cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory of paraunitary filter banks over fields of characteristic two

Motivated by our wavelet framework for error-control coding, we proceed to develop an important family of wavelet transforms over finite fields. Paraunitary (PU) filter banks that are realizations of orthogonal wavelets by multirate filters are an important subclass of perfect reconstruction (PR) filter banks. A parameterization of PU filter banks that covers all possible PU systems is very desirable in error-control coding because it provides a framework for optimizing the free parameters to maximize coding performance. This paper undertakes the problem of classifying all PU matrices with entries from a polynomial ring, where the coefficients of the polynomials are taken from finite fields. It constructs Householder transformations that are used as elementary operations for the realization of all unitary matrices. Then, it introduces elementary PU building blocks and a factorization technique that is specialized to obtain a complete realization for all PU filter banks over fields of characteristic two. This is proved for the 2 /spl times/ 2 case, and conjectured for the M /spl times/ M case, where M /spl ges/ 3. Using these elementary building blocks, we can construct all PU filter banks over fields of characteristic two. These filter banks can be used to implement transforms which, in turn, provide a powerful new perspective on the problems of constructing and decoding arbitrary-rate error-correcting codes.
Health Care Reform — Where Do We Go from Here?

The President can legitimately claim to have already passed the first round of health care reform in 2009, with the renewal of CHIP and the stimulus bill. Gail Wilensky describes further possible steps in incremental reform.
Factors Responsible for Precipitation Efficiencies in Midlatitude and Tropical Squall Simulations

Abstract Different definitions of storm precipitation efficiency were investigated from numerical simulators of convective systems in widely varying ambient conditions using a two-dimensional cloud model with sophisticated ice microphysics. The model results indicate that the vertical orientation of the updrafts, which is controlled by the vertical wind shear, and the ambient moisture content are important in determining storm efficiency. In terms of rainfall divided by condensation, simulated efficiencies ranged from 20%–35% for convective systems that tilted strongly against the low-level shear (upshear), to 40%–50% for erect storms. Changes in environmental moisture produced smaller variations in efficiency that were less than 10%. Upright convection allows for effective collection of cloud condensate by precipitation, whereas lower efficiencies in upshear storms are due to greater evaporation of cloud at middle levels and evaporation of rain at lower levels. Development of trailing stratiform precipit...
Unified command and control for heterogeneous marine sensing networks

Successful command and control (C2) of autonomous vehicles poses challenges that are unique to the marine environment, primarily highly restrictive acoustic communications throughput. To address this, the Unified C2 architecture presented here uses a highly compressed short message encoding scheme (Dynamic Compact Control Language or DCCL) to transfer commands and receive vehicle status. DCCL is readily reconfigurable to provide the flexibility needed to change commands on short notice. Furthermore, operation of multiple types of vehicles requires a C2 architecture that is both scalable and flexible to differences among platform hardware and abilities. The Unified C2 architecture uses the MOOS-IvP autonomy system to act as a “backseat driver” of the vehicle. This provides a uniform interface to the control system on all the vehicles. Also, a hierarchical configuration system is used to allow single changes in configuration to propagate to all vehicles in operation. Status data from all vehicles are displayed visually using Google Earth, which also allows a rapid meshing of data from other sources (sensors, automatic identification system, radar, satellites) from within, as well as outside of, the MOOS-IvP architecture. Results are presented throughout from the CCLNET08, SQUINT08, GLINT08, GLINT09, SWAMSI09, and DURIP09 experiments involving robotic marine autonomous surface craft (ASCs) and Bluefin, OceanServer, and NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Discontinuous hairpin DNAs synthesised in vivo following specific and non-specific priming of cauliflower mosaic virus DNA (+) strands

Abstract We have analysed, by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, a population of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) linear DNA forms from infected tissue which contain one or two discontinuities in the plus (+) strand at sites close to the putative priming sequences for (+) strand synthesis (designated G2(+), G3(+)). The proximal ends of the linear DNAs mapped to a region near the origin of DNA (−) strand synthesis at the tRNA primer binding site. The distal end of each linear DNA appeared to comprise heterogeneous single-strand extensions of the (−) strand extending from G2(+) and G3(+) in the direction of reverse transcription. However, strand-specific probes revealed that the ‘single-strand’ extensions contained sequences with both (+) and (−) strand polarity and their single-stranded sizes were twice that expected had they been double-stranded. This suggested that some extensions were hairpin structures which we confirmed by observing their rapid renaturation following transfer to nitrocellulose. We conclude that the linear discontinuous hairpin DNAs arose in vivo by interrupted reverse transcription of RNA templates followed by non-specific self-primed (+) strand synthesis. Generation of ‘full-length’ hairpins was prevented in some molecules by specific priming of (+) strands at G2(+) and G3(+), and in others, extended hairpin formation probably proceeded as a result of loss of specific (+) strand primer RNA fragments at G2(+) and G3(+). The significance of these DNA forms in an understanding of CaMV replication is discussed.
A Science Lesson Plan Analysis Instrument for formative and summative program evaluation of a teacher education program

