cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tweaking Flux Capacitors

Mass fluctuations that arise from Mach effects when objects that can store internal energy are accelerated and their application to the production of propellantless thrusts are discussed. A follow‐on experiment to that reported at STAIF 2004 is described. An effect of the sort expected continues to be observed. And it displays scaling behavior distinctive to Mach effects.
Multilevel selection theory and evidence: a critique of Gardner, 2015

Gardner (2015) recently developed a model of a 'Genetical Theory of Multilevel Selection, which is a thoughtfully developed, but flawed model. The model's flaws appear to be symptomatic of common misunderstandings of the multi level selection (MLS) literature and the recent quantitative genetic literature. I use Gardner's model as a guide for highlighting how the MLS literature can address the misconceptions found in his model, and the kin selection literature in general. I discuss research on the efficacy of group selection, the roll of indirect genetic effects in affecting the response to selection and the heritability of group-level traits. I also discuss why the Price multilevel partition should not be used to partition MLS, and why contextual analysis and, by association, direct fitness are appropriate for partitioning MLS. Finally, I discuss conceptual issues around questions concerning the level at which fitness is measured, the units of selection, and I present a brief outline of a model of selection in class-structured populations. I argue that the results derived from the MLS research tradition can inform kin selection research and models, and provide insights that will allow researchers to avoid conceptual flaws such as those seen in the Gardner model.
Error analysis of linear recursions in floating point

A stochastic error model for floating point arithmetic is developed and used to study the effects of finite wordlength on linear recursive formulas. Optimal realizations exist, but they are highly sensitive.
Quantitative myoelectric determination of bowel viability

Abstract A new device designed to quantitatively measure viability in ischemic bowel was studied in 20 dogs. This strain gauge device is clipped on the serosal surface and can rapidly deliver an electrical stimulus. The threshold stimulus level (TSL) was the stimulus necessary to produce a clearly defined smooth muscle contraction. TSL was compared with blood flow measured by Doppler ultrasound at 2-cm intervals in 30-cm ischemic segments as a determinant of bowel viability. Doppler readings were taken from the bowel wall (BW), peripheral arteriolar branches of the marginal artery (PA), and marginal artery (MA), itself, at each 2-cm interval. Bowel color and peristalsis were correlated with Doppler and TSL data. TSL scale ranged from 0 to 100 mA and varied from 21 ± 2 mA in normal bowel to 98 ± 2 mA in gangrenous bowel. At the locus of the last audible Doppler signal in the BW, PA, and MA, mean TSL readings were 27 ± 5, 34 ± 6, and 48 ± 16 mA, respectively. These readings were each significantly greater than the TSL of normal bowel at P ⩽ 0.0001 level. Portions of each ischemic segment were resected and reanastomosed. Absence of Doppler signals in the BW and PA did not preclude healing of ischemic bowel. These data suggest that TSL measurement is more sensitive than either Doppler ultrasound or gross visual evaluation in assessment of bowel viability.
Δ-Monotone arrangements of real numbers

Abstract Given a set of M × N real numbers, can these always be labeled as x i , j ; i = 1,…, M ; j = 1,…, N ; such that x i +1, j +1 − x i +1, j − x i , j +1 + x ij ≥ 0, for every ( i , j ) where 1 ≤ i ≤ M − 1, 1 ≤ j ≤ N − 1? For M = N = 3, or smaller values of M , N it is shown that there is a “uniform” rule. However, for max( M , N ) > 3 and min( M , N ) ≥ 3, it is proved that no uniform rule can be given. For M = 3, N = 4 a way of labeling is demonstrated. For general M , N the problem is still open although, for a special case where all the numbers are 0's and 1's, a solution is given.
Using goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback to increase calorie expenditure in obese adults

Obesity has become a leading cause of health problems in America, many of which can be combated by increasing physical activity. As a result, interventions targeting increased physical activity are greatly needed. In this study, a package intervention consisting of goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback was evaluated across five participants in a multiple baseline design with a brief reversal for three of the five participants. The intervention package increased calorie expenditure for all five participants. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The “Strong Black Woman Collective”: A Developing Theoretical Framework for Understanding Collective Communication Practices of Black Women

The “Strong Black Woman” ideal is a long-established image in U.S. society placing pressures on Black American women to maintain a facade of strength, self-sufficiency, and resilience. This article advances the Strong Black Woman Collective (SBWC) as a developing standpoint framework for analyzing the complexities associated with embodiment, communication, and regulation of strength among groups of Black women. While reinforcing such behaviors as a collective enables resistance against racial-gendered oppression and validates Black womanhood, it may also impede sharing vulnerability and emotionality.
Proton Dissociation Energies of Zinc-Coordinated Hydroxamic Acids and Their Relative Affinities for Zinc: Insight into Design of Inhibitors of Zinc-Containing Proteinases

