cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic analyses of grain-filling rate and duration in maize

Abstract Grain-filling rate and duration influence grain yield in maize (Zea mays L.), but very little information on their inheritance exists. To devise effective breeding strategies, the genetic nature of these traits must be understood. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) for grain-filling rate, grain-filling duration, and related agronomic traits via North Carolina Design II, (2) determine the inter-relationships among these traits and their influence on yield via correlation and path coefficient analyses, and (3) identify an indirect selection criterion for yield. Design II crosses among four inbred lines used as males and a set of four inbred lines as female parents were grown in 1996. Combining ability analyses indicated that both GCA (Vg) and SCA mean squares (Vs) were significant for grain-filling rate (on a kernel or an ear basis) and effective filling duration. General combining ability was more important than SCA for both kernel-filling rate and effective filling duration, whereas SCA effect was more important for ear-filling rate. The ratio 2Vg/(2Vg + Vs) was 0.85, 0.88, and 0.45 for kernel-filling rate, effective filling duration, and ear-filling rate, respectively. Kernel-filling rate had a positive phenotypic correlation with kernel weight and was negatively correlated with midsilk date and effective filling duration. Kernel number per ear was more important than kernel-filling rate in influencing grain yield. These relationships were confirmed by results from a 1997 experiment using nine commercial hybrids. Chlorophyll readings taken with SPAD chlorophyll meter at a late developmental stage gave a positive genetic correlation with single-plant yield (r = 0.73). A path coefficient analysis revealed that chlorophyll concentration had a small direct effect on grain yield, whereas it had a large indirect effect on grain yield via kernel number per ear and grain-filling duration. Kernel weight and midsilk date could serve as indirect selection criteria for effective grain-filling duration and kernel-filling rate. Chlorophyll concentration at a late developmental stage could also be an indirect selection criterion for final grain yield.
Summer and winter drought in a cold desert ecosystem (Colorado Plateau) part II: effects on plant carbon assimilation and growth

We investigated the effects of winter and summer drought on a shrub/grass community of the Colorado Plateau in western North America, a winter-cold, summer-hot desert that receives both winter and summer precipitation. Summer, winter and yearlong drought treatments were imposed for 2 consecutive years using rainout shelters. We chose three perennial species for this study, representing different rooting patterns and responsiveness to precipitation pulses: Oryzopsis hymenoides, a perennial bunch grass with shallow roots; Gutierrezia sarothrae, a subshrub with dimorphic roots; and Ceratoides lanata, a predominantly deep-rooted woody shrub. Growth for all three species was far more sensitive to winter than to summer drought. The primary reason was that plants did not grow in summer and also did not appear to use summer-assimilated carbon to support growth in the following spring. We hypothesize that the relative scarcity and uncertainty of summer rain on the Colorado Plateau prevents most species from evolving adaptations that would improve their use of summer rain. Together with the results of the companion paper, which focused on plant water relations, we conclude that variation in fall to spring precipitation would have strong effects on primary productivity, and could cause reversible fluctuations in community composition, while increased variation in summer precipitation, through causing high rates of mortality among shallow-rooted species in dry years, has the potential to cause lasting and perhaps irreversible community change, especially if coinciding with the invasion of western landscapes by cheatgrass, tumble weed and other grazing tolerant exotics.
The relative importance of root and shoot competition between water-seeded rice and Echinochloa phyllopogon

The relationship between root and shoot growth were determined for water-seeded rice and Echinochloa phyllopogon in greenhouse experiments. When grown in monoculture at four nitrogen rates (0, 60, 120, 180 kg N ha -1 ), root dry weight was highly correlated with canopy structure for both species. Echinochloa phyllopogon showed a significantly stronger response to the nitrogen rate than rice. When rice and E. phyllopogon were grown in competition, with roots either separated or allowed to mingle, root competition contributed more than shoot competition to reductions in the growth of the target species. The results suggest that root competition may be the primary mechanism determining competitive outcomes between water-seeded rice and E. phyllopogon. The importance of root competition and the relationship between root and shoot growth demonstrated in this study suggest that researchers should not rely solely on correlations between shoot traits and competitive ability as evidence that competition is primarily for light. Our results also suggest the importance of considering the whole plant when assessing rice cultivars for competitive ability.
Heterotopic pregnancy: Report of four cases☆

Four patients with heterotopic (combined) pregnancies were treated at one institution during the period of a year. The use of fertility agents, infertility surgery, and pelvic inflammatory disease may be risk factors predisposing to an increasing incidence of such pregnancies. Combined pregnancy may reasonably belong in the differential diagnosis in certain clinical settings.
Granulomatous Inflammation Detected by Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in Patients with a Concurrent Diagnosis of Cancer: A Clinical Conundrum

