cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approach to the diagnosis of pulmonary disease in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus are predisposed to develop a variety of common and uncommon infectious and neoplastic pulmonary diseases. Clinical information that can stratify the risk of occurrence of these pulmonary conditions includes: 1) CD4 cell count-the most important determinant; 2) concurrent antimicrobial therapy; 3) prior travel history: 4) known latent infections that may reactivate; and 5) underlying respiratory disease. Specific pulmonary diseases are discussed including: bacterial pneumonia, bronchitis, mycobacterial and fungal infections, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus. Kaposi sarcoma, lymphoma, and lung cancer. A differential diagnosis can be generated based on the chest radiographic pattern. Focal or multifocal areas of consolidation usually represent conventional bacterial pneumonia or, less commonly, tuberculosis. In severely immunocompromised patients, unusual diseases causing consolidation should be considered including: Rhodococcus infection, nocardiosis, cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, and lymphoma. Nodules can be present in tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and Kaposi sarcoma. Interstitial opacities are common in pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, histoplasmosis, and cytomegalovirus pneumonia. Cavitation and cysts are features of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, tuberculosis, aspergillosis, and lung cancer. Disease of the airways is increasingly recognized in those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Lymphadenopathy is most common in mycobacterial infection, but can be a feature of fungal infection, lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and lung cancer. The combined use of clinical information, knowledge of typical conditions associated with the human immunodeficiency syndrome, and radiographic patterns offers a useful approach to the diagnosis of pulmonary disease in the patient with the human immunodeficiency virus.
Military tracked vehicle model. part ii: case study

This study presents numerical results for the simulation of a military tracked vehicle. The vehicle model and the flexible band track model developed are presented in Sandu and Freeman (2005). The vehicle model contains a chassis, trailing-arm suspensions, road wheels, support rollers, rear driving sprockets, front idlers, and a tensioning mechanism. The suspension systems are modular. The track model is independent of the vehicle model. The tracked vehicle model was used to run several simulations tests to analyse the influence of the terrain geometry, soil characteristics, and vehicle speed on the performances of a military tracked vehicle.
Prostaglandin-mediated inhibition of lymphokine secretion in normal individuals and patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (scleroderma, PSS)

The sensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes to E-type prostaglandin-mediated inhibition of lymphokine secretion was examined in 3 groups of individuals; normal controls, hospitalized patients, and patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS, scleroderma). Leukocytes were stimulated by a polyclonal T-cell activator, phytohemagglutinin, and the release of the lymphokine, leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF), was measured in the presence or absence of exogenous PGE2 using a direct agarose droplet migration inhibition technique. Leukocytes of scleroderma patients were found to be hyporesponsive to E-type prostaglandin (i.e., lymphokine secretion by these cells was not inhibited at concentrations of PGE2 between 2.8 X 10(-8) and 2.8 X 10(-5) M). In addition, a marked sex difference in PGE responsiveness was found to exist among normal controls, whereby females were hyporesponsive during the latter half of the menstrual cycle. It is possible that this deficit may facilitate, in part, the development of connective tissue diseases in women of childbearing age. The inability to suppress lymphokine production and arrest persistent immune reactivity, coupled with the known ability of lymphokines to augment fibroblast collagen production, offers a a reasonable explanation for the accumulation of tissue collagen in scleroderma.
Cumulative trauma disorders: An overview of the problem.

Cumulative trauma disorders—which result from highly-repetitive job activities, sustained loads, and exposure to vibratory forces—are rapidly spreading through the industrialized world. As their prevalence increases, so do the economic and social consequences. This paper provides an overview of the problem to illustrate the fact that addressing the rising incidence of CTDs requires a multidisciplinary approach involving research and programmatic efforts directed on many fronts, most notably medicine, engineering, management, occupational health, and government. After a review of the diagnosis and treatment of cumulative trauma disorders is presented, the importance of ergonomic analysis for identifying workers at risk is discussed. Some prevention strategies currently being implemented in workplaces around the country are also described. Finally, we raise important industry and public policy issues which need to be confronted if the incidence of CTDs is to be reduced and costs of the workers' compensation system contained.
Topology of glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase in rat liver microsomes.

