cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eady Instability of Isolated Baroclinic Jets with Meridionally Varying Tropopause Height.

Abstract An efficient solution procedure is developed for a nonseparable semigeostrophic Eady problem on a semi-infinite f plane. A model is designed to study the effects of meridionally isolated jets and tropopause morphology on baroclinic instability. Potential vorticity (PV) is assumed to be piecewise constant and discontinuous at the tropopause, whose height is allowed to vary with latitude. The computational domain is discretized in a stretched coordinate to maintain adequate resolution in the vicinity of the tropopause and axis of the jet. The basic state is numerically inverted from the two PV values with the specification of only the meridional profiles of potential temperature (PT) at the surface and (unspecified) tropopause height. The nonseparable eigenvalue problem about this basic state is solved for the discrete (zero-PV) normal modes. Since continuum modes are not sought, the size of the problem is reduced greatly, keeping the storage and CPU requirements moderate even at relatively high sp...
Feeding conditions and intermeal relationships.

Abstract The free feeding pattern of rats was examined as a function of decreasing the accessibility of the meal. Meal frequency decreased and meal size increased proportionally resulting in a constant food intake per unit time. Various characteristics of the feeding pattern were dramatically affected by these procedures. A diurnal variation in meal size and meal frequency was observed when food was most accessible, but the variation in meal size and meal frequency disappeared when accessibility was slightly hampered. Moreover, no correlation between meal size and postmeal interval was observed in the free feeding situation, but did occur when mean accessibility was decreased. Finally, a regular periodic feeding pattern emerged when accessibility was maximally hindered. A second experiment showed that these changes in the characteristics of the meal eating pattern produced in Experiment 1 were more related to the increase in meal size than to the particular feeding situation. The data also suggested that a minimum calorie intake at a meal of approximately seven calories was necessary to obtain a significant meal size-postmeal interval correlation for dry diets and a minimum intermeal interval of four hours was necessary to obtain a meal size-premeal interval relationship.
Economic Dispatch of a Hybrid Microgrid With Distributed Energy Storage

This paper introduces a distributed economic dispatch strategy for microgrids with multiple energy storage systems. This strategy overcomes the challenges of dynamic couplings among all decision variables and stochastic variables in a centralized dispatching formulation. The proposed strategy can be implemented in the microgrid central controller as multiple problems with simplified and decomposed formulations. It can also be implemented in the local controllers and managed by the central controller. Numerical studies and experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed dispatching systems.
Dietary consistency and plasticity of masseter fiber architecture in postweaning rabbits

Dietary consistency has been shown to influence cross-sectional area and fiber type composition of the masticatory muscles. However, little is known about the effects of dietary consistency on masticatory muscle fiber architecture. In this study, we explore the effects of dietary consistency on the internal architecture of rabbit masseter muscle. Because activity patterns of the rabbit chewing muscles show inter- and intramuscular heterogeneity, we evaluate if alterations in fiber architecture are homogeneous across various portions of the superficial masseter muscle. We compared masseter muscle fiber architecture between two groups of weanling rabbits raised on different diets for 105 days. One group was raised on a diet of ground rabbit pellets to model underuse of the masticatory complex, while the other group was fed a diet of intact pellets and hay blocks to model an overuse diet. In all portions of the superficial masseter, physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSAs) are greater in the overuse compared to underuse diet rabbits. Thus, the mechanical demands for larger muscle and bite forces associated with early and prolonged exposure to a tough diet are met by an increase in PCSA of the superficial masseter. The larger PCSA is due entirely to increased muscle mass, as the two rabbit groups show no differences in either fiber length or angle of pinnation. Thus, increasing pinnation angle is not a necessary biomechanical solution to improving muscle and bite force during growth. The change in PCSA but not fiber length suggests that variation in dietary consistency has an impact on maximum force production but not necessarily on excursion or contraction velocity.
Dose-dependent effects of hydrocortisone on memory in human males

Eighty male undergraduates were administered either glucose or 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg of hydrocortisone in a double-blind procedure. After 60 min they were asked to listen to eight 12 word lists and then asked to recall the words. In addition to the expected effects of rate of presentation, serial position, and practice there was a significant interaction between dose of hydrocortisone and practice. Early recall was facilitated by all doses used whereas later recall was facilitated by treatment with 40 mg and impaired by treatment with 5 mg. These findings are discussed in the context of the effects of pituitary adrenocortical hormones and memory function.
MATURATION OF PENAEID SHRIMP: DIETARY FATTY ACIDS

Comparisons were made between fatty acid profiles of gonad, digestive gland, and tail muscle samples of immature and mature male and female Penaeid shrimp obtained at sea. The major fatty acids of the lipids from mature ovaries were C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids. An annelid rich in lipids containing these acids was used as a dietary supplement for shrimp grown in the laboratory, and spawning was achieved with Penaeus setiferus. The possible role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in ovarian maturation is discussed.
A BBGKY-based density gradient approximation of interparticle forces: Application for discrete Boltzmann methods

Abstract The force term accounting for interparticle interactions, with application to discrete Boltzmann simulation methods, is derived using a density gradient expansion of the BBGKY collision operator. It is shown that previous calculations, based on essentially the same mean-field-theory philosophy, do not apply the density gradient approximation in a self consistent fashion. Thus these previous models have errors in the second virial coefficient as well as coefficients associated with gradient terms in the pressure tensor. This new treatment corrects these shortcomings.
p-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, an aldehyde generated by myeloperoxidase, modifies phospholipid amino groups of low density lipoprotein in human atherosclerotic intima.