Background Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is increasingly used for evaluating mediastinal and/or hilar lymphadenopathy in patients with malignancy. Granulomatous inflammation is occasionally identified in this setting and has unclear clinical implications. Therefore, we set out to describe a cohort of patients found to have evidence of granulomatous inflammation during EBUS-TBNA done for diagnosis and/or staging of concurrent cancer. Methods A retrospective analysis of all EBUS-TBNA cases performed over 32 months at our institution was completed. Patients with evidence of granulomatous inflammation during EBUS-TBNA that was not attributable to an infectious etiology or prior sarcoidosis and a concurrent diagnosis of cancer were included. Results Granulomatous inflammation was identified in 154/1275 patients (12.1%), of whom 12/154 (7.8%) had a concurrent diagnosis of cancer. Primary cancer diagnoses varied, but the primary site of malignancy was in or near the thorax in 10/12 cases (83.3%). When available, 7/8 cases (87.5%) of granulomatous lymphadenopathy were detectable by positron emission tomography. The most common histologic pattern consisted of well-formed non-necrotizing granulomas without fibrosis in 6/12 patients (50%). Conclusions Granulomatous inflammation is occasionally identified in mediastinal and/or hilar lymphadenopathy in patients with concurrent malignancy. Although the clinical implications of this phenomenon remain to be clarified, these findings emphasize the importance of histologic confirmation of suspected lymph node involvement and suggest that the presence of granulomatous inflammation on EBUS-TBNA may occasionally be consistent with active malignancy and prompt further investigations.
Java: more than a revolution

It started with a rumor-a rumor that something new and amazing was coming. In December 1995, when I was finally introduced to Java, I found something beyond the rumors and promises. Java was and still is a major revolution for the Web, for the developer world, and for the entire Internet community.
On constrained sintering—I. Constitutive model for a sintering body

Abstract In this series of papers, the constitutive equations used to analyze concurrent shear and densification are critically evaluated. In Part I, it is shown that the sintering materials are not linearly viscoelastic, so Laplace transform techniques cannot be applied. This is not a serious limitation, however, because the relevant deformation of the matrix can be treated as purely viscous flow. Assuming that the strains produced by sintering and applied stresses are linearly additive, a simple constitutive equation is obtained. This will be compared with other constitutive equations from the literature in Part II.
Neuropsychological functioning in gilles de la Tourette's syndrome

Abstract Thirteen diagnosed Tourette Syndrome males, aged 10 through 13 years, were administered the Halstead Neuropsychological Test Battery for Children, the WISC-R, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and the Bender-Gestalt Test. The norms utilized for the Halstead Neuropsychological Battery for Children were those of Selz and Reitan (1979). When such criteria were employed, overall level of performance was normal for 11 of the 13 subjects. However, analysis of the results of the additional tests administered demonstrated consistent impairment of circumscribed functions. Significant impairment in visual-motor copying was noted on the Bender-Gestalt Test and on the Coding subtest of the WISC-R. Impairment in arithmetic ability emerged only when a visual-motor component was added to the task. This relevant and interesting cluster of deficits is considered to represent a dysfunction of nonconstructional visuopractic abilities.
Spanning the spectrum of interconnects from trenches of double patterning to system level

Summary form only given. This talk covers the fascinating aspects of the whole spectrum of interconnects from trenches of silicon in nanometers to multi-millimeter long wires at system level and how common principles govern them. This talk starts at the silicon level, where double and triple patterning is becoming more common at lower level interconnects and these offer unique challenges and opportunities in manufacturability, variability and signal/power integrities. Then, it covers the CMP and inter-layer variation induced challenges and opportunities at global interconnects in silicon and expands to interposer and TSV aspects. This is followed by package and board level challenges and opportunities in manufacturability, electromagnetic interference and signal/power integrities. A concept of `Interconnect Continuum' is introduced to show how viewing the whole spectrum in continuity helps in optimizing performance, power, cost and overall reliability.
The Blind Leading the Seeing: A Path to Self-Reflexivity

Humans attempt to control the uncertainty of life by creating expectations. The construction of expectations is not foolproof, as uncertainty may be re-created when expectations do not match actualities. Ambiguity resulting from such a mismatch may be approached intolerantly, where individuals may create ‘false clarity’ through dichotomizing—shutting out information that does not match expectations. This intolerant process is particularly problematic when expectations for the self are violated, causing intolerance to be turned inward. In such instances, individuals may shut out aspects of the self that do not fit with expectations. Over many instances, intolerance can create a self that is also more a ‘false clarity’ than a real being. It is suggested that intolerance and the corresponding negative impact on the self can be avoided through the use of minimally binding expectations. Such expectations are hyper-flexible and thwart the construction of ambiguity by accommodating unexpected information rather ...
The development of proxemic spacing behavior: Children's distances to surrounding playmates and adults change between 6 months and 5 years of age

