cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of punctuated heat stress on the grapevine powdery mildew pathogen, Erysiphe necator

Grapevine powdery mildew, caused by the ascomycete Erysiphe necator , is a major threat to grapes worldwide. Despite its global impact on grape production, E. necator is sensitive to adverse environmental conditions, such as excess heat, free water and UV radiation. Using detached leaf co-culture assays, 3-d-old single colonies of E. necator were exposed to 1, 2 or 3 consecutive d of punctuated heat stress. While there was a consistent decrease in colony growth after a single heating event, there were little to no significant effects from subsequent heating events. Similar effects were observed on the latent period of the pathogen, with a large initial effect from the first heat treatment and small marginal effects from subsequent heat treatments. Erysiphe necator colonies growing on live pot-grown plants were affected similarly by consecutive heat stress events. These data suggest that E. necator is more adaptable to environmental stress than previously recognized.
Polysilicon diodes as temperature sensors for chemical microreaction systems

Lateral polysilicon P/sup +/-N-N/sup +/ and P/sup +/-P-N/sup +/ diodes were fabricated and their electrical properties such as ON current, reverse current and series resistance were studied at various temperatures in the range of 50/spl deg/C to 150/spl deg/C. It was found that both reverse and forward currents of the diodes increased with the temperature. Using these electrical properties as parameters, the lateral polysilicon diodes can be used as temperature sensors in microreaction systems.
A two‐phase procedure for allotting geostationary orbital locations to communications satellites

We consider the problem of allotting locations in the geostationary orbit to communication satellites, subject to angle of elevation and electromagnetic interference constraints. An optimization framework is used as a means of finding feasible allotment plans. Specifically, we present a two-phase solution procedure for the satellite location problem (SLP). The objective in SLP is to allot geostationary orbital locations to satellites so as to minimize the sum of the absolute differences between the locations prescribed for the satellites and corresponding specified desired locations. We describe two heuristics, an ordering procedure and a k-permutation algorithm, that are used in tandem to find solutions to SLP. Solutions to a worldwide example problem with 183 satellites serving 208 service areas are summarized.
A supravital polyaldehyde fixative for external cell surfaces

Abstract A large molecular weight polyaldehyde fixative (macrofixative), prepared by periodate oxidation of the branched polysaccharide dextran, was used for stabilizing the cell surface membrane. Evidence indicated that this substance is non-toxic to cultured cells and that its action is probably restricted to external surfaces. Macrofixation of chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF) was found to inhibit cell growth, but it did not interfere with basal cellular metabolic processes as assessed by the ability to transport and phosphorylate sugar. Cultured chicken cells which have been treated with macrofixative could be lysed in a hypotonic medium without detachment of the evacuated plasma membrane from the substratum. In situ cell ghosts, prepared in this manner, provided the following immunoelectron microscopic findings: ( a ) lysed cells could be used as electron-translucent specimens for two-dimensional ultrastructural analysis of ferritin-labeled antigen-antibody complexes; ( b ) cell surface antigens of previously lysed cells could be redistributed into small patches by reaction with specific antibody, but more complex redistribution patterns (such as cap-like foci of coalescence) did not occur; ( c ) thin sections of lysed, virus-infected CEF, in which cell surface-associated viral antigens were labeled with ultrastructurally visible markers, revealed that the determinants are expressed only on the external side of the plasma membrane. Treatment of living virus-infected cells with macrofixative as an external cross-linking reagent did not significantly alter any patterns of antibody-induced redistribution of cell surface viral antigens.
Protein disulphide isomerase from human peripheral blood neutrophils.

Protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) is a 56 kDa resident polypeptide of the endoplasmic reticulum of many cell types. We evaluated the ability of human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to synthesize both mRNA and proteins. Using in vitro [35S]-methionine labeling of purified PMN, followed by immunoprecipitation of cell lysates with immobilized polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and analysis by gel electrophoresis, PMN were shown to synthesize many proteins, including actin. In contrast, incorporation of [35S]-methionine into PDI was not detected. Purification of total RNA from PMN and analysis by Northern blots demonstrated the presence in PMN of PDI-RNA. Western immunoblot evaluations of total PMN protein display an immunoreactive-PDI of 56 kDa. Indirect immunofluorescence studies suggest an abundance of immunoreactive-PDI throughout PMN. We therefore conclude that PDI is synthesized in precursor cells of the bone marrow. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-aceiate, a reagent known to affect the degranulation of specific granules, causes the release of immunoreactive-PDI into a post-centrifugation supernatant. PDI, a ubiquitous endoplasmic reticulum resident protein, is shown here to be associated with specific granules in a cell type which has lost its intracellular membrane network during terminal differentiation.
Real Noise from the Urban Environment How Ambient Community Noise Affects Health and What Can Be Done About It

