cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sample Spinning and Field Modulation Effects in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Sideband resonances have been observed in high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance experiments in which a cylindrical sample is rotated in a magnetic field with a linear gradient. It is shown that these sidebands arise in a manner similar to the sidebands observed when the magnetic field is modulated by an external source. The general question of time dependent local magnetic fields is considered and the effects of coherent fluctuations are compared with those of random fluctuations for several simple models.
327 THE RESULTS OF VARIOUS LUNG FUNCTION TESTS AMONG ATOPIC AND NON-ATOPIC ESTONIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN

Four-step methacholine provocation test (cumulative doses of methacholine, respectively 100, 300, 700 and 1100 μg), exercise challenge test and assessment of peak expiratory flow variability (four times daily for two weeks) were used in the cross-sectional study in order to reveal the prevalence of bronchial hyperreactivity among the Estonian schoolchildren. The study included 458 children from Tallinn (industrialized capital, situated on the cost) and 653 children from Tartu (inland, university town) aged 10-12 years. The prevalence of positive skin prick test was 13% in Tallinn and 8.3% in Tartu. Surprisingly the number of positive responses in the methacholine challenge tests was significantly higher in Tartu than in Tallinn (31% and 19% respectively). Similarily, decrease of FEV1, value more than 15% was observed in exercise challenge tests (18% and 6% respectively). There was a good correlation between the data obtained in the methacholine and exercise challenge tests (p=0.006). The findings show that other factors than sensitization to allergens are important for bronchial hyperreactivity.
Choice book reviews in American history, geography, and area studies: An analysis for 1988–1993

A random sampling of 375 book reviews published in Choice from 1988 to 1993 in American history, geography, and area studies was evaluated through a content analysis. The research investigated how frequently certain subjective evaluative criteria were applied by Choice reviewers. References to analysis, research or readability each appeared in approximately 50% of the reviews; references to editing, historical context, objectivity or thesis each appeared in less than 25% of the reviews. An average of 2.3 of these criteria appeared in a typical review. In addition, each review was coded for the overall opinion given a book by a reviewer. This study revealed that 76% of the books were favorably evaluated. Whereas the brief reviews in Choice are supported by some critical assessments, there are limits to the amount of subjective critical elements provided for library acquisitions professionals.
SAGE: An approach and implementation empowering quick and reliable quantitative analysis of segmentation quality

Finding the outline of an object in an image is a fundamental step in many vision-based applications. It is important to demonstrate that the segmentation found accurately represents the contour of the object in the image. The discrepancy measure model for segmentation analysis focuses on selecting an appropriate discrepancy measure to compute a score that indicates how similar a query segmentation is to a gold standard segmentation. Observing that the score depends on the gold standard segmentation, we propose a framework that expands this approach by introducing the consideration of how to establish the gold standard segmentation. The framework shows how to obtain project-specific performance indicators in a principled way that links annotation tools, fusion methods, and evaluation algorithms into a unified model we call SAGE. We also describe a freely available implementation of SAGE that enables quick segmentation validation against either a single annotation or a fused annotation. Finally, three studies are presented to highlight the impact of annotation tools, an-notators, and fusion methods on establishing trusted gold standard segmentations for cell and artery images.
A high-order adaptive time-stepping TVD solver for Boussinesq modeling of breaking waves and coastal inundation

We present a high-order adaptive time-stepping TVD solver for the fully nonlinear Boussinesq model of Chen (2006), extended to include moving reference level as in Kennedy et al. (2001). The equations are reorganized in order to facilitate high-order Runge–Kutta time-stepping and a TVD type scheme with a Riemann solver. Wave breaking is modeled by locally switching to the nonlinear shallow water equations when the Froude number exceeds a certain threshold. The moving shoreline boundary condition is implemented using the wetting–drying algorithm with the adjusted wave speed of the Riemann solver. The code is parallelized using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) with non-blocking communication. Model validations show good performance in modeling wave shoaling, breaking, wave runup and waveaveraged nearshore circulation.
Supporting online faculty through communities of practice: finding the faculty voice

