cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic gain and economic values of selection strategies including semen traits in three- and four-way crossbreeding systems for swine production

Four semen traits: volume (VOL), concentration (CON), progressive motility of spermatozoa (MOT), and abnormal spermatozoa (ABN) provide complementary information on boar fertility. Assessment of the impact of selection for semen traits is hindered by limited information on economic parameters. Objectives of this study were to estimate economic values for semen traits and to evaluate the genetic gain when these traits are incorporated into traditional selection strategies in a 3-tier system of swine production. Three-way (maternal nucleus lines A and B and paternal nucleus line C) and 4-way (additional paternal nucleus line D) crossbreeding schemes were compared. A novel population structure that accommodated selection for semen traits was developed. Three selection strategies were simulated. Selection Strategy I (baseline) encompassed selection for maternal traits: number of pigs born alive (NBA), litter birth weight (LBW), adjusted 21-d litter weight (A21), and number of pigs at 21 d (N21); and paternal traits: number of days to 113.5 kg (D113), backfat (BF), ADG, feed efficiency (FE), and carcass lean % (LEAN). Selection Strategy II included Strategy I and the number of usable semen doses per collection (DOSES), a function of the 4 semen traits. Selection Strategy III included Strategy I and the 4 semen traits individually. The estimated economic values of VOL, CON, MOT, ABN, and DOSES for 7 to 1 collections/wk ranged from $0.21 to $1.44/mL, $0.12 to $0.83/10 spermatozoa/mm, $0.61 to $12.66/%, -$0.53 to -$10.88/%, and $2.01 to $41.43/%, respectively. The decrease in the relative economic values of semen traits and DOSES with higher number of collections per wk was sharper between 1 and 2.33 collections/wk than between 2.33 and 7 collections/wk. The higher economic value of MOT and ABN relative to VOL and CON could be linked to the genetic variances and covariances of these traits. Average genetic gains for the maternal traits were comparable across strategies. Genetic gains for paternal traits, excluding semen traits, were greater in selection Strategy I than Strategies III and II. Genetic gains for paternal and maternal traits were greater in the 4- and 3-way schemes, respectively. The selection strategy including the 4 semen traits is recommended because this approach enables genetic gains for these traits without compromising the genetic gains for maternal traits and with minimal losses in genetic gains for paternal traits.
Fossil Ptelea samaras (Rutaceae) in North America

Fossil samaras referred to the extant rutaceous genus Ptelea L. comprise an artificial collection of five distinct taxa with convergent fruit morphologies. Critical reexamination of these fossils revealed that only one of the five samara types can be referred to Ptelea. Two of the forms can be assigned without reservation to Tiliaceae (Pteleaecarpum = Craigia) or Caprifoliaceae ("Ptelea" cassioides [part], "Ptelea" miocenica [part]). Taxonomic affinities of the two remaining fruit types ("Ptelea" eocenica, "Ptelea" cassioides [part]) are undetermined. Genuine fossil Ptelea samaras are restricted to Miocene floras in the western United States, including the Hog Creek (Weiser) and Succor Creek floras near the Oregon-Idaho border and the Stinking Water flora of east-central Oregon. These samaras bear the names P. miocenica Berry and P. enervosa H. V. Smith. The holotype of P. miocenica is a caprifoliaceous infructescence similar to that of Dipelta Maximowicz, so P. enervosa, previously considered a synonym of P. miocenica, is the valid combination for fossil Ptelea samaras. P. enervosa samaras are the oldest reliably determined fossil Ptelea fruits. These samaras indicate that the Toddalieae-Pteleinae lineage of subfamily Toddalioideae has been present in North America since the Miocene, rather than the Eocene as suggested by previously misidentified specimens.
Some Zoological Studies with Image Intensifiers

The homosapien, when placed in perspective with other mammals is a diurnal creature; that is, his primary activities are carried out during daylight hours. (Ref. 1) The fact that man is diurnal rather than nocturnal will not rattle the cages of our civilization, but when we look at ourselves relative to other mammals we find the homo sapien making up part of a 15% minority (Ref. 2) of animals. One need not refer to his slide rule to calculate the fact that 85% of all mammals are eithe r nocturnal or functional at night. (Ref. 3)© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Implicit functions: applications in medicine and biology

3D reconstructions constitute a valuable tool in medicine and biology. They allow researchers to further analyze, compare and register anatomical data. In medical cases, they allow a better understanding of the condition to treat and may increase the changes of an accurate diagnostic, surgery and treatment. In these fields, the initial dataset mostly consists of parallel sections. The accuracy of this dataset usually suffers from technological limitations of the acquisition system. These limitations can result in a possible low accuracy in the plane of sections, but can also consist of a limitation in the number of sections. This induces undersampling which constitutes a major problem for the subsequent 3D reconstruction. Many reconstruction methods exist. This paper provides a qualitative and quantitative comparison of several of these methods. We present the perspectives introduced by the utilization of implicit functions in terms of accuracy but also in their application to higher dimensional problems. The main dataset consists of neuroanatomical data, but other examples are also provided. Emphasis is made on undersampled initial data and the reconstruction of structures with complex geometry.
Bounds for effective parameters of multicomponent media by analytic continuation

Recently D. Bergman introduced a method for obtaining bounds for the effective dielectric constant (or conductivity) of a two-component medium. This method does not rely on a variational principle but instead exploits the properties of the effective parameter as an analytic function of the ratio of the component parameters. We extend the method to multicomponent media using techniques of several complex variables.
Behavioral alterations in Lewis rats following two-day continuous 3-nitropropionic acid administration.