The increasing interest in the potential effects of the community environment on individual health has so far excluded those of the acoustic environment. Yet it has long been recognized that continued exposure to elevated sound levels leads to noise-induced hearing loss. Noise is defined as unwanted sound that disturbs communication and speech intelligibility and interferes with sleep and mental tasks. Evidence points to numerous psychophysiologic outcomes of sustained exposure, including annoyance, reduced performance, aggressive behavior, and increased risk of myocardial infarction. Populated areas have experienced a steady rise in outdoor ambient noise resulting from increases in vehicular traffic and the ubiquitous use of machinery. In 2000, the WHO produced guidelines on occupational and community noise. The European Union mandated noise surveillance and abatement programs in cities. In the U.S., a few cities have revised their noise ordinances, but proactive noise reduction initiatives remain confined to new transportation infrastructure projects, thus leaving a large portion of the population at risk. Adding community noise to the public health agenda seems timely. Research needs to measure population-wide health effects of involuntary long-term exposure to ambient noise. Further study of the range and severity of co-morbidities will help refine the thresholds used to protect health. Policies and interventions, including health impact assessments, will require detailed data on actual ambient noise levels. Reducing noise at the source will likely require new road standards and lower allowable engine noise levels. Finally, noise abatement programs have an environmental justice dimension and need to target the at-risk population.
Proteinuria. How much evaluation is appropriate

Primary care physicians play an important role in the outpatient evaluation of proteinuria, a common finding in everyday medical practice. Therefore, it is important to recognize which symptoms and signs signal the need for further evaluation. A simple urine dipstick test usually is the first step, but factors leading to false-positive or false-negative results must be considered. A step-by-step management plan helps determine which patients should be referred to a nephrologist.
Prevalence of and risk factors for postoperative ileus after small intestinal surgery in two hundred and thirty-three horses.

Objectives— To determine the incidence of postoperative ileus (POI) in a population of horses after small intestinal surgery and the effect of multiple variables on development of POI. Study Design— Case series. Animals— Horses (n=233) aged ≥1 year that had exploratory celiotomy for small intestinal disease that recovered from surgery from 1995 to 2005. Methods— Sixty-eight variables were collected from medical records (1995–2005) for each horse. POI was defined as nasogastric reflux volume >20 L over 24 hours or >8 L at any single time after surgery. Results— Twenty-seven percent (64/233) of horses developed POI; 29 of 64 (46%) horses with POI had duodenitis proximal jejunitis (DPJ). When no intestinal resection was required at surgery, excluding horses with DPJ, 15% of horses had POI; 30% horses had POI after intestinal resection. Ten percent of horses had POI for >24 hours. When horses with DPJ were excluded, factors associated with increased risk of POI included high packed cell volume at hospital admission (P=.024), increasing age (P=.0004), and length of intestinal resection (P=.05). Conclusions— Risk factors for POI in this study were nonspecific although horses with intestinal resection are at higher risk compared with horses without intestinal resection. Clinical Relevance— Predicting with certainty which cases will develop POI remains elusive.
Environmental Sciences—Problems and prospects

During the technical sessions of this year's annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, much of what is precise and beautiful in science will be discussed. Tonight, however, the subject is certainly neither precise nor beautiful. Rather it is my intention to treat certain nonscientific problems arising from the very special character of what have come to be called the physical environmental sciences. The environmental sciences are those areas of inquiry whose special concern is man's surroundings. One would certainly include as environmental sciences large parts of such subjects as oceanography, meteorology, hydrology, and seismology, since these subjects are concerned with that part of man's environment which is of great import to society.
Formation of chain and V-shaped structures in the initial stage growth of Si/Si(100)

New growth structures (chain and V-shaped structures) have recently been observed in scanning tunneling microscopy studies of Si and Ge adatoms deposited on Si(100). We have studied the basic building block, the nature and the formation of these growth structures by using a combination of theoretical techniques including the O(N) nonorthogonal tight-binding molecular dynamics and local analysis of the electronic structure. We find that the interplay between the binding energy, diffusion barrier, and temperature is the key to the formation of these structures. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Synthesis of Aromatic α-Methylene Lactones

Abstract A growing number of sesquiterpene α-methylene-γ and δ-lactones have been found to exhibit a diversity of biological effects including antimicrobial, allergenic and antitumor activity2.
Structure and evolution of the human prosaposin chromosomal gene

Abstract The gene for prosaposin was characterized by sequence analysis of chromosomal DNA to gain insight into the evolution of this locus that encodes four highly conserved sphingolipid activator proteins or saposins. The 13 exons ranged in size from 57 to 1200 bp, while the introns were from 91 to 3812 bp in length. The regions encoding saposins A, B, and D each had three exons, while that for saposin C had only two. This sequence included the regions that encode the carboxy terminus of the signal peptide, the four mature prosaposin proteins, and the 3′ untranslated region. Primer extension studies indicated that over 99% of the coding sequence was contained in these 19,985 bp. Use of PCR and reverse PCR techniques indicated that the most 5′ coding ∼ 140 bp contained large introns and at least two small exons. Analyses of the intronic positions in the saposin regions indicated that this gene evolved from an ancestral gene by two duplication events and at least one gene rearrangement involving a double crossover after introns had been inserted into the gene.
Parasitism of Leptasterias spp. (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) by the ciliated protozoan Orchitophrya stellarum (Scuticociliata)

