cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of excitant amino acids on acoustic responses of inferior colliculus neurons.

Abstract Iontophoretic application of the excitant amino acids (EAAs), glutamate, aspartate and N- methyl - d - aspartate (NMDA) resulted in increased acoustically evoked and spontaneous firing of most neurons in the central nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICC). The excitatory effects of these EAAs were blocked by simultaneous application of EAA antagonists which selectively block the NMDA receptor subtype, 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate or d -alpha-aminoadipate and to a lesser extent with non-selective EAA antagonists, such as glutamic acid diethylester. Application of NMDA receptor-selective EAA antagonists alone greatly reduced the firing of most ICC neurons examined, but non-selective EAA antagonists either increased or produced little change in firing of most ICC neurons examined. In this and previous studies cholinergic agonists were found to increase the firing of ICC neurons, but the cholinergic agonists were less effective in exciting ICC neurons than EAA agonists. Cholinergic antagonists in a previous study were considerably less effective in inhibiting the discharge of ICC neurons than were the EAA antagonists in the present study. These results, in conjunction with previous neurochemical and anatomical localization studies, support a possible role of an EAA as a candidate for afferent excitatory transmitter in neurons of the inferior colliculus.
Effective rate models for receptors distributed in a layer above a surface: application to cells and Biacore.

Abstract In the Biacore biosensor, a widely used tool for studying the kinetics of ligand/receptor binding, receptors are commonly localized to the sensor surface through attachment to polymers that extend from the surface to form a layer. The importance of the polymeric layer in analyzing data is controversial. The question of the effect of a binding layer also arises in the case of ligands interacting with binding sites distributed in the extracellular matrix of cells. To identify and quantify the effects of a binding layer on the estimation of association and dissociation rate constants, we derived effective rate coefficients. The expressions show that rate constants determined under the standard assumption that binding takes place on a two-dimensional surface underestimate the true reaction rate constants by a factor that depends on the ratio of the height of the layer to the mean free path of the ligand within the layer. We show that, for typical biological ligands, receptors, cells, and Biacore conditions, the binding layer will affect the interpretation of data only if transport of the ligand in the layer is slowed substantially—by one or two orders of magnitude—relative to transport outside the layer. From existing experiments and theory, it is not clear which Biacore experiments, if any, have transport within the dextran layer reduced to such an extent. We propose a method, based on the effective rate coefficients we have derived, for the experimental determination of ligand diffusion coefficients in a polymeric matrix.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Radiofrequency Thermal Shrinkage: A Short-term Follow-up

Purpose: To review the results of 34 patients who underwent radiofrequency thermal shrinkage (RFTS) for treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) laxity in the attenuated and partially torn ACL. Type of Study: Retrospective cross-sectional survey performed at least 6 months after treatment. Methods: Patients with recurrent instability after attenuation of ACL autografts and partially torn ACLs were treated with RFTS. Follow-up included subjective questionnaires (International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC], Tegner, and Lysholm) and objective clinical tests (IKDC, KT-1000, pivot-shift, Lachman, single-leg hop). Results: Mean follow-up was 21.4 months. Based on IKDC and subjective evaluation, 18 of 20 (90%) partially torn ACLs and 10 of 14 reconstructed ACLs (71%) treated with RTFS were judged to have good or excellent knee function (overall 82%). ACL laxity based on KT-1000 was less successful, with 15 of 20 (75%) partially torn ACLs and 8 of 12 (66%) reconstructed ACLs considered successful. Conclusions: With no major complications in this study, we conclude that RFTS for treatment of ACL laxity is a well-tolerated procedure with success rates around 71% to 90% in selected patients. RFTS may be offered as a less-extensive alternative to patients being considered for ACL reconstruction who have either attenuated or partially torn ligaments, especially in the athletically low-demand population. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.
Negatively Supercoiled Plasmids Contain Left-handed Z-DNA Segments As Detected by Specific Antibody Binding

Abstract Negative superhelical coiling of covalently closed DNA plasmids facilitates the formation of lefthanded Z-DNA segments. This was demonstrated by binding of antibodies specific for Z-DNA. Plasmid pBR322 and two derivatives from it, pLP32 and pLP014, carrying inserts of alternating CG sequences of 32 bp and 14 bp, respectively, were used. Longer inserts required less negative superhelical density to induce the B–Z transitions. Antibody binding to supercoiled plasmids was also visualized by electron microscopy. Cross-linking of the antibody to the negatively supercoiled plasmid and restriction of the DNA with restriction endonucleases demonstrated that the antibodies combine with the CG insert in pLP32. For pBR322, however, evidence suggests that the antibody combines with a section of DNA containing 14 bases with alternating purine and pyrimidine residues with one residue out of alternation: CACGGGTGCGCATG. These crosslinking studies provide evidence for the binding specificity of the anti-Z-DNA antibodies. On the basis of experimental findings, we have calculated the changes in free energy associated with B–Z transitions in superhelical plasmids.
Evidence of distinct structural clusters in amorphous Ge1−xSnxSe2