Hydroxamic acids, known as iron chelators, have recently been widely used as a key functional group of potential therapeutics targeting at zinc proteinases such as matrix metalloproteinases involve...
Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Knowledge of Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Practices for Preschoolers: Instrument Development and Validation

Childhood obesity remains a problem in the United States. Preschool teachers can help to attenuate it but need to have the confidence or self-efficacy to provide healthy practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (a) develop and validate a preschool teacher self-efficacy tool to examine teachers’ confidence in addressing the nutrition and physical activity needs of children in their care and (b) examine relationships between teachers’ self-efficacy and knowledge of healthy nutrition and physical activity practices. Instrument design included examination of related literature and review by 12 subject matter experts. Two hundred seventy-three early childhood professionals submitted a 58-item questionnaire with 48 self-efficacy items in four domains of healthy practices for the preschool classroom; the remaining 10 items reflected knowledge of healthy practices. Two hundred fourteen professionals completed the questionnaire. A principle components factor analysis supported a five-factor self-effi...
Optimum Design of Laminated Plates Under Shear

This paper is concerned with the optimum design of plates with orthotropic layers under shear. The plates considered are the laminates of N orthotropic layers whose principal material axes coincide with the plate axes. Each layer is assumed to have the same thickness and an equal number of fibers in the direction of + alpha sub i and - alpha sub i with respect to the plate axis. The fiber directions which give the highest shear buckling stress are found by utilizing a mathematical optimization technique.
NMR study of sodium ion motion and distribution in beta‐alumina

NMR studies of 23Na in single crystal beta‐alumina have been made which include (1) investigation of the quadrupole induced shifts of the 1/2↔−1/2 magnetic transition at 77 and 103 K, and (2) measurement of the width of the 23Na‐NMR line as a function of temperature for several crystal orientations. The low temperature rotation patterns show that sodium ions occupy several independent sites in the lattice. At temperatures above about 110 K, the jumping of sodium ions among these several sites is manifested by motional narrowing of the quadrupolar spectrum. At these higher temperatures, a single, symmetric resonance line is observed. Analysis of the narrowing of this resonance line with increasing temperature yields an activation energy of 0.1 eV.
Proinflammatory cytokine inhibition of lacrimal gland secretion.

A decrease in lacrimal and salivary gland secretion is a primary cause of dry eye and dry mouth. Sjogren’s syndrome is the leading cause of the aqueous tear deficient type of dry eye.1-3 It is an autoimmune disease, which occurs almost exclusively in females (>90), and involves an extensive lymphocytic infiltration of the lacrimal and salivary glands and destruction of epithelial cells.4-5 No cure exists for this disease. Moreover, the exact etiology of Sjogren’s syndrome is largely unknown, but may include factors of viral, endocrine, neural, genetic and environmental origin.2-5
Receiver techniques for ultra-wide-band multiuser systems over fading multipath channels

We treat the problem of channel estimation and interference cancellation in multiuser ultra-wide-band (UWB) communication systems over multipath fading channels. The UWB system under consideration employs a random time-hopping impulse radio format. We develop a channel estimation method based on linear weighted algorithm. An iterative channel estimation and interference cancellation scheme is proposed to successively improve the receiver performance. We also consider systems employing multiple transmit and/or receive antennas. For systems with multiple receive antennas, we develop a diversity receiver for the well-separated antennas. For systems with multiple transmit antennas, we propose to make use of Alamouti's space-time transmission scheme, and develop the corresponding channel estimation and interference cancellation receiver techniques. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of various UWB receiver techniques developed in this paper.
False-negative Pap smear in uterine malignancy

Abstract For the period 1964 to 1976, Papanicolaou smears of 384 patients with uterine malignancies admitted to Cook County Hospital were studied. There were 36 negative Pap smears in a group of 307 patients with invasive cervical carcinoma (11.7% false-negative rate), and three negative Pap smears in a group of 45 patients with in situ squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (6.6% false-negative rate). Forty-seven of 77 patients with endometrial carcinoma had negative cytologic examinations (51.9% false-negative rate). Because routine cervicovaginal cytology is not as satisfactory for the detection of endometrial carcinoma as it is for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, the importance of other screening techniques for endometrial carcinoma is discussed.
Evaluation of stainless steel zirconium alloys as high-level nuclear waste forms

