cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure III to measure functional recovery in a post-acute spinal cord injury program

A prospective design was conducted using admission and discharge Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (SCIM-III) data for persons discharged from a post-acute rehabilitation program. The purpose of this study is to analyze the functional gains as measured by the SCIM-III that occur during a post-acute rehabilitation program. Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA, USA. Participants were included if they had a motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI), were within 12 months from the date of injury and completed the recommended length of stay. Median SCIM-III changes between admission and discharge were calculated by subgroups (C1–4, C5, C6, C7–8, T1–6 and T7–12) based on the American Spinal Injury Association motor injury levels. Ceiling and floor effects were examined by item and the percentage of participants showing change between admission and discharge were calculated. In all, 114 participants were included in the analysis. The median total SCIM-III score at admission was 42 (range 13–68), whereas the median total SCIM-III score at discharge was 50 (range 16–72). The median improvement of 5 points in total SCIM-III score between admission and discharge was statistically significant. Significant improvements were also observed between admission and discharge across all subgroups except C1–4. Ceiling and floor effects were noted in some subgroups. The SCIM-III seems to be an effective measure for functional assessment of persons with SCI in a post-acute rehabilitation program. There are some ceiling and floor effects noted; however, the SCIM-III seems to be sensitive enough to capture functional changes during a post-acute rehabilitation program.
The effect of 2,4-dinitrophenol on the electrical resistance of phospholipid bilayer membranes

The uncoupling agent 2,4-dinitrophenol at a concentration of 1.0mM decreased electrical resistance of synthetic lipid bilayers separating two aqueous components containing 0.1 M NaCl, to less than 0.4 per cent the control values. This observation is qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with Mitchell's hypothesis that uncoupling agents for oxidative phosphorylation act primarily to cause transfer of protons across the H+-impermeable mitochondrial membrane.
Vasculitis and lymphoproliferative diseases.

Vasculitis as a complication of lymphoproliferative diseases is relatively uncommon. Cutaneous vasculitis is most commonly necrotizing and leukocytoclastic. Granulomatous vasculitis occurs rarely with lymphoproliferative diseases, and even less commonly T-cell lymphocytic vasculitis with eosinophilia. The most common systemic vasculitis is caused by cryoglobulinemia, due to either lymphocytic lymphoma or Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Other unusual associations involving systemic vasculitides include polyarteritis nodosa and hairy cell leukemia, Wegener's granulomatosis and Hodgkin's disease, granulomatous angiitis of the central nervous system and lymphoma, temporal arteritis and lymphoma, and Henoch-Schonlein purpura and lymphoma. The vasculitis may predate the diagnosis of the lymphoproliferative disease, and patients with vasculitis should be screened and monitored for lymphoproliferative diseases.
Angular correlation study of levels in 16C

Abstract Angular correlation measurements using the 14 C(t, pγ) 16 C reaction result in the following spin assignments to levels in 16 C: E x = 1.766 MeV, J = 2; E x = 3.980 MeV, J = 2; E x = 4.083 MeV, J = 3; E x = 4.138 MeV, J = 4.
TRENDS IN ABUNDANCE OF ALASKA HARBOR SEALS, 1983–2001

We estimated trends in abundance of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsii) using over dispersed, multinomial models and counts obtained during aerial surveys conducted during 1983–2001 in the Ketchikan, Sitka, Kodiak, and Bristol Bay areas of Alaska. Harbor seal numbers increased significantly at 7.4%/yr during 1983–1998 and 5.6%/yr during 1994–1998 in the Ketchikan area, and 6.6%/yr during 1993–2001 in the Kodiak area. Counts were stable (trends not significant) during 1984–2001 (0.7%/yr) and 1995–2001 (-0.4%/yr) in Sitka, and during 1998–2001 (-1.3%/yr) in Bristol Bay. The influence of covariates (e.g., survey date, tide height) on trend estimates was significant and varied among areas and across years, demonstrating the need to include covariates in statistical analyses to accurately estimate trend. Our increasing trend estimate for Kodiak represents the first documented increase in harbor seal numbers over a relatively expansive area in the Gulf of Alaska. However, the trend for the Gulf of Alaska stock is equivocal due to the continued decline in Prince William Sound. Similarly, the trend for the Southeast Alaska stock is equivocal based on our increasing (Ketchikan) and stable (Sitka) trend estimates, and a recent decline reported for Glacier Bay. The Bering Sea stock appears stable after a period of possible decline.
Intraocular metastasis of testicular natural killer T-cell lymphoma with diffuse retinal pigment epithelium changes