Abstract Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) may be of critical importance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Recent studies suggest that oxidized phospholipids render LDL atherogenic. However, both the structures and the physiologically relevant pathways for the formation of modified phospholipids in oxidized LDL remain poorly understood. We previously showed that p-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (pHA) is the major product of l-tyrosine oxidation by the myeloperoxidase/hydrogen peroxide/chloride system of phagocytes. In the current studies, we demonstrate that this reactive aldehyde targets the aminophospholipids of LDL in vitro and in vivo. Activated human neutrophils generated pHA-ethanolamine, the reduced adduct of pHA with the amino group of phosphatidylethanolamine, on LDL phospholipids by a reaction that required myeloperoxidase, H2O2, andl-tyrosine. The cellular system could be replaced by HOCl and l-tyrosine but not by a wide variety of other oxidation systems, indicating that pHA-ethanolamine is a specific marker for covalent modification of aminophospholipids by myeloperoxidase. To determine whether aldehydes modify aminophospholipids in vivo, we quantified levels ofpHA-ethanolamine in acid hydrolysates of reduced lipid extracts through isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Circulating LDL contained undetectable levels ofpHA-modified phospholipid (<0.1 mmol/mol). In contrast, the concentration of pHA-ethanolamine in LDL isolated from human atherosclerotic lesions was strikingly elevated (4.5 mmol/mol). Collectively, these results demonstrate a novel, myeloperoxidase-based mechanism for modifying the amino group of LDL phospholipids. They also offer the first evidence that myeloperoxidase may damage LDL lipidsin vivo, raising the possibility that aldehyde-modified aminophospholipids play a role in inflammation and vascular disease.
State Party Competition and Citizens’ Political Engagement

AbstractIs living in a politically competitive state beneficial for democratic citizenship? Given citizens’ generally limited information about state politics, we argue that the most effective method of evaluating this question is by examining the degree to which the two parties generally compete for control of state government. Using data on citizens’ political attitudes and participation from the American National Election Studies and the Ranney measure of state party competition, we investigate the relationship between state party competition and citizen engagement from 1952 to 2008. Our analysis reveals that citizens report more interest in politics and participate at higher rates when there is greater competition between the two parties in their state. We also find that the relationship between competition and engagement has varied over time and that it is the strongest among citizens with lower levels of education and income. These findings suggest that vigorous competition for control of state gove...
A Mathematical Therapeutic Outcomes Model for Sinusitis

The therapeutic outcomes model (TOM) provides a logical and consistent manner in which bacteriologic and clinical efficacy can be predicted and calculated. It not only allows antibiotics to be ranked in efficacy, it gives precise estimates of the magnitude of differences in efficacy, which is typically lacking in older antimicrobial guidelines. The TOM identifies the major variables that need to be considered in accurately estimating outcome and places those variables into the appropriate relationships and formulas so that outcomes will be automatically calculated. In the case of rhinosinusitis, the major variables are (1) likelihood of spontaneously resolving nonbacterial cause, (2) likelihood of nonresolving nonbacterial cause, (3) prevalence of subcauses (eg, different species of bacteria), (4) the spontaneous resolution rates of each subcause, (5) the antibacterial efficacy of the treatment (eg, antibiotic) against each of the subcauses, and (6) the compliance rate of the treatment recommended. Minor variables, such as prior antibiotic use, patient age, or bacterial vaccination status, affect the efficacy of a given agent by modifying the value of one or more of the major variables. The TOM is a superior mechanism for ranking and evaluating relative antibiotic efficacy than previous methodologies.
Substance P immunoreactivity in the major pelvic ganglion of the rat.

