cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Problems of Definitional Dependency: The Case of Administrative Intensity

In the process of defining their variables, researchers often produce dependencies between them by redundantly including component variables. The result is that a null hypothesis of "no relationship" cannot be tested by comparing the observed correlation with zero. The potentially misleading consequences of this practice are discussed in a detailed analysis of the size-administrative intensity literature. Suggestions are made for dealing with the problem. When researchers translate their ideas into formalized theories with testable hypotheses, the required conceptual development often results in the creation of variables which are defined as functions of component variables. We shall refer to these as "complex variables." Percent literate is an example. Variables of this kind are often created when variations in one component variable are seen as theoretically significant only with reference to variations in some other variable. This usually calls for standardization. Suppose, for instance, the researcher defines evolution in terms of energy consumption. Obviously comparisons may be highly misleading if population size is not taken into account. So the researcher may define the level of evolution as "per capita energy con-
37 ASSESSMENT OF SLEEP-ASSOCIATED HGH SECRETION IN NORMAL CHILDREN AND IN ENDOCRINE DISORDERS

37 ASSESSMENT OF SLEEP-ASSOCIATED HGH SECRETION IN NORMAL CHILDREN AND IN ENDOCRINE DISORDERS
Transient Pseudohypoaldosteronism due to Urinary Tract Infection in Infancy: A Report of 4 Cases

Hyponatremia with hyperkalemia in infancy is an uncommon but life-threatening occurrence. In the first weeks of life, this scenario is often associated with aldosterone deficiency due to salt-wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia. However, alternative diagnoses involving inadequate mineralocorticoid secretion or action must be considered, particularly for infants one month of age or older. We report four infants who presented with profound hyponatremia accompanied by urinary tract infection, ultimately leading to the diagnosis of transient pseudohypoaldosteronism. Our cases provide support for the idea that the renal tubular resistance to aldosterone is due to urinary tract infection itself rather than to underlying urinary tract anomalies typically found in these infants. Awareness of this condition is important so that serum aldosterone, urine sodium, and urine cultures may be obtained immediately in any infant presenting with hyponatremia and hyperkalemia in whom a diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia was not found. Adequate replacement with intravenous saline and antibiotic therapy is sufficient to correct sodium levels over 24–48 hours.
Bilateral Ophthalmomyiasis Interna

A 33-year-old man had bilateral ophthalmomyiasis interna. A larval maggot, presumably a botfly, caused a subretinal hemorrhage in the left macula. Diagnostic retinal pigment epithelial worm tracks were observed in both fundi, although the subretinal larva itself was observed only in the left eye. Bilateral worm tracks suggested either separate infestations in each eye or migration of a single maggot from one eye to the other.
Of time and the city: Clifford Geertz on urban history

This paper explores Clifford Geertz's thinking about cities and modernity in the Moroccan context. From the historian's perspective, Geertz made important contributions to the study of Moroccan urbanism. In his writing on Sefrou between the 1960s and the mid-1980s, he mapped out how material changes in the city accompanied an emerging sense of a localised urban consciousness. By asking the eternal question, ‘For whom is the city made?’ he showed that even in provincial Sefrou, the built environment could unexpectedly serve as a site for ideological and social confrontation and the working out of one group's desire for political domination over others. On the more theoretical level, his work on Sefrou also demonstrates how architects and builders could play roles as agents of change, while the buildings they created served as representations for wider shifts in the cultural and historical fields.
Induction and growth of mammary tumors after superior cervical ganglionectomy in sighted and blinded-anosmic rats

Female rats were subjected to superior cervical ganglionectomy (Gx), blinding and anosmia (BAs) or combined procedures (BAsGx). Onset and growth of dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DBMA)-induced mammary tumors was studied in these animals and compared to tumorigenesis in intact control rats. Carcinostatic effects were present in all surgically altered animals, as evidenced by a trend toward reduced tumor incidence, reduced final tumor mass, and a significant reduction in mean number of tumors in Gx and BAsGx rats, and increased regression of tumors in BAs rats compared to intact group. Reduced tumorigenesis was paralleled by a trend toward either an increase (BAs) or a decrease (Gx and BAsGx) in the activity of pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) compared to intact group. In addition, BAs and BAsGx animals showed a significant reduction in body weight. These results suggest that Gx reduces mammary tumorigenesis in both sighted and BAs rats. They further confirm the findings of others on reduced mammary tumorigenesis in BAs rats. Possible involvement of multiple carcinostatic mechanisms in different animal models is discussed.
Ultraviolet spectroscopy of protein backbone transitions in aqueous solution: combined QM and MM simulations.