Abstract Stainless steel–zirconium (SS–Zr) alloys have been developed for the consolidation and disposal of waste stainless steel, zirconium, and noble metal fission products such as Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Pd, and Ag recovered from spent nuclear fuel assemblies. These remnant waste metals are left behind following electrometallurgical treatment, a molten salt-based process being demonstrated by Argonne National Laboratory. Two SS–Zr compositions have been selected as baseline waste form alloys: (a) stainless steel–15 wt% zirconium (SS–15Zr) for stainless steel-clad fuels and (b) zirconium–8 wt% stainless steel (Zr–8SS) for Zircaloy-clad fuels. Simulated waste form alloys were prepared and tested to characterize the metallurgy of SS–15Zr and Zr–8SS and to evaluate their physical properties and corrosion resistance. Both SS–15Zr and Zr–8SS have multi-phase microstructures, are mechanically strong, and have thermophysical properties comparable to other metals. They also exhibit high resistance to corrosion in simulated groundwater as determined by immersion, electrochemical, and vapor hydration tests. Taken together, the microstructure, physical property, and corrosion resistance data indicate that SS–15Zr and Zr–8SS are viable materials as high-level waste forms.
Cholecytokinin (CCK) gene-related peptides: distribution and characterization of immunoreactive pro-CCK and an amino-terminal pro-CCK fragment in rat brain

Abstract An antiserum specific for the amino terminus of pro-CCKK detects 3 major peptides in rat brain with molecular weithts of 13, 000, 8000 and 2700 daltons. These peptides are abundant both in CCK terminal-field regions and regions rich in CCK perikarya. The two high molecular weight peptides probably represent CCK precursor molecules. The smaller peptide is probably the amino-terminal fragment of pro-CCK and may be stored and released along with CCK-8, and have a potential role in synaptic transmission.
A computational interpretation of Dolev-Yao adversaries

The Dolev-Yao model is a simple and useful framework in which to analyze security protocols, but it assumes that the adversary is extremely limited. We show that it is possible for the results of this model to remain valid even if the adversary is given additional power. In particular, we show that there exist situations in which Dolev-Yao adversary can be viewed as a valid abstraction of all realistic adversaries. We do this in a number of steps: (1) The Dolev-Yao model places strong assumptions on the adversary. We capture those assumptions in the computational model (an alternate framework with a very powerful adversary) as a nonmalleability property of public-key encryption. (2) We prove an Abadi-Rogaway-style indistinguishability property (J. Cryptol. 15(2) (2002) 103-127) for the public-key setting. That is, we show that if two Dolev-Yao expressions are indistinguishable to the Dolev-Yao adversary, then their computational interpretations (via a chosen-ciphertext secure encryption scheme) are computationally indistinguishable. (3) We show that any encryption scheme that satisfies the indistinguishability property also satisfies our (more natural) non-malleability property.
Estimating non‐transparent military expenditures: The case of china (PRC)∗

Data limitations arising from non‐transparency in military expenditure reporting impose significant constraints on economists studying country and comparative developments in this field. This article focuses on the case of China. It reviews the recent literature on China's military expenditure, examines the variance in published estimates, and identifies three factors which help explain the variance: budgetary falsification; non‐budgeted PLA revenue; and the US dollar purchasing‐power parity of the yuan. Conclusions emphasize important policy implications of such variance and suggest a more active role for defence economists in a field of research generating considerable attention from international relations scholars.
Parton rescattering and screening in Au + Au collisions at RHIC

Abstract We study the microscopic dynamics of quarks and gluons in relativistic heavy ion collisions in the framework of the Parton Cascade Model. We use lowest order perturbative QCD cross sections with fixed lower momentum cutoff p min T . We calculate the time-evolution of the Debye-screening mass μ D for Au + Au collisions at s =200 GeV per nucleon pair. The screening mass is used to determine a lower limit for the allowed range of p min T . We also determine the energy density reached through hard and semi-hard processes at RHIC, obtain a lower bound for the rapidity density of charged hadrons produced by semi-hard interactions, and analyze the extent of perturbative rescattering among partons.
Airway pressure release ventilation during acute lung injury: a prospective multicenter trial.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility of airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) in providing ventilatory support to patients with acute lung injury of diverse etiology and mild-to-moderate severity.DesignProspective, multicenter, nonrandomized crossover trial.SettingICUs in six major referral hos
SMT-TAB: A process planning system for PCB assembly using TAB and SMT

Process planning is a critical function in any manufacturing domain. This is especially true in the electronics manufacturing area where substantial heuristic and experiential knowledge is commonly used during process plan development. While research in computer-aided process planning (CAPP) has tended to concentrate in the machining realm, few CAPP systems have been developed for electronics manufacturing applications and more specifically for the printed circuit board (PCB) assembly domain. Besides, the CAPP systems that have been developed for this area have dealt with either insertion mount or surface mount PCB assembly processes only.
2-Butenoic acid, a chemical marker for poly-β-hydroxybutyrate identified by pyrolysis—gas chromatography / mass spectrometry in analyses of whole microbial cells

Abstract A chemical marker for poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), 2-butenoic acid, was identified in microbial pyrograms. The use of 2-butenoic acid as a chemical marker was validated by correlation with results from an extraction, hydrolysis, and derivatization GC/MS method for determination of PHB, by growth trials profiling PHB content as function of culture age, and by comparative pyrolysis studies of a diverse group of organisms. PHB was shown to be a common chemical present in microorganisms of the family Legionellaceae and high levels were not found in the family Enterobacteriaceae . In common with many other bacilli, B. anthracis was also found to contain PHB.
Three-Dimensional Tracking of Fluorescent Particles in Confocal Microscopy

