cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytomegalovirus Infection, Lipoprotein(a), and Hypercoagulability: An Atherogenic Link?

A link between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and atherosclerosis has been suggested by experimental, clinical, and epidemiologic studies. We investigated the association between CMV antibody titers in serum collected in 1974 in 300 adult residents in Washington County, Md, and hemostatic parameters in plasma collected in 1987 through 1989, when these individuals participated in the baseline examination of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. The cross-sectional association of CMV serum antibodies and hemostatic parameters was also explored in another set of Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cases and controls. In the longitudinal analyses, CMV titers in 1974 were directly associated with 1987 through 1989 plasma levels of von Willebrand factor, factor VIII, and protein C and negatively associated with activated partial thromboplastin time. In the cross-sectional analyses, CMV titers were directly related to antithrombin III and fibrinogen levels. When the association between CMV antibodies and atherosclerosis was examined in stratified analyses, a significant association was restricted to individuals with high levels of lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen. These results are compatible with previous evidence suggesting that CMV virus might have procoagulant properties. The possible synergism of CMV infection and resulting hypercoagulability with reduced fibrinolysis due to increased lipoprotein(a) levels deserves further investigation.
MO-E-AUD C-05: Can Voxel Based Prescription Dose Be Determined From Multiple Physiological MR Modalities for Brain Tumors?

Purpose: To determine spatially non‐uniform dose prescription for braintumors based on physiological MRI data, we have retrospectively analyzed the correlation between pre‐RT MR imaging, delivered dose, and post‐RT MR imaging using various multivariate analysis methods. Method and Materials: Non‐uniform dose prescription using the pre‐RT functional imaging can be meaningful only if a correlation between imaging signal to required minimum dose exists. This correlation can be indicated by a separation in the imaging — dose space between clusters of voxels where tumor recurred and those where tumor is sterilized. To determine the correlation, we performed various multivariate analyses including k‐means clustering, decision tree, principle component analysis and visual scattering plots on a voxel‐by‐voxel basis. A separation in the clusters of responsive and non‐responsive voxels is sought in the N+1 dimensional space (N=number of physiological imaging modalities + dose). Analyses were performed on co‐registered pre‐ and post‐RT multiple physiological MR data (MRSI, rCBV (spin‐echo (GE), gradient‐echo (SE) and ratio parameters), DTI‐derived ADC (apperent diffusion coefficient), and FA (fractional anisotropy)) with delivered dose distributions and tumor recurrence maps based on post‐RT imaging for selected braintumor patients. Results: Among various combinations of MRI modalities tried, no imaging modality or combination provided strong separation. A weak separation was observable only when multiple MR modalities were considered. Visual separation happened mainly with ADC map and rCBV‐GE. Different clustering methods yielded a weak separation (mean within‐cluster distance to among cluster distance ratio 0.7), for the high risk region voxels. Conclusion: The multivariate analyses show a weak correlation for the studied patient cases, which may be attributed to complex tumor dynamics. This indirectly indicates that temporal (update during course of treatment) and spatial non‐uniform dose prescription may be helpful for braintumors.
Effects of mutual coupling and noise correlation on downlink coordinated beamforming with limited feedback

We consider the impact of receiver correlation, antenna coupling, matching, and noise on the performance of coordinated beamforming systems. We present a new coordinated beamforming technique for two receivers that is suitable for MIMO broadcast channels with signal and noise correlation at the receiver. We then apply this technique to the specific type of signal and noise correlation that occurs in the presence of receiver mutual coupling. Numerical results suggest that, even in the presence of strong coupling, most of the benefits of coordinated beamforming can be preserved by using appropriate matching networks and linear beamforming. Moreover, these benefits can be achieved even when feedback is limited.
Time dependences of two-, three-, and four-photon ionization of atomic hydrogen in the ground 1 S 2 and metastable 2 S 2 states

The two-level model of multiphoton ionization is reviewed within the context of an exact theoretical framework. Parametrization of the complex dressed states arising in a generalized Floquet analysis gives numerical values for the effective two-level parameters for two-, three-, and four-photon ionization of ground-state atomic hydrogen with the (${m}_{l}=0$) intermediate resonant states $2p$, $2s$, and $3p$, respectively. Detailed time dependences of the ionization process are given for responses to a linearly polarized, monochromatic, single-mode laser turned on suddenly with respect to near-resonant states, but adiabatically with respect to all others. Appropriate expressions for time-independent ionization rates are obtained during specific time intervals. The $K$ index ($K=\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}\mathrm{ln}N}{\ensuremath{\partial}\mathrm{ln}I}$), of interest in recent experiments, is understood within the framework of a simple model. Application to four-photon ionization of the metastable $^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state of hydrogen illustrates the breakdown of the two-level model, as the number of "near-resonant" levels is a function of the field strength.
Efficiency of grounding grids with nonuniform soil