The mitochondrial toxin, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), produces motor dysfunction and striatal atrophy in rats. However, rat strain and method of administration may contribute to variability in the deficits caused by 3-NP toxicity. To evaluate this, changes in nocturnal spontaneous locomotor activity from chronic administration of 3-NP using an osmotic mini pump, were examined in Lewis rats. Lewis rats were treated with 3-NP or saline for 2 days and behavior was tested daily for a 15 day period. Animals receiving 3-NP displayed significantly less spontaneous activity than animals in the saline group. 3-NP treated animals also weighed significantly less when compared to saline treated animals. These results demonstrate that even though there were no significant alterations in overt anatomical pathology, even short-term exposure to 3-NP produced significant effects. This short-term administration may present a potential paradigm for examination of sub-threshold neurotoxicity.
ORIGINS OF THE ITEM PARAMETERS X50 AND β AS A MODERN ITEM ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE

Current item analysis practice, by and large, is performed with item analysis techniques selected for their computational simplicity rather than their conceptual basis. Such computational considerations no longer have any vaildity due to the widespread availability of digital computers which effectively have removed any concern for computational complexity. In the view of the present author the more adequate curve fitting techniques of item analysis have long been ignored in practice due to their laborious computations, yet because of digital computers this should not be the case. The item parameters X50 and 8 estimated by such techniques provide a powerful conceptual basis for describing item characteristics that is meaningful to both the test constructor and the psychometrician. Although this approach to item analysis has been avoided in practice, a considerable body of literature relevant to the curve fitting methods of item analysis has been published. These developments have appeared in a wide variety of sources and the present paper aims to bring them together within a single paper. The approach taken has been to present the developments in essentially chronological order from its inception in the Binet studies to its modern implementation on digital computers. With such a proliferation of sources, the mathematical notation was quite varied, hence many of the conceptually important equations have been presented below using a common notation to assist the reader in coordinating the formulations from these sources.
Tolerance of ten species of Agropyron to feeding by Labops hesperius.

Ten species of wheatgrasses ( Agropyron ) were screened in a field nursery for tolerance to feeding by a grass bug Labops hesperius Uhler. The following factors were compared between infested and noninfested plants: number of culms per plant; percentage of abnormal seed heads; seed production; seed weight; seed germination; forage production; and percentage leaf damage. Tall, slender intermediate, and pubescent wheatgrasses appeared to be somewhat tolerant to grass bug feeding at densities used in the test.
PORTFOLIO OPERATIONS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS AND THE LEVEL OF TREASURY SECURITY PRICES

NOT ONLY WERE commercial banks the largest and most active investor-traders in the Treasury securities market after 1945, but their holdings of Treasury securities fluctuated widely relative to those of other investors. Further, it appears that oscillations in bank holdings of Treasury securities go far toward determining their price-yield movements. Reversing prewar experience and the putatively normal pattern of yield relationships between Treasury and corporate securities, yields on Treasury securities rose and fell over a wider range, for the most part, than did yields on corporate securities. The instability of yields of Treasury securities in the postwar year calls for a re-examination of traditional notions concerning Treasury securities and a re-evaluation of the role of commercial banks in the Treasury securities market.
Differential enzyme activity in normal and sterile boll weevils

Abstract 1. 1. Whole-body homogenate and hemolymph enzyme profiles of normal and γ-irradiated boll weevils were compared. 2. 2. The specific activity of homogenate lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in treated males was significantly lower than that in normal males ( 73 ± 3 vs 104 ± 3 mU/mg protein ). 3. 3. The specific activity of homogenate acid phosphatase (AP) in treated females was significantly lower than that observed in normal females ( 89 ± 5 vs 109 ± 5 mU/mg protein ). 4. 4. Hemolymph LDH and AP showed a comparable activity pattern to homogenate LDH and AP activities. 5. 5. The homogenate LDH activity in normal males correlated well with egg production and egg hatching by females after mating with normal males. 6. 6. Low LDH activity corresponded with very low egg production and no egg hatching in irradiated males. 7. 7. LDH and AP may be monitored to assess the sterility of the boll weevil after γ-irradiation.
Epoxidation of retinol and the structure of “chromogen 574”