Purpose The purpose of this study was to report the first confirmed case of testicular natural killer T-cell lymphoma with bilateral intraocular metastasis. Methods The author presents a chart review of a patient with testicular natural killer T-cell lymphoma metastasis to both eyes. This patient was treated with systemic chemotherapy, radiation, and intravitreal injections of methotrexate. Results The author identified one case of a patient with the diagnosis of bilateral metastatic natural killer T-cell lymphoma with ocular involvement treated with intravitreal methotrexate. After treatment, the patient developed diffuse widespread retinal pigment epithelium alterations in giraffe-like patterns. Conclusion This represents a clinical case of a patient with primary testicular natural killer T-cell lymphoma and ocular metastasis with posttreatment retinal changes resembling bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation.
Modeling Nonstationary Random Processes with an Application to Gyro Drift Rate

The problem of estimating the a priori statistics of a nonstationary process is considered using finite-time averages of experimental data. A model of the form of a linear time-invariant difference equation with a stationary independent random sequence driving function is proposed and investigated. Finite-time averages are calculated and then used in a steepest descent method to determine the coefficients of the difference nce equation. Methods are presented for transforming this model to the statespace pace format necessary for Kalman filtering, and an example is given using actual gyro drift-rate data.
A toluene-induced motor syndrome in rats resembling that seen in some human solvent abusers

Abstract The purpose of these experiments was to determine the extent to which subchronic exposure of rats to toluene might cause symptoms similar to those seen in some heavy abusers of toluene-containing products. In the first exploratory experiment, weanling male Fischer-344 rats were exposed to air, toluene, n-hexane, or a mixture of toluene, n-hexane, and methyl ethyl ketone (8 h per day, 7 days per week) for 11 weeks. A mild peripheral neuropathy was revealed by measures of grip strength in the rats exposed to n-hexane alone or in the mixture, but not in the rats exposed to toluene. Instead, the rats exposed to toluene alone developed a persisting motor syndrome characterized by a shortened and widened gait and a widened landing foot splay. The rats exposed to toluene alone or in the mixture were also hearing impaired, but not the rats exposed to n-hexane alone. In the second experiment, done to confirm and extend these results, weanling male Fischer-344 rats were exposed to toluene under three different daily schedules—2,200 ppm continuously for 8 h per day; 4,400 ppm, 30 min each h, 8 h per day; or 6,200 ppm, 15 min each h, 8 h per day. The exposures were 7 days per week for 23 weeks. The motor syndrome and hearing impairment were replicated in all essential respects in all toluene-exposed groups with no appreciable differences attributable to the daily exposure schedules. The effects were still evident 15 weeks after the last exposure. Toluene inhibited weight gain in both experiments, and in the second experiment, it was found that skeletal growth (torso length, rump width) was also inhibited. Toluene did not significantly impair rotorod performance in either experiment or acquisition of a spatial-navigation task in the second experiment. No neuropathologic correlates of the persisting motor syndrome were found in either experiment when the rats were sacrificed 9 and 16 weeks after the last exposure, respectively. These results demonstrate that toluene can cause a persisting motor syndrome in rats that resembles, to some extent at least (i.e., wide-based ataxic gait), the syndrome seen in some heavy abusers of toluene-containing products.
Clinical Functional Image Analysis: Artifact Detection and Reduction

Rapid improvements in functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging technology have resulted in impressive advances in our understanding of structure/function relationships in the human brain. The application of this new technology to the understanding of human brain disease is currently limited by difficulties in extracting task-related signal change from signal intensity time series that have been contaminated by artifacts arising from various intrinsic and extrinsic sources. Effects induced by interscan head motion are a major source of these artifacts. The correction of these artifacts by registration of pairs of reconstructed images has been a focus of research for the past few years and there are now a number of effective means to compensate for this source of noise. This paper discusses issues concerning the prevention and correction of interscan head motion as well as other sources of error variation in fMRI time series.
A flexible simulation framework for graphics architectures

In this paper we describe a multipurpose tool for analysis of the performance characteristics of computer graphics hardware and software. We are developing Qsilver, a highly configurable micro-architectural simulator of the GPU that uses the Chromium system's ability to intercept and redirect an OpenGL stream. The simulator produces an annotated trace of graphics commands using Chromium, then runs the trace through a cycle-timer model to evaluate time-dependent behaviors of the varios functional units. We demonstrate the use of Qsilver on a simple hypothetical architecture to analyze performance bottlenecks, to explore new GPU microarchitectures, and to model power and leakage properties. One innovation we explore is the use of dynamic voltage scaling across multiple clock domains to achieve significant energy savings at almost negligible performance cost. Finally, we discuss how other architectural features and experiments might be incorporated into the Qsilver framework.
Measuring historical trauma in an American Indian community sample: Contributions of substance dependence, affective disorder, conduct disorder and PTSD

Background The American Indian experience of historical trauma is thought of as both a source of intergenerational trauma responses as well as a potential causative factor for long-term distress and substance abuse among communities. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the extent to which the frequency of thoughts of historical loss and associated symptoms are influenced by: current traumatic events, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cultural identification, percent Native American Heritage, substance dependence, affective/anxiety disorders, and conduct disorder/antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
β-Adrenergic Receptor Kinase-1 Acutely Regulates PTH/PTHrP Receptor Signalling in Human Osteoblastlike Cells

