cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alterations in thymic and bone marrow lymphoctye subpopulations in GnRH agonist treated prepubertal female mice

Complex endocrine relationships exist among the hypothalamus, pituitary, ovaries and thymus. There is also considerable evidence showing gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) involvement in modulating immune system functions. The present study investigated the sequential changes in functional lymphocyte subsets in primary lymphoid tissues of prepubertal female mice in vivo following GnRH agonist treatment in slow release microcapsule formulation. A direct two color immunofluorescence staining followed by flow cytometry was employed. Single i.m injection of agonist significantly decreased both absolute and relative thymic weights and absolute thymocyte counts. No differences, however, were observed in the percentage of thymocytes expressing Thy 1.2, CD4 and CD8. Absolute levels of thymic T cells, CD8 positive cells, immature cells expressing both CD4 and CD8, and immature subsets differentiating toward CD4 were significantly reduced two weeks after agonist treatment. The percentage of bone marrow B cells was also significantly decreased at the second and third weeks following agonist administration. Functional studies to determine in vivo cell-mediated immune function also indicated a significant suppression following agonist administration. These data, together with our earlier observations on secondary lymphoid tissues, suggest a general suppression of lymphocyte maturation at an early stem cell stage of development in prepubertal female mice in vivo.
Effects of antiserum to adrenocorticotropin on adrenal growth and function.

The trophic action of ACTH was investigated in intact rats by selective neutralization of endogenous hormone with specific antibodies. Administration of antiserum to ACTH to male Sprague-Dawley rats ranging in age from 3–12 weeks for a period of 6–10 days had no effect on adrenal weight but caused a highly significant decrease in serum corticosterone levels. The ability of adrenocortical cells isolated from antiserum-treated animals to produce corticosterone in response to exogenous ACTH was also significantly lower than that of adrenocortical cells derived from normal rabbit serum-treated animals. Administration of ACTH antiserum to unilaterally adrenalectomized animals did not prevent the increase in weight, cell number, and DNA content of the remaining adrenal gland. However, the steroidogenic capacity of adrenocortical cells from antiserum-treated animals was significantly lower in comparison with the capacity of cells obtained from the adrenals of unilaterally adrenalectomized rats treated with norma...
A Tribute to Brant R. Burleson

Brant R. Burleson, Professor of Communication at Purdue University, was a highly recognized and prolific scholar. Prior to his nearly 30-year tenure at Purdue University he served on faculty at SUN...
Business/enterprise modeling

This paper reports on pertinent aspects of business/enterprise modeling studies that were conducted with nine IBM customers using what are now called computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools. Coming shortly after the recent AD/Cycle™ announcement and the increased focus in IBM on tool-supported (CASE) business/enterprise modeling, this description of actual modeling studies should be especially germane. The model definitions (dimensions) used in the studies correspond exactly to many of the dimensions used by AD/Cycle, DevelopMate™, and the Repository Manager™. Compelling business reasons for conducting the studies are identified.
Scaling behavior of the punctuated-equilibrium model of evolution.

The existence of scaling behavior in real physical time in the punctuated-equilibrium model of evolution proposed recently from Bak and Sneppen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 4083 (1993)] is assured provided that the characteristic mutation time of a species varies exponentially with its fitness. A self-consistent condition on the characteristic fitness is also derived.
High Energy Visible And UV Picosecond Pulses From A Cavity Dumped Dye Laser, Pumped By A C.W. Mode Locked And Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser

We report the design of a dye laser capable of producing 20 picosecond pulses at repetition rates of up to lk Hz with energies of up to 50 μJ. The problems associated with the design of this laser will be discussed. In recent years the synchronously pumped dye laser has evolved into one of the most widely used sources of tunable picosecond and sub-picosecond pulses. The typical output of these systems is at most a few tens of nanojoules. If higher energy is required the output is amplified. Recently Wisoff et all reported the development of a dye laser designed to be pumped by the output of a mode locked and Q-switched Nd:YAG laser that produced pulses from 10 -30 picoseconds duration at repetition rates of 6-10 Hz. The laser described in this paper has been designed to use an acousto-optic cavity dumper. Figure 1 shows the optical layout of the laser. A telescope configuration (M 2 and M 3 ) allows selection of the appropriate beam waist sizes in the dye cell and acousto-optic Bragg cell. The prism beam expander is used to select the spot size at the grating thereby allowing the user to generate a Fourier transform pulse with given duration.
Behavioral calibration of eye movement recording systems using moving targets

Equipment used to measure eye movements must generally be calibrated to the individual subject. Some methods of measuring eye position are quite non-linear, requiring that the system's output be linearized. We describe an approach of behavioral calibration and linearization that utilizes tracking of moving targets. The key aspect of this approach is to use tracking of horizontally moving targets to calibrate vertical eye position and vice versa. This method is especially convenient for use with cats, whose fixation of eccentric stationary targets is often unreliable. It allows one to obtain an accurate calibration without having to judge whether or not tracking saccades reliably hit the target.
Optical Crystallographic Properties of Drugs of Abuse: Commonly Used Amine Street Drugs

