cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A variance-based basis selection scheme for the Gabor image transformation

This paper addresses the issues of time and compression efficiency in image transformation. We propose a novel basis selection scheme which improves transformation efficiency by exploiting the energy compacting characteristic in the frequency domain. In a typical complete transformation, a large number of basis functions have low coding efficiency, and thus are not necessary in the encoding process. By removing these functions from the basis set, we improve the time and the compression efficiency of the encoding process while maintaining a high reproduction quality. We have chosen to use the Gabor transform to demonstrate our proposed method. Experimental results with the Gabor transform are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. Finally, issues related to the application of this approach in image sequence encoding and the adaptation of our approach to other transformation schemes are discussed.
Education, teleconferencing, and distance learning in respiratory care.

Among health professions the field of respiratory care (RC) once enjoyed a leadership role in integrating new technologies in teaching, largely because of the excellent match between branching-logic clinical simulations and microcomputer technology. RC can reclaim leadership status by concentrating on effective teaching and the judicious (rather than lavish) deployment of educational technologies. Teleconferencing has been important in RC education, but its role is waning as Internet-based teaching becomes the dominant technology. RC instructors should avoid the media-comparison research pitfall. Research indicates that students who learn at a distance do not learn better or worse than students in traditional classrooms, although student attrition is a serious problem in Internet-based courses. Online courses are time consuming to develop and deploy, effectively serve limited numbers of students per course, and are not suitable for some topics and learners. RC is probably not a good match for courses and programs delivered entirely via the Internet, but RC is an excellent match for Internet-supported courses. Faculty should concentrate on teaching effectiveness, instruction design strategies, and making judicious, conservative use of educational technologies. With or without technology, instructors should develop learner-centered, authentic instruction. In RC education there are abundant opportunities to employ technology, but RC programs will be well served by distilling a detailed vision of effective educational-technology integration, rather than by continuing to pressure programs and faculty to adopt technology without careful consideration of the value added (or subtracted) by each specific technology.
Article Productivity Among the Faculty of Criminology and Criminal Justice Doctoral Programs, 2010–2014

One important dimension of the quality of a graduate program is the quality of its faculty. Previous assessments of the publication productivity of criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) faculties have been needlessly incomplete and narrow, reflecting publications only in a small number of CCJ journals. Assessments covering only CCJ journals fail to reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of CCJ and bias results against programs whose most productive scholars publish in non-CCJ journals. The present research covers the full array of major journals in which CCJ-related research appears, by searching for articles using the Web of Science and ProQuest databases. This article is an update of two previous evaluations, covering 2000–2004 and 2005–2009. Based on article counts, the most productive faculties are those of Sam Houston State University, Florida State University and the University of Cincinnati. The article also summarizes changes in rankings of CCJ programs from 2000 through 2014.
Deformations of super-KMS functionals

We investigate the stability of the super-KMS property under deformations. We show that a family of continuous deformations of the super- derivation in the quantum algebra yields a continuous family of deformed super-KMS functionals. These functionals define a family of cohomologous, entire cocycles. In this paper we investigate the super-KMS (sKMS) property of functionals co on a quantum algebra. Our interest in sKMS functionals was inspired by work of Kastler and by conversations with Alain Connes (CI, K, JLO2). The sKMS construction relies on the existence of a super-derivation d acting on a dense subalgebra of a C*-algebra d. The square of d is the infinitesimal generator of a continuous, one-parameter automorphism group c~ of the quantum algebra. The usual KMS property relates the cyclicity of a state co to the analytic continuation of a group et of automorphisms. The sKMS property also involves invariance under the super-derivation d whose square generates the automorphism group er It is known that an sKMS functional on a quantum algebra defines an entire cyclic cocycle z. This is just the Chern character which Jaffe, Lesniewski, and Osterwalder defined in the context ofsupertrace functionals on a quantum algebra (JLO 1). The sKMS property ensures that the functional co - and the cocycle z which is derived from it - are invariant under this group action. In this paper we study the stability of this structure under perturbations of d. We study only bounded perturbations which arise from the graded (super) commutator with an odd element q of the algebra d. We show that such perturbations dq of d can be used to define a deformation coq of co which satisfies the sKMS property. Furthermore, the corresponding family of cocycles z ~ are cohomologous. Of course, more singular (unbounded) perturbations can lead to
Valles Marineris landslides: Evidence for a strength limit to Martian relief?

