cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of human estrogen-inducible transcripts that potentially mediate the apoptotic response in breast cancer

Hormone manipulation has been used for several decades with the purpose of inducing breast cancer regression. On the one hand, hormone ablation and antiestrogen administration were used on the rationale that estrogens induce proliferation of their target cells. Before the advent of the antiestrogen tamoxifen, on the other hand, the estrogen agonist DES was used to obtain clinical remissions. The rationale for the use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) was totally empirical. In fact, the efficacy of both treatments was comparable. A mechanistic explanation for estrogen-induced regression is urgently needed in order to provide a rationale for its use in therapeutic fields, and to develop markers to identify this phenotype in order to recognize responsive tumors. In this report, we use E8CASS cells (a MCF7 variant) as a model to study estrogen-mediated regression. The proliferation rate of E8CASS cells is decreased by estrogens. In order to isolate mRNA sequences induced by estradiol, a subtracted library was prepared from E8CASS cells grown in the presence and absence of estrogens. Twenty nine differentially expressed unique sequences were found. Seven of them were homologous to known genes, 12 of them were homologous to expressed sequence tags (EST), and 10 sequences had no homologues in the databases. The two sequences showing the highest induction by estradiol (E9 and E43) were chosen for further analysis. The sequence of the E43 coding region has 96% homology to the bovine actin2 gene and 100% identity to bovine actin2 protein, and it is homologous to the human actin-related protein 3 (Arp3). It has been suggested that Arp3 is involved in actin nucleation. The phenotype of E8CASS cells is clearly affected by estrogen treatment. It is likely that E43 may be involved in these morphological changes. The E9 cDNA is a putative zinc-finger protein of the PHD family of transcriptional transactivators. A member of this family, Requiem, is involved in apoptosis. The E9 mRNA is highly expressed in E8CASS cells treated with estrogens, a treatment which results in decreased proliferation rate and increased DNA degradation. This correlation suggests that E9 may be a mediator of estrogen-induced regression of breast cancer.
Design of a network interface unit for a picture archiving and communication system network operating at 200-500 Mbps

A description is given of the design of a network interface unit (NIU) for a third-generation picture archiving and communication system (PACS) network called PACnet. PACnet is designed to operate at a data throughput rate of between 200 and 500 Mb/s. This PACS network is a dual fiber-optic ring which integrates voice, data, and image communications. The NIU allows uniform access to the network. At each node in the PACS network, an NIU implements the data-link-layer and the physical-layer protocols. The design is simulated using the hardware description language VHDL. Also, the high-speed digital technologies needed to realize the NIU are discussed. >
Thermoplastic fibre coatings enhance composite strength and toughness

Abstract The strength and toughness of graphite fibre epoxy composites are simultaneously improved by coating the fibres with thermoplastic bonding control layers. Unlike other concepts which have provided increased toughness at the expense of strength, this concept does not require such a trade-off for the laminates of graphite fibre epoxy composites that were tested where polysulfone thermoplastic fibre coatings were used.
THE USE OF LATENT PARTITION ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY HOMOGENEITY OF AN ITEM POPULATION

The purpose of this study is to suggest latent partition analysis (Wiley, 1967) as a means of empirically demonstrating the conceptual homogeneity of an item population. Throughout the psychometric literature, there is general agreement that homogeneity would be a desirable characteristic of an item population. However, the question of exactly what homogeneity should mean or how it should be measured has never been resolved.
The simulation of gasoline queuing

Lines at gasoline service stations have become a fre quent phenomenon in many countries. When lines occur, drivers demand immediate action but government and oil company officials are uncertain about what steps to take. The Battelle event-structured simulation model GASQUE is designed to show which policies are most effective in reducing the length of lines and the amount of time spent in lines.GASQUE simulates the interaction of 1 500 automobiles and three stations. Many parameters of the model are selected from distributions over time of day, day of week, or the 1 500 automobiles. Such parameters in clude purchase decision levels, consumption rates, driver availabilities, tank sizes, and station hours. The model also permits the simulation of end-user allocation plans such as assigning purchase days by automobile license number (e.g., the so-called odd- even plans). Output from the model includes statis tics such as average line length and average number of hours spent in line per week.The application o...
Opacity Reduction Using Dry Hydrated Lime Injection

Abstract This investigation studied the effects of injecting dry hydrated lime into flue gas to reduce sulfur trioxide, (SO3) concentrations and consequently stack opacity at the University of Missouri-Columbia power plant. The opacity was due to sulf uric acid mist forming at the stack from high SO3 concentrations. As a result of light scattering by the mist, a visible plume leaves the stack. Therefore, reducing high concentrations of SO3 reduces the sulfuric acid mist and consequently the opacity. To reduce SO3 concentrations, dry hydrated lime is periodically injected into the flue gas upstream of a baghouse and downstream of an induced draft fan. The hydrated lime is transported downstream by the flue gas and deposited on the filter bags in the baghouse forming a filter cake. The reaction between the SO3 and the hydrated lime takes place on the filter bags. The hydrated lime injection system has resulted in at least 95% reduction in the SO3 concentration and has reduced the opacity to acceptable limit...
Characterization of a very low-cost silicon cathode-zinc electrolyte solar cell