The patterns of distances maintained between 30 children and 15 adult caretakers were measured to determine developmental trends in children's patterns of interpersonal spacing toward adults and playmates. Children's positions during free play were photographed at 60-sec intervals and analyzed with a computer to determine the mean distances children maintained toward their 1st through 5th nearest adult caretakers and toward their 1st through 5th nearst playmates. Children's distances from adults increased with age, while distances from playmates and spatial variability decreased with age. Only infants (6–18 months) stayed significantly close to any of their adult caretakers; toddlers (19–27 months) and preschoolers (30–60 months) avoided proximity to their 3rd through 5th nearest adult caretakers more than could be expected by chance. All age groups significantly avoided proximity to their 4th and 5th nearest playmates; avoidance of playmates' space decreased with age.
The function of coelomic cell hemoglobin in the polychaete Glycera dibranchiata.

Abstract 1. 1. The annelid bloodworm Glycera dibranchiata contains large quantities of hemoglobin in metabolically active coelomic cells. 2. 2. The quantitative participation of hemoglobin in aerobic respiration by the animal is detectable, but it is not very great. 3. 3. The substance apparently functions in oxygen transport at intermediate and high pO2's; at very low pO2's both circulation and aerobic respiration are shut down. 4. 4. It is also likely that the substance functions as an oxygen storage compound, both during normal pauses in ventilation and at low tide when no ventilation occurs. 5. 5. Dissolved extracts of bloodworm hemoglobin consist of two components which are clearly separable on the basis of physiological properties as well as molecular weight, a light fraction with a higher oxygen affinity and a heavy fraction with a lower oxygen affinity.
Insider ownership and firm performance: an examination of restaurant firms.

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between insider ownership and firm performance in the restaurant industry. Convergence-of-interests and entrenchment hypotheses were tested via cross-sectional and panel two-stage least square (2SLS) GMM estimation methods for linear and non-linear models. The study found that there is an overall positive and significant relationship between insider ownership and firm performance. The quadratic model showed that restaurant firm performance increased until insider ownership was between 38 and 40%, whereas it decreased after that point. Consistent with the quadratic model, the piece-wise regression model showed that insider ownership had a positive impact on firm performance within a range of 5–25% and a negative influence beyond 25% insider ownership. Consequently, this study revealed that convergence-of-interests and entrenchment effects of insider ownership co-exist in the restaurant industry. While convergence-of-interests effects are effective, an excessive granting of stock options or awards to managers could weaken firm performance due to entrenchment effects.
Copeptin in vasovagal syncope

Purpose: The arginine-vasopressin (AVP) system is one of the main blood pressure regulating systems. Copeptin is a stable and sensitive surrogate marker for AVP release. Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is the most common type of syncope. The purpose of this study was to assess copeptin, as a marker of AVP system responsiveness, in patients (pts) with VVS during a diagnostic head-up tilt test (HUT). Methods: We studied 26 pts with typical history of recurrent VVS (at least 2 episodes during the preceding 6 months), without underlying cardiovascular disease or renal dysfunction, mean aged 52±6 years, 12 males/14 females, who underwent a diagnostic, positive HUT. Fourteen similar pts without history of syncope and a subsequently negative HUT served as controls. We assessed copeptin plasma levels by the CRYPTOR Copeptin Assay (BRAHMS) prior to and 10 min following HUT positivity or HUT termination (controls). A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Results: Baseline copeptin values were similar in the 2 groups (9.3±5.6 pmol/l in pts vs 7.9±3.6 pmol/l in controls, p: NS). A significant difference was observed in copeptin values between the 2 groups following HUT termination (80.2±75 vs 13.6±9.4 respectively, p<0.05). Copeptin levels increased with HUT in VVS pts (from 9.3±5.6 to 80.2±75, p<0.05), exceeding the upper limit of normality (14 pmol/l) in 17/26 (65%) pts, but in only 3/13 (23%) controls (p<0.05). Conclusions: In pts with VVS and a positive HUT, copeptin values are greatly increased. This may be of pathophysiologic significance for VVS and warrants further investigation. Since copeptin values have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic markers in other cardiovascular conditions, such as acute ischemia and shock, the findings of the present study should be taken into consideration.
Contemporaneous text as side-information in statistical language modeling

We propose new methods to exploit contemporaneous text, such as on-line news articles, to improve language models for automatic speech recognition and other natural language processing applications. In particular, we investigate the use of text from a resource-rich language to sharpen language models for processing a news story or article in a language with scarce linguistic resources. We demonstrate that even with fairly crude cross-language information retrieval and simple machine translation, one can construct story-specific Chinese language models which exploit cues from a side-corpus of English newswire to significantly improve the performance of language models estimated from a static Chinese corpus. Our investigations cover cases when the amount of available Chinese text is small, and a case when a large Chinese text corpus is available. We examine the effectiveness of our techniques both when the side-corpus contains English documents that are near-translations of the Chinese documents being processed, and when the English side-corpus is merely from contemporaneous and independent news sources. We present experimental results for automatic transcription of speech from the Mandarin Broadcast News corpus.
The progressive era and the political economy of big government