In evaluating the success of teacher development programs, measures of teaching practice that are valid, reliable, and scalable are needed. We have developed, validated, and piloted the Science Lesson Plan Analysis Instrument (SLPAI) for quantitative evaluation of teacher-generated multi-day lesson plans. The SLPAI was developed to complement traditional evaluation tools, such as teacher surveys and direct observational protocols, to enable us to capture the extent to which a teacher development program successfully addressed its goals of increasing teacher content and pedagogical knowledge and impacting teaching practice. This paper presents the development and validation of the SLPAI, and demonstrates its use in a pilot study examining teacher change as a result of program instruction. The SLPAI was utilized as a formative assessment, providing baseline information about the teaching practices of incoming program cohorts in order to tailor both pedagogical and content instruction appropriately. The SLPAI was also used to track and describe changes in teaching practice and pedagogical knowledge of teacher participants over time, and thereby provide summative evidence of program effectiveness. We report on the responses of several program instructors to these results, including revisions made to instructional design of their courses.
Vasodilator action of guanethidine.

The cardiovascular effects of intravenous guanethidine were measured in animals treated with reserpine. The action of intraarterial guanethidine was studied also in perfused forelegs of dogs. The following conclusions were reached: 1. There was no significant increase in cardiac output, heart rate, or systemic arterial pressure following intravenous guanethidine in treated animals; only sustained vasodilatation was observed. 2. The vasodilatation was caused by a local action of the drug on vascular smooth muscle. The dilatation became more pronounced following depletion of catecholamines with reserpine and repeated administration of guanethidine. 3. The dilatation did not appear to be mediated through the release of catecholamines, histamine, or acetylcholine. It may have resulted, at least in part, from stimulation of beta adrenergic receptors or other "dilator receptors" which are blocked by dichloroisoproterenol.
Hypersingular integrals in boundary element fracture analysis

A new general purpose boundary element method for domains with cracks has been recently developed. This technique avoids the use of a multi-domain decomposition by including an additional integral equation expressing the boundary condition on the crack. The principal requirement of this technique is the analytic determination of certain hypersingular integrals of the Green's function which arise from this equation. In order to establish the applicability of this method for fracture, these integrals are evaluated herein for the Kelvin solution of the three-dimensional Navier equations of linear elasticity. Numerical results for fracture problems using the single-domain boundary element analysis are also presented.
Measurement of In Vitro Cytochrome P450 2B6 Activity

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) is responsible for the metabolism of a number of therapeutically relevant drugs and environmental chemicals. While not as frequently involved in xenobiotic metabolism as other more commonly studied P450 enzymes such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, or CYP2C9, its importance is becoming increasingly realized. Bupropion hydroxylase activity is an excellent indicator of in vitro CYP2B6 activity, and the metabolite formed is easily measured by HPLC/MS/MS. This assay allows the use of very low concentrations of human liver microsomes or recombinant enzyme, and it represents a selective, sensitive approach to assessing in vitro CYP2B6 activity, with minimal sample preparation.
Association between lower digit symbol substitution test score and slower gait and greater risk of mortality and of developing incident disability in well-functioning older adults.

It has been consistently shown that clinical measures of cognitive1-6 and physical function,7-9 as well as imaging markers of underlying structural disease in the brain,10-12 are predictors of incident disability and mortality in older adults. In particular, lower score on a simple cognitive test, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and slower gait10,13-16 are associated with greater risk of mortality and physical disability.1,4,9,17-20 However, previous studies had relatively short follow-up times or examined patient populations who already had some degree of disability at baseline and did not examine whether the inclusion of lower DSST and slower gait improve the prediction for disability and mortality or whether the combined effect of these two measures affects risk of mortality and of incident disability more than impairment in either of these two tests alone. Furthermore, previous studies did not ascertain whether these relationships remain independent of underlying brain structural disease, such as white matter disease, ventricular enlargement, and brain infarcts. Because of their association with cognitive21-24 and physical impairment,12,25,26 as well as with mortality and disability, white matter disease, ventricular enlargement, and brain infarcts could attenuate the associations between DSST score and slower gait and mortality and disability. These are important questions because of the sheer increase in the number of older adults who remain free from disability, stroke, or dementia even late in life. Answering these questions could increase understanding of whether lower DSST score and slower gait could be risk factors for mortality and future disability in older adults who may not have manifest clinical diseases at the time of examination. This study examined more than 8 years of longitudinal data on total mortality and disability for 3,156 participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) cohort who were free from stroke and physical disability and had a modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) score of 80 or higher at baseline.27 DSST score, gait speed, and prevalence of risk factors for mortality and physical disability, including brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, were obtained at baseline. The hypothesis that baseline lower DSST score and slower gait would be associated with greater rate of mortality and of incident disability, independent of other risk factors, including white matter disease, ventricular enlargement, and brain infarcts, and that the combination of lower DSST scores and slower gait contributed to a greater risk of mortality and disability than DSST score alone was tested.
A second species of Apteropanorpa Carpenter from Tasmania (Mecoptera: Apteropanorpidae)