Faculty development efforts for supporting online instructors represent a growing concern for higher education administrators. Providing online faculty with enriching experiences designed to improve practice, combat isolation, and share knowledge and resources is a challenge. This review examines the use of a community of practice (CoP) approach for online faculty support. The literature was reviewed with a focus on finding the faculty voice by extracting results from research studies on the use of professional development CoPs. Six themes of faculty perception of benefit emerged from the review and are discussed along with the pros and cons of three delivery methods for CoPs. The research supports the idea that collaborative faculty groups provide fertile ground for processing ideas and co-creating new knowledge, where productive conversations between eLearning faculty help improve teaching by identifying strengths, discussing challenges and finding solutions.
Social media and the introductory statistics course

Abstract The popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube begs the question of how such sites might be used for educational purposes within classroom settings. This paper presents a review of some of the educational uses of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube within college classrooms. Because of the lack of published reports on the use of social media within statistics classrooms, the authors share their own examples of how social media can be used within the introductory statistics classroom, and they outline recommendations and considerations for other instructors who might want to explore the use of social media in their own courses.
How to minimize sample sizes while preserving statistical power

As recently pointed out by Thomas & Juanes (1996), statistical power lies at the heart of decisions about how much data to collect. Sample sizes in animal behaviour research are routinely constrained by multiple considerations, including financial and effort costs plus the ethics surrounding use of animal subjects (McConway 1992; Still 1992; Johnsson 1996). Additionally, and on a purely pragmatic level, the cumulative value of increasing sample size often rises as a decelerating function, such that one can be more productive by leaving one research project or question and moving on to the next well before the first has reached its informational asymptote (a marginal value problem). Unfortunately, these perfectly good reasons for deciding that sample size X is ‘good enough’ are offset by the possibility that one may have failed to achieve a statistically significant result with sample size X. And sooner or later, if the effect size detected with sample size X is provocatively large, the question of statistical power emerges. For many behavioural studies, however, increased sample size is not the only solution to power problems. In the terminology of psychometricians, statistical power can be ‘controlled’ through reduced measurement error as well as increased sample size (Cleary & Linn 1969). Here we describe a preliminary exercise that we believe can help behavioural researchers sample more efficiently and improve their likelihood of rejecting the null hypothesis when it ‘deserves’ to be rejected (which is, after all, the crux of statistical power). We stumbled into this enterprise because we found ourselves embarking on a new project on avian parental care, and had virtually no idea at what times of day or how often we needed to observe the subjects. We looked to the literature for guidance, and found surprisingly
Erosion from Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms Grown under Physiologically Relevant Fluid Shear Forces Yields Bacterial Cells with Reduced Avidity to Collagen

An estimated 65% of infective diseases are associated with the presence of bacterial biofilms. Biofilm-issued planktonic cells promote blood-borne, secondary sites of infection by the inoculation of the infected sites with bacteria from the intravascular space. To investigate the potential role of early detachment events in initiating secondary infections, we studied the phenotypic attributes of Staphylococcus aureus planktonic cells eroding from biofilms with respect to expression of the collagen adhesin, CNA. The collagen-binding abilities of S. aureus have been correlated to the development of osteomyelitis and septic arthritis. In this study, we focused on the impact of CNA expression on S. aureus adhesion to immobilized collagen in vitro under physiologically relevant shear forces. In contrast to the growth phase-dependent adhesion properties characteristic of S. aureus cells grown in suspension, eroding planktonic cells expressed invariant and lower effective adhesion rates regardless of the age of the biofilm from which they originated. These results correlated directly with the surface expression level of CNA. However, subsequent analysis revealed no qualitative differences between biofilms initiated with suspension cells and secondary biofilms initiated with biofilm-shed planktonic cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that, despite their low levels of CNA expression, S. aureus planktonic cells shed from biofilms retain the capacity for metastatic spread and the initiation of secondary infection. These findings demonstrate the need for a better understanding of the phenotypic properties of eroding planktonic cells, which could lead to new therapeutic strategies to target secondary infections.
Rates of access to assistive equipment and medical rehabilitation services among people with disabilities.