Abstract Glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase (EC 1.8.4.2) catalyzes the inactivation of insulin through scission of the disulfide bonds to form insulin A and B chains. In the liver, the transhydrogenase occurs primarily in the microsomal fraction where most of the enzyme is present in a latent (‘inactive’) state. We have isolated rat hepatic microsomes with latent transhydrogenase activity being an integral part of the vesicles. We have used these vesicles to study the topological location of glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase by investigating the effects of detergents (Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate), phospholipase A 2 and proteinases (trypsin and thermolysin) on the latent enzyme activity. Treatment of intact vesicles with variable concentrations of detergents and phospholipase A 2 resulted in the unmasking of latent transhydrogenase activity. The extent of unmasking of transhydrogenase activity is dependent upon the concentration of detergent or phospholipase used and is accompanied by a parallel release of the enzyme into the soluble fraction. Activation of the transhydrogenase by phospholipase A 2 is partially inhibited by bovine serum albumin and the extent of inhibition is inversely proportional to the phospholipase concentration. In intact vesicles, latent transhydrogenase activity is resistant to proteolytic inactivation by both trypsin and thermolysin, while in semipermeable and permeable vesicles these proteases inactivate 60 and 25% of the total transhydrogenase activity, respectively. Together these results indicate that in microsomes transhydrogenase is probably weakly bound to membrane phospholipid components and that most of the enzyme is present on the cisternal surface (i.e., the luminal surface of endoplasmic reticulum) of microsomes. Each detergent and phospholipase apparently unmasks glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase activity through disruption of the phospholipid-enzyme interaction followed by translocation of the enzyme to the soluble (cytoplasmic) fraction and not through increases in substrate availability.
Formation of quaternary amines by N-methylation of azaheterocycles with homogeneous amine N-methyltransferases.

Abstract Catalytic activities of two amine N -methyltransferases were documented for the following azaheterocycles: isomeric phenyl- and bispyridyls; 2-, 3- and 4-mono-substituted pyridines; and a miscellaneous group of azaheterocycles that included mono- and diazabenzenes and mono- and diazanaphthalenes. The broad substrate specificities of the two amine N -methyltransferases for primary and secondary amines are here extended to a large number of aromatic azaheterocycles in which N- methylation results in the formation of quaternary ammonium metabolites. Pyridine was the best substrate for both enzymes. Substitution in the ring at the 2-position sterically hindered methylation of the pyridyl nitrogen; 2-phenylpyridine and 2,2′-bispyridyl were not substrates.
Transforming disadvantages into advantages: developing-country MNEs in the least developed countries

We analyze the advantages and disadvantages of developing-country multinational enterprises (MNEs) in comparison with developed-country MNEs. Developing-country MNEs tend to be less competitive than their developed-country counterparts, partly because they suffer the disadvantage of operating in home countries with underdeveloped institutions. We argue that this disadvantage can become an advantage when both types of MNE operate in countries with “difficult” governance conditions, because developing-country MNEs are used to operating in such conditions. The empirical analysis shows that, although developing-country MNEs rarely appear among the largest MNEs in the world, they are more prevalent among the largest foreign firms in the least developed countries (LDCs), especially in LDCs with poorer regulatory quality and lower control of corruption.
A Note on Environmental Federalism: Interpreting Some Contradictory Results☆☆☆

Abstract This paper reconciles some conflicting interpretations of recent literature on interjurisdictional environmental regulatory competition. 6 , 7 present a model in which competition to attract investment by lowering environmental standards leads to a Pareto-optimal equilibrium. 3 ; and 4 describe a model in which such competition can result in a suboptimal Nash equilibrium. While it would be possible to draw opposite policy implications from the two models regarding the appropriate degree of environmental federalism, such a conclusion would be incorrect. This paper reconciles the different results by showing that they depend in large part on monopoly profits and tax exporting, not the nature of the pollution externality or environmental federalism.
A new intrusion detection system using support vector machines and hierarchical clustering

Whenever an intrusion occurs, the security and value of a computer system is compromised. Network-based attacks make it difficult for legitimate users to access various network services by purposely occupying or sabotaging network resources and services. This can be done by sending large amounts of network traffic, exploiting well-known faults in networking services, and by overloading network hosts. Intrusion Detection attempts to detect computer attacks by examining various data records observed in processes on the network and it is split into two groups, anomaly detection systems and misuse detection systems. Anomaly detection is an attempt to search for malicious behavior that deviates from established normal patterns. Misuse detection is used to identify intrusions that match known attack scenarios. Our interest here is in anomaly detection and our proposed method is a scalable solution for detecting network-based anomalies. We use Support Vector Machines (SVM) for classification. The SVM is one of the most successful classification algorithms in the data mining area, but its long training time limits its use. This paper presents a study for enhancing the training time of SVM, specifically when dealing with large data sets, using hierarchical clustering analysis. We use the Dynamically Growing Self-Organizing Tree (DGSOT) algorithm for clustering because it has proved to overcome the drawbacks of traditional hierarchical clustering algorithms (e.g., hierarchical agglomerative clustering). Clustering analysis helps find the boundary points, which are the most qualified data points to train SVM, between two classes. We present a new approach of combination of SVM and DGSOT, which starts with an initial training set and expands it gradually using the clustering structure produced by the DGSOT algorithm. We compare our approach with the Rocchio Bundling technique and random selection in terms of accuracy loss and training time gain using a single benchmark real data set. We show that our proposed variations contribute significantly in improving the training process of SVM with high generalization accuracy and outperform the Rocchio Bundling technique.
Fabrications and characterizations of micromachined Fabry-Perot interferometers

