cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of calcium handling by rat parotid acinar cells

Salivary gland fluid secretion following neurotransmitter stimulation is Ca2+-dependent. We have studied the control of cellular Ca2+ following secretory stimuli in rat parotid gland acinar cells. After muscarinic-cholinergic receptor activation, cytosolic Ca2+ is elevated 4–5 fold, due to both intracellular Ca2+ pool mobilization and extracellular Ca2+ entry. Fluid movement ensues due to the Ca2+-activated enhancement of membrane permeability to K+ and Cl−. Basal cytosolic Ca2+ levels are tightly controlled at ∼150–200 nM through the action of high affinity and high capacity ATP-dependent Ca2+ transporters in the basolateral and endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Activity of these Ca2+ transporters can be modulated to facilitate rapid responsiveness and a sustained fluid secretory response necessary for alimentary function.
Antepartum use of antibiotics and early-onset neonatal sepsis: The next 4 years

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of early-onset neonatal sepsis and the presence of antibiotic resistance of the isolated bacteria and its relationship to antibiotic chemoprophylaxis that occurred during the 4 years that followed the publication of the most recent group B streptococcal guidelines. Study Design: A prospective cohort study was performed between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2000. All cases of early-onset neonatal sepsis were gathered prospectively. Data concerning the use of antepartum antibiotics, the isolated bacteria, and the presence of drug resistance were collected. These data were analyzed separately and were combined with published data from the preceding 6 years. Results: A total of 26 cases of blood culture-proved early-onset neonatal sepsis occurred during the current 4-year study period. Group B Streptococcus was responsible for 10 cases, and the remaining 16 cases were non-group B streptococcal organisms. Of these 16 cases, 11 parturients received antibiotic chemoprophylaxis, and 10 of the isolates (91%) were resistant to the drug that was administered, compared with only one resistant bacteria (20%) in the 5 parturients who did not receive treatment ( P =.01). In combining these 16 cases with the cases from the preceding 6 years, a total of 43 cases of non-group B streptococcal sepsis occurred in 49,788 deliveries. Of these, 26 mothers were given antepartum antibiotics, and 23 of the bacterial isolates (88%) exhibited resistance, compared with only 3 of the 17 cases (18%) in which antibiotics were not dispensed ( P Streptococcus significantly decreased by 75% ( P Conclusion: When early-onset neonatal sepsis develops in a case in which antepartum chemoprophylaxis was used, the bacterial isolate will most likely demonstrate resistance to the antibiotic that was administered. However, the development of early-onset group B streptococcal neonatal sepsis significantly decreased as the use of antepartum antibiotics increased. Thus, the number of prevented infections from antepartum antibiotic use may still outweigh the problems that are seen when resistant bacterial infections arise. Nevertheless, based on the current protocols, a large number of parturients are candidates for antibiotic chemoprophylaxis and this, in conjunction with the global concern of bacterial drug resistance, should be motivation to examine alternative methods, such as vaginal washing or immunotherapy, for decreasing infection. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:495-500.)
Feeding Adult Mosquitoes on Solid Sugars

THAT mosquitoes may feed on flowers and sources of food other than blood has been observed many times. Notable among these observations are those of Wesenberg-Lund1, Haeger2, West and Jenkins3, and Sandholm and Price4. Mosquitoes which visit flowers in greatest numbers are various species of Aedes. According to most of the observations recorded, the food consumed is liquid or semi-liquid. The only reference to indicate that mosquitoes may be able to feed on dry food was found in a paper by Downs and Arizmendi5 on colonization of Mexican anophelines. These two authors substituted powdered sugar for honey solutions which they normally supplied to the colonies and noted that females more readily took blood after having fed on powdered sugar. They did not further elaborate on this part of their work, and there was no mention of how the powdered sugar was presented to the mosquitoes.
Pediatric residency education.

Objective. On February 1, 1997, new pediatric Residency Review Committee guidelines became effective. Eighteen months later, pediatric residency program directors were queried regarding the implementation of these guidelines. Because both the challenge to implement these guidelines and the opportunities to shape pediatric graduate medical education rest with the program directors, obtaining the feedback and suggestions from this group is seen as the keystone of future planning endeavors. Methods. A 20-question multiple-choice/opened-ended questionnaire was sent to the 201 members of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors in 2 mailings in August and September 1998. Results. A final response rate of 70% was achieved. Very few program directors reported difficulties in instituting the new residency review committee requirements. The exceptions to this pattern were those requirements pertaining to limitations on time spent in intensive care experience and in the neonatal intensive care unit, wherein 34% of the respondents identified barriers. Although the majority of respondents regarded these requirements as very good or sufficient, some program directors expressed concern regarding insufficient amounts of time available for preparation in intensive care (18%), neonatal intensive care unit (22%), behavioral/developmental pediatrics (16%), and in adolescent medicine (13%). In general, programs have been more successful in defining new competencies than in developing curricula to teach them. The majority of respondents also indicated that their residents9 exposure was excellent or satisfactory in all 6 of the following practice settings: private office-based practice for continuity clinic, private office-based practice for outpatient rotation, predominately managed care practice, community clinics for continuity clinic, community clinics for outpatient rotation, and hospital-based practice for continuity clinic. They also indicated that they had no serious concerns about the types of career development assistance offered to residents and the types of follow-up tracking of residents. Conclusion. The findings from this survey have reaffirmed the merit of the current system of pediatric residency education. They have also revealed the commitment of program directors to address the complex issues generated by the evolution of health care delivery, and thereby contribute to the optimal provision of pediatric health care now and in the future.
Turnover intention and emotional exhaustion "at the top": adapting the job demands-resources model to leaders of addiction treatment organizations.