Apteropanorpa evansi, sp. n., from the Central Plateau of Tasmania, is described and several of its taxonomically useful characters are illustrated. It is compared with Apteropanorpa tasmanica Carpenter, the only other species in the family Apteropanorpidae. Some characters used by Carpenter are re-evaluated, and probable generic characters are derived from the descriptions of both species. What little is known of the biology and distribution of the genus is summarised, and convergent similarities in morphology and biology with the Northern Hemisphere Boreidae are noted. Tasmania probably harbours further undescribed Apteropanorpa spp.
Tunnel Diodes as High-Frequency Devices

This paper deals with an interesting type of voltage-controlled negative resistance in heavily doped semiconductor junction diodes. The effect, discovered and explained by Esaki, is due to quantum-mechanical tunneling of carriers through the junction. In the present article, experimental and theoretical results are given which show the diode has great promise for frequencies in the kilomegacycle region. Diodes with a negative conductance of a mho or more have been made; they oscillate above 1 kmc, generate harmonics over 4 kmc, and switch in 2 m?sec. From a gain-bandwidth analysis based on a proposed equivalent circuit, the limiting time constant is shown to be the product of the negative resistance and the junction transition capacitance. According to quantum theory, this product can be varied over a wide range by nominal changes in the free carrier concentration. Germanium diodes with 4.8 by 1019 carriers/cm2 have a measured gain-bandwidth of 1 kmc. Further material development should increase this factor to 10 kmc. The high negative conductance of the junction coupled with its high shunt susceptance make the device admittance much higher than is normally encountered. As a result, the series impedance of the device mount becomes important. Since the negative resistance is voltage controlled, establishing an operating point requires a voltage supply with internal resistance lower than the magnitude of the negative resistance. Under such conditions, the problem of suppressing parasitic oscillations in the mount and external circuit is serious.
Penalty Function Methods for Constrained Stochastic Approximation

Abstract This paper is concerned with sequential Monte Carlo methods for optimizing a system under constraints. We wish to minimize f(x), where qi(x) ⩽ 0 (i = 1, …, m) must hold. We can calculate the qi(x), but f(x) can only be observed in the presence of noise. A general approach, based on an adaptation of a version of stochastic approximation to the penalty function method, is discussed and a convergence theorem is proved.
Diagnosis and characterization of effects of broken bars and connectors in squirrel-cage induction motors by a time-stepping coupled finite element-state space modeling approach

In this paper, a comprehensive presentation of a time-stepping coupled finite element-state space modeling approach for diagnosis and characterization of effects of rotor (cage) broken bars and connectors in squirrel-cage induction motors is given. The model is used to compute/predict the characteristic frequency components which are indicative of rotor bar and connector breakages in the armature current waveforms and developed torque profiles, respectively. It was found that failures due to rotor connector breakages tend to degrade the developed torque of the machine considerably more than failures due to rotor bar breakages. Also, the effects and implications of rotor breakages on core loss distributions are quantified and described. Furthermore, this model has great potential in future applications to generate databases for use in overall noninvasive diagnostics of faults or troubleshooting in relation to quality assessments of the state of the motor and the overall drive.
Strategies to decrease costs of prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors at a VA Medical Center.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the efficacy of a multifaceted intervention designed to contain the cost of prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to inpatients and outpatients served by a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. METHODS: Elements of the intervention included identification of a preferred agent, tablet splitting, education and feedback for prescribers, and an electronic record and ordering system to facilitate changes in prescriber behaviors. VA databases were searched for information on use and costs of antidepressants. RESULTS: Over 35 months the number of patients treated with SSRIs and the amount spent on SSRIs increased. However, the mean monthly cost per patient decreased from $57.12 to $42.19. The projected cost savings over the 35 months was approximately $700,000; one-fourth of the savings was due to tablet splitting and three-fourths to changes in the proportions of the various SSRIs prescribed. A survey of the top 75 antidepressant prescribers showed that afte...
Mechanism linking NMDA receptor activation to modulation of voltage-gated sodium current in distal retina.