Substance P immunoreactivity in the major pelvic ganglion (MPG) of the rat was studied to define a possible role for this neuropeptide in functions of the pelvic portion of the autonomic nervous system. Substance P immunoreactivity was found in three locations in the ganglion: (1) as a plexus of varicose fibers, (2) in small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells, and (3) after colchicine pretreatment, in some principal neurons. The perineuronal plexus of fibers appeared as small varicosities closely related to the somae of principal neurons. Approximately 10–20% of principal neurons were enclosed by a substance P-positive plexus. SIF cells were intensely stained for substance P. The general relationships of SIF cells in this ganglion were confirmed by their staining for substance P: their occurrence singly or in large clusters, their short tapering processes often related to principal neurons, and the occasional presence of a beaded process. Colchicine treatment resulted in the appearance of rare principal neurons that stained for substance P. The pelvic nerve was surgically interrupted to determine whether the perineuronal plexus of varicose fibers had an intrinsic origin or arose from cell bodies outside the ganglion. The perineuronal plexus was virtually absent following this procedure. The results of this study indicate that principal neurons in the major pelvic ganglion may be subject to the influence of substance P derived from two sources: (1) intrinsic substance P-containing SIF cells and (2) neurons probably residing in dorsal root ganglia. The nature of principal neurons that acquire staining for substance P after colchicine is unclear.
Angiotensin II induced catabolic effect and muscle atrophy are redox dependent.

Abstract Angiotensin II (Ang II) causes skeletal muscle wasting via an increase in muscle catabolism. To determine whether the wasting effects of Ang II were related to its ability to increase NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) we infused wild-type C57BL/6J or p47 phox −/− mice with vehicle or Ang II for 7 days. Superoxide production was increased 2.4-fold in the skeletal muscle of Ang II infused mice, and this increase was prevented in p47 phox −/− mice. Apocynin treatment prevented Ang II-induced superoxide production in skeletal muscle, consistent with Ang II increasing NADPH oxidase derived ROS. Ang II induced loss of body and skeletal muscle weight in C57BL/6J mice, whereas the reduction was significantly attenuated in p47 phox −/− animals. The reduction of skeletal muscle weight caused by Ang II was associated with an increase of proteasome activity, and this increase was completely prevented in the skeletal muscle of p47 phox −/− mice. In conclusion, Ang II-induced skeletal muscle wasting is in part dependent on NADPH oxidase derived ROS.
Discourse and strategic continuity from Gorbachev through Putin

Abstract Discourse analysis reveals that Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary and his successors as Russian presidents have practiced a shared strategy of metaphorical – not spatial – centrism that has gradually slid the state from dictatorship toward democracy. Preservation of a political center for himself and his successors to occupy made it necessary for Boris Yeltsin to dismantle the USSR if elections in Russia were to continue. At the same time, for each successive exponent of this centrist strategy, an attempt to practice democracy without the repellent flaws of electoral fraud and political repression would forgo the strategic advantage of occupying the political center.
A new species of Selaginella section articulatae (Selaginellaceae) from Paraguay

Selaginella parviarticulata is described and illustrated from south-central Paraguay. It is a very small member of sectionArticulatae as evidenced by the slightly swollen nodes, dorsal insertion of rhizophores, and single, basal megasporangium. An argument is made for the use of microcharacters in plants of small stature.
TROTS: A computer graphics system for three-dimensional reconstruction from serial sections

Abstract A package of computer programs is described for three-dimensional reconstruction. The package was originally written for the reconstruction of sub-cellular structures from a series of images produced by an electron microscope after serial sectioning, but the method can be applied to all objects for which a spatial description of parallel planes can be generated. The data are collected by manually tracing the outlines of the structures in the successive sections. A highly interactive visual editing program aids in the spatial alignment of the sections. The three-dimensional display program employs a new fast hidden line and transformation algorithm and includes a variety of depth cues to enhance the spatial impression. A system for the real time removal of hidden lines from a dynamically changing scene is introduced.
Local population success in heterogeneous habitats: reciprocal transplant experiments completed on a desert spider

Reciprocal transplant experiments were completed to test for selection against the mixing of behavioural phenotypes in a desert spider. Most Agelenopsis aperta populations experience low prey abundances and competition for web-sites that provide shelter from thermal extremes. These conditions favour aggressiveness towards both prey and conspecifics (an ‘arid-land behavioural phenotype’). The spider also occupies narrow stretches of riparian habitat bordering spring-fed streams and rivers. Here it is released from competition for prey and foraging sites, but is subject to predation by birds. A less aggressive/more fearful behaviour is selected for in these riparian habitats (a ‘riparian behavioural phenotype’). Previous work with this spider indicates that there is genetic differentiation between arid-land and riparian populations. However, the degree to which genetic differentiation is achieved may be limited by gene flow. Reciprocal sets of enclosures were established in: (1) a dry evergreen woodland site (arid-land phenotype) and (2) a neighbouring riparian site (riparian phenotype) in south-eastern Arizona. Equal numbers of field collected, early instar A. aperta were introduced into native and transplant enclosures in each habitat. After 6 months of site-imposed selection, survivorship was determined and growth estimates and behavioural trials completed on spiders remaining in the different enclosures. The same behavioural test was subsequently applied to lab-reared offspring of the spiders surviving the respective selection regimes. Riparian transplants showed both poor survival and retarded growth in the dry woodland habitat when compared with both arid-land and riparian natives. Arid-land transplants that survived, however, grew equally well in riparian habitat as did dry woodland and riparian natives. Behavioural assays conducted on test subjects after selection and on their offspring reared in a controlled laboratory environment indicate that phenotypes that were inappropriate to the respective habitats were selected against in the transplant experiments. The frequency distribution of transplant spider behaviour on a continuum from fearful to aggressive was intermediate between that exhibited by respective native riparian and dry woodland spiders. It is concluded that while arid-land and riparian behavioural ecotypes do exist, directional gene flow of arid-land phenotypes into riparian habitat limits population subdivision.
Hypercalcitonemia in pernicious anemia