STUDIE SDEVOTED TOP REDETERMINATION of ground resistance on the basis of geometric dimensions and ground resistivity generally assume that the resistivity of the soil is uniform. While this assumption is frequently justified in view of the usually meager knowledge of the actual ground resistivity distribution and the mathematical difficulties caused by any nonuniformity of the ground resistivity, it also can be misleading under certain conditions.
Delayed coking of decant oil and coal in a laboratory-scale coking unit

In this paper, we describe the development of a laboratory-scale delayed coker and present results of an investigation on the recovered liquid from the coking of decant oil and decant oil/coal mixtures. Using quantitative gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and {sup 1}H and {sup 13}C NMR, a study was made of the chemical composition of the distillate liquids isolated from the overheads collected during the coking and co-coking process. {sup 1}H and {sup 13}C NMR analyses of combined liquids from coking and co-coking did not show any substantial differences. These NMR results of coking and co-coking liquids agree with those of GC/MS. In these studies, it was observed that co-coking with coal resulted in a decrease in the paraffins contents of the liquid. The percentage of cycloparaffins, indenes, naphthalenes, and tetralins did not change significantly. In contrast, alkyl benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the distillate were higher in the co-coking experiments which may have resulted from the distillation of thermally cracked coal macromolecules and the contribution of these molecules to the overall liquid composition. 40 refs., 3 figs., 13 tabs.
A state-mandated epistemology of ignorance: Arizona’s HB2281 and Mexican American/Raza Studies

Charles Mills (1997) argues White Supremacy relies upon a denial that racism exists, or, “an inverted epistemology, an epistemology of ignorance” (italics original, p. 18). Arizona's racial politic...
On designing a fuzzy control system using an optimization algorithm

Abstract Fuzzy logic in control systems is becoming increasingly popular as a method of handling non-linear control problems. The design of fuzzy systems is generally undertaken using a trial-and-error approach. A system so developed may be less than optimum and often this is the case for known examples of control systems. Currently, there is no procedure for optimization which is appropriate for every system. In this paper a method to design and to optimize a fuzzy control system is developed. The results of computer simulations of a system constructed using this technique are presented and discussed.
The Image-Makers' Arsenal in an Age of War and Empire, 1898–1899: A Cartoon Essay, Featuring the Work of Charles Bartholomew (of the Minneapolis Journal ) and Albert Wilbur Steele (of the Denver Post )

Utilizing the work of two cartoonists who produced for newspapers outside the central establishment of the yellow press, this essay argues for the critical role of political cartoonists in shaping viewers' expectations of US involvement in the Spanish-American War of 1898. It features seventeen cartoons, arranged carefully to reflect the shifting political climate, in order to demonstrate the narrative frameworks, image selections, and paradigm shifts in their representations of war and empire. Their cartoons were emblematic of how artists nationwide harnessed typographies of gender, race, and sexuality to create compelling justifications for and against policies of war and colonial acquisition.
Influence of Body Weight, Ethnicity, Oral Contraceptives, and Pregnancy on the Pharmacokinetics of Azithromycin in Women of Childbearing Age

Women of childbearing age commonly receive azithromycin for the treatment of community-acquired infections, including during pregnancy. This study determined azithromycin pharmacokinetics in pregnant and nonpregnant women and identified covariates contributing to pharmacokinetic variability. Plasma samples were collected by using a sparse-sampling strategy from pregnant women at a gestational age of 12 to 40 weeks and from nonpregnant women of childbearing age receiving oral azithromycin for the treatment of an infection. Pharmacokinetic data from extensive sampling conducted on 12 healthy women were also included. Plasma samples were assayed for azithromycin by high-performance liquid chromatography. Population data were analyzed by nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. The population analysis included 53 pregnant and 25 nonpregnant women. A three-compartment model with first-order absorption and a lag time provided the best fit of the data. Lean body weight, pregnancy, ethnicity, and the coadministration of oral contraceptives were covariates identified as significantly influencing the oral clearance of azithromycin and, except for oral contraceptive use, intercompartmental clearance between the central and second peripheral compartments. No other covariate relationships were identified. Compared to nonpregnant women not receiving oral contraceptives, a 21% to 42% higher dose-adjusted azithromycin area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) occurred in non-African American women who were pregnant or receiving oral contraceptives. Conversely, azithromycin AUCs were similar between pregnant African American women and nonpregnant women not receiving oral contraceptives. Although higher levels of maternal and fetal azithromycin exposure suggest that lower doses be administered to non-African American women during pregnancy, the consideration of azithromycin pharmacodynamics during pregnancy should guide any dose adjustments.
Structure extraction by stochastic estimation with adaptive events