This work presents implementation and characterization of a very low cost photo-electro-chemical (PEC) solar cell consisting of a p-type silicon photo-cathode and a zinc counter electrode immersed in a zinc (II) electrolyte. The cell operates based on the semiconductor-electrolyte junction eliminating the need for PN junction formation, hence providing a very low cost alternative for solar power generation. While photo corrosion is a serious issue for n-type silicon electrodes operating as photo-anodes, using p-type silicon acting as photo-cathode helps significantly reduce electrode corrosion and improve the electrode stability and lifetime. Output currents as high as 108 mA, voltages as high as 0.8V, and maximum power of 45.5mW have been measured for the p-Si/Zn photocell with 10cm2 silicon electrode area (4.54% conversion efficiency). After running the cell for 180 hours under 1 sun illumination, only minimal electrode corrosion in isolated spots on the surface was observed.
Optimized video decoder architecture for TMS320C64x DSP generation

The TMS320C64x DSP is a generation of high-speed DSPs with a rich instruction set and an efficient memory system for multimedia processing. Digital video decoding is one of the key applications in multimedia processing. It is a computationally intensive application, which requires high bandwidth to external memory and an efficient DMA engine. Reference models for video decoders typically follow a simple data flow that operates sequentially on one macroblock (MB) at a time. This structure leads to inefficiencies in real-time implementations including less than optimal utilization of program caches and DMA bandwidth. These issues become more significant with high-performance devices like the C64x DSP because the CPU efficiency and high-clock rate allow the core processing to occur much faster than on other processors. At the same time, the bandwidth to external memory has not increased at the same rate as the processing performance. This can lead the performance bottleneck to be I/O bandwidth instead of processing unless the system data flow is carefully designed. This paper describes an optimized flow for MPEG-2 decoding, which processes multiple blocks at a time to obtain optimum cache performance and DMA bandwidth efficiency. With this approach, system overhead is reduced from as high as 100% for worst-case B frames with the conventional flow to less than 20%.
MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF ANAGRUS GIRAULTI CRAWFORD (HYMENOPTERA: MYMARIDAE) REARED FROM EGGS OF THREE DIFFERENT CICADELLID HOSTS

Morphometric analysis was studied on the measurements of the forewings, ovipositor, hind tibia, and antenna of female Anagrus giraulti Crawford reared from the following hosts: Circulifer tenellus Baker, Empoasca fabae (Harris), and Scaphytopius nitridus (DeLong). Results showed that A . giraulti emerging from E . fabae had significantly shorter antennal segments, ovipositor, and tibia III than those reared from the other two host species. Host eggs of C . tenellus produced female A . giraulti with significantly longer wing lengths than did the other two species and wider wing widths than did E . fabae .
Issues in fitting theoretical and measurement models in marketing

Abstract This article reviews the applications of linear structural equation modeling in business. It further examines the extent to which measurement models are constructed to fit theory models. The consensus appears to be that modelers intuitively use congeneric models without considering the appropriateness of such use. The other measurement models, such as tau equivalent or parallel form models are used very little in the literature. In addition, there is no use of common factor measurement models. The article also examines the extent to which various indices of fit are used in modeling marketing phenomena. Although chi square tests of model fit are used most frequently, the study documents increasing use of yet other indices, which perhaps more accurately reflect the extent to which the model fits.
Active vibration suppression of a flexible beam with piezoceramic patches using robust model reference control

This paper presents a novel approach to active vibration suppression of a flexible beam with piezoceramic sensor and actuator. This approach employs a robust model reference controller which has the ability to handle model uncertainties. The proposed controller ensures effective active vibration suppression of the flexible beam by dramatically increasing its damping. Asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed as proved by Lyapunov's direct method. To demonstrate the controller's effectiveness in active vibration control and its robustness to model uncertainties, experiments, including varying the mass of the flexible beams, are conducted. Experiments show that the robust model reference control achieves rapid vibration suppression even in the presence of uncertain model parameters.
Geometric foundation for monopoles.

It is shown that in a space-time with vector and axial-vector torsion, the field equations for torsion are equivalent to those of electromagnetism with magnetic monopoles. It is also shown that in the limit that only one kind of charge exists, then the equation of motion is given by the usual Lorentz form, and the entire theory reduces to exactly that of the Einstein-Maxwell theory of electro-magnetism and gravitation. However, for the more general case with two kinds of charge it is shown that the different charges do not interact. Finally, an exact Reissner-Nordstrom-type solution to the field equations is presented.
Serum free fatty acid levels in PCOS patients treated with glucophage, magnesium oxide and spironolactone.