The structure of amorphous Ge1−xSnxSe2 has been examined at liquid nitrogen temperatures (atmospheric pressure) and at high pressures (room temperature) using Mossbauer spectroscopy. The low temperature study shows that the fraction of Sn atoms occurring in a tetrahedrally bonded site does not change with concentration, remaining at 0.85 for 0.20 ≤ x ≤ 0.60. The measurements at high pressure were made on a glass with composition Ge0.5Sn0.5Se2. The data are consistent with a hypothesis that the glasses are made up of distinct structural clusters. Two different regions of response to pressure were interpreted as a low pressure region in which the intercluster interactions were changed and a high pressure region in which the intracluster interations were affected.
Higgs boson bremsstrahlung in top quark decay

Abstract In top quark decay a neutral Higgs boson may be emitted in bremsstrahlung from the top quark or from the W -boson. We evaluate the branching fraction for this hitherto overlooked t → H 0 bW + decay mode, where the W + can be virtual or real. It has the standard model values of 0.02%, 0.2%, 0.8% for m t =50, 100, 200 GeVand m H =10 GeV.
Link Between Executive Stock Ownership and Corporate Financial Performance

This study examined the relationship between executive stock ownership and the financial performance of firms in the hospitality industry. The study sample included 30 public hospitality companies listed on NASDAQ, all of which had 14 years of complete financial data. The study used the Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis to test the relationship in the hotel segment, the restaurant segment, and the combined hospitality segment. The results show there is no statistically significant positive relationship between executive stock ownership and firm profit in the hotel segment, whereas in the restaurant segment, there is a negative linear relationship. Furthermore, the combined 30 hospitality companies show a slight negative linear relationship. The findings neither support the “Agency Theory,” nor reveal a clear correlation between executive stock ownership and the profit performance of firms in the hospitality group.
Multiplied functions unify shapes of ganglion-cell receptive fields in retina of turtle.

Retinal ganglion cells in the turtle were extracellularly recorded to define the shapes of their receptive fields by small moving light spots. To better define the geometries, spectral-light adaptations and vitreal injections of 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB) were used to disrupt balances in field organization along dimensions of wavelength, ON and OFF responses, and center/surround areas. Three-dimensional data plots were fit by Gaussian, Gabor, and cardioid functions to show that the shapes of receptive fields are predicted by combinations of these multiplied functions. Results indicate that Gaussian functions describe simple symmetrical receptive fields that are center-only; Gabor functions describe center/surround color-opponent receptive fields that have a ring of spike activity in the periphery; and directionally selective receptive fields, in contrast, which are asymmetrical, are described by cardioid functions adjoined to Gaussian or Gabor functions. The advantage of linking multiplied functions is that receptive fields are unified by a model that predicts progressively more complex field geometries derived from particular stimulating conditions. Keywords: spectral-light adaptation, 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid, Gaussian, Gabor, cardioid
Dynamical NOE in multiple-spin systems undergoing chemical exchange

Abstract A relaxation-matrix procedure is given for the analysis of dynamical NOE of a multiple-spin system undergoing chemical exchange. It is demonstrated that, if fast exchange prevails, the evolution of the longitudinal magnetization of the spin system, summed over the exchanging species, is similar to that of a single nonexchanging species with a relaxation matrix given by the population-weighted average of the individual relaxation matrices. The complications generally involved in calculating the NOE for exchanging systems, stemming from the need to diagonalize large unsymmetrical matrices, are circumvented through the use of the average relaxation matrix which is real and symmetric and has the same dimension as the individual relaxation matrices.
The first vadose zone partitioning interwell tracer test for nonaqueous phase liquid and water residual

In 1995, a partitioning interwell tracer test was conducted in the vadose zone beneath two buried organic liquid disposal trenches at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. The purpose was to estimate the amount and distribution of trichloroethylene (TCE) trapped by capillary forces as residual dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL). Screened injection and extraction wells, placed 16.8 m apart, and two monitor wells with multilevel sampling capability allowed vertical testing from 3.0 to 24.4 m below ground surface. Seven tracers were injected, but the most useful tracers in the final analysis were sulfur hexafluoride (nonpartitioning), perfluoro-1,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (TCE-partitioning), and difluoromethane (water-partitioning). Both a TCE-partitioning tracer and a water-partitioning tracer were needed to determine average TCE DNAPL saturation. Average saturations of DNAPL and water were measured to be 0.11 ± 0.02% and 23 ± 2.0%, respectively, in the shallow zone between 3.0 and 10.7 m. Monitor w...
Nuclear shape analysis for the assessment of local invasion and metastases in clinically localized prostate carcinoma