Various aspects of turbulence structure can be found by a new class of stochasticestimation methods in which the conditional events that define the stochastic estimate are systematically varied. Methods are presented to find the length scale of large periodic structures, the form of structures that have specified geometric constraints such as two-dimensionality, and the structure of small-scale motions embedded in large-scale motions. These methodologies are demonstrated in high Rayleigh number turbulent convection by extracting both the large-scale roll-cell and coherent thermal plumes. A method of compressed representation using a stochastic estimate given data on optimally chosen points is also demonstrated.
Systolic Anterior Motion of the Mitral Valve After Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Insufficiency

u S d m o ( S c S n l c t a NTRAOPERATIVE SYSTOLIC ANTERIOR motion of the mitral valve (SAM) after aortic valve replacement (AVR) or aortic stenosis has been previously described.1,2 The presnce of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), a relaively narrow left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), and inreased blood flow velocity in the LVOT when coupled with erioperative hypovolemia and/or vasodilatation place patients ith aortic stenosis at risk for SAM. Alternatively, patients ith aortic insufficiency (AI) are much less likely to develop AM because this regurgitant lesion is most often associated ith a dilated left ventricle (LV) and the LVOT widens during ystole preventing apposition of the anterior leaflet. The authors report a case of AVR for AI with hemodynamcally significant SAM in the immediate postcardiopulmonary ypass (CPB) period.
Characterizing HIV epidemiology in stable couples in Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

Using a set of statistical methods and HIV mathematical models applied on nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey data, we characterized HIV serodiscordancy patterns and HIV transmission dynamics in stable couples (SCs) in four countries: Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India. The majority of SCs affected by HIV were serodiscordant, and about a third of HIV-infected persons had uninfected partners. Overall, nearly two-thirds of HIV infections occurred in individuals in SCs, but only about half of these infections were due to transmissions within serodiscordant couples. The majority of HIV incidence in the population occurred through extra-partner encounters in SCs. There is similarity in HIV epidemiology in SCs between these countries and countries in sub-Saharan Africa, despite the difference in scale of epidemics. It appears that HIV epidemiology in SCs may share similar patterns globally, possibly because it is a natural ‘spillover’ effect of HIV dynamics in high-risk populations.
Webtapping: Securing the Internet to save us from transnational terror?

Considerable debate surrounds the issue of wiretapping as a tool for the collection of intelligence in combating trans-national organizations employing terror tactics in pursuit of their political agendas. This paper argues that the language used to frame this debate is outmoded. At root conventional wisdom of the wiretapping issue in the United States is framed by a general consensus that fails to account for now ubiquitous digital means of communication. In addition, the issue of information security, the protection of computer networks, government and private alike, but often tied in some way to critical infrastructure, is inextricably linked to digital eavesdropping. The author argues that while attempts to understand the totality of network activity may be of great value in protection of critical infrastructure, this webtapping presents potentially grave implications for individual liberties and may produce limited payoffs in defeating terror organizations or cyber-attackers.
A wire-cutting clamp designed to reduce complications during sternotomy closure.

Purpose Sternal wire placement frequently results in glove disruption, wound contamination and personnel skin puncture. The described cutting clamp was developed to simplify sternotomy closure and reduce complications. Description Informed consent was obtained from 103 patients who underwent a variety of common cardiac surgical procedures. In each instance, once the cardiac portion of the procedure was completed, the median sternotomy was closed using standard sternal wires and the described cutting clamps. A single set of clamps was repeatedly re-sterilized and used for all cases. Evaluation There were no incidents of unintentional clamp release, glove disruption or personnel skin punctures from the wire. None of the patients had clinically evident sternal wound infections or nonunion. There were no deaths. The functional attributes of the clamps remained constant throughout the study, and no significant wear was detected on the carbide inserts or other components of the clamps. Conclusions The sternal wire-cutting clamp simplifies sternal closure and should reduce complications.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Liquid/Vapor Interface of SPC/E Water

Molecular dynamics computer simulations have been used to explore the structural and dynamical properties of water's liquid/vapor interface using the simple extended point charge (SPC/E) model. Comparisons to the existing experimental and simulation data suggest that the SPC/E potential energy function provides a semiquantitative description of this interface. The orientation of H2O molecules at the interface is found to be bimodal in nature. The self-diffusion constant of water is calculated to be larger at the surface than in the bulk.
A quantitative assay for measuring cell agglutination: agglutination of sea urchin embryo and mouse teratoma cells by concanavalin A.