AbstractTo assess the effect of glucophage, magnesium oxide and spironolactone in altering free fatty acids (FFAs), 36 PCOS women were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (n = 14) was treated with 500 mg glucophage po bid, group 2 (n = 10) was treated with 400 mg magnesium oxide po bid and group 3 (n = 12) was treated with 50 mg spironolactone po bid for 12 weeks. A glucose tolerance test with 75 g glucose load was performed before and after treatment, collecting blood at 0, 1 and 2 h for insulin, glucose, FFA and aldosterone. Amount of FFA before and after treatment were compared by repeated measure ANOVA and represented as area under the curve. FFA levels before treatment were 0.83 ± 0.23, 0.77 ± 0.15 and 0.85 ± 0.28 and after treatment were 0.77 ± 0.48, 0.71 ± 0.18 and 0.66 ± 0.25 for glucophage, magnesium oxide and spironolactone-treated patients, respectively. The FFA levels were unchanged in the groups treated with glucophage and magnesium oxide but were significantly (p < 0.03) decreased in...
Direct electron detection yields cryo-EM reconstructions at resolutions beyond 3/4 Nyquist frequency

One limitation in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) is the inability to recover high-resolution signal from the image-recording media at the full-resolution limit of the transmission electron microscope. Direct electron detection using CMOS-based sensors for digitally recording images has the potential to alleviate this shortcoming. Here, we report a practical performance evaluation of a Direct Detection Device (DDD®) for biological cryo-EM at two different microscope voltages: 200 and 300 kV. Our DDD images of amorphous and graphitized carbon show strong per-pixel contrast with image resolution near the theoretical sampling limit of the data. Single-particle reconstructions of two frozen-hydrated bacteriophages, P22 and e15, establish that the DDD is capable of recording usable signal for 3D reconstructions at about 4/5 of the Nyquist frequency, which is a vast improvement over the performance of conventional imaging media. We anticipate the unparalleled performance of this digital recording device will dramatically benefit cryo-EM for routine tomographic and single-particle structural determination of biological specimens.
Welcome to the Math Book Club: A New Approach to Integrating Mathematics, Reading, and Writing.

ABSTRACT This article describes a reading and writing project designed for an undergraduate survey course in mathematics. For the Math Book Club, students in groups of four read and discuss one of six books related to mathematics and the history of mathematics. As part of the assignment, students take turns developing discussion questions and summarizing each meeting's main themes. Through the Math Book Club, students are not only exposed to books that they do not typically peruse at the bookstore, but they are also encouraged to reflect upon and share their thoughts about major ideas that have shaped the history of mathematics.
Update on nonallergic rhinitis.

Background Although nonallergic rhinitis is a well recognized entity, its incidence and therapy have not been definitively studied. Recent epidemiologic studies and treatment trials have furthered our knowledge regarding the frequency of occurrence of this disorder and effective treatment modalities. Objective To review and put into perspective recent advances in our knowledge regarding the incidence and significance as well as therapy of chronic nonallergic rhinitis. In addition, based upon these data, to propose a classification of this disorder. Data Sources: The MEDLINE database and the results of a national survey of allergists (National Rhinitis Task Force) conducted in 15 allergy practices involving 975 patients. Conclusions Nonallergic rhinitis is a common disease that probably affects as many as 17 million Americans. Of equal importance is that, based on available data, approximately 22 million people suffer with a combination of nonallergic rhinitis and allergic diseases (mixed rhinitis). Both nonallergic and mixed rhinitis occur more frequently in adults than in children, may be more common in female patients than in male patients, and are more likely to be perennial than seasonal. Agents demonstrating efficacy (based on controlled trials or having approval by the FDA) for the therapy of nonallergic rhinitis are azelastine and topical nasal steroids.
Model diagnostics for marginal regression analysis of correlated binary data

We propose several diagnostic methods for checking the adequacy of marginal regression models for analyzing correlated binary data. We use a parametric marginal model based on latent variables and derive the projection (hat) matrix, Cook's distance, various residuals and Mahalanobis distance between the observed binary responses and the estimated probabilities for a cluster. Emphasized are several graphical methods including the simulated Q-Q plot, the half-normal probability plot with a simulated envelope, and the partial residual plot. The methods are illustrated with a real life example.
Diffuse reflecting material for integrating cavity spectroscopy, including ring-down spectroscopy.