Purpose: To determine rates of access to assistive equipment and medical rehabilitation services among people with disabilities in the US, and to determine whether health plan type is associated with rates of access to these health services. Methods: Results were derived from a nationwide US survey sample of people with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Analyses were restricted to working-age adults ( n =500). Need for, and receipt of (1) assistive equipment in the last 12 months, and (2) rehabilitative services in the last 3 months, was determined. Results: Over half of the sample indicated a need for assistive equipment in the last 12 months. Nearly a third of those who indicated a need did not receive assistive equipment every time it was needed. Forty per cent of the sample indicated a need for rehabilitative services in the last 3 months, and over half of those indicating a need did not receive rehabilitative services every time they were needed. Access rates did not differ ap...
Sex differences in WAIS-R item performance

Abstract Previous research (Turner & Willerman, 1977) has shown significant sex differences on some items of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), but there are no studies of sex differences on WAIS-R items. The main purpose of the present study was to identify WAIS-R items that show reliable sex differences and examine the relationship of gender content (whether the item makes references to males or females) to sex differences in performance. In a sample of 206 young adults (110 males, 96 females), 15 items showed significant sex differences, but there was no relationship of item specific-gender content to sex differences in item performance.
Effects of broiler litter and nitrogen fertilization on uptake of major nutrients by coastal bermudagrass

Land application of poultry litter provides essential nutrients for hybrid bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] production, but ammonia (NH3) volatilization and N mineralization influence the amount of litter N available for plant uptake. Our objective was to determine the combination of broiler litter and fertilizer N, which maximizes the yields of forage and N, P, and K by ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass. Studies were conducted for 3 yr (1999–2001) in pastures at Newton and Mize, MS that differed widely in soil test P (STP) due to history of litter application (0 vs. 301 yr, respectively.). Litter rates of 0, 4.5, 8.9, 13.4, and 17.9 Mg ha 21 were obtained by up to four monthly (April–July) applications of 4.5 Mg ha 21 and were supplemented with ammonium nitrate (NH4–NO3) to provide the same total N in each treatment. At Newton, combining litter with fertilizer N increased forage yield by 10% in 1999, 25% in 2000, and 34% in 2001, as compared to fertilizer N. At Mize, K uptake increased as litter rate increased in 2001 only. These responses to litter were related to increased soil P and K at Newton, and increased soil N, P, and Ca at Mize. Averaged across years, maximum P uptake of about 40 kg ha 21 was obtained by applying 8.9 Mg litter 1 134 kg N ha 21 at Newton and 4.5 Mg litter 1 202 kg N ha 21 at Mize. Safe and effective management of major plant nutrients in broiler litter may require the use of commercial N fertilizer.
Nanocrystalline Diamond for near Junction Heat Spreading in GaN Power HEMTs

Reduced performance in Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) as a result of self-heating has been well-documented. A new approach, termed "gate after diamond," is shown to improve the thermal budget of the deposition process and enable large-area diamond without degrading the gate metal. Nanocrystalline (NCD)-capped devices had 20% lower channel temperature at equivalent power dissipation. Improved electrical characteristics were observed, notably improved on-resistance and breakdown voltage, and reduced gate leakage. Further refinements to the NCD growth process have enabled deposition directly on the GaN surface. Pulsed I-V measurements indicate a comparable passivation effect to conventional SiNx-capped devices.
Radiochemical determination of the alpha half-life of 241Am

The alpha half-life of 241Am has been determined by the measurement of the specific activity of samples prepared from high-purity 241Am metal. Low-geometry alpha counting of 28 samples taken from solutions of the dissolved metal gave a specific activity of 7·541 × 106 α-dis/min μg, and a half life of 436·6±3·0 yr. A revised value for the beta half-life of 241Pu, the precursor of 241Am, was calculated to be 14·0±0·3 yr.
Direct observation of defects in A15 compounds produced by fast neutron irradiation