Compared to the large literature on subordinate employees, there are few studies of emotional exhaustion and turnover intention for organizational leaders. There is little research that has extended the job demands-resources (JD-R) model of emotional exhaustion to leaders. In this study, we adapted the JD-R framework in order to analyze data collected from a sample of 410 leaders of addiction treatment organizations. We considered whether two job demands (performance demands and centralization) and two job resources (innovation in decision-making and long-range strategic planning) were associated with emotional exhaustion and turnover intention. We also examined whether emotional exhaustion fully or partially mediated the associations between the job-related measures and turnover intention. The results supported the partially mediated model. Both job demands were positively associated with emotional exhaustion, while the association for long-range strategic planning was negative. Emotional exhaustion was positively associated with turnover intention. Centralization and innovation in decision-making were also directly associated with turnover intention. Future research should continue to examine this theoretical framework among leaders of other types of organizations using more refined measures of demands and resources.
Numerical analysis of electromagnetic hyperthermia of the human thorax.

A finite-element model is developed to analyse the feasibility of the treatment of a deep-seated thoracic tumour by hyperthermia with an annular phased array system. Owing to the presence of hot spots in the chest wall, only the necrotic core of the tumour could be heated up to the effective temperature. The effect of reducing the hot spot temperature by circulating cooler water in the bolus is marginal. The steady state can be reached within 36·5 min.
Myofibrillar and cytoskeletal assembly in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes cultured on laminin and collagen

Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cultured on extracellular matrix components laminin and collagens I+III to examine effects of extracellular matrix on the assembly of cytoskeletal proteins during myofibrillogenesis. Myofibril assembly was visualized by immunofluorescence of marker proteins for myofibrils (f-actin for I bands and α-actinin for Z bands), focal adhesions (vinculin), and transmembrane extracellular matrix receptors (β1 integrin) as cells spread for various times in culture. By 4 h in culture, f-actin appeared organized into nonstriated stress-fiber-like structures while α-actinin, vinculin and β1 integrin were localized in small streaks and beads. Subsequently, striated patterns were observed sequentially in the intracellular cytoskeletal components α-actinin, vinculin, f-actin, and then in the transmembrane β1 integrin receptor. These data support an earlier model for sarcomerogenesis in which stress-fiber-like structures serve as initial scaffolds upon which α-actinin and then vinculin-containing costameres are assembled. This sequential and temporal assembly was the same on both laminin and collagens I+III. A quantitative difference, however, was apparent on the 2 matrices. There was an increased appearance on collagens I+III of rosettes (also called podosomes or cortical actin-containing bodies in other cells) which consisted of an f-actin core surrounded by α-actinin, vinculin and β1 integrin rims. The increased incidence of rosettes in neonatal myocytes on collagens I+III suggests that these cytoskeletal complexes are involved in recognition and interaction with extracellular matrix components.
Effects of Swine Lagoon Effluent Relative to Commercial Fertilizer Applications on Warm‐Season Forage Nutritive Value

Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of comparable rates of swine lagoon effluent and commercial fertilizer at different harvest dates on dry matter yield and nutritive value of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) grown on an add Vaiden silty clay (very fine, montmorillonitic, thermic, Vertic Hapludalf) and johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense L.) grown on an alkaline Okolona silty clay (fine, montmorillonitic, therimic, Typic Chromudert). At each site, a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of treatments replicated four times was used. Treatments were multiple effluent irrigations resulting in four N rates from 0 to 665 kg N ha - 1 yr - 1 . In each block, commercial fertilizer (N, P, and K) treatments were applied to additional plots at rates equivalent to swine effluent rates. Total dry matter yield and crude protein (CP) for bermudagrass and johnsongrass reached a plateau with application of approximately 450 kg N ha - 1 from either swine effluent or commercial fertilizer. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and add detergent fiber (ADF) peaked at the low fertilization rate and then declined with increasing effluent and commercial fertilizer rates. An inverse relationship was obtained for in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) in response to fertilization rate for both grasses. Forage dry matter, CP, NDF, and ADF levels peaked in the July harvest and then declined, but forage IVTD level declined in July harvest. Only in July 1996, forage NO 3 -N concentration was lower for swine effluent than commercial fertilizer. Swine effluent and commercial fertilizer had similar effects on forage dry matter yield and nutritive value.
Fractal characterization of speech waveform graphs