Three-dimensional tracking of fluorescent particles has the potential of offering scientists much more information pertaining to biological phenomena than can be provided with two-dimensional tracking. In this work, we describe a tracking algorithm that can be used in any optical configuration where a two- or three-dimensional point spread function is sampled in space and time. We show preliminary results from the application of this algorithm to three-dimensional tracking of freely-diffusing fluorescent quantum dots in a confocal microscope. Further, using experimental data, we illustrate how the algorithm can maintain tracking in low-SNR settings where high-background noise may be present or where low-excitation power is required due to concerns of phototoxicity. We describe the versatility of the algorithm in tracking fluorescent particles of various diffusion coefficients and velocities by the adjustment of tuneable parameters. Since the algorithm does not estimate the position of the particle, the user may choose any localization algorithm on the resulting trajectories. In our analysis, we use a GPS-like localization technique called fluoroBancroft to estimate the particle position from the resulting trajectories and describe results from Monte Carlo simulations that indicate optimal window sizes.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Phonetic confusion matrix based spoken document retrieval

Combined word-based index and phonetic indexes have been used to improve the performance of spoken document retrieval systems primarily by addressing the out-of-vocabulary retrieval problem. However, a known problem with phonetic recognition is its limited accuracy in comparison with word level recognition. We propose a novel method for phonetic retrieval in the CueVideo system based on the probabilistic formulation of term weighting using phone confusion data in a Bayesian framework. We evaluate this method of spoken document retrieval against word-based retrieval for the search levels identified in a realistic video-based distributed learning setting. Using our test data, we achieved an average recall of 0.88 with an average precision of 0.69 for retrieval of out-of-vocabulary words on phonetic transcripts with 35% word error rate. For in-vocabulary words, we achieved a 17% improvement in recall over word-based retrieval with a 17% loss in precision for word error rites ranging from 35 to 65%.
Plant molecular biology in the space station era: Utilization of KSC fixation tubes with RNAlater

Spaceflight experiments involving biological specimens face unique challenges with regard to the on orbit harvest and preservation of material for later ground-based analyses. Preserving plant material for gene expression analyses requires that the tissue be prepared and stored in a manner that maintains the integrity of RNA. The liquid preservative RNAlater (Ambion) provides an effective alternative to conventional freezing strategies, which are limited or unavailable in current spaceflight experiment scenarios. The spaceflight use of RNAlater is enabled by the Kennedy space center fixation tube (KFT), hardware designed to provide the necessary containment of fixatives during the harvest and stowage of biological samples in space. Pairing RNAlater with the KFT system provides a safe and effective strategy for preserving plant material for subsequent molecular analyses, a strategy that has proven effective in several spaceflight experiments. Possible spaceflight scenarios for the use of RNAlater and KFTs are explored and discussed.
Nucleotide Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of Actin

Adenosine 5′-triphosphate or ATP is the primary energy source within the cell, releasing its energy via hydrolysis into adenosine 5′-diphosphate or ADP. Actin is an important ATPase involved in many aspects of cellular function, and the binding and hydrolysis of ATP regulates its polymerization into actin filaments as well as its interaction with a host of actin-associated proteins. Here we study the dynamics of monomeric actin in ATP, ADP-Pi, and ADP states via molecular dynamics simulations. As observed in some crystal structures we see that the DNase-I loop is an α-helix in the ADP state but forms an unstructured coil domain in the ADP-Pi and ATP states. We also find that this secondary structure change is reversible, and by mimicking nucleotide exchange we can observe the transition between the helical and coil states. Apart from the DNase-I loop, we also see several key structural differences in the nucleotide binding cleft as well as in the hydrophobic cleft between subdomains 1 and 3 where WH2-containing proteins have been shown to interact. These differences provide a structural basis for understanding the observed differences between the various nucleotide states of actin and provide some insight into how ATP regulates the interaction of actin with itself and other proteins.
Protein palmitoylation in signal transduction of hematopoietic cells

The covalent attachment of palmitate to proteins can alter protein-lipid and protein-protein interactions thereby influencing protein function. Palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification. Thus, like protein phosphorylation, protein palmitoylation can function in activation-dependent signaling pathways. This review will provide an overview of the mechanisms and regulation of protein palmitoylation and focus on the role of palmitoylation in signal transduction pathways of lymphocytes and platelets.
Use of the radiance distribution to measure the optical absorption coefficient in the ocean

Recent advances in instrumentation have enabled the accurate measurement of radiance distribution profiles. These measurements with the electro-optic radiance distribution camera system (RADS) can be used to explore theoretical treatments relating the radiance distribution to inherent properties such as absorption. I use a radiance distribution cast to obtain a profile of the optical absorption coefficient. Because this measurement of absorption is not direct, but rather is derived from the radiance distribution data, analysis of the possible sources of error is detailed, along with the advantages and disadvantages of the method.
Habituation and sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to chronic intermittent stress: effects of stressor intensity.