We report the development of a diffuse reflecting material with measured reflectivity values as high as 0.99919 at 532 nm and 0.99686 at 266 nm. This material is a high-purity fumed silica, or quartz powder, with particle sizes on the order of 40 nm. We demonstrate that this material can be used to produce surfaces with nearly Lambertian behavior, which in turn can be used to form the inner walls of high-reflectivity integrating cavities. Light reflecting off such a surface penetrates into the material. This means there will be an effective “wall time” for each reflection off the walls in an integrating cavity. We measure this wall time and show that it can be on the order of several picoseconds. Finally, we introduce a technique for absorption spectroscopy in an integrating cavity based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy. We call this technique integrating cavity ring-down spectroscopy.
Dipeptide-hydroxamates are good inhibitors of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme☆

Abstract The inhibition constants (Ki) and modes of inhibition have been determined for a series of dipeptide-hydroxamate compounds with bovine lung parenchyma angiotensin I-converting enzyme (peptidyldipeptide carboxy-hydrolase, E.C. 3.4. 15.1). The hydroxamido function was borne by aspartic, glutamic, or aminoadipic acid and extended by 2, 3 or 4 bond lengths from the proline amide bond. L-glu(NHOH)-L-pro (Ki = 3.4 μM) and D,L-aminoadipicyl(NHOH)-L-pro(Ki = 1.2 μM) were the best competitive inhibitors of the hydrolysis of benzoyl-gly-his-gly but were not effective as affinity ligands for purification of the enzyme.
High-voltage pulsed current: Its influence on diameters of histamine-dilated arterioles in hamster cheek pouches

Abstract Results from five independent studies from our laboratory indicate that cathodal high-voltage pulsed current (HVPC) significantly curbs posttraumatic edema formation in several animal models. Conversely, anodal HVPC did not curb edema formation. The mechanism by which HVPC reduces edema formation is unknown. We hypothesize that HVPC causes a decrease in local blood flow by active vasoconstriction of arterioles. Because we had previously observed positive effects with cathodal HVPC but not anodal HVPC, we further hypothesized that cathodal but not anodal HVPC would reduce diameters of histamine-dilated arterioles. Changes in diameters of resistance arterioles (5 to 30 μ m internal diameter) were measured directly in cheek pouches of anesthetized hamsters, using in vivo video microscopy. Three minutes after superfusion with the inflammatory mediator (histamine) was begun, sensory-level HVPC at 120pps was applied concurrently for 30 minutes. Five animals received cathodal HVPC and five received anodal HVPC. Four other animals received 30-minute treatments of both cathodal and anodal HVPC in random order. Three control animals received histamine without HVPC for 30 minutes. Diameter changes of one arteriole from each cheek pouch was measured every 20 seconds throughout the treatment period. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures showed that diameters of histamine-dilated controls varied little over 30 minutes, and that adding cathodal HVPC did not significantly alter diameters of arterioles superfused with histamine. However, applying anodal HVPC to histamine-dilated arterioles significantly reduced arteriolar diameters. These results do not support the hypothesis that cathodal HVPC curbs edema formation by increasing arteriolar tone in the injured area.
Resonant scattering by a harbor with two coupled basins

A harbor with two coupled rectangular basins is subjected to periodic incident waves. Ignoring friction the scattering problem is solved by the method of matched asymptotics for narrow junctions. The example of two identical basins is analyzed in detail for the resonant spectrum and response. It is shown that for certain modes the inner basin is less shielded.
Acculturation, alcohol consumption, and AIDS‐related risky sexual behavior among African American men

The present study examined the relationship between acculturation, alcohol consumption, and AIDS-related risky sexual behavior in a national probability sample of 338 African American men. Results indicated that acculturation did serve as an indicator of AIDS-related risk: Men at low and moderate levels of acculturation were more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than were their more highly acculturated counterparts. In addition, interaction effects pointed to groups of high acculturated men—single men and heavy drinkers—who also were likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Findings from the study suggest that effective AIDS prevention messages should be tailored to high-risk groups within specific cultural and ethnic populations and that risk may differ by level of acculturation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Photobiology of Phytochrome-Mediated Growth Responses in Sections of Stem Tissue from Etiolated Oats and Corn

The far-red reversibility of the phytochrome-controlled stimulation of elongation of coleoptile sections by low fluence red light has been characterized in subapical coleoptile sections from dark-grown Avena sativa L., cv Lodi seedlings. The fluence dependence of the far-red reversal was the same whether or not the very low fluence response is also expressed. The capacity of far-red light to reverse the red light-induced response began to decline if the far-red light was given more than 90 minutes after the red irradiation. Escape was complete if the far red irradiation was given more than 240 minutes after the red irradiation. Sections consisting of both mesocotyl and coleoptile tissue from dark-grown Avena seedlings were found to have physiological regulation of the very low fluence response by indole 3-acetic acid and low external pH similar to that seen for sections consisting entirely of coleoptile tissue. The fluence-dependence of the red light-induced inhibition of mesocotyl elongation was studied in mesocotyl sections from dark grown Zea mays L. hybrid T-929 seedlings. Ten micromolar indole 3-acetic acid stimulates the control elongation of the sections, while at the same time increasing the sensitivity of the tissue for the light-induced inhibition of growth by a factor of 100.
Recruiting and Retaining Technical Personnel at a Contractor-Operated Government Site