Abstract Mandelbrot's fractal geometry has provided a new qualitative and quantitative approach for understanding the complex shapes of nature. In this paper, the fractal structure of speech waveforms is studied at time scales where important phonetic and prosodic information reside. We have found, using methods commonly applied to complex shapes such as coastlines, that speech exhibits fractal characteristics. We have made measurements of the fractal dimension ( D ) for sentences and have found that D ∼ 1.66 with little change between speakers and sentences.
Warm‐season rainfall variability over the U.S. Great Plains and its correlation with evapotranspiration in a climate simulation

[1] The warm-season rainfall variability over the US Great Plains is examined in a climate simulation and compared with observations to explore the role of land-atmosphere interaction in the model. The results show that compared to observations, the model simulations underestimate summertime rainfall by more than 12% but overestimate its standard deviation by 25–54%, with the larger value referring to interannual variability. Linear regression shows that the rainfall variability is connected with evapotranspiration (ET) anomalies, but mostly to evaporation rather than transpiration. Since the evaporation represents an immediate response of the land surface to atmospheric conditions but the transpiration reflects soil moisture memory with considerably longer time scales, the realism of the correlated variability between separate ET components and precipitation is an important aspect of how climate models realistically address land-atmosphere interaction.
Glomerular filtration rate, effective renal bloodflow, and maximal tubular excretory capacity in infancy*

Summary 1. Glomerular filtration, effective renal plasma flow, and maximal tubular excretory capacity have been measured in twenty-one normal infants ranging in age from one-half to 110 weeks. 2. When corrected for surface area, the adult mean value for the filtrationrate is reached in some infants in ten to twenty weeks, for effective renal plasma flow and maximal tubular excretory capacity in thirty weeks. 3. If the body surface area is used as an index to general metabolism, the filtration rate, renal blood flow, and tubular excretory mass are adjusted before the end of the first year to the metabolic requirements of the body. However, in the first two or three months of life the three functions develop at different rates. The fact that the normal adult value of the CPAH/TmPAH ratio is observed served in nearly every infant suggests that the renal blood flow increases in served in nearly every infant suggests that the renal blood flow increases in proportion to the development of the renal tubules. The CM/TMPAH and CM/CPAH ratios in early infancy are, however, higher than the adult values, indicating functional imbalance between glomeruli and tubules in favor of the former. This imbalance might be related to increased glomerular pressure, disproportionally large glomerular surface, or decreased PAH extraction ratio; it is suggested that large glomerular surface and increased pressure are, perhaps, responsible for glomerular hyperfunction.
Building a Reputation on National Security: The Impact of Stereotypes Related To Gender and Military Experience

In a post-9/11 world, all senators must establish their national security credentials with voters. Yet senators do not compete for leadership on an equal basis. Through an analysis of bill sponsorship, Sunday talk show appearances, and interviews with Senate staff, I demonstrate that defense policy is made in a partisan and gendered context. Gender stereotypes favoring male defense leadership create an additional hurdle for women, particularly Democratic women, as they seek to establish their reputations on security. By contrast, a record of military service facilitates senators' efforts to achieve action on their proposals and gain media attention for their views.
Improving Morning Care Routines of Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effectiveness of a behavioral rehabilitation intervention for improving the performance of morning care activities of daily living (ADL) of nursing home residents with dementia. DESIGN: Participants and their caregivers were observed for 5 days each under conditions of Usual Care (naturalistic) and Skill Elicitation (intervention), and for 15 days under Habit Training (intervention follow-up). Observations involved the ADL categories of DRESSING, OTHER ADL, and NO ADL. A 3 × 3 design (condition X ADL category) was used. SETTING: Observations occurred in five proprietary nursing homes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 58 women and 26 men, mean age 82 years (range = 64–97, SD = 6.3), with Probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 19) and Possible AD (n = 65), with a mean MMSE score of 6.07. INTERVENTION: Condition 1, Usual Care, was the naturalistic caregiving condition. Condition 2, Skill Elicitation, consisted of an individualized behavioral rehabilitation intervention designed to identify and elicit retained ADL skills. Under Condition 3, Habit Training, the behavioral rehabilitation intervention was continued to reinforce and solidify retained skills and to facilitate further functional gains. MEASUREMENTS: A computer-assisted data collection system was used to document in real-time the assists used by caregivers, the participants' ADL performance, and the participants' responses to caregiving, including disruptive behavior. RESULTS: Compared with Usual Care, during Skill Elicitation participants increased the proportion of time engaged in nonassisted and assisted dressing significantly and increased their overall participation in ADL, with a concomitant significant decrease in disruptive behavior. These functional gains were demonstrated within 5 days of initiating the behavioral rehabilitation intervention and were maintained for 3 weeks during Habit Training. Physical assists were provided for significantly smaller proportions of a morning care session during Skill Elicitation and Habit Training compared with Usual Care. CONCLUSIONS: Even very severely cognitively impaired and functionally disabled nursing home residents can respond to a systematically implemented behavioral rehabilitation intervention. Their rapid response to this intervention suggests that it is alleviating excess disabilities brought on by care patterns rather than retraining ADL task performance. Residents with dementia benefit from behavioral rehabilitation by becoming more appropriately involved in their care and being less disruptive. However, behavioral rehabilitative care takes considerably more time than usual care. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:1049–1057, 1999.
Monitoring changes in the refractive index of gases by means of a fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor

Abstract We have developed a simple fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) sensor that is used to precisely monitor changes in the refractive index of gases. The operating principle of the sensor is discussed in this paper, and it was noticed that the wavelength positions of the FPI reflectance peaks change linearly with the refractive index of gases. Using this unique property of FPI sensors, it is feasible to achieve a resolution of better than 10 −5 in monitoring the changes in the refractive index of gases. The sensor has been successfully used to monitor changes in the refractive index of nitrogen gas as a function of pressure.
Functional Literacy among the Elderly: Where We Are(n't).

Abstract This article reviews and analyzes the studies conducted on functional literacy among older adults. The results indicate conceptual confusion, an obviously. undereducated older population, inadequate measurements, and samples with disproportionate percentages of older persons. The conclusions indicate the need for educational gerontologists to increase efforts at improving the definition of functional literacy, to revise and expand literacy education for the elderly, and to concentrate research efforts on improved measures and elderly samples.
Intermittency in the turbulent Ekman layer

The structure of the turbulent Ekman layer is explored by examining the three-dimensional velocity fields generated by means of direct numerical simulation (DNS). Emphasis is placed on determining the relation between the instantaneous structure of the velocity field and the turbulent dissipation. The results of our simulation show the following: (1) The pseudo-dissipation exhibits lognormal behavior, with a magnitude range spanning many orders of magnitude, (2) in horizontal planes within the Ekman layer, spatially localized regions of high and low pseudo-dissipation are found, with a magnitude ratio of about 104 between low and high regions, (3) the Ekman layer is found to be composed of a series of quasi-periodic plume-like structures, and (4) the pseudo-dissipation is found to be large at the outer edge of a typical plume, with much lower levels in the plume interior. Conjectures are put forth regarding the relevance of this work to known observations of clear air radar scattering, and suggestions are...
Experimental and predicted atomization energies of rare-earth diaurides

Abstract The atomization energies, Δ H o,at 0 , of the molecules LuAu 2 , HoAu 2 and TbAu 2 were determined by means of high-temperature Kundsen-cell mass spectrometry as 143.9 ± 8, 131.1 ± 8 and 143.3 ± 8 kcal mole −1 , respectively. The measured atomization energies suggest the structure AuLnAu. They agree with the values calculated after the Pauling model by assuming two polar single bonds. The remaining rare-earth metals are also expected to form stable diaurides with atomization energies similar to those calculated after the Pauling model.
Nucleic acid evidence bearing on hominoid relationships

Molecular approaches to primate evolutionary relationships have been in use for 25 years. Recent advances in nucleic acid technology have permitted increasing resolution in assessing the topology and timing of primate phylogeny. The basics of these new approaches and their possibilities and limitations are set forth in reference to hominoid evolution. Specific reference is made to recent research involving DNA-DNA liquid hybridization, restriction mapping, and nucleic acid sequencing. These approaches are unanimous in establishing an African ape-human clade within the hominoids; orangutans share a more recent common ancestor with this clade than does the gibbon. Present data on the form of the tree uniting chimps, gorilla, and human are not compelling. Currently, it appears somewhat more likely that chimps and humans shared a most recent common ancestor, but a strong case can be made for a tree that joins chimp and gorilla. The tree uniting humans and gorillas cannot be disregarded. For present purposes, a trifurcation, though probably not literally correct, is a reasonable reconstruction. Molecular information is proving especially useful in setting the time frame for hominoid evolution as well as drastically limiting the number of trees that can be reasonably entertained. As the technology becomes more sophisticated, it can be hoped that the ability to discriminate between trees will increase. It will be necessary to maintain a continuing dialogue between morphological and molecular biologists to insure cross-fertilization of ideas about hominoid relations.
External fixators and minimally invasive osteosynthesis in small animal veterinary medicine.