Abstract Plant agglutinins are being widely used to obtain important information about cell surfaces of normal and malignant cells. In the past, agglutination has been measured using a serological estimate of cell clumping and these results suffered from a severe lack of quantification. It is important to be able to quantify the agglutination assay so that it may be used to rapidly quantify differences in cell agglutinability and correlate this with the nature and distribution of agglutinin receptor sites. In the present studies we combine the use of an electronic particle counter, a gyratory shaker with a large diameter of rotation and small volumes of cell suspensions to develop a rapid quantitative assay to measure cell agglutination with plant agglutinins. The parameters influencing agglutination are carefully studied and the results indicate that initial cell density, agglutinin concentration and temperature affect the kinetics of cell agglutination. It is suggested that some previous work be re-evaluated in light of these results. The agglutination of mouse teratoma cells and sea urchin embryo cells by concanavalin A (ConA) are also studied and carefully compared using the new assay. Teratoma cells and normal EDTA dissociated, untrypsinized, sea urchin embryo cells are agglutinated by ConA. We quantitatively show that under the same conditions equal numbers of teratoma cells and sea urchin gastrula cells agglutinate with ConA and these results are interpreted in terms of clustering of cell surface agglutinin receptor sites.
Frontiers of Neuroengineering with focus on brain machine interface and neural prostheses

Neuroengineering is one of the fastest growing disciplines in the Biomedical Engineering community, especially in societies such as IEEE Engineering in Medicine in Biology and Medicine. I will begin my presentation with the overview of the field of Neuroengineering, spanning the cellular to brain, and from basic bench research to clinical applications. Progress in the field is covered by the journals such as the IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering that I am Editor in Chief of, covers this field. Within the field of Neuroengineering, and the journal, the ldquohot topicrdquo is brain machine interface, particularly the development of neural prostheses. I will present the basic ideas behind building the brain machine interface and expand to our recent work on the development of a dexterous arm and neural control of this dexterous arm prosthesis. The talk will present the technology, signal processing methods, the neuroscience foundations, and our work on controlling dexterous finger motions from neural signals. I will conclude the talk with some thoughts on the technological challenges faced in building the interfaces to brain and potential applications of tapping into the powers of the mind.
Structural evolution of a salt-cored, domed, reactivated fault complex, Jebel Madar, Oman

Abstract Fault and fracture patterns associated with domal structures are observed around the world both at outcrop and in the subsurface. However, the structural evolution of domes and the influence of previous fault and fracture sets are not yet fully understood. This study provides the first structural evolution analysis of Jebel Madar, a domal outcrop in the Adam Foothills of Northern Oman, and evaluates the role of multiple local tectonic events and the associated salt diapirism on fracture and fault distribution pattern development of a salt-cored domal outcrop. Analyses at Jebel Madar suggest that three local tectonic events with different stress regimes that are tentatively linked to three regional tectonic events resulted in a salt-cored, domed, reactivated fault complex: 1) initial dome-formation and NE–SW oriented mode 1 opening fractures and subsequent grabens; 2) E–W oriented dextral strike-slip faulting; and 3) reactivation and inversion of faults, and final dome formation. Salt emplacement is associated with the first and last tectonic events. This integrated study highlights the complicated evolution of fault and fracture distribution patterns at a salt-cored dome. Caution is therefore required in interpretation of similar structural patterns on top of and around salt-cored domes.
Pulsed high-intensity Roentgen rays - Inactivation of human cells cultured in vitro and limitations on usefulness in radiotherapy.

(1968). Pulsed High-Intensity Roentgen Rays: Inactivation of human cells cultured in vitro and limitations on usefulness in radiotherapy. Acta Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 22-26.
Mobilities of several mass-identified positive and negative ions in air

Abstract The mobilities in dry air of the positive ions NO+, NO+2, and O+2 and the negative ions O−, O−2, O−3, Cl−, NO−2, NO−3, NO−3 (HNO3), and NO−3 (HNO3)2 were measured at room temperature in a flow-drift tube apparatus. The measurements are reported as a function of E/N in the range 3–250 Td (1 Td = 10−17 V cm2). The results are compared with previously published data for the mobilities of some of these ions in air, nitrogen, and oxygen. The reliability of previously published mass—mobility correlation curves for ions in air is also discussed.
The encoding of arbitrary two-dimensional geometric configurations

A procedure is proposed which uses some basic aspects of topology for the description and encoding of arbitrary solid two-dimensional configurations. It is shown that the procedure is closely related to the octagonal chain encoding scheme for arbitrary curves. In fact, the method is shown to exhibit many of the relatively simple and hence powerful manipulative properties of the octagonal chain code. Because of its simplicity it can be most readily utilized with presentday computing equipment.
Six Sigma tympanostomy tube insertion: achieving the highest safety levels during residency training.

