cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Melting Results for Both Pure Substances and Impure Substances

Melting experiments were performed encompassing both pure and impure substances. The pure substances included n -octadecane paraffin and n -eicosane paraffin, while the impure substances were mixtures synthesized from the pure paraffins. The experiments were carried out in a closed vertical tube whose wall was subjected to a step-change increase in temperature to initiate the melting. For each impure substance, supplementary measurements were made of two characteristic temperatures: the temperature T ** at which melting of the solid phase first begins and the lowest temperature T * at which the melting can go to completion. For a pure substance, T ** = T *. The time-dependent melting results for all the investigated substances, both pure and impure, were well correlated as a function of FoSte**(Gr**)1/8 alone, where the ** signifies the presence of T ** in the temperature difference which appears in Ste and Gr. This correlation enables melting rates for impure substances to be determined from melting rates for pure substances. The T ** values needed for the implementation of the correlation can be obtained from simple experiments, obviating the need for the complete equilibrium phase diagram.
Randomly amplified polymorphism detection (RAPD) reveals high genetic diversity in Thalassia testudinum banks ex König (Turtlegrass)

Abstract Populations of Thalassia testudinum (Banks ex Konig) at the northern and southern limits of the west coast of Florida were compared with a Jamaican population using randomly amplified polymorphism detection (RAPD). With the exception of those from Apalachicola Bay, virtually all samples were distinct genetic individuals. Those putative clone mates that were identified often had other genets dispersed between them. Several distinct differences were observed between the northern and southern populations. The southern populations have higher percentages of the total possible number of bands present, of polymorphic bands, and of bands exclusive to a population, as well as a greater number of RAPD phenotypes and a greater mean number of differences between phenotypes. The biological phenomena that may explain these patterns include increased reproductive success, decreased inbreeding or increased population size in the southern populations. A fourth possibility is unidirectional gene flow from north to south. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was done indicating that approximately 81% of the variation is within beds, suggesting a homogeneous species. Yet the populations were clearly distinguishable from one another at microgeographic ranges. The level of genetic variation observed is characteristic of species with the same life history traits as Thalassia testudinum and was not predicted based on field observations of the species. This study, in conjunction with other molecular seagrass studies done to date, challenges our understanding of seagrass growth, reproduction, and propagation. There does not appear to be any pattern of reproductive traits, such as dioecy, monoecy, vivipary, or seed banking, that can reliably predict levels of genetic variation in a given seagrass species.
Agent-system co-development in supply chain research: Propositions and demonstrative findings

Abstract In this study, we develop an agent-system co-development (ASC) theoretical framework for behavioral research in supply chains. The ASC framework aims at explaining the dynamic agent-system relationships in supply chains whereby both action-influencing properties of human agents (e.g., beliefs, personalities, attitudes) and governance-influencing properties of supply chain systems (e.g., social norms, power-dependence, partnerial/adversarial relationship forms) mutually influence each other over time. Two empirical studies are conducted to illustrate how ASC can be a useful theoretical framework in supply chain research and to partially validate the central thesis of ASC in the contexts of partnerial/adversarial supply chain relationships and cooperative/competitive attitudes of human agents in supply chains. The results of both studies support the central thesis of ASC regarding the dynamic agent-system relationships. From two replicated experiments in Study 1, the results suggest that agents’ cooperative and competitive attitudes in business relationships are altered as they are exposed to different supply chain conditions of partnerial and adversarial relationships. In addition, from the multi-method research efforts in Study 2, the results from two survey studies and an experiment are largely consistent with one another, suggesting that personnel turnovers in existing supply chain systems can eventually lead to changes in supply-chain-system properties including the degrees of long-term commitment, information sharing, and joint problem-solving between supply chain partners, as well as the frequency of opportunism occurrences in the supply chains. Finally, we propound that the dynamic agent-system relationships proposed in the ASC framework can be a useful analytical lens in viewing various supply chain issues, such as supply chain evolutions and changes, supply chain designs and personnel decisions, and self-reinforcing feedback loops and decision tendencies in supply chains.
Evidence on Risk/Return Patterns in Cash and Futures Markets

Active investment strategies at the asset–class level and at the security level have been criticized for being inconsistent with market efficiency. Futures and options–based systematic commodity trading advisor strategies have been further criticized on the basis that they trade in risky markets that do not offer a 9natural9 return. This article surveys some of the substantial and growing academic literature indicating that market inefficiencies may be a real source of returns to systematic commodity trading advisor investment strategies. Specifically, theory and empirical evidence on calendar effects, trends and reversals, and volatility patterns in returns in the stock, bond, and foreign currency cash and futures markets are discussed.
Organ Formation in Musa Tissue Cultures