. The parasitic ciliate Orchitophrya stellarum was found in the testes of brooding, winter-spawning Leptasterias spp. from San Juan Island, Washington, but not in the testes of Leptasterias spp. from the Lynn Canal, Alaska. Dense populations of the ciliate were localized within the fuller areas of testes, where sperm counts were significantly reduced. The ciliates were loaded with phagosomes, some of which contained sperms in various stages of digestion. Leptasterias spp. are not as severely impacted by this ciliated protozoan parasite as Pisaster ochraceus. Leptasterias spp. may serve as seasonal hosts for O. stellarum; this ciliate lives in seawater and in ripe males of winter-brooding and spring-summer broadcasting sea stars. The wet weight of parasitized and non-parasitized males did not differ. The sex ratio did not deviate from the expected (1:1) in any population except at Point Louisa, Alaska, where males outnumbered females. Testis indexes of parasitized males from 2 of the 4 locations on San Juan Island, Washington were significantly reduced relative to non-parasitized males, indicating a loss of sperm output during spawning.
Domperidone Treatment for Gastroparesis: Demographic and Pharmacogenetic Characterization of Clinical Efficacy and Side-Effects

Background Domperidone is a useful alternative to metoclopramide for treatment of gastroparesis due to better tolerability. Effectiveness and side-effects from domperidone may be influenced by patient-related factors including polymorphisms in genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, and domperidone targets.
Enteric nervous system disorders: genetic and molecular insights for the neurogastroenterologist

The goals of this review are to summarize some of the novel observations on the genetic and molecular basis of enteric nervous system disorders, with particular emphasis on the relevance of these observations to the practicising neurogastroenterologist. In the last two decades, there has been a greater understanding of genetic loci involved in congenital forms of pseudo-obstruction and Hirschsprung’s disease; and the contribution of endothelins and nuclear transcription factors to the development of the enteric nervous system. In addition, clarification of the molecules involved in the activation of the peristaltic reflex, the disorders of the interstitial cells of Cajal, the clinical manifestations of mitochondrial cytopathies affecting the gut, and the application of neurotrophic factors for disorders of colonic function have impacted on practical management of patients with gut dysmotility.
Source of complexity in the social and managerial sciences: an extended Sen's theorem

Many disciplines, including the social, behavioral, and management sciences, search for appropriate aggregated outcomes—a search that can be frustrated by complexities and inefficiencies. As shown here, explanations for these difficulties can be found in social choice. Indeed, it is shown why some of these problems are direct consequences of adopted approaches (e.g., management style, choice of a division of labor, or even the use of expertise and experts), and they cannot be avoided. These results are motivated by Sen’s Theorem from decision theory.
Generation of picosecond x-ray pulses and their application in time-resolved diffraction

We have constructed a novel picosecond x-ray (PxR) source to be used for time resolved x-ray diffraction. The PxR source has a metallic photocathode from which photoemission is induced by ultraviolet picosecond laser.pulses. Electron bunches of over 3 nC have been produced with a tantalum photocathode excited by a frequency quadrupled pulsed modelocked Nd:YAG laser.The accelerated electron bunches strike a copper anode generating 6.2x106 Cu Ka x-ray photons cm-2.sr-1 with a time width of less than 70 ps. A high energy Nd:YLF regenerative amplified laser was constructed to increase the repetition rate of the source to 2 kHz. Several detection methods and experimental schemes for PxR diffraction are presented
Distribution and density of GABA cells in intralaminar and adjacent nuclei of monkey thalamus.

Abstract The density of GABA-immunoreactive neurons was examined in the intralaminar and certain principal relay nuclei of the macaque monkey thalamus. Counts were made in 10-μm-thick frozen sections and in 1-μm-thick plastic sections and stereological formulae applied to obtain an accurate assessment of the volumetric density of GABA cells in the nuclei. It was found that GABA-immunoreactive cells account for at least 27% of the cells per unit area of all the thalamic nuclei investigated and up to as much as 50% by unit volume. The intralaminar nuclei show only slightly fewer GABA cells than the principal relay nuclei. Previous reports of their absence or relatively low numbers in the intralaminar nuclei probably stem from their smaller size, relatively weaker immunoreactive staining and from failure to apply stereometric formulae that reveal the density of neurons per volume of tissue. These results suggest that the cellular elements of the intralaminar nuclei are not fundamentally different from those of the principal relay nuclei of the thalamus.
Types of marital closeness and mortality risk in older couples.