A generalized approach combining quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics (MM) calculations is developed to simulate the n → π* and π → π* backbone transitions of proteins in aqueous solution. These transitions, which occur in the ultraviolet (UV) at 180−220 nm, provide a sensitive probe for secondary structures. The excitation Hamiltonian is constructed using high-level electronic structure calculations of N-methylacetamide (NMA). Its electrostatic fluctuations are modeled using a new algorithm, EHEF, which combines a molecular dynamics (MD) trajectory obtained with a MM forcefield and electronic structures of sampled MD snapshots calculated by QM. The lineshapes and excitation splittings induced by the electrostatic environment in the experimental UV linear absorption (LA) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of several proteins in aqueous solution are reproduced by our calculations. The distinct CD features of α-helix and β-sheet protein structures are observed in the simulations and can be assign...
Sequence Requirements for Combinatorial Recognition of Histone H3 by the MRG15 and Pf1 Subunits of the Rpd3S/Sin3S Corepressor Complex

The transcriptional output at a genomic locus in eukaryotes is determined, in part, by the pattern of histone modifications that are read and interpreted by key effector proteins. The histone deacetylase activity of the evolutionarily conserved Rpd3S/Sin3S complex is crucial for suppressing aberrant transcription from cryptic start sites within intragenic regions of actively transcribed genes. Precise targeting of the complex relies on the chromatin binding activities of the MRG15 (MRG stands for mortality factor on chromosome 4 related gene) and Pf1 subunits. Whereas the molecular target of the MRG15 chromodomain (CD) has been suggested to be H3K36me(2/3), the precise molecular target of the Pf1 plant homeodomain 1 (PHD1) has remained elusive. Here, we show that Pf1 PHD1 binds preferentially to the unmodified extreme N-terminus of histone H3 (H3K4me(0)) but not to H3K4me(2/3), which are enriched in the promoter and 5' regions of genes. Unlike previously characterized CD and PHD domains that bind to their targets with micromolar affinity, both MRG15 CD and Pf1 PHD1 bind to their targets with >100 μM affinity, offering an explanation for why both MRG15 CD and Pf1 PHD1 domains are required to target the Rpd3S/Sin3S complex to chromatin. Our results also suggest that bivalency, rather than cooperativity, is the operative mechanism by which Pf1 and MRG15 combine to engage H3 in a biologically significant manner. Finally, the studies reveal an unanticipated role of Pf1 PHD1 in engaging the MRG15 MRG domain, albeit in a Pf1 MRG-binding-domain-dependent manner, implying a key role for the MRG15 MRG-Pf1 MBD interaction in chromatin targeting of the Rpd3S/Sin3S complex.
Tectonics of the Nazca-Antarctic plate boundary

A new bathymetric chart of part of the Chile transform system is constructed, based mainly on an R/V Endeavor survey from 100 deg W to its intersection with the East Ridge of the Juan Fernandez microplate. A generally continuous lineated trend can be followed through the entire region, with the transform valley being relatively narrow and well-defined from 109 deg W to approximately 104 deg 30 min W. The fracture zone then widens to the east, with at least two probable en echelon offsets to the south at 104 deg and 102 deg W. Six new strike-slip mechanisms along the Chile Transform and one normal fault mechanism near the northern end of the Chile Rise, inverted together with other plate-motion data from the eastern portion of the boundary, produce a new best-fit Euler pole for the Nazca-Antarctic plate pair, providing tighter constraints on the relative plate motions.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PANDAS-related obsessive-compulsive disorder: findings from a preliminary waitlist controlled open trial.

ABSTRACT Objective To provide preliminary estimates of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) of the pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus (PANDAS) subtype. Method Seven children with OCD of the PANDAS subtype (range 9-13 years) were treated in a 3-week intensive CBT program conducted at a university clinic. Six of seven children were taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication(s) upon presentation. Assessments were conducted at four time points: baseline, pretreatment approximately 4 weeks later, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Raters were blind to the nature of the study treatment. Results Six of seven participants were classified as treatment responders (much or very much improved) at posttreatment, and three of six remained responders at follow-up. Clinician severity ratings, as measured by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule for DSM-IV Child Interview Schedule-Parent version, decreased significantly following intervention, with effect sizes of 3.38 and 2.29, respectively. Self-reported general anxiety and depression symptoms were not significantly reduced. Conclusions This study provides preliminary support for CBT in treating the PANDAS subtype of pediatric OCD. This approach is also considered a safe and minimally invasive treatment approach.
Exploratory wind-tunnel investigation of the stability and control characteristics of advanced general aviation configurations

Results of low-speed wind-tunnel investigations are presented for two general aviation configurations: the AVTEK canard configuration and the DeVore conventional configuration. Cooperative research programs were undertaken by industry and NASA to jointly conduct tests in the NASA Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel to explore stability and control characteristics of each configuration. A 1/5-scale AVTEK model and a 1/6-scale DeVore model were tested over an angle-of-attack range of up to 45 deg and an angle-of-sideslip range of up to 20 deg. Results from the AVTEK test are presented with an emphasis on the effects of configuration on the stall and poststall characteristics. Results from the DeVore test are presented with emphasis on the effects of wing leading-edge droop design on spin resistance characteristics.
Spatial Asymmetry in Tactile Sensor SkinDeformation Aids Perception of EdgeOrientation During Haptic Exploration