Objective To evaluate a protocol designed to avoid complications during tympanostomy tube insertion by residents. Design Ten-year consecutive cases series by a single surgeon supervising residents. Setting Tertiary children's hospital. Patients Children 6 weeks to 21 years. Intervention Residents followed a defined protocol for tube insertion. A resident operated until the tube was placed or he/she committed one major or two minor errors. Main Outcome Measures Incidence of 1) major complications: profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), injury to major vascular structures, or disruption of the ossicular chain; and 2) minor complications: tube loss into the middle ear, tympanic membrane tears, or tube occlusion by blood clot. Results There were no major complications in 10,000 tube insertions. Two children had unilateral profound SNHL; both were found to have Mondini malformations. Five tubes were recovered from the middle ear. Eight tympanic membrane tears healed with gelatin patches. Three tubes were occluded by blood clots. Conclusion By following a defined protocol, major complications of a common operation can be reduced to the five-sigma level and minor complications minimized.
The importance of platelets for the isolated lamb heart perfused at 13°C☆

Abstract To investigate whether or not the addition of functional platelets to a plasma perfusate could improve the preservation of isolated lamb hearts at 13°C for 18 hr, 13 hearts were perfused with platelet-poor plasma. They exhibited a rise in coronary vascular resistance, edema, and poor function upon terminal rewarming for left ventricular assessment. Twelve other hearts were perfused with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) harvested from a flow-through centrifuge. Platelets aggregated in the circuit and had altered in vitro function. These hearts also became edematous and could not tolerate left atrial perfusion at final assessment. The addition of Pluronic F68, a nonionic surface active agent, to PRP prevented platelet aggregation in the perfusion circuit and preserved platelet function in the perfusate. Six hearts perfused with this modified PRP had stable coronary vascular resistance, had no significant weight gain, and contracted vigorously upon terminal rewarming, with 4 out of 6 able to support left atrial perfusion. These results suggest that unaggregated, functional platelets reduce edema and stabilize coronary vascular resistance in the isolated heart perfused at cold temperatures.
Elimination kinetics of furosemide in perilymph and serum of the chinchilla. Neuropharmacologic correlates.

This study was done to determine the comparative elimination kinetics of furosemide from chinchilla perilymph and serum, and to correlate perilymph concentration with changes in endocochlear potential. The elimination kinetics of furosemide (FU) were determined in sera and perilymph obtained from chinchillas injected with 100 mg/kg i.v. of FU. Concentrations of FU exhibited a linear decay pattern in serum and perilymph over the initial 60 minutes. The rate of decline of furosemide levels in perilymph was about four times slower than the rate of fall in serum. Chronic treatment (25 mg/kg i.p. every 12 hours) did not appear to influence the level of drug at 60 minutes after a dose of FU (100 mg/kg IV). Chinchillas were also studied following doses of FU ranging from 25–200 mg/kg i.v. to see the effect on endocochlear potential (EP). A positive correlation was found between FU dosage, the maximum millivolt reduction of EP and the time to initiation of recovery of EP. The perilymph concentration of furosemide...
Single-electron – removal processes in collisions of positrons and protons with helium at intermediate velocities

Total cross sections for single ionization and charge transfer have been calculated using the classical-trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) technique for collisions of both positrons and protons with helium. Analysis of the classical trajectories has helped to explain the differences in the collision mechanisms responsible for the observed relative magnitudes of the positron and proton electron-removal cross sections. In the intermediate collision velocity range (1.5 a.u.lvl4.5 a.u.) it is found that because the positron is much smaller in mass than the proton, two dynamical effects occur leading to differences in their efficiency in electron removal. First, positrons are less likely to singly ionize helium than are protons since they possess less kinetic energy above the ionization threshold and accordingly there is a lower probability for ionization. Second, positrons are more likely to remove an electron from helium by charge transfer than are protons since they may be deflected by the target to large positive or negative scattering angles and be accelerated or decelerated to more readily momentum-vector match with an orbital electron. In the large-velocity regime (vg4.5 a.u.) positrons and protons are found to be equally likely to singly ionize helium, but positrons remain at least half an order of magnitude more likely to remove an electron by charge transfer.
Noncontact subnanometer measurement of transient surface displacement during action potential propagation

We have demonstrated non-contact, sub-nanometer optical measurement of neural surface displacement associated with action potential propagation without applying exogenous chemicals or reflection coatings. Signals recorded from crayfish leg nerve using a phase-sensitive optical low coherence reflectometer show that transient neural surface displacement due to action potential propagation is approximately 1 nm in amplitude and 1 ms in duration. Measured optical signals are coincident with electrical action potential arrival to the optical measurement site. Recent experiments indicate signals with similar amplitude and duration are observed in response to repetitive fast stimulation (200 stimuli/s).
Post–Permo-Triassic terrestrial vertebrate recovery: southwestern United States