BACKGROUND Nuclear shape analysis of histologic sections from radical prostatectomy specimens has retrospectively predicted outcome in patients with clinically localized prostate carcinoma. If outcome could be predicted preoperatively by nuclear shape analysis, patients might be selected better for definitive surgical therapy. Morphometric analysis of preoperative biopsies, however, has not correlated positively with values obtained from analysis of prostatectomy specimens. METHODS The nuclear shapes of histologic specimens of 20 organ-confined carcinomas, 10 periprostatic fat-invasive carcinomas, 10 seminal vesicle-invasive carcinomas, and 12 lymph node-metastatic carcinomas from 52 patients who had undergone radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease were evaluated. RESULTS Nuclei from areas of extraprostatic invasion or regional lymph node metastases were less round than those from the corresponding intraprostatic portion of the tumor (nuclear roundness factor (mean +/- SD) PPF, 51.2 +/- 3.1 vs. 31.2 +/- 3.2; SV, 52.4 +/- 4.1 vs. 31.6 +/- 2.5; and LN, 57.3 +/- 3.1 vs. 36.4 +/- 1.8; paired Student's t tests, P 0.05). The intraprostatic portions of randomly sampled primary tumors had similar nuclear roundness factors, regardless of pathologic stage (P > 0.05). Among organ-confined carcinomas, nuclear shape was unrelated to tumor volume. CONCLUSIONS Pathologic stage in clinically localized prostate carcinoma cannot be determined by the nuclear shape profiles of intraprostatic tumor cells. Thus, patients with a poor prognosis or high pathologic stage can be recognized only when samples for morphometric analysis include high proportions of nuclei from the extra-prostatic carcinoma and nuclei from the periphery of organ-confined carcinoma that may not be sampled routinely by prostate biopsy.
Prevalence and risk factors of dental erosion in American children.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and characteristics of dental erosion in children aged 2-4 years old and 12 years old. Study design: 243 subjects were recruited from daycare centers, preschools, and grade schools; they received dental examinations assessing their condition of dental erosion, including both depth and area of tooth surface loss on four maxillary incisors. Questionnaires were given to the subjects to obtain socio-demographic, oral health behaviors at home, and access to dental care. Dental erosion was analyzed and risk factors were assessed using Chi-Square and logistic regression analysis. Results: The subjects were 60% Caucasians, 31% Black, 7% Hispanic and others were 2%. 34% of children could not get the dental care they needed within the past 12 months and 61% of all children brushed their teeth twice or more daily. Overall, 12% of study children had dental erosion with 13% for 2-4 years old and 10% for 12 years old, with the majority of erosive lesion...
Commissural Neurons in the Rat Ventral Cochlear Nucleus

Commissural neurons connect the cochlear nucleus complexes of both ears. Previous studies have suggested that the neurons may be separated into two anatomical subtypes on the basis of percent apposition (PA); that is, the percentage of the soma apposed by synaptic terminals. The present study combined tract tracing with synaptic immunolabeling to compare the soma area, relative number, and location of Type I (low PA) and Type II (high PA) commissural neurons in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) of rats. Confocal microscopic analysis revealed that 261 of 377 (69%) commissural neurons have medium-sized somata with Type I axosomatic innervation. The commissural neurons also showed distinct topographical distributions. The majority of Type I neurons were located in the small cell cap of the VCN, which serves as a nexus for regulatory pathways within the auditory brainstem. Most Type II neurons were found in the magnocellular core. This anatomical dichotomy should broaden current views on the function of the commissural pathway that stress the fast inhibitory interactions generated by Type II neurons. The more prevalent Type I neurons may underlie slow regulatory influences that enhance binaural processing or the recovery of function after injury.
Shock deformation of k-state in Ni-Cr alloys

Abstract The change of electrical resistivity was used to study the ordering kinetics and the anomalous resistivity behaviour in Ni-22 wt. % Cr and Ni-30 wt. % Cr (Ni-22 Cr and Ni-30 Cr) before and after shock deformation. Ordering was found to occur in two stages: the attainment of an equilibrium domain size, and the increase of long-range order (LRO) within the domains. Specimens of Ni-22 Cr and Ni-30 Cr in the ordered and disorderd states were subjected to explosive shock loading at shock pressures between 90 and 300 kbars. In the pressure range of 200 to 300 kbars, the resistivity of the ordered alloys decreased sharply. The resistivity of the shock-deformed initially quenched alloys decreased continuously between 90 and 300 kbars. The decrease in resistivity with shock deformation for the quenched alloys was related to the destruction of short-range order (SRO).
Hapalonamides and other oxidized hapalindoles from Hapalosiphon fontinalis

Abstract Dechlorofontonamide, anhydrohapaloxindoles B and M, and hapalonamides G, H, and V have been isolated as minor indole alkaloids from a cultured strain of the terrestrial blue-green alga Hapalosiphon fontinalis .
Preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain of the Na/HCO3 cotransporter NBCe1-A