In the United States, big government was a child of the Progressive Era. Much recent work in American history, especially that of the “organizational” school, shows that big business played an active, perhaps dominant, role in the Progressive Era push for big government. This work undercuts an older, liberal interpretation emphasizing conflict between business and government. But why big business pushed for big government is still unclear. This paper advances the hypothesis that the push did result from a conflict between business and government, namely, a conflict between big business and state government in the late nineteenth century. As the power and influence of big business grew, it saw big government at the federal level as the solution to many of its problems resulting from the conflict with state government.
The Discovery of the Cavernous Nerves and Development of Nerve Sparing Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy

Purpose: This review is of the events that led up to the discovery of the cavernous nerves and the development of nerve sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: The correspondence between Pieter J. Donker and Patrick C. Walsh, along with the publication folders describing the anatomy of the dorsal vein complex, pelvic plexus and cavernous nerves, and pelvic fascia, are reviewed.Results: Serendipity had a major role in the fateful meeting of Pieter J. Donker and Patrick C. Walsh on February 13, 1981 when they dissected out the cavernous nerves in a stillborn male infant. During the next year intraoperative observations identified the capsular arteries and veins of the prostate as the likely microscopic landmark that could be used in the adult male pelvis to identify the microscopic cavernous nerves. Twenty-five years ago, on April 26, 1982, the first purposeful nerve sparing radical prostatectomy was performed. One year following surgery patient sexual function was normal, and 25 yea...
Vibrational genetic algorithm enhanced with fuzzy logic and neural networks

A new optimization algorithm called multi-frequency vibrational genetic algorithm (mVGA) is significantly improved and tested for two different test cases: an inverse design of an airfoil in subsonic flow and a direct shape optimization of an airfoil in transonic flow. The algorithm emphasizes a new mutation application strategy and diversity variety, such as, the global random diversity and the local controlled diversity. The local controlled diversity is based on either a fuzzy logic controller or an artificial neural network depending on the problem type. For both of the demonstration problems considered, remarkable reductions in the computational times have been accomplished.
Application of a fugacity model for assessing chemical fate in ecodistricts of southern Ontario

Abstract A fugacity model that was developed to assess the chemical fate of organic chemicals in regions of Canada has been incorporated into the RAISON ( R egional A nalysis by I ntelligent S ystems ON a microcomputer) expert system and has been modified and applied to ecodistricts of southern Ontario, Canada. The model is used to estimate a selected chemical's distribution between four bulk compartments (air, water, soil, and sediment) and four subcompartments (groundwater, coastal water, plants and animals). Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mirex, dieldrin, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were the chemicals considered in the application of the modelling system. Steady state concentrations predicted by the model were compared with available observed data for the ecodistricts. Considering the large degree of lumping required for ecodistrict parameters, the model predicts concentrations within the compartments that are reasonable estimates, especially considering the fact that concentrations between the compartments vary over as much as 10 orders of magnitude.
Freeze-substitution as a preparative technique for immunoelectronmicroscopy: evaluation by atomic force microscopy.

Cryofixation followed by freeze substitution in osmium tetroxide was evaluated as a method for preparing biological specimens for immunoelectronmicroscopy. Samples were rapidly frozen by impact onto a sapphire block cooled with liquid nitrogen, substituted at −80°C in acetone containing osmium tetroxide, and embedded in epoxy resin. With this protocol, excellent ultrastructure can be combined with localization of antigens that otherwise would be inactivated by the osmium, but labeling may need to be enhanced by chemically etching the sections prior to staining. The effects of etching on various structures in the sections were investigated by examining the sections with atomic force microscopy, an approach that yields three-dimensional views of the surface of the section. A considerable part of the section was removed or collapsed by the etching, and these effects occurred differentially in several components of the tissue and with different etching protocols. Nevertheless, the results suggest that the partial removal of the plastic by etching of freeze-substituted tissue can be explored as a method for exposing fine biological structures for observation with atomic force microscopy. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparison of various density functional methods for computing bond dissociation energies

Abstract Nine density functional procedures, differing in their combinations of exchange and correlation functionals and basis sets, were tested for accuracy in computing bond dissociation energies. The best are found to be, in order, the B3P86/6–31+G ∗∗ , B3P86/6–31+G ∗ and B3PW91/6–31G ∗∗ . The average error for each of these is less than 2.5 kcal mol −1 .
Two-photon photoemission from metals induced by picosecond laser pulses