The optical crystallographic properties of the diliturate derivatives of amine drugs found in illicit street drug preparations known as "white crosses," "mini-bennies," or "whites" were determined. The crystallographic properties, especially the crystal morphology, extinction angles, and indexes of refraction, identify the drug substances found in the white cross suite. These data can be used with UV and IR spectroscopic and chromatographic evaluations for drug identification.
Surface Hydrologic Response of Soils to No-Tillage

(…) A study was conducted using undisturbed lysimeters (4.8 by 1.7 m) containing a Canfield silt loam soil (Aquic Fragiudalf). During the 6 yr of the study, the amount of water that percolated through the soil and left the lysimeters as leachate was two times greater under NT as compared to conventional tillage (CT). Leachate equaled 55% of the precipitation input for the NT lysimeters and 24% for the CT lysimeters, with the greatest amounts leaving the lysimeters during the winter and spring seasons. (…)
Optical parametric oscillation with KTiOAsO4.

We present what is to our knowledge the first demonstration of a femtosecond optical parametric oscillator using the new nonlinear crystal KTiOAsO4 Powers of as much as 75 mW in the signal branch and as much as 100 mW in the idler branch were coupled out of the cavity. Pulse widths as short as 85 fs in the signal branch and 150 fs in the idler branch were measured. The potential of tuning out to ~5 μm in the idler branch is discussed.
Active sites of turtle and duck low molecular weight antibody to 2'4'dinitrophenol.

Abstract Low mol. wt antibody directed to the dinitrophenol (DNP) grouping has been raised in both turtles and ducks by repeated challenge with DNP-Brucella abortus. Antibody was purified from the serum of both species by a combination of affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Purified antibody, upon interaction with hapten, induced a shift in the visible absorption spectra of the hapten suggestive of the participation of tryptophan in the active sites of the two antibody forms analyzed. Affinity labeling of the two antibody forms was effected with the hapten analog, meta nitrobenzene diazonium fluoroborate. Examination of the diazo spectra of the labeled antibody suggested the participation of tyrosine in the active site of both turtle and duck antibody and the participation of at least one other residue in the active site of the turtle antibody. Affinity label was shown to distribute in different ratios on the heavy and light chains of the two antibody forms. The studies indicate basic similarities between the active sites of antibodies derived from two lower vertebrate species and several previously characterized mammalian species.
Heparin-binding agglutinin on human teratocarcinoma cells.

Abstract We have examined five human teratocarcinoma (HT) cell lines for the presence of cell-surface carbohydrate-binding molecules by testing the ability of HT to form rosettes or for HT cell extracts to agglutinate a variety of erythrocyte species. Two cell lines formed rosettes with glutaraldehyde-fixed trypsinized sheep red blood cells. Cell line HT-D (1218E) formed 40–60% rosettes which was inhibited by addition of heparin to the cell suspensions. Cell-free lysates of line HT-D (1218E) agglutinated treated sheep erythrocytes. This agglutination was not inhibitable by monosaccharides but was abolished in the presence of heparin or heparan sulfate. Heparin was capable of disrupting monolayer formation by cell line HT-D (1218E) when added to cultured cells growing in vitro. These results suggest that a heparin, or more likely, heparan sulfate-binding component on the surface of some human teratocarcinoma cell lines may be involved in cellular adhesion.
Assessing the Essay Feedback Technique of Providing an Example of a Full-Credit Answer:

In this article, I describe the essay test feedback technique of selecting a very good (full-credit) essay answer from a student in class and distributing on anonymous copy of this answer to all students. For the assessment, students in 4 psycho logy classes that used the technique responded anonymously. Results indicated that students believe this form of feedback is helpful.
FT-IR Imaging of Polymer Dissolution by Solvent Mixtures. 3. Entangled Polymer Chains with Solvents

FT-IR imaging was used to study the dissolution of entangled poly(α-methylstyrene) (PAMS) in binary solvent mixtures of systematically varied amounts of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) in deuterated cyclohexane (C6D12). FT-IR images and concentration profiles were obtained, and the results were compared and contrasted with the results of the previously reported unentangled system. It was found that, in many of the solvent systems, the solvent did not dissolve the polymer uniformly at the polymer−solvent interface, causing cracking and roughening of the polymer edge, which can be directly seen in the images. In addition, there was evidence of solvent segregation, which was not seen in the unentangled PAMS.
A finite element analysis of the effects of tool eccentricity on wave dispersion properties in borehole acoustic logging while drilling