Upper-limb amputees rely primarily on visual feedback when using their prostheses to interact with others or objects in their environment. A constant reliance upon visual feedback can be mentally exhausting and does not suffice for many activities when line-of-sight is unavailable. Upper-limb amputees could greatly benefit from the ability to perceive edges, one of the most salient features of 3D shape, through touch alone. We present an approach for estimating edge orientation with respect to an artificial fingertip through haptic exploration using a multimodal tactile sensor on a robot hand. Key parameters from the tactile signals for each of four exploratory procedures were used as inputs to a support vector regression model. Edge orientation angles ranging from −90 to 90 degrees were estimated with an 85-input model having an R $^{2}$ of 0.99 and RMS error of 5.08 degrees. Electrode impedance signals provided the most useful inputs by encoding spatially asymmetric skin deformation across the entire fingertip. Interestingly, sensor regions that were not in direct contact with the stimulus provided particularly useful information. Methods described here could pave the way for semi-autonomous capabilities in prosthetic or robotic hands during haptic exploration, especially when visual feedback is unavailable.
Efficacy and Safety of 1α-Hydroxyvitamin D3 for Prevention of Parturient Paresis

Abstract Four trials involved intravenous or intramuscular injections of 1 α -hydroxyvitamin D 3 to test efficacy in preventing parturient paresis. Use of .1mg intravenously afforded total protection compared with an incidence of 33% (2/6) in controls. Intramuscular injections of .1mg in 2ml propylene glycol and .3, .5, and 1.0mg in 5ml corn oil resulted in 0, 16.7, 20, and 0% incidence of parturient paresis compared with 33, 16.7, 37.5, and 37.5% incidence of parturient paresis in the controls. There was a rapid increase in serum calcium (12 to 24h) in response to intravenous treatment, whereas the response to intramuscular injections was gradual but was maintained longer. To evaluate the safety of 1 α -hydroxyvitamin D 3 , eight cows, two per treatment, were given intramuscular doses of .5, 1.0, 1.5, or 3.0mg (three 1.0mg injections) in 5ml corn oil. No clinical or pathological evidence of hypervitaminosis D or soft tissue calcification was found. Tissue taken from the injection site 15 days after last injection contained 3 to 38 IU vitamin D activity per 100g wet tissue compared with control of 8 to 15 IU per 100g. Total vitamin D activity of milk taken the 11th milking postpartum from cows receiving .5 or 1.0mg had a mean of 13.4 and 22.6 IU vitamin D activity per liter compared to 19 IU per liter for control milk. Milk from the 5th milking postpartum in the cows receiving .5mg had a mean activity of 14.5 IU per liter. Milk from animals slaughtered for retention studies had a mean activity of 22 IU per liter.
Positive selection and rates of evolution in immunodeficiency viruses from humans and chimpanzees.

Abstract Evolutionary theory predicts the recent spread of primate immunodeficiency viruses (PIVs) to new human populations to be accompanied by positive selection in response to new host environments and/or by random genetic drift. I assess evidence for positive selection in human and chimpanzee PIVs type I (PIV1s), using ratios of synonymous to nonsynonymous nucleotide change based on branch lengths and outgroup rooting. Ratios are smaller for PIV1s from humans than for PIV1 from a chimpanzee for the pol, gag, and env glycoprotein 120 (gp120) regions, indicating greater effects of positive selection in PIV1s from humans. Parsimony-based relative rate tests for amino acid changes showed significant differences between PIV1s from humans and chimpanzees in 18 of 48 pairwise comparisons, with all 18 showing faster rates of change in PIV1s from humans. This study indicates that in some instances, the recent evolution of human PIV1s follows a speciational pattern, in which increased diversification of taxa is correlated with greater amounts of character change appearing and being maintained through time. This extends the generality of the speciational pattern to a group of organisms (viruses) having the fastest known rates of anagenetic change for nucleotide characters and indicates that comprehensive understanding of PIV1 evolution requires consideration of both anagenetic change within viral lineages and the relative historical success of different viral clades. Phylogenetic analyses show that neither PIV1s infecting humans nor those infecting chimpanzees represent monophyletic groups and suggest multiple host-species shifts for PIV1s.
Concentric needle electrodes are superior to perineal surface-patch electrodes for electromyographic documentation of urethral sphincter relaxation during voiding.