Summary Spherical callus masses which resembled globular embryos developed on the surface of and within leaf base explants of various cultivated banana clones when they were cultured without illumination for 30 to 60 days on a basal medium containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts, i- inositol (100 mg·1- 1 ), thiamine·HCl (0.4 mg·1- 1 ), sucrose (30 g·1- 1 ), supplemented with 0.1% (w/v) activated charcoal, various concentrations of dicamba and solidified with 0.3% (w/ v) agar. Inclusion of kinetin or BA in addition to dicamba during culture initiation suppressed the formation of these callus masses. Transfer of leaf base explants to hormone-free basal medium or to MS with a lower concentration of dicamba resulted in rapid enlargement and elongation of the globular masses. Although root elongation occurred, shoot formation from these elongated structures was never observed.
Characterization and Quantification of Electronic and Ionic Ohmic Overpotential and Heat Generation in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode

The development of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with a higher efficiency and power density requires an improved understanding and treatment of the irreversibilities. Losses due to the electronic and ionic resistances, which are also known as ohmic losses in the form of Joule heating, can hinder the SOFC’s performance. Ohmic losses can result from the bulk material resistivities as well as the complexities introduced by the cell’s microstructure. In this work, two-dimensional (2D), electronic and ionic transport models are used to develop a method of quantification of the ohmic losses within the SOFC anode microstructure. This quantification is completed as a function of properties determined from a detailed microstructure characterization, namely, the tortuosity of the electronic and ionic phases, phase volume fraction, contiguity, and mean free path. A direct modeling approach at the level of the pore-scale microstructure is achieved through the use of a representative volume element (RVE) method. The correlation of these ohmic losses with the quantification of the SOFC anode microstructure are examined. It is found with this analysis that the contributions of the SOFC anode microstructure on ohmic losses can be correlated with the volume fraction, contiguity, and mean free path.
Commentary: beyond feeding problems: the challenge of meeting dietary recommendations in the treatment of chronic diseases in pediatrics.

twice the frequency of both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Longer mealtimes and increased behavior potentially account for the increased stress parents report in response to meals and dietary requirements. Other than CF and feeding disorders, little attention has been paid to behavioral factors that contribute to dietary adherence in chronic illness populations, despite the importance of diet to optimal health care. Another area of intervention is in young children (ages 4–8) newly diagnosed with diabetes. These children typically experience significant changes in their diet. More important than the types of food, however, may be the rigidity in meal timing and the need to eat soon after insulin administration. Clinicians and parents alike anecdotally report ongoing struggles around mealtime including cajoling, coaxing, and making alternative meals in order to ensure adequate food consumption following insulin. However, the prevalence and duration (number of months or years) of such struggles have never been assessed and thus the need for intervention is unclear. Given the anecdotal reports and the efficacy of behavioral interventions with similar feeding difficulties, this would appear to be an appropriate avenue for future assessment and possible intervention. Behavioral researchers have long been involved in modifying dietary habits that are hypothesized Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 3, 1999, pp. 221–222
The First Ukrainian Christian University: The Rewards and Challenges of Being an Eastern Anomaly.

Despite the 1,000-year history of the church in Ukraine and the 800-year history of the university in Europe, Christian higher education has always struggled to survive in the territory that is now Ukraine. While one early Catholic university did exist in the territory of Ukraine when it was under Polish rule, only since Ukraine became independent in 1991 has it hosted its own Christian university. This paper overviews the historical reason for this phenomenon and then examines the unique contributions and challenges produced by Ukrainian Catholic University's presence. In the end, the article describes the unique difficulties faced by this university in a country where Ukrainian politicians are still using old Soviet-style tactics to intimidate academics.
Implicit function theorem via the DSM

Sufficient conditions are given for an implicit function theorem to hold. The result is established by an application of the Dynamical Systems Method (DSM). It allows one to solve a class of nonlinear operator equations in the case when the Frechet derivative of the nonlinear operator is a smoothing operator, so that its inverse is an unbounded operator.
A novel layer-by-layer approach to immobilization of polymers and nanoclusters.