We have measured the two-photon photoemission current density from tungsten, tantalum, and molybdenum when irradiated by 532-nm wavelength radiation. This wavelength was produced by the second-harmonic radiation of single picosecond laser pulses from a mode-locked neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. The results are interpreted in terms of both a simple temperature-independent two-photon photoemission effect and a generalization of the Fowler-DuBridge theory of photoemission. The laser polarization dependence of the emitted current is also reported.
Sold under Sin: Echoes of Exile in Romans 7.14-25

Although Romans has been heavily mined for scriptural allusions in recent years, the influence of Isaiah 49–50 on Rom 7.14-25 has gone largely unnoticed. Building on Philonenko's work on the allusion to Isa 50.1 in the phrase ‘sold under sin’ (Rom 7.14), this study seeks to identify additional echoes from LXX Isa 49.24–50.2 in Rom 7.14-25 and to interpret Paul's discourse in the light of the sin–exile–restoration paradigm implied by both the source's original context and Paul's own strategic use of Isaiah in his portrayal of the plight of ἐγώ. The identification of these echoes, it is suggested, aids in interpreting the story of ἐγώ by connecting the allusions to Israel's early history in Rom 7.7-13 to images of the nation's later history in 7.14-25, thus showing the speaker's plight under sin to be analogous to Israel's own experiences of deception, death, and exile.
The 1H NMR spectra of Zn, Cd, Hg, Al, Ga and In vinyl derivatives

Abstract The 1H NMR spectra of (C2H3)2Zn, (C2H3)2Cd, (C2H3)2Hg, (C2H3)3Al·N(CH3)3, (C2H3)3Ga·N(CH3)3, and (C2H3)3In·N(CH3)3 are reported. The change in the chemical shifts and coupling constants are discussed as a function of the central metal atom. The temperature dependences of exchange between the gallium and indium derivatives and their trimethylamine adducts are reported.
Settler households and land-use patterns in the Amazon frontier: Farm-level evidence from Ecuador

Abstract This article presents a detailed profile of colonists households that have settled in the Amazon region of Ecuador. It describes their socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, the natural resource base they control on their farms, and the land-use patterns that are emerging in this part of the Amazon frontier. The existence of a generalized pattern of forest clearing over time constrained by a “straitjacket” of natural resources (or the so-called peasant pioneer cycle) is challenged and attention is given to understanding the role of institutional and household-level factors in influencing the observed variation in land-use and forest-clearing strategies. The survey data which form the basis for the analysis were collected by the author in 1990 from a probability sample of 450 colonist households in the northeastern frontier region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. The results suggest that although the natural resource base can act as a serious constraint on land-use options available to colonists, farmers inherit different production potentials in their land. The range of land-use options open to each is narrowed or widened depending on the household's demographic and socioeconomic circumstances as well as the local and national policy and institutional context. The results given here are exploratory and intended to stimulate further discussion.
Anonymous RFID authentication supporting constant-cost key-lookup against active adversaries

In the absence of sufficiently optimised public key constructions, anonymous authentication for Radio-Frequency Identification Devices (RFIDs) requires state synchronisation between tags and a trusted server. Active adversaries disrupt this synchrony, making a recovery strategy necessary. In some protocols, tags recover by replaying previously used values, thus compromising unlinkability of their transcripts; other schemes require servers to search through the set of issued keys, incurring costs that are not constant with the number of legitimate tags. This article describes an approach based on a lightweight trapdoor one-way function from modular squaring. The solution exploits the fact that synchrony can be recovered even if tags are endowed with only the ability to perform public-key operations, whilst the trusted server is capable of trapdoor computations. The construction is provably secure and generic, transforming any anonymous, challenge-response RFID authentication protocol into another that is robust against active adversaries and supports constant key-lookup cost.
Rational approach to select small peptide molecular probes labeled with fluorescent cyanine dyes for in vivo optical imaging

We demonstrate that the structure of carbocyanine dyes, which are commonly used to label small peptides for molecular imaging and not the bound peptide, controls the rate of extravasation from blood vessels to tissue. By examining several near-infrared (NIR) carbocyanine fluorophores, we demonstrate a quantitative correlation between the binding of a dye to albumin, a model plasma protein, and the rate of extravasation of the probe into tissue. Binding of the dyes was measured by fluorescence quenching of the tryptophans in albumin and was found to be inversely proportional to the rate of extravasation. The rate of extravasation, determined by kurtosis from longitudinal imaging studies using rodent ear models, provided a basis for quantitative measurements. Structure−activity studies aimed at evaluating a representative library of NIR fluorescent cyanine probes showed that hydrophilic dyes with binding constants several orders of magnitude lower than their hydrophobic counterparts have much faster extrava...
SEROTONIN-IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS AND ENDOGENOUS SEROTONIN IN THE OPISTHOSOMAL VENTRAL NERVE CORD OF THE HORSESHOE CRAB, LIMULUS POLYPHEMUS