AbstractMany studies investigate job satisfaction and motivation in the workplace using Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factor theory; however, few specifically relate these factors to recruitment and retention at a government location. This project investigated factors affecting recruitment, retention, and motivation at a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site. Over 1,300 technical employees completed a multi-part survey. Five hypotheses were formulated. While significant correlation (Spearman's rho >.9) exists between factor lists, the top factors show significant difference. Working relationships (teamwork) proved to be a key factor and motivator. Flexible work schedules and quality of life, which affect work life and personal life, are also key.
Towards a high-resolution, global, deep-sea chronology for the last 750,000 years

Abstract Variations in the ratio of 18 O/ 16 O as measured in shells of marine calcareous microfossils are primarily dominated by changes in global ice volume; hence these variations provide a set of global time lines in deep-sea sediments. It is likely that the timing of major changes in oxygen isotope values is strongly influenced, if not controlled, by variations in the geometry of the Earth's orbit. Since the variation of orbital parameters can be accurately calculated, the opportunity exists for transforming this orbital chronology into a geological chronology. Through careful correlation of oxygen isotope records in a set of deep-sea cores from the sub-Antarctic, South Atlantic and equatorial Pacific, we have assembled a composite isotopic section spanning the last 750,000 years with an average sedimentation rate of 2.3 cm/1000 years. A new chronology for this time period was developed by adjusting the ages of the oxygen isotope stage boundaries in this composite section so as to extend the consistent phase relationships that exist between variations in oxygen isotope ratios and changes in obliquity and precession during the last 300,000 years to the entire 750,000-year record. Previously identified difficulties in phase locking precession with the filtered isotopic signal between 365,000 and 465,000 years B.P. have been resolved with the recognition that precessional variations have an average period of 19,000 years and not 23,000 years during this interval. Since this new age model yields the best match between variations in obliquity and precession and their corresponding frequency components in the oxygen isotope record, we believe that it presents the most accurate chronology yet developed for deep-sea sediments. With this new age model providing the time control, power spectral analyses of South Atlantic and sub-Antarctic chemical and biotic indices show that there is a strong tendency for variance to be concentrated at frequencies corresponding to periods of ∼ 100,000, 41,000 and 23,000 years.
Zwitterionic polymers exhibiting high resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption from human serum and plasma

This study examined six different polymer and self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surface modifications for their interactions with human serum and plasma. It was demonstrated that zwitterionic polymer surfaces are viable alternatives to more traditional surfaces based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as nonfouling surfaces. All polymer surfaces were formed using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and they showed an increased resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption compared to SAMs. This improvement is due to an increase in the surface packing density of nonfouling groups on the surface, as well as a steric repulsion from the flexible polymer brush surfaces. The zwitterionic polymer surface based on carboxybetaine methacrylate (CBMA) also incorporates functional groups for protein immobilization in the nonfouling background, making it a strong candidate for many applications such as in diagnostics and drug delivery.
Subungual Exostosis in an Osteoporotic Patient Treated with Teriparatide

ABSTRACT Objective To report an unusual case of subungual exostosis in a patient on teriparatide. Methods We describe the presentation and symptoms of the patient and review of the relevant literature. Results Teriparatide is used for the treatment of osteoporosis. Rat studies using 3-60x the approved human dose have shown an association between teriparatide and an increased risk of osteosarcoma. Subungual exostosis, to our knowledge, has not been reported. We report the case of a 54-year-old female who presented with a 4-month history of pain and swelling in the medial side of her right thumb with no preceding trauma. The patient had history of severe osteoporosis with multiple fractures and was on teriparatide for 16 months. On examination, the right thumb was swollen and tender with no superficial erythema or signs of an infection. X-ray imaging revealed a trabecular bony overgrowth consistent with subungual exostosis. The patient was treated with subungual excision. Pathology showed endochondral bone formation with reactive atypia, consistent with osteocartilaginous exostosis. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first case hypothesizing an association between teriparatide and subungual exostosis. Subungual exostosis is a benign growth of bone that arises in the distal phalanx, under or adjacent to the nail bed. The pathophysiology is not clearly understood, but the lesion has base of trabecular bone with a proliferating fibrocartilaginous cap. Teriparatide can stimulate the trabecular bone formation. Hence, an association between the use of teriparatide and the development of subungal exostosis cannot be excluded. Further studies delineating this relationship are needed. (Endocr. Pract. 2013;19:e115-e117)
Immunochemical studies on liver and erythrocyte catalases from cattle, horse, rabbit and human

Immunochemical relationship between catalases (H2O2 : H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.6) from liver of cattle, horse and rabbit, and from erythrocyte of horse, rabbit and human has been investigated by means of quantitative precipitin reaction, immune diffusion on agar gel and enzyme inhibition in presence of antibody against bovine-liver catalase. Rabbit anti-bovine-liver catalase sera cross-react with equine-liver catalase, equine-erythrocyte catalase and human-erythrocyte catalase, but does very little with rabbit-erythrocyte catalase and rabbit-liver catalase. Chicken anti-bovine-liver catalase catalase. The number of antibody molecules required to produce a 50% inhibition in enzymatic activity varies considerably with different catalases.
A cross‐cultural study of directive sequences and some implications for compliance‐gaining research