This paper reports a simple method for the multilayer immobilization of conjugated polymers, gold nanoparticles on solid supports. Poly(phenylenevinylene) functionalized with aldehyde and aminooxy groups was chemoselectively immobilized onto both glass and gold substrates via layer-by-layer deposition. The physical properties of the thin films were characterized by grazing angle IR, TM-AFM, fluorescence, and UV-visible spectroscopy. This methodology was also successfully applied to prepare polymer/gold nanocluster alternating multilayers. The results show that this methodology provides a general route for preparing robust and functionalizable multilayer films on solid substrates with molecular-level thickness control.
Growth and properties of amorphous Ge:H solar cells

Abstract We report on the growth and properties of a-Ge:H materials and solar cells. The materials and cells were grown using remote ECR plasma deposition with high (∼50:1) hydrogen dilution. Both p–i–n and n–i–n structures were made with this material on stainless steel substrates. The solar cells showed reasonable fill factors (59%). The measurement of subgap quantum efficiency revealed that the Urbach energy of valence band tails in devices was also very low, being ∼43 meV. Measurement of space charge limited current in n–i–n structures showed that the midgap defect density was in the mid-1016/cm3 eV range. Defect densities in the range of mid 1016/cm3 were also measured using drive level capacitance, and they were in agreement with SCLC results. Graded bandgap cells were made with this material. They showed an increase in voltage to 0.47 V when appropriate buffer layers were used. These results indicate that good quality a-Ge:H can be made for potential applications in solar cells and image sensors.
Communication analysis of distributed programs

Capturing and examining the causal and concurrent relationships of a distributed system is essential to a wide range of distributed systems applications. Many approaches to gathering this information rely on trace files of executions. The information obtained through tracing is limited to those executions observed. We present a methodology that analyzes the source code of the distributed system. Our analysis considers each process's source code and produces a single comprehensive graph of the system's possible behaviors. The graph, termed the partial order graph (POG), uniquely represents each possible partial order of the system. Causal and concurrent relationships can be extracted relative either to a particular partial order, which is synonymous to a single execution, or to a collection of partial orders. The graph provides a means of reasoning about the system in terms of relationships that will definitely occur, may possible occur, and will never occur. Distributed assert statements provide a means to monitor distributed system executions. By constructing the POG prior to system execution, the causality information provided by the POG enables run-time evaluation of the assert statement without relying on traces or addition messages.
The organization and amplification of two chromosomal domains containing drosophila chorion genes

Drosophila chorion genes are located in two clusters, one on the X chromosome at 7F1-2 of the polytene chromosome map and a second on the third chromosome at 66D11-15. Genes in both regions undergo amplification in ovarian follicle cells prior to their expression late in oogenesis. Analysis of cloned genomic segments derived from these chromosomal sites revealed that each cluster contains two tandemly transcribed chorion protein genes separated by only 1-2 kb. At least two other regions complementary to ovary RNA are located within 5 kb of these genes. During oogenesis, the transcribed sequences within each cluster, as well as the spacer sequences that separate them, are amplified equally. Sequences adjacent to the transcribed regions also replicate differentially but to a lesser extent, giving rise to gradients of decreasing amplification involving 40-50 kb of flanking chromosomal sequences. Differences between the restriction maps of unamplified and amplified DNA could not be detected in genomic DNA within either of the 90-100 kb domains of amplification. These observations suggest a model of amplification in which additional rounds of replication are specifically initiated within the central gene-containing regions, followed by bidirectional replication in the absence of discrete termination sites.
Flow Control In A Diffusing S-Duct

Accurate measurements have been made of secondary flow in a 1.51 area ratio diffusing 30 deg - 30 deg S-Duct with circulair cross section. Turbulent flow was entering the duct at Mach number of 0.6, the boundary layer thickness at the duct entrance was ten percent of the duct inlet diameter. Through measurements made, local flow velocity vector as well as static and total pressures mapping of the flow at several stations were obtained. Strong secondary flow was measured in the first bend which continued into the second bend with new vorticity produced in there in the opposite direction. Surface oil flow visualization and wall pressures indicated a region of separated flow starting at theta approximately equal to 22 deg on the inside of the first bend up to theta approximately equal to 44 deg on the outside of the second bend. The flow separated in 'cyclone' form and never reattached in the duct. As a result of the secondary flow and the flow separation, significant total pressure distortion was observed at the exit of the duct. Using flow control devices the separation was eliminated while the exit distortion was improved.
Comparison of Wave Packets Associated with Extratropical Transition and Winter Cyclones

AbstractDifferences in the development of wave packets associated with midlatitude cyclones and the extratropical transition (ET) of tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific (WNP) and Atlantic basins are diagnosed observationally by compositing Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data over a 32-yr period and applying the null hypothesis of no difference in the development, structure, propagation, or downstream extent. While the development of midlatitude cyclones during the fall (August–October) and winter (November–March) amplifies a preexisting wave packet moving through the midlatitude storm track, ET is associated with the quasi-stationary amplification of the midlatitude flow. The ET cases involving the interaction of the decaying TC with a preexisting midlatitude trough are associated with a greater downstream amplitude and longer-lasting downstream response than ET cases that do not involve the interaction with a trough. In the WNP, ET wave packets have greater amplitude than those asso...
Digital Angiography Of The Ocular Fundus Without Fluorescein