OBJECTIVE To compare interpretations of electromyographic (EMG) recordings from perineal surface patch electrodes (PSPEs) to those from urethral concentric needle electrodes (CNEs) during voiding. PATIENTS AND METHODS Consenting women underwent urodynamic testing with a 30 G, 3.8 cm CNE at the 12 o’clock position in the striated urethral sphincter muscle, and with PSPEs placed at the 2 and 10 o’clock positions around the anus. Pressure-flow studies were conducted with simultaneous input from both EMG electrodes. Representative, de-identified paper copies of EMG signals were assembled by chronology and electrode type. Six examiners unaware of the patient details were asked to determine if the tracings were interpretable and whether there was quiescence of the urethral sphincter motor unit during voiding. The agreement between the interpretations of each tracing was assessed using McNemar and κ statistics. RESULTS Twenty-two women undergoing urodynamic testing for incontinence (16), voiding dysfunction (two) or urinary retention (four) participated in this study. CNE tracings were consistently more interpretable than PSPE tracings (mean 89% vs 67%). When tracings were interpretable, a significantly higher percentage of CNE EMG tracings (mean 79%) had urethral sphincter motor unit quiescence than PSPE EMG tracings (mean 28%). The κ values for agreement among the reviewers’ interpretations were highly variable and none were statistically significant. Reviewers unanimously agreed on only 12 of the 44 tracings, and 11 of these showed quiescence when using a CNE. CONCLUSIONS CNEs are more often interpretable than PSPEs for determining motor unit quiescence during voiding. CNE EMG appears to have greater clinical utility for central reading than PSPEs.
Comparison between the transabdominal and retroperitoneal approach for reconstruction of the infrarenal abdominal aorta

Abstract To evaluate the efficacy of the retroperitoneal approach (RP) when compared with the transperitoneal (TP) approach in elective aortoiliac reconstruction, 104 consecutive cases were reviewed. From June 1983 through December 1985, 50 patients underwent aortoiliac reconstruction (26 for aortoiliac occlusive disease [AIOD] and 20 for abdominal aortic aneurysm [AAA]) through the TP approach and 54 patients underwent operation (30 for AIOD and 24 for AAA) through the RP approach. Both groups had similar revascularization procedures, associated diseases, and preoperative cardiac and pulmonary function parameters. The TP approach was associated with a larger intraoperative blood loss (1950 ± 196 ml) when compared with the RP approach (1296 ± 109 ml) (p
Detection Threshold and Mechanical Impedance of the Hand in a Pen-Hold Posture

We report position and force detection thresholds for sinusoidal waveforms in the frequency range 10-500 Hz delivered through a stylus. The participants were required to hold the stylus in a way similar to that of holding the stylus of a force-feedback device. A minishaker moved the stylus along its length so that the majority of vibrations were presented tangentially to the skin of the hand. The measured position thresholds decreased initially with an increasing stimulus frequency and formed a U-shaped curve in the high frequency region. The thresholds of high frequency vibrations were lower than those reported previously for vibrations that were perpendicular to the skin, but were similar to the thresholds reported earlier using vibrations that were tangential to the skin. A similar force threshold curve was obtained using a force sensor attached to one end of the stylus. Mechanical impedance of the skin derived from velocity estimates and force measurements indicated that the skin and tissues in the hand holding the stylus can be modeled with mass-, damper- and spring-like elements. A comparison of the mechanical impedance from the present study with those reported previously showed similar results for vibrations delivered in the tangential and normal directions to the skin.
Traveling waves in a relaxation system

Abstract Certain phase transitions are modeled as conservation laws with a non-monotone stress-strain relation. The governing equations are, then, of mixed type. Additional constitutive assumptions are required to formulate a mathematically well posed system of equations. 'Examples of such regularization include viscosity, visco-capillarity, viscoelasticity, and kinetic phase boundary relations. Here we regularize by adding a viscoelastic relaxation term. We examine Riemann problems and traveling wave solutions of the mixed system. In particular, we show that for certain data, the relaxation system admits a solution not seen by viscosity-visco-capillarity admissibility criteria. For these data, a generalization of the Oleinik-Liu entropy condition admits the same solution as does viscoelastic relaxation.
Participation in the Workplace: Are Employees Special?