Abstract To investigate whether G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are involved in the regulation of the PTH/PTHrPR, we have established mutant SaOS-2 cells which stably overexpress (> 10–20-fold) a dominant negative form of the β-adrenergic receptor kinase-1 (βARK-1). Acute (≤ 2 h) incubation with hPTH (1–34) induced significantly less (by up to 50%) downregulation of the PTH/PTHrPR in βARK-1 mutant SaOS-2 cells than observed in wild-type cells. Pretreatment of wild-type cells with PTH for 2 h induced homologous cAMP desensitisation to a second challenge with PTH, while the effect was blunted by up to 60% in βARK-1 mutant cells. We conclude that activation of βARK-1 (or a closely related GRK) is a critical component of the acute phase (≤ 2 h) of PTH-induced receptor downregulation and homologous cAMP desensitisation of the PTH/PTHrPR.
Implementing a Screening Program for Congenital Cardiac Defects in Newborns in a Community Hospital Setting

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Congenital cardiac defects account for 24% of infant deaths due to birth defects. Approximately 4,800 infants born annually have one of seven critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs): hypoplastic left heart syndrome, pulmonary atresia, tetralogy of Fallot, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, transposition of the great arteries, tricuspid atresia, or truncus arteriosus. Infants born with one of these seven CCHDs are at high risk of death and disability if they are not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Pulse oximetry screening can be used to help detect infants who are asymptomatic before discharge from the newborn nursery. Proposed Change Although certain hospitals routinely screen all newborns using pulse oximetry screening, it is not currently mandated as part of newborn screenings in most states. As of January 1, 2013, the State of Connecticut requires that all babies be screened for CCHDs before discharge. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The nursing team presented the state mandate to our multiprofessional Perinatal Quality and Safety Committee and conducted an exhaustive literature review to ascertain necessary steps in developing and implementing a CCHD screening program. A CCHD screening policy was developed by nursing and approved by the nursing shared governance councils and physician leadership. Nursing leadership presented at the monthly business meetings for the obstetric and pediatric departments to educate them on the state mandate, the CCHD screening policy, parent education handouts, process flow for performing screenings, and documentation of screening results. Consensus was reached at the Pediatric Departmental Business Meeting for interventions related to a failed screening or a positive test result. Education and competency evaluation were completed with all nursing staff conducting the screenings and with staff caring for women in labor or postpartum patients so that the staff would have knowledge of the state mandate and screening process when caring for new parents. Screenings were conducted (beginning in December 2012) to work through process improvement issues before the mandatory implementation date. The documentation tool was tweaked and parents were notified of screening results by the nurse performing the screening. During the first month of implementation, a reconciliation process was done with nursing leadership before discharge to ensure there were no missed screenings. Closed chart audits were conducted monthly on every patient to ensure accurate testing. Eight months after the state mandate, 1,556 infants were screened of 1,556 eligible patients. Implications for Nursing Practice Nursing-led initiatives can be the driving force in the implementation of evidence-based practice.
Investigations related to the inviscid-viscous interaction in transonic flows about finite 3-D wings

Inviscid small-disturbance theory has been shown to predict three-dimensional transonic flows about finite wings reasonably well as long as viscous effects are negligible. In order to include these effects, the inviscid small-disturbance solution of Bailey and Ballhaus (1975) has been combined with a finite-difference solution for Prandtl's boundary-layer equations. This solution employs the conditionally stable Krause (1968) scheme, implicit in the direction normal to the wall, to cope with the domain-of-dependence problem that arises for reverse cross flow. To be consistent with the inviscid-flow solution, the boundary layer is computed in the representative wing planform plane which is transformed into rectangular shape in the computational domain. The flow has been assumed turbulent, and a scalar eddy-viscosity model is adopted. The interaction between inviscid and viscous flow is modeled with the help of the displacement surface which is added to the geometric wing shape. Sample distributions of displacement thickness for swept wings are presented for weak and strong interaction cases.
Two-stage case–control designs for rare genetic variants

The search for the association of rare genetic variants with common diseases is of high interest, yet challenging because of cost considerations. We present an efficient two-stage design that uses diseased cases to first screen for rare variants at stage-1. If too few cases are found to carry any variants, the study stops. Otherwise, the selected variants are screened at stage-2 in a larger set of cases and controls, and the frequency of variants is compared between cases and controls by an exact test that corrects for the stage-1 ascertainment. Simulations show that our new method provides conservative Type-I error rates, similar to the conservative aspect of Fisher’s exact test. We show that the probability of stopping at stage-1 increases with a smaller number of cases screened at stage-1, a larger stage-1 continuation threshold, or a smaller carrier probability. Our simulations also show how these factors impact the power at stage-2. To balance stopping early when there are few variant carriers versus continuation to stage-2 when the variants have a reasonable effect size on the phenotype, we provide guidance on designing an optimal study that minimizes the expected sample size when the null hypothesis is true, yet achieves the desired power.
Epigenetic control of the expression of opioid receptor genes.