OBJECTIVE This study examines the impact of marital closeness on survival over 6 years in a community-dwelling sample of 305 older couples. METHOD Closeness is defined as 1) naming one's spouse as a confidant or source of emotional support (vs. not naming) and 2) being named by spouse on at least one of the two dimensions (vs. not being named). The survival effects of both naming and being named are examined in Cox proportional hazard regressions, controlling for sociodemographic, health status, and behavioral variables. RESULTS Husbands who were named by their wives but did not name them were least likely to have died after 6 years. Compared with them, husbands in marriages with the other three styles of closeness were from 3.30 to 4.68 times more likely to be dead. Wives' results showed the same pattern of effects, with the same marital style being most protective as for husbands, but the effects were weaker. However, wives' results were strongly moderated by parenting status: those who had ever had children who were in the marital closeness pattern of wife naming husband but not being named by him were highly protected. Compared with these wives, others who had had children were from 8.26 to 10.95 times less likely to be alive after 6 years. CONCLUSIONS The same pattern of marital closeness most benefited husbands and those wives who had had children. These findings are not explained adequately by social support or marital role theory although they fit the latter more closely.
A Apologia: The Transcendence of the Dixie Chicks

In the mid 1980s, Union Carbide used the apologia strategy of transcendence with mixed results—repairing some relationship while harming others. Two decades later the Dixie Chicks's use of transcendence revealed a similar dichotomy. Using ideographic analysis, the author examines (1) why transcendence appeals to one audience while alienating another and (2) how social values are shaped in the process. Ultimately, the author argues that the Dixie Chicks's strategy of transcendence appealed to the ideograph and in doing so constructed a concretized—and polarizing—definition of what it means to be a patriotic American during times of war.
Interactions of the Newcastle disease virus with mouse tissues. I. Enhancement of the neurotoxicity of the virus and preliminary experiments with toxic brain extracts.

(1) Adaptation of three NDV strains to the brain of newborn mice failed to result in the development of new genetic markers such as the propagability in adult mouse brain and inability of growing in the allantoic cavity of the chicken embryo. (2) SMB adaptation of the RO strain resulted in significant increase of the neurotoxicity for adult mice. While about 104 LD50 of the allantoic line RO virus killed the i.cerebrally inoculated adoult mouse, only 100.5 LD50 of the SMB line virus was required to obtain the same result. (3) Allantoic line virus inoculated in toxic dose showed persistence or first cycle multiplication in the brain of adult mice, the SMB virus did not exhibit any evidence of replication of infectious particles in the same tissue. High speed centrifuged supernatants of the SMB virus did not evoke neurotoxicity and did not contain infectious particles either. RDE treatment of toxic brain extracts did not result in release of infectivity. (4) Extracts of toxic brains which did not contain infectious particles were able to produce a short lasting delay in the incubation period of the living virus as well as a low titer of hemagglutination inhibitory antibodies in intraperitoneally immunized adult mice, which antibodies were found inactive in virus neutralization tests. The delay in the incubation period apparently was due to non-specific factors since virus multiplication was not suppressed. Immunization of adult mice with toxic brain extracts did not protect against the neurotoxic effect of the suckling mouse brain line virus. Specific NDV immune sera mixed with the virus neutralized the toxic effect. (5) The heat inactivated virus did not interfere with the living virus in the brain of suckling mice when they were given simultaneously; when the inactive virus or a non-pathogenic strain of a living virus was administered prior to the active virus, interference occurred. (6) Electron microscopic studies on ultrathin sections showed abundance of mature virus particles in suckling mouse brains. No such particles were seen in brains of adult mice with severe toxic symptoms.
Semiempirical Sternheimer shielding factors for the atomic 4f and 5d shells

Sternheimer shielding factors are often obtained empirically by comparing nuclear electric quadrupole moment values derived from the hyperfine structure (hfs) of many-electron atoms with those determined by Coulomb-excitation or mesic-atom measurements. A large scatter in the resulting shielding factors arises from the lack of consistency in the approaches used in the analyses of the hfs. In the present work the radial hfs integrals are evaluated with a consistent configuration-average Dirac-Fock method. The scatter in the shielding factors obtained is reduced substantially and the results are in reasonable agreement with Sternheimer's original estimates.
Monte carlo simulation of the phase behavior of model dendrimers

The phase behavior of lattice model dendrimers of generations from 2 to 5 in solution was studied using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. The critical properties were calculated using multihistogram reweighting techniques combined with mixed field finite-size scaling. Power law exponents were obtained for the critical volume as well as for the dendrimer radius of gyration. Significant differences in these exponents occur compared to linear molecules. A systematic decrease of the critical volume exponent with the generation and the molecular weight was observed. A decrease of the power law exponent for the radius of gyration with respect to the molecular weight at the critical conditions is also reported. The phase coexistence envelopes of dendrimer−solvent mixtures were calculated. Finally, the local molecular structure and the local density profiles calculations indicate more compact molecules for higher generation dendrimers.
Beef brain cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase. Purification, kinetics, and physical properties.