Abstract Epoxidation of retinol (vitamin A alcohol, 1) with freshly prepared and standardized mono-perphthalic acid in ether affords a product which Karrer named “chromogen 574” in 1945. Repetition of this peracid oxidation of retinol (1) with several peracids (m-PPA, m-CPBA, or CH3CO3H) with or without a buffer (NaHCO3 or Na2HPO4) produces dihydropyran alcohol 4 as characterized by spectroscopy and subsequent chemical transformations. Thus the structures proposed for “chromogen 574” by Karrer in 1945–47 and Troitskii in 1948 are now revised to correspond to cyclic alcohol 4.
Natural root grafts

Introduction 255 Formation of grafts .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Types of grafts 258 Self-grafting 258 Intraspecific grafting 258 Interspecific grafting 260 Living stumps .. ........ 260 Prevalence of root-grafting 263 Implications 264 Ecology 264 Stand development 264 Response to thinning. 266 Forest Management 268 Pathology .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 268 Resistance to windthrow 270 Girdling 270 Silvicides 270 Nest plantings 273 Summary ... 274
Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans

Dietary supplementation with an essential amino acid L-lysine has been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in humans with low dietary intake of L-lysine. A combination of L-lysine and L-arginine has been documented to normalize hormonal stress responses in humans with high trait anxiety. The present study was carried out in one hundred eight healthy Japanese adults. The aim of study was to find out whether a week-long oral treatment with L-lysine (2.64 g per day) and L-arginine (2.64 g per day) reduces trait and stress-induced state anxiety and basal levels of stress hormones. We confirmed that, without regard to gender, the amino acid treatment significantly reduced both trait anxiety and state anxiety induced by cognitive stress battery. In addition, we found that the treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine decreased the basal levels of salivary cortisol and chromogranin-A (a salivary marker of the sympatho-adrenal system) in male subjects. These results of this double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized study confirm the previous findings in humans and animals and point to a combination of L-lysine and L-arginine as a potentially useful dietary intervention in otherwise healthy humans with high subjective levels of mental stress and anxiety.
Stimulation of renin secretion by non-diuretic sulfhydryl reagents

Stimulation of renin secretion by non-diuretic sulfhydryl reagents. Organomercurial diuretics stimulate renin secretion although the underlying cellular mechanisms remain undefined. Since organomercurials are also known to react with sulfhydryl groups, the present studies determined the effects of sulfhydryl reagents on renin secretion. The effects of the non-diuretic mercurial agent, parachloromercuriphenyl-sulfonate (PCMPS), as well as that of other sulfhydryl reagents, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), N-phenylmaleimide (NPM) and monobro-motrimethylammoniobimane (qBBr), on renin secretion were determined in rabbit renal cortical slices. All four reagents stimulated renin secretion. NEM, which has a high membrane permeability, stimulated secretion to a relatively small extent and its effects were not apparent for at least one hour. Conversely, PCMPS, which is much less permanent than NEM, produced the largest stimulation and these effects were apparent within one hour. The stimulation of secretion by sulfhydryl reagents was independent of the concentration of Ca 2+ , Na + , and K + in the incubation media, suggesting that the stimulation is not secondary to alterations of intracellular ion concentrations. These results raise the possibility of direct involvement of sulfhydryl groups of particular membrane protein(s) of the juxtaglomerular (JG) cells in some steps leading to renin secretion, and raise the possibility that sulfhydryl reactivity might in part account for the stimulatory effects of organomercurial and other diuretics.
Curious behaviours and what they say about you

Ever wondered why yawns are contagious, you can't tickle yourself and we don't speak from our bottoms? Neuroscientist Robert R. Provine has the answers
Proximate, nutritional and microbiological analyses of milk-sweet potato mixtures fermented with yogurt bacteria

Milk, sweet potato (SP), sucrose and gelatin mixtures were fermented with yogurt bacteria. SP comprised 14, 16 or 18% of the milk-SP mixture. As SP increased, the following components decreased (dry weight basis, except for moisture): moisture, 81.3-79.7%; fat, 8.5-4.9%; and calculated calories, 1,726-1,651 kJ/100g (412-396 Kcal/ 100g). Likewise, these components increased: nitrogen-free extract, 66.3-69.8% and vitamins C, 0.30 - 0.41 mg/100 g and A, 971-1,252 retinol equivalents/100g. On average, the product contained 19% protein, 3.8% ash and 2.5% dietary fiber. The lactic acid bacteria count in the product after 6.5 hr incubation was log 8.2 (1.585 x 106) CFU/g.
Abstract 490: Investigation of telomere shortening caused by dyskeratosis congenita-associated heterozygous TIN2 mutations