Abstract Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed acutely (1 time for 30 minutes) or chronically (30 minutes per day for 27 days) to swim stress in water maintained at either 18°C, 24°C or 34°C. Each rat was prepared with an indwelling tail artery catheter to allow for direct measures of mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg) and heart rate (HR, beats per minute) and for remote collection of blood samples before, during and after the 1st or 27th swim stress session. Blood samples were later analyzed for plasma levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine to serve as an assessment of sympathetic-adrenal medullary activity. Compared to handled controls, body weight gain was reduced significantly in rats exposed chronically to swim stress at any of the 3 temperatures. However, baseline values of MAP and HR and plasma levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine were similar in chronically stressed rats compared to their handled controls. The plasma norepinephrine response of rats exposed chronically to either 18°C or 24°C swim stress was significantly greater than that of matched controls stressed for the first time. In contrast, the plasma epinephrine response of chronically stressed rats from these two groups was slightly but not significantly reduced compared to matched controls. For swim stress at 34°C, the plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine responses of chronically stressed rats were reduced significantly compared to controls stressed for the first time. These findings demonstrate that stressor intensity affects sensitization and habituation of plasma catecholamine responses in laboratory rats exposed to chronic intermittent stress. In addition, the results of these experiments suggest that the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla respond differentially to manipulations of stressor intensity.
Volunteer labor supply

Abstract We model the supply of volunteer labor, which received an explicit wage of zero. Quantitatively important, it constituted over 5 percent of the entire labor supply in the United States in 1980. Both consumption and investment models are considered - the former positing volunteering as an ordinary consumer good, while the latter posits it as a means of obtaining on-the-job experience. Empirical estimation, based on survey data, discloses statistically significant effects of price and income variables on the supply of volunteer labor.
The recent literature on public leadership

Abstract The purpose of the article is to review the academic literature on public leadership. The discussion is generally confined to books and articles in which leadership in the public realm is explicitly at the center of the discussion; and it is limited to materials published in 1999 and 2000. The literature on leadership is divided into five groups: individuals, groups/organizations, nations, transnational arrangements, and cross-cutting themes (diversity, ethics, mass movements). The article concludes by noting that although the literature on public leadership, at least as generated by contemporary academicians, remains meager, it is growing in richness and diversity. In fact, this review demonstrates that scholars, teachers, and practitioners have a range of relevant materials from which to draw information and ideas. An enormous amount of work remains to be done before the literature on public leadership reaches a critical mass. But some good work is being accomplished in a field that is clearly expanding, and that is of increasing interest to constituencies both within and outside academia.
Ethnopsychological Method and the Psychological Assessment of Mexican Americans

This article reviews the theoretical and methodological development of ethnopsychology, which is founded on the principle that distinct cultural groups share basic common beliefs and values that differentiate them psychologically from other cultural groups. The distinctness of a cultural group is rooted in a series of historical, sociocultural experiences and perceptions of oneself and the group as a whole. The development of ethnopsychology is summarized through the contributions of Rogelio Diaz-Guerrero and his early exploration of the fundamental premises and tenets that guide ethnopsychological theory and method. The contributions of other theorists, focusing on the uniqueness of bicultural/bilingual groups such as Mexican Americans, are also summarized. The author supports the application of ethnopsychological theory and method to enhance psychologists’ understanding of bilingual/bicultural groups in the United States. Specifically, she reviews current psychological assessment methods and their ethno...
Alcohol consumption is preferred to water in rats pretreated with intravenous cocaine

Abstract Clinical and anecdotal reports suggest a high incidence of alcohol administration during cocaine use, potentially as a means to diminish the aversive effects of cocaine that follow the initial positive drug effects. We have previously shown that in the operant runway, oral ethanol significantly reduces the approach–avoidance retreats that develop in response to IV cocaine. The current study was intended to test whether rats given the same dose of IV cocaine administered in our previous study would choose to consume ethanol rather than water in a two bottle choice paradigm. We also examined whether significant serum levels of the psychoactive cocaine metabolite, cocaethylene, were found in our animals that may account for the preference for ethanol. Animals pretreated with cocaine drank significantly more ethanol than did animals pretreated with saline. There were no measurable levels of cocaethylene at 10 or 40 min post-cocaine and extremely low values at the 20-min time point, indicating that cocaethylene formation does not reinforce the co-administration of cocaine and alcohol in rats. These data demonstrate that the presence of cocaine serves as a primary factor in the preference for alcohol in thirsty rats, potentially to reduce the well-documented negative/anxiogenic properties of cocaine.
Total body content of copper and other essential metals in rats fed fructose or starch