Abstract Beef brain cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase ( l -aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1) was purified 380-fold. The existence of multiple forms (α, β, γ) of the enzyme was shown by chromatography on Sephadex CM-50 at pH 5.4 and by electrophoresis at pH 9.0 on plyacrylamide gel. Analytical ultracentrifugation yielded a sedimentation coefficient of 5.62 S and a mol. wt of 90 000 ± 6000 for the brain aspartate aminotransferase. A Stokes radius of 39.5 A and a mol. wt of 103 000 were determined for the enzyme by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Apparent Km values of 2 mM for l -aspartate and 0.17 mM for α-ketoglutarate were obtained with the brain aspartate aminotransferase. The enzyme was inhibited significantly by 1–3 mM α-ketoglutarate at pH 6.0. No inhibition of brain aspartate aminotransferase activity was noted with γ-aminobutyric acid. Most of these properties of the beef brain enzyme are the same as those obtained with beef heart cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase.
Understanding the Bone Mass Measurement Act

The Bone Mass Measurement Act (BMMA) set forth regulations to provide for uniform coverage under Medicare Part B for bone mass measurements for services provided on or after July 1, 1998. The BMMA authorizes Medicare coverage of "medically necessary approved measurements" performed for a "qualified individual" who falls into at least one of five diagnostic categories: an estrogen-deficient woman at clinical risk for osteoporosis; an individual with vertebral abnormalities; an individual receiving long-term glucocorticoid (steroid) therapy; an individual with primary hyperparathyroidism; and an individual being monitored to assess the response to, or efficacy of, an approved osteoporosis drug therapy. Proper communication is essential for reimbursement. The tools for communication include Physician's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration) Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), the Medicare carrier's local Medical Review Policy (LMRP), and the International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9). This article reviews the new regulations and the tools for communication.
Understanding Racial Differences in Deceased-Donor Kidney Transplantation: Geography, Poverty, Language, and Health Insurance Coverage

Despite the continued growth of diverse populations on dialysis, no prior studies have comprehensively compared the barriers to kidney transplantation among different racial and ethnic groups. This brief review summarizes key findings from a recent study that examined specific determinants of diminished access to, or delayed completion of, deceased-donor kidney transplantation among major racial-ethnic groups in the United States. In particular, we focus on the relative influence on transplantation rates of clinical factors, such as histocompatibility, residential geography, health insurance coverage, poverty, and other socioeconomic factors according to patient race or ethnicity.
The Anti-Miscegenation History of the American Southwest, 1837 To 1970 Transforming Racial Ideology into Law

This article proposes that a historical analysis of court cases and state statutes can be used to illustrate how racist ideologies were transformed into practice and used to legalize racism. To exe...
Moving fronts in entangled polymeric films

Thin liquid films can become structurally unstable and dewet, forming holes which subsequently grow on the substrate. Considerable research has been conducted on the structural evolution and growth of holes, which invariably are shown to be circular. We show that morphologies characterized by circular holes comprise one of three possible morphological regimes. In polystyrene films, supported by silicon oxide substrates, two other regimes are observed with decreasing film thickness. In the second regime, the moving boundary of the growing hole may become unstable and form fingers. The spacing between the fingers is characterized by a well-defined wavelength lambda proportional to h(7/6) M(-1/2) , where h is the film thickness and M is the molecular weight. A dense branchlike morphology characterizes the peripheral regions of the holes in the third regime and is found only in the thinnest films.
Vacuum Topology and Incoherence in Quantum Gravity

An explicit expression is derived for the quantum gravitational vacuum state by use of the saddle-point approximation and a conformally invariant action. It consists of a superposition of zero-energy classical vacua that differ in the topology both of the local Lorentz frames (leading to $\mathrm{CP}$ nonconservation) and of space itself. Space is found to have Planck-size wormholes and spinorial knots, and is surrounded by a vapor of disconnected submanifolds. The scattering matrix constructed on this vacuum is not unitary but the superscattering matrix conserves probability.
The ideal Bose-Einstein gas, revisited