Abstract Unresolved controversies in Martian geology surround the role of active tectonics and a wetter climate early in Mars history, and particularly the history and amount of liquid water at or near the surface. Among the various lines of evidence brought into such debates are the massive landslides along the walls of Valles Marineris, which generally have been interpreted as resulting from marsquakes, and therefore necessitating active tectonics, under either wet or dry conditions. We analyze Valles Marineris landslides using digital elevation data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and find that a relief limit consistent with the intact strength of evaporites or other weak sedimentary rock defines an upper bound to the length and relief of unfailed slopes, as would material with the strength properties of basalt lithology subjected to ground accelerations of about 0.2 g. In contrast to prior interpretations of Valles Marineris landslides, we propose an alternative, complementary hypothesis that does not require significant pore-water pressures or ground acceleration based on the close correspondence between back-calculated material strength properties and values consistent with portions of the chasm walls at least locally being composed of relatively weak materials, such as potentially frozen evaporites and/or mixtures of ash fall or flow deposits, ice, hydrated salts and lava flows.
Case Report: The clinical implications of clozapine and cigarette smoking

INTRODUCTION Cigarette smoking is prevalent among psychiatric patients, with rates several times higher than the general population. As an example, up to 80% of schizophrenic patients smoke cigarettes. Clozapine is extensively metabolized by cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 1A2 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in cigarette smoke are thought to induce CYP 1A2. Therefore concurrent smoking with clozapine can potentially lead to decreased clozapine levels and decreased efficacy, while smoking cessation can potentially lead to increased levels and toxicity. Enzyme induction has been reported to result in a 20 to 40% lower mean clozapine concentration in smokers compared to nonsmokers. We present a case of altered serum drug concentrations in association with changes in smoking status in a patient upon admission to a nonsmoking inpatient psychiatric facility.
Revised solar extreme ultraviolet flux model

Abstract An extended and revised solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance model for aeronomical use during the 1990s has been developed. The extensions significantly increase the application of the SERF2 solar EUV model beyond the October 1981–April 1989 time-frame. The model can now be used from 1947 to the present for coronal EUV full-disk irradiances and from 1976 to the present for chromospheric EUV full-disk irradiances. Substantial revisions to SERF2 were made which significantly improve the ability of the model to reproduce observed 27-day and solar cycle EUV temporal variations. A multiple linear regression method is used to obtain coefficients for modelled EUV photon flux. This method allows for the inclusion of new rocket and satellite datasets into the model as they become available. The solar H Lyman-α and He I 10,830 A equivalent width measurements are used as the independent model parameters for the chromospheric irradiances while the 10.7-cm radio emission daily and 81-day running mean values are the independent parameters for the coronal and transition region irradiances. The results of the model give full-disk photon fluxes at 1 AU for 39 EUV wavelength groups and discrete lines between 1.8 and 105.0 nm for a given date. The OSO, AEROS, AE satellite datasets and six rocket datasets used in the model development are summarized, the modelling technique is described in detail, the model formulation is presented, and the comparisons of the model to the datasets are discussed.
Bacillus cereus G9241 S-Layer Assembly Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Anthrax-Like Disease in Mice

ABSTRACT Bacillus cereus G9241, the causative agent of anthrax-like disease, harbors virulence plasmids encoding anthrax toxins as well as hyaluronic acid (HA) and B. cereus exopolysaccharide (BPS) capsules. B. cereus G9241 also harbors S-layer genes, including homologs of Bacillus anthracis surface array protein (Sap), extractable antigen 1 (EA1), and the S-layer-associated proteins (BSLs). In B. anthracis, S-layer proteins and BSLs attach via their S-layer homology domains (SLH) to the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (SCWP) in a manner requiring csaB, a predicted ketalpyruvate transferase. Here we used a genetic approach to analyze B. cereus G9241 S-layer assembly and function. Variants lacking the csaB gene synthesized SCWP but failed to retain Sap, EA1, and BSLs in the bacterial envelope. The B. cereus G9241 csaB mutant assembled capsular polysaccharides but displayed an increase in chain length relative to the wild-type strain. This phenotype is likely due to its inability to deposit BslO murein hydrolase at divisional septa. During growth under capsule-inducing conditions, B. cereus G9241 assembled BSLs (BslA and BslO) and the Sap S-layer protein, but not EA1, in the envelope. Finally, csaB-mediated assembly of S-layer proteins and BSLs in B. cereus G9241 contributes to the pathogenesis of anthrax-like disease in mice.
The impact of technology strategy on firm performance

This study focuses on the link between research and development (RD and technological strength. The subsequent focus is on the two firm technology measures and firm performance while controlling for firm size and productivity. An empirical test on 49 firms across several industries revealed that the first link was quite weak, possibly caused by the inclusion of much engineering on ongoing operations being included in R&D. However, the overall model results were quite strong, showing that 45% of the variation in firm performance, measured by operating profits, was explained by the comprehensive three-stage model.
Long-term persistence of antibody following immunization of healthcare workers with hepatitis B vaccines

Abstract A group of healthcare workers (HCW) was immunized with hepatitis B vaccine. The serum-derived vaccine was used between 1984 and 1987. Since 1987, two types of recombinant vaccines were used. Antibody response occurred in 92.2–96.2% of HCW who were immunized. For the serum-derived vaccine group, antibody persisted for up to 9 yr of follow-up. For the recombinant vaccine groups, antibody persisted during the follow-up period of up to 6 yr.
Deliberate Language Planning in Environmental Education: A CRT/LatCrit Perspective