Gastrin has been suggested as a natural secretogogue of the hormone calcitonin. We have found hypercalcitonemia in 55% of patients with pernicious anemia, and the gastrin levels, although usually increased, did not correlate.
Computer simulation of impression creep by the finite element method

The steady state impressing velocity of the punch during an impression creep test is calculated by the finite element method based on a single power law constitutive equation for the deformation of each and every element. The calculated impressing velocities and their stress dependence agree very well with the experimental values on succinonitrile crystals using empirical power laws obtained from unidirectional creep tests.
Reversal of anticoagulant effects in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

Anticoagulant therapies are increasingly being used for the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic diseases. A growing incidence of anticoagulant-associated intracranial hemorrhage (AICH) has accompanied the rise in their use. Although the rate of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in patients receiving anticoagulation therapies such as heparin and target-specific oral anticoagulants (TSOAs) is significantly lower than that of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), the mortality rate remains high. TSOAs have only recently become available for use in clinical practice, and presently, there is a paucity of both clinical data and evidence-based guidelines to assist in the management of TSOA-associated intracerebral hemorrhage. In this article, we review current literature and provide physicians with diagnostic and therapeutic considerations for the management of AICH.
2012 Isn't the End of the World

The IPv4 system doesn't disappear in 2012 nor does the Internet suddenly stop working. Rather, it can't easily expand without the implementation of IPv6 in the networks and edge devices comprising the Internet.One can imagine the use of proxy devices that could act as application-layer gateways to help such devices reach IPv6-only servers, but there are various drawbacks to this kind of design (including some difficulty with end-to-end cryptography for confidentiality).
Randomized comparison of recovery after propofol-nitrous oxide versus thiopentone-isoflurane-nitrous oxide anaesthesia in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery.

A randomized, prospective study was performed to compare recovery characteristics in 41 ASA physical status I-II patients scheduled for ambulatory surgery with either propofol or thiopentone-isoflurane anaesthesia. Particular attention was focused on the recovery time needed to meet discharge criteria. The propofol group received propofol 2 mg.kg-1 for induction followed by propofol infusion (6-9 mg.kg-1.h-1) 1 min after intubation. The thiopentone-isoflurane group received thiopentone 4 mg.kg-1 for induction followed by isoflurane (0.5-2%) 1 min after endotracheal intubation. Other drugs administered during or after anaesthesia were similar between the groups. The propofol group had significantly (P less than 0.05) faster clinical recovery than the isoflurane group with respect to times to response to commands, eye opening, orientation, ability to stand and void, tolerance to oral fluids, "home-readiness", and recovery of perceptual speed. Patients in the propofol group had significantly less (P less than or equal to 0.05) emesis than the patients given isoflurane. We conclude that in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery propofol infusion is preferable to thiopentone-isoflurane anaesthesia, because it may allow faster discharge home.
A generalized product-limit estimator for truncated data

A nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator (NPMLE) of the underlying distribution in the presence of truncation, first published in the astronomy literature by Lynden-Bell in 1971, has received considerable attention in the statistics and biostatistics literature. A limitation of this useful estimator is that it relies on the independence of the variable of interest and of the truncation variable. In this paper, a generalization of this estimator is proposed, which expands the applicability of the estimator by allowing for dependence between the variable of interest and the truncation variable in the presence of a covariate. Weak convergence and asymptotic optimality in the Hajek–Beran sense (Beran, R, 1977, Estimating a distribution function. Annals of Statistics, 5, 400–404.) are shown for this generalized estimator process. A related estimator of the joint distribution of the covariate and the variable of interest is introduced, which shares the asymptotic normality and optimality of the previous est...
SU-E-J-32: Evaluation of the Dosimetric Accuracy of Stereotactic Radiosurgery with Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Localization.