Modern external skeletal fixation (ESF) is a very versatile system that is well suited to the ideals of minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO). It offers variable-angle, locked fixation that can be applied with minimal to no disruption of the fracture zone. Technological advances in ESF have fostered the ability to use more simple frame applications than in previous generations. Even when rigid bilateral or multiplanar frames are required, timely staged-disassembly is easy to perform and allows for a gradual shift of loading from the frame to the healing bony column. Hybrid ESF is ideally suited for the MIO treatment of many juxta-articular fractures and osteotomies. Adherence to the principles of ESF and postoperative care is essential to overcome the various disadvantages that are inherent to ESF.
Fabrication experiences and performance tests of the coal-fired flow facility superconducting dipole magnet

Abstract The Argonne National Laboratory has designed, constructed and tested a large aperture superconducting MHD magnet for use in the coal-fired flow facility at Tullahoma, Tennessee. The magnet generates a peak on-axis field of 6 T in a MHD warm bore of 80 cm diameter at inlet, 100 cm diameter at outlet, and 300 cm effective length. The stored energy of the magnet is 210 MJ, the cold mass (4.2 K) is 131 metric tons and the ampere-turns, 13.7 × 10 6 . The final design of the magnet will be briefly introduced. Described in detail are the experiences of coil winding and coil assembly, the assembly of force-containment superstructure, assembly of magnet cryostat and results of magnet performance tests.
Exact and approximate solutions of the Helmholtz, Weyl composition equation in scalar wave propagation

Abstract The application of phase space and path integral methods to both mathematical and computational direct and inverse wave propagation modeling at the level of the scalar one-way Helmholtz equation is briefly reviewed. The role of operator symbols is stressed and their properties briefly discussed. The construction of the operator symbol requires the exact or approximate solution of the (Helmholtz) Weyl composition equation in the Weyl pseudo-differential operator calculus. The exact symbols for several quadratic profiles are presented and briefly analyzed. The symbols exactly corresponding to a family of operator rational approximations are also presented for the quadratic case. These results are used to illustrate several points pertinent to wide-angle propagation modeling and the refractive index profile reconstruction problem in underwater acoustics.
Microscopic observations of the wear of a tooth restorative composite in vivo

The wear of a composite restorative material in the oral cavity was followed by examining impressions by scanning electron microscopy. It was demonstrated that filler particles protrude from the polymeric matrix and, eventually, are lost leaving holes in the surface. A measure of the rate of wear was obtained by following the recession of the matrix on the faces of a large prominent particle. For a restoration that had been in place for 7 years, the average rate of wear over a further period of several months was estimated to be about 0.1 microns/day. For comparison, the gross wear of 2 mm over the entire 7-year period gives a greater average rate of wear of 0.8 microns/day.
A SeaMARC II survey of recent submarine volcanism near Easter Island

SeaMARC II side-scan sonar data reveal that a large area of seafloor north and west of Easter Island has been disrupted by recent submarine volcanism. A large volcanic area begins approximately 60 km WNW of the island and extends for over 130 km to the west. The volcanic field is characterized by high backscatter intensity in the side-scan sonar records and is elevated 400–1000 m above the N-S seafloor fabric that surrounds it. This field, the Abu Volcanic Field, covers at least 2500 km2 and appears to consist of recent lava flows and small volcanoes. Backscatter intensity of the Abu Volcanic Field is similar to that of the adjacent ridge flank which is less than 0.4 Ma, suggesting a similar age for its formation.
Nature of the plasmid-linked penicillinase regulatory region in Staphylococcus aureus.

Four noninducible staphylococcal penicillinase plasmids reported to produce a very low basal level of penicillinase were investigated. Incorporation of 5-methyltryptophan, which is known to inactivate the operator binding site of wild-type penicillinase repressor and thereby elicit penicillinase synthesis, did not induce penicillinase synthesis in any of these “micro” mutants. Therefore, these plasmids are not simply peniS mutants. Heterodiploid strains composed of a plasmid fully constitutive for penicillinase synthesis and one of the various “micro” penicillinase plasmids were constructed. Three of these heterodiploids produce a normal basal level of penicillinase and are inducible by 5-methyltryptophan but not by the standard gratuitous penicillinase inducer. Therefore, each of these three noninducible “micro” plasmids produces a peniS repressor, but in addition, each must bear a mutation in the penZ region. The fourth heterodiploid produces a fully constitutive level of penicillinase. The noninducible “micro” plasmid present in this heterodiploid must contain a penI− mutation and a mutation in the penZ region. Consequently, each of these four noninducible “micro” plasmids contains at least two mutants genes. Hence, the phenotype of noninducibility plus low basal penicillinase is not due to a point mutation in a second penicillinase regulatory region as has been proposed. Instead, these results strongly suggest that there is only one penicillinase regulatory gene located on the penicillinase plasmid and that this gene (penI) specifies the penicillinase repressor.
To Swear Early or Not to Swear Early? An Empirical Investigation of Factors Affecting CEOs' Decisions