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA The ends of eukaryotic chromosomes are composed of repetitive telomere sequences bound by the shelterin protein complex. Telomerase, a reverse transcriptase complex, is known to express in highly proliferative tissues and cells in humans to maintain a constant telomere length and to sustain their proliferative potential. Heterozygous missense mutations within one of the shelterin proteins, TIN2, have been identified in patients with Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC), a multiple stem-cell failure syndrome characterized by extremely short telomeres in affected patients. Our study aims to elucidate the mechanism by which TIN2 mutations shorten telomeres in human cells. TIN2 is an essential protein that tethers the shelterin complex together. We generated HCT 116 colorectal cancer cell lines containing heterozygous TIN2 R282H mutation, one of the most common DC-related TIN2 mutations, by zinc-finger-nuclease facilitated gene editing. Clones with heterozygous TIN2 mutation showed progressive telomere shortening, while the wild-type (WT) clones showed no change in telomere length over extended cell proliferation. The progressive telomere shortening phenotype in TIN2 mutants can be rescued by exogenous expression of WT TIN2. However, TIN2 mutant clones do not contain elevated levels of deprotected telomeres, suggesting that the TIN2 mutation does not lead to overall telomere deprotection. We are currently investigating whether the DC-related TIN2 mutation induces telomere shortening by inhibiting telomerase or by accelerating telomere attrition through telomerase-independent mechanisms. Citation Format: Duy C. Tran, Amanda K. Frank, Lifeng Xu. Investigation of telomere shortening caused by dyskeratosis congenita-associated heterozygous TIN2 mutations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 490. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-490
Computation of periodic Green’s functions of Stokes flow

Methods of computing periodic Green’s functions of Stokes flow representing the flow due to triply-, doubly-, and singly-periodic arrays of three-dimensional or two-dimensional point forces are reviewed, developed, and discussed with emphasis on efficient numerical computation. The standard representation in terms of Fourier series requires a prohibitive computational effort for use with singularity and boundary-integral-equation methods; alternative representations based on variations of Ewald’s summation method involving various types of splitting between physical and Fourier space with partial sums that decay in a Gaussian or exponential manner, allow for efficient numerical computation. The physical changes undergone by the flow in deriving singly- and doubly- periodic Green’s functions from their triply-periodic counterparts are considered.
Organizational Member Involvement in Physical Activity Coalitions Across the United States Development and Testing of a Novel Survey Instrument for Assessing Coalition Functioning

Introduction. Coalitions are often composed of member organizations. Member involvement is thought to be associated with coalition success. No instrument currently exists for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. This study aimed to develop a survey instrument for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. The study was carried out in three phases: (a) developing a draft survey, (b) assessing the content validity of the draft survey, and (c) assessing the underlying factor structure, reliability, and validity of the survey. Method. A cross-sectional design was employed. In Phase 1, a team of experts in survey development produced a draft survey. In Phase 2, the content validity of the draft survey was evaluated by a panel of individuals with expertise in physical activity coalitions. In Phase 3, the survey was administered to 120 individuals on local-, state-, and national-level physical activity coalitions. Responses were subjecte...
Medulloepithelioma of the ciliary body and optic nerve: Clinicopathologic, CT, and MR imaging features

The definitive diagnosis of medulloepitheliomas of the ciliary body and optic nerve is made by histopathologic examination. Familiarity with rare tumors aids clinicians in accurately diagnosing this rare neoplasm. CT and MR imaging findings can be helpful, especially if the mass is confined in an area of the ciliary body without involvement of the retina. The characteristic findings of cystic changes and possible calcification are suggestive of medulloepithelioma rather than melanoma. The more common and ominous retinoblastoma shares some radiologic features with medulloepithelioma, however, and is thus often a consideration. Clinical diagnosis of medulloepitheliomas of the optic nerve and central nervous system (CNS) is more challenging. The diagnosis is often made by histopathologic examination. Lastly, coexisting CNS tumors and anomalies have been reported in association with intraocular medulloepitheliomas and should be recognized.
The Effects of Artificial Light Sources on Color Judgment by the Aging Eye

Forty-nine volunteers (20 to 75 years old) with normal vision were tested on color judgment using the Lanthony New Color Test (NCT), under twofluorescent light sources-warm white and SP30. Mixed analyses of variancefor the effects of light source, age, and saturation revealed that age and saturation had an effect on color judgment whereas light type did not. As age increased, the number of errors in color judgment increased, and at lower saturation levels the oldest age group made significantly more errors in color judgment than the youngest age group. Implicationsfor interior designers, color and lighting consultants, and planners are discussed.
Noncontact method of in-plane strain measurement on rotating structures

An experimental technique of in-plane strain measurement on large rotating structures in service, requiring only minor surface preparation and little or no interruption to or shut-down of costly production-line plant is extremely attractive. The development of ESP1 (electronic speckle pattern interferometry), which displays this potential, using a pulsed laser is described. Some preliminary results for component tangential velocities up to 3.4 ms-1 are presented.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
“If you treat me right, I reciprocate”: examining the role of exchange in organizational survey response