Miniature micromachined Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI) are composed of the corrugated silicon diaphragm and glass substrate. The flatness of the silicon diaphragms with a dimension of 4.2 mm in diameter can be controlled within 0.12 (mu) m. The optical depostion condition to grow thin Au films, as a reflector of FPI, can be established by studying the optical properties Au-photoresistent-As etalons. The interference spectra of micro-machined gap-tunable FPI with a structure of Si-Cr-Au-air-Au-Cr-glass have been observed in the near infrared regions. The transmittance and FWHM bandwidth of the as-bonded FPI is 5.6% and 3.84 nm at a peak wavelength of 1578.4 nm, respectively.
A comparative evaluation of 162 inhalant users

Abstract All inhalant users seen in a country wide psychiatic emergency room during a 24 month period were interviewed by psychiatrists or psychologists, and information regarding symptoms, background, mental status and diagnosis was noted. Severity ratings were made for each of 87 variables and 162 inhalant users thus assessed. Appropriate emergency room control groups matched for age, sex, and ethnicity (one group of polydrug non-inhalant users and a second of non-drug users) brought the total N studied to 486. A series of statistical analyses resulted in a total 28 significant findings differentiating the I, P, and ND group, with most of these differentiating the I and P groups significantly as well. The inhalant group evidenced more self- and other-directed aggressive behavior, a wider range of cognitive deficits, and more extensive social disruption than the other two groups, Inhalant users, however, were not significantly different in emotional dyscontrol or intelligence. Significantly more diagnoses of personality disorders and drug dependency were recorded for inhalant users: their difficulties tended to be more long standing and disposition included hospitalization more frequently.
THE EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION IN DOGS OF EMPHYSEMA WITH ASSOCIATED ASTHMATIC SYNDROME BY MEANS OF AN INTRATRACHEAL BALL VALVE

1. Experimental emphysema can be produced in dogs by impeding expiration by means of a properly constructed ball valve introduced into the trachea. 2. This method affords a practical means of study of various physiological, pathological, and clinical aspects of emphysema. 3. The experiments demonstrate that any lesion or factor capable of interfering sufficiently with proper air expulsion yet permitting of sufficient air intake will occasion emphysema. 4. Attacks simulating those of asthma are occasioned in experimental emphysematous animals after exercise as well as during and following inhalation of mildly irritant gases.
Light scattering study of the molecular weight distribution of polypropylene

A light-scattering study is presented of two isotactic polypropylene samples with broad molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn = 8.1 and 8.7, respectively) dissolved in α-chloronaphthalene at 147°C. Incident radiation of 5460, 4358, and 3650 A. was used. The reciprocal intramolecular scattering function, P−1(u) is expressed as a function of the variable [sin(θ/2)/λ′]2. This provides a wider range of experimental values of the variable u = 16π2(b2/6) [sin(θ/2)/λ′]2 than is accessible by the usual technique of using only one wavelength. The shape of the function P−1(u) is closer to that predicted theoretically if the weight distribution function f(N) in the equation is given by the log-normal distribution rather than the distribution function of Schulz and Zimm. The method is applicable to polymer samples for which the average molecular weights are too low to be measured by the light-scattering method of Benoit and Loucheux.
Computer architecture and instruction set design

A group of computer scientists and mathematicians at Brown University has been engaged in the study of computer graphics for the past eight years. During the course of these studies a variety of topics has been investigated, in particular, during the last few years, the use of microprogramming for implementing graphics systems. In early 1971, Professor Andries van Dam and his associates submitted a threefold research proposal to the National Science Foundation.
GABAergic and glutamatergic identities of developing midbrain Pitx2 neurons

Pitx2, a paired-like homeodomain transcription factor, is expressed in post-mitotic neurons within highly restricted domains of the embryonic mouse brain. Previous reports identified critical roles for PITX2 in histogenesis of the hypothalamus and midbrain, but the cellular identities of PITX2-positive neurons in these regions were not fully explored. This study characterizes Pitx2 expression with respect to midbrain transcription factor and neurotransmitter phenotypes in mid-to-late mouse gestation. In the dorsal midbrain, we identified Pitx2-positive neurons in the stratum griseum intermedium (SGI) as GABAergic and observed a requirement for PITX2 in GABAergic differentiation. We also identified two Pitx2-positive neuronal populations in the ventral midbrain, the red nucleus, and a ventromedial population, both of which contain glutamatergic precursors. Our data suggest that PITX2 is present in regionally restricted subpopulations of midbrain neurons and may have unique functions that promote GABAergic and glutamatergic differentiation.
Effects of various forms of dietary chromium on growth and body composition in the rat