Recovery of marine biodiversity following the Permo-Triassic extinction is thought to have been delayed relative to other mass extinctions. Terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity is said to have taken as much as 15 Myr longer to recover than the marine. The present study tests, at the scale of an individual fossil community, whether a disparity in biodiversity existed in the American Southwest, between the Moenkopi Formation, containing an early Middle Triassic (Anisian) terrestrial tetrapod fauna, and the Chinle Formation, containing a successor Late Triassic (Norian) tetrapod fauna. Taking Chinle faunal biodiversity to represent full biotic recovery, comparison of taxonomic and guild diversity of faunas from similar depositional and taphonomic environments in these two formations allowed us to assess the possibility of incipient terrestrial recovery of biodiversity in the Anisian.Comparisons were made between the Holbrook Member fauna of the Moenkopi, a unit best characterized as a low-sinuosity medium- to coarse-grained fluvial deposit, and each of four Chinle stratigraphic units, representing fluvial settings from sandy low-sinuosity to muddy high-sinuosity. Three metrics were applied: generic and familial taxonomic diversity and guild diversity; these were compared by rarefaction. Simpson and Shannon diversity metrics augmented the analysis. Units of extraordinary preservation in the Chinle—the so-called blue layers—were removed from the analysis. In all tests the biodiversity of the Holbrook Member fauna is within the variation seen in Chinle faunas.If the results of our study represent global conditions, they suggest that by at least early Anisian time (∼6 Myr after the P/T extinction) biodiversity had reached levels comparable to those seen in the Late Triassic. This potentially brings the terrestrial vertebrate recovery in line with the 4–8 Myr it took for recovery in the marine realm.
Images of Success: How Illinois Farmers Define the Successful Farmer1

Farmers' views of farming success help frame their responses to information about farming, including alternative agriculture. A Q-analysis of 68 commercial farmers' subjective images of the successful farmer and the relative importance they accord different personal values and characteristics revealed four “model” images of the successful farmer. The Steward recognizes a moral responsibility to sustain land resources; the Manager succeeds largely by virtue of analytical skill; the Conservative's main goal is long-term preservation of the farm business; and the Agrarian values the rural life style and community participation. Farmers holding the Steward image tended to be older and to farm fewer acres; those with the Manager image included a large proportion of less experienced farmers. Approximately 40 percent of the farmers' views of success did not fit any of the four “model” images. Analysis of the findings suggests that images of success may be associated with life stage or generational differences in farming goals and values.
Effects of a Fixed‐Crest Weir on Brown Shrimp Penaeus aztecus Growth, Mortality, and Emigration in a Louisiana Coastal Marsh

Abstract We investigated the effects of water-control weirs on growth, emigration, and mortality of brown shrimp. Juvenile brown shrimp were captured, marked, and released in two shallowwater marsh ponds. One pond had a weir at its only exit. All surviving marked brown shrimp were recaptured as they emigrated from each pond. Shrimp remained in the weired pond 12–18 d longer after marking than in the unweired pond. Growth of brown shrimp was best described by quadratic functions and was significantly faster in the weired pond than in the unweired one although differences in growth may have been confounded by delayed emigration from the weired pond. Estimated monthly instantaneous mortality of juvenile brown shrimp, from marking to recapture, ranged from 0.550 to 1.582 in the weired pond and 0.877 to 1.270 in the unweired pond and apparently varied between years. Even though brown shrimp remained in the weired pond longer, peaks in emigration from both ponds coincided with new and full moons. Mean total len...
Determination of phosphate in wastewaters by ion-exclusion chromatography with flow coulometric detection

Abstract Ion-exclusion chromatography of PO43− in wastewaters has been investigated on a cation exchange resin in the H+-form. Phosphate ion was chromatographed by ion-exclusion as H3PO4 formed by cation exchange, and monitored with a flow coulometric detector based on the electrochemical reaction of H+ ion from H3PO4 and p-benzoquinone at a constant applied potential (+0.45 V vs Ag-AgI) or a conductometric detector. A reasonable separation of PO43 from strong acid anions (Cl− SO42− and NO3−) and CO32− as coexisting anions could be accomplished by isocratic elution with 60% (v/v) acetone-water. The calibration graph for PO43− with the flow coulometric detector was linear over the concentration range 1–150 ppm (slope = 0.982), but not with the conductometric detector. The agreement of the analytical results of PO43− between the ion-exclusion chromatography with the flow coulometric detector and the colorimetry (molybdenum-blue method) was excellent for some industrial wastewater and domestic sewage samples.
Ozone production due to synchrotron radiation

Abstract Ozone production by synchrotron radiation as a function of power density in air was investigated using a white beam at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) X-ray ring. Power densities were calculated from the energy spectrum at 2.52 GeV. Ozone concentrations in small beam pipes were measured for power densities ( I ) between 10 12 and 10 15 eV cm −3 s −1 . Large departures of the G -value describing ozone formation and k -value describing ozone destruction from previously published values suggest that some undiscovered systematic error may exist in the experiment. This error may be related to beam heating effects and lack of uniform distribution of ozone within the sampled beam pipes.
Multivariate limited translation empirical Bayes estimators

The paper develops multivariate limited translation empirical Bayes estimators of the normal mean vector which serve as a compromise between the empirical Bayes and the maximum likelihood estimators. These compromise estimators perform better than the regular empirical Bayes estimators, in a frequentist sense, when there is wide departure of an individual observation from the grand average.
Chimera Analysis Reveals That Fibroblasts and Endothelial Cells Require Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptorβ Expression for Participation in Reactive Connective Tissue Formation in Adults but Not during Development