Compliance gaining has been widely studied in communication research as a phenomenon central to interpersonal life. Yet the category of attempts to compel the actions of others, labeled as directives in pragmatics and ethnography, has received little specific attention, despite its close connection to actual spoken life. This essay presents an ethnographic examination of directive sequences in two speech communities, one in the U.S. and one in Colombia, with emphasis on the distinctive belief systems revealed by directive use. Data from several earlier studies of compliance gaining are then reexamined to show that patterns of results obtained in those studies are consistent with the cultural values of U.S. Americans and inconsistent with the values of Colombians. The likelihood that those patterns reveal cultural underpinnings in the constructs of personality, situation, and gender is then discussed.
Simultaneous Ocean Wave Measurements by the Jason and Topex Satellites, with Buoy and Model Comparisons Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

The verification phase of the Jason-1 satellite altimeter mission presents a unique opportunity for comparing near-simultaneous, independent satellite measurements. Here we examine simultaneous significant wave height measurements by the Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon altimeters. These data are also compared with in situ measurements from deep-ocean buoys and with predicted wave heights from the Wave Watch III operational model. The rms difference between Jason and TOPEX wave heights is 28 cm, and this can be lowered by half through improved outlier editing and filtering of high-frequency noise. Noise is slightly larger in the Jason dataset, exceeding TOPEX by about 7 cm rms at frequencies above 0.05 Hz, which is the frequency at which the coherence between TOPEX and Jason measurements drops to zero. Jason wave heights are more prone to outliers, especially during periods of moderate to high backscatter. Buoy comparisons confirm previous reports that TOPEX wave heights are roughly 5% smaller than buoy measure...
Turning gaits of a quadrupedal walking machine

The gaits used in the turning motion of a quadruped are studied and a general approach to compute the gait stability margins of turning gaits is derived. Depending on the location of the turning ce...
Getting a decent (but sparse) signal to the brain for users of cochlear implants.

The challenge in getting a decent signal to the brain for users of cochlear implants (CIs) is described. A breakthrough occurred in 1989 that later enabled most users to understand conversational speech with their restored hearing alone. Subsequent developments included stimulation in addition to that provided with a unilateral CI, either with electrical stimulation on both sides or with acoustic stimulation in combination with a unilateral CI, the latter for persons with residual hearing at low frequencies in either or both ears. Both types of adjunctive stimulation produced further improvements in performance for substantial fractions of patients. Today, the CI and related hearing prostheses are the standard of care for profoundly deaf persons and ever-increasing indications are now allowing persons with less severe losses to benefit from these marvelous technologies. The steps in achieving the present levels of performance are traced, and some possibilities for further improvements are mentioned. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled .
Cardioplegia-induced damage to ischemic immature myocardium is independent of oxygen availability.

Abstract The known benefits of hypothermic pharmacological cardioplegia in protecting the ischemic adult heart may not extend to children. Protection of the ischemic immature rabbit heart with hypothermic Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer is better than with hypothermic St. Thomas' II cardioplegic solution. We investigated whether the availability of oxygen in the preischemic perfusate is responsible for the increased tolerance to ischemia of immature (7- to 10-day-old) hearts perfused with Krebs buffer in comparison with St. Thomas' II solution immediately before ischemia. After obtaining preischemic control data in the "working" mode, we perfused hearts (n = 8 per group) for 3 minutes with hypothermic (14 °C) Krebs buffer or hypothermic St. Thomas' II solution saturated with 0%, 25%, or 95% oxygen. This was followed by 2 hours of global ischemia at 14 °C. Hearts were reperfused for 15 minutes in the Langendorff mode and 35 minutes in the working mode, and recovery of function was measured. For preischemic oxygen concentrations of 0%, 25%, and 95%, recovery of aortic flow in hearts protected by hypothermia alone during ischemia was 74% ± 9%, 82% ± 4%, and 99% ± 2% of preischemic values, respectively. In hearts protected by hypothermia plus cardioplegia, the values were 69% ± 6%, 72% ± 3%, and 86% ± 5%, respectively. Thus, at equal oxygen concentrations, recovery of postischemic function was better in hearts protected by hypothermia alone compared with hypothermia plus cardioplegia. We conclude that factors other than oxygen availability are responsible for the damaging effect of St. Thomas' II solution on the ischemic immature rabbit heart.
Customer perceptions for expectations and acceptance of an authentic dining experience in Thai restaurants

Multiculturalism is an intrinsic part of the historical formation and development of the USA. The USA is a multiethnic and multilingual society, a trend expected to increase in the future. One component of ethnicity is expressed in the manner by which ethnic groups prepare and serve their food. Today, Americans are more accepting of international cuisines. However, because of the high rate of restaurant failures, the importance of restaurateurs knowing consumer preferences and demands is essential to success. This research study investigated customers' perceptions, acceptance and expectations related to an authentic Thai dining experience. Additionally, this research assessed the degree of authenticity customers expect from the dining experience. One of the major goals of this research is to provide information for ethnic restaurant owners/managers based on customer expectations for an authentic ethnic cuisine experience.
Activities of tizoxanide and nitazoxanide compared to those of five other thiazolides and three other agents against anaerobic species