The nature of defect or defect complexes produced in superconducting compounds Nb/sub 3/Sn, Nb/sub 3/Pt, and V/sub 3/Si by high energy (E greater than or equal to 1 MeV) neutron irradiation is investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The newly developed technique of superlattice reflection imaging is used whereby the regions of reduced long range order are directly imaged. Unlike metals these regions were found in general not to collapse into dislocation loops. The size and the volume fraction of these disordered regions are obtained for fluences ranging from 10/sup 17/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/ to 3 x 10/sup 19/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/. The size ranges from 20A to 60A. Typical volume fraction for 10/sup 18/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/ is over 1%.
C-fos expression in vivo in human lymphocytes in response to stress

Abstract 1. 1. Blood samples from which lymphocytes were isolated were obtained from patients immediately prior to cardiac catheterization (stress period) and again four to five hours later (post-stress period). Blood was also taken from a normal non-stressed control subject. 2. 2. Lymphocyte c-fos mRNA was reverse transcribed followed by strand synthesis of DNA template and amplification using PCR with sequence-specific primers. 3. 3. C-fos mRNA was detectable in lymphocytes from the normal control subject and in patient samples obtained immediately prior to cardiac catheterization, but was not detectable in patient samples obtained four to five hours later. 4. 4. Possible mechanisms for these findings include a stress-related decrease in lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation or a negative feedback effect of the c-fos protein on transcription of the c-fos gene. 5. 5. These findings suggest that it may be possible to monitor peripheral early gene expression as a marker for a variety of conditions including stress, psychiatric disorders and the response to psychotropic drugs.
Discussion on the surface science of quasicrystals

This paper contains a short review of four aspects of the surface science of quasicrystals, together with a list of challenges for the scientific community in the near future. The first issue concerns the ability of surface science to shed light on bulk atomic structure. The second is the use of surfaces as quasiperiodic templates, particularly for films of periodic metals. Here, enforcing quasiperiodicity in the film may lead to unusual magnetic, tribological or adsorption properties. The third aspect concerns the effects of surface phasons and phonons on dynamical interactions with adsorbates, such as sticking coefficient, as well as on diffusion between the surface and near-surface region. The final area is tribology, where studies of quasicrystals have suggested that both adhesion and phononic friction may be important.
Put a RING on it: regulation and inhibition of RNF8 and RNF168 RING finger E3 ligases at DNA damage sites

RING (Really Interesting New Gene) domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligases comprise a large family of enzymes that in combination with an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, modify target proteins by attaching ubiquitin moieties. A number of RING E3s play an essential role in the cellular response to DNA damage highlighting a crucial contribution for ubiquitin-mediated signaling to the genome surveillance pathway. Among the RING E3s, RNF8 and RNF168 play a critical role in the response to double stranded breaks, one of the most deleterious types of DNA damage. These proteins act as positive regulators of the signaling cascade that initiates at DNA lesions. Inactivation of these enzymes is sufficient to severely impair the ability of cells to respond to DNA damage. Given their central role in the pathway, several layers of regulation act at this nodal signaling point. Here we will summarize current knowledge on the roles of RNF8 and RNF168 in maintaining genome integrity with particular emphasis on recent insights into the multiple layers of regulation that act on these enzymes to fine-tune the cellular response to DNA lesions.
A new approach to the heat equation — An application of the decomposition method

Abstract The author's “decomposition method,” (Adomian, “Stochastic Systems,” Academic Press, New York 1983; “Nonlinear Stochastic Operator Equations,” Academic Press, New York, in press; Bellman and Adomian, “Partial Differential Equations—Methods for Their Treatment and Solution, ” Reidel, Dordrecht, 1984; Adomian, J. Comput. Appl. Math.2 (1984) , 225–230) shown elsewhere to provide computable, accurate, approximate convergent solutions to nonlinear stochastic operator equations, is applied to the heat equation.
Solving the cocktail party problem.