Abstract Some questions concerning the ideal Bose-Einstein gas are reviewed and examined further. The bulk behavior including the condensation phenomenon is characterized by the thermodynamical properties, occupations of the states and their fluctuations, and the properties of the density matrices, including the diagonal and off-diagonal long range orders. Particular attention is focused on the difference between the canonical and grand canonical ensembles and a case is made that the latter does not represent any physical system in the condensed region. The properties in a finite region are also examined to study the approach to the bulk limit and secondly to derived the surface properties such as the surface tension (due to the boundary). This is mainly done for the special case of a rectangular parallelopiped (box) for various boundary conditions. The question of the asymptotic behavior of the fluctuations in the occupation of the ground state in the condensed region in the canonical ensemble is examined for these systems. Finally, the local properties near the wall of a half infinite system are calculated and discussed. The surface properties also follow this way and agree with the strictly thermodynamic result. Although it is not intended to be a complete review, it is largely self-contained, with the first section containing the basic formulas and a discussion of some general concepts which will be needed. Especially discussed in detail are the extra considerations that are needed in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics to include the surface properties, and the quantum hierarchy of the density matrices and local conservation laws. In the concluding remarks several problems are mentioned which need further analysis and clarification.
Alpha stable human visual system models for digital halftoning

Human visual system (HVS) modeling has become a critical component in the design of digital halftoning algorithms. Methods that exploit the characteristics of the HVS include the direct binary search (DBS) and optimized tone-dependent halftoning approaches. The spatial sensitivity of the HVS is lowpass in nature, reflecting the physiological characteristics of the eye. Several HVS models have been proposed in the literature, among them, the broadly used Nasanen's exponential model. As shown experimentally by Kim and Allebach, 1 Nasanen's model is constrained in shape and richer models are needed in order to attain better halftone attributes and to control the appearance of undesired patterns. As an alternative, they proposed a class of HVS models based on mixtures of bivariate Gaussian density functions. The mathematical characteristics of the HVS model thus play a key role in the synthesis of model-based halftoning. In this work, alpha stable functions, an elegant class of models richer than mixed Gaussians, are exploited. These are more efficient than Gaussian mixtures as they use less parameters to characterize the tails and bandwidth of the model. It is shown that a decrease in the model's bandwidth leads to homogeneous halftone patterns and conversely, models with heavier tails yield smoother textures. These characteristics, added to their simplicity, make alpha stable models a powerful tool for HVS characterization.
Hot Particle Drag in Compressible Gas

This paper examines the drag force felt by relatively large (250 micron) MgF2 particles moving inside the exhaust of a magnesium-teflon flare burned at reduced pressure (0.02 atm). It is shown that the well-known Stokes formula for the drag on a spherical particle must be modified to take into account the MgF2 particles' elevated temperature with respect to their hot-gas environment.
The economic benefit of goal congruence and implications for management control systems

Abstract In this study, we examine the importance of goal congruence in management control systems (MCS) using a theoretical framework that draws upon both agency theory and stewardship theory. Two aspects of goal congruence are considered: (1) a manager’s voluntary acceptance of an organization’s strategy, i.e., principal-agent alignment, and (2) manager consensus regarding their organization’s strategy, i.e. agent–agent alignment among the potentially divergent interests of multiple agents. We demonstrate the impact of managers’ strategy acceptance (consensus) on four measures of economic benefit: inputs (resource accumulation), outputs (volume of services), operating efficiency (output per unit of input), and cost structure flexibility (adaptability to volume). The results indicate that greater manager consensus is associated with hospitals that accumulate more resources and provide higher levels of service with greater efficiency and additional cost structure flexibility. Our evidence also indicates that hospital managers (MDs, nurses and CFOs) are not motivated by individual opportunism alone, and that goal congruence does not depend solely upon selecting the right performance measures and incentives to remove inefficiencies and moral hazards. We conclude that goal congruence based upon both strategy acceptance and reinforcing incentives may result in MCS that are less costly and more effective.
Cortical Layer VII and Persistent Subplate Cells in Mammalian Brains

Layer VII is the deepest cortical layer in rats, and consists of a thin layer of persistent subplate cells overlain by a cell-sparse, myelin-rich stratum through which many corticocortical axons trave
Social Class and School Knowledge

When Max Weber and Karl Marx suggested that there were identifiable and socially meaningful differences in the educational knowledge made available to literati and peasant, aristocrat and laborer, they were of course discussing earlier societies. Recent scholarship in political economy and sociology of knowledge has also argued, however, that in advanced industrial societies such as Canada and the USA, where the class structure is relatively fluid, students of different social class backgrounds are still likely to be exposed to qualitatively different types of educational knowledge. Students from higher social class backgrounds may be exposed to legal, medical, or managerial knowledge, for example, while those of the working classes may be offered a more “practical” curriculum (e.g., clerical knowledge, vocational training) (Bowles & Gintis, 1976; Karabel, 1972; Rosenbaum, 1976). It is said that such social class differences in secondary and postsecondary education are a conserving force in modern societies, an important aspect of the reproduction of unequal class structures (Apple, 1979; Karabel & Halsey, 1977; Young & Whitty, 1977).
Vitellogenin motifs conserved in nematodes and vertebrates.