In this study, the authors narrate a deliberate language planning experience within the dynamics of the first Project WILD environmental workshop conducted in Spanish. Using critical race theory and critical Latino theory the authors explore ways in which an environmental program can be infused with Latino culture and Spanish language to address the linguistic and cultural make-up of the local audience. It further identifies preservice bilingual teachers’ perceived relevance of this type of efforts and offers recommendations for practice.
The 5-chloro-1-alkoxy-1,2,3-benzotriazole system

The 5-chloro-1-alkoxy-1,2,3-benzotriazole system has been synthesized and characterized via its physical and chemical properties. HMO calculations predict the most reactive sites on the molecule.
the Anggor bowman: ritual and society in Melanesia

Throughout Melanesia, the mobilization of communities focuses on productions which may be broadly classed as “ritual events.” In a significant sense, such events generate society, and structure it according to the conceptual order in which they are grounded. This point of view is illustrated in the analysis of Anggor pig hunting as a ritual event which structures society in a specifically Anggor way; it suggests a comparative sociology of Melanesia grounded in a comparison of mobilizing events rather than of jural norms. [ritual, Melanesia, social organization, hunting, cosmology, Big Men, symbolism]
Effect of prior rice culture on sugarcane yields in Florida

Abstract This study analyzes the effect of prior rice (Oryza sativa L.) culture upon yields of subsequent sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) plant crops in south Florida. Cane crops following rice cultivation were compared with those from nearby fields that were summer fallowed. Information was obtained from producers' records and included geographical location, sugarcane varieties, planting and harvesting dates, and yield data expressed as net tonnes sugarcane per ha, percent sucrose in normal juice and tonne sugar per ha. Ordinary least squares regression was used to derive equations to estimate what was termed the “rice culture effect.” Cane yields showed increases of 17.7 net tonnes millable sugarcane per ha, 0.73% sucrose in normal juice, and 2 tonnes sugar per ha after rice as compared with fallow. This increase represented $376 per ha using figures for the 1983–84 season. The results should prove useful in areas where a crop of rice can be grown in place of a fallow.
Percutaneous Renal Cryoablation : Experience Treating 115 Tumors

Purpose: We determined technical feasibility, safety and short-term outcomes following percutaneous renal cryoablation.Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 115 renal tumors in 110 patients treated with percutaneous cryoablation. Specific attention was directed to tumor characteristics, hospital course, complications, technical success and treatment success based on followup imaging.Results: Mean tumor size was 3.3 cm (range 1.5 to 7.3), including 29 tumors 4.0 cm or larger and 21 tumors in the anterior kidney. Of 90 renal mass biopsies performed 52 (58%) showed renal cell carcinoma. All patients were admitted to the hospital following cryoablation and most (87%) were discharged home the next day (range 1 to 12 days). There were 7 major complications associated with the 113 cryoablation procedures (6%). Technical success was achieved in 112 of the 115 (97%) treated tumors and 3 residual tumors were seen on 3-month followup imaging. There has been no local progression in 80 tumors (...
Efficient Transfection of a Resistant Cell Line-Pheochromocytoma (PC-12)-with Cationic Liposomes 1883

In spite of tremendous potential, gene therapy is limited by low transfection efficiency, short duration of expression, immunogenicity, and potential toxicity. In this investigation, we sought to optimize the expression of the reporter gene for luciferase (Luc) in a refractory cell line-rat adrenal PC12 cells-utilizing the cationic liposome DMRIE-C. The PC12 cell line is an interesting candidate for gene therapy investigations because it has been shown to exhibit a neuronal phenotype following treatment with nerve growth factor. Following stable complex formation of Luc with DMRIE-C, transfections were performed in 24-well plates at sub-confluency in triplicate. Liposome/DNA (L/D) molar ratios from 0.09-0.19 were evaluated at a constant DNA concentration of 55 μM. Luc expression was measured at 24, 48 and 96h post-transfection. Maximal expression was seen at a molar ratio of 0.19 (L/D) 48 hours post-transfection: 7.8 ± 0.8 × 108 molecules/well (mean ± S.D.). Cell toxicity was assessed by visual examination of cells and was quantitated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity assays of cell-free supernatants. LDH was 18 ± 14% (mean± S.D.) above non-liposome treated control wells at optimal expression. We conclude that DMRIE-C is an effective liposome for transfection of PC12 cells, and that the L/D molar ratio of 0.19 is optimal at 48h post-transfection, with the least cellular toxicity. We speculate that this optimized expression in the refractory cell line, PC12, may have implications for in vivo applications, particularly in neural targets.
Differential use of image enhancement techniques by experienced and inexperienced observers.

Full-field digital mammography (FFDM) systems are currently being used to acquire mammograms in digital format, but digital displays are less than ideal compared to traditional film-screen display. Certain physical properties of softcopy displays [e.g., modulation transfer function (MTF)] are less than optimal compared to film. We developed methods to compensate for some of these softcopy display deficiencies, based on careful physical characterization of the displays and image-processing software. A series of 100 FFDM and 60 digitized images was shown to six observers—half experienced (mammographers) and half inexperienced (radiology residents). The observers had to decide if a mass or microcalcification cluster was present and classify it as benign or malignant. A window could be activated that brought the image detail within the window to full resolution and corrected for the nonisotropic MTF of the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display. Experienced readers had better diagnostic performance and took less time to view the images. Experienced readers used window/level more than inexperienced readers, but inexperienced readers used magnification and the MTF compensation tool more often. Use of the magnification and the MTF tool increased reader decision confidence. Experienced and inexperienced readers use image-processing tools differently, with certain tools increasing reader confidence. Understanding how observers use image-processing tools may help in the development of better and more automated user interfaces.
Development of the mesendoderm in the dendrobranchiate shrimp Sicyonia ingentis.