Three opioid receptors (ORs) are encoded by three different genes, the m (MOR), d (DOR) and k (KOR) genes in the OR gene family. The three genes are highly conserved in their structures and regulatory sequences, but expressed in temporally and spatially distinct patterns. Studies using cell models have revealed transcriptional regulation of the three genes by combinatorial, multiple transcription factors and chromatin remodeling and modification factors. Recent results implicated additional epigenetic contribution to the expression of the three OR genes, reflected on the alteration in their DNA methylation patterns and chromatin modifications, along the course of neuronal differentiation. In the retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation model, expression of receptors for neurotrophins in differentiating cells appeared to contribute to changes in the epigenetic marks of the promoters of OR genes during the course of neuronal differentiation, and hence the level of OR expression.
Sixteenth Colorado Mathematical Olympiad: April 23, 1999

A unique sponsor joined the Olympiad this year: the United States Space Command (USSC) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). General Charles A. Horner awarded certificates to the winners of first through fourth prizes, and invited them (plus Sharon Sherman, the Olympiad Administrator, and I) for a tour of NORAD inside Cheyenne Mountain. NORAD proved to be a no joking matter with the banner “Use of Deadly Force Authorized” above the entrance and an underground labyrinth beyond. It was a unique experience for everyone to see the brain of the defense of North America, which also monitors the space near the Earth. We sat at the huge table in the command room where all critical decisions are made with the NORAD commander on duty, the Canadian Air Force Brigadier-General J. C. M. Robert patiently and humorously answering our many questions. I told him that his exciting job may have some drawbacks. Would he be allowed, for example, to visit France today? “Oh yes,” he replied, “but tomorrow at 700 hours (i.e., 7 in the morning) I will have to be back here on the job.”
Ferric reductase is associated with the membranes of anaerobically grown Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1

The expression and distribution of ferric reductase activity was examined in Shewanella putrefaciens MR-1. Formate-dependent ferric reductase was not detected in aerobically grown cells but was readily detectable in anaerobically grown cells. Ferric reductase activity was found exclusively in the membrane fractions, with 54–56% in the outer membrane. In contrast, the majority of formate dehydrogenase was in the soluble fraction with lesser amounts associated with the various membrane fractions. Outer membrane ferric reductase activity was markedly inhibited by p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate, 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinolone-N-oxide, and antimycin A, but was unaffected by the presence of alternate electron acceptors (nitrate, nitrite, fumarate, and trimethylamine N-oxide). Both formate and NADH served as electron donors for ferric reductase; activity with l-lactate or NADPH was poor. The addition of FMN markedly stimulated formate- and NADH-dependent ferric reductase.
Plasma concentrations of prostaglandin F2α and prostaglandin E2 metabolites after transabdominal and transvaginal cervical cerclage

Circulating prostaglandin metabolites 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha and the bicyclo derivative of prostaglandin E2 were measured in maternal plasma by radioimmunoassay after transabdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage and after transvaginal cerclage (Shirodkar and McDonald procedures) performed in the first and second trimesters. Statistically significant elevations in prostaglandin E2 metabolite or 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha occurred after transabdominal cervicoisthmic and transvaginal cerclage; they returned to control levels within 6 to 24 hours after surgery and were associated with good fetal outcome. Increases in 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha were proportionately greater than in prostaglandin E2 metabolite. Mean basal levels and the rise in prostaglandin metabolites were not related to cerclage type, trimester of pregnancy, or cervical status (dilatation less than or equal to 3 cm; effacement less than or equal to 60%). Highest basal and postcerclage 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha and prostaglandin E2 metabolite levels were associated with advanced cervical changes, uterine irritability, membrane prolapse or rupture, and premature delivery. Routine administration of prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors is not indicated for transvaginal cerclage or transabdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage; plasma prostaglandin metabolite levels may identify patients not suitable for cerclage.
Partitioning pairs of countable ordinals

On montre que les paires d'ordinaux denombrables peuvent etre colorees avec une infinite non denombrable de couleurs de telle sorte que tout ensemble non denombrable contienne des paires de chaque couleur
Enhancement of thermoelectric performance in n-type PbTe 1−y Se y by doping Cr and tuning Te:Se ratio