Survey nonresponse can pose a major threat to the generalizability of organizational survey findings. This paper examines whether organizational members' evaluations of their organizational experiences affect survey response to organizationally sponsored surveys. In particular, we hypothesized that perceived organizational support, social exchange, procedural justice and an individual's inclination to feel exploited in social relationships predicted organizational members' compliance with organizations' requests for survey completion. A longitudinal field experiment conducted in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research at a large university (sample: n = 622 university students) supported the hypotheses. Organizational members who consciously decided to not participate in organizational surveys perceived their organization as less procedurally just and less supportive. They also reported negative perceptions of their social exchange relationship with their organization, and were more inclined to feel exploited in relationships. Hence, an exchange-oriented theoretical framework grounded in organizational citizenship behavior theory seems appropriate for the study of survey nonresponse. Implications for survey practice include that survey-based findings are unlikely to generalize to specific groups of nonrespondents, and that techniques commonly used to increase response rates may not be effective in reaching these groups of nonrespondents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antikeratin autoantibodies in the amyloid deposits of lichen amyloidosus and macular amyloidosis

In order to characterize immunoglobulins found on amyloid deposits of lichen amyloidosus and macular amyloidosis, an elution from cryostat sections was performed with citrate buffer, glycine buffer, NaCl, and PBS. Resulting eluates (mainly IgG) were examined with dot immunoblotting and SDS-PAGE immunoblotting and were found to react with the human epidermal keratin of 50 and 67 kD. Antikeratin autoantibody activities in normal murine and human sera were examined using a dot immunoblotting assay. In murine sera, titers of IgG and IgM autoantibodies were higher in older mice. The human cord blood showed significantly lower IgM autoantibody titers, whereas IgG antibody titers showed no significant differences from adults' sera, probably due to the permeability of IgG through the placental barrier. A stronger antibody activity in older individuals was thought to be due to the repeated exposures to keratin proteins derived from apoptotic keratinocytes. Sera from lichen amyloidosus and macular amyloidosis patients did not show any difference from normal controls in their antikeratin titers. It was concluded that the patients with lichenoid or macular amyloidosis are capable of producing a normal level of antikeratin autoantibodies. However, the removal of opsonized keratin-type amyloid from the skin is slow or deficient due to as yet unknown factors.
Skeletal Maturation in Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus

Extract: Skeletal maturation has been examined in a group of diabetic children using their nondiabetic siblings as controls. Serial examinations were done over a five-year period. The diabetic children have a significantly retarded bone age, whether assessed by examination of the hand or of the foot. However, their nondiabetic siblings had comparable retardation of skeletal maturation. Thus, in comparison with his normal sibling, the skeletal development of the diabetic child does not appear to have been affected by his disease process. There is no significant difference between the development of the hand and the foot for either group of children. When the skeletal maturation of the hand and foot is compared for each child, the correlation is 0.998. No significant trend can be demonstrated for the relation between skeletal development discrepancy and chronological age. The initial retardation of about six months at ten years of age and the progressive retardation of about one and a half months during the next three years of life are equivalent to a decrement of a half month in skeletal age for each year of chronological age since birth. Speculation: The moderate, but significant, retardation of both groups of children when compared to the published standards requires explanation. These groups follow a pattern similar to that reported for the children in the longitudinal study of growth in Denver. The most likely factors producing these patterns are the result of sample or standard selection. The children used for the standards in the Atlases were predominantly from families whose socioeconomic level was definitely above average, whereas the diabetic population was more normally distributed in this context. The high correlation between hand and foot in this series indicates the importance of using the detailed assessment technique described in the Atlas Standards and used for this study. Furthermore, the high degree of correlation found between the hand and the body as a whole by REYNOLDS and OSAKAWA [19] would suggest that the hand or the foot is equally representative of total body skeletal maturation.
The challenge and imperative of private sector cybersecurity: An international comparison

Abstract Attacks on computers and information networks, both public and private, are disclosed in the news daily. Most recently, Apple, Facebook, and Twitter acknowledged that they were attacked and were now taking additional measures to secure their networks. In January of 2013, Kaspersky Labs reported discovering malware that not only targeted government information in Eastern Europe, former Soviet republics, and Central Asia, but also had been actively doing so since 2007. The scope of global cyber attacks is staggering and the solutions to securing property and protecting national security are illusive, in large part because infrastructure is owned and operated by private, rather than public, entities. Nations struggle with choosing the most effective strategy and potential regulation of the private sector in order to reduce overall cybersecurity risk. This paper reviews the nature of cyber threats, and compares the United States and European approach to promoting cybersecurity in the private sector. Furthermore, the paper discusses how different approaches can affect cybersecurity risk, and suggests a framework for visualizing the impact of law and strategy on security.
The Requirement for Polyamines for Intestinal Epithelial Cell Migration Is Mediated through Rac1