Abstract Dendrobranchiate shrimp embryos form a 4-cell stage that resembles spiralians in its cell contacts, but cleavage proceeds radially without any further evidence of spiralian character. The fates of Sicyonia ingentis mesendoblasts were followed by nuclear staining and confocal microscopy. The dorsal mesendoblast produced yolk-endoderm, which proliferated from the anterior of the embryo to cover the dorsal interior. The ventral mesendoblast divided into the primordial endoblast and a cell that further divided into the primordial mesoteloblast and the primordial germ cell. The primordial endoblast divided into left and right endoblasts, which then underwent two teloblastic divisions, leaving behind two pairs of smaller descendants and the larger endoblasts at the dorsal posterior. The endoblasts then paused in cell division while extensive morphogenesis occurred in the ectoderm to form the naupliar segments. Ectoteloblasts formed at the posterior. The primordial mesoteloblast underwent two asymmetric divisions, synchronously with the endoblasts, to form two small descendants and M2 at the ventral posterior. From 15 to 18 h, M2 divided laterally then dorsal-ventrally to form four descendants. The results extend the cell lineage of S. ingentis from the egg to the nauplius larva, and demonstrate that endoderm forms dorsal to teloblastic mesoderm from an early stage.
Swiper: Exploiting Virtual Machine Vulnerability in Third-Party Clouds with Competition for I/O Resources

The emerging paradigm of cloud computing, e.g., Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), promises a highly flexible yet robust environment for large-scale applications. Ideally, while multiple virtual machines (VM) share the same physical resources (e.g., CPUs, caches, DRAM, and I/O devices), each application should be allocated to an independently managed VM and isolated from one another. Unfortunately, the absence of physical isolation inevitably opens doors to a number of security threats. In this paper, we demonstrate in EC2 a new type of security vulnerability caused by competition between virtual I/O workloads—i.e., by leveraging the competition for shared resources, an adversary could intentionally slow down the execution of a targeted application in a VM that shares the same hardware. In particular, we focus on I/O resources such as hard-drive throughput and/or network bandwidth—which are critical for data-intensive applications. We design and implement Swiper , a framework which uses a carefully designed workload to incur significant delays on the targeted application and VM with minimum cost (i.e., resource consumption). We conduct a comprehensive set of experiments in EC2, which clearly demonstrates that Swiper is capable of significantly slowing down various server applications while consuming a small amount of resources.
An Experimentally Derived Data Set Constructed for Testing Large-Scale DNA Sequence Assembly Algorithms

A data set consisting of DNA sequences from a large-scale shotgun DNA cloning and sequencing project has been collected and posted for public release. The purpose is to propose a standard genomic DNA sequencing data set by which various algorithms and implementations can be tested. This set of data is divided into two subsets, one containing raw DNA sequence data (1023 clones) and the other consisting of the corresponding partially refined or edited DNA sequence data (820 clones). Suggested criteria or guidelines for this data refinement are presented so that algorithms for preprocessing and screening raw sequences may be developed. Development of such preprocessing, screening, aligning, and assembling algorithms will expedite large-scale DNA sequencing projects so that the complete unambiguous consensus DNA sequences will be made available to the general research community in a quicker manner. Smaller scale routine DNA sequencing projects will also be greatly aided by such computational efforts.
Small Spacecraft Software Modeling: A Petri Net-Based Approach

Software design and development often presents a high-risk element during the execution of engineering projects due to the difficulty of identifying defects during late stages of development. Many defects identified during the late stages of small spacecraft development can be avoided by constructing interactive, dynamic models. This process is often followed for hardware fabrication/testing but often not to the same extent for software. An alternative to the typical software development process is needed that enables modeling and simulation feedback at early design stages. Petri nets allow for software visualization, simulation, and verification in a cost-effective way. An alternative software modeling approach using Petri nets is presented to rapidly design, develop, and verify/validate small spacecraft software. Using the presented techniques, the Missouri University of Science and Technology Satellite Research Team successfully demonstrated core functionality of their software system with their Missou...
Radiation recall myositis: two sites, one patient.