On June 27, 2002, the SEC ordered the CEOs and CFOs of public companies with revenues during their last fiscal year of greater than $1.2 billion to file written statements, under oath, regarding the accuracy of their companies' financial statements. The SEC's order required the sworn statements to be filed with each company's next periodic disclosure report to the SEC due on or after August 14, depending on the company's fiscal year-end. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act which requires all public companies to file CEO certification can be seen as a continuation of the June 27, 2002 SEC order. Many companies elected to file sworn statements prior to the specific filing deadlines for their companies in response to the June 27, 2002 SEC order. Given the importance of CEO certification, we examine the characteristics and incentives of companies that certified their financial reports prior to the deadline set by the SEC. Using regression analysis, logit analysis, and the Cox proportional hazards model, we find that larger firms, firms with higher earnings quality (measured as firms with lower current discretionary accruals or total discretionary accruals), and firms with higher levels of institutional holdings filed sworn statements early. These results are consistent with our theoretical predictions and contribute to our understanding of factors affecting firms' responses to regulatory requirements.
Entrainment and pressure drop in concurrent gas - liquid flow: I. Air - water in horizontal flow

Experimental equipment and data are reported for entrainment and energy loss in annular, two-phase flow of water and air. Measurements were made with a sample withdrawal technique in 1- and 3-in. horizontal tubes. A knowledge of entrainment is necessary to an understanding of various mass transfer, heat transfer, and separation problems in two-phase flow. A preliminary correlation is presented.
Cigarette smoke induces demethylation of prometastatic oncogene synuclein-gamma in lung cancer cells by downregulation of DNMT3B.

Cigarette smoke induces demethylation of prometastatic oncogene synuclein- γ in lung cancer cells by downregulation of DNMT3B
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity decreases B cell responses to the influenza vaccine

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositivity has been shown to have a negative effect on influenza vaccine-specific antibody responses. In this paper, we confirm and extend these results showing for the first time, a negative association between CMV-seropositivity and B cell predictive biomarkers of optimal vaccine responses. These biomarkers are switched memory B cells and AID in CpG-stimulated B cell cultures measured before vaccination which positively correlate with the serum response to the influenza vaccine. We also found that CMV-seropositivity is associated with increased levels of B cell-intrinsic inflammation and these both correlate with lower B cell function. Finally, CMV-seropositivity is associated with decreased percentages of individuals responding to the vaccine in both young and elderly individuals.
CT of 338 active professional boxers.

Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 338 active professional boxers. CT scans were abnormal in 25 boxers (7%). The most common CT abnormality was brain atrophy (22 cases). Focal lesions of low attenuation consistent with posttraumatic encephalomalacia were noted in only three boxers. Boxers with abnormal CT scans did not differ from those with borderline or normal CT scans in regard to age, win-loss record, number of bouts, or history of an abnormal electroencephalogram. Thirty-seven boxers with borderline CT scans (49%) and 17 with abnormal CT scans (68%) reported a previous technical knockout (TKO) or knockout (KO), compared with only 89 (37%) of the 238 boxers with normal CT scans (P < .01). Brain atrophy was noted more frequently in boxers with a large cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) than in those with a small or no CSP (P < .05). Boxers with abnormal or borderline CT scans who experienced a TKO or KO were slightly older than those with normal CT scans and a history of a TKO or KO (P < .05).
Strawman design for terrestrial unmanned aircraft control links

In order to facilitate the introduction of unmanned aircraft (UA) systems (UAS) into nonsegregated airspace, highly reliable radio control and nonpayload communications (CNPC) links will be required. The International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has estimated in report M.2171 [1] that in the year 2030 a total of 34 MHz of spectrum will be required for terrestrial communications and another 56 MHz will be necessary for satellite communications. This paper addresses only the terrestrial (that is, direct ground/air without satellites) links. Its purpose is to validate, via a concrete example, that all of the terrestrial link requirements can be met within a potential 34 MHz allocation in portions of the L-band (960–1164 MHz) and C-band (5030–5091 MHz). There are many potentially conflicting issues that have to be addressed to satisfy the requirements levied in [1]. All of these requirements are somewhat difficult to satisfy simultaneously; however, a system design that meets the known requirements has been devised. The proposed design should be considered as an “existence proof” that the terrestrial system requirements can indeed be met; it is not necessarily the final link design.
Navajo and Photography: A Critical History of the Representation of an American People.

Navajo and Photography:. Critical History of the Representation of an American People. James C. Faris. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1996
LOMETS: a local meta-threading-server for protein structure prediction.