It has been suggested that serotonin serves as a neurotransmitter in the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. While some studies of identified groups of central neurons have been conducted, little is known concerning the neuronal organization in Limulus central ganglia. This study was undertaken to determine the localization of serotoninergic neurons in the opisthosomal ventral nerve cord of Limulus and to construct a basis for further comparative biochemical and pharmacological studies of the specific function of these neurons. Endogenous serotonin was detected in the ventral nerve cord (chain of abdominal ganglia) by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC). Endogenous serotonin was quantified in the 9th through 13th ganglia, anterior (hemal) nerves, posterior (branchial) nerves, and connectives. The serotonin content in the abdominal ganglia was significantly reduced when the ganglia were incubated for 24 hours in Leibovitz's (L-15) medium containing reserpine or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT), neurotoxins that block the uptake of serotonin into storage vesicles. The distribution of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons in the ventral nerve cord was determined by indirect immunocytochemistry. Treatment of the chain of ganglia with an anti-serotonin antiserum followed by treatment with a fluorescent-labeled antiserum raised against the primary antibody demonstrated specific staining in each ganglion, the ganglionic roots, and connectives. Clusters of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons were observed anteriolaterally and posteriorly in each ganglion. Processes from dense fiber bundles extended from these clusters of neurons to the central region of each ganglion. These results demonstrate that serotonin-immunoreactive neurons are present in the opisthosomal ventral nerve cord of the horseshoe crab and that serotonin may function as a neurotransmitter.
Ultrawideband normalized radar cross sections of distributed clutter

Theoretical and empirical formulas have been derived to compute the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of distributed clutter targets for remote sensing applications. These formulas are usually parameterized in terms of the center frequency, and are therefore frequency-dependent. In recent years, high resolution measurements are being investigated for improved terrain characterization using ultrawideband (UWB) radar systems. In such cases, the NRCS value at the center frequency is generally used for calculations. This approximation does not cause too great an error when the system operates over a narrow frequency band, typically less than 10%. However, under UWB conditions, errors as large as a few decibels can occur under this assumption. We derive an expression for the UWB NRCS of distributed clutter as a function of the NRCS value at the center frequency and the fractional bandwidth. We show the application of these results in deducing the UWB signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) for representative targets. It is seen that the UWB SCR increases with increasing fractional bandwidth initially, and then tends to level off at higher fractional bandwidths.
Energy recovery linacs in high-energy and nuclear physics

Abstract Energy recovery linacs (ERL) have significant potential uses in high energy physics and nuclear physics. We describe some of the potential applications which are under development by our laboratories in this area, and the technology issues that are associated with these applications. The applications that we discuss are electron cooling of high-energy hadron beams and electron–nucleon colliders. The common issues for some of these applications are high currents of polarized electrons, high-charge and high-current electron beams and the associated issues of high-order modes. The advantages of ERLs for these applications are numerous and will be outlined in the text. It is worth noting that some of these advantages are the high brightness of the ERL beams and their relative immunity to beam–beam disturbances.
Connections between signal transduction components and cellular responses initiated by antigen receptor on B lymphocytes.

Cells translate environmental cues into various cellular responses, including proliferation, differentiation, and death. In many cases, these responses are initiated through a specific interaction between an extracellular ligand and a membrane-bound receptor, which then triggers a series of biochemical events collectively termed signal transduction. Much progress has been made in the identification of second messengers and understanding the interactions between signaling proteins. Moreover, correlations between specific biochemical signaling events and a cellular response can be observed; however, demonstration of a direct cause and effect relationship is more difficult to achieve. Two observations have complicated this analysis. First, the binding of a ligand to its receptor can result in several different responses within the same cell, e.g., changes in growth characteristics, transcription patterns, adhesion properties, cytokine secretion profiles, et cetera. Any intracellular biochemical event induced by the ligand-receptor interaction might be involved in signaling one of these downstream
A retrospective review of pain control by a two-step irradiance schedule during topical ALA-photodynamic therapy of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Background and Objective Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topical δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) of non-melanoma skin cancers is often associated with treatment-limiting pain. A previous study on basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) at Roswell Park Cancer Institute evaluated a two-step irradiance scheme as a means of minimizing pain, preserving outcomes, and limiting treatment time. We used an initial low irradiance until 90% of the protoporphyrin IX was photobleached, followed by a high irradiance interval until the prescribed fluence was delivered. Success of this pilot investigation motivated integration of the protocol into routine practice. Here, we present a retrospective review of recent clinical experience in a broad patient population. Study Design/Materials and Methods This was a retrospective review of an existing dermatology database. Fourteen caucasion patients—nine men and five women, ages 18–80, with a total of 51 superficial and 73 nodular BCCs, and three Bowen's disease lesions—were included. ALA was applied to each lesion for approximately 4 hours. Lesions received an initial irradiance of 30–50 mW/cm2 for 20 J/cm2, followed by 150 mW/cm2 for a total fluence of 200–300 J/cm2. Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Clinical outcome was determined at 6–12 months. Results Median VAS scores were 1.0 for both irradiances. Five of 127 lesions required pain control with 1% xylocaine. Pain was strongly influenced by lesion location but not by lesion type, number, or size. Complete responses were achieved in 84.1% of BCCs, which compares favorably with reported results for single ALA-PDT treatments. Two of three Bowen's disease lesions showed a complete response. Complete responses for nodular BCCs were 37%, which are also within the range of reported outcomes. Conclusions A two-step irradiance protocol in ALA-PDT effectively minimizes pain, maintains excellent clinical outcomes in superficial lesions, and adds minimal treatment time. Lasers Surg. Med. 45: 89–94, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Portrayals of Older Adults in U.S. and Indian Magazine Advertisements: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