Abstract Several human and animal studies of chromium (Cr) supplementation have reported increases in lean body mass, often with concurrent decreases in body fat. Since the majority of studies have tested Cr in the form of Cr picolinate (CrPic), this 12-week study contrasted the effects of three available forms of dietary Cr {300 ppb Cr as CrPic, Cr nicotinate (CrNic), or Cr chloride (CrCl)}, as well as no added dietary Cr, upon growth and body composition in the rat. Sixty male Harlan Sprague-Dawley weanling rats arrived in three groups of 20 animals (referred to as Blocks 1, 2, and 3). Five animals from each block were assigned to each treatment, resulting in a 4 × 3 (treatment × block) Randomized Block Design. Body composition was assessed at Weeks 5 and 10 via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Significant treatment × block interactions were found for fat weight and percent body fat at both time points (P ≤ 0.05). These interactions reflected decreases in body fat with all forms of Cr supplementation for the Block 1 animals. No treatment interactions or effects were seen for growth rate, lean body mass, or tissue weights, but most block effects were highly significant (P ≤ 0.01), reflecting possible genetic differences between blocks. Since feed intake did not vary between dietary treatments, the reduced body fat levels for the Cr-supplemented animals of Block 1 may have been due to an enhancement of insulin-induced thermogenesis.
Improved procedure for the transformation of the entomopathic microorganism Bacillus sphaericus

Previous studies of the mosquito larvicidal bacterium Bacillus sphaericus 1593 have shown that this organism can be transformed with plasmid DNA, although at extremely low freqencies. In this paper, we report the use of a sucrose-based regeneration medium following plasmid transformation of B. sphaericus 1593 protoplasts. This modification greatly improved both the transformation frequency and the regeneration rate of the transformants.
Expression of rat liver heme oxygenase gene during development

We studied the genetic expression during fetal development of heme oxygenase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the oxidation of heme to bilirubin. The transcription of the heme oxygenase gene in livers of fetal and neonatal rats (9 days before birth to 28 days after birth) was examined. Hybridization analyses of total RNA from livers of these animals using cDNA for rat heme oxygenase as the probe revealed a single mRNA species of approximately 18 S in every sample examined. The mRNA level was above the adult level throughout the course of study and reached a maximum 24 h after birth. The high level of heme oxygenase mRNA in fetuses was unaffected when Sn-protoporphyrin, a potent inhibitor of heme oxygenase, was administered to their mothers. On the other hand, the mRNA levels in the mothers treated with this heme analog were substantially increased, possibly by the same mechanism as for the induction by heme. Sn-protoporphyrin potentiates induction of heme oxygenase mRNA in cobalt chloride-pretreated rats, and also acts as a potent inhibitor of heme oxygenase enzyme activities. Our results also indicate that high heme oxygenase levels during fetal maturation are due to an increase in transcription of the gene. Thus, Sn-protoporphyrin which crosses the placenta controls fetal hyperbilirubinemia by direct enzyme inhibition.
Phase III Study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG 2597): Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Either Standard Thoracic Radiotherapy or Hyperfractionated Accelerated Radiotherapy for Patients With Unresectable Stage IIIA and B Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose To compare once-daily radiation therapy (qdRT) with hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy (HART) after two cycles of induction chemotherapy. Patients and Methods Eligible patients were treatment naive, and had stage IIIA and B unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0/1, and normal organ function. Induction chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of carboplatin area under time-concentration curve 6 mg/mL · min plus paclitaxel 225 mg/m2 on day 1. RT consisted of arm 1 (qdRT), 64 Gy (2 Gy/d), versus arm 2 (HART), 57.6 Gy (1.5 Gy tid for 2.5 weeks). A total of 388 patients were needed to detect a 50% increase in median survival from 14 months of qdRT to 21 months of HART; accrual was not achieved and the study closed prematurely. Results Of 141 patients enrolled, 83% were randomly assigned after chemotherapy to qdRT (n = 59) or HART (n = 60). Median survival was 20.3 and 14.9 months for HART and qdRT, respectively (P = .28). Overall respon...
Clinical cerebrovascular anatomy

Stroke is often the result of carotid atheroma, which may cause ischemia via progressive arterial narrowing or lead to superimposed thrombus formation and subsequent atheroembolism to the intracerebral vasculature. Revascularization through carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting with embolic protection devices has produced favorable results in appropriately selected patients. In planning the percutaneous approach, an arch aortogram is first acquired to determine arch type and identify the presence of any anatomic variants which may affect the approach to the procedure and catheter selection. Subsequent imaging of the cerebral vasculature is performed to delineate the collateral circulation that is present, including an evaluation of the Circle of Willis. Although Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) may be useful in evaluating the presence of carotid or cerebrovascular disease, digital subtraction angiography is required prior to performance of a percutaneous intervention in order to create a procedural "roadmap". Additionally, the comprehensive management of cerebrovascular disease requires a detailed knowledge of the specific clinical syndromes that result from ischemia in each vascular territory. This methodical review of cerebrovascular anatomy and stroke syndromes will provide the operator with the tools to conduct a thorough neurological assessment prior to revascularization, evaluate any periprocedural complications that may arise, and evaluate the patient with suspected stroke.
Microbial Response to Amino Acid Additions in Lake Michigan: Grazer Control and Substrate Limitation of Bacterial Populations