Summary A finite element approach is applied to study the acoustic dispersion properties of guide waves inside boreholes with off-centered tools in acoustic logging while drilling (LWD). Both soft and hard formation cases are studied with focus on phase velocity dispersions of monopole, dipole and quadrupole modes. When the logging tool is off-centered, the dispersion curve of the Stoneley mode shifts to the lower phase velocity. Meanwhile, the dipole dispersion curve splits into two curves with different phase velocities, as does the quadrupole mode. The splitting and shifting of the dipole mode is greater than those of the quadrupole mode. These new observations are important in accurately interpreting acoustic LWD data.
Inhibition of Angiogenesis Is Associated With Reduced Islet Engraftment in Diabetic Recipient Mice

Rapid reestablishment of a functional microvasculature in transplanted islets is crucial for islet survival and function. To illustrate the importance of angiogenesis in islet engraftment, we took a loss-of-function approach to block angiogenesis in newly transplanted islets and determined the extent of islet engraftment in correlation with islet mass and glycemic control in diabetic recipient mice. Diabetic mice were transplanted with a marginal mass of 200 islets under the renal capsule, followed by once-daily oral administration of saline or 150 mg/kg of C-statin, a potent angiogenic inhibitor, for 14 days. Blood glucose profiles and the amplitude of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in engrafted islets were determined. At 30 days posttransplant, islet grafts were retrieved for the determination of insulin content and vascular density by immunohistochemistry. When compared to sham-treated controls, diabetic recipient mice receiving a daily oral dose of C-statin exhibited significantly impaired blood glucose profiles and diminished glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in response to glucose challenge, correlating with significantly reduced intragraft insulin content and vascular density. Selective inhibition of angiogenesis was associated with reduced islet mass in diabetic mice. These data extend our view that rapid onset of angiogenesis is crucial for islet survival and engraftment and support the development of therapeutic strategies to stimulate angiogenesis in newly implanted islets for enhancing islet engraftment and improving the outcome of marginal islet transplantation.
On the statistics of multipath fading using a direct sequence CDMA signal at 2 GHz, in microcellular and indoor environment

This paper describes the results of field tests consisting of received signal variations and multipath returns seen by a mobile receiver using direct-sequence (DS) code-division multiple-access (CDMA) waveforms. The experimental data for outdoor (microcellular environment) reveals that the instantaneous received power lost due to fading (sometimes called the fade margin) increases dramatically as the signaling bandwidth decreases below 11 MHz. It also shows that for most outdoor locations the significant multipath was confined primarily to 1Μs of excess delay with average delay of less than 200 ns. A broader-band CDMA system, having a bandwidth exceeding 10 MHz, could resolve the multipath components and could use a RAKE receiver to further reduce the transmitted power. However, a narrower-band CDMA system could not resolve these multipath components and thereby would suffer signal fading which would have to be compensated by 15 dB or more signal amplification. As a result, a narrower-band CDMA system would interfere with its other users and reduce its user capacity if no other forms of diversity are used. Our results also reveal that at some locations, returns with delays of more than 1Μs can be seen by the receiver with enough energy that could be collected using a RAKE receiver. However, these locations were found to be confined to a very low probability of existence within a prescribed cell (3-mile radius).
Perceptual and Conceptual Processes in Implicit and Explicit Tests with Picture Fragment and Word Fragment Cues

Abstract In two experiments subjects studied mixed lists of pictures and words presented once (P, W), twice in the same form (PP, WW), or twice in different forms (PW, WP). The different-form condition repeated the concept but not the perceptual features of the stimulus. In Experiment 1, subjects received either an implicit word fragment completion (WFC) test, an implicit picture fragment identification (PFI) test, or a word-recognition test. On the WFC and PFI tests, neither repetition effects nor cross-form priming were obtained, indicating that performance was predominantly data-driven. However, repetition benefited recognition. In Experiment 2, subjects received explicit tests with either the word fragments or picture fragments as retrieval cues. Repetition effects and cross-form recall were now obtained on both tests, showing that conceptual processing contributed to performance. These dissociations are consistent with a transfer appropriate processing framework and suggest that explicit memory tests engage more conceptual processing than implicit tests, even with test cues held constant. The results meet the retrieval intentionality criterion and indicate that the implicit tests were not measurably contaminated by intentional recollection.
Quantitative measurement of cancer tissue biomarkers in the lab and in the clinic

Detection of biomolecules in tissues provides contextual information and the possibility to assess the interaction of different cell types and markers. Routine qualitative assessment of immune- and oligonucleotide-based methods in research and the clinic has been associated with assay variability because of lack of stringent validation and subjective interpretation of results. As a result, the vast majority of in situ assays in clinical usage are nonquantitative and, although useful, often of questionable scientific validity. Here, we revisit the reporters and methods used for single- and multiplexed in situ visualization of protein and RNA. Then we examine methods for the use of quantitative platforms for in situ measurement of protein and mRNA levels. Finally, we discuss the challenges of the transition of these methods to the clinic and their potential role as tools for development of companion diagnostic tests.
Argon Laser Photomydriasis