I consider two influential arguments for employee participation in firm decision making: what I call the “interest protection argument” and the “autonomy argument.” I argue that the case for granting participation rights to some other stakeholders, such as suppliers and community members, is at least as strong, according to the reasons given in these arguments, as the case for granting them to certain employees. I then consider how proponents of these arguments might modify their arguments, or views, in response to this conclusion.
Detailed Investigations of the Pump−Probe Spectroscopy of the Equilibrated Solvated Electron in Alcohols

Pump−probe spectroscopy of the equilibrated solvated electron in methanol and ethanol has been studied with ∼300 fs time resolution. At low pump power the observed dynamics are assigned to s → p excitation and subsequent relaxation of a localized solvated electron. In contrast, at high pump power, two-photon absorption apparently produces mobile “conduction band” electrons, which are subsequently trapped and relax at a remote site from the initial equilibrated electron. The two-photon excitation is also observed to induce an ultrafast proton-transfer reaction from the solvent.
Hepatocyte-specific deletion of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α in adult mice results in increased hepatocyte proliferation

Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α) is known as the master regulator of hepatocyte differentiation. Recent studies indicate that HNF4α may inhibit hepatocyte proliferation via mechanisms that have yet to be identified. Using a HNF4α knockdown mouse model based on delivery of inducible Cre recombinase via an adeno-associated virus 8 viral vector, we investigated the role of HNF4α in the regulation of hepatocyte proliferation. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of HNF4α resulted in increased hepatocyte proliferation. Global gene expression analysis showed that a majority of the downregulated genes were previously known HNF4α target genes involved in hepatic differentiation. Interestingly, ≥500 upregulated genes were associated with cell proliferation and cancer. Furthermore, we identified potential negative target genes of HNF4α, many of which are involved in the stimulation of proliferation. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, we confirmed binding of HNF4α at three of these genes. Furthermore, overexpression of HNF4α in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells resulted in a decrease in promitogenic gene expression and cell cycle arrest. Taken together, these data indicate that, apart from its role in hepatocyte differentiation, HNF4α actively inhibits hepatocyte proliferation by repression of specific promitogenic genes.
Amplitude equations for isothermal double diffusive convection

Amplitude equations are derived for isothermal double diffusive convection near threshold for both the stationary and oscillatory instabilities as well as in the vicinity of the codimension-2 point. The convecting fluid is contained in a thin Hele-Shaw cell that renders the system two dimensional, and convection is sustained by vertical concentration gradients of two species with different diffusion rates. The locations of the tricritical point for the stationary instability and the codimension-2 point are found. It is shown that these points can be made well separated (in the Rayleigh number R{sub s} of the slow diffusing species) as the Lewis number varies. Hence the behavior near these points should be experimentally accessible. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Effect of noise on the modulation transfer function of the visual channel.

The effect of noise on the modulation transfer function was studied by means of threshold measurements. White noise and 1/f noise of various levels and different cutoff frequencies were displayed on a television screen together with a sinusoidally modulated bar pattern. The signal-to-noise threshold necessary for perception was measured as a function of the spatial frequency of the bar pattern. This signal-to-noise threshold, in addition to being strongly dependent on the bar-pattern frequency is also dependent on the rms value and the frequency distribution of the noise as well as the difference between the bar-pattern frequency and medium frequency of the noise. An attempt was made to explain the results by visual observation of the bar pattern in the presence of narrow-bandwidth noise.
Transparent Monolithic Metal Ion Containing Nanophase Aerogels

The formation of monolithic and transparent transition metal containing aerogels has been achieved through cooperative interactions of high molecular weight functionalized carbohydrates and silica precursors, which strongly influence the kinetics of gelation. After initial gelation, subsequent modification of the ligating character of the system, coordination of the group VIII metal ions, and supercritical extraction afford the aerogels. The structures at the nanophase level have been probed by photon and electron transmission and neutron scattering techniques to help elucidate the basis for structural integrity together with the small entity sizes that permit transparency in the visible range. They also help with understanding the chemical reactivities of the metal-containing sites in these very high surface area materials. These results are discussed in connection with new reaction studies.
The computing skills workshop at Carnegie-Mellon University

Carnegie-Mellon University is now in the early stage of deploying an intensive and diverse computing environment for which it has been actively preparing since 1982. In that year it began a joint venture with IBM to develop a style of academic computing appropriate to recent advances in, and anticipating future directions of, hardware, networking, user interfaces, and electronic pedagogy. Two other activities were clearly necessary if the new environment was to be a pervasive and integral part of the educational process: preparation of the faculty and orientation of the students. Faculty preparation began over a year ago, with the distribution of prototype advanced-function workstations to faculty members with innovative proposals for educational software. This article describes the effort to provide the student body with a sufficient set of skills to be ready to make use of the new environment for both course-related and independent work.
MEAT MASSAGING: EFFECTS OF SALT AND PHOSPHATE ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CURED PORCINE MUSCLE

Samples of rectus femoris were collected from cured ham muscles which had been massaged for 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 or 24 hr with 0, 1, 2, or 3% of added salt in the presence or absence of 0.5% phosphate for examination with a scanning election microscope (SEM). After several hours of massaging, fiber disruption became evident. Further massaging resulted in longitudinal disruption of the fibers. Myofibrils were observed to separate and shred from the surface of the fibers. After 24 hr of massage, all treatments showed massive fiber disruption and loss of normal structural integrity. The effects of massaging were more pronounced in the presence of salts and phosphates at all time intervals.
Neoepitopes of Cancers: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