Abstract The effects of dietary carbohydrate and copper on whole body levels of copper and other essential minerals were investigated. Weaned male rats were pair-fed diets containing 62% fructose or cornstarch with either adequate (6–7 mg/kg) or deficient (0.5–0.7 mg/kg) copper (Cu) for 32–33 days. Recommended levels of other minerals were present in all diets. Total copper in whole body was approximately 2-fold higher in rats fed copper-supplemented diets than copper-deficient diets and was independent of the type of dietary carbohydrate. Whole body levels of zinc, iron, manganese and magnesium were independent of dietary copper and carbohydrate. Selenium content of rats fed copper-deficient diet with fructose was 35% higher than in those fed copper-adequate diet with fructose. Rats fed the copper-deficient diet containing starch had a whole body calcium level 17–23% lower than that of the other dietary groups. These results demonstrate that the copper-carbohydrate interaction is not a result of carbohydrate-dependent effects on the retention of dietary copper and other essential minerals.
Asplenium ofeliae (Aspleniaceae), a New Species from Luzon, Philippines

Abstract A new species of Asplenium is described from the middle and high altitude mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines. This new species, Asplenium ofeliae, is related to A. unilaterale Lam. and is endemic to the Philippines.
Highly efficient cesium vapor laser

An extensive development of high power lasers for military and civilian applications has resulted in several highly successful laser systems based on chemical lasers. These lasers have some undesirable features, most notably their use of dangerous chemicals and excessive size. Alternative laser systems such as solid state, fiber lasers and semiconductor lasers have not achieved the necessary powers and beam quality. In this paper we present the results of our work on optically pumped cesium vapor laser development. We demonstrated efficient cesium laser operation at wavelength 894 nm with diode laser pumping. The measured optical efficiency was more than 32% with an overall electrical to optical efficiency of 15%. With an improved cavity design and narrowband pump source we have demonstrated Cs laser with slope efficiency of 81% and overall optical efficiency of 63%. This laser can be scaled to higher powers by increasing the volume of the active medium and number of narrowband pump diode lasers.
Cutaneous vascular changes during heating and cooling in the Galapagos marine iguana.

The Galapagos iguana has evolved a cooling and heating system which involves temperature sensitive cutaneous blood vessels. Local cutaneous vascular responses to temperature variations explain differences in heating and cooling rates as well as thermal stability in the face of extreme thermal loads in the environment.
Re-parameterization of multinomial distributions and diversity indices

It is shown in this paper that the parameters of a multinomial distribution may be re-parameterized as a set of generalized Simpson's diversity indices. There are two important elements in the generalization: (1) Simpson's diversity index is extended to populations with infinite species; (2) weighting schemes are incorporated. A class of unbiased estimators for the generalized Simpson's biodiversity indices is proposed. Asymptotic normality is established for the estimators. Both the unbiasedness and the asymptotic normality of the estimators hold for all three cases of the number of species in the population: infinite, finite and known, and finite but unknown. In the case of a population with a finite number of species, known or unknown, it is also established that the proposed estimators are uniformly minimum variance unbiased and are asymptotically efficient.
Varicella-Zoster Virus Infections: Biology, Natural History, Treatment, and Prevention

During the last 10 years, there have been major advances in the understanding of varicella-zoster virus and the diseases it causes. The molecular biology of the virus is being unraveled with the aid of new molecular technologies. Varicella, usually a benign manifestation of primary infection, and zoster, a result of reactivation of latent virus, can cause considerable morbidity in patients with immune impairment. Antiviral drugs, especially acyclovir, ameliorate severe infections but still have little role in the treatment of most normal patients with varicella or zoster. Varicella can be prevented when necessary by patient isolation and passive prophylaxis with varicella-zoster immune globulin. An experimental live vaccine also prevents varicella, but problems regarding its virulence for immunosuppressed patients and the durability of the protective response are still being addressed.
Pharmacokinetic Characteristics, Efficacy, and Safety of Buccal Testosterone in Hypogonadal Males: A Pilot Study

Transbuccal administration of drugs provides an easy route of administration. To test the safety and efficacy of a novel testosterone (T) product, we performed a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study in a parallel design. Men with serum T levels below 250 ng/dL were administered either an active buccal tablet containing 10 mg T (n = 7) or a buccal placebo tablet (n = 6) containing 3 mg pseudoephedrine HCl for taste matching. Men were studied while taking a standard T enanthate dose, after 6 weeks of a wash-out period, and after 8 weeks of therapy. The men were matched for age (mean ± sd, 41 ± 16 vs. 47 ± 16) and type of hypogonadism (three primary testicular failures in each group, with the remainder having a central etiology). Acute pharmacokinetic testing showed peak serum hormone levels at 30 min, with a mean serum T concentration of 2688 ± 147 ng/dL (range, 1820–3770 ng/dL). Levels returned to baseline in 4–6 h, resulting in a total T area under the curve level of 3865 ng/hn·dL, less than...
Some B(eq) are more equivalent than others.