Argon laser photomydriasis was used to enlarge 20 miotic pupils in 18 open-angle glaucoma patients, with beneficial visual results in patients properly selected before treatment. During eight months of observation, significant complications such as persistent iritis and lens changes did not occur. An increase in intraocular pressure occasionally occurred shortly after treatment, but chronic exacerbation of underlying glaucoma was not observed. Argon laser iris photocoagulation in rabbit eyes showed localized atrophy of the iris sphincter and stroma within the treatment zones. Discrete, anterior lens opacities occurred only at high-power levels, and these appeared to be nonprogressive during the eight-week observation period.
Augmentation of the glabellar reflex in neonates: Individual subject variables

Abstract In newborn infants, the eyeblink response to a tap to the glabella occurs with increased amplitude if the tap is accompanied by a tone which is itself too weak to elicit an eyeblink response. In this study, we examined the effects of several subject variables on this response and its augmentation. These were weight of the infant at birth and at time of testing, the infant's gestational age and postconception age at testing, gender, 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores, health status, type of anesthesia administered to the mother during delivery, number of hours since birth, and behavioral state. Of these, behavioral state was shown to affect the baseline response to the glabellar tap alone and, to a smaller degree, the percent of reflex augmentation in full-term infants. In addition, preterm infants' responses to the tap alone were smaller than those of full-term infants, indicating a developmental increase in reflex reactivity. There was, however, no difference between these two groups in terms of percent of reflex augmentation.
How children and adults learn to use computers: a developmental approach.

How do children and adults learn to use computers? What developmental processes are involved in learning to use computers? This chapter reviews current understanding of these issues and presents empirical studies demonstrating how to advance that understanding.
Acquiring lexical knowledge from text: a case study

Language acquisition addresses two important text processing issues. The immediate problem is understanding a text in spite of the existence of lexical gaps. The long term issue is that the understander must incorporate new words into its lexicon for future use. This paper describes an approach to constructing new lexical entries in a gradual process by analyzing a sequence of example texts. This approach permits the graceful tolerance of new words while enabling the automated extension of the lexicon. Each new acquired lexeme starts as a set of assumptions derived from the analysis of each word in a textual context. A variety of knowledge sources, including morphological, syntactic, semantic, and contextual knowledge, determine the assumptions. These assumptions, along with justifications and dependencies, are interpreted and refined by a learning program that ultimately updates the system's lexicon. This approach uses existing linguistic knowledge, and generalization of multiple occurrences, to create new operational lexical entries.
Traditional and Nontraditional Risk Factors Predict Coronary Heart Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Some risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence in the general population are not associated with CHD incidence among patients with ESRD but have not been well characterized in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association of several risk factors with CHD incidence was studied among participants with CKD in the population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. CHD risk factors and estimated GFR using serum creatinine were measured among 807 ARIC participants with CKD (estimated GFR between 15 and 59 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ). The incidence of CHD during 10.5 yr of follow-up was 6.3, 8.5, and 14.4 per 1000 person-years among ARIC participants with an estimated GFR of ≥90, 60 to 89, and 15 to 59 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , respectively. After adjustment for age, race, gender, and ARIC field center, among those with CKD, the relative risk (95% confidence interval) of CHD was 1.65 (1.01 to 2.67) for current smoking, 2.02 (1.27 to 3.22) for hypertension, 3.06 (2.01 to 4.67) for diabetes, and 1.96 (1.14 to 3.36) for anemia. The comparably adjusted relative risks of CHD for each standard deviation higher total and HDL cholesterol were 1.50 (1.25 to 1.71) and 0.79 (0.62 to 1.01), respectively, and 1.38 (1.13 to 1.69), 1.24 (1.06 to 1.46), 0.65 (0.54 to 0.79), and 1.38 (1.19 to 1.59) for waist circumference, leukocyte count, serum albumin, and fibrinogen, respectively. CHD risk factors in the general population remain predictive among patients with CKD. Given the high risk for CHD among patients with CKD, control of these risk factors may have a substantial impact on their excess burden of CHD.
An early transition state for folding of the P4-P6 RNA domain.