Local spatial filters were developed to enhance and extract blood vessels in a digitized color non-fluorescein angiograph. One filter dynamically enhances a black/white digital picture by normalizing the pixels relative to their local neighborhoods, and another filter extracts the candidate blood vessel pixels from a black/white digital picture.
Shear plane and hydrodynamic diameter of microspheres in suspension

Brownian motion of spherical particulate systems of different materials and surface conditions in dilute aqueous suspensions of various ionic concentrations was studied using photon correlation spectroscopy, ζ potential measurement, and static light scattering measurement. A relation between the ionic concentration and the hydrodynamic diameters of spheres is found. This relation exists as an enlarged particle diameter proportional to the electric double layer. Such size variation is independent of sphere size but dependent on solution conductivity. A model directly relating the shear plane to the measured hydrodynamic diameters and a guide to the proper use of photon correlation spectroscopy in sizing submicron particles are proposed.
Humor responses of high and low premorbid competence alcoholic and nonalcoholic patients

Abstract Groups of alcoholic, nonalcoholic psychiatric, and nonalcoholic medical patients, each including 10 high and 10 low social competence males, were shown cartoons having the themes of marital relations, dependency, and self-indulgence. High social competence patients recieved higher comprehension and mirth responses scores and rated the cartoons as funnier than did low social competence patients. Diagnostic status did not prove to be an important determinant of humor response. Findings involving cartoon theme indicated that the humor response is influenced by an interaction between the humor theme and the psychodynamics associated with the individual's matruity level. Alcoholics were not found to suffer circumscribed conflicts in the areas represented by the cartoon themes. The results were interpreted as support for a developmental approach to alcoholism as opposed to the psychodynamic approach. Developmental determinants of a sense of humor were discussed, and implications for future research were noted.
All night sleep recordings in clients' homes by telephone

Abstract All-night sleep recordings are essential in evaluating behavioral and other treatments for insomia and other sleep disorders. This measurement strategy has remeined laboratory-based because of the obvious problems involved in moving delicate and expensive equipment. A system is described for completing all-night recordings in subjects' homes and transmitting the data to a central laboratory by telephone. The implications of this methodology for further sleep research are discussed.
Necessity, Control, and Predictability of Noise as Determinants of Noise Annoyance

Summary A survey was conducted to test hypotheses dealing with the relationship between the necessity, controllability, and predictability of noise and noise annoyance in five different noise environments. With the exception of noise on the job, the results obtained for the other noise environments indicated partial support for the hypotheses dealing with the necessity and controllability of noise and no support for the hypothesis dealing with the predictability of noise. The data showed a very low positive relationship between necessity and annoyance and between control and annoyance. Partial correlations indicated that necessity and control were independently correlated with annoyance.
Managing to the margins: the overexploitation of fisheries

Overfishing persists in many of the world's fisheries, despite the fact that scientists have clearly identified overexploitation as a problem. The solution seems straightforward – reduce fishing pressure – and the benefits are clear and often obtained rapidly, if action is taken before stocks are driven to very low levels. The problem persists, however, because the politics of fishery management favor continued exploitation. How stocks will recover and who will be able to reap the benefits is uncertain, so the political incentive is to maintain the status quo. Management immediately tries to capitalize on any apparent stock increase or marginal fishing opportunity, but only slowly responds to apparent decreases in the stock. This approach inevitably results in resource declines, and therefore cannot succeed in conserving public resources. We need to change this perspective and view the oceans as a system to be managed wisely, rather than a resource to be exhausted.
do the differences make a difference? an empirical evaluation of the culture of poverty in the United States

Causal path models of initial occupational prestige and income for the poor and the middle class (United States) are developed from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience in order to test Lewis's “perpetuation of poverty” hypothesis. All the variables predictive of educational, occupational, and financial achievement also differentiate the lower and middle classes. However, two-thirds of the income gap between the descendants of the poor and those of the middle class is determined by structural factors beyond individual control.
Interplay of race, socioeconomic status, and treatment on survival of patients with prostate cancer.

Objectives To compare overall and prostate cancer-specific survival, using the Detroit Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data, among 8679 Detroit area black and white men with localized or regional stage prostate cancer diagnosed from 1988 to 1992 to determine whether racial disparities in long-term survival remained after adjusting for treatment type and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods The cases were geocoded to the census block-group, and SES data were obtained from the 1990 U.S. Census. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death from any cause. The median follow-up was 16.5 years. Results Of the 7770 localized stage cases (22% black and 78% white) and 909 regional cases (24% black and 76% white), black men were more likely to receive nonsurgical treatment (P Conclusions Low SES and nonsurgical treatment were associated with a greater risk of death among men with prostate cancer, explaining much of the survival disadvantage for black men with prostate cancer.
CON: Patients at High Risk for Ovarian Cancer Should Not Undergo Routine Screening