The authors investigated cross-cultural media portrayals of older adults and other age groups across the lifespan through a content analysis of U.S. and Indian magazine advertisements (N = 1,464), focusing on the characters portrayed in these advertisements (N = 1,445). Forty U.S. and Indian magazines were randomly selected across genres such as sports, women's interest, news, general interest, and entertainment magazines. The authors examined the association of age of characters with product advertised, health and gender of characters, and relational context of portrayals. Results indicated that older adults as well as children and teens were underrepresented in both cultures. Overall, women were overrepresented in younger age groups and underrepresented in older age groups, with this pattern being stronger in India. Indian advertisements portrayed characters in spousal relationships significantly more than U.S. advertisements. References to aging and older adulthood were more common in U.S. advertisemen...
On transient flamelets and their relationship to turbulent methane-air jet flames

A series of parametric laminar flame calculations are performed to investigate physical mechanisms that may contribute to the apparent ‘non-flamelet’ behavior that has been measured in turbulent flames. A simplified, one-dimensional formulation of the transient diffusion flame problem is used, and chemical reactions are treated by a ‘skeletal’ mechanism. Three factors affecting the structure of methane-air diffusion flames are considered: i) changes in the profile of scalar dissipation through the reaction zone, ii) temporal variation of the scalar dissipation rate, and iii) elimination of differential diffusion by setting all Lewis numbers to unity. Results indicate that changes in the shape of the scalar dissipation profile and periodic variation of the scalar dissipation rate have relatively minor effects on species mass fractions. However, the mass fractions of OH and CO overshoot their steady state limits when a flamelet is subjected to a sudden decrease in scalar dissipation. The predicted overshoot occurs without the laminar flame being first pushed to the brink of extinction, and recovery of the flame to steady-state conditions is relatively slow. This shows that details of the strain history can be important and that certain types of unsteady strain can contribute to the high OH and CO mass fractions measured in turbulent flames. Significant changes inspecies mass fractions also occur when all Lewis numbers are set to zero. In particular, the peak mass fractions of OH, CO, and H 2 all increase when differential diffusion is eliminated.
"Good Cause Beliefs" in an "At-Will World"? A Focused Investigation of Psychological Versus Legal Contracts

This study assesses the psychological contracts of a group of at-will employees and compares their relevant psychological contract beliefs with the terms of the controlling legal employment contract. In addition, we test specific hypotheses regarding the relationship between employers’ formal job security policy (employment at-will vs. “good cause” protection, and employee personal characteristics; equity sensitivity, organizational tenure) to 2 focal psychological contract beliefs (the employer’s obligation to have a good reason to discharge the employee, and the employee’s reciprocal obligation to have a good reason to leave his/her employer). These issues are investigated using survey data sampled from 15 diverse U.S. organizations, and independently collected information regarding organizations’ job security policies. The results provide evidence of a widely shared psychological contract belief that, despite explicit at-will policies, U.S. employers are highly obligated to have a good reason to discharge employees. Further, personal characteristics are more strongly related to the focal psychological contract beliefs than employer job security policies. The theoretical contribution of the study and its practical implications are discussed.
Concomitant inhibition of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) and stimulation of prolactin release by prostacyclin (PGI2) in ovariectomized (OVX) conscious rats.

Abstract Prostacyclin (PGI2) or its stable metabolite, 6-keto-PGF1α (1–5 μg) in 2.5 μl 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), was injected into the third vertricle (3 V) of ovariectomized (OVX), freely moving rats. Control animals received 2.5 μl of buffer. In the initial experiments a control blood sample was taken and then the PGI2 was injected and frequent samples taken thereafter. With this protocol injection of 2 μg of PGI2 produced a significant decrease in mean plasma LH only at 60 min after its injection (p in vitro , it is concluded that PGI2 can act on structures near the 3V to inhibit pulsatile release of LHRH.
Automatic fiber Bragg grating fabrication system for mass production