The search for specificity in cancers has been a holy grail in cancer immunology. Cancer geneticists have long known that cancers harbor transforming and other mutations. Immunologists have long known that inbred mice can be immunized against syngeneic cancers, indicating the existence of cancer-specific antigens. With the technological advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, the genetic and immunologic lines of inquiry are now converging to provide definitive evidence that human cancers are vastly different from normal tissues at the genetic level, and that some of these differences are recognized by the immune system. The very vastness of genetic changes in cancers now raises different question. Which of the many cancer-specific genetic (genomic) changes are actually recognized by the immune system, and why? New observations are now beginning to probe these vital issues with unprecedented resolution and are informing a new generation of studies in human cancer immunotherapy.
The generalized Lagrange formulation for nonlinear RLC networks

Based on the concept of generalized Euler-Lagrange equations, this paper develops a Lagrange formulation of RLC networks of considerably broad scope. It is shown that the generalized Lagrange equations along with a set of compatibility constraint equations represents a set of governing differential equations of order equal to the order of complexity of the network. In this method the generalized coordinates include capacitor charges and inductor fluxes and the generalized velocities are comprised of an independent set of capacitor voltages and inductor currents. The generalized Hamilton equations are also developed and the connection with the Brayton-Moser equations is established.
A comparison of the acute hemodynamic effects of prostacyclin and hydralazine in primary pulmonary hypertension

Abstract In patients with primary pulmonary hypertension the administration of a vasodilating drug is often used to test pulmonary vasoreactivity. Hydralazine has been employed as a test drug, but because of its long duration of action there is a risk of sustained systemic arterial hypotension in patients with a fixed pulmonary vascular resistance. In this study we compared the acute hemodynamic effects of intravenous prostacyclin, a potent, short-acting vasodilator, with the effects of oral or intravenous hydralazine. Both prostacyclin and hydralazine increased cardiac output and decreased systemic pressure without changing pulmonary arterial pressure in seven patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. The average decrease in total pulmonary resistance with prostacyclin (−46% ± 5%) was more than that with hydralazine (−32% ± 6%). The respective decreases in total systemic resistance were −50% ± 4% vs −43% ± 6%. The percent changes in individual responses to the two agents were correlated ( p
Participation of cAMP in a signal-transduction pathway relating erythrocyte deformation to ATP release

Previously, we reported that red blood cells (RBCs) of rabbits and humans release ATP in response to mechanical deformation and that this release of ATP requires the activity of the cystic fibrosis...
Deterministic network interdiction

Interest in network interdiction has been rekindled because of attempts to reduce the flow of drugs and precursor chemicals moving through river and road networks in South America. This paper considers a problem in which an enemy attempts to maximize flow through a capacitated network while an interdictor tries to minimize this maximum flow by interdicting (stopping flow on) network arcs using limited resources. This problem is shown to be NP-complete even when the interdiction of an arc requires exactly one unit of resource. New, flexible, integer programming models are developed for the problem and its variations and valid inequalities and a reformulation are derived to tighten the LP relaxations of some of these models. A small computational example from the literature illustrates a hybrid (partly directed and partly undirected) model and the usefulness of the valid inequalities and the reformulation.
Food availability is expressed through physiological stress indicators in nestling white ibis: a food supplementation experiment

Summary 1. Physiological responses to environmental stress such as adrenocortical hormones and cellular stress proteins have recently emerged as potentially powerful tools for investigating physiological effects of avian food limitation. However, little is known about the physiological stress responses of free-living nestling birds to environmental variation in food availability. 2. We experimentally tested how hydrologically mediated changes in food availability affect the physiological stress responses of juvenile white ibises Eudocimus albus in a fluctuating wetland. We provided supplementary food to free-living nestlings during 2 years with contrasting hydrologic and food availability conditions, and used plasma (PCORT) and faecal (FCORT) corticosterone and heat shock proteins (HSP60 and HSP70) from first-hatched (A-nestlings) and second-hatched (B-nestlings) to detect relatively short- to long-term responses to food limitation. 3. Nestling physiological stress responses were relatively low in all treatments during the year with optimal food availability, but PCORT, FCORT and HSP60 levels increased during the poor food year. FCORT and HSP60 responses were clearly due to nutritional condition as elevated concentrations were evident primarily in control nestlings. Significant year by hatch order interactions for both FCORT and HSP60 revealed that these increases were largely incurred by B-nestlings. FCORT and HSP60 responses were also well developed early in neonatal development and remained elevated for the duration of the experiment suggesting a chronic stress response. PCORT and HSP70 were less informative stress responses. 4. The nutritionally mediated increases in FCORT and HSP60 provide compelling evidence that white ibis nestlings can be physiologically affected by environmental food levels. FCORT and HSP60 are effective indicators of nutritional mediated stress for nestling white ibises and potentially for other species prone to capture or handling stress.
Critical Assessment of Low-Fluence Irradiation Creep Mechanisms