The article discusses advances in automated speech recognition technology that would allow computers to separate two streams of words being spoken at once. According to the author, computerized speech separation could improve speech recognition systems, in addition to, advancing endeavors that require the separation of signals, such as understanding brain-scan images. Topics include an overview of the "cocktail party problem," which is the ability to pick a thread of speech from the conversation of two or more individuals and the challenges of creating a computer that can separate two streams of words being spoken at once.
Functional analysis of reverse transcription by a frameshift pol mutant of murine leukemia virus

Abstract Endogenous reverse transcription by wild-type murine leukemia virus (MuLV) was compared to that catalyzed by clone 23, a pol mutant containing a reverse transcriptase protein which lacks the carboxyl-terminal third of the molecule ( J. G. Levin, S. C. Hu, A. Rein, L. I. Messer, and B. I. Gerwin (1984) , J. Virol. 51 , 470–478). Competition immunoassays revealed that mutant virions contain normal amounts of polymerase protein, indicating that the lack of carboxyl-terminal sequences does not alter normal processing of enzyme precursors. Although the mutant enzyme was previously shown to have the ability to copy and degrade RNA:DNA hybrids, the present study demonstrates that it is defective in functions required to generate full-length copies of viral DNA. Analysis of products of endogenous reverse transcription showed that minus-strand strong-stop DNA is formed and that mutant virions synthesize a series of minus-strand DNA intermediates up to 2.2 kb in length. Comparison of mutant and wild-type MuLV reaction products indicated that the 2.2-kb termination site of the mutant corresponds to a normal pausing region for the wild-type enzyme. Computer analysis of sequences and structure within pausing regions suggested the involvement of C-rich consensus sequences plus multibranch loop structures in the general phenomenon of enzyme-pausing during reverse transcription.
On the modeling of pedestrian motion

Abstract A model for the simulation of pedestrian flows and crowd dynamics has been developed. The model is based on a series of forces, such as: will forces (the desire to reach a place at a certain time), pedestrian collision avoidance forces, obstacle/wall avoidance forces; pedestrian contact forces, and obstacle/wall contact forces. Except for the will force, it is assumed that for any given pedestrian these forces are the result of only local (nearest neighbour) situations. The near-neighbour search problem is solved by an efficient incremental Delaunay triangulation that is updated at every timestep. In order to allow for general geometries a so-called background triangulation is used to carry all geographic information. At any given time the location of any given pedestrian is updated on this mesh. The results obtained to date show that the model performs well for standard benchmarks, and allows for typical crowd dynamics, such as lane forming, overtaking, avoidance of obstacles and panic behaviour.
Paths to the future for science and technology in China, India and the United States

Abstract China and India are frequently referred to as emerging superpowers. First, we present evidence that by virtue of their economic strength, their ability to absorb and adapt to repeated foreign intrusions, and their cultural reach, both countries should be more properly regarded as re-emerging superpowers. They qualified for that status even when the Roman Empire was at its peak, and continued to qualify until well into the seventeenth century. It was only with increasing intrusions by Europeans and, to a lesser extent Americans, from that time until well into the twentieth century, that their status began to be undermined. A series of short vignettes describing political, economic, and scientific milestones for China, India, and the United States illustrates the domestic evolution of the three countries since the middle of the twentieth century and the relationships among them. Then we present highlights in the development of science and higher education: in China and India, from their first contacts with modern science to the present; and in the United States, from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to the present. These highlights are followed by a short comparison of research and development expenditures in 1991 (the first year in which relatively complete, reliable data are available for China and India), and a brief explanation of their government science policy structures. We offer two “snapshots”—the first from 1995, the second from 2004—that provide detailed data on R&D investments and human resources in the three countries for those years. We conclude by speculating on the future status of China, India, and the United States during the next half century. Will they continue to be superpowers? In what ways are their science policies likely to enable their superpower status? Will their status as superpowers provide the means to further strengthen their science and technology systems and lead to economic and military outputs of wide-ranging global significance?
The effects of a cold-water immersion stressor on the reinforcing and subjective effects of fentanyl in healthy volunteers