Removal of low levels (0.3–1.3 μM) of primary amines (PA) were examined by direct-injection liquid chromatography in offshore Lake Michigan water to provide insight about potential cycling rates of labile organic compounds and to examine the hypothesis that populations of active bacteria are controlled by organic-substrate limitation. Uptake rates of amino acids in untreated lake water ranged from <0.1 to 3.7 nmole PA L−1h−1 (0.01 to 0.34 μg C L−1h−1) as compared to rates of up to 9 nmole PA L−1h−1 (0.61 μg C L−1h−1) in samples fortified with amino acids. Highest PA uptake rates were observed in samples collected in July and August. As expected for Michaelis-Menton kinetics, PA uptake rates increased with increasing amino acid concentrations (up to a maximum velocity), suggesting that bacterial “growth rates” were substrate limited. However, PA removal rates in given lake water samples usually remained relatively constant over periods of several days. The consistency of population uptake rates over time suggested that bacterial abundances did not change greatly in response to amino acid additions. Thus, although bacterial growth rates in Lake Michigan epilimnetic water are apparently controlled by organic substrate supply, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that bacterial abundances, and therefore total-population heterotrophic uptake activity, may often be controlled by grazers. The chemical approach used in this study yields a conservative estimate of the maximum velocity of microbial use of amino acids in natural waters.
Ultrastructural localization of cholesterol by enzyme histochemistry

The histochemical localization of cholesterol using oxidized diaminobenzidine as the final reaction product was studied at the electron microscopical level and compared with the digitonin method of cholesterol localization based on cholesterol digitonide as the final reaction product. Tissue chopper sections of fixed rat adrenal glands were incubated at 37° C in a medium consisting of 0.8 units/ml cholesterol oxidase, 1.4 units/ml cholesterol ester hydrolase, 50 units/ml horseradish peroxidase, 0.5 mg/ml diaminobenzidine, 0.1% v/v Triton X-100 (or Surfal) and an endogenous peroxidase inhibitor in 0.1m phosphate buffer, pH 7.0. An electron-dense osmiophilic reaction product was observed in many lipid droplets, intracellular vesicles and focally around mitochondria. Appropriate control experiments indicated that deposition of reaction product depended on the presence of cholesterol and the necessary enzymes. Comparison studies using digitonin confirmed the presence of cholesterol in the lipid droplets, but ultrastructural distortion limited the resolution of the more discrete deposits of cholesterol such as around mitochondria. The enzyme method permits finer resolution of these discrete deposits of cholesterol than the digitonin method because it does not cause distortion of cellular ultrastructure attributed to the formation of cholesterol digitonide. The enzyme method or a combination of enzyme and digitonin enables localization of free, esterified or total cholesterol.
Raman Spectroscopy of Dense H 2 O and the Transition to Symmetric Hydrogen Bonds

High-pressure Raman measurements of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ ice using synthetic diamond anvils reveal major changes associated with the transition to the nonmolecular, symmetric hydrogen-bonded state. At 60 GPa the strongly pressure-dependent O-H symmetric stretching mode disappears, and the translational modes exhibit frequency and damping anomalies. With further increase in pressure, a single peak appears and becomes the dominant feature in the spectrum in the megabar range. The band is assigned to the predicted Raman-active O-O mode of the nonmolecular phase, consistent with the formation of cuprite-type ice X with static, symmetric hydrogen bonds.
Quasi-Experimental Design

Like all experiments, quasi-experiments manipulate treatments to determine their effects. Quasi-experiments differ from randomized experiments in that units are not randomly assigned to conditions. Instead, units are assigned to conditions using such nonrandomized ways as permitting units to choose conditions or assigning them based on presumed need or merit. Lacking random assignment, quasi-experiments may not yield unbiased estimates, threatening the validity of inferences about treatment effects. Keywords: regression discontinuity design; interrupted time series; validity; propensity score analysis
Dietary and pharmacological control of estradiol metabolism in humans

Clinical research has demonstrated that increased or decreased estradiol 2-hydroxylation can easily be achieved with a number of experimental approaches. In contrast, estradiol 16 alpha-hydroxylation, which may have potentially deleterious effects in estrogen-dependent tissues, cannot be readily altered. Predictable hormonal consequences have thus far been found in response to the modification of 2-hydroxylation. This approach offers promise as a method for specifically altering the risk for diseases associated with either too little estrogen (osteoporosis) or too much estrogen (breast and uterine cancer).
Numerical Simulation of Wake Vortices Measured During the Idaho Falls and Memphis Field Programs