In this study, we investigated the mechanism that links activation ofN-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors to inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels in isolated catfish cone horizontal cells. ...
Experimental and Field Studies of Type I Settling for Particulate Matter Transported by Urban Runoff

Settling velocity is an important constitutive parameter of particulate matter (PM) transported by runoff. Settling velocity is either explicitly or implicitly utilized when designing or modeling unit operations, and in situ or watershed controls for urban rainfall-runoff. Utilizing two common settling devices, a settling column and an Imhoff cone, settling velocities of discrete noncolloidal particles in source area urban rainfall-runoff were measured. A comparison of settling models applicable to discrete (Type I) PM settling was developed. Models were compared to measured results across the noncohesive silt- and sand-size PM gradation from 2 to 2,000 μm , utilizing measured particle-size distributions (PSDs) and specific gravity. Results indicate that Newton’s Law can reproduce measured settling velocity when measured inputs of PM diameter, specific gravity, and temperature are utilized. Alternative models to Newton’s Law (in the Stokesian regime) did not improve agreement with measured settling veloci...
A homotopic Galerkin approach to the solution of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation

In this paper, we present a homotopic Galerkin approach to the solution of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation. We argue that the ideal Hilbert space to approximate the exact solution, /spl psi/* is the space L/sub 2/(d/spl Psi/*) where d/spl Psi/* is the probability measure induced on R/sub n/ by the solution /spl psi/* itself. We show that given an initial approximation of the exact solution which is sufficiently close to the exact solution, we can obtain the exact solution iteratively by propagating the solution over sufficiently small time intervals using the Galerkin projection method. Further, we show that given a family of dynamical systems, D/sub P/, indexed by the homotopy parameter p /spl isin/ [0,1], where the dynamical system corresponding to p = 0 is a system whose associated Fokker-Planck equation can be solved and p = 1 is the dynamical system of interest, and such that the associated solutions to the corresponding Fokker-Planck equations can be changed smoothly by slowly varying the homotopy parameter, the exact solution can be obtained recursively, using the Galerkin projection method, starting with the solution to the Fokker-Planck equation associated with the dynamical system D/sub 0/.
Consensus of a group of second order agents with switching irregular communication topologies and time-delay

This study addresses the consensus problem and its stability for a group of agents with second order dynamics and communication delays. The communication topologies under consideration are irregular, i.e., the number of peers each agent communicates with is not fixed across the network. Furthermore, they switch from one topology to another in time. Communication delays are assumed to be quasi-static and they remain the same for all the interagent channels. A decentralized PD-like control structure is proposed to create consensus in the position and velocity of the agents. The proposed control logic introduces an interesting factorization to the characteristic equation of the system. This property brings the stability analysis from a prohibitively large dimension to a small scale, for a considerable efficiency improvement. A complete stability picture is obtained using a recent paradigm named CTCR. The treatment takes into account variations in both the control parameters and the communication delays. Case studies and simulations results are presented to verify the analytical derivations.
A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality:

Since the mid-1980s, scholarship and college courses that address multiple dimensions of inequality under the rubric of race, class, gender, and (recently) sexuality studies have grown rapidly. Most courses now employ a set of readings, many of which are drawn from a growing number of anthologies. A strength of this approach is its presentation of the diversity of human experiences and the multiplicity of critical perspectives. A weakness is its failure to convey the commonalities in race, class, gender, and sexuality analyses of social reality. To aid in teaching and research on race, class, gender, and sexuality, this article presents six common themes that characterize this scholarship. Race, class, gender, and sexuality are historically and globally specific, socially constructed power relations that simultaneously operate at both the macro (societal) and micro (individual) levels of society. Scholarship in this tradition emphasizes the interdependence of knowledge and activism.
Progression of Parkinsonian Signs in Parkinson Disease

Background Current knowledge about the rate of progression of extrapyramidal signs (EPSs) in Parkinson disease (PD) is derived largely from cross-sectional studies comparing subjects at various stages of illness rather than longitudinal studies in which the subjects were followed up over time. Objective To longitudinally study the progression of EPSs in PD by quantifying the rate of change of EPSs and by examining each EPS (rigidity, bradykinesia, tremor, and postural instability) separately. Methods A community-based cohort of 237 patients with PD living in Washington Heights–Inwood in Manhattan, NY, was evaluated at baseline and at yearly intervals. The EPSs were rated using the motor portion of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor Examination. Analyses of longitudinal data were performed by applying generalized estimating equations to regression analyses. Results The total EPS score increased at an annual rate of 1.5 points (1.5%), but, among those who died, the total EPS score increased at an annual rate of 3.6 points (3.6%). Bradykinesia, rigidity, and gait and balance subscores worsened at similar annual rates of 2.0% to 3.1%, whereas the tremor subscore did not clearly worsen with time. Patients with a shorter disease duration (≤3 years) may have progressed more rapidly than patients with longer disease duration (annual rate of change, 1.9% vs 1.4%, respectively), although this did not reach statistical significance. A high total EPS score was independently associated with dementia, low Activities of Daily Living score, and long disease duration at baseline. Conclusions In this cohort, the progression of EPSs in PD occurred at a rate of 1.5% per year and at twice that rate among those who died. Bradykinesia, rigidity, and gait and balance impairment worsened at similar rates, whereas tremor did not, suggesting that tremor may be relatively independent of these other cardinal manifestations of PD.
Communications to the Editor---An Analysis of Criteria for Investment and Financing Decisions Under Certainty: A Comment