The large multiplexing number of FBGs exposes a requirement for the effective and repeatable fabrication method. In this paper we report the development of an automatic FBG fabrication system, which meets the requirement of mass production. There are four major functional parts in the system: fiber feeding system, CO2 laser coating removal system, FBG writing system and fiber collecting system. The fiber feeding system uses motors and gears to accurately move an optical fiber to where the FBGs will be made. The coating removal system is based on the heat effect of a CO2 laser, which will decompose and evaporate the selected coating of the optical fiber. The FBG writing system is based on the UV photosensitivity of the fiber. A phase-mask is placed between the UV light and the optical fiber to produce periodic interference pattern, which further modulates the refractive index along the fiber periodically. The fiber collecting system is driven by a linear motor and the fiber can be wound around a spool tightly and smoothly at a moderate speed. The whole FBG fabrication system is controlled and synchronized by a computer via some interface circuits and a Graphical User Interface (GUI). With this system, it takes 48 seconds to fabricate one FBG, and up to 500 FBGs can be made continuously, which is limited by the leakage of the gas inside the excimer laser. This mass production line not only improves the fabrication efficiency but also contributes to the multiplexing capability by reducing the splicing loss.
Subtropical to subpolar pathways in the North Atlantic: Deductions from Lagrangian trajectories

[1] Surface waters of the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Current are thought to replenish deep water formation sites at high latitudes with warm and salty subtropical waters, thereby closing the large-scale meridional overturning circulation. In recent studies of this subtropical to subpolar throughput, far fewer surface drifters were transported from the subtropical to subpolar gyre than expected on the basis of Eulerian estimates of intergyre exchange. Here, in an attempt to reconcile these Lagrangian observations with the Eulerian-based expectation of significant surface throughput, synthetic drifters launched within an eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model are used to examine Lagrangian pathways from the subtropical to subpolar gyre. The results of this study indicate that drifters in the observational record are limited in their ability to measure intergyre exchange and its temporal variability by their short lifetimes, their variable launch locations, and, importantly, their inability to follow the 3-D flow field. Synthetic floats launched within the ocean model and advected with the 3-D flow field indicate that subtropical to subpolar exchange in the North Atlantic is primarily located subsurface; while less than 5% of floats launched at 15 m reach the eastern subpolar gyre within 4 years, close to 30% of drifters launched at 700 m do so. The transport of subsurface waters to high latitudes is shown to occur primarily along density surfaces as they shoal northward toward subpolar latitudes.
Tissue acoustic properties of fresh left ventricular thrombi and visualization by two dimensional echocardiography: experimental observations.

Abstract Although two dimensional echocardiography can detect left ventricular thrombi In certain cardiovascular disease states, there Is theoretical concern that the acoustic Impedance properties of recently formed fresh thrombi may not allow their echocardiographic visualization. If such were the case, false negative studies might occur even with technically adequate echocardiographic examinations. To determine if the tissue acoustic properties of acute thrombi allow their visualization and differentiation from surrounding intracavitary blood and adjacent myocardium with two dimensional echocardiography, an in vivo canine model of acute left ventricular thrombus was studied. In 10 dogs left ventricular thrombus was induced using coronary ligation and subendocardial injection of a sclerosing agent, sodium rlclnoleate. Acoustically distinct left ventricular thrombi were imaged by two dimensional echocardiography within hours (mean ± standard deviation 121 ± 40 minutes, range 45 to 180), and the thrombi could easily be differentiated from surrounding blood and adjacent myocardium. Thrombi with a maximal dimension as small as 0.6 cm at autopsy were highly reflective and could be imaged with echocardiography. Histologic examination of the thrombi showed characteristic features of early thrombosis. In six dogs, echocardiographic imaging revealed two acoustically distinct areas of thrombi. Gross and microscopic examination of the thrombi in these animals confirmed two distinct types of thrombus with differing histologie features. Although technical aspects of the echocardiographic examination or certain biologic features of thrombi such as thrombus size may limit the detection of thrombi by echocardiography in certain situations, our data indicate that the tissue acoustic properties of recently formed thrombi are not a primary limitation to their echocardiographic detection. These findings support the use of two dimensional echocardiography in the investigation of the natural history, prevention and therapy of left ventricular thrombus in patients during the early course of acute myocardial Infarction.
The importance of nucleon substructure in nuclear ground states

Abstract Using a potential model, constrained by the hadron spectrum, for the confinement of relativistic quarks we explore the consequences of the substructure of nucleons for the binding energy and ground state wavefunction of 4 He. In its simplest form, this model gives a binding energy of 19 MeV. Quark wavefunctions differ from those associated with free nucleons by less than 10%, the rms quark radius is 1.34 fm and the resulting structure differs considerably from that of an expansion beginning from the (0s) 4 shell model. Considerable contributions to the binding energy, attractive from quark delocalization and repulsive from the quark hyperfine interaction, appear unavoidable. We conclude that these effects cannot be excluded from a detailed understanding of the properties of nuclear ground states.