A 63 year-old-man presented to his physician with worsening left shoulder and left hip pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the shoulder was concerning for metastatic disease to the left acromion. Biopsy of this lesion revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Positron emission tomography and computed tomography revealed areas of increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in a large pancreatic tail lesion as well as in the thoracic spine, left lung, and left acetabulum. Fine needle aspiration of the pancreatic lesion showed 2 distinct tumor types: adenocarcinoma (TTF-1 negative) and neuroendocrine neoplasm. Further immunostains or tumor markers could not definitively identify the primary origin of the tumor. The patient was evaluated by oncology and was diagnosed with stage IV adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine features of unknown primary (lung vs pancreas) with metastases to the thoracic spine, left acromion, and left acetabulum. Examination of the shoulder revealed fullness of the left acromion and tenderness on palpation. The left hip was uncomfortable although he could ambulate. His pain was managed adequately with multiple opioids. The left hip and left acromion were treated with palliative intent radiation therapy (RT) to 30 Gy in 10 daily
How did we get here? An early history of forestry lidar1

Functioning lasers were first demonstrated in 1960 in the United States and in 1961 in Canada and in the Soviet Union, but research into the use of lasers as forest measurement tools did not begin for another 15 years. Initially, with respect to Earth resources, lasers were employed to measure sea ice surface roughness, to make near-shore bathymetric measurements, to penetrate forests to make detailed topographic measurements, and to fluoresce oceanic phytoplankton for surface current studies. Some of these early studies noted that forest profiles were evident but in fact added noise to topographic retrievals. As early as 1964, researchers noted vegetation returns acquired using an airborne helium–neon (He–Ne), 0.63 μm, continuous wave (CW) laser. A decade and many airborne studies later, scientists with TRANARG, a mapping and surveying company in Caracas, Venezuela, reported on flights undertaken in 1976 that utilized a He–Ne lidar to collect over 11000 km of lidar profiles, spaced 1.5 km apart, to const...
“Under the Radar”: Undocumented Immigrants, Christian Faith Communities, and the Precarious Spaces of Welcome in the U.S. South

This article examines the limits of welcome that Christian communities of faith in the U.S. South extend to recent immigrants. We argue that churches are political spaces in which pastors and lay m...
Interactions of basement membrane components

Abstract The binding of laminin, type IV collagen, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan to each other was assessed. Laminin binds preferentially to native type IV (basement membrane) collagen over other collagens. A fragment of laminin (Mr 600 000) containing the three short chains (Mr 200 000) but lacking the long chain Mr 400 000) showed the same affinity for type IV collagen as the intact protein. The heparan sulfate proteoglycan binds well to laminin and to type IV collagen. These studies show that laminin, type IV collagen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan interact with each other. Such interactions in situ may determine the structure of basement membranes.
The Clinical Nurse Specialist as Expert Practitioner in the Obstetrical/Gynecological Setting

The role of the advanced practice nurse (APN) continues to evolve in specialty areas while healthcare systems seek solutions to issues of cost-containment, equity in access, and quality care. APNs have a significant role in facilitating the positive outcomes of clients utilized as measurable indicat
Using channel state feedback to achieve resilience to deep fades in wireless networked control systems

Wireless networked control systems (WNCS) consist of several dynamical systems that exchange information over a wireless radio (RF) communication network. These RF networks are subject to deep fades where the effective link throughput drops precipitously. Deep fading negatively impacts WNCS performance and stability, but in many applications the probability of a deep fade is a function of the system state. This suggests that one can use channel state information (CSI) as a feedback signal to recover some of the performance lost. This paper derives necessary and sufficient conditions for the almost sure stability of WNCS in the presence of deep fading. These conditions relate the channel's state to the WNCS's convergence rate. This paper uses this fact to reconfigure WNCS controllers to recover system performance in the presence of such fades. The results are illustrated using a leader-follower scenario found in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) applications.
Enhancing Downlink Performance in Wireless Networks by Simultaneous Multiple Packet Transmission

In this paper, we consider using simultaneous Multiple Packet Transmission (MPT) to improve the downlink performance of wireless networks. With MPT, the sender can send two compatible packets simultaneously to two distinct receivers and can double the throughput in the ideal case. We formalize the problem of finding a schedule to send out buffered packets in minimum time as finding a maximum matching problem in a graph. Since maximum matching algorithms are relatively complex and may not meet the timing requirements of real-time applications, we give a fast approximation algorithm that is capable of finding a matching at least 3/4 of the size of a maximum matching in O(|E|) time, where |E| is the number of edges in the graph. We also give analytical bounds for maximum allowable arrival rate, which measures the speedup of the downlink after enhanced with MPT, and our results show that the maximum arrival rate increases significantly even with a very small compatibility probability. We also use an approximate analytical model and simulations to study the average packet delay, and our results show that packet delay can be greatly reduced even with a very small compatibility probability.
General and specific cognitive dysfunctions in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Alzheimer's disease (AD) on general and specific neuropsychological function. Thirty-five subjects diagnosed with AD were compared to 30 medically normal aging control subjects using measures from the Halstead-Reitan Battery (HRB). All AD subjects were classified as “probable” AD (NINCDS-ADRDA) and found to be in the “late confusional” to “early dementia” stages of the disease (Global Deterioration Scale, GDS = 4–5). The AD group performed significantly worse than the controls on all measures of general neuropsychological function and almost all measures of specific functions. However, no differences were found between groups on motor abilities or many simple sensory functions. The findings demonstrate dramatic brain-behavior changes involving both general and specific cognitive functions which go beyond memory dysfunction even in the earlier stages of the disease. The neuropsychological pattern found may be the basis of a useful clinical-behavioral AD pattern in the earlier stages of the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Resting Trap: A Novel Device for Collecting Resting Mosquitoes