The reinforcing and subjective effects of fentanyl, an opioid analgesic, were tested in ten healthy volunteers without histories of drug abuse, as a function of the temperature of a water bath in which the volunteers' forearms were immersed. The temperatures were body-temperature (37 degrees C), moderately cold (10 degrees C), and very cold (2 degrees C). A discrete-trial choice procedure was used in which, in each session, volunteers sampled 50 micrograms of fentanyl (delivered as a bolus via an infusion pump) and saline, and then on three successive trials, chose between the two. Volunteers then had to immerse their non-dominant forearm in the water bath 5 min after a drug delivery. Fentanyl was chosen on 77% of choice occasions in the 10 degrees C and 2 degrees C water conditions, which was significantly different from chance levels, and on 60% of choice occasions in the 37 degrees C water condition, which did not differ from chance levels. Several subjective effects of fentanyl were also modulated by the temperature of the water bath. We conclude that in the context of a painful stimulus, 50 micrograms of fentanyl functions as a reinforcer in non-drug abusers.
Rotation of Hyperion. I - Observations

Precise and well sampled observations of Hyperion over a long period of time have been performed to test the prediction of Wisdom et al. (1984) that the satellite is in a state of chaotic rotation. CCD data for a 13-week period were obtained in Chile and in Arizona. A phase-dispersion-minimization analysis of the light curve indicates that Hyperion is not in a periodic rotational state, thus suggesting that it is chaotic.
A prognostic model for assessment of the outcome of endodontic treatment: Effect of biologic and diagnostic variables

Objective: Many biological variables, endodontic treatment factors, and restorative considerations have been suggested in the literature to affect the outcome of endodontic treatment. However, few attempts have been made recently to study these variables further. The purpose of this study was to identify the biologic and endodontic treatment-associated variables that are most predictive of treatment outcome for conventional endodontic therapy and to determine the magnitude of risk these variables pose on the outcome. Study Design: The population of this historical prospective cohort study comprised a total of 200 teeth with 441 root canals. Diagnostic and treatment information was abstracted from the original patient records. An endodontic follow-up examination was conducted 4 ± 0.5 years after obturation. Each tooth/root was analyzed according to 3 indices of periradicular status at 2 time points. The main outcome measure was the presence of apical periodontitis. The criteria used for evaluation of the outcome were modified from Strindberg. Data were subjected to univariate and multivariate analysis. Logistic regression models were fit by using various clinical measures to determine which combination of biologic and treatment-associated factors best predicted treatment outcome. Results: The preoperative pulp diagnosis, the periapical diagnosis, the preoperative periapical radiolucency size, and the sex of the patients were revealed, by means of univariate analysis, to exert a significant influence on endodontic treatment outcome (P < .05). In the logistic regression model, the strongest effect on postoperative healing was the presence and magnitude of preoperative apical periodontitis. In the presence of this variable, no other factor contributed value to the prediction. The correct prediction of this model was 74.7% (P < .05). Conclusion: The major biologic factors influencing the outcome of endodontic treatment appear to be the extent of microbiological insult to the pulp and periapical tissue, as reflected by the periapical diagnosis and the magnitude of periapical pathosis.(Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2001;91:342-52)
Clinically relevant genetic biomarkers from the brain in alcoholism with representation on high resolution chromosome ideograms.