A numerical large-eddy simulation model is under modification and testing for application to aircraft wake vortices. The model, having a meteorological framework, permits the interaction of wake vortices with environments characterized by crosswind shear, stratification, and humidity. As part of the validation process, model results are compared with measured field data from the 1990 Idaho Falls and the 1994-1995 Memphis field experiments. Cases are selected that represent different aircraft and a cross section of meteorological environments. Also included is one case with wake vortex generation in ground effect. The model simulations are initialized with the appropriate meteorological conditions and a post roll-up vortex system. No ambient turbulence is assumed in our initial set of experiments, although turbulence can be self generated by the interaction of the model wakes with the ground and environment.
Development, Reproduction, and Pathogenicity of Steinernema scapterisci in Monoxenic Culture with Different Species of Bacteria

Abstract Associations between steinernematid nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria are of fundamental importance. The reported bacterial symbionts of all species of Steinernema are in the genus Xenorhabdus. In this paper, we report on the development, reproduction, and pathogenicity of infective juveniles of Steinernema scapterisci produced on bacteria other than Xenorhabdus spp. The nematode developed and reproduced on a number of bacterial species, including Escherichia coli, Ochrobactrum anthropi, Paracoccus denitrificans, Pseudomonas aureofaciens, Pseudomonas fluorescens Biovar B, Xanthomonas maltophilia, Xenorhabdus nematophilus, and Xenorhabdus spp. Although adult development occurred on all bacterial species, progeny production after 14 days was significantly greater on X. nematophilus and P. fluorescens Biovar B than on the other bacterial species. Infective juveniles which were produced on O. anthropi, P. denitrificans, P. aureofaciens, and X. nematophilus caused equal mortality to the southern mole cricket, Scapteriscus borellii. Since Xenorhabdus spp. is reported to change from a primary phase to a secondary phase with reproduction being considerably less on the secondary phase, and since the nematodes were equally pathogenic when produced on other bacteria, it may be more efficient to produce the nematode on bacteria other than Xenorhabdus rather than contend with phase variation.
Expanded pediatric cardiovascular simulator for research and training

A mock circulation system has been developed to approximate key anatomic features and simulate the pressures and flows of an infant. Pulsatile flow is generated by 10 cc pulsatile ventricles (Utah infant ventricular assist device). Systemic vasculature is mimicked through the use of 3/8" ID bypass tubing with two flexible reservoirs to provide compliance. Vascular resistance, including pulmonary, aortic, and major branches, is controlled via a series of variable pinch clamps. The coronary branch has a dynamic resistor so that the majority of flow occurs during diastole. The system is instrumented to measure key pressures and flows. Right atrial pressure, left atrial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, and mean aortic pressure are measured with high-fidelity pressure catheters (Millar Instruments, Houston, TX). Flows are measured by transit time ultrasonic flow probes (Transonic Systems, Ithaca, NY) in the pulmonary artery, aorta, coronary artery, and brachiocephalic artery along with assist device flow. The system can be tuned to create the hemodynamic values of a pediatric patient under normal or heart failure conditions. Once tuned to the desired hemodynamic conditions, the loop may be used to test the performance of various circulatory support systems including the intra-aortic balloon pump, left and right ventricular assist devices, or cardiopulmonary support systems such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Process for evaluating effects of trainsient currents in pulse initiated systems

Pulse initiated systems are designed to reliably and consistently operate when energized above a threshold value. The situation exists where these systems can be exposed to pulsed and transient signals that are directly injected due to external coupling factors that to not initiate the system. This paper will examine the potential for transient currents to cause unforeseen stress to these electrical devises, which can lead to aging, malfunction and possibly failure. This work will address the process of quantifying the detrimental effects, in order to understand non-ideal performance or the mechanics of failure due to pulsed and other transient currents that are less than what is required to initiate. A test and data acquisition circuit is designed and built that enables a constant current source to pulse a device under test. The data collected will be compared to the theoretical results of a finite element multi-physics simulation. Upon completion, any changes in resistive properties will be evaluated to determine if there were quantifiable effects that have contributed to the aging process.
Sampling the 2-D Radon transform

The Radon transform of a bivariate function, which has application in tomographic imaging, has traditionally been viewed as a parametrized univariate function. In this paper, the Radon transform is instead viewed as a bivariate function and two-dimensional sampling theory is used to address sampling and information content issues. It is Shown that the band region of the Radon transform of a function with a finite space-bandwidth product is a "finite-length bowtie." Because of the special shape of this band region. "Nyquist sampling" of the Radon transform is on a hexagonal grid. This sampling grid requires approximately one-half as many samples as the rectangular grid obtained from the traditional viewpoint. It is also shown that for a nonbandlimited function of finite spatial support, the bandregion of the Radon transform is an "infinite-length bowtie." Consequently, it follows that approximately 2M2/π independent pieces of information about the function can be extracted from M "projections." These results and others follow very naturally from the two-dimensional viewpoint presented.
Localization of wheat-germ agglutinin in developing wheat embryos and those cultured in abscisic acid