Tertiary folding of the 160-nt P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena group I intron RNA involves burying of substantial surface area, providing a model for the folding of other large RNA domains involved in catalysis. Stopped-flow fluorescence was used to monitor the Mg 21 -induced tertiary folding of pyrene-labeled P4-P6. At 35 8C with [Mg 21 ] ’ 10 mM, P4-P6 folds on the tens of milliseconds timescale with kobs 5 15‐31 s ‐1 . From these values, an activation free energy DG ‡ of ;8‐16 kcal/mol is calculated, where the large range for DG ‡ arises from uncertainty in the preexponential factor relating kobs and DG ‡ . The folding rates of six mutant P4-P6 RNAs were measured and found to be similar to that of the wild-type RNA, in spite of significant thermodynamic destabilization or stabilization. The ratios of the kinetic and thermodynamic free energy changes F 5 DDG ‡ /DDG89 are ’0, implying a folding transition state in which most of the native-state tertiary contacts are not yet formed (an early folding transition state). The kobs depends on the Mg 21 concentration, and the initial slope of kobs versus [Mg 21 ] suggests that only ; 1M g 2 1 ion is bound in the rate-limiting folding step. This is consistent with an early folding transition state, because folded P4-P6 binds many Mg 21 ions. The observation of a substantial DG ‡ despite an early folding transition state suggests that a simple two-state folding diagram for Mg 21 -induced P4-P6 folding is incomplete. Our kinetic data are some of the first to provide quantitative values for an activation barrier and location of a transition state for tertiary folding of an RNA domain.
Using Diversity among Biomedical Scientists as a Teaching Tool a Positive Effect of Role Modeling on Minority Students

O ) f scientists doing research in the biomedical sciences, it is a known fact that minorities and women are underrepresented. One study showed that of Ph.D.s employed in the life sciences, 87.3% were White, 8.7% were Asian, 1.9% African American, 1.8% Native American, and less than 1% were Hispanic (NSF 1996). Women represent 26% of the Ph.D.s employed in the life sciences. There are a number of factors that contribute to the high attrition rate among females and underrepresented minorities in science. These factors, which often include perceptions of women, workplace environment, and work-family issues, are based upon differences in sociological, educational and cultural aspects of each minority group (NSF 1994). Students from these groups are often deterred from considering a career in the biomedical sciences because of preconceived notions about scientists. Students view scientists as white men wearing glasses and a white lab coat (Gardner et al. 1989). This is the image most often portrayed by the media and society. These images give students narrow and negative messages about scientists as individuals. With limited access to "real" women and minority scientists, students get the impression that a career in science is difficult to achieve if one is a female or minority.
An IT appliance for remote collaborative review of mechanisms of injury to children in motor vehicle crashes

This paper describes the architecture and implementation of a Java-based appliance for collaborative review of crashes involving injured children in order to determine mechanisms of injury. The multidisciplinary expertise needed for such reviews is not available at any one institution, resulting in the need for remote collaboration, while the sensitive nature of the information requires secure transmission and controlled access of data. The intended users of the appliance are researchers, engineers, medical doctors, government regulators, automobile and restraint manufacturers, insurance company representatives, and others who are interested in understanding the types and causes of injuries to children involved in motor vehicle crashes. The ultimate goal is to devise engineering solutions that prevent similar injuries from occurring in the future. The collaboration appliance (called Telecenter) enables the following activities: (1) the distributed asynchronous collection of digital content needed for each crash case review under a scheme that consistently organizes content across multiple cases; (2) the secure, Web-based remote participation of users in case-review meetings that involve viewing of case-specific content, live communication (written or verbal), multimedia access and sharing (slide presentations/ images), and use of Web resources; and (3) archival and post-review access of case reviews for follow-up activities and other functions (e.g., statistics, search, and networking). The Telecenter design supports audio conferencing, remote delivery and viewing of slide presentations, and other collaboration features also available in commercial and public-domain collaboration middleware products. However, it goes beyond existing solutions by also embedding a specific workflow and content organization suited for traffic injury reviews, supporting spatio-temporal role-based access control, distributed management of content and seamless integration of existing services. The current status and experience from using an early prototype of the Telecenter in actual case reviews are discussed, along with planned extensions to its functionality.
Infection with replication-deficient adenovirus induces changes in the dynamic instability of host cell microtubules

Adenovirus translocation to the nucleus occurs through a well characterized minus end-directed transport along microtubules. Here, we show that the adenovirus infection process has a significant impact on the stability and dynamic behavior of host cell microtubules. Adenovirus-infected cells had elevated levels of acetylated and detyrosinated microtubules compared with uninfected cells. The accumulation of modified microtubules within adenovirus-infected cells required active RhoA. Adenovirus-induced changes in microtubule dynamics were characterized at the centrosome and at the cell periphery in living cells. Adenovirus infection resulted in a transient enhancement of centrosomal microtubule nucleation frequency. At the periphery of adenovirus-infected cells, the dynamic instability of microtubules plus ends shifted toward net growth, compared with the nearly balanced growth and shortening observed in uninfected cells. In infected cells, microtubules spent more time in growth, less time in shortening, and underwent catastrophes less frequently compared with those in uninfected cells. Drug-induced inhibition of Rac1 prevented most of these virus-induced shifts in microtubule dynamic instability. These results demonstrate that adenovirus infection induces a significant stabilizing effect on host cell microtubule dynamics, which involve, but are not limited to, the activation of the RhoGTPases RhoA and Rac1.
Glide and Glottal Stop Insertion in Slavic Languages: A DOT Analysis