In a recent article [Teichroew, D., A. A. Robichek, M. Montalbano. 1965. An analysis of criteria for investment and financing decisions under certainty. Management Sci.123, November 151--179.] in this Journal, Daniel Teichroew, Alexander A. Robichek, and Michael Montalbano TRM investigated the decision-making procedures for accepting or rejecting investment alternatives available to the firm. There are, however, certain key ideas in their article which need either further clarification or simple modification. It is hoped that by suggesting these clarifications and modifications, this note will make more clear the full value of TRM's basic contributions.
Classical Ricardian Theory of Comparative Advantage Revisited

According to the classical Ricardian theory of comparative advantage, relative labor productivities determine trade patterns. The Ricardian model plays an important pedagogical role in international economics, but has received scant empirical attention since the 1960s. This paper assesses the contemporary relevance of the Ricardian model for US trade. Cross-section seemingly unrelated regressions of sectoral trade flows on relative labor productivity and unit labor costs are run for a number of countries vis-a-vis the United States. The coefficients are almost always correctly signed and statistically significant, although much of the sectoral variation of trade remains unexplained.
Individual Effects of a Web-Based Accountability System In a Teacher Education Program

This paper describes the results of teacher education candidates’ use of a Web-based assessment system including electronic portfolios. A teacher education program adopted a novel Web-based Accountability Model for assessment and learning. The Web-based Education Accountability System (EAS) was based on the Web-based Accountability Model, and consisted of an electronic portfolio sub-system, an online performance assessment sub-system, and an Accountability Center sub-system. The objective of this study was to experimentally test teacher candidates’ views towards using the system. The experiment also examined the effect of the EAS on candidates’ cognitive learning. Thirty-one preservice teacher candidates enrolled in teacher certification programs participated in this study in Spring 2002. Questionnaires were presented to candidates as pre- and posttests. Content analysis was employed to qualitatively analyze the electronic portfolio to examine the development of cognitive skills. The content analysis and questionnaire results showed that preservice teachers (1) thought the EAS positively facilitated learning to teach and helped them meet teacher standards over time, and (2) became more engaged in reflective and cognitive activities by using the electronic portfolio over time.
Evaluation of Workplace Literacy Programs: A Profile of Effective Instructional Practices

This study introduces and examines a model for evaluating workplace literacy programs by assessing the impact of workplace literacy instruction in a variety of settings. The model was developed in reaction to the particular assessment difficulties associated with workplace literacy programs to address 2 questions: (a) Are learners in workplace literacy classes able to demonstrate gains between premeasures and postmeasures in areas related to literacy practices? (b) For gains to occur, how much of several instructional practices (e.g., reading/writing practice, use of workplace examples, etc.) do classes need to incorporate? The study focuses on changes in literacy practices, beliefs about personal effectiveness with literacy, reading processes, literacy abilities, and changes in educational plans. Programs were most effective at improving learner literacy performance, literacy strategies and processes, and beliefs and plans related to literacy. Analysis of gains in relation to course characteristics allow...
Polygonal approximation of laser range data based on perceptual grouping and EM

Our goal is polygonal approximation of laser range data points obtained by a mobile robot. The proposed approach provides a precise estimation of the number of model components (line segments) and their initial parameters independent of their initial values. We use principles of perceptual grouping to evaluate the approximation quality obtained in each expectation maximization (EM) step. By evaluating EM approximation quality we are able to recognize a locally optimal solution, and modify the number of model components and their parameters. Consequently, EM can converge only to a globally optimal solution independent of the initial number of model components and their initial parameters
Enfuvirtide: A Novel Agent for the Treatment of HIV-1 Infection

ObjectiveTo review the pharmacology, virology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and clinical use of enfuvirtide.Data SourcesEnglish-language MEDLINE and AIDSline searches were performed (1966–January 2003) using enfuvirtide, T-20, gp41, and fusion inhibitors as key words. Abstracts from infectious diseases and HIV scientific meetings were identified.Data ExtractionAll publications and meeting abstracts were reviewed and relevant items included. In vitro and preclinical studies were included, as well as Phase II and III clinical trials.Data SynthesisEnfuvirtide is a fusion inhibitor used for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Given its unique mechanism of action, most HIV-1 isolates are susceptible to enfuvirtide. Enfuvirtide is administered by subcutaneous injection twice daily. In clinical trials with antiretroviral-experienced patients, enfuvirtide was effective at suppressing HIV-RNA and increasing CD4+ T-cell counts. Enfuvirtide should be used in combination with other active antiretroviral agents t...
Status and Performance of New Silicon Stripixel Detector for the PHENIX Experiment at RHIC: Beta Source, Cosmic-rays and Proton Beam at 120 GeV