The hypothesis that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) plays an important role in repair of connective tissue has been difficult to test experimentally, in part because the disruption of any of the PDGF ligand and receptor genes is embryonic lethal. We have developed a method that circumvents the embryonic lethality of the PDGF receptor (R)β−/− genotype and minimizes the tendency of compensatory processes to mask the phenotype of gene disruption by comparing the behavior of wild-type and PDGFRβ−/− cells within individual chimeric mice. This quantitative chimera analysis method has revealed that during development PDGFRβ expression is important for all muscle lineages but not for fibroblast or endothelial lineages. Here we report that fibroblasts and endothelial cells, but not leukocytes, are dependent on PDGFRβ expression during the formation of new connective tissue in and around sponges implanted under the skin. Even the 50% reduction in PDGFRβ gene dosage in PDGFRβ+/− cells reduces fibroblast and endothelial cell participation by 85%. These results demonstrate that the PDGFRβ/PDGF B-chain system plays an important direct role in driving both fibroblast and endothelial cell participation in connective tissue repair, that cell behavior can be regulated by relatively small changes in PDGFRβ expression, and that the functions served by PDGF in wound healing are different from the roles served during development.
Area under the curve for estradiol levels do not consistently reflect estradiol levels on the day of hCG administration in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF-ET.

Purpose Most studies reported estradiol (E2) levels attained on day of hCG administration when investigating effect of E2 on IVF outcome. We studied whether a relationship exists between the area under the curve for E2 levels (AUC-E2) and E2 levels on hCG day during IVF-ET. Methods Retrospectively, we analyzed data for 313 patients who completed one IVF-ET cycle each. Patients were sorted according to AUC-E2 levels. Then we compared between each patient’s own AUC-E2 and the corresponding E2 level on hCG day for the same patient. Results Although overall AUC-E2 correlated positively with E2 levels on hCG day, there was no consistent correlation between individual patients. Conclusions AUC-E2 reflects more accurately the amount of E2 produced by the follicles during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. The absence of a uniform correlation between AUC-E2 and E2 on hCG day may result in different conclusions when studying outcomes of IVF treatment.
On additive partitions of sets of positive integers

Consider any set U = u"n with elements defined by u"n"+"2= u"n"+"2 + u"n, n >= 1, where u"1 and u"2 are relatively prime positive integers. We show that if u"1u"2 and 2 @? u"1u"2, no such partition is possible. Further related results are proved which generalize theorems of Alladi, Erdos, and Hoggatt.
Automated segmentation and analysis of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) signals in interphase nuclei of pap-smear specimens

Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technology is a potential and promising molecular imaging tool, which can be applied to screen and detect cervical cancer. However, manual FISH detection method is a subjective, tedious, and time-consuming process that results in a large inter-reader variability and possible detection error (in particular for heterogeneous cases). Automatic FISH image analysis aims to potentially improve detection efficiency and also produce more accurate and consistent results. In this preliminary study, a new computerized scheme is developed to automatically segment analyzable interaphase cells and detect FISH signals using digital fluorescence microscopic images acquired from Pap-smear specimens. First, due to the large intensity variations of the acquired interphase cells and overlapping cells, an iterative (multiple) threshold method and a feature-based classifier are applied to detect and segment all potentially analyzable interphase nuclei depicted on a single image frame. Second, a region labeling algorithm followed up a knowledge-based classifier is implemented to identify splitting and diffused FISH signals. Finally, each detected analyzable cell is classified as normal or abnormal based on the automatically counted number of FISH signals. To test the performance of this scheme, an image dataset involving 250 Pap-smear FISH image frames was collected and used in this study. The overall accuracy rate for segmenting analyzable interphase nuclei is 86.6% (360/424). The sensitivity and specificity for classifying abnormal and normal cells are 88.5% and 86.6%, respectively. The overall cell classification agreement rate between our scheme and a cytogeneticist is 86.6%. The testing results demonstrate the feasibility of applying this automated scheme in FISH image analysis.
Reversible Transformation Plasticity in Uniaxial Tensioncompression Cycling of Mg-PSZ

Previously, the pressure, temperature and strain rate sensitivities of transformation plasticity have been investigated for monotonic loading of Mg- PSZ. Research in this area has been extended to fully reversed cyclic loading of the type used in plastic strain control fatigue. Cyclic deformation experiments were performed to permit investigation of constitutive behavior under stable deformation conditions at microstrain levels. It was found that cyclic microstrains over a range of temperatures and strain rates were associated with reversible transformation plasticity in the strongly thermally-activated regime. These results are compared to the constitutive relations of transformation plasticity which have been previously developed to explain macrostrain observations.
Copper tolerance of brown-rot fungi: time course of oxalic acid production