Caenorhabditis elegans vitellogenins are encoded by a family of six genes, one of which,vit-5, has been previously sequenced and shown to be surprisingly closely related to the vertebrate vitellogenin genes. Here we report an alignment of the amino acid sequences of vitellogenins from frog and chicken with those from threeC. elegans genes:vit-5 and two newly sequenced genes,vit-2 andvit-6. The four introns ofvit-6 are all in different places from the four introns ofvit-5, but three of these eight positions are identical or close to intron locations in the vertebrate vitellogenin genes. The encoded polypeptides have diverged from one another sufficiently to allow us to draw some conclusions about conserved positions. Many cysteine residues have been conserved, suggesting that vitellogenin structure has been maintained over a long evolutionary distance and is dependent upon disulfide bonds. In addition, a 20-residue segment shows conservation between the vertebrate and the nematode vitellogenins. This sequence may play a highly conserved role in vitellogenesis, such as specific recognition by oocytes. On the whole, however, selection may be acting more strongly on amino acid composition and codon usage than on amino acid sequence, as might be expected for abundant storage proteins: The amino acid compositions ofvit-2, vit-5, andvit-6 products are remarkably similar, despite the fact that the sequence of thevit-2 protein is only 22% and 50% identical to the sequences ofvit-6 andvit-5 proteins, respectively.
Progesterone binding in the mouse and rat uterus

Progesterone—binding components in the uterine cytosol from the mouse and rat have been detected using sucrose—glycerol gradient analysis. The binding components in mouse uterine cytosol had sedimentation values of 4S and 6.5S and for the rat, values of 4S and 7S were determined. The binding components in both species were found to be specific for the uterus and to be protein in nature. The amount of binding was dependent upon the endocrine status of the animal. Castration destroyed the binding components, but they could be restored to intact levels following estrogen stimulation. Competition studies showed a high specificity for progesterone and that little of the progesterone binding was due to contamination by corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG). Equilibrium measurements have indicated a high affinity of the receptor—hormone interaction (Kd 10-8 – 10-9M) while kinetic measurements have revealed a very rapid dissociation of the receptor—hormone complex which could be stabilized somewhat by glycerol. T...
METASTATIC MALIGNANT INSULINOMA IN A PATIENT WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS: CASE PRESENTATION AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Objective: To describe the occurrence of metastatic malignant insulinoma in a patient with preexisting type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: We present a detailed case report, with clinical, biochemic...
Design and Engineering of an HTS Dipole in the FRIB Fragment Separator

One of the challenges in the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University is the 30 degree bending dipoles in the fragment separator operating in a high radiation environment. It is known that high temperature superconductors (HTS) have a much larger thermal margin due to high critical temperature > 90 K and high upper critical field > 100 T, which allows HTS magnets to operate stably so as to tolerate very high heat loads due to radiation. The HTS dipole magnets will utilize ReBCO conductor technology and operate at 38 K cooled by helium gas. High radiation deposits a large amount of heat into the iron yoke, cryostat, bobbin and HTS coil itself. For certain beams, over-bent particles will hit the cryostat with high intensity in the beam down-stream. Another difficulty is that the dipole coils generate significant Lorentz forces that need to be contained. All of these challenges have been analyzed separately and then integrated to find novel approaches. These approaches have been applied to optimize the magnet structure and enhance the 38 K helium gas cooling system. We present project status and progress of this HTS ReBCO dipole magnets and lay out a plan for magnet manufacturing.
Young smokers' attitudes about methods for quitting smoking: barriers and benefits to using assisted methods.

Abstract There is currently little information about how smokers choose a particular method to stop smoking. Young adult smokers rated likelihood of success as the most important criteria for choosing a stop-smoking method but saw only a small difference in likelihood of success between common assisted and unassisted methods. They rated cost, convenience, and quitting on own as other important criteria. Almost all would choose an unassisted method for their next quit attempt. The smokers then rated their probability of using a stopsmoking program or a nicotine patch under various conditions of cost, convenience, and increased likelihood of success. The results showed that the smokers indicated a moderate-high probability of using the two assisted methods under assumptions of convenience and likelihood of success that are currently realistic. However, they were extremely sensitive to cost of the method. When the stop-smoking program or nicotine patch was free, the estimated probability of use was over 50% for all tested conditions; however, at a cost of $25 the estimated probability dropped below 20% for all conditions. Young smokers would be likely to choose assisted methods when attempting to stop if they appreciated the increased likelihood of success with these methods and if the cost was not high.
Abstract 3311: Glycosylation alterations associated with pancreatic cancer EMT probed using gene expression in three model systems