The N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the Na+-coupled HCO_3- cotransporter NBCe1-A (NtNBCe1) has been linked with proximal renal tubular acidosis. In a previous purification study of recombinant NtNBCe1, crystal growth at a suboptimal protein concentration (<1 mg ml(-1)) yielded small single diamond-shaped crystals that diffracted poorly. In the present study, by increasing the protein concentration 50-fold, the crystal size was doubled and robustness was also improved. Crystal annealing made the crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction. The crystals either belong to space group P3(1)21 or P3(1) with pseudo P3(1)21 symmetry, with unit-cell parameters a = 51.7, b = 51.7, c = 200.6 A, alpha = beta = 90, gamma = 120 degrees , and diffract X-rays to 3.0 A resolution. The calculated Matthews number is 1.9 A3 Da(-1), with two monomers of molecular weight approximately 83 kDa in the asymmetric unit. The molecular- replacement packing solution shows that the molecules form dimers by a domain-swapping mechanism.
Stream sediment geochemical surveys for uranium

Abstract One of the major objectives of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy) is to identify areas favorable for commercial recovery of uranium. One phase of this program is Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) of the contiguous forty-eight states and Alaska. Stream sediment is more universally available than ground- and surface waters and comprises the bulk of NURE samples. Orientation studies conducted by the Savannah River Laboratory indicate that several mesh sizes can offer nearly equivalent information. Sediment is normally sieved in the field to pass a 420-micrometer screen (U.S. Std. 40 mesh) and that portion of the dried sediment passing a 149-micrometer screen (U.S. Std. 100 mesh) is recovered for analysis. Sampling densities usually vary with survey objectives and types of deposits anticipated. Principal geologic features that can be portrayed at a scale of 1:250,000, such as major tectonic units, plutons, and pegmatite districts, are readily defined using a sampling density of 1 site per 5 square miles (13 km2). More detailed studies designed to define individual deposits require greater sampling density. Analyses for elements known to be associated with uranium in a particular mineral host may be used to estimate the relative proportion of uranium in several forms. For example, uranium may be associated with thorium and cerium in monazite, and with zirconium and hafnium in zircon. Readily leachable uranium may be adsorbed or trapped in oxide coatings on mineral particles. Soluble or mobile uranium may indicate an ore source, whereas uranium in monazite or zircon is not likely to be economically attractive. Various schemes may be used to estimate the form of uranium in a sample. Simple elemental ratios are a useful first approach. Multiple ratios and subtractive formulas empirically designed to account for the presence of particular minerals are more useful. Residuals calculated from computer-derived regression equations or factor scores appear to have the greatest potential for locating uranium anomalies.
Invasion of a nuclear polyhedrosis virus in midgut of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta, and the enhancement of a synergistic enzyme.

A synergistic enzyme, extracted from the capsule of a granulosis virus, enhances the infection of a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) of the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta. Since many small polyhedra and virus bundles penetrated through the peritrophic membrane of the midgut in the absence and in the presence of the enzyme, the site of action of the enzyme appears to be the cell membrane of the midgut cells. Four hours after the feeding of the NPV, more nucleocapsids were found in midgut cells of larvae treated with the enzyme than in those of untreated larvae. The mode of attachment and invasion of the NPV into the midgut cells are essentially the same as reported previously by other workers.
Upper Tract Tumors in Patients with Primary Bladder Cancer Followed for 15 Years

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the long-term incidence of upper tract tumors in patients with primary superficial bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: A total of 86 patients with stages Ta, T1 and Tis bladder tumors, who were entered into a prospective trial of bacillus Calmette-Guerin between 1978 and 1981, was followed for 15 years or longer.Results: Of the 86 patients 18 (21 percent) had upper tract tumors after a median interval of 7.3 years (range 1 to 15). Tumors occurred within 5 years of followup in 6 cases, between 5 and 10 years in 7, and between 10 and 15 years in 5. The majority of cancers were invasive and 7 patients died of upper tract tumors.Conclusions: Patients with primary bladder tumors are at risk for upper urinary tract disease for up to 15 years, which suggests the need for lifelong regular upper tract monitoring in these cases.
The value of the preoperative mucosal biopsy in the diagnosis of colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND As a rule, mucinous colorectal adenocarcinomas tend to be at a more advanced stage at the time of discovery than their nonmucinous counterparts. This study assesses the potential value of the preoperative biopsy in the diagnosis of such mucinous adenocarcinomas. METHODS The preoperative biopsy specimens and the corresponding resection specimens of 189 patients with colorectal carcinomas were examined and compared by conventional light microscopic study. The stage of the tumor, using the modified Dukes classification of Astler and Coller, was correlated with the percentage of mucinous component (MC) in the resection specimens. The MC in the preoperative biopsy was assessed by the presence of: (1) malignant-appearing glands disrupted by the presence of abundant extruded intraluminal mucin; (2) pools of mucin in the connective stroma of the adenocarcinoma; and (3) superficial pools of mucin containing ribbons or clusters of neoplastic epithelial cells. RESULTS The presence of a significant (more than 25%) MC in the resection specimen correlated well with an advanced stage of the tumor; 82% of tumors with more than 25% MC were at the B2 or higher stage, compared with 64% of tumors with less than 25% MC (P < 0.05). Finding MC in the preoperative biopsy correlated well with a similar finding in the resection specimen and with a B2 or higher stage of the tumor in such specimens; 83% of MC-positive biopsy specimens exhibited more than 25% MC in the corresponding resection specimen, whereas only 10% of MC-negative biopsy specimens were associated with a surgical specimen containing more than 25% MC (P < 0.001). Similarly, 83% of such MC-positive biopsy specimens revealed a carcinoma at the B2 or higher stage upon resection, compared with 63% of the MC-negative biopsy specimens (P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Colorectal adenocarcinomas showing MC in the preoperative biopsy are significantly more likely to reveal a high mucin content and to be at an advanced stage at resection. Thus, such preoperative findings should be recorded and made available on a prospective basis to the treating physicians.
Microemulsion-Based Vegetable Oil Detergency Using an Extended Surfactant