We are constructing a Silicon Vertex Tracker detector (VTX) for the PHENIX experiment at RHIC. Our main motivation is to enable measurements of heavy flavor production (charm and beauty) in p+p, p+d and A+A collisions. Such data will illuminate the properties of the matter created in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. The measurements also will reveal the distribution of gluons in protons from p+p collisions. The VTX detector consists of four layers of barrel detectors and covers |η|<1.2, and almost a 2π in azimuth. The inner two silicon barrels consist of silicon pixel sensors; their technology accords with that of the ALICE1LHCB sensor-readout hybrid. The outer two barrels are silicon stripixel detectors with a new ``spiral'' design, and a single-sided sensor with 2-dimensional (X, U) readout. In this paper, we describe the silicon stripixel detector and discuss its performance, including its response to electrons from a beta source (90Sr), muons from cosmic-rays, and a 120 GeV proton beam. The results from the proton beam demonstrate that the principle of two-dimensional position sensitivity based on charge sharing works; the signal-to-noise value is 10.4, the position resolution is 33.6 μm for X-stripixel (35.2 μm for U-stripixel), and the tracking efficiencies in the X- and U-stripixels are, over 98.9±0.2%. The stripixel detector within the VTX project is in the pre-production phase.
The lipid residues in cytolipin H.

SUMMARY Analyses were done of the individual fatty acids in two preparations of cytolipin H and the lipid bases in one preparation. A number of fatty acids were present, lignoceric acid predominating. No 2-hydroxy fatty acids were present. Of the lipid bases, 93% wm sphingosine and 7% was a more unsaturated residue (dehydrosphingosine?) . No dihydrosphingosine was present. Analyses of a number of cytolipin preparations showed them to be similar to cerebrosides derived from nonnervous animal tissues in having a nonuniform distribution of normal saturated fatty acids: Cz4, Czz, and Cle acids were present in high concentration, and (320, C,, and C1, acids were present in very low concentration. on the basis of elementary and group analyses, cytolipin H, a lipid hapten isolated from human epidermoid carcinoma, was reported to contain fatty acid, a Iipid base, glucose, and galactose in equimolar proportions (1). The carbohydrate residues were recently found to have the configuration of the disaccharide 4-O-~-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose (lactose) (2). However, although evidence was presented indicating the presence of both fatty acid and a long-chain base, the lipid residues were not identified. A close correspondence of the carbon content of cytolipin H with that calculated for a molecule containing cerebronic acid and sphingosine led to the suggestion that these residues did indeed constitute the lipid portion of the cytolipin H molecule. It was subsequently found that 2-hydroxy fatty acids were absent. Scarcity of material prevented a conventional solution to this problem at the time, and micromethods had to be developed that would permit analysis of the fatty acid content of the original sample. A second specimen of cytolipin H was analyzed with respect to both its fatty acids and the long-chain base. These studies are presented in this report.
Telangiectases in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients.

Abstract Telangiectases have been noted as a cutaneous manifestation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and are characteristically distributed across the upper chest in a crescentic pattern between the clavicles. We describe the observation of diffuse upper body telangiectasia in a forty-seven-year-old, human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive man. Histopathologic examination revealed dermal telangiectasia with perivascular plasma cells. Although we are aware of the association between telangiectases and human immunodeficiency virus seropositive findings, we believe that this is the first documented observation of diffuse upper body telangiectasia in a human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive patient.
Targeted disruption of glycogen synthase kinase-3β in the heart attenuates cardiac parasympathetic dysfunction in type 1 diabetic Akita mice

to cardiac myocyte hypertrophy, although exogenously administered BNP shows poor clinical efficacy in heart failure and hypertension. Here we tested whether PDE2A was directly involved in modulating cardiac neurotransmitter release from pre-hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) that show an enhanced Ca2+ phenotype. Methods and Results: [3H] labelled noradrenaline (NA) release was measured from isolated spontaneously beating atrial in response to 5Hz field stimulation for 1 minute at the 16th (S1, control) and 40th (S2, with 250nM BNP) minutes. PDE2A activity in the SHR (n = 8) was higher (~60%) than in WKY stellate ganglia tissue (n= 8). BNP significantly reduced [3H]-NA release (S1:+0.92 ± 0.09%, S2: +0.59 ± 0.09% n= 9,) in the WKY, whereas it failed in the SHR (S1: +1.34 ± 0.34% vs S2:+1.16 ± 0.23%, n = 9). Overexpression of PDE2A in the right atria abrogated the response to BNP in the WKY and mimicked the neurotransmission seen in the SHR neuron. This response was rescued by inhibition of PDE2A by BAY60-7550 or the dominant negative of PDE2A. Conclusion: These data support the hypothesis that higher PDE2A expression in the SHR abolishes the capacity of BNP to reduce neurotransmitters release. They also suggest that inhibiting neuronal PDE2 may be important in restoring the efficacy of BNP to decrease sympathetic neurotransmission in cases of dysautonomia.
The Yogi in John Dewey