Commercially available wood-fiber pots used to collect resting mosquitoes were modified to improve sampling efficiency. The modified traps, called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resting traps, collected 16.0 and 5.2 times more adult Culex pipiens and Cx. tarsalis than the conventional wood-fiber pots. The resting trap increases the mean number of resting mosquitoes collected per trap-night and is useful for collecting blood-engorged mosquitoes.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON CULTURAL HOMOGENEITY, CONSENSUS, AND THE DIFFUSION OF NEW IDEAS

A view of communication technologies as creating artificial agents and affecting the information-processing capabilities of agents is forwarded The constructural theory is adapted to account for agents varying in their information-processing capabilities and, hence, to account for technology. Given this theoretical modification, the constructural model is used to examine the impact of different communication technologies and sociocultural landscapes on the rate at which information diffuses and the time it takes for the society to reach cultural homogeneity and consensus. The findings suggest that as the available communication technologies change, the role of the sociocultural landscape in effecting social change varies. Paradoxically, this research suggests that mass-communication technologies that enable greater competition among messages and greater message complexity will enable faster information diffusion than will those technologies that inhibit competition and message complexity.
Subclavian Catheter Infections

We retrospectively studied subclavian catheter infection rates involving 481 patients from October 1983 to September 1985. Over this period of time 496 subclavian catheters including 252 single lumen catheters (SLC) and 244 triple lumen catheters (TLC) were inserted. These studies involved all catheters inserted during the 24-month period. The Methodist Hospital IV Team regularly cared for and recorded catheter-related problems. Charts were then retrospectively reviewed and data accumulated. The incidence of catheter tip infections in SLC was 4/248 (1.6%) compared to an incidence of 12/232 (4.9%) for TLC, p = 0.065. There was no significant difference between the incidence of infections at the insertion site of TLCs, 1/243 and SLCs, 1/251. We believe that the increase in catheter-related infections in the TLC is related to the increased utilization afforded by the multiple injection ports. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition12:511-512, 1988)
Performance of a bench-scale membrane pilot plant for the upgrading of biogas in a wastewater treatment plant

Abstract A bench-scale membrane pilot plant for upgrading biogas generated at a municipal wastewater treatment plant was constructed and operated for extended periods of time. The raw biogas was available at 45–60 psia (3.1–4.1 bar) and contained 62.6 mol% CH 4 , the balance being mainly CO 2 and a large number of organic impurities. The operation of the pilot plant was tested with two identical hollow-fiber modules for periods of over 1000 h (41 days) with each module. One of the hollow-fiber modules was tested at an average pressure of about 525 psia (36 bar) and at stage-cuts of 0.34–0.41, and the other module at about 423 psia (29 bar) and at stage-cuts of 0.36–0.39. The flow rates of the biogas feed were 30–36 ft 3 /h (2.4×10 −4 –2.8×10 −4 m 3 /s) and 21–24 ft 3 /h (1.7×10 −4 –1.9×10 −4 m 3 /s), respectively. The CH 4 concentration in the retentate stream (the upgraded biogas) was raised in these tests to 92–95 mol% CH 4 . The performance of the pilot plant was stable over the entire test periods. An even higher CH 4 concentration of 97 mol% was reached in short-term tests at a stage-cut of 0.46. The raw biogas had to be pretreated to prevent the condensation of organic impurities which tended to dissolve the hollow fibers. Upgraded biogas containing over 90 mol% CH 4 produced in a large-scale membrane separation plant could be used for the generation of electricity. At the same time, the permeate (waste) stream would contain over 15 mol% CH 4 and could be used for heating applications.
Proton polarization in p-3He elastic scattering between 4 and 11 MeV

Abstract The polarized proton beam from the Wisconsin tandem accelerator has been used to measure the proton polarization in p- 3 He elastic scattering at five energies between 4 and 11 MeV in the angular range θ c.m. = 24°–156°. A phase-shift analysis of all available data between 1 and 11 MeV has been performed. A broad solution region has been found which includes solutions found earlier by Tombrello 1 ) and Drigo et al. 2 )
Enolization regioselectivity involving stereoisomeric 4a-methyl-5-methoxyperhydrobenzo[7]annulen-2-ones.