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric accuracy of stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS) with cone‐beam computed tomography(CBCT) guided patient localization. Methods: A Novalis TX linear accelerator with high definition multileaf collimator (HDMLC) was used for SRStreatments. 20 patients immobilized with the noninvasive BrainLab U‐frame system and thermoplastic mask were selected to evaluate the dosimetric accuracy of CBCTimage‐guidedSRS by the BrainLab iPlan Phantom Mapping module. The contours of the PTV and critical organ were transferred directly from the planning CT and MR images to the CBCTimages after image registrations. The delivered dose distributions could be calculated and analyzed by copying the original treatment plans to the CBCTimages and assigning the treatment isocenters on the CBCTimages according to the couch shifts acquired after planning CT and CBCTimage registrations. The CT electron density calibration curve used for original plans was also applied for the CBCT‐based planning. Results: The average minimum dose, mean dose, and maximum dose in PTV of the original plans and the CBCT plans were 95.45%±3.80% and 92.88%±3.25%, 110.59%±1.81% and 110.11%±2.40%, 116.55%±3.11% and 115.93%±2.78%, respectively. In the original treatment plans, the average 100% prescription dose coverage of GTV and PTV were 99.99% and 99.81%, respectively. In the CBCT plans, the average 100% prescription dose coverage of GTV and PTV were 99.90% and 98.20%, respectively. The average conformity index of the original plans and the CBCT plans were 1.846 and 1.863, respectively. Conclusions: Data demonstrated that the dose distributions calculated in the CBCTimages were comparable to the original treatment plans. The CBCT plans only indicated a slightly higher conformity index and lower average minimum dose, mean dose, maximum dose, GTV coverage, and PTV coverage compared to the original treatment plans. Therefore, the CBCT guided localization was considered effective to assure dosimetric accuracy in SRS.
CO-Opting the Host HO-1 Pathway in Tuberculosis and Malaria

Summary Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium species results in upregulation of the host heme oxygenase-1 pathway. In tuberculosis infection, this leads to upregulation of the bacterial "dormancy regulon," whereas in malaria, it enhances the efficiency with which sporozoites develop into exoerythrocytic stages. Here we discuss these findings as well as some of the interesting questions they raise.
Trace-gas detection in ambient air with a thermoelectrically cooled, pulsed quantum-cascade distributed feedback laser.

A pulsed quantum-cascade distributed feedback laser operating at near room temperature was used for sensitive high-resolution IR absorption spectroscopy of ambient air at a wavelength of ∼8 µm. Near-transform-limited laser pulses were obtained owing to short (∼5-ns) current pulse excitation and optimized electrical coupling. Fast and slow computer-controlled frequency scanning techniques were implemented and characterized. Fast computer-controlled laser wavelength switching was used to acquire second-derivative absorption spectra. The minimum detectable absorption was found to be 3 × 10-4 with 105 laser pulses (20-kHz repetition rate), and 1.7 × 10-4 for 5 × 105 pulses, based on the standard deviation of the linear regression analysis.
Inflation and Federal Budget Deficits: some Empirical Results

This article examines empirically the potential link between federal budget Abstract deficits and inflation in the post-1960 period. Based on established economic theory, and contrary to most previous empirical studies, the article estimates a model in which monetary and other financial assets (government bonds) are treated equally. The empirical results suggest that both monetary growth and federal deficits exert a significant influence on inflation during the 1960s and 1970s. The results further indicate that, relative to monetary growth, federal deficits have had a stronger and more reliable impact on inflation. Thus, along with restraints in monetary expansions, restrictive fiscal policy is also found to be an important anti-inflationary measure.
Incidental vascular findings on CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA)

Abstract Background CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is being used increasingly as a diagnostic modality for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). CTPA frequently reveals incidental findings that may explain the patient’s presentation. These findings could be parenchymal, pleural, or vascular. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spectrum of incidental vascular findings and their significance. Methods A retrospective review was done on 508 CTPAs of adults with suspicion of PE in the University of Missouri between June and December of 2009. Forty-three scans were excluded because of motion artifacts or poor contrast. Of the total 465 scans, 39% (180/465) scans were done in the emergency room. Results Calcification of the aorta and coronary arteries was the most common finding 27% (124/465), followed by dilatation of the pulmonary trunk 3.4% (16/465) and thoracic aortic aneurysms 1.5% (7/465). Four cases of aberrant right subclavian artery were found. The rest of the findings were rare and were detected in only one or two patients. Conclusion CTPA delineates vascular findings other than PE. The majority of these findings are not acute, but warrant recognition and follow up. In less than 1% of the cases, aortic dissection is detected, which might explain the patient’s presentation.
PROTOCOL DESIGN FOR AN AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM

A structured use of control, communication and computing techologies in vehicles and in the highway can lead to major increases in highway capacity. Our context is an automated highway system (AHS) in which traffic is organized in platoons of closely spaced vehicles under automatic control. The AHS control tasks are arranged in a three-layer hierarchy. At the top or link layer a centralized controller assigns to each vehicle a path through the highway and sets the target size and speed for platoons to reduce congestion. The remaining two layers are distributed among controllers on each vehicle. A vehicle's platoon layer plans its trajectory to conform to its assigned path and to track the target size. The plan consists of a sequence of elementary maneuvers: merge (combines two platoons into one), split (separates one platoon into two), and change lane (enables a single car to change lane). Once the protocol layer determines that a particular maneuver can safely be initiated, it instructs its regulation layer to execute the corresponding precomputed feedback control law which implements the maneuver. This paper focuses on the design of the platoon layer. In order of ensure that it is safe to initiate a maneuver, the platoon layer controller enters into a negotiation with its neighbors. This negotiation is implemented as a protocol—a structured sequence of message exchanges. After a protocol terminates successfully, the movement of the vehicles involved is coordinated and the maneuver can be initiated. A protocol is designed in two stages. In the first stage, the protocol is described as an informal state machine, one machine per vehicle. The informal state machine does not distinguish between actions and conditions referring to the vehicle's environment and those referring to the protocol itself. In the second stage this distinction is enforced and the protocol machines are specified in the formal language COSPAN. COSPAN software is then used to show that the protocol indeed works correctly. One can now be reasonably confident that, properly implemented, the protocol designed here will work as intended.
Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of CO2, CH4, N2O, and NH3 on ordered mesoporous carbon.