The lethal nature of pancreatic cancer is related to its propensity to disseminate at early stages and its resistance to chemotherapeutics. Cancer cells that have undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition acquire these traits and may play an important role in pancreatic cancer progression. The identification of the defining molecular features and functional drivers of pancreatic cancer EMT may lead to new methods to control cancer progression. Particular glycosylation patterns are specifically associated with cellular differentiation and activation and play functional roles in cell migration and signal transduction. Therefore we hypothesized that pancreatic cancer EMT is characterized by specific glycosylation alterations that play functional roles in cancer cell differentiation or migration. As a first step toward investigating that hypothesis, we characterized the expression of glycan-related genes in three model systems of pancreatic cancer EMT. We used whole-genome microarrays to study gene expression in: 1) TGF-beta-induced EMT in two different cell lines; 2) a panel of 23 pancreatic cancer cell lines characterized as either epithelial-like or mesenchymal-like; and 3) actively-migrating and stationary cells from two different cell lines. We compiled a list of 585 genes involved in glycosylation (biosynthesis, sugar transport, glycan-binding, etc.) or EMT. Using this list, we found that each model system displayed both elevations and reductions with high significance in multiple glycan-related genes. The percentage of glycan-related genes showing changes exceeded the percentage of overall genes showing changes in each case, suggesting an important role of glycan alterations in EMT. To narrow the list of candidate genes for further study, we looked at the overlap in altered genes between the model systems. ST6GALNAC4, an enzyme that transfers sialic acid to particular presentations of the N-acetyl galactosamine monosaccharide, was elevated in the pancreatic cancer cell lines of all model systems. Glycan structures similar to those synthesized by ST6GALNAC4 are commonly associated with cancer. Genes involved in the sulfation and de-sulfation of glycosaminoglycans were frequently altered, as well as members of the mannose receptor family, each of which suggests routes of modulating extracellular interactions. These results support the involvement of glycan alterations in cancer EMT and suggest targets for the further study of mechanistic drivers of pancreatic cancer progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3311.
The Psychology of Dependence Between Landlord and Sharecropper in Northeastern Brazil

Contrasting beliefs and attitudes held by sharecroppers and their landlord on a fazenda in Northeastern Brazil reveal a tendency to split one another into positively and negatively idealized images. Sharecroppers who ambivalently seek patronage construct good vs. bad landlords/patrons. The landlord, defensive about envy and hostility among sharecroppers, constructs good vs. bad tenants/workers. Theory from the Kleinian school ofpsychoanalysis concerning envy, splitting, and idealization provides a framework for interpreting ethnographic case materials.
Reproductive genetic testing: regulatory and liability issues.

Analysis of current law demonstrates that the responses of state and federal governments and the legal system to reproductive genetic testing both have shaped the development of and reflect society’s views about these techniques. Access to testing has been increased by governmental provision of services and enactment of insurance requirements and by the state courts’ frequent approval of individual litigants’ claims that they were inappropriately denied genetic information. Many state legislatures, however, have tried to limit testing by failing to provide funds, by forbidding private lawsuits and by limiting access to abortion.
Japanese Childhood, Modern Childhood: The Nation-State, the School, and 19th-Century Globalization

Japan's initial encounter with globalization was also its encounter with moderni? ty.1 ln the midto late-19th century, Western imperialism in Asia plunged Japan into a new system of international relations, generating an unprecedented vol? ume of interactions with other parts of the world. Most consequential for Japan were those interactions with the United States and Europe, for they brought to Japan, through a process of hegemony, the constellation of ideas and institu? tions central to the experience of modernity. Of interest here are three closely related points in this constellation: the political formation of the nation-state, the institution of the school, and a concept of childhood as distinct stage of life worthy of public discussion.2 Japanese leaders during the early decades of Meiji period (1868-1912) believed that the source of Western power?and the key to Japan's national survival in the face of Western imperialism?lay in the nationstate's capacity for mobilizing human resources. When they set about creating institutions to accomplish this goal, they recognized the particular importance of the school, which extended the project of mobilization to Japanese children. ln turn, they opened up the child to public inquiry, generating within an emerg? ing mass society a new awareness of childhood?an awareness informed by an international discussion among social reformers in Europe and the United States about the problems facing urban, industrialized societies. The creation of mod? ern childhood in Japan thus provides a case study by which we can trace how pre-existing local conceptions of childhood were transformed by an engagement with the field of ideas and institutions that began to circulate globally during the 19 th century. Using Japan as a case study for examining global themes or processes is a timehonored endeavor. For the first few decades following World War Two, the pro? cess under scholarly consideration was not globalization, but a concept equally grand in scope: modernization. As the only non-Western country to have modernized, Japan was the focus of intense interest from scholars seeking to develop a universal model of the process by which societies become modern. The impli? cations of this scholarship were presumed to be global?after all, the context for this Cold War-era scholarship was the effort to present to unaligned develop? ing countries a non-Communist path to modernity. Yet because these scholars tended to see societies as organic, self-contained units and modernization as internally-generated (though manifested globally), they often studied Japan in isolation. They also tended to emphasize the role of Japan's cultural values in facilitating and shaping its modernization, thus contributing to assumptions of Japanese exceptionalism that remain dominant outside of academia.3 In the last decade or so, historians have contested this notion of uniqueness by