Abstract Lead telluride and its alloys have been extensively studied for medium temperature thermoelectric applications due to decent figure-of-merit (ZT) at temperature close to 900 K. However, little emphasis has been given to improve the ZT near room temperature. In this investigation, we report a systematic study of Cr doping in PbTe1−ySey with y=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 0.85, and 1. We found the peak ZT temperature increased with increasing concentration of Se. The highest ZT of ~0.6 at room temperature in Te-rich Cr0.015Pb0.985Te0.75Se0.25 was obtained due to a lowered thermal conductivity and enhanced power factor resulted from high Seebeck coefficient of about −220 µV K−1 and high Hall mobility ~1120 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature. A room temperature ZT of ~0.5 and peak ZT of ~1 at about 573–673 K is shown by Se-rich sample Cr0.01Pb0.99Te0.25Se0.75. This improvement of the room temperature ZT improved the average ZT over a wide temperature range and could potentially lead to a single leg efficiency of thermoelectric conversion for Te-rich Cr0.015Pb0.985Te0.75Se0.25 up to ~11% and Se-rich Cr0.01Pb0.99Te0.25Se0.75 up to ~13% with cold side and hot side temperature at 300 K and 873 K, respectively, if matched with appropriate p-type legs.
TWO CLASSES OF BIPOLAR CELL IN THE RETINA OF THE SKATE RAJA ERINACEA

We have used immunoreactions against serotonin and protein kinase C to visualize two distinct classes of bipolar cell in the all-rod retina of the skate, Raja erinacea. To enhance the immunoreaction in serotonin-accumulating bipolar cells, prior to fixation, some retinas were incubated in Ringer's solution containing serotonin and pargyline. We found the somata of serotonin-accumulating bipolar cells to be located slightly distal to the midline of the inner nuclear layer. With increasing eccentricity from the visual streak, the size of the perikarya increases, concomitant with a decline in density of their distribution. Dendrites emanate from stout primary stalks and branch out before reaching the outer plexiform layer. Axons are bistratified within the inner plexiform layer with ramifications at the border of strata 1 and 2 and in stratum 4. The overall morphology of serotonin-accumulating bipolar cells is similar to that of serotonin-accumulating OFF bipolar cells of other non-mammalian vertebrates. Protein kinase C immunoreactive cells display the typical appearance of rod bipolar cells. Somata of protein kinase C immunoreactive bipolar cells are spindle-shaped and located distal to the serotonin-accumulating bipolar cells. Dendrites of these bipolars do not ramify before reaching the outer plexiform layer. Thin axons of protein kinase C immunoreactive bipolar cells end in large, club-shaped terminals in stratum 5 of the inner plexiform layer, bearing a striking similarity to axon terminals of mammalian ON rod bipolar cells. Our findings suggest that the all-rod retina of the skate contains at least two distinct vertical pathways including an OFF bipolar cell pathway in addition to a classical rod ON bipolar pathway.
Multi-tone FSK with feedback

It is known that, when using a multi-tone FSK scheme in a wideband fading channel to achieve the wideband capacity limit, the codeword probability of error decays very slowly with bandwidth. In this paper, we consider a modified multi-tone FSK scheme which employs a feedback link. We show that, a small amount of feedback improves the error performance significantly
Linear inversion of gravity data for 3-D density distributions

We have developed an improved LevenburgMarquart technique to rapidly invert Bouguer gravity data for a 3-D density distribution as a source of the observed field. This technique is designed to replace tedious forward modeling with an automatic solver that determines density models constrained by geologic information supplied by the user. Where such information is not available, objective models are generated. The technique estimates the density distribution within the source volume using a least-squares inverse solution that is obtained iteratively by singular value decomposition using orthogonal decomposition of matrices with sequential Householder transformations. The source volume is subdivided into a series of right rectangular prisms of specified size but of unknown density. This discretization allows the construction of a system of linear equations relating the observed gravity field to the unknown density distribution.Convergence of the solution to the system is tightly controlled by a damping parameter which may be varied at each iteration. The associated algorithm generates statistical measures of solution quality not available with most forward methods. Along with the ability to handle large data sets within reasonable time constraints, the advantages of this approach are: (1) the ease with which pre-existing geological information can be included to constrain the solution, (2) its minimization of subjective user input, (3) the avoidance of difficulties encountered during wavenumber domain transformations, and (4) the objective nature of the solution.Application to a gravity data set from Hamilton County, Indiana, has yielded a geologically reasonable result that agrees with published models derived from interpretation of gravity, magnetic, seismic, and drilling data.
Afterload reduction and cardiac output in infants early after intracardiac surgery

Sixteen infants less than 18 months old were studied within 3 hours of intracardiac surgery. Initial mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance levels were higher than normal in each infant (99 ± 17.2 mm Hg and 48 ± 18.1 units·m 2 , respectively [mean ± standard deviation]); cardiac index was low (1.9 ± 0.48 liters·min −1 ·m −2 ) and mean left and right atrial pressures were 11.4 ± 2.39 and 12.5 ± 3.10 mm Hg, respectively. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was 29 mm Hg; pulmonary vascular resistance was 8.6 units·m 2 . When nitroprusside was infused to reduce mean arterial pressure to about normal, cardiac index increased 17 percent and mean left and right atrial pressures decreased 25 and 22 percent, respectively. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure decreased 31 percent. When atrial pressures returned to initial values after infusion of blood with continued infusion of nitroprusside, cardiac index increased another 24 percent. When administration of nitroprusside was discontinued, cardiac index decreased to 116 percent of the initial value and mean atrial pressure increased to 90 percent of the initial value. The study demonstrated the favorable effect on cardiac output of vasodilator therapy in combination with blood volume expansion in hypertensive infants early after intracardiac surgery. An empirical equation interrelating atrial and arterial pressures and cardiac index was derived from the data.
Benthic secondary production in eight oligotrophic arctic Alaskan lakes