Abstract The increase in the use of non-arsenical copper-based wood preservatives in response to environmental concerns has been accompanied by interest in copper-tolerant decay fungi. Oxalic acid production by brown-rot fungi has been proposed as one mechanism of copper tolerance. Fifteen brown-rot fungi representing the genera Postia, Wolfiporia, Meruliporia, Gloeophyllum, Laetiporus, Coniophora, Antrodia, Serpula, and Tyromyces were evaluated for oxalic acid production bi-weekly in southern yellow pine (SYP) blocks treated with 1.2% ammoniacal copper citrate (CC). Eleven fungi were designated copper-tolerant based upon weight loss in CC-treated blocks. After 2 weeks, these fungi produced 2–17 times more oxalic acid in CC-treated blocks than in untreated blocks. After 10 weeks, weight loss ranged from 32% to 57% in CC-treated SYP. Four fungi were copper sensitive, producing low levels of oxalic acid and minimal weight loss in CC-treated blocks. Rapid induction of oxalic acid appeared to correlate closely with copper tolerance. We conclude that the brown-rot fungi tested that were able to exceed and maintain an oxalic acid concentration of ⩾600 μmol / g effectively decayed SYP treated with CC.
A hybrid computer simulation approach to shock propagation in fluid through porous media

Abstract An interacting lattice gas method is introduced to study the shock propagation through fluid in a porous medium. this approach incorporates the collision between the fluid particles as in direct simulation methods and interactions among the particles by the Metropolis algorithms to hop the fluid particles. We consider a two dimensional discrete lattice with a line of shock in a porous medium generated by a random distribution of fixed barriers at the pore boundaries. The velocity gradient caused by the shock drives the fluid. We find that the shock fronts drift in high porosity and propagate nondiffusively as the shock-driven flow field competes with the pore barriers, especially at low porosity (i.e. high ramification). The magnitude of the fluid velocity at the shock front decays with time nonlinearly. The shock depletes the fluid density as it propagates into the lattice. Damping of the shock profile is enhanced on reducing the porosity.
Global flow of glasma in high energy nuclear collisions

Abstract We discuss the energy flow of the classical gluon fields created in collisions of heavy nuclei at collider energies. We show how the Yang–Mills analog of Faradayʼs Law and Gaussʼ Law predicts the initial gluon flux tubes to expand or bend. The resulting transverse and longitudinal structure of the Poynting vector field has a rich phenomenology. Besides the well-known radial and elliptic flow in transverse direction, classical quantum chromodynamics predicts a rapidity-odd transverse flow that tilts the fireball for non-central collisions, and it implies a characteristic flow pattern for collisions of non-symmetric systems A + B . The rapidity-odd transverse flow translates into a directed particle flow v 1 which has been observed at RHIC and LHC. The global flow fields in heavy ion collisions could be a powerful check for the validity of classical Yang–Mills dynamics in high energy collisions.
Globoside Expression Within the Human Placenta

This report demonstrates the presence of the neutral glycosphingolipid, globoside, on the villous trophoblast layer of human placenta. Immunoreactivity for globoside which is the receptor used by human parvovirus B19 was strongest in villous trophoblast cells of first trimester placentae, with diminished reactivity in second trimester placentae, and a near lack of staining for the antigen in those of third trimester. This relative reduction in globoside-specific immunoreactivity in placentae of increasing gestational ages was confirmed using thin-layer chromatographic analyses of extracted neutral glycolipids from the syncytiotrophoblast layer and cytotrophoblast cells of first and third trimester placental villi. The presence of globoside on the protective trophoblast layer of the villi provides a potential pathway whereby B19 may be transmitted from an infected mother to the fetus. The virus once across the placental barrier, may gain access to its erythroid precursor target cells within fetal villus capillaries. The observed change found in globoside immunoreactivity correlates well with the observation that fetal outcome is worse when maternal infection occurs during first or second trimester as compared to an infection occurring near term. The reason for this observed difference in fetal outcome may be due not only to the presence of more target cells potentially to infect during the first and second trimesters, but also to the greater number of viral receptors present on the villous trophoblast layer.
Certification of SRM 1589a PCBs, pesticides, PBDEs, and dioxins/furans in human serum

The Certificate of Analysis for SRM 1589a PCBs, Pesticides, PBDEs, and Dioxins/Furans in Human Serum has been updated to include certified concentration values for 27 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, three chlorinated pesticides, and four polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners as well as reference concentration values for 27 additional PCB congeners, six additional chlorinated pesticides, three additional PBDE congeners, and selected polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). This represents an addition of concentration values for 29 PCB congeners and for PBDE congeners that were not quantified in the previous issue of SRM 1589a. With the increased number of certified and reference concentration values for PCBs and the inclusion of certified and reference concentration values for PBDEs, this serum material will be more useful as a reference material for contaminant monitoring in human tissues and fluids.