This work examined the use of a single extended surfactant in the microemulsion-based detergency of vegetable oils. The results showed that good canola oil detergency (>80%) was achieved at 25 °C using a single extended surfactant (C14,15–8PO–SO4Na) at concentrations as low as 125 ppm, i.e., significantly lower than the surfactant concentration range of 500–2,500 ppm reported in other microemulsion-based detergency work. It was found that the maximum detergency (95%) was achieved in the type II microemulsion region. These results demonstrate that the microemulsion-based extended surfactant formulation is a promising approach for vegetable oil detergency at low temperature.
Trajectory Tracking via Independent Solutions to the Geometric and Temporal Tracking Subproblems

Trajectory tracking is accomplished by obtaining separate solutions to the geometric path-tracking problem and the temporal tracking problem. A methodology enabling the geometric tracking of a desired planar or spatial path to any order with a nonredundant manipulator is developed. In contrast to previous work, the equations are developed using one of the manipulator’s joint variables as the independent parameter in a fixed global frame rather than a configuration-dependent canonical frame. Both these features provide significant practical advantages. Furthermore, a strategy for determining joint velocities and accelerations at singular configurations is provided, which allows the manipulator to approach and/or move out of a singular configuration with finite joint velocities without sacrificing the geometric fidelity of tracking. An example shows a spatial six-revolute robot tracking a trajectory using the developed method in conjunction with resolved-acceleration feedback control.
DISPERSION RELATIONS IN THE LEE MODEL

Abstract The self energy and the wave function renormalization constant in the Lee Model are calculated with the technique of dispersion relations. The results agree with those obtained in the usual manner.
A novel computational method for evaluating osteochondral autografts in distal radius reconstruction.

Background We describe a novel computational method for assessing the fit of an osteochondral graft. We applied our software to five normal wrist computed tomography (CT) scans to determine the fit of the scaphoid to the lunate fossa of the distal radius.
Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Bait Sticks: Toxicity and Malathion Content

Assays of malathion content and toxicity to boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman, were conducted on boll weevil bait sticks, now marketed as Boll Weevil Attract and Control Tubes (BWACTs; Plato Industries, Houston, TX). In general, the longer BWACTs were in the field, the lower the mortality of weevils that were exposed to them. Bioassays of weevil mortality correlated with hexane washes of BWACT surfaces showed highly variable mortality when surface malathion fell below ≈20 ng per 1 μl of hexane, but consistently high mortality (≥90%) when surface malathion was above 30 ng per 1 μl of hexane. A linear equation was calculated to predict mortality as a function of malathion on a BWACT surface. Although mortality was related to surface amounts of malathion, it was unrelated to the total amount of malathion present in BWACTs. Similarly, surface malathion was unrelated to the total amount present in BWACTs. As with mortality, amount of surface malathion declined with time, but total malathion did not decline with time. Boll weevils placed on fresh BWACTs tended to accumulate more malathion and died in greater numbers as time spent on fresh tubes increased, but not as time spent on tubes aged in the field (for 5 mo total) increased. Weevils that landed on tubes after a short flight died in approximately the same numbers as those that were placed on tubes using proper methodology. The amount of malathion expected to cause 90% mortality of boll weevils subjected to proper methodology was 47% higher than for a less stringent methodology (34.3 versus 23.4 ng), which demonstrates the importance of strictly adhering to proper methodology; nevertheless, chemical assay of malathion on the BWACT surface proved to be a more consistent measure of BWACT toxicity than bioassay, and it should replace the bioassay.
Outcome of Combined Liver and Kidney Transplantation in Hepatitis C: A Single-Center Long-Term Follow-up Experience