c p r c r b c Introduction Ovarian cancer represents a significant and continuing health problem among women. For 2009, the American Cancer Society estimates that 21,550 women in the United States will have been newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with 14,600 deaths attributable to the disease. Ovarian cancer is the second most common ynecologic cancer but accounts for 55% of all deaths associated with ynecologic malignancies. This high case-fatality rate is directly atributable to the late stage at which most ovarian cancers are diagosed. Only 15% of all ovarian cancers are diagnosed at stage I, with the tumor confined to the ovary, whereas 79% are diagnosed at stages II, II, and IV and have already spread to the surrounding tissues. When one considers the 5-year survival rates of 93.8% for stage I and only 28.2% for stages II, III, and IV, the true threat from this disease becomes apparent. A family history of ovarian or breast cancer is the most impor-tant factor for consideration when determining a woman’s risk for developing ovarian cancer. Furthermore, there are specific genetic mutations that have been shown to increase the likelihood of cancer in carriers. The most common mutations occur in the BRCA1 and RCA2 genes, which are involved in DNA double-strand break reair. Although there is still some debate on the precise risk posed to omen with these mutations, it has been shown that the lifetime risk f developing ovarian cancer for patients with either the BRCA1 or RCA2 mutation is roughly 40% and 20%, respectively. This is compared with only a 1.4% chance in patients without a BRCA mutation.
Some Limits in the Theory of Multicollinearity

Abstract The name “multicollinearity” was first introduced by Ragnar Frisch [2]. In his original formulation the economic variables are supposed to be composed of two parts, a systematic or “true” and an “error” component. There are at least two other cases when the same type of indeterminancy of the estimates arises due to different reasons. Considerable attention was given to this problem which arises when some or all the variables in a regression equation are highly inter-correlated and it becomes almost impossible to separate their influences and obtain the corresponding estimates of the regression coefficients. Consider a linear regression model
Program improvement by internal specialization

We investigate the specialization of programs by means of program transformation techniques. There are two goals of this investigation: the construction of program synthesis tools, and a better understanding of the development of algorithms.By extending an ordinary language of recursion equations to include a generalized procedure construct (the expression procedure), our ability to manipulate programs in that language is greatly enhanced. The expression procedure provides a means of expressing information not just about the properties of individual program elements, but also about the way they relate to each other.A set of four operations for transforming programs in this extended language is presented. These operations, unlike the transformation rules of Burstall and Darlington and of Manna and Waldinger, preserve the strong equivalence of programs.This set of operations forms the basis of a general-purpose specialization technique for recursive programs. The practical value of this technique has been demonstrated in the systematic development of many programs, including several context-free parsing algorithms. We outline here the development of Earley's algorithm by specialization.This paper is an informal exposition of part of the results of the author's Ph.D. thesis [Scherlis80].
Modeling fuel cell stack systems

Abstract A technique for modeling fuel cell stacks is presented along with the results from an investigation designed to test the validity of the technique. The technique was specifically designed so that models developed using it can be used to determine the fundamental thermal–physical behavior of a fuel cell stack for any operating and design configuration. Such models would be useful tools for investigating fuel cell power system parameters. The modeling technique can be applied to any type of fuel cell stack for which performance data is available for a laboratory scale single cell. Use of the technique is demonstrated by generating sample results for a model of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) stack consisting of 125 cells each with an active area of 150 cm 2 . A PEMFC stack was also used in the verification investigation. This stack consisted of four cells, each with an active area of 50 cm 2 . Results from the verification investigation indicate that models developed using the technique are capable of accurately predicting fuel cell stack performance.
Baclofen dosage after traumatic spinal cord injury: A multi-decade retrospective analysis

Abstract Objectives To perform an analysis of oral baclofen dosage in patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries over time and to ascertain the clinical determinants of long-term baclofen dosage trends. Study design Retrospective cohort study of patient records from the PM&R units at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Subjects A total of 115 PM&R patients suffering spinal cord injury due to trauma leading to either complete or incomplete paralysis. The modes of injury included were motor vehicle accidents (MVA) ( n =39), gunshot wounds (GSW) ( n =55), falls ( n =17), diving ( n =2), workplace ( n =1) and swimming ( n =1) accidents. The location of injury in the spinal cord was categorized into either cervical ( n =52), thoracic ( n =59), lumbar ( n =2), or unspecified ( n =2). Results From time of injury, an aggregate of all dosage assignments for each patient demonstrated a significant yearly increase in baclofen dosage (1.26mg/year, p ˆ 0.01 ). Baclofen dosage for MVA cases were seen to rise at 4.99mg/year ( p ˆ 0.0001 ). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that GSW patients received their first baclofen dosage earlier than MVA patients (log-rank p ˆ 0.05 , unadjusted). Conclusions We observed a marginal increase in baclofen dosage over nearly 25 years in a single provider's patient database and observed different timings of first dose between two causes of traumatic SCI. These results provide an estimate of baclofen dosage trends over time after spinal cord injury and may be useful for patient counseling or as a method to assess costs of providing SCI patient care.
Experiences with scheduling and mapping games for adaptive distributed systems: summary