Agar dilution was used, and MICs of metronidazole, tizoxanide, nitazoxanide, denitrotizoxanide, RM 4803, RM 4807, RM 4809, RM 4819, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and clindamycin were measured against 412 anaerobes. Nitazoxanide, tizoxanide, RM 4807, and RM 4809 were active against all groups, except for gram-positive non-spore-forming rods with 50% minimum inhibitory concentrations (when the latter were excluded) of 1 to 2 μg/ml and 90% minimum inhibitory concentrations of 4 to 8 μg/ml, respectively. Metronidazole MICs were usually lower against all groups except clostridia.
Spectroscopic trace-gas sensor with rapidly scanned wavelengths of a pulsed quantum cascade laser for in situ NO monitoring of industrial exhaust systems

Development of a pulsed quantum cascade laser (QCL)-based spectroscopic trace-gas sensor for sub-part-per-million detection of nitric oxide (NO) and capable of monitoring other molecular species such as CO2, H2O, and NH3 in industrial combustion exhaust systems is reported. Rapid frequency modulation is applied to the QCL to minimize the influence of fluctuating non-selective absorption. A novel method utilizes only a few laser pulses within a single wavelength scan to probe an absorption spectrum at precisely selected optical frequencies. A high-temperature gas cell was used for laboratory evaluation of the NO sensor performance. A noise-equivalent sensitivity (1σ) of ∼ 100 ppb × m/\(\sqrt{Hz}\) at room temperature and ∼ 200 ppb × m/\(\sqrt{Hz}\) at 630 K was achieved by measuring the NO R(6.5) absorption doublet at 1900.075 cm−1.
A model with no firewall

We construct a model which illustrates the conjecture of fuzzball complementarity. In the fuzzball paradigm, the black hole microstates have no interior, and radiate unitarily from their surface through quanta of energy $E\sim T$. But quanta with $E\gg T$ impinging on the fuzzball create large collective excitations of the fuzzball surface. The dynamics of such excitations must be studied as an evolution in superspace, the space of all fuzzball solution $|F_i\rangle$. The states in this superspace are arranged in a hierarchy of `complexity'. We argue that evolution towards higher complexity maps, through a duality analogous to AdS/CFT, to infall inside the horizon of the traditional hole. We explain how the large degeneracy of fuzzball states leads to a breakdown of the principle of equivalence at the threshold of horizon formation. We recall that the firewall argument did not invoke the limit $E\gg T$ when considering a complementary picture; on the contrary it focused on the dynamics of the $E\sim T$ modes which contribute to Hawking radiation. This loophole allows the dual description conjectured in fuzzball complementarity.
Deformation and the timing of gas generation and migration in the eastern Brooks Range foothills, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Along the southeast border of the 1002 Assessment Area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, an explicit link between gas generation and deformation in the Brooks Range fold and thrust belt is provided through petrographic, fluid inclusion, and stable isotope analyses of fracture cements integrated with zircon fission-track data. Predominantly quartz-cemented fractures, collected from thrusted Triassic and Jurassic rocks, contain crack-seal textures, healed microcracks, and curved crystals and fluid inclusion populations, which suggest that cement growth occurred before, during, and after deformation. Fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures (175–250C) and temperature trends in fracture samples suggest that cements grew at 7–10 km depth during the transition from burial to uplift and during early uplift. CH4-rich (dry gas) inclusions in the Shublik Formation and Kingak Shale are consistent with inclusion entrapment at high thermal maturity for these source rocks. Pressure modeling of these CH4-rich inclusions suggests that pore fluids were overpressured during fracture cementation.Zircon fission-track data in the area record postdeposition denudation associated with early Brooks Range deformation at 64 3 Ma. With a closure temperature of 225–240C, the zircon fission-track data overlap homogenization temperatures of coeval aqueous inclusions and inclusions containing dry gas in Kingak and Shublik fracture cements. This critical time-temperature relationship suggests that fracture cementation occurred during early Brooks Range deformation. Dry gas inclusions suggest that Shublik and Kingak source rocks had exceeded peak oil and gas generation temperatures at the time structural traps formed during early Brooks Range deformation. The timing of hydrocarbon generation with respect to deformation therefore represents an important exploration risk for gas exploration in this part of the Brooks Range fold and thrust belt. The persistence of gas high at thermal maturity levels suggests, however, that significant volumes of gas may have been generated.
An unavailability analysis of firewall sandwich configurations