Abstract Introduction Hepatitis C (HCV) cirrhosis is the prevalent liver disease requiring liver transplantation in the United States. Candidates who also have end-stage renal disease, chronic renal disease stage 4, or prolonged hepatorenal syndrome are considered for combined liver and kidney transplantation (CLKT). Materials and methods We performed a retrospective study of HCV(+) and HCV(−) CLKT patients with more than 12 months of follow-up and HCV(+) patients with isolated liver transplant (OLT) to compare the outcomes of various groups. Results Since 1988, 2983 OLTs were performed at our institution including 58 CLKTs. Of these, 23 were HCV(+) subjects who were significantly older than HCV(−) CLKT patients. Race, pretransplant dialysis time, renal indication for CLKT, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, donor age, liver and kidney rejection as well as occurrence of posttransplant hypertension were similar among HCV(+) and HCV(−) CLKT patients. Posttransplant diabetes was observed in 80% of the HCV(+) group and 30% of the HCV(−) group ( P = .01). Renal function seemed to be better in HCV(−) when compared with HCV(+) subjects at 5 years ( P = .09). Overall patient survival for HCV(+) CLKT, HCV(−) CLKT, and HCV(+) OLT groups at 1, 2, and 5 years were not significantly different ( P = .6). Conclusion HCV positivity should not exclude appropriate candidates for CLKT.
Detection of renal allograft rejection with (125I) fibrinogen.

Abstract The ability to differentiate renal allograft rejection from other causes of impaired renal function using [125]fibrinogen was evaluated using a rabbit renal transplantation model. By measuring radioactivity over the kidney and comparing it to that over the heart, rejection could clearly be differentiated from renal artery or vein thrombosis, hydronephrosis or ischemic damage.
Dependent spatial channels in visual processing

Abstract The present experiments were designed to test whether or not processing in visual information channels defined by spatial position is independent in the visual search paradigm. In Experiment 1 subjects were asked to judge whether or not a red square was present in a display of two colored geometric figures. Their mean reaction time (RT) to respond no to a “divided target” display in which one figure was red and the other was a square was about 100 msec longer than to control displays containing either two red circles or two green squares. This result is inconsistent with a spatially serial independent-channel model and with many spatially parallel independent-channel models. The relatively slow responding to divided target displays was replicated in Experiments 2 and 3, when subjects judged whether or not an “A” was present in a display of two alphanumeric characters, and a divided target display was one which contained two features of “A.” Experiments 4 and 5 demonstrated that the dependence observed in the first three experiments was probably the result of two mechanisms: crosstalk integration, whereby the target features are integrated across the two spatial channels, and repetition facilitation, whereby processing is facilitated (in some cases) when the two figures in the display are physically identical. Experiment 6 suggested that subjects organized the display in terms of spatial channels even when the task allowed subjects to ignore spatial location.
SPARTAN: speculative avoidance of register allocations to transient values for performance and energy efficiency

High-performance microprocessors use large, heavily-ported physical register files (RFs) to increase the instruction throughput. The high complexity and power dissipation of such RFs mainly stem from the need to maintain each and every result for a large number of cycles after the result generation. We observed that a significant fraction (about 45%) of the result values are never read from the register file and are not required to recover from branch mispredictions. In this paper, we propose SPARTAN - a set of micro-architectural extensions that predicts such transient values and in many cases completely avoids physical register allocations to them. We show that the transient values can be predicted as such with more than 97% accuracy on the average across simulated SPEC 2000 benchmarks. We evaluate the performance of SPARTAN on a variety of configurations and show that significant improvements in performance and energy-efficiency can be realized. Furthermore, we directly compare SPARTAN against a number of previously proposed schemes for register optimizations and show that our technique significantly outperforms all those schemes.
Cognitive Bias: Interracial Homicide in New Orleans, 1921–1945

White killers of African Americans in New Orleans between 1921 and 1945, nearly half of whom were policemen, insisted that they acted in self-defense, only after their victims had threatened them, often by reaching for weapons. But many of their victims were unarmed. The conventional interpretation is that white residents invoked a formulaic justification of self-defense to mask their real intention, to uphold the city's racial hierarchy. Recent studies by cognition researchers, however, suggest a more complicated interpretation—that endemic racism can influence how the brain processes information, even to the extent of causing people to see a weapon where none exists.
Photon cross sections from 0.1 keV to 1 MeV for elements Z = 1 to Z = 94*

Abstract For elements from H to Pu, experimental photon attenuation cross sections from 0.1 keV to 1 MeV were compiled from literature available to the end of 1970. Scattering cross sections, calculated by relativistic self-consistent-field methods, were subtracted from total attenuation data, and the resulting photoelectric and measured photoelectric cross sections from 1 keV to 1 MeV were fitted by a least-squares procedure. The theoretical scattering cross sections were then added to the resulting values to obtain totalattenuation coefficients. From 0.1 keV to between 1 keV and 10 keV, non-relativistic, self-consistent-field, independent-electron theory was used to calculate photoelectric cross sections. Theoretical scattering values were addedto obtain total attenuation cross sections. The two sets of values comprise our recommended cross sections. In cases of overlap, the calculated values are to be preferred. Uncertainties were estimated.
Visceral pain in infants