We apply the concept of "games with a purpose" to NP- complete mapping and scheduling problems in distributed systems and report our experiences. The particular context is a scheduling and mapping problem that emerges when running parallel applications in a distributed virtualized computing environment, specifically BSP applications in our Virtuoso system. We describe the design and implementation of an interface that presents the problem as a game, and a user study we undertook to evaluate the interface. The results show that there is promise -- at least at small scales, most of our naive users are able to find solutions that are reasonable.
Tracheobronchomalacia: Comparison between End-expiratory and Dynamic Expiratory CT for Evaluation of Central Airway Collapse

PURPOSE: To compare dynamic expiratory and end-expiratory computed tomography (CT) for depicting central airway collapse in patients with acquired tracheobronchomalacia (TBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained, and informed consent was not needed. Retrospective review was performed of all patients with a CT diagnosis of TBM in a 10-month period (n = 34) who underwent evaluation of airway disease by means of three different sequences at multi–detector row CT: end inspiration, dynamic expiration, and end expiration (the latter was performed only at the levels of the aortic arch, carina, and bronchus intermedius). Fourteen patients (11 men, three women; age range, 19–79 years) who had comparable images obtained with all three sequences at any of these three levels were included in the study. The degree of airway collapse was measured by two thoracic radiologists in consensus by calculating the percentage change in the area of the airway between inspiratory and expiratory...
The Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor Cph2 Regulates Hyphal Development in Candida albicans Partly via Tec1

Candida albicans undergoes a morphogenetic switch from budding yeast to hyphal growth form in response to a variety of stimuli and growth conditions. Multiple signaling pathways, including a Cph1-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and an Efg1-mediated cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway, regulate the transition. Here we report the identification of a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor of the Myc subfamily (Cph2) by its ability to promote pseudohyphal growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Like sterol response element binding protein 1, Cph2 has a Tyr instead of a conserved Arg in the basic DNA binding region. Cph2 regulates hyphal development in C. albicans, as cph2/cph2 mutant strains show medium-specific impairment in hyphal development and in the induction of hypha-specific genes. However, many hypha-specific genes do not have potential Cph2 binding sites in their upstream regions. Interestingly, upstream sequences of all known hypha-specific genes are found to contain potential binding sites for Tec1, a regulator of hyphal development. Northern analysis shows that TEC1 transcription is highest in the medium in which cph2/cph2 displays a defect in hyphal development, and Cph2 is necessary for this transcriptional induction of TEC1. In vitro gel mobility shift experiments show that Cph2 directly binds to the two sterol regulatory element 1-like elements upstream of TEC1. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of TEC1 suppresses the defect of cph2/cph2 in hyphal development. Therefore, the function of Cph2 in hyphal transcription is mediated, in part, through Tec1. We further show that this function of Cph2 is independent of the Cph1- and Efg1-mediated pathways.
Persistently Infected Calves as Reservoirs for Acquisition and Transovarial Transmission of Babesia bovis by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

Babesia bovis is a deadly disease of cattle resulting in severe economic losses in the vast regions of the world where it is endemic. If reintroduced into the United States, babesiosis would cause significant mortality in the naive cattle population. In order to address the risk to U.S. cattle, it is essential to quantify the transovarial transmission efficiency in adult female Boophilus microplus ticks following acquisition feeding on persistently infected cattle. This study tested the hypothesis that infection rates are the same for larval progeny derived from females fed to repletion during persistent or acute infection. Increasing parasite levels during acute infection correlated with an increasing number of females harboring kinetes detectable in hemolymph (r = 0.9). The percent infected larvae ranged from 0 to 20% when derived from females fed to repletion on persistently infected calves and from 4 to 6% when derived from females fed to repletion during acute parasitemia. There was no significant difference in infection rates of larval progeny, implying that the risk associated with the introduction of either persistently infected or acutely infected cattle is equal. Parasite levels ranged from 2.4 × 102 to 1.9 × 105 in 3-day-fed larvae derived from females fed to repletion on persistently infected cattle. One group of larvae failed to transmit the parasite, suggesting that a threshold level of parasites must be obtained by larval progeny via transovarial transmission in order for larvae to deliver sufficient parasites to infect a naive host.
The Use of Flood Potential Indices for Flood Peak Estimation on Ungaged Watersheds