Efficient synthetic routes to the four isomers 17b−20b of the title ketone are described. Entry begins from the Wieland−Miescher homologue 3 whose pair of carbonyl groups are amenable to regiochemical manipulation. The compositions of the reaction mixtures generated under kinetic or thermodynamic control were defined by 1H NMR analysis subsequent to chromatographic purification. The regiochemical trends are correlated with B3LYP/6-31G* calculations, the results of which conform to the preferred introduction of a 1,2- or 2,3-double bond.
Effect of temperature and nutrient manipulations on eelgrass Zostera marina L. from the Pacific Northwest, USA

Abstract Global climate change will impact the three dominate drivers of estuarine seagrass productivity, temperature, light and nutrients. The response of Pacific Northwest (PNW) Z. marina to interactive effects of temperature and nitrogen conditions was experimentally evaluated. Experimental manipulations were conducted hydroponically in acrylic chambers. Preliminary single factor experiments were conducted to evaluate physiological tolerances to temperature and nitrogen concentrations. Eelgrass exhibited a statistically significant linear increase in relative growth with increasing NH 4 concentration (range from 5 to 1000 μM); in contrast, there was no relationship between relative growth rate and increasing NO 3 concentration. After 14 d there were no indications of plant mortality associated with NH 4 or NO 3 . Leaf growth metrics exhibited strong statistically significant linear relationships with increasing water temperature (temperature range 4–25 °C), indicating broad thermal tolerance. In the factorial experiment, triplicate plants were exposed to 3 temperatures (10, 18 and 25 °C) and 3 nitrate concentrations (10, 30 and 100 μM). Most metrics (leaf elongation, growth, relative growth, wasting index) exhibited a statistically significant temperature effect but no nutrient concentration effect, indicating the importance of temperature on metabolic rates. Plants at 18 and 25 °C had significantly more wasting disease than plants at 10 °C. Tissue δ 15 N and C:N values exhibited significant nutrient concentration and temperature effects, indicating that both factors influenced how much NO 3 was incorporated into the tissues. Whole plant non structural carbohydrate content exhibited no significant response to either temperature or nitrate concentration. Temperature played a dominant role controlling Z. marina response to nutrients; nitrogen toxicity was not observed, and in general the effects of temperature and nutrients were not synergistic. This work highlights the complex nature of Z. marina response to environmental conditions; additional multifactor experiments will be required to tease apart these interactions.
Characteristic and ultrarealtime languages

A language L is called characteristic for a given abstract family of automata if the least AFL containing L can be defined by placing restrictions on the given machine representation. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a language to be characteristic. It is shown that there are subAFLs of the family of context-free languages not definable by any restrictions on pushdown store automata.
The binding of lac repressor and the catabolite gene activator protein to halogen-substituted analogues of poly[d(A-T)]

Abstract We have measured the binding of two regulatory proteins to the complete halogen-substituted series of poly[d(A-T)] analogues. Both the lac repressor and the catabolite gene activator protein were found to bind more strongly to all of the halogen-substituted DNAs than they do to poly[d(A-T)]. For both proteins, the order of binding preference is poly[d(A-ioU)] > poly[d(A-brU)] ⩾ poly[d(A-clU)] > poly[d(A-flU)] > poly[d(A-T)]. Quantitative data on the binding of these proteins to poly[d(A-U)] is also given. The significance of these results for the mechanism of protein-DNA interaction is discussed. This is the first report that an activator protein binds more strongly to a halogen-substituted DNA; we discuss this result with regard to the mechanism of action of bromodeoxyruidine and other halogen-substituted base analogues on the inhibition and induction of differentiation in eucaryotic cells.
Height differences and the associations between food insecurity, percentage body fat and BMI among men and women

Objective: The present study examined the associations between adult food insecurity (FI) and percentage body fat (%BF) and BMI, stratified by height (HT). Design, setting and subjects: %BF, HT and BMI of 2117 men and 1909 women in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 were analysed in relation to adult food security status using multiple regression procedures. Results: Compared with the fully food-secure, men's %BF, BMI and HT were lower as FI intensified. Marginal food security among women was associated with 1·3 cm shorter HT, P= 0·016. Marginal food security among women who were below median HT was associated with about 2·0 kg/m 2 higher BMI, P = 0·042. %BF was not associated with FI among women. Conclusions: FI is associated with shorter HT and lower %BF and BMI in men. Women's HT should be considered in the reported associations between FI and higher BMI.
Differential regulation of Pyk2 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK): The C- terminal domain of FAK confers response to cell adhesion

Pyk2 is a recently described cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase that is related to focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and can be activated by a variety of stimuli that elevate intracellular calcium. In this report, we showed that Pyk2 and FAK tyrosine phosphorylation are regulated differentially by integrin-mediated cell adhesion and soluble factors both in rat aortic smooth muscle cells, which express endogenous Pyk2 and FAK, and in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. We also found that Pyk2 is diffusely present throughout the cytoplasm, while FAK is localized in focal contacts as expected, suggesting that the different localization may account for their differential regulation. By analyzing a chimeric protein contain N-terminal and kinase domains of Pyk2 and C-terminal domain of FAK, we provided evidence that the distinctive C-terminal domains of Pyk2 and FAK were responsible for their differential regulation by integrins and soluble stimuli as well as their subcellular localization. Finally, we correlated FAK, Pyk2, and the chimeric protein binding to talin, but not paxillin, with their regulation by integrins and focal contact localization. These results demonstrate that the distinctive C-terminal domain of Pyk2 and FAK confer their differential regulation by different subcellular localization and association with the cytoskeletal protein talin.
Nuclear Ca++-influx, Ca++/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase IV Activity and CREB Protein Phosphorylation during Post-Hypoxic Reoxygenation in Neuronal Nuclei of Newborn Piglets: The Role of Nitric Oxide