A climb-controlled guide (CCG) creep model, which has been used to successfully rationalize low-fluence, light-ion irradiation creep data in pure nickel, accounted for low-fluence irradiation creep rates and loop growth rates in Type 316 stainless steel. The model also predicted a weak stress dependence and a weak temperature dependence in agreement with typical observations. Both light-ion and neutron irradiation creep measurements and microstructural observations at low fluences were examined and compared with predictions of the CCG model. Calculated creep rates compared to measured creep rates demonstrated that dislocation glide was the dominant mode of deformation during low-fluence creep when interstitial loops were small. When the interstitial loop radius approached one half the average dislocation glide distance, the dislocation glide contribution was small. The stress-induced preferred absorption (SIPA) creep mechanism contributed an increasing fraction of the total deformation as the loop radius increased and became dominant at fluences greater than 1 displacement per atom (dpa). The CCG creep model assumes that glissile network dislocations intersect the small dislocation loop glide barriers, climb into a favorable orientation, and annihilate the loop through a Burgers vector reaction. Dislocation climb controls the rate of loop annihilation that allows dislocation glide between loop barriers. Themore » creep rate is determined by a balance between irradiation-enhanced dislocation climb and interstitial loop growth. 20 references, 13 figures, 2 tables.« less
An organization of sparse gauss elimination for solving partial differntial equations on distributed memory machines

A computational arrangement of Gauss elimination is presented for solving sparse, nonsymmetric linear systems arising from partial differential equation problems. It is particularly targeted for use on distributed memory message passing multiprocessor computers and it is presented and analyzed in this context. The objective of the algorithm is to exploit the sparsity (i.e., reducing computation, communication, and memory requirements) and to optimize the data structure manipulation overhead. The algorithm is based on the nested dissection approach, which starts with a large set of very sparse, completely independent subsystems and progresses in stages to a single, nearly dense system at the last stage. The computational efforts of each stage are roughly equal (almost exactly equal for model problems), yet the data structures appropriate for the first and last stages are quite different. Thus we use different types of data structures and algorithm components at different stages of the solution. The new organization is a combination of previous techniques including nested dissection, implicit block factorization, domain decomposition, fan-in, fan-out, up-looking, down-looking, and dynamic data structures. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Broad-band linearization of a Mach-Zehnder electrooptic modulator

Analog optical-link dynamic range in excess of 75 dB in a 1-MHz band has been achieved using specially designed electrooptic modulators that minimize one or more orders of harmonic and intermodulation distortion. To date, however, such "linearized" modulators have only enabled improved link dynamic ranges at frequencies below 1 GHz. Additionally, linearization across more than an octave bandwidth has required precise balancing of the signal voltage levels on multiple electrodes in a custom modulator, which represents a significant implementation challenge. In this paper, a link linearization technique that uses a standard Mach-Zehnder lithium-niobate modulator with only one RF and one dc-bias electrode to achieve broad-band linearization is discussed, resulting in a dynamic range of 74 dB in 1 MHz across greater than an octave bandwidth (800-2500 MHz). Instead of balancing the voltages on two RF electrodes, the modulator in this new link architecture simultaneously modulates optical carriers at two wavelengths, and it is the ratio of these optical carrier powers that is adjusted for optimum distortion canceling. The paper concludes by describing a second analogous link architecture in which it is the ratio of optical power at two modulated polarizations that is adjusted in order to achieve broad-band linearization.
Ethanol consumption during pregnancy in mice: effects on hormone concentrations

Hormonal and metabolic responses to ethanol consumption were studied in pregnant Swiss Webster mice and their fetuses. On day 10 of pregnancy, mice were assigned to one of three liquid diet groups: 36% ethanol-derived calories fed ad libitum (ETOH); control liquid diet fed ad libitum (control); control liquid diet administered in the same amount as that consumed by the ETOH group on the same day of pregnancy [pair-fed controls (PF)]. Dams were killed on days 14-18 of pregnancy, and fetuses were collected on days 16-18. Serum mouse placental lactogen-II (mPL-II), prolactin (mPRL), growth hormone (mGH), insulin, and glucose concentrations were determined for each group. Ethanol consumption resulted in a significant reduction in fetal weight on day 18 of pregnancy. The maternal serum mPRL concentration was reduced in ETOH mice on days 16 and 17 of pregnancy when compared with control mice, but when compared with PF mice, it was significantly reduced only on day 16. Maternal and fetal serum insulin concentrations were reduced in ETOH mice when compared with control mice, but it is unclear whether this was a specific effect of ethanol consumption or due to reduced food intake. Maternal serum glucose concentrations were reduced in the ETOH mice but not as severely as in the PF mice. Ethanol consumption had no effect on maternal or fetal serum mPL-II and mGH concentrations. These data confirm that ethanol consumption during pregnancy results in fetal growth retardation, but they do not indicate any major effects of ethanol on mPL-II, mPRL, mGH, and insulin concentrations in either the mother or fetus.
Joule counting correction for electric vehicles using artificial neural networks