Visceral pain in infants represents a complexity of interacting neural, developmental, psychosocial, and environmental factors, which must be separately and conjointly evaluated. Inhibitory mechanisms are not fully developed in infants and thus nociception is not readily dampened. Heightened behavioral responses to pain (e.g., crying) are likewise not easily inhibited. Esophageal pain and behaviors perceived by the caregiver to represent pain (e.g., crying and retching) can potentially affect normal growth and development. The response of the infant to pain and other visceral sensory stimuli and the ability to cope with these sensations (painful and nonpainful) are shaped by the relationship of the infant with the primary caregiver, usually the mother. Neural mechanisms of pain transmission and inhibition are reviewed, as well as biopsychosocial and environmental characteristics that can shape or contribute to infant pain syndromes. Proposed multifaceted clinical treatment strategies are aimed at decreasing efforts to dampen excitatory neural sensory signaling and improving the mother/infant relationship and maternal behavioral response to the crying infant.
Self-Consistent Field for Tungsten

Calculations of the self-consistent field of the tungsten atom have been carried out with the aid of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology differential analyzer. A discussion of the machine set-up and an outline of a method for estimating initial fields are given.
An improved unifying density function

Abstract This paper presents an improved and simplified version of the unifying probability density function of [1]. The improved unifying density function is shown to be the parent of the Rayleigh distribution in addition to the Weibull-, gamma-, Erlang-, χ 2 - and exponential distributions. The means and variances of the relating child distributions can be found easily by substitution using the established relationships.
Towards a Benchmark and Automatic Calibration for IR-Based Concept Location

There has been a great deal of research into the use of Information Retrieval (IR)-based techniques to support concept location in source code. Much of this research has been focused on determining how to use various IR techniques to support concept location. Very little attention has been given to the effect of different configurations of corpus building and indexing on query results. In this paper, we propose a tool designed to support large-scale studies of IR techniques in varying configurations of parameters with the intention of automatically calibrating these parameters. We also discuss preliminary efforts to create the benchmark data such studies require.
Bimodal distributions of seedling weight in relation to density of Festuca paradoxa Desv.

THE degree to which plants growing together interfere with one another by competing for resources such as light, moisture and nutrients is difficult to determine by direct measurement of resource depletion1. Plant ecologists have therefore looked for indicators of interference in population structure2,3. One proposed measure of interference is the shift that occurs from the ‘normal’ distribution of seed weight to a ‘log-norma’ distribution of the weight of seedlings grown from those seeds in an even-aged monoculture. This shift presumably reflects the emergence of a few large and dominant individuals and the suppression of larger numbers of small individuals. Recently Ford4 and Newbould5 have proposed that distributions of plant weight in competing populations are actually bimodal, resulting from the presence of distinct populations of large individuals with positive relative growth rates and small individuals with nearly zero growth rates. Even-aged plantations of Picea sitchensis demonstrate such disjunct growth rates, and mortality is confined to the smaller individuals4. Size distributions in naturally thinning populations of Abies balsamea and Prunus pensylvanica are also bimodal6. We have studied the distribution of seedling weight in even-aged stands of Festuca paradoxa, a native North American prairie grass7, and report here that although the distribution is bimodal, the bimodality is more striking at lower densities, where interference is less severe. This result is the reverse of that expected if the extent of bimodality were a direct indication of the magnitude of interference. Therefore, although bimodality may be an eventual outcome of interference, it cannot be used as a measure of the strength of interaction between individuals.
Comparative petrology of Archaean anorthosites in amphibolite and granulite facies terranes, SW Greenland

We report new field and petrographic observations, and mineral-chemical data, on the amphibolite-facies Buksefjorden and granulite-facies Nordland anorthosites, which occur in different tectonostratigraphic terranes within the Archaean gneiss complex of SW Greenland. The Buksefjorden body [from the Akulleq (middle) terrane] is dominated by plagioclase and Ca-amphibole, but shows widespread effects of retrograde hydration (epidote, chlorite). Most plagioclase compositions are in the An60–82 range, with the majority of samples showing average core compositions ∼An76, whereas rims or recrystallized margins are ∼An65. Most grains in the An70–82 range display optically visible Huttenlocher intergrowths. Amphiboles at Buksefjorden are mainly magnesio-hornblende with X Mg ranging from 0.70 to 0.45. The Nordland anorthosite [from the Akia (northern) terrane] is also dominated by plagioclase and Ca-amphibole, but contains additional clinopyroxene (∼Ca47Mg38Fe15) as well as minor orthopyroxene (∼En68), spinel and corundum. Plagioclase at Nordland shows an equilibrated, equigranular texture, consistent with prolonged slow cooling from high temperatures. Despite this textural equilibration, plagioclase at Nordland shows a striking range of compositions from An28 to An97, most of which is found in single thin sections. A distinctive feature is the presence of discrete anorthite (+ spinel ± corundum) domains in some samples. Although a number of explanations may apply, we consider these domains to result from prograde mass transfer reactions involving Ca-amphibole and plagioclase. Amphibole compositions at Nordland show similar X Mg to those at Buksefjorden, but are more aluminous, alkalic, and titanian. This shift to more pargasitic compositions is consistent with the contrasts in metamorphic grade between the two anorthosite bodies. At Buksefjorden, there is no correlation between the amount of modal Ca-amphibole and plagioclase composition, which would be expected if amphibole was produced solely through metamorphism. Our results suggest, alternatively, that the primary igneous mineralogy of these rocks may have been plagioclase (∼An76) + hornblende + pyroxene + magnetite. The primary mineralogy at Nordland is less certain, but it is noteworthy that no rocks contain anorthite of unambiguous igneous origin, in contrast to some other occurrences of Archaean anorthosites.
Analysis of expanded mixed methods for fourth‐order elliptic problems