The rapid migration of intestinal epithelial cells is important to the healing of mucosal ulcers and wounds. This cell migration requires the presence of polyamines and the activation of RhoA. RhoA activity, however, is not sufficient for migration because polyamine depletion inhibited the migration of IEC-6 cells expressing constitutively active RhoA. The current study examines the role of Rac1 and Cdc42 in cell migration and whether their activities are polyamine-dependent. Polyamine depletion with α-difluoromethylornithine inhibited the activities of RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42. This inhibition was prevented by supplying exogenous putrescine in the presence of α-difluoromethylornithine. IEC-6 cells transfected with constitutively active Rac1 and Cdc42 migrated more rapidly than vector-transfected cells, whereas cells expressing dominant negative Rac1 and Cdc42 migrated more slowly. Polyamine depletion had no effect on the migration of cells expressing Rac1 and only partially inhibited the migration of those expressing Cdc42. Although polyamine depletion caused the disappearance of actin stress fibers in cells transfected with empty vector, it had no effect on cells expressing Rac1. Constitutively active Rac1 increased RhoA and Cdc42 activity in both normal and polyamine-depleted cells. These results demonstrate that Rac1, RhoA, and Cdc42 are required for optimal epithelial cell migration and that Rac1 activity is sufficient for cell migration in the absence of polyamines due to its ability to activate RhoA and Cdc42 as well as its own effects on the process of cell migration. These data imply that the involvement of polyamines in cell migration occurs either at Rac1 itself or upstream from Rac1.
Safety of intracoronary ultrasound: data from a Multicenter European Registry

The clinical use of intracoronary ultrasound imaging is growing, serving as a useful adjuvant to contrast angiography, and providing additional information to assist with catheter-based interventions. Despite the increasing use of this technique, it remains an invasive procedure, the safety of which has not been definitively established. Data from multiple European centers performing intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) examinations were collected under the auspices of the Subgroup on Intravascular Ultrasound of the Working Group on Echocardiography of the European Society of Cardiology. Information was obtained about the number of examinations performed, complications related to ICUS imaging, and any adverse clinical consequences related to ICUS imaging. Twelve centers submitted information about their experience with ICUS. Eight (1.1%) complications were reported (spasm, vessel dissection, or guide wire entrapment) in a total of 718 examinations. All complications occurred in patients with atherosclerotic coronary disease with a diagnosis of unstable or stable angina who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. No permanent adverse clinical consequences due to ICUS imaging were reported. There was no difference in frequency of complications between centers, as assessed by chi-square analysis (P = 0.232). These data suggest that ICUS examinations can be performed safely with a very low rate of complications.
The Evaluation of Supplier Performance - A Case Study Approach

This study adopted business intelligence tools to implement a platform for supplier evaluation, bases on data from the material management module of its ERP system firstly, and tried to further improve the acceptance of the system. Qualitative research method was applied on this regard. Intensive interviews with members from procurement, quality assurance, and material management departments were conducted with interview framework established from Information System Model. The information garnered from the interviews was analyzed with Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). Major conclusions were used to improve the supplier evaluation system. Based on statistics data about system usage, the improvement gained significant success.
Anisotropy beneath Hawaii from surface wave particle motion observations

Observed polarization ellipses for fundamental-mode surface waves observed at a digital station in Hawaii deviate from those expected for isotropic models of crust and mantle structure for that region. The anomalous motion occurs as rotations of the ellipse about all three axes in a cartesian corrdinate system. The largest and most consistent deviations occur as anomalous slopes of the ellipse about the horizontal axis transverse to the direction of propagation. The observed orientations and magnitudes of these angles can be explained by models of the upper mantle which contain olivine for which thea-axis dips significantly from the horizontal and which includes a sufficiently thick sedimentary layer (1 km) and a thicker than normal oceanic crust (15 km). The ellipses are also generally inclined from great circle paths about the vertical axis and are tilted about the axis aligned with the propagation direction. Both angles are small and difficult to measure, but the inclination angles are consistent with a model of the upper mantle in which thea-axis of olivine is preferentially oriented in an east-west direction.
Kinetic parameters for the hydrogen and ethylene flames from flashback measurements

Abstract Values for the flame activation energy and an overall reaction order have been obtained for premixedhydrogen-oxygen and ethylene-oxygen flames with nitrogen and with argon as diluents; the values come from measurements of the change with pressure and flame temperature of the critical boundary velocity gradient for flashback. Measurements have been made for rich and stoichiometric hydrogen flames and for lean and stoichiometric ethylene flames. For hydrogen flames with nitrogen diluent an overall order of 2·3 is found; for ethylene flames with nitrogen diluent, the order obtained is 1·8. With argon diluent, values for the order are about 10 per cent lower for each flame. With nitrogen diluent the flame activation energy apparently increases with flame temperature; thin increase is not found with argon diluent. For hydrocarbon flames the assumption that the initial equivalence ratio equals the effective equivalence ratio in the flame leads to an order of reaction with respect to oxygen that is considerably larger than unity. For hydrogen flames, that assumption is consistent with an oxygen order of unity.
Towards the perfect infrastructure for usability testing on mobile devices