Firewalls form the first line of defense in securing internal networks from the Internet. A Firewall only provides security if all traffic into and out of an internal network passes through the firewall. However, a single firewall through which all network traffic must flow represents a single point of failure. If the firewall is down, all access is lost. A common solution to this problem is to use firewall sandwiches, comprising multiple firewall processors running in parallel. A firewall sandwich system needs load-balancing processes executing on separate processors to manage the flow of packets through the firewall processors. The number of redundant load balancing processors and their redundancy management policies have a major impact on system unavailability. We present a model to analyze the steady-state unavailability of firewall sandwiches and compare the unavailability of various load-balancing configurations. The results show that, using representative non-proprietary values for system parameters, redundancy management policies are at least as important as the number of redundant processing nodes.
Comparative Microbiological Characteristics of Failing Implants and Periodontally Diseased Teeth

Background: The purpose of this report was to compare the distribution of periodontal pathogens recovered from failing implants and teeth with adult and recurrent forms of periodontitis. Methods: A total of 41 consecutive microbial samples from patients with failing implants (IMP) were received at the Microbiology Testing Laboratory (MTL) of the University of Pennsylvania over a 2-year period. Paired control samples were selected from samples received concurrently by MTL from 41 patients with a diagnosis of adult periodontitis (AP) and 41 with a diagnosis of recurrent or refractory periodontitis (RP). Patients' mean ages for the 3 categories were 59, 47, and 53 years, respectively. Samples were collected with paper points or scalers and shipped in prereduced medium by express mail to the laboratory where they were processed within 48 hours from the time of collection. Culture was used for detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans, C. rectus, P. intermedia/nigrescens, E. corrodens, P. micros, Capnocytophaga an...
Mortality Measurement at Advanced Ages: A Study of the Social Security Administration Death Master File.

Abstract Accurate estimates of mortality at advanced ages are essential to improving forecasts of mortality and the population size of the oldest old age group. However, estimation of hazard rates at extremely old ages poses serious challenges to researchers: (1) The observed mortality deceleration may be at least partially an artifact of mixing different birth cohorts with different mortality (heterogeneity effect); (2) standard assumptions of hazard rate estimates may be invalid when risk of death is extremely high at old ages and (3) ages of very old people may be exaggerated. One way of obtaining estimates of mortality at extreme ages is to pool together international records of persons surviving to extreme ages with subsequent efforts of strict age validation. This approach helps researchers to resolve the third of the above-mentioned problems but does not resolve the first two problems because of inevitable data heterogeneity when data for people belonging to different birth cohorts and countries ar...
Wing Pattern-Based Classification of the Rhagoletis pomonella Species Complex Using Genetic Neural Networks

The Rhagoletis pomonella species complex consists of at least four sibling species. They are highly host specific as larvae, and display great fidelity as adults. The only certain way to identify them is to know the host materials from which they came, because these fruit flies are very similar or identical, and have been especially recalcitrant to morphological separation. In this paper we hypothesize that there is hidden biological information in the wing vein structure in the pomonella species group that can be used to distinguish them. Classification of the species complex is modeled via Bayesian and probability neural networks using information on wing size, shape and vein structure. The classification models were optimized through a genetic algorithm by selecting the optimal features and performed well in classifying new specimens. The results have implications for agricultural production and quarantine issues and could be helpful in devising a classification system for rapid identification of certain invasive species at ports of entry.
Nonstationary Shape Activities: Dynamic Models for Landmark Shape Change and Applications

Our goal is to develop statistical models for the shape change of a configuration of ?landmark? points (key points of interest) over time and to use these models for filtering and tracking to automatically extract landmarks, synthesis, and change detection. The term ?shape activity? was introduced in recent work to denote a particular stochastic model for the dynamics of landmark shapes (dynamics after global translation, scale, and rotation effects are normalized for). In that work, only models for stationary shape sequences were proposed. But most ?activities? of a set of landmarks, e.g., running, jumping, or crawling, have large shape changes with respect to initial shape and hence are nonstationary. The key contribution of this work is a novel approach to define a generative model for both 2D and 3D nonstationary landmark shape sequences. Greatly improved performance using the proposed models is demonstrated for sequentially filtering noise-corrupted landmark configurations to compute Minimum Mean Procrustes Square Error (MMPSE) estimates of the true shape and for tracking human activity videos, i.e., for using the filtering to predict the locations of the landmarks (body parts) and using this prediction for faster and more accurate landmarks extraction from the current image.
Relief from Within: A Peptide Therapy for Fibrosis

A modified, natural peptide derived from the antiangiogenic molecule endostatin has the potential to become a breakthrough therapy for organ fibrosis (Yamaguchi et al., this issue).
Exploiting frequency diverse array processing to improve SAR image resolution

Cross-range resolution in spotlight synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is primarily a function of the angular extent (Deltathetas) over which data is collected. In [1], the authors proposed a method for improving cross-range resolution for a given Deltathetas by use of frequency diverse array (FDA) techniques. The goal was to exploit an apparent increase in Deltathetas to improve cross-range resolution while retaining benefits of shorter synthetic apertures and integration times using a linear FDA. This paper extends those efforts and introduces the application of FDA techniques to improve range resolution.