This article investigates glide and glottal stop insertion in Bulgarian, Slovak (two dialects), Polish (two dialects), and Czech. It is argued that Optimality Theory should be modified by introducing derivational levels and that OT auxiliary theories, in particular, output-output theory, MAX (Feature) theory, and sympathy theory, should be rejected.
The Amish in America: Conflicts Between Cultures

This paper will focus on the controversy about the Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem as an example of the conflict between the Amish and the larger American culture. Language: en
New Insight Into Integrated Reservoir Management Using Top-Down, Intelligent Reservoir Modeling Technique: Application to a Giant and Complex Oil Field in the Middle East

This paper demonstrates the validity of a recently developed reservoir modeling technique called “Top-Down, Intelligent Reservoir Modeling” (will be referred to Top-Down Modeling for short). This new modeling technology integrates reservoir engineering analytical techniques with Artificial Intelligence & Data Mining (AI&DM) in order to arrive at an empirical, cohesive and spatiotemporally calibrated full field model. The model is used to predict reservoir performance in order to recommend field development strategies. One of the distinctive features of this technology is its data requirement for analysis. Although Top-Down Modeling can incorporate almost any type and amount of data that is available in the modeling process, it only requires monthly production rate and some well log data (porosity, initial water saturation and thickness) in order to start the analysis and provide a full field model. Presence and incorporation of other types of data such as core analysis, pressure data, reservoir characteristics and seismic data can and will increase the accuracy and validity of the developed model. In this work, we apply Top-Down Modeling to a large and complex Oil field in the Middle East that produces from a combination of clastic and carbonate formations. Production rates and well log data from 210 wells have been analyzed and imported into the Top-Down Modeling software to develop a new empirical reservoir model and make predictions on new well performance and potential infill locations. Results from Top-Down Modeling analyses are compared with results concluded from a comprehensive reservoir management study (that included use of large amount and various types of data and a commercial numerical reservoir simulator) performed by an IOC. Analytical reservoir engineering techniques used in the Top-Down Modeling presented in this study include production decline analysis, volumetric reserve and recovery factor estimations and are integrated with Voronoi graph theory, geostatistics, two-dimensional Fuzzy Pattern Recognition (FPR), and discrete, data driven predictive modeling. The resulting full field Top-Down Modeling is used to identify the distribution of the remaining reserves, sweet spots for infill locations and under-performer wells and also identify the locations in the reservoir where gas cap is formed. Furthermore, the fullfield model is used to predict new well’s performance.
Changes in seismic velocity during the first 14 months of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington

Mount St. Helens began erupting in late 2004 following an 18-year quiescence. Swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion of a mostly solid dacite dome over the next four years. In some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, likely reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect seismic wave propagation. We use coda-wave interferometry to quantify small changes in seismic velocity structure (usually <1%) between two similar earthquakes, and employed waveforms from several hundred families of repeating earthquakes together to create a continuous function of velocity change observed at permanent stations operated within 20 km of the volcano. The high rate of earthquakes allowed tracking of velocity changes on an hourly time scale. Changes in velocity were largest near the newly extruding dome and likely related to shallow deformation as magma first worked its way to the surface. We found strong correlation between velocity changes and the inverse of real-time seismic amplitude measurements during the first three weeks of activity, suggesting fluctuations of pressure in the shallow subsurface may have driven both seismicity and velocity change. Velocity changes during the remainder of the eruption likely result from a complex interplay of multiple effects and are not well explained by any single factor alone, highlighting the need for complementary geophysical data when interpreting velocity changes.
Investigating the effects of framework design knowledge in example-based framework learning

Studying example applications is a common approach to learning software frameworks. However, to be truly effective in adapting example solutions with high confidence and accuracy, a developer needs to learn enough about the framework designs. The empirical study described in this paper investigates the effectiveness of a new approach to framework learning, where example-based learning is augmented with instruction on framework designs. Learning framework designs up-front from an instructor helps developers acquire the necessary design knowledge and avoid the time-consuming task of recovering such knowledge from code and other artifacts. The particular question of interest in this study is how characteristics of the framework designs influence project outcome. 11 student projects are analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods to characterize the overall reuse practice and to detect salient patterns that address the question. The contribution of this paper is a set of well-supported hypotheses that can be tested in future studies as well as their implications.
The antecedents of psychoses: a case–control study of selected risk factors