Abstract Ordered mesoporous carbon was synthesized by a self-assembly technique and characterized with TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption for its physical and pore textural properties. The high BET specific surface area (798 m 2 /g), uniform mesopore-size distribution with a median pore size of 62.6 A, and large pore volume (0.87 cm 3 /g) make the ordered mesoporous carbon an ideal adsorbent for gas separation and purification applications. Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ammonia on the ordered mesoporous carbon were measured at 298 K and gas pressures up to 800 Torr. The adsorption equilibrium capacities on the ordered mesoporous carbon at 298 K and 800 Torr for ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane were found to be 6.39, 2.39, 1.5, and 0.53 mmol/g, respectively. Higher adsorption uptakes of methane (3.26 mmol/g at 100 bar) and carbon dioxide (2.21 mmol/g at 13 bar) were also observed at 298 K and elevated pressures. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Toth adsorption equilibrium models were used to correlate all the adsorption isotherms, and a simplified gas diffusion model was applied to analyze the adsorption kinetics data collected at 298 K and four different gas pressures up to 800 Torr.
The early time course of smoking withdrawal effects

Rationale There has been little study of the very early time course of the smoking withdrawal syndrome, despite its relevance to the maintenance of both smoking and postcessation abstinence. The literature contains a range of estimates about the early appearance of withdrawal symptoms, but without reference to empirical data.
PCLOS: a critical review

This paper uses the persistent object system PCLOS to survey some problems and benefits of object persistence. The system is analyzed along several relevant dimensions. PCLOS provides object persistence for an object-oriented language. The insights gained on desirable and detrimental components of the system are presented. The intent is to outline some of the expected and unexpected problems encountered in the construction of support for object persistence.
Housework Time of Wives: Pressure, Facilitators, Constraints

This study provides an expansion and improvement of previous research on the factors related to wife's time spent in housework. Independent variables were categorized as: pressures toward greater time inputs to housework, constraints on time inputs to housework, and facilitators of housework activity. The sample consisted of 227 homemakers residing in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Data were collected in 1976–77. Multiple regression analysis was used. Results indicate that wives spend more hours on housework the fewer hours they work outside the home, the larger the family size, the fewer times the family eats out per month, and the greater number of stories in the family dwelling. More hours also are spent if the wife has a chronic illness. These last three variables have not been reported as significant determinants previously. Wife's labor force participation was the most important determinant of time spent on housework. Family size was the second most important determinant. About one-third of the variance was explained.
Real-time automatic target recognition using a compact 512 x 512 grayscale optical correlator

JPL has recently developed, for the first time, a compact (2” x 2” x 1”) Grayscale Optical Correlator (GOC) using a pair of 512 x 512 Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulators. In this paper, we will discuss recent progress in the design and packaging technology to achieve a rugged portable GOC module to enable the real-time onboard applications of this miniature GOC. Several automatic target recognition applications will also be presented.
Primary progressive aphasia

Abstract In recent years there has been increasing interest in individuals with gradual deterioration of language skills in the absence of generalized cognitive impairments or identifiable vascular, neoplastic, metabolic, or infectious aetiology. In this paper, we review the available data on primary progressive aphasia and summarize the demographic, behavioural, and neurological characteristics of those who have been presumed to have the disorder. We also discuss some of our own clinical observations and several issues related to increasing our understanding of the disorder and its differential diagnosis, description, and management.
Effects of iron deficiency and exercise on myoglobin in rats.