The time course of appearance of wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA) in the various embryonic tissues during embryogenesis in Triticum aestivum L. was studied by sensitive immunofluorescence and peroxidase-antiperoxidase detection systems. The radicle, root cap and coleorhiza first accumulated WGA in early Stage II (8-10 d post-anthesis) prior to the main period of embryo growth, while WGA was found in the epiblast and coleoptile in early and late State III, respectively. Stage III is characterized by maximum embryo growth, followed by desiccation which occurs in Stage IV. When Stage-II embryos were precociously germinated in the absence of abscisic acid (ABA) no WGA was detected in the coleoptile and epiblast of the young seedlings. In the presence of ABA, Stage-II embryos did not germinate but WGA precociously accumulated in the coleoptile and epiblast. The levels and distribution of WGA in the resulting embryo resembled those in a fully mature, dry embryo (Stage V). Barley possesses a seed lectin similar to WGA, but it is never detected in coleoptiles. Some but not all of the barley cultivars tested were found to accumulate lectin in this organ of mature embryos when treated with ABA. Thus, ABA appears to be involved in the highly regulated temporal and spatial expression of WGA during embryogenesis in cereals.
Developing the US Wildland Fire Decision Support System

A new decision support tool, the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) has been developed to support risk-informed decision-making for individual fires in the United States. WFDSS accesses national weather data and forecasts, fire behavior prediction, economic assessment, smoke management assessment, and landscape databases to efficiently formulate and apply information to the decision making process. Risk-informed decision-making is becoming increasingly important as a means of improving fire management and offers substantial opportunities to benefit natural and community resource protection, management response effectiveness, firefighter resource use and exposure, and, possibly, suppression costs. This paper reviews the development, structure, and function of WFDSS, and how it contributes to increased flexibility and agility in decision making, leading to improved fire management program effectiveness.
Binding Affinity of the Drosophila melanogaster CF1/USP Protein to the Chorion s15 Promoter

The Drosophila chorion factor 1/ultraspiracle transcription factor is a developmentally important member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, and this factor most closely resembles the vertebrate retinoid X receptors. We describe here the expression of the CF1/USP protein in an E. coli T7 RNA polymerase-driven expression system. Using partially purified, bacterially produced CF1/USP, we have determined the equilibrium dissociation constant of this protein to its response element on the chorion s15 promoter. The equilibrium binding activity of CF1/USP to its chorion promoter is equivalent to the binding activities of other nuclear hormone receptors to their cognate elements.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in luteolysis and maternal recognition of pregnancy in the ewe

Abstract The corpus luteum is composed of two distinct steroidogenic cell types, both of which contribute significantly to the total progesterone secreted during the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle. The small luteal cells secrete very little progesterone unless stimulated by luteinizing hormone (LH) while large luteal cells appear to spontaneously secrete progesterone at a high rate. Large luteal cells contain receptors for prostaglandin (PG)F 2α . Steroid secretion and viability of these cells in vitro are suppressed by PGF 2α . Prostaglandin F 2α may also reduce the ability of LH to stimulate steroidogenesis in the small cells, but this effect appears to be exerted through a signal originating from the large cells since the small cells are essentially devoid of receptors for PGF 2α . The corpus luteum of pregnancy was demonstrated to be resistent to the luteolytic effect of PGF 2α since higher doses of PGF 2α were required to cause luteolysis in pregnant than in non-pregnant ewes. In addition, more PGF 2α was required to cause luteolysis in ewes with two embryos when compared to ewes with one. Prostaglandin E 2 , of embryonic and/or endometrial origin, is secreted from the uterus during early pregnancy and may be responsible for luteal resistence to the luteolytic effect of PGF 2α . Prostaglandin E 2 has been demonstrated to protect luteal tissue from the actions of PGF 2α both in vivo and in vitro .
Acute toxicity of copper and silver to Ceriodaphnia dubia in the presence of food.

Food is added to exposure solutions in cladoceran chronic toxicity tests and sometimes in acute toxicity tests, but its effects on the bioavailability of toxicants have not been studied extensively. We compared the toxicity of waterborne Ag and Cu to Ceriodaphnia dubia in the presence or absence of food (a mixture of a yeast–Cerophyll®–trout chow slurry and a green alga) in two series of acute toxicity tests. In the first series, we added food to Ag or Cu exposure solutions 0, 30, 60, or 120 min before transferring C. dubia into the solutions. In the second series, we exposed C. dubia to waterborne Ag or Cu for 30, 60, and 120 min in the absence of food. Adding food before transferring C. dubia into the exposure solutions greatly decreased the toxicity of Ag, but had less effect on the toxicity of Cu. In contrast, adding food after transferring C. dubia into the exposure solutions did not alter the toxicity of Ag considerably and did not alter the toxicity of Cu as much as the reverse sequence. Median effects concentrations (EC50s) for 30-, 60-, and 120-min unfed Ag tests were within the range of EC50s for 48-h unfed Ag tests, suggesting most uptake that contributes to acute Ag toxicity to C. dubia occurs within the first 30 to 60 min. However, uptake that contributes to acute Cu toxicity to C. dubia appears to occur over more than 2 h. Therefore, standard food decreases the toxicity of waterborne Ag and Cu to C. dubia, and the timing of adding food to exposure solutions is especially important in Ag tests.
Aerial surveillance vehicles augment security at shipping ports