: The construction of a flood peak index map was attempted for use by hydrologists in the simple format of rainfall maps. Since flood peaks are highly dependent on watershed area, the effect of area was removed. By regression analysis flood peaks of 2.33 and 100-year return periods were found to be proportional to watershed area to the 0.8 and 0.7 powers, respectively. Therefore, indices C2 33= Q2 33/A0.7 were completed at each gage and plotted on a Pennsylvania map. It was attempted to further remove some of the scatter by regression of C with several other watershed parameters like slope, percent forest cover, and watershed shape, but no significant correlation could be found. The index maps, drawn without attenuation of the scatter, can be used by hydrologists to compute flood peaks as Q = CAn (with n = 0.8 and 0.7 for the 2.33 and 100-year flood peaks, respectively). Flood peak safety factors can be based on visual observation of the index variation in the vicinity of the location for which the flood peak estimate is needed.
Imaging Chemical Aggregation of Ni/NiO Particles from Reduced NiO-YSZ

Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping of nickel oxide yttria-stabilized zirconia (NiO-YSZ) was carried out after various hydrogen reducing and methane steam reforming conditions. Nickel aggregation was visualized after methane steam reforming by correlating Ni K{sub {alpha}} map with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images. From the reduced O K{sub {alpha}} intensities in the Ni K{sub {alpha}} dominated regions after methane steam reforming, NiO reduction in to Ni can be interpreted. From correlation between Zr K{sub {alpha}} and O K{sub {alpha}} maps, high stability of YSZ was also realized. Examples of NiO-YSZ overlapped particles are considered to discuss chemical imaging of a single particle.
Stress-Induced Deformation of Aluminum Metallization in Plastic Molded Semiconductor Devices

Plastic encapsulation of large semiconductor chips has resulted in increased stress-related failures such as cracked passivation, metal deformation and delamination, cracked chips, cracked packages, and parameter shifts. The large mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the silicon chip and the plastic encapsulant is felt to be the major contributor to these failures. In an effort to minimize stress problems, many mold compound manufacturers have modified their formulations and epoxy resin chemistries. As a result, many "low-stress" mold compounds have been introduced in recent years. A procedure was developed for screening encapsulation plastics for mechanical stress on semiconductor chips. The method involves temperature cycling of molded packages containing unpassivated test chips. The degree of deformation of the metallization is used as a measure of stress on the chip. Several semiconductor grade epoxy mold compounds were evaluated with this procedure. Many of the newer low-stress epoxy formulations gave metal deformation equal to or greater than the standard formulations. One of the materials, however, yielded no observable metal deformation under the test conditions. Metal deformation is a result of shear stress acting at the chip surface, with the direction of the deformation being toward the center of the chip. Microscopic cross-sectional analysis of temperature cycled packages revealed microcracks in the plastic which appeared to have initiated at the chip edge. In most cases, the cracks were about 400/ \mu m long and thus did not reach the package surface. The microcracks appear to promote metal deformation, since they reduce the restrictions on plastic movement at the chip surface. SEM analysis was employed to determine the topography of the deformed aluminum stripes. The effects of chip size, aluminum line width, number of temperature cycles, and post-cure conditions were also determined.
Genetic relationships of North American bears (Ursus) inferred from amplified fragment length polymorphisms and mitochondrial DNA sequences

The three species of bears in North America, polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774), brown bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758), and black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780), have differentiated morphologies and nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. An exception is a paraphyletic mitochondrial DNA relationship and some nuclear gene lineages common to polar bears and a population of brown bears from islands in southeast Alaska. In this study, we quantified the genetic relationships of extant brown bears and black bears from Alaska and Montana, and polar bears from Alaska, with amplified fragment length polymor- phisms (AFLP) and mtDNA cytochrome-b sequences. Bayesian cluster analyses of the AFLP data show each species is distinct. All brown bears, including those from the islands in southeast Alaska, cluster separately from polar bears, and black bears cluster separately from brown bears and polar bears. The mtDNA of polar bears and southeast Alaska island brown bears is paraphyletic as reported previously, but the species have different haplotypes. These data indicate that extant populations of brown bears and polar bears have separate nuclear and mitochondrial gene pools and are supported as species under the genetic species concept. Resume : Les trois especes d'ours d'Amerique du Nord, l'ours blanc (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774), le grizzli (Ursus arctos L., 1758) et l'ours noir (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780), ont des morphologies et des genomes nucleaires et mitochondriaux differencies. Une relation paraphyletique de l'ADN mitochondrial et certaines lignees de genes nucleaires qu'ont en commun les ours blancs et une population de grizzlis des iles du sud-est de l'Alaska constituent toutefois des exceptions notables. Nous avons quantifie les relations genetiques entre des grizzlis et des ours noirs vivant aujourd'hui en l'Alaska et au Montana, et des ours blancs de l'Alaska ala lumiere de polymorphismes de longueur de fragments amplifies (AFLP) et de sequences du cytochrome-b de l'ADNmt. Des analyses bayesiennes de regroupement des donnees d'AFLP indiquent que chaque espece est distincte. Tous les grizzlis, y compris ceux des iles du sud-est de l'Alaska, forment un groupe distinct des ours blancs, et les ours noirs forment un groupe distinct des grizzlis et des ours blancs. L'ADNmt des ours blancs et des grizzlis des iles du sud-est de l'Alaska est paraphyletique, ce qui concorde avec les conclusions d'etudes anterieures, mais les deux especes ont des haplotypes distincts. Ces donnees indiquent que les populations actuelles de grizzlis et d'ours blancs presentent des patrimoines genetiques nucle- aires et mitochondriaux distincts et constituent des especes distinctes en vertu du concept des especes genetiques. (Traduit par la Redaction) Mots-cles : polymorphisme de longueur de fragments amplifies, ours, cytochrome b, ADN mitochondrial, Ursus americanus, Ursus arctos, Ursus maritimus.
“Z”eroing in on the Role of Cypher in Striated Muscle Function, Signaling, and Human Disease