Winter birth, urban birth and/or childhood residence, and perinatal complications have each been identified as environmental risk factors for the later development of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. A preliminary case-control study also identified cat exposure in childhood as a possible risk factor. To assess selected environmental events, including childhood exposure to pets, as possible risk factors for these diseases, a case-control telephone survey was carried out by the University of Maryland Survey Research Center for 264 mothers of cases and 528 mothers of matched controls. The cases were randomly selected mothers who were members of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and whose children had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. The controls were mothers randomly selected from the same telephone exchanges. For five of the 19 major variables, there were statistically significant differences between cases and controls: fever during pregnancy, complications during delivery, city or suburban residence at birth, cat ownership between birth and age 13, and breast-feeding. In a multivariate logistic regression including these five variables, each variable made a significant contribution. The finding of perinatal complications, urban/suburban residence at birth, and cat ownership in childhood as risk factors for the later development of psychoses confirmed previous studies. Previous research on breast-feeding as a risk factor has yielded contradictory results. Additional research is needed to ascertain how such environmental risk factors interact with genetic risk factors. Understanding these could lead to better treatments and possible prevention strategies.
An update on comparison of site-to-site measurement reproducibility using HP site reference source

In this paper, the authors report the results to date of the current round of reproducibility testing that started in August 2000 and is expected to finish by July 2002. A total of 33 sites have participated in this study, which includes nine 10 M semi-anechoic chambers, sixteen 10 M OATS, and eight 3 M sites. Of the eight 3 M sites, five are 3 M semi-anechoic chambers, and three are 3 M measurements on 10 M sites. The reference site chosen for this year was Liberty Labs in Kimbleton, Iowa, USA. Of the 33 sites, 25 performed at least 4 measurements, with two completing 20 measurements over several days. Statistically, 95% of the standard deviations of the 10 M sites was within +/- 1.6 dB as a maximum from 30 MHz to 1 GHz, with greater than 80% falling in the 0.3 to 0.6 dB deviation for measurements made on the same site over a period of days. Test result differences in repeated EMC tests are partially caused by physical characteristics of the measurement sites and changes or differences in the measurement chain. This program meets the requirements of A2LA and NVLAP for site-to-site comparisons.
Estimating returns to scale with large, imperfect panels: An application to chilean manufacturing industries

This study exploits plant-level panel data from Chile to provide new evidence on the empirical significance of scale economies in manufacturing sectors. Particular emphasis is given to econometric problems induced by the presence of unobservable plant heterogeneity, measurement error, and selectivity. An analysis of the results suggests that estimates based on generalized metbod of moments (GMM) estimators that pool long differences (which eliminate heterogeneity effects) are robust to measurement error in the capital stock, heteroscedasticity, and selectivity. Returns to scale for three-digit industries are fairly evenly distributed over the plausible range of 0. 8 to 1.2, and none is statistically significantly different from constant returns. Similar results hold for the four-digit industries for which sufficient data'are available. Although general expansion of the manufacturing sector cannot be expected to yield strong plant-level scale economies, our results do not rule out scale economies from other sources, such as the spreading of start-up costs and external returns to scale. Finally, the analysis has generated severalfindings of metbodological interest, including the notion that Stigler's survival test may indeed be useful as a quick first pass on the empirical importance of returns to scale.
Nationalism and the Radical Intelligentsia in Thailand

Abstract The prominent Thai scholar, Chatthip Natsupha, has gone from being a Marxist intellectual in the 1970s to a cultural nationalist advocate of a genuine Thai essence which, he believes, is an antidote to the dominance of the Western neoliberal capitalism. His case is not an anomaly. The intellectual path from the Marxist left to the cultural nationalist right is well-trodden and reflects broader changes in nationalism in the country. The cultural nationalist Thai ex-left rejected what it called ‘bad’ nationalism and embraced a ‘good’ one. However, its ideas were significantly drawn from conservative nationalism. Such nationalism, which is widespread among the Thai intelligentsia, was an important factor in their support for the military coup which, in 2006, ousted an elected government on the dubious grounds that it was a proxy for global capitalism.
Health-Related Quality of Life of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Childhood Survivors: State of the Science

The notion of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) holds unique significance in the treatment of patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Not only is transplant procedure inevitably associated with immediate and late medical effects along with high mortality and morbidity rates, but it can also significantly affect the HRQoL for the patient and family. This review of literature will assist advanced practice nurses and pediatric oncology nurses in distinguishing and targeting interventions for patients and families who are at high risk of encountering distress during and following HSCT. It provides information on the assessment of pre-HSCT variables to identify patient subgroups in need of more aggressive supportive care to improve HRQoL during transplant. Furthermore, it serves as a guideline for developing interventional strategies and the role of the advanced practice nurse and pediatric oncology nurse caring for the patient throughout and following transplant.
Trajectory planning and control of an underactuated dynamically stable single spherical wheeled mobile robot