Estimating the remaining energy in high-capacity electric vehicle batteries is essential to safe and efficient operation. Accurate estimation remains a major challenge, however, because battery state cannot be observed directly. In this paper, we demonstrate a method for estimating battery remaining energy using real data collected from the Charge Car electric vehicle. This new method relies on energy integration as an initial estimation step, which is then corrected using a neural net that learns how error accumulates from recent charge/discharge cycles. In this way, the algorithm is able to adapt to nonlinearities and variations that are difficult to model or characterize. On the collected dataset, this method is demonstrated to be accurate to within 2.5% to 5% of battery remaining energy, which equates to approximately 1 to 2 miles of residual range for the Charge Car given its 10kWh battery pack.
Disturbances of menstruation due to simple achlorhydric anemia

Summary 1.A study of the menstrual disturbances in 29 cases of simple achlorhydric anemia is reported. 2.Abnormalities of menstruation are found very commonly in this disease and constitute one of its most characteristic features. 3.Achlorhydria with idiopathic hypochromic anemia is pathognomonic of the disease. 4.The disease probably belongs in the deficiency group and responds well to the administration of adequate doses of iron. 5.Simple achlorhydric anemia should be suspected in all cases of unexplained menstrual disturbances and the suspicion verified or excluded by gastric analysis and careful blood examination.
Geographic information systems research and data centers

The use of geographic information in a variety of research and educational endeavors has created a number of challenges involving data management and dissemination in support of educational processes. Academic libraries, using computing services and virtual libraries, have provided a framework for supporting the use of geographic information within academic communities. This chapter examines the development and implementation of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Research and Data Center within the digital environment of a "virtual library" in a large urban university. The chapter will also highlight specific organizational, design, and technical aspects of three exemplary digital geospatial centers, which served as the basis for creating a model GIS Center. In addition, federal data standards and issues for cataloguing geospatial data will be examined. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future issues and technological challenges for GIS Research and Data Centers.
Exposure bracketing via automatic exposure selection

Exposure bracketing is widely used to generate high dynamic range (HDR) images. Exposure bracketing often consists of an image taken by the auto-exposure setting of a camera as well as two other images taken at ±n exposure levels away from the auto-exposure setting where n is manually selected or specified. The images in the bracket are then blended to generate an HDR image. This paper presents an automatic exposure selection method that relieves the user from setting the exposure level, thus allowing HDR images to be generated with no user intervention. This is achieved by using the camera characteristics function and the scene information. The results obtained indicate the HDR images generated by using this method outperform the manual selection of exposure level in terms of two widely used image quality measures.
High-resolution synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging with minimum variance beamforming and spiking deconvolution

Minimum variance beamforming (MVBF) is an adaptive beamforming technique, which aims to improve the lateral resolution by computing and applying signal-dependent apodization rather than predetermined apodization as typically done in conventional delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming. Although studies have shown that the improvement in lateral resolution associated with MVBF is significant, the axial resolution remains unaffected. In this work, we combine MVBF and spiking deconvolution to improve both lateral and axial resolutions in synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging. We implement our new method and evaluate its performance using experimental datasets from a tissue-mimicking phantom. Our results show that our new method yields improved axial and lateral resolutions as well as image contrast.
Fat tolerance in laying hens. 1. Effects of restricted intake of a high animal fat diet.

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE TOLERANCE of growing chicks for dietary fat is high. Donaldson et al. (1957) showed that fat levels of up to 33.8 percent could be used without depressing growth if amino acid, vitamin, and mineral levels of the diet were adequate for the higher energy content. In laying hens the effect of dietary fat is not quite as clear. Numerous workers (including Lillie et al., 1951; Hill et al., 1956; Lillie et al., 1957; and Turk et al., 1958) have shown that added fat levels of up to 8 percent had no effect on egg production. In contrast, Millar (1960) observed significantly lower egg production and increased weight gains when 30.4 percent added animal fat was used in a balanced diet. Weiss and Fisher (1957) found that 10 percent added animal fat resulted in reduced egg production, increased body size, obesity, and a generally deranged fat metabolism. It has …
Stochastic micromechanical damage modeling of progressive fiber breakage for longitudinal fiber-reinforced composites:

A computational stochastic micromechanics-based framework is proposed to investigate the overall mechanical behavior of longitudinal continuous fiber-reinforced composites considering progressive f...