With the ever present threat to commerce, both politically and economically, technological innovations provide a means to secure the transportation infrastructure that will allow efficient and uninterrupted freight-flow operations for trade. Currently, freight coming into United States ports is “spot checked” upon arrival and stored in a container yard while awaiting the next mode of transportation. For the most part, only fences and security patrols protect these container storage yards. To augment these measures, the authors propose the use of aerial surveillance vehicles equipped with video cameras and wireless video downlinks to provide a birds-eye view of port facilities to security control centers and security patrols on the ground. The initial investigation described in this paper demonstrates the use of unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles as a viable method for providing video surveillance of container storage yards. This research provides the foundation for a follow-on project to use autonomous aerial surveillance vehicles coordinated with autonomous ground surveillance vehicles for enhanced port security applications.
On source coding, channel coding and spreading tradeoffs in a DS-CDMA system operating over frequency selective fading channels with narrowband interference

For a fixed total bandwidth expansion factor, we consider the problem of optimal bandwidth allocation among the source coder, the channel coder, and the spread-spectrum unit for a direct-sequence code-division multiple-access system operating over a frequency-selective fading channel with narrowband interference. Assuming a Gaussian source with the optimum scalar quantizer, and a binary convolutional code with soft-decision decoding, and further assuming that the self-interference is negligible, we obtain both a lower and an upper bound on the end-to-end average source distortion. The joint three-way constrained optimization of the source code rate, the channel code rate, and the spreading factor can be simplified into an unconstrained optimization problem over two variables. Upon fixing the channel code rate, we show that both upper and lower bound-based distortion functions are convex functions of the source code rate. Because an explicit solution for the optimum source code rate, i.e., one that minimizes the average distortion, is difficult to obtain, computer-based search techniques are employed. Numerical results are presented for the optimum source code rate and spreading factor, parameterized by the channel code rate and code constraint length. The optimal bandwidth allocation, in general, depends on the system and the channel conditions, such as the total number of active users, the average jammer-to-signal power ratio, and the number of resolved multipath components together with their power delay profile.
Modeling the Geometry, Hemodynamics and Tissue Mechanics of Cerebral Aneurysms

The relationship between cerebral aneurysm geometry and biomechanics was investigated. Human cerebral aneurysm geometry was reconstructed from computed tomography angiography (CTA) and refined. Various indices of global geometric (size and shape) features were computed based on differential and computational geometry techniques. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to model both steady and pulsatile blood flow in the aneurysm and surrounding vasculature. Hemodynamic indices such as wall shear stress, pressure and particle residence time were obtained. Nonlinear finite element method (FEM) and a reported finite strain constitutive model were employed to estimate the distribution of mechanical stress in the aneurysm wall under static pressure. Shear stress, sac pressure and mechanical stress correlated better with lesion shape while particle residence time correlated better with lesion size.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Two-photon threshold ionization spectroscopy of perylene and Van der Waals complexes

Abstract Ionization thresholds have been determined for perylene and some of its van der Waals complexes. The Ar 1 complexes have an ionization energy 46 cm −1 lower than bare perylene. This number compares favorably with recent data for tetracene, but is 4–6 times smaller than values obtained for argon complexes of single-ring aromatics. The (CH 4 ) 1 complex of perylene shows a rather similar shift to the argon case, 52 cm −1 , the n -pentane complex has a red-shift of 10 cm −1 and the n -octane complex exhibits a blue -shift of 23 cm −1 (all values ±4 cm −1 ). In contrast, benzene/perylene has a large ionization red-shift of 700 cm −1 . These data, together with results for larger clusters of Ar and CH 4 , indicate a strong dependence of the ionization energy shift on the spatial distribution of the adduct species with respect to the perylene substrate. With the possible exception of benzene complexation, the δ I values are much smaller than might have been expected on the basis of previous work.
A minimal order model from zero to high frequencies and its fast generation for finite-element based 3-d electromagnetic analysis

A minimal order model for a prescribed accuracy is developed from zero to high frequencies for the finite element based analysis of general 3-D problems with arbitrary structures and inhomogeneous materials. This model entails no theoretical approximations. It is frequency and right hand side independent, and hence can be employed for both fast frequency and right hand side sweep. Moreover, it does not suffer from low-frequency breakdown. In addition, we develop an efficient algorithm to generate the proposed minimal order model in fast CPU time. Numerical experiments have demonstrated its superior accuracy and efficiency.