We developed LOMETS, a local threading meta-server, for quick and automated predictions of protein tertiary structures and spatial constraints. Nine state-of-the-art threading programs are installed and run in a local computer cluster, which ensure the quick generation of initial threading alignments compared with traditional remote-server-based meta-servers. Consensus models are generated from the top predictions of the component-threading servers, which are at least 7% more accurate than the best individual servers based on TM-score at a t-test significance level of 0.1%. Moreover, side-chain and C-alpha (Cα) contacts of 42 and 61% accuracy respectively, as well as long- and short-range distant maps, are automatically constructed from the threading alignments. These data can be easily used as constraints to guide the ab initio procedures such as TASSER for further protein tertiary structure modeling. The LOMETS server is freely available to the academic community at http://zhang.bioinformatics.ku.edu/LOMETS.
Optofluidic assembly of InGaAsP microdisk lasers on Si photonic circuits with submicron alignment accuracy

We demonstrate optofluidic assembly of pre-fabricated InGaAsP microdisk lasers (6 µm diameter, 200 nm thickness) on silicon photonic circuits with sub-micron alignment accuracy. The laser output is successfully coupled to the integrated silicon waveguide.
Stochastic closure for nonlinear Rossby waves

An extension of the turbulence ‘test-field model’ (Kraichnan 1971 a) is given for two-dimensional flow with Rossby-wave propagation. Such a unified treatment of waves and turbulence is necessary for flows in which the relative strength of nonlinear terms depends upon the length scale considered. We treat the geophysically interesting case in which long, fast Rossby waves propagate substantially without interaction while short Rossby waves are thoroughly dominated by advection. We recover the observations of Rhines (1975) that the tendency of two-dimensional flow to organize energy into larger scales of motion is inhibited by Rossby waves and that an initially isotropic flow develops anisotropy preferring zonal motion. The anisotropy evolves to an equilibrium functional dependence on the isotropic part of the flow spectrum. Theoretical results are found to be in quantitative agreement with numerical flow simulations.
Very-long-term chromatic adaptation: Test of gain theory and a new method

This research had two goals. First, a new method of very-long-term chromatic adaptation was compared to an older method of long-wavelength ambient illumination. In the new method, the observer viewed for 1 h per day for 12 or 14 days a CRT screen composed of oriented lines that appeared red. One observer also replicated a previous procedure (Neitz et al., 2002) in which she was exposed to long-wavelength room illumination for 4 h per day for 14 days. For both methods, equilibrium yellow was measured each day about 20 h after the end of the adaptation period. Both methods of very-long-term chromatic adaptation gave similar results. Second, shifts in equilibrium yellow were measured over a 30:1 range of light levels to determine if changes in color percepts were explained solely by a gain change in cone sensitivities (von Kries coefficient law). The magnitude of shift of equilibrium yellow depended on the level of the test light, which was not consistent with a gain theory of very-long-term chromatic adaptation.
Comments on sequence normalization of tiling array expression

Motivation: Methods to improve tiling array expression signals are needed to accurately detect genome features. Royce et al. provide statistical normalizations of tile signal based on probe sequence content that promises improved accuracy, and should be independently verified. Results: Assessment of the sequence content normalization methods identified a problem: confounding of probe sequence content with gene structure (intron/exon) sequence content. Normalization obscured tile signal changes at gene structure boundaries. This and other evidence suggests that simple sequence normalization does not improve detection of genes from tile expression data. Availability: http://wfleabase.org/genome-summaries/tile-expression/tileseqnorms/ Contact: gilbertd@indiana.edu
Automated learning for reducing the configuration of a feedforward neural network

In this paper, we present two learning mechanisms for artificial neural networks (ANN's) that can be applied to solve classification problems with binary outputs. These mechanisms are used to reduce the number of hidden units of an ANN when trained by the cascade-correlation learning algorithm (CAS). Since CAS adds hidden units incrementally as learning proceeds, it is difficult to predict the number of hidden units required when convergence is reached. Further, learning must be restarted when the number of hidden units is larger than expected. Our key idea in this paper is to provide alternatives in the learning process and to select the best alternative dynamically based on run-time information obtained. Mixed-mode learning (MM), our first algorithm, provides alternative output matrices so that learning is extended to find one of the many one-to-many mappings instead of finding a unique one-to-one mapping. Since the objective of learning is relaxed by this transformation, the number of learning epochs can be reduced. This in turn leads to a smaller number of hidden units required for convergence. Population-based learning for ANN's (PLAN), our second algorithm, maintains alternative network configurations to select at run time promising networks to train based on error information obtained and time remaining. This dynamic scheduling avoids training possibly unpromising ANNs to completion before exploring new ones. We show the performance of these two mechanisms by applying them to solve the two-spiral problem, a two-region classification problem, and the Pima Indian diabetes diagnosis problem.
Two dominant subseasonal variability modes of the eastern Pacific ITCZ

[1] Two subseasonal variability (SSV) modes over the eastern Pacific (EPAC) have been identified based on rainfall observations. The first SSV mode with a dominant period of 40 days has been documented in detail in previous studies. The second SSV mode associated with the EPAC intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) rainfall, to the best of our knowledge, is documented for the first time, exhibiting a prevailing period of 18 days (hereafter, a 20-d SSV mode). This 20-d SSV mode is largely characterized by northward propagation. While its strongest signals are present over the EPAC, the impacts of this 20-d SSV mode are also discerned over the North American Monsoon, the Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Analysis of the low-frequency variability of these two SSV modes shows that they are anti-correlated on the interannual time scales. The physics responsible for the origins of the two SSV modes over the EPAC are still elusive.
Current noise and photon noise in quantum cascade lasers