The ballbot is a dynamically stable mobile robot that moves on a single spherical wheel and is capable of omnidirectional movement. The ballbot is an underactuated system with nonholonomic dynamic constraints. The authors propose an offline trajectory planning algorithm that provides a class of parametric trajectories to the unactuated joint in order to reach desired static configurations of the system with regard to the dynamic constraint. The parameters of the trajectories are obtained using optimization techniques. A feedback controller is proposed that ensures accurate trajectory tracking. The trajectory planning algorithm and tracking controller are validated experimentally. The authors also extend the offline trajectory planning algorithm to a generalized case of motion between non-static configurations.
Utilization of fatty acids in perfused hypothermic dog kidney

Utilization of oleic acid in whole dog kidneys perfused in vitro for 24 hr at 10 degrees C was studied, and the data were correlated with results on the utilization of oleic acid in kidney slices incubated in the same perfusate at 10 degrees C. Kidneys perfused without added oleate lost 35% of their total lipid content and 27% of their phospholipids. Addition of serum albumin-bound oleate to the perfusate prevented the loss of neutral lipid and reduced the loss of phospholipid to 8%. The kidney slices incorporated 29% of the added oleate into lipid and oxidized 3.2% to CO(2). Oleate apparently largely replaces endogenous fatty acids which are oxidized to meet the energy requirements of the kidney. The loss of phospholipid from the perfused organ is taken as an indication of cell damage, which may be reduced but is not prevented by the addition of oleate to the perfusate.
Extracorporeal photopheresis: How, when, and why

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a well-tolerated procedure that suppresses T-lymphocyte activity in a clonally-specific way. It is an effective therapy that has established indications in the management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, graft-versus-host disease and some scenarios of solid-organ transplant rejection. It is being used increasingly around the world. Its applications are evolving, including exploration of its potential for treating autoimmune diseases where cytotoxic T-cell-mediated mechanisms appear to be involved, such as Crohn's disease. This article reviews scientific insights into its mechanism of action on the immune system, details of the clinical procedure, its clinical applications in various diseases, and the current evidence for its efficacy and place in medical therapeutics.
Anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in liver transplant recipients.

Summary Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease can sometimes relapse and be refractory to standard treatment following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) despite post-transplantation immunosuppressive therapy. Aim To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents for the management of IBD following OLT. Methods We reviewed the records of patients with a diagnosis of IBD who underwent OLT at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 1985 and 2009. Patients were included if they had received anti-TNF therapy post-OLT. Clinical response was defined as a physician's assessment of improvement after 12 weeks of anti-TNF usage, and mucosal healing was defined as the absence of ulcerations on follow-up endoscopy. Results The median age of the eight study patients was 42.0 years and 37.5% were female patients. All had been diagnosed with IBD prior to OLT (UC in three and Crohn's disease in five). Indication for OLT was cirrhotic stage primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and three concomitantly had cholangiocarcinoma. Clinical response was demonstrated in seven of eight patients (87.5%) and mucosal healing was demonstrated in three of seven (42.9%). Four infections (oral candidiasis, Clostridium difficile colitis, bacterial pneumonia and cryptosporidiosis) in three patients were reported. One patient developed an Epstein–Barr virus-positive post-transplant lympho-proliferative disorder. One death occurred due to complications from recurrent PSC. Conclusions Starting Anti-TNF therapy following orthotopic liver transplantation appears to be a potential option for inflammatory bowel disease management. Additional studies are needed, however, to confirm these findings and to further assess risks associated with this treatment strategy.
Renewable production of phthalic anhydride from biomass-derived furan and maleic anhydride

A route to renewable phthalic anhydride (2-benzofuran-1,3-dione) from biomass-derived furan and maleic anhydride (furan-2,5-dione) is investigated. Furan and maleic anhydride were converted to phthalic anhydride in two reaction steps: Diels–Alder cycloaddition followed by dehydration. Excellent yields for the Diels–Alder reaction between furan and maleic-anhydride were obtained at room temperature and solvent-free conditions (SFC) yielding 96% exo-4,10-dioxa-tricyclo[5.2.1.0]dec-8-ene-3,5-dione (oxanorbornene dicarboxylic anhydride) after 4 h of reaction. It is shown that this reaction is resistant to thermal runaway because of its reversibility and exothermicity. The dehydration of the oxanorbornene was investigated using mixed-sulfonic carboxylic anhydrides in methanesulfonic acid (MSA). An 80% selectivity to phthalic anhydride (87% selectivity to phthalic anhydride and phthalic acid) was obtained after running the reaction for 2 h at 298 K to form a stable intermediate followed by 4 h at 353 K to drive the reaction to completion. The structure of the intermediate was determined. This result is much better than the 11% selectivity obtained in neat MSA using similar reaction conditions.