AbstractAcross aquatic ecosystems, benthic secondary production generally is thought to be limited by autochthonous primary production. We estimated secondary production in 8 oligotrophic arctic lakes of varying morphometric characteristics for which we also had estimates of pelagic and benthic primary production during the summer of 2001. Four of the lakes supported similar communities of fish, and 4 were fishless. The size–frequency method was used to calculate cohort production interval (CPI)-corrected lake benthic secondary production and production to biomass (P:B) ratios for all taxa in all lakes. Taxa examined from sediment samples included Baetis spp., Grensia praeterita, and larval chironomids. Larval chironomids had the greatest secondary production overall. Whole-lake benthic secondary production ranged from 1.02 to 20.52 g dry mass m−2 y−1. No significant relationship or trend was found between benthic secondary production and primary production (whole-lake, benthic, or pelagic). A stronger tr...
Genetic and Physiological Analysis of an Irradiated Bloomless Mutant (Epicuticular Wax Mutant) of Sorghum

An irradiation-induced bloomless mutant of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.], KFS2021, which visually exhibits an absence of white fl uffy epicuticular wax in leaf and sheath, was characterized using a combination of genetic and physiological approaches. Study of the phenotypic segregation for the bloomless trait in F 2 and F 2:3 populations from a cross between KFS2021 and BTx623 (a cultivar with bloom showing profuse deposition of white epicuticular wax) suggests that bloomless is controlled by a single nuclear recessive gene. The bloomless parent (KFS2021) and F 2 individuals had lower frequency of guttation, leakier epidermal layer (based on percentage of chlorophyll leaching), and higher rate of seedling water loss than the BTx623 and F 2 bloom individuals. Bloomless F 2 individuals showed 3- to 6-fold higher nighttime transpiration rates relative to F 2 bloom individuals based on nighttime conductance. Correlation analysis showed signifi cant negative associations between leaf epicuticular wax load with epidermal permeability and nighttime conductance, which indicate the important role of epicuticular wax in these traits. These results suggest that epicuticular wax may enhance water use effi ciency of sorghum by regulating nighttime water loss.
Fractal loop elements in phased array antennas: reduced mutual coupling and tighter packing

A common goal for array antennas has been to pack the elements tighter for lower scan angles while fighting mutual coupling. The emergence of wireless networks as a rapidly expanding market has brought about a need for very small and efficient phased array antennas. An optimal design would incorporate tightly packed elements for efficient directed transmissions that radiate effectively without significant mutual coupling. This paper presents arrays for a wireless LAN configuration, designed at 2 GHz for operation at the PCS band, that scan lower angles more efficiently than conventional designs. We show the benefits of using fractal elements in linear phased arrays to achieve denser packing while minimizing mutual coupling. Previous work has shown that fractal geometries are an effective means of miniaturizing antennas. The smaller elements can work in an array in two ways: the first is to increase the gap size between the elements, thus reducing the coupling between them; the second is to allow more elements into a fixed length array for broader scan angles. Also, there are two methods for utilizing fractal in arrays. One method is fractal arrays, which arrange elements in fractal patterns. The other method, analyzed here uses fractals as elements. Linear arrays of fractal square loop elements are analyzed using a method of moments computer code developed at UCLA.
Documentation of hazard and operability studies

The recently enacted Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 [1] and the proposed OSHA Process Safety Management Standard [2] both require that hazard evaluations be completed on all facilities that handle hazardous chemicals. Reports of the hazard evaluations must be kept on file and will be subject to inspection during an OSHA compliance audit. This paper outlines those concepts that are important in the preparation of the documentation of a Hazards and Operability (HAZOP) study.
Overcoming ad hoc development: enabling/disabling factors in software quality maturation

Results obtained from a two year study of thirty software development organizations are given. The purpose of the study was to determine what factors enable software developers to advance beyond ad hoc development processes and what factors inhibit that advancement. >
Whole-lake influences of littoral structural complexity and prey body morphology on fish predator–prey interactions

We used a longline tethering method to examine the relationship between prey refugia, prey body morphology and the location and magnitude of predation mortality within an individual lake and among three lakes that differed in coarse woody habitat (CWH) and aquatic macrophyte abundances. Predation events were lowest in the macrophyte and/or CWH refuges, peaked at or just beyond the refuge edge and declined in pelagic portions of the lakes. Predation risk at the refuge edge and just beyond was positively correlated with the abundance of littoral refuge. In contrast, predation events within the refuge and in the pelagic zone were negatively correlated with littoral refuge abundance. Deep- bodied and spiny prey morphologies were less vulnerable to predation than fusiform prey lacking fin spines. The structural complexity of littoral zones and prey fish body morphology may influence the outcome of predator- prey interactions and ultimately determine fish species assemblages in lakes.
Principal parts and morphological typology

Like the numbers in a sudoku puzzle, a lexeme’s principal parts provide enough information–but only enough–to deduce all of the remaining forms in its paradigm. Because principal parts are a distillation of the implicative relations that exist among the members of a lexeme’s paradigm, they afford an important (but heretofore neglected) basis for typological classification. We recognize three logically distinct sorts of principal-part systems that might be postulated for a given language: static, adaptive, and dynamic. Focussing for present purposes on dynamic systems, we propose five crosscutting criteria for the typological classification of principal-part systems. These criteria relate to (i) how many principal parts are needed to determine a lexeme’s paradigm; (ii) whether distinct lexemes possess parallel sets of principal parts; (iii) how many principal parts are needed to determine a given word in a lexeme’s paradigm; (iv) what sort of morphological relation exists between a principal part and the forms that it is used to deduce; and (v) whether lexemes’ nonprincipal parts are inferred from their principal parts in the same way from one inflection class to another. Drawing on these criteria, we propose a novel classification of a range of typologically diverse languages.
Isoenzyme biotypes of Candida species.

Abstract Isoenzyme profiles were obtained following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude extracts of Candida albicans and C. tropicalis. The two species were separated by distinct isoenzyme patterns. Within each species, variations were found for several isoenzymes. This allowed the development of a method for biotyping these fungi. Isoenzyme patterns of the sucrose-negative variants "C. stellatoidea" and "C. paratropicalis Baker, Salkin, Pincus, and D'Amato" were obtained and subjected to cluster analysis. This procedure failed to place the variants into clusters that were clearly distinct from the conventional sucrose-positive strains. All sucrose-negative strains were found to have alpha-glucosidase activity. There was an almost complete lack of heterogeneity in the isoenzyme patterns of 11 C. stellatoidea type I strains.
Generalization of conditioned fear along a dimension of increasing fear intensity

The present study investigated the extent to which fear generalization in humans is determined by the amount of fear intensity in nonconditioned stimuli relative to a perceptually similar conditioned stimulus. Stimuli consisted of graded emotionally expressive faces of the same identity morphed between neutral and fearful endpoints. Two experimental groups underwent discriminative fear conditioning between a face stimulus of 55% fear intensity (conditioned stimulus, CS+), reinforced with an electric shock, and a second stimulus that was unreinforced (CS-). In Experiment 1 the CS- was a relatively neutral face stimulus, while in Experiment 2 the CS- was the most fear-intense stimulus. Before and following fear conditioning, skin conductance responses (SCR) were recorded to different morph values along the neutral-to-fear dimension. Both experimental groups showed gradients of generalization following fear conditioning that increased with the fear intensity of the stimulus. In Experiment 1 a peak shift in SCRs extended to the most fear-intense stimulus. In contrast, generalization to the most fear-intense stimulus was reduced in Experiment 2, suggesting that discriminative fear learning procedures can attenuate fear generalization. Together, the findings indicate that fear generalization is broadly tuned and sensitive to the amount of fear intensity in nonconditioned stimuli, but that fear generalization can come under stimulus control. These results reveal a novel form of fear generalization in humans that is not merely based on physical similarity to a conditioned exemplar, and may have implications for understanding generalization processes in anxiety disorders characterized by heightened sensitivity to nonthreatening stimuli.
How do human characteristics fit into total quality management

This paper looks at the case for considering human assessment during development and implementation of TQM. There are two elements of human concern—the external element, which deals with customers, and the internal element, which deals with employees. Expected TQM results with and without considering human characteristics are discussed.
Evaluation of Simple Indices of Insulin Sensitivity and Insulin Secretion for Use in Epidemioiogic Studies

The metabolic characteristics of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and diminished insulin secretion are costly to measure directly. To evaluate the utility of several simple indices derived from insulin and glucose measurements, the indices were examined from 1982 to 1997 with respect to correlation with more sophisticated measures of insulin sensitivity and secretion in Pima Indians in the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona. Ability to predict the incidence of diabetes in 1,731 persons was also examined. Indices were calculated from fasting and 2-hour glucose (G0, G120) and insulin (I0, I120) concentrations obtained during an oral glucose tolerance test. Fasting serum insulin concentration and the insulin sensitivity index (10(4)/(I0 x G0)) each showed a moderate correlation with the estimate of insulin sensitivity derived from the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (absolute value r approximately 0.60). They also strongly predicted the incidence of diabetes (incidence rate ratio comparing the most and least insulin-resistant tertile groups approximately 3.0). Corrected insulin response (I120/(G120 x (G120 - 70))) was modestly correlated with insulin secretion as measured by an intravenous glucose tolerance test (r = 0.35). Impaired insulin secretion assessed by this index predicted incidence of diabetes, particularly after control for insulin sensitivity index (incidence rate ratio = 1.6). Thus, simple indices of insulin sensitivity and secretion may be reasonable surrogates for more sophisticated measures in epidemiologic studies.
Qualitative and quantitative changes in nitrogenous compounds in senescing leaf and bark tissues of the apple