Crystallographic structural models for macromolecules have typically included an isotropic displacement parameter Biso for each atom. In cases where the structural model instead includes anisotropic displacement parameters Uij, the derived quantity Beq can be substituted for Biso for many purposes. Beq is not, however, the best predictor of the value Biso that would hypothetically have been obtained by direct refinement of an isotropic model. A new entity Best is proposed that represents an estimate for Biso that minimizes the Kullback–Leibler divergence from a paired anisotropic model. In general Best/Beq < 1, with the difference between the two values becoming larger for atoms that are more anisotropic. Although this difference does not affect direct refinement of either isotropic or anisotropic models, it is relevant to any analysis that compares isotropic and anisotropic models of the same underlying structure. In particular, it may lead to improved selection of multi-group TLS models based on analysis of an initial isotropic refinement.
A physical map of bovine mitochondrial DNA from a single animal

Mitochondrial DNA has been isolated from the liver of an individual Holstein cow and a physical map has been derived for the 38 cleavage sites made by restriction endonucleases: Ava I, Bam HI, Bgl II, Bst EII, Eco RI, Hha I, Hin dIII, Hpa I, Kpn I, Pst I, Sac I, Sal I, Xba I, and Xho I. Sufficient mitochondrial DNA (approx. 16 mg) could be isolated, allowing this map to serve as the basis for detailed physical, genetic and nucleotide sequence studies in an individual mammal.
Observation of band structure on amorphous silicon surface and performance of solar cells with controlled band offsets on hetero-junctions

Abstract Control of band offsets on hetero-junctions is important to achieve a higher efficiency amorphous silicon-based solar cell. It is expected to improve cell's properties of Voc and FF by suppressing band offsets on the junction. The configuration of conduction band level (Ec), valence band level (Ev) and Fermi level (Ef) based on vacuum level governs the formation of band offset on the junction. We show that the configuration of the band structure on the surface of amorphous Si thin film is deposited by plasma-CVD equipment with a VHF power supply. Ec and Ev were obtained from ionization energy and energy band gap observed by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and optical measurement, respectively. Ef was measured as work function by means of Kelvin probe method. As a result, it is found that shifts of energy levels originate from change of bonding characteristics in the amorphous Si network. This phenomenon is peculiar to amorphous Si-based materials. The results indicate that the upper shift of Ec and Ev are effective in suppressing band offsets on the hetero-junction. We show the performance of solar cells with controlled band offsets on hetero-junctions and discuss the possibility of higher Voc and FF by employing amorphous Si-based materials.
A further note on the robustness of output feedback control methods to modeling errors

In an earlier note it was shown that designing a nonstrictly proper output feedback compensator using a model that neglects parasitic elements might lead to an unstable closed-loop system even when the neglected modes are asymptotically stable. The purpose of this note is to show that this instability phenomenon might take place even when the reduced-order design model is strictly proper.
TU-A-217BCD-02: The Role of Physics in CT Protocol Optimization Over the Range of CT Scanner Types: Recommendations and Misconceptions

The understanding of how scan and reconstructions parameters affect image quality, patient dose, and total scan time is essential to the proper optimization of CTscanner protocols. This understanding is greatly complicated by the differences in user interfaces and in the effects of varying scan and reconstruction parameter with scanners from different manufacturers and even with different scanners from the same manufacturer. Certain scan parameters affect patient dose and image quality (kV, mA, rotation time, effective mAs, pitch, noise index (NI), standard deviation, target effective (TE) mAs), while a subset of these affect the total scan time — which is important for breath hold and contrast considerations. There is a logical method of approaching the modifications of these parameters to achieve the necessary diagnostic image quality at the lowest dose, within total scan time limitations. This method must take into account the model and manufacture of CTscanner, but unfortunately has often not been followed in the development of published CT protocols. Some examples of common confusions and misconceptions involving protocol optimization: The automatic exposure control (AEC) systems from various manufacturers have dramatically different interfaces and perform their functions very differently. Even with the use of AEC, optimal CT scans are not usually obtained with a single protocol for all size patients. In AEC mode the dose can be reduced by raising the NI or lowering the TE mAs. However raising the kV can either raise or lower the dose depending on the AEC system used. Imaging infants to large adults can utilize a range of kV from 80 to 140 kV, with large patients requiring a higher NI and lower TE mAs when using AEC. The effects of pitch and the ways to adjust pitch to optimize image quality and patient dose have appeared to be particularly confusing. Raising the pitch above a value of 1.0 is usually not an optimal way to lower dose due to detrimental effects on image artifacts and slice thickness. Instead, the use of a pitch less than 1.0, with shorter rotation times and lower mA is preferred. Pitch values less than 1.0 do not unnecessarily over‐irradiate the patient since the added radiation is effectively utilized in the image reconstruction in reducing imagenoise. Raising the pitch above 1.0 should be a final step used to reduce the total scan time when it is clinically too long. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the differences in scans and reconstructions parameters between different scanners and the ways in which these parameters affect image quality, patient dose, and total scan time. 2. Understand how AEC is used for different CTscanners included its different effects with varying patient size. 3. Understand some of the misconceptions involving CT parameters including the role of AEC and pitch in image quality, patient dose, and total scan time. 4. Understand the basic principles of CT protocol optimization and how they are affected by scanner type and patient size.
A Bayesian Estimation of the Reliability of Coherent Structures