Few comparative East-West philosophers have appreciated the yogic principles latent in John Dewey’s writings, particularly those on the topics of nature and experience. The yogi in Dewey emerges especially when one considers the phenomenological dimension of his metaphysics. From his endorsement of the Alexander technique to his rich notions of growth and ecology, parallels exist between Dewey’s pragmatism and both Indian and American yogic philosophies. I argued in a previous paper (“John Dewey ‘on the side of the angels’”) that once Dewey’s understanding of the self-world relation is joined with a phenomenological outlook, the result is a vision akin to the worldview adopted by Kundalini yoga practitioners or the Buddhist ascetics. Although many traditional yoga practitioners argue that the more trendy and exercise-oriented yogic practices (e.g. power yoga and vinyasa yoga) divorce yoga from its spiritual roots, a Deweyan argument can be made in favor of these practices as more democratic and inclusive forms of yoga better suited for American ways of life.
Measurement of Cyclic AMP and Cyclic GMP in Xenopus Oocytes Stimulated with Angiotensin II and Atrial Natriuretic Factor

Angiotensin type-1 receptors (AT(1) receptors) mediate various physiological actions of angiotensin (Ang II) via multiple-signal transduction pathways (1). In addition to the phospholipase C pathway and dihydropyridine-sensitive voltage-dependent calcium channels, AT(1) receptors can couple to inhibition of adenylate cyclase via the guanine nucleotide binding protein Gi. Beside acting directly through G(i), AT(1) receptors can modulate levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP) indirectly through receptor crosstalk. cAMP is a major second messenger of many G protein coupled receptors. One group of receptors (e.g., (3-adreno-receptors, A(2) adenosine, D(1) dopamine, H(2) histamine, and some prostanoid receptors) elevate cAMP by activating adenylate cyclase through G(s), whereas a second group (a(2) adrenoreceptors, A1 adenosine, D(2) dopamine, 5HT(1) metabotropic glutamate, and i opioid receptors) reduce cAMP levels by inhibiting adenylate cyclase via G(i). Accumulating evidence indicates that signaling crosstalk can occur between AT receptors and receptors for atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) (2), bradykinin (3), catecholamines (4), adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone (5), vasopressin (6), and dopamine (7). Ang II is also found to indirectly modulate cyclic GMP (cGMP) levels via nitric oxide (8,9).
‘Transitivity’ of Consequence Relations

A binary relation R on a set S is transitive iff for all a, b, c ∈ S, if aRb and bRc, then aRc. This almost never applies to the relations logicians tend to think of as consequence relations; where such relations are relations on a set at all, they are rarely transitive. Yet it is common to hear consequence relations described as ‘transitive’, and to see rules imposed to ensure ‘transitivity’ of these relations. This paper attempts to clarify the situation.
In vivo MR determination of water diffusion coefficients and diffusion anisotropy: correlation with structural alteration in gliomas of the cerebral hemispheres.

PURPOSE To determine whether a relationship exists between water diffusion coefficients or diffusion anisotropy and MR-defined regions of normal or abnormal brain parenchyma in patients with cerebral gliomas. METHODS In 40 patients with cerebral gliomas, diffusion was characterized in a single column of interest using a motion-insensitive spin-echo sequence that was applied sequentially at two gradient strength settings in three orthogonal directions. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were derived for the three orthogonal axes at 128 points along the column. An average ADC and an index of diffusion anisotropy (IDA = diffusion coefficientmax-min/diffusionmean) was than calculated for any of nine MR-determined regions of interest within the tumor or adjacent parenchyma. RESULTS In cerebral edema, mean ADC (all ADCs as 10(-7) cm2/s) was 138 +/- 24 (versus 83 +/- 6 for normal white matter) with mean IDA of 0.26 +/- 0.14 (versus 0.45 +/- 0.17 for normal white matter). Solid enhancing central tumor mean ADC was 131 +/- 25 with mean IDA of 0.15 +/- 0.10. Solid enhancing tumor margin mean ADC was 131 +/- 25, with IDA of 0.25 +/- 0.20. Cyst or necrosis mean ADC was 235 +/- 35 with IDA of 0.07 +/- 0.04. CONCLUSION In cerebral gliomas ADC and IDA determinations provide information not available from routine MR imaging. ADC and IDA determinations allow distinction between normal white matter, areas of necrosis or cyst formation, regions of edema, and solid enhancing tumor. ADCs can be quickly and reliably characterized within a motion-insensitive column of interest with standard MR hardware.
Performance of a Lepidopteran Pest Complex (Langosta) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Sorghum, Maize, and Noncrop Vegetation in Honduras