Quantitative and qualitative changes in proteins and ethanol-soluble nitrogen were followed in senescing leaf and bark tissues of ‘Golden Delicious’ apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.). While senescing leaves lost 46% of their proteins, total bark protein increased 240% during senescence. However, the protein nitrogen gain in bark tissue was about the same as the protein nitrogen loss in leaf tissue per unit fresh weight of tissues. The pattern of bark protein accumulation appears to be gradual from early August to November and sequential from lower to higher molecular weight species of proteins. The final electrophoretic profile of total bark proteins was established at the later stages of senescence. By late November, 89% of the nitrogen in the bark tissue was found in proteins with 11% in the ethanol-soluble fractions. The total protein content of dormant bark tissue was 3.5% per gram dry tissue. Fractionation of the total bark proteins by DEAE-cellulose chromatography indicated that the final upsurge of bark proteins observed in November was associated primarily with one group of proteins (Peak III).
Ensemble algorithms for ecological niche modeling from presence‐background and presence‐only data

Ecological niche modeling is central to many problems in population dynamics, conservation biology, biogeography, and evolutionary ecology. Recently, methodological advances have been achieved by adopting modeling principles from statistical and machine learning. One such principle that has not been explored is that voted ensembles of weakly tuned (underfit) models often exhibit similar bias and lower variance than individual well-tuned models. A further contribution of machine learning is the one class support vector machine. One class support vector machines may be more suited to ecological niche modeling than classification algorithms because the “boundary estimation” property of this class of models better represents the conception of the niche as the set of environments in which populations of a species persist. This paper brings together these approaches and applies them to a data set on the distribution two-spined blackfish (Gadopsis bispinosus) in southeastern Australia with the aim of improving performance and enriching the repertoire of methods for ecological niche modeling. First, a study of low-bias bagging (LOBAG) applied to conventional two-class support vector machines, an approach to presence-background modeling, found this method to be comparable to another widely used method, MAXENT. Next, I introduce a variant of LOBAG for one class classification, LOBAG-OC, to be used for ecological niche modeling with presence-only data. This method performed better than other presence-only methods (DOMAIN and BIOCLIM) and nearly as well as LOBAG and MAXENT, despite the fact that the presence-only problem is considerably more difficult than the corresponding presence-background problem. Results of these analyses suggest that LOBAG and LOBAG-OC may provide robust, high-performing solutions to the presence-background and presence-only modeling problems and point to ways in which ecological niche modeling may be simultaneously both improved and automated.
Post-stroke hip fractures.

Fifty-six fractures of the proximal femur in 53 stroke survivors are described in this retrospective review. The side of fracture was found to be positively correlated with the side of hemiparesis (P < 0.001). In all cases, the immediate proximate cause of the hip fracture was described as a fall. Falls most frequently occurred in the bathroom or during transfer activities. Though this group was largely ambulatory and living at home prior to fracture, only a minority of individuals were either ambulatory (40%) or able to return home (39%) immediately after discharge.
MrgX Is Not Essential for Cell Growth and Development in the Mouse

MRGX is one of the members of MORF4/MRG family of transcriptional regulators, which are involved in cell growth regulation and cellular senescence. We have shown that MRGX and MRG15 associate with Rb in nucleoprotein complexes and regulate B-myb promoter activity. To elucidate the functions of MRGX and to explore its potential role in modulating cell growth in vivo, we have generated MrgX-deficient mice. Characterization of the expression pattern of mouse MrgX demonstrated it was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues of adult mice and also during embryogenesis and overlapped with its homolog Mrg15. MRGX and MRG15 proteins localize predominantly to the chromatin fraction in the nucleus, although a small amount of both proteins localized to the nuclear matrix. Whereas disruption of Mrg15 results in embryonic lethality, absence of MrgX did not impair mouse development and MrgX null mice are healthy and fertile. MrgX-deficient and wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) also had similar growth rates and showed no differences in cell cycle-related gene expression in response to serum stimulation. Mrg15 expression in MrgX-deficient tissues and MEFs was not upregulated compared with wild-type tissues and MEFs. MRG15 is highly conserved with orthologs present from humans to yeast and is essential for survival of mice. In contrast, MRGX, which evolved later, is expressed only in vertebrates, suggesting that the lack of phenotype of MrgX-deficient mice is secondary to a compensatory effect by the evolutionarily conserved MRG15 protein but not vice versa.