In this paper, we describe various setups that allow usability professionals to conduct effective user studies on mobile devices. We describe the factors relevant when building a solution for mobile device observation and the various designs we worked with in the Google user experience research environment as we iterated to meet changing study needs. We highlight several systems that can successfully be used in an industry environment, including a novel setup that is fully portable, can be used in a usability lab as well as in the field, accommodates a large variety of different mobile devices, and allows for live observation by product teams around the world.
Sulfur Versus Non-Sulfur Containing Polyimide Adhesives for Bonding Steel

Abstract Due to their superior thermal and chemical stability, polyimides are often used as adhesives in harsh environments. This study examines the effect on bond strength of thioether sulfur in the polyimide backbone. Bonds were made using steel that was believed to catalyze the oxidation of sulfur. In addition, non-sulfur containing polyimides with similar Tg were also studied for comparison. The polymer/metal interface was studied using both the T-peel and wedge tests. No apparent effect was observed in the T-peel test with steel where the T-peel strengths of non-sulfur and sulfur containing polyimides were similar. In the wedge test, however, the sulfur-containing BDSDA/ODA bonded to steel had the smallest initial crack length of 34 mm. However, the BTDA/APB bonds tested in a dry environment had the smallest crack growth. The sulfur-containing BTDA/ASD performed best of the bonds tested in a wet environment. Metal-catalyzed oxidation of sulfur was observed to take place in the steel case, but not to ...
Three-dimensional elasticity solutions for edge loaded semi-infinite sheets

The three dimensional state of stress in an edge loaded semi-infinite sheet is determined by using the tenth-order approximate theory of stretching of isotropic sheets. The sheet of uniform thickness is subjected to a normal edge load applied parallel to the plane of the sheet. The edge load is uniform through the thickness of the sheet and is of finite length along the edge. The three governing differential equations are solved using Fourier transforms. A study of the maximum and transverse stresses is presented for various aspect ratios. Der dreidimensionale Spannungszustand der an der Kante belasteten Halbschale wird unter Verwendung der Naherungstheorie 10. Ordnung fur die Streckung der isotropen Halbschalen bestimmt. Die Schale gleichformiger Dicke ist einer normalen Kantenlast parallel zur Schalenebene ausgesetzt. Die Kantenlast ist gleichformig langs der Dicke der Schale und von endlicher Grose entlang der Kante. Die drei Grundgleichungen werden mit Hilfe der Fouriertransformation gelost. Eine Untersuchung der Maximal- und der Biegespannungen wird fur verschiedene Seitenverhaltnisse durchgefuhrt.
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE TROUBLED CHILD AT HOME

I would like to add a few words about the existentialists' notion of communicating and relating. They state that being-in-the-world means being with and relating to people and things. They speak of three fundamental categories of existence, namely, being attuned to each other and understanding each other which means letting the other person unfold; being aware of what he potentially could be but also accepting him as he is now; and finally, language, which encompasses silence, sounds, words, gestures and organized speech) This philosophy is open-ended, future-directed SHEINER
Cooling requirements for blip performance of intrinsic photoconductors

Abstract Infrared system design requires good estimates of ultimate detector limitations as well as state-of-the-art data. The limits set by background radiation are well established and until recently, cooling requirements to achieve BLIP performance have not been well defined. Presently available detector data include background radiation from 10 8 to 10 18 photons cm 2 sec and temperature from 4 to 300°K for intrinsic photoconductors permitting better evaluation of detective limits. We present a semiempirical fit to this data assuming that the lifetime is inversely proportional to the sum of thermal and background contributions to the carrier density. The recombination coefficient is calculated using data obtained when the lifetime is background dependent. The calculated cooling requirement as a function of background and the thermally limited peak D ∗ are presented and compared with data for Hg 1 −x Cd x Te ( x = .195 and .29), InSb and InAs. Corrections are indicated for band structure variations of narrow bandgap HgCdTe.
Room Temperature Pulsatile Perfusion of Renal Allografts With Lifor Compared With Hypothermic Machine Pump Solution

This pilot study compared the use of the Lifor Organ Preservation Medium (RTLF) at room temperature with hypothermic Belzer machine preservation solution (CMPS) and room in vitro temperature Belzer machine preservation solution (RTMPS) in a porcine model of uncontrolled donation after cardiac death (DCD). In this study, 5 porcine kidneys for each perfusate group were recovered under a DCD protocol. The kidneys were recovered, flushed, and placed onto a renal preservation system following standard perfusion procedures. The average flow rate for CMPS was 36.2 ± 7.2549 mL/min, RTMPS was 90.2 ± 9.7159 mL/min, and RTLF was 103.1 ± 5.1108 mL/min. The average intrarenal resistance for CMPS was 1.33 ± 0.1709 mm Hg/mL per minute, RTMPS was 0.84 ± 0.3586 and RTLF was 0.39 ± 0.04. All perfusion parameters were statistically significant (P < .05) at all time points for the CMPS when compared with both RTMPS and RTLF. All perfusion parameters for RTMPS and RTLF were equivalent for the first 12 hours; thereafter, RTLF became significantly better than RTMPS at 18 and 24 hours. It appears that both RTMPS and RTLF have equivalent perfusion characteristic for the initial 12 hours of perfusion, but LF continues to maintain a low resistance and high flow up to 24 hours. The results of this pilot study indicate that RTLF may represent a better alternative to pulsatile perfusion with CMPS and requires validation in an in vivo large animal transplant model.
NRC experimental/analytical program for investigating margins to failure of Category I reinforced concrete structures