Abstract Objective Alcoholism arises from combined effects of multiple biological factors including genetic and non-genetic causes with gene/environmental interaction. Intensive research and advanced genetic technology has generated a long list of genes and biomarkers involved in alcoholism neuropathology. These markers reflect complex overlapping and competing effects of possibly hundreds of genes which impact brain structure, function, biochemical alcohol processing, sensitivity and risk for dependence. Method We compiled a tabular list of clinically relevant genetic biomarkers for alcoholism targeting expression disturbances in the human brain through an extensive search of keywords related to alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and genetics from peer reviewed medical research articles and related nationally sponsored websites. Gene symbols were then placed on high resolution human chromosome ideograms with gene descriptions in tabular form. Results We identified 337 clinically relevant genetic biomarkers and candidate genes for alcoholism and alcohol-responsiveness from human brain research. Genetic biomarkers included neurotransmitter pathways associated with brain reward processes for dopaminergic (e.g., DRD2 , MAOA , and COMT ), serotoninergic (e.g., HTR3A , HTR1B , HTR3B , and SLC6A4 ), GABAergic (e.g., GABRA1 , GABRA2 , and GABRG1 ), glutaminergic ( GAD1 , GRIK3 , and GRIN2C ) and opioid (e.g., OPRM1 , OPRD1 , and OPRK1 ) pathways which presumably impact reinforcing properties of alcohol. Gene level disturbances in cellular and molecular networks impacted by alcohol and alcoholism pathology include transketolase (TKT), transferrin (TF), and myelin (e.g., MBP, MOBP, and MOG). Conclusions High resolution chromosome ideograms provide investigators, physicians, geneticists and counselors a convenient visual image of the distribution of alcoholism genetic biomarkers from brain research with alphabetical listing of genes in tabular form allowing comparison between alcoholism-related phenotypes, and clinically-relevant alcoholism gene(s) at the chromosome band level to guide research, diagnosis, and treatment. Chromosome ideograms may facilitate gene-based personalized counseling of alcohol dependent individuals and their families.
Tracer exchange between tropics and middle latitudes

The interaction between the tropics and middle latitudes is studied using a tracer emitted at 50 hPa along a great circle route between Los Angeles, USA and Sydney, Australia. Though designed to examine the impact of stratospheric aircraft, the study more generally addresses the transport between tropics and middle latitudes for a three month period from January through March 1989. The results show that air is transported from the tropics to middle latitudes by planetary scale and tropospheric cyclonic scale waves. Except for intrusions by these wave events, the tropics are substantially isolated throughout the lower stratosphere. These waves draw material out of the tropics which ends up in the middle latitude westerly jets, with little material entering the winter polar latitudes prior to the springtime transition. The summer Southern Hemisphere is characterized by tracer being drawn out in streamers that extend from north and west to south and east. The material in the tropics is zonally asymmetric. The material that reaches the troposphere comes down in the synoptic scale eddies and is concentrated in the middle latitude jet stream. These characteristics are similar to those observed during the dispersion of volcanic clouds.
Library Outreach Positions: From Planning to Practice

East Tennessee State University has a diverse student population of approximately 12,500 students. Recent statistics have indicated that the student body is bypassing the physical library building, including reference services, and connecting to online sources from off campus. With only six public service librarians whose duties include interlibrary loan, instruction, and other key library functions, librarians are limited in their ability to provide outreach to those students who might never enter the library. In this article, the authors describe the decision process in developing outreach librarian positions for the graduate programs librarian and the undergraduate student services librarian and discuss the specific services that these librarians provide to students.
EPISO and political empowerment: Organizational politics in a Border City

The purpose of this article is to examine the political activities, strategies, tactics, and public policy initiatives of the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization (EPISO). This preliminary analysis is done in light of demographic/geographic, structural/functional, socioeconomic, political, and historical factors that exist in El Paso. These include: (1) an urban and border community with a heavy Chicano population; (2) a community that is politically and economically dominated by non-Hispanics (Martinez 1980); (3) an urban community where the bulk of the Chicano community is economically poor with high unemployment rates; (4) a community that contains a sizeable portion of Mexican population that is neither naturalized nor documented; (5) a community characterized by a relatively high level of social stratification along ethnic lines; (6) a community that, because of its social stratification, is geographically divided (Goodman and Rivera 1980); (7) a community which, historically, has been relatively unsuccessful at political coalitions; (8) a community where cultural differences are a way of life and inter-ethnic identities remain a critical issue; and (9) a border community where the organizational efforts by Hispanic political elites, to empower the Latino community, have had limited success against the powerful influence of the community's Anglo business sector. The uniqueness of this city is pronounced and no one understands it better than its community of citizens and its leadership. Methodologically, the paper is based on descriptive and exploratory research, e.g., this information will subsequently be used to formulate a set of hypotheses. The eclectic effort to collect data, however, has provided a number of avenues to evaluate the topic at hand. The sources include participant observations for the past six years, interviews with leaders from EPISO, as well as other leaders from the community, newspaper accounts of EPISO's political activities, literary accounts of El Paso politics, and politically active participantion in community affairs.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Facial Affect Recognition in Children and Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective To examine further the role of the amygdala in the recognition of facial expression in adolescents. Method Twelve healthy adolescents were studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology during a task of facial affect recognition and a visual control task. Results All subjects demonstrated a significant increase in signal intensity in the amygdala for the facial expression recognition task. Conclusions The data are consistent with previous work in healthy adult subjects implicating the amygdala as essential for the recognition of fearful facial expression.
Re-entry heat conduction of a finite slab with a nonconstant thermal conductivity