We develop a procedure for estimating the reliability of a coherent structure of independent components when a prior distribution is assigned to the reliability of the structure function and when failure data on either the structure, its components, or on both are available. We generalize our results by obtaining bounds on the moments of the posterior distribution of the reliability of the structure when its components are associated. We illustrate our procedures by simple examples.
Suprathreshold comparisons of derived and enhanced compound action potentials

Abstract The Derived cochlear nerve compound action potential (CAP) and the Enhanced CAP are both measures which demonstrate the ability of a forward masker to increase the amplitude of the CAP produced by a probe stimulus. Enhancement occurs whenever the amplitude of a masked CAP is larger than that of a nonmasked CAP, whereas the derived CAP is produced by the subtraction of the entire masked CAP waveform from that of the nonmasked waveform. Therefore, a derived CAP is created whenever the masker produces a difference of amplitude, latency, and/or waveform shape. The present experiments compare these two measures by observing the effects of 13 kHz maskers varying from levels of −10 to + 70 dB SPL on CAPs produced by 50 or 60 dB SPL, 13 kHz probe stimuli. Enhancement is characterized by a nonmonotonic increase of CAP amplitude (and sometimes a decrease of latency) as a function of increasing levels of the forward masker, whereas this pattern seldom occurs with the derived CAP. Enhancement is typically seen with forward making, but seldom seen with simultaneous masking, whereas the derived CAP is very similar under these two types of masking.
Effects of Duvernoy's gland secretions from the eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos, on smooth muscle and neuromuscular junction

Abstract Duvernoy's gland secretions (100 μg/ml) from the eastern hognose snake, Heterodon platirhinos, induced a neuromuscular blockade in the isolated frog sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle preparation and effectively antagonized acetylcholine and histamine responses of the rat duodenum preparation. The Duvernoy's secretions (100 μg/ml) produced a reversible, excitatory effect in the guinea-pig ileum in vitro. Mice administered the secretions (100 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited minor, transient signs of toxicity. These preliminary observations provide evidence for toxicity of H. platirhinos Duvernoy's gland secretions but do not warrant categorizing the potential toxicity of this species with that of proteroglyphous, solenoglyphous, or the more venomous opisthoglyphous species.
Accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Nodules and Mass Lesions: A Meta-analysis

ContextFocal pulmonary lesions are commonly encountered in clinical practice, and positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) may be an accurate test for identifying malignant lesions.ObjectiveTo estimate the diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET for malignant focal pulmonary lesions.Data SourcesStudies published between January 1966 and September 2000 in the MEDLINE and CANCERLIT databases; reference lists of identified studies; abstracts from recent conference proceedings; and direct contact with investigators.Study SelectionStudies that examined FDG-PET or FDG with a modified gamma camera in coincidence mode for diagnosis of focal pulmonary lesions; enrolled at least 10 participants with pulmonary nodules or masses, including at least 5 participants with malignant lesions; and presented sufficient data to permit calculation of sensitivity and specificity were included in the anaylsis.Data ExtractionTwo reviewers independently assessed study quality and abstracted data regarding prevalence of malignancy and sensitivity and specificity of the imaging test. Disagreements were resolved by discussion.Data SynthesisWe used a meta-analytic method to construct summary receiver operating characteristic curves. Forty studies met inclusion criteria. Study methodological quality was fair. Sample sizes were small and blinding was often incomplete. For 1474 focal pulmonary lesions of any size, the maximum joint sensitivity and specificity (the upper left point on the receiver operating characteristic curve at which sensitivity and specificity are equal) of FDG-PET was 91.2% (95% confidence interval, 89.1%-92.9%). In current practice, FDG-PET operates at a point on the summary receiver operating characteristic curve that corresponds approximately to a sensitivity and specificity of 96.8% and 77.8%, respectively. There was no difference in diagnostic accuracy for pulmonary nodules compared with lesions of any size (P = .43), for semiquantitative methods of image interpretation compared with qualitative methods (P = .52), or for FDG-PET compared with FDG imaging with a modified gamma camera in coincidence mode (P = .19).ConclusionsPositron emission tomography with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose is an accurate noninvasive imaging test for diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and larger mass lesions, although few data exist for nodules smaller than 1 cm in diameter. In current practice, FDG-PET has high sensitivity and intermediate specificity for malignancy.