The present study tests the hypothesis that post-hypoxic reoxygenation results in an nitric oxide (NO)-mediated increase in nuclear Ca++-influx, increased calmodulin kinase (CaM kinase) IV activity, and increased Ser133 phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding (CREB) protein in neuronal nuclei of the cerebral cortex of newborn piglets. Piglets were divided into normoxic (Nx), hypoxic (Hx, FiO2 = 0.07 for 1 h), hypoxic with 6 h reoxygenation (Hx + reox), and Hx + reox injected with 7-nitroindazole sodium salt (7-NINA), a nNOS inhibitor, immediately after hypoxia (Hx + 7-NINA). Cerebral tissue hypoxia was documented by ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) levels. Nuclear Ca++-influx was determined using 45Ca++ and CaM kinase IV activity determined by 33P-incorporation into syntide-2. Ser133 phosphorylation of CREB protein was determined by Western blot analysis using a specific anti-phosphorylated Ser133-CREB protein antibody. ATP and PCr values in Hx, Hx + reox, and Hx + 7-NINA were significantly different from Nx (P < 0.05 versus Nx). Ca++-influx (pmoles/mg protein/min) was 3.79 ± 0.91 in Nx; 11.81 ± 2.54 in Hx (P < 0.05 versus Nx), 16.55 ± 3.55 in Hx + reox (P < 0.05 versus Nx), and 12.40 ± 2.93 in Hx + 7-NINA (P = NS versus Hx). CaM kinase IV activity (pmoles/mg protein/min) was 1,220 ± 76 in Nx, 2,403 ± 254 in Hx (P < 0.05 versus Nx), 1,971 ± 147 in Hx + reox (P < 0.05 versus Hx), and 1,939 ± 125 Hx + 7-NINA (P < 0.05 versus Hx). Ser133 phosphorylated CREB protein expression (OD × mm2) was 87 ± 2 in Nx, 203 ± 24 in Hx (P < 0.05 versus Nx), 186 ± 23 in Hx + reox (P < 0.05 Nx, P = NS versus Hx), and 128 ± 10 in Hx + 7-NINA (P < 0.05 versus Hx and Hx + reox). The results show that post-Hx administration of 7-NINA prevents the increased nuclear Ca++-influx and CREB protein phosphorylation at Ser133 during reox. We conclude that post-Hx increase in nuclear Ca++-influx leading to increased phosphorylation of CREB protein is mediated by NO derived from nNOS. However, hypoxia-induced increase in CaM Kinase IV activity decreased during the post-Hx reox. We propose that hypoxia-induced increase in CaM Kinase IV activity leads to increased phosphorylation of CREB protein and transcription of proapoptotic genes during post-Hx reox resulting in Hx neuronal death.
Effect of stress deprivation and cyclic tensile loading on the material and morphologic properties of canine flexor digitorum profundus tendon: An in vitro study

The effect of stress deprivation and cyclic tensile loading on the mechanical and histologic properties of the canine flexor digitorum profundus tendon was examined using an in vitro system. Stress deprivation resulted in a progressive and statistically significant decrease in the tensile modulus over an 8-week period. Histologically, stress-deprived tendons demonstrated quantitative changes in the morphology and number of cells and in the alignment of collagen. The change in tensile properties was not associated with an alteration in the water content of the tissue, but the change appeared to be dependent on the presence of a viable cell population. Dead (acellular) tendons did not undergo any alteration in tensile modulus in this in vitro system. In vitro cyclic tensile loading of tendons over a 4-week time period resulted in a significant increase in the tensile modulus (93% of the control) compared with that of the stress-deprived tendons (68% of the control). This loading regimen also maintained the normal histologic pattern of the tendons. The results of this study are similar to those previously reported for in vivo studies and suggest that this in vitro model may represent a valid system with which to test the effects of various stress conditions on the tensile properties of tissues.
Interference effects in a photonic crystal cavity

We investigate quantum interference and classical interference effects when a three-level system interacts with both a cavity field mode and an external driving field mode, within the confines of a photonic crystal material. In freespace, we found that under certain circumstances the cavity field evolves to be equal in magnitude to, but 180° out-of- phase with the external pump field when the pump field frequency equals the cavity frequency. The better the cavity, the quicker this build-up occurs. When the cavity field reaches this out-of-phase condition, the resonance fluorescence from the atom in the cavity goes to zero. This is a purely classical interference effect between the two out-of-phase fields, with the resonance fluorescence going to zero at the same time as the two excited state populations go to zero. This is quite different from the quantum interference that occurs under the right circumstances, when the state populations are coherently driven into a linear combination that is decoupled from any applied field - and population is trapped in the excited states, thus allowing for a population inversion and an amplification of incoming optical signals. In this paper, we investigate the additional effects due to the presence of the altered photon density of states in a photonic crystal.