A model for the photon noise and the current noise in quantum cascade lasers is presented. It is shown that compared to diode lasers quantum cascade lasers exhibit much less photon-number squeezing even when the noise in the drive current is suppressed well below the shot-noise value. The theoretical model presented in this paper self-consistently accounts for the suppression of the current noise in electron transport in multiple quantum-well structures due to various electronic correlations. The nature of these electronic correlations is discussed. Mechanisms that make photon-number squeezing difficult to achieve in quantum cascade lasers are discussed. Scaling of the laser intensity noise and the current noise with the number of cascaded gain stages is also described. Direct-current modulation response of quantum cascade lasers is also studied, and it is shown that contrary to the predictions in the literature of terahertz modulation bandwidth for these lasers, bandwidth of almost all quantum cascade lasers that have been reported in the literature is limited by the inverse photon lifetime inside the laser cavity to tens of gigahertz.
Inference of trends in time series

Summary. We consider statistical inference of trends in mean non-stationary models. A test statistic is proposed for the existence of structural breaks in trends. On the basis of a strong invariance principle of stationary processes, we construct simultaneous confidence bands with asymptotically correct nominal coverage probabilities. The results are applied to global warming temperature data and Nile river flow data. Our confidence band of the trend of the global warming temperature series supports the claim that the trend is increasing over the last 150 years.
Infection of Endothelium With E1-E4+, but Not E1-E4-, Adenovirus Gene Transfer Vectors Enhances Leukocyte Adhesion and Migration by Modulation of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, CD34, and Chemokine Expression

Abstract —Intravascular introduction of replication-deficient adenoviral vectors (Advectors) provides an ideal model of delivery of transgenes for the treatment of various vascular abnormalities. On the basis of the knowledge that Advectors can induce inflammatory responses after intravascular administration, we speculated that cellular activation by Advector infection could directly modulate the endothelial cell (EC) adhesion molecule/chemokine expression repertoire. Infection of human umbilical vein ECs or bone marrow microvascular ECs with an E1−E4+ Advector resulted in the upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and CD34, but not E-selectin, P-selectin, CD36, CD13, CD44, HLA-DR or PECAM. Upregulation of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD34 was apparent 12 hours after infection and persisted for weeks after infection. Selective induction of adhesion molecules was mediated by the presence of the E4 gene in the Advector, because infection of ECs with an E1−E4− Advector had no effect on adhesion molecule expression. ECs infected with E1−E4+ Advector, but not those infected with E1−E4− Advector, supported the adhesion of leukocytes. Monoclonal antibodies to ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 inhibited adhesion of leukocytes to E1−E4+-infected ECs. Infection of the ECs with E1−E4+ Advector, but not E1−E4− Advector, resulted in downregulation of expression of chemocytokines, including interleukin-8, MCP-1, RANTES, and GM-CSF. Nonetheless, a large number of leukocytes migrated through ECs infected with E1−E4+, but not those infected with E1−E4l−, in response to exogenous chemokines. These results demonstrate that infection of ECs with E1−E4+ Advectors, but not E1−E4− Advectors, may directly augment inflammatory responses by upregulating expression of adhesion molecules and enhancing migration through Advector-infected ECs and suggest that E1−E4− Advectors may be a better choice for gene-transfer strategies directed to the ECs.
An Information-Theoretic Approach to Inference Attacks on Random Data Perturbation and a Related Privacy Measure

Random data perturbation (RDP) has been in use for several years in statistical databases and public surveys as a means of providing privacy to individuals while collecting information on groups, and has recently gained popularity as a privacy technique in data mining. This correspondence provides an information-theoretic framework for all inference attacks on RDP. The framework is used to demonstrate the existence of a tight asymptotic lower bound on the number of queries required per bit of entropy for all inference attacks with zero asymptotic error and bounded average power in the query sequence. A privacy measure based on security against inference attacks is proposed.
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Current Structural Materials in Commercial Nuclear Power Plants

This paper summarizes the structural materials used in light water reactors (LWR), their historical degradation evolution vs. time, improvements and subsequent vulnerabilities discovered, and possible future degradation phenomena over long-term operation. Little was known about high-temperature water environments 50+ years ago, and reasonable but inadequate judgments were made on structural materials based partly on simple, short-term tests and partly on intuition of low-temperature corrosion phenomena. A steady evolution and improvement in structural materials occurred, especially over the first 20 years of LWR experience. Degradation continues and is managed by a combination of inspection, mitigation, and replacement, although concerns for surprises remain because of declining expertise, funding, and historical conservatism. Materials of higher resistance undoubtedly exist, and some examples are discussed. New forms of degradation and aging synergies that accelerate the kinetics of known degradation phe...