Abstract This paper discusses a coordinated experimental/analytical program designed to provide information needed for making margins-to-failure assessments of Category I reinforced concrete structures. The experimental program is emphasized and background information that lead to this particular experimental approach is presented. Analytical tools being developed to supplement the experimental program are discussed.
Subsurface Sensing of Buried Objects Under a Randomly Rough Surface Using Scattered Electromagnetic Field Data

This paper proposes a new inverse method for microwave-based subsurface sensing of lossy dielectric objects embedded in a dispersive lossy ground with an unknown rough surface. An iterative inversion algorithm is employed to reconstruct the geometry and dielectric properties of the half-space ground as well as that of the buried object. B-splines are used to model the shape of the object as well as the height of the rough surface. In both cases, the control points for the spline function represent the unknowns to be recovered. A single-pole rational transfer function is used to capture the dispersive nature of the background. Here, the coefficients in the numerator and denominator are the unknowns. The approach presented in this paper is based on the state-of-the-art semianalytic mode matching forward model, which is a fast and efficient algorithm to determine the scattered electromagnetic fields. Numerical experiments involving two-dimensional geometries and TM incident plane waves demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of this inverse method
INCOME TAX COMPLIANCE IN A PRINCIPAL-AGENT FRAMEWORK

Previous analyses have modeled income tax evasion as a "portfolio problem," deriving the optimal consumption of the "risky asset" (unreported income) under the assumption of a fixed probability of detection, The purpose of this paper is to examine some of these issues in tax compliance starting from a different set of assumptions. In particular, we compare alternative audit policies to the standard random audit policy. We focus on an "audit cutoff" policy, in which an agent triggers an audit if his or her reported income is "too low," and is not audited if reported income is "sufficiently high." This paper establishes two major results. First, random audit rules are weakly dominated by audit cutoff rules. It can be shown, given lump-sum taxes and fines, that these audit cutoff rules are the least-cost policies which induce truthful reporting of income. Second, the dominance of audit cutoff rules over random audit rules holds for "lump-sum" as well as proportional taxation—in fact, the equilibrium consequences of the two are equivalent.
Stumped identities: Body image, bodies politic, and the Mujer Maya as prosthetic

This article explores the way the Guatemalan nation, ladinos (nonindigenous people), the burgeoning Mayan cultural rights movement, and gringa feminism deploy the Mayan woman, or la mujer Maya as I call this discursive construct, as a prosthetic.' I suggest that these identifications (nation, ethnicity, and gender) are like wounded bodies and rely on supports like the imagined Mayan woman in order to exist. The prosthetic makes up for something missing, it covers over an opening, and as Allucquere Rosanne Stone (1995) suggests, it overcomes a lack of presence. I argue that for the Guatemalan nationstate the mujer Maya overcomes the missing Mayan representation in the recent peace process and, like a peg leg, supports the nation's limping political economy. For the Mayan cultural rights movement, which must prove itself appropriate to modernity while retaining the tradition that legitimates it, "she" fills in this impossible divide. The mujer Maya also serves to support first world anthropology trying to be in solidarity with building peace and strengthening Mayan rights while being "feminist." National, ethnic (Maya and nonindigenous), and gender identities are stumped, in the sense of being incomplete, wounded, and rudimentary, as well as being baffled and unsure. "To stump" also means to "make political speeches or support a cause" (Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd ed., s.v. "stump") and I argue that similarly, these identities are always political, the result of process and work. They are "cyborg bodies politic" (Gray and Mentor 1995) that rely on the figure of Woman to support identity formation. I wager that by exploring their use of the mujer Maya as prosthetic we can learn more about them. Thus, I do not claim to speak for actually existing Mayan women. I am primarily interested in the mujer Maya as a construct, a boundary marker, a prosthetic, and the ways, in turn, this helps us explore "the webs of information and power/knowledge [that] incarcerate" but also sustain and move her (Gray and Mentor 1995:435).
Quality assurance technologies for vlsi manufacturing

Au vu des intentions fondamentales de la fabrication des VLSI et des objectifs des programmes d'assurance de qualite et de controle de qualite, on voit apparaitre comme garantes du succes trois technologies, qui sont la metrologie dimensionnelle, l'analyse des materiaux et les methodes statistiques de controle des processus. La multiplicite stupefiante des methodes, les options instrumentales, des etats et variables des processus a controler, font les controles de qualite et assurance de qualite aussi complexes que la fabrication meme des VLSI et demandent un engagement a long terme des equipes de direction, d'ingenieurs et de techniciens