The striated muscle Z line, a multiprotein complex at the boundary between sarcomeres, plays an integral role in maintaining striated muscle structure and function. Multiple Z-line–associated proteins have been identified and shown to play an increasingly important role in the pathogenesis of human muscle disease. Cypher/Z-band alternatively spliced PDZ-motif protein, a PDZ-LIM protein in the Z line, binds to α -actinin (via its PDZ domain) and has been suggested to function as a linker-strut to maintain cytoskeletal structural integrity during contraction. Cypher may also participate in signaling pathways by binding to protein kinase C via its LIM domains. Analysis of Cypher-deficient mice has revealed that Cypher plays an integral role in Z-line maintenance/integrity of striated muscles and the pathogenesis of congenital myopathies, including cardiomyopathy. These studies have led to the subsequent discovery of Cypher mutations in human patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as skeletal muscle myopathies, which have been recently termed zaspopathies . The recent discovery of various alternatively spliced isoforms of Cypher with potentially distinct structural and signaling roles brings a different level of complexity to the mechanisms underlying Cypher-based human myopathies. This review will focus on recent developments on the role of Cypher and its isoforms in striated muscle structure, signaling, and disease to provide insights into the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Z-line–associated human myopathies.
Waveform-agile tracking in heavy sea clutter

The detection and tracking of small targets on the ocean surface is a challenging problem due to low signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) that results from low grazing angles and high sea state. Recent advances in sensing technologies have enabled waveform-agile schemes that tailor the sensor waveform to match the overall sensing objective. In this paper, we propose a methodology to dynamically adapt the transmitted waveform to improve the tracking performance for scenarios characterized by heavy sea clutter. Employing the compound-Gaussian model for sea clutter, we develop an algorithm for online design of a phase-modulated waveform that improves the SCR in a range bin of interest. A particle Alter tracker uses the measurements obtained by this waveform to estimate the target state. We present a simulation study to demonstrate that our scheme leads to improved tracking performance.
FDA Acceptance of Foreign Inspections

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) acceptance of foreign inspections is becoming an increasingly important issue in light of the international efforts to harmonize the regulation of pharmaceuticals. In addition, the developments in the European Community and elsewhere have created an environment where reliance on inspection reports generated by the host country has increasing appeal. This paper covers FDA's current view of agreements to exchange good manufacturing practice (GMP) inspection reports with other countries.
Entropy-Enthalpy Compensation: Role and Ramifications in Biomolecular Ligand Recognition and Design

Recent calorimetric studies of interactions between small molecules and biomolecular targets have generated renewed interest in the phenomenon of entropy-enthalpy compensation. In these studies, entropic and enthalpic contributions to binding are observed to vary substantially and in an opposing manner as the ligand or protein is modified, whereas the binding free energy varies little. In severe examples, engineered enthalpic gains can lead to completely compensating entropic penalties, frustrating ligand design. Here, we examine the evidence for compensation, as well as its potential origins, prevalence, severity, and ramifications for ligand engineering. We find the evidence for severe compensation to be weak in light of the large magnitude of and correlation between errors in experimental measurements of entropic and enthalpic contributions to binding, though a limited form of compensation may be common. Given the difficulty of predicting or measuring entropic and enthalpic changes to useful precision, or using this information in design, we recommend ligand engineering efforts instead focus on computational and experimental methodologies to directly assess changes in binding free energy.