The recently proposed expanded mixed formulation for numerical solution of second-order elliptic problems is here extended to fourth-order elliptic problems. This expanded formulation for the differential problems under consideration differs from the classical formulation in that three variables are treated, i.e., the displacement, the stress, and the moment tensors. It works for the case where the coefficient of the differential equations is small and does not need to be inverted, or for the case in which the stress tensor of the equations does not need to be symmetric. Based on this new formulation, various mixed finite elements for fourth-order problems are considered; error estimates of quasi-optimal or optimal order depending upon the mixed elements are derived. Implementation techniques for solving the linear system arising from these expanded mixed methods are discussed, and numerical results are presented. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 13: 483–503, 1997
Synthesis of compounds with properties of leukotrienes C4 and D4 in gerbil brains after ischemia and reperfusion

6-Sulfidopeptide-containing leukotriene-like immunoreactivity was synthesized in gerbil forebrains after bilateral common carotid occlusion and reperfusion. At 5, 10, or 15 minutes of ischemia, concentrations increased significantly and became more marked on reperfusion. Immunoreactivity was highest in forebrain gray matter and was below the detection limit of the assay in brain regions remote from the zone of ischemia. In vitro experiments with vascular cells and organ cultures of cerebral arteries indicate that the cerebral blood vessel wall is not a major source of biosynthetic activity in the brain. These experiments demonstrate leukotriene biosynthesis by the brain. Because synthesis occurs during ischemia and reperfusion and because leukotrienes are potent vasoconstrictors and promoters of tissue edema, they may play a role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia.
Abyssal water mass formation off the eastern Wilkes land cost of Antarctica

The area off the eastern Wilkes Land coast between 147 and 162°C has been investigated as a site for the formation of bottom and deep water using seven hydrographic sections obtained in the austral summer 1985. The sections showed that there was high salinity water near the freezing point upon the continental shelf in this region. The deeper shelf water was potentially more dense than the water off the shelf in this region, but a reversely sloping shelf and the Coriolis effect constrain this water from flowing off continuously. Since the sections are very similar to those found in the southern Weddell Sea, it is proposed that the same mechanisms that are probably responsible for shelf-break mixing and bottom water formation in the Weddell Sea also take place here. Most of the water on the shelf above the shelf-break sill depth, while not dense enough to form true bottom water, potentially could mix with the Warm Deep Water and interleave with water off the shelf at intermediate and near-bottom depths. Thus this region may contribute to what is commonly denoted as Antarctic Bottom Water as effectively on an areal basis as the shelf-break region of the Weddell Sea.
Effects of doping on the dynamic mechanical response of semiconductor cantilevers to electrostatic forces

The theory of electrostatic forces on doped semiconductor cantilevers, and their dynamic, mechanical response, is presented. Effects on constant, and time-varying, voltages between the cantilever and a mechanically fixed reference potential are studied. Surface changes are considered, since they can screen electrostatic forces significantly. The results show work function differences between the cantilever and the reference electrode must be included in calculating the mechanical response of semiconductor cantilevers to electrostatic forces. Surface charges, as long as their sheet densities are below 1011 cm-2, will not present especial difficulties for either analysis or behavior. Small-signal analysis of the mechanical response is complicated by both large-signal applied biases, giving rise to displacement currents, and penetration of the electric field into non-degenerate semiconductors.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evolving synchronous online graduate CS education

The authors have supported online distance education delivery of the Master of Science in Computer Science degree at George Mason University for the past decade. We have focused on simultaneous online and classroom delivery, using an open-source hybrid approach combining synchronous classroom capture with the popular Moodle learning management system. Our program has been challenged to change its mode of operation to survive administration plans for growing asynchronous distance education in our institution. We report here on results of our efforts in rising to this challenge: technology enhancements to reduce support requirements and student surveys to understand the best new directions for the program.