Feeding performance of Spodoptera latifascia (Walker), S. frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and Metaponpneumata rogenhoferi (Moschler) larvae was investigated in the laboratory. Leaves of seedling or mature sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poaceae); maize, Zea mays (L.) (Poaceae); Ixophorus unisetus (Presl) Schlecht (Poaceae); four broadleaf noncrop species; and artificial diet were tested. Based on larval and pupal weights, survival, and developmental times, Amaranthus sp., probably A. hybridus L. or A. viridis L. (Amaranthacea) and Portulaca oleracea L. (Portulacacea) were the most suitable hosts (of plants tested) for S. latifascia larvae, and sorghum, maize, and I. unisetus were the poorest hosts. Diet or plant growth stage did not affect sex ratio, adult longevity, or fecundity. Larvae fed leaves of seedling or mature Amaranthus sp., P. oleracea, Ipomoea sp. \[probably I. purpurea (L.) Roth\] (Convolvulaceae), or maize differed in measures of the above biological parameters. Pupal weights of M. rogenhoferi larvae fed Amaranthus sp., Melampodium divaricatum (Rich, expers.) Dc. (Asteraceae), and P. oleracea were higher than those of larvae fed I. unisetus , sorghum, or maize. Survival and sex ratio were similar on all diets. Higher larval weight was observed on maize compared with sorghum. S. frugiperda larval weight was highest on maize, and lowest on Ipomoea sp. Our results indicate that sorghum and maize may serve as sink habitats (where populations decline) for S. latifascia and M. rogenhoferi ; source habitats (where populations originate) appear to be noncrop vegetation. Appropriate weed management during the crop growing season may reduce potential pest populations and crop damage.
Effect of Intraperitoneal Injections of Potassium Iodide on Proliferative Activity of Thyroid Gland in Rats.

ConclusionsOur experiments tend to reconcile the differences between the results obtained by Chouke and Irsigler, and our results confirm those of Irsigler as to the necessity of using relatively small doses and short periods of time in order to obtain stimulating effects on the thyroid of the rat by the administration of KI. There seems to exist a quantitative relation between the increase in mitotic proliferation and the quantity of KI used and the length of time during which it acted. In the case of the guinea pig we have shown previously that within the limits tested the larger doses are more effective than the smaller ones. Whether a similar relation exists also in the ease, of the rat thyroid remains to be seen. It is of interest that the maximum number of mitoses observed in the rat under the in-fluenceof optimal conditions of stimulation is very similar to that formerly established in the case of the guinea pig'.Associated with this increased proliferative activity of the acinar epithelium, there ...
Measuring Perceptual (In)Congruence between Information Service Providers and Users

Library quality is no longer evaluated solely on the value of its collections, as user perceptions of service quality play an increasingly important role in defining overall library value. This paper presents a retooling of the LibQUAL+ survey instrument, blending the gap measurement model with perceptual congruence model studies from information systems management research. The new survey instrument redefines service desk assessment by taking into consideration the perspectives of both service users and of service providers, to help service providers gain a more robust sense of service quality.
The Inspiration of Overseas Distance Vocational education to the domestic vocational education in countryside

At present, the domestic vocational education in countryside is too weak. This becomes an important factor that restricts the development of the agriculture. Learning from overseas experience, we develop the countryside vocational education and promote to build a new socialist countryside using the superiority of Distance Education.
Aligning IT Resources for E-Commerce

The era of e-commerce requires firms to have a more sophisticated IT alignment model. Now IT strategy and business strategy (r)evolve together while firms operating environments change more rapidly. In addition, the use of Web-based systems necessitates more frequent interaction both between IT management and IT users and between firms and their trading partners and customers. Consequently, firms must skillfully strike a balance between current and future business capabilities. They also must constantly readjust business and IT objectives considering their organizational needs and environmental needs. From the perspective of organizational learning loops, this chapter introduces a framework of IT resource alignment model to enable dynamic processes of IT alignment. INTRODUCTION Traditionally IT alignment was considered from the perspective of strategy and organizational structure. For example, McKenny et al. (1997) provide an historical account on how Bank of America (BoA) strived to become an industry leader by crafting its IT strategy when BoA was faced with operational crises. Their study illustrates how operational necessity leads a company to devise a new strategy followed by the adoption of IT innovations. Similarly, Baets (1996) describes a sequence where a new industry situation leads to a renewed corporate strategy triggering the alignment of IT strategy in the banking industry as a whole. Those previous studies note that IT alignment used to follow business strategy which had adapted to environmental changes. In other words, previous studies tend to assume that IT strategy and business strategy are given, separate entities. However, such IT alignment perspective needs to be reconsidered in the ecommerce era when business and IT strategies intricately intertwine with each other and must adapt quickly to market changes. First, IT strategy may now shape a firms business strategy rather than the other way around, because the IT function can This chapter appears in the book, Strategic Information Technology: Opportunities for Competitive Advantage by Raymond Papp. Copyright © 2001, Idea Group Publishing. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Hershey PA 17033-1117, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com ITB7961 IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING