using data from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), we find differentiated effects of socio-demographic variables on exercise and on Body Mass Indexes (BMIs), and differentiated effects of exercise on BMI, between genders. Regular exercise, on average, decreases BMI by 1.78 for women and 1.01 for men. Food price away from home has negative effects on BMI of both men and women.
On Quantifying Detectable Fatigue Crack Size in Aluminum Beams Using Vibration and Impedance-Based Methods

This paper looks at the impedance-based and vibration methods used for the structural health monitoring (SHM) of aluminum beams and attempts to quantify the smallest fatigue crack size that is detectable by these two methods. The vibration-based method presented in this paper, uses the recent model of Aydin [1] which is based on a simple Euler-Bernoulli beam model. This method treats cracks as localized reduction in the beam’s stiffness and models them as massless rotational springs at the locations of the cracks. The beam is then considered to be of multiple sections connected by these springs. The beam studied in the present work is assumed to be an aluminum, uniform, Euler-Bernoulli beam having a single fatigue crack and being axially loaded. It is further assumed that frequencies can only be measured to within half a Hertz. This results in formulas that can be used to predict specific detectable sizes of fatigue cracks given specific geometry of the beam. For example for a beam of dimension 240×19.1×4.8 mm, it is found that the fatigue crack must be approximately 12.5% of the beam width in order to induce a frequency shift of 0.5 Hz. In the second part of this paper, different sets of experiments are conducted on aluminum beams. First, saw-cuts are made in the beams and the resultant shift in the beams’ natural frequency is examined to find the minimum detectable cut length. In order to improve this minimum detectable damage size, the beat frequency method is applied, which enhances the minimum detectable frequency shift. These results are then compared to those of the electrical impedance measurements through the HP 4194A Impedance analyzer. At the end, the aluminum beams are being fatigued and by measuring their electrical impedance at different numbers of fatigue cycling, their detectable fatigue crack size is investigated.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
On the ignition of fuel beds by firebrands

An experimental apparatus has been built to investigate the ignition of fuel beds as a result of impact with burning firebrands. The apparatus allowed the ignition and deposition of both single and multiple firebrands onto the target fuel bed. The moisture content of the fuel beds used was varied, and the fuels considered were pine needle beds, shredded paper beds and crevices constructed of cedar shingles. Firebrands were simulated by machining wood (Pinus ponderosa) into small disks of uniform geometry and the size of the disks was varied. Firebrand simulation was necessary because it is difficult to capture and characterize firebrands from an actual burning object. The firebrand ignition apparatus was installed into the fire emulator/detector evaluator to investigate the influence of an air flow on the ignition propensity of fuel beds. The results of this study are presented and compared with relevant studies in the literature. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A possible dependence of recombination of magnetic field

Abstract It is suggested that recent beam experiments which were designed to disprove Bohm diffusion may instead have revealed the existence of unsuspected magnetic effects upon recombination.