The effects of iron deficiency and endurance training on muscle myoglobin (Mb), body weights, and blood lactic acid concentration were studied in rats. Fifty animals were divided into four groups: anemic trained (AT), normal trained (NT), anemic sedentary (AS), and normal sedentary (NS). Following 5 weeks of dietary control, the mean hemoglobin values for the AT and AS rats were 0.013±0.002 mmol·l−1 (8.7±1.4 g·dl−1) and 0.014±0.003 mmol·l−1 (9.2±1.7 g·dl−1) respectively, and did not significantly change throughout the study. AT and NT rats were run on a motor driven treadmill 4 days/week for 6 weeks up to a pre-established time of 90 min. Following the training, body weights of the AT (157±13 g) and NT (153±13 g) rats were lower than their respective sedentary groups AS (172±9 g) and NS (176±15 g). Resting blood lactic acid concentration following training was lower in both trained groups, AT (3.3±2.0 mM) and NT (2.3±1.9 mM) compared to AS (8.2±2.6 mM) and NS (3.8±1.6 mM). Training increased Mb concentration in hearts of both the anemic and normal trained groups (AT, 0.66±0.13 mg·g−1; NT, 0.95±0.08 mg·g−1) compared to the sedentary groups (AS, 0.44±0.08 mg·g−1; NS, 0.70±0.13 mg·g−1). Only the AT rats showed an increase in skeletal muscle Mb. This study provides evidence that myoglobin may limit aerobic metabolism.
New Applications of the Laser in Pulmonary Surgery: Hemostasis and Sealing of Air Leaks

Abstract In thoracic surgery, the laser has been used primarily as a destructive instrument (e.g., for extirpation of endobronchial lesions and for skin incisions). Previously, the carbon dioxide laser was used for its scalpel-like action but not for sealing. The neodymium: yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser not only cuts but also seals blood vessels and bronchi. We have modified the CO 2 laser technique to seal vessels and bronchi up to 3 mm on a cut surface by using low power in a defocused mode, and have evaluated the method in 12 dogs. Matched lesions in the lingula were sealed with each type of laser and compared with lesions closed by suture technique. These lesions were then evaluated at biweekly intervals up to 6 weeks following operation. All lesions demonstrated substantial air leak and bleeding prior to sealing. There was no bleeding or air leak (40 cm H 2 O of pressure) at any time after sealing (laser or suture). The CO 2 laser sealing consistently produced the least damage both macroscopically and microscopically. However, this technique requires a relatively bloodless field. The Nd:YAG laser produced the deepest tissue destruction but functioned well under conditions of poor hemostasis. Suture closure produced large early injuries, which subsided gradually to approach the amount of damage seen with the CO 2 laser. These studies demonstrate that the laser may be a useful adjunct to maximally preserve normal lung tissue and to seal bleeding, leaking, raw lung surfaces. Results of early clinical trials are also detailed.
Activity of the Asymmetric Isomers of Abscisic Acid in a Rapid Bioassay

Highly purified preparations of (+)- and (-)-abscisic acid (ABA) were compared for biological activity in a rapid bioassay based on closure of stomates on excised leaves of Hordeum vulgare. The naturally-occurring (+)-enantiomer was markedly more active. It causes speedier closure of the stomates, as measured by changes in leaf temperature. The differences in the activities of the ABA enantiomers are greater than have yet been reported for any other system.
Tear flow and evaporation in patients with and without dry eye.

Purpose: To evaluate the steady-state tear flow and evaporation from the ocular surface of patients with and without dry eye. Methods: Two groups of patients, 21 with dry eye and 34 without dry eye, with similar age distributions were selected by criteria based on tear osmolarity, Schirmer test, meibomian gland loss, and dry eye symptoms and were compared for tear flow, tear volume, percent turnover, and surface evaporation. Results: Tear flow averaged 0.10 ± 0.08 μl/minute inpatients with dry eye versus 0.15 ± 0.12 μl/minute in patients without dry eye ( P = 0.002). Tear volume averaged 2.13 ± 1.3 tul in patients with dry eye versus 2.23 ± 2.5 μ in patients without dry eye ( P = not significant) and tear turnover averaged 5.3 ± 2.9% in patients with dry eye versus 8.2 ± 4.3% in patients without dry eye (P = 0.019). Evaporation averaged 25 ± 35 X 10 -7 g/cm 2 /second in patients with dry eye versus 13 ± 6 X 10 -7 g/cm 2 /second in patients without dry eye ( P = 0.003). Conclusions: Measured tear flow was significantly lower than previously determined in patients with and without dry eye. Evaporation was increased in patients with dry eye and accounted for the majority of the tear loss in patients with dry eye. Normal tear osmolarity can be maintained, even with low tear flow, if evaporation is kept within the normal range.
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction: redox events in oxygen sensing.

Recently, the mitochondria have become the focus of attention as the site of O2 sensing underlying hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV). However, two disparate models have emerged to explain ho...
Gender Recognition from Walking Movements using Adaptive Three-Mode PCA

We present an adaptive three-mode PCA framework for recognizing gender from walking movements. Prototype female and male walkers are initially decomposed into a sub-space of their three-mode components (posture, time, gender). We then assign an importance weight to each motion trajectory in the sub-space and have the model automatically learn the weight values (key features) from labeled training data. We present experiments of recognizing physical (actual) and perceived (from perceptual experiments) gender for 40 walkers. The model demonstrates greater than 90% recognition for both contexts and shows greater flexibility than standard PCA.
Interleukin-22 ameliorates cerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice by inhibiting the autophagic pathway.

Pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes are activated in the pancreas. Severe pancreatitis has a 10-30% mortality rate. No specific treatments for pancreatitis exist now. Here, we discovered that interleukin-22 (IL-22) may have therapeutic potential in treating acute and chronic pancreatitis. Wild-type and IL-22 knockout mice were equally susceptible to cerulein-induced acute and chronic pancreatitis, whereas liver-specific IL-22 transgenic mice were completely resistant to cerulein-induced elevation of serum digestive enzymes, pancreatic necrosis and apoptosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Treatment of wild-type mice with recombinant IL-22 or adenovirus IL-22 markedly attenuated the severity of cerulein-induced acute and chronic pancreatitis. Mechanistically, we show that the protective effect of IL-22 on pancreatitis was mediated via the induction of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, which bind to Beclin-1 and subsequently inhibit autophagosome formation to ameliorate pancreatitis. In conclusion, IL-22 ameliorates cerulein-induced pancreatitis by inhibiting the autophagic pathway. IL-22 could be a promising therapeutic drug to treat pancreatitis.
NEURAL NETWORK AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES: PATTERN RECOGNITION IN ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

Neural networks are the modern tools that focus most heavily on the logical structure of measurement/assessment, as well as the actual results we attempt to identify by way of scientific inquiry. Employing the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) neural network, we reexamined a well-recognized and commonly employed dataset from a popular applied multivariate statistics text by Stevens (2009). Using this textbook dataset as an exemplar, we provide a preliminary guide to neural networking approaches to the analysis of behavioral outcomes. When employing conventional multivariate procedures only, the sample dataset demonstrated significant familywise error rates; however, these outcomes did not provide sufficient information for identifying the curvilinear patterns that existed within these records . When converted to natural logs and reanalyzed by the SOM, the exemplar dataset showed the actual best fit performance patterns exhibited by all members of the experimental and control groups. The SOM and related neural network algorithms appear to have unique potential in the recognition of nonlinear but unified data patterns frequently exhibited within academic and social outcomes. In particular, the SOM allows the researcher to conduct a "finer grain" analysis identifying critically important similarities and differences that can inform treatment well beyond the probability values derived from conventional statistical techniques.
Questions of Wisdom

In this column questions concerning wisdom are addressed, such as, what is wisdom? Can wisdom be taught in the academy? Several perspectives on wisdom from philosophy, education, business, and psychology are presented. Wisdom with creativity-creativity with wisdom is then explored through discussion of Parse's humanbecoming teaching-learning model and Laird Hamilton's life lessons learned from surfing, which he termed wisdom of the wave. The column concludes with consideration of the wise person.
Distribution of the Number of Successes in Success Runs of Length at Least k in Higher-Order Markovian Sequences

We consider the distribution of the number of successes in success runs of length at least k in a binary sequence. One important application of this statistic is in the detection of tandem repeats among DNA sequence segments. In the literature, its distribution has been computed for independent sequences and Markovian sequences of order one. We extend these results to Markovian sequences of a general order. We also show that the statistic can be represented as a function of the number of overlapping success runs of lengths k and k + 1 in the sequence, and give immediate consequences of this representation.
Transient Signal Detection with Neural Networks: The Search for the Desired Signal

Matched filtering has been one of the most powerful techniques employed for transient detection. Here we will show that a dynamic neural network outperforms the conventional approach. When the artificial neural network (ANN) is trained with supervised learning schemes there is a need to supply the desired signal for all time, although we are only interested in detecting the transient. In this paper we also show the effects on the detection agreement of different strategies to construct the desired signal. The extension of the Bayes decision rule (0/1 desired signal), optimal in static classification, performs worse than desired signals constructed by random noise or prediction during the background.
Stage-specific activity of the Leishmania major CRK3 kinase and functional rescue of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc2 mutant

Abstract Cell cycle control by cdc2-related kinases (CRKs) is essential to the regulation of cell proliferation and developmental processes in many organisms. Alternating phases of growth, arrest, and differentiation are characteristics of the infectious cycle of many trypanosomatid parasites, raising the possibility that members of the trypanosomatid CRK gene family participate in the regulation of these essential processes. Here we describe properties of the CRK3 gene from Leishmania major, which encodes a 36 kDa protein kinase showing 60% amino acid sequence identity with human CDK2, including several conserved sites implicated in regulation of kinase activity. CRK3 mRNA was constitutively expressed throughout the parasite life cycle, but histone H1 kinase activity of an epitope tagged CRK3 protein was greater in log-phase than in stationary-phase promastigotes. When integrated into the genome and expressed at the optimal level, CRK3 was able to rescue the growth defect of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc2 mutant (cdc2-33ts), indicating that CRK3 is a functional homolog of cdc2. Mutants of CRK3 at several key regulatory residues showed the expected dominant negative effects on the S. pombe mutant. This is the first example of functional expression of a trypanosomatid CRK in yeast, opening the way for further genetic studies within this amenable organism.