For a single flat isotropic plate, the flutter boundary as determined from a two-term Galerkin solution is a linear function of the midplane load in the streamwise direction Because of the coupling of the motions of the two plates, however, the configuration analyzed herein exhibits entirely different boundaries Peaks and valleys occur in the boundaries because the system can be tuned by means of the midplane loads Figures 2-4 present flutter boundaries (Xcr vs Rx) for square plates having various combinations of midplane loads and a spring parameter of S = 20 At the present time realistic values of S are not clearly defined; the value chosen (S = 20) might be typical of a configuration with a very soft filler material The flutter boundary for a single flat plate with the same physical properties as either the upper or the lower plate considered in the present analysis is also shown in each of the figures (see Ref 1) Figure 2 is a plot of the boundary for the configuration when there is no load in the lower plate This boundary becomes asymptotic to the single plate boundary for large negative values of RX} i e , large midplane tension, as do all of the boundaries considered herein Figure 3 is a plot of the boundary when the midplane loads are the same in each plate Here the tuning effect can be very significant since it is possible to have a zero flutter speed with a tensile load, and a peak exists which is much higher than the corresponding value for the single plate Figure 4 is a plot of the boundary when there is no load in the upper plate This case is perhaps the most realistic combination of loading if the configuration is considered to be a micrometeoroid protection device This boundary has characteristics very similar to the boundary in Fig 2 except that here the tuning effect is more prevalent In particular, for streamwise tension, a condition that can be expected from bending loads on a space vehicle during launch, the elastically supported plate is more prone to flutter than the single plate alone The intense temperatui es at the surface of a space vehicle may, in some instances, alter the thermal conductivity of the layers of the skin below the surface This analysis presents, as a first approximation to the problem, a closed-form solution for the case of a thermal conductivity that varies linearly with distance below the surface A convective heat input at the surface which is exponential in time is assumed The results should apply for the initial phases of entry in which the entry velocity and angle are nearly constant
Crosslinking of proteins in acetylcholine receptor-rich membranes: Association between the β-subunit and the 43 kd subsynaptic protein

Abstract Acetylcholine receptor-rich membranes from the electric organ of Torpedo californica are enriched in the four subunits (α, β, γ, δ) of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and for polypeptides at 43 kd and 270 kd. Reacton of these membranes with 3 H-N-ethylmaleimide ( 3 H-NEM) demonstrates that most of the available free sulfhydryls reside on the 43 kd protein. Cross-linking reagents that contain NEM as one reactive group, and N-hydroxysuccinimide as the other, were used to study the topography of the 43 kd protein in AChR-rich membranes. Proteins from cross-linked membranes were resolved by SDS-PAGE and the composition of crosslinked products was determined by Western blots and monoclonal antibodies. A crosslinked product at 110 kd was labeled by a monoclonal antibody to the β-subunit and by a monoclonal antibody to the 43 kd protein, but not by monoclonal antibodies to the α, γ, or δ subunits. The 110 kd crosslink was not produced in the presence of 10 mM lithium diiodosalicylate, which dissociates the 43 kd protein from the membrane. Thus the 43 kd protein is intimately associated with the AChR and in close proximity to the β-subunit.
Real-time spectral domain Doppler optical coherence tomography and investigation of human retinal vessel autoregulation

Investigation of the autoregulatory mechanism of human retinal perfusion is conducted with a real-time spectral domain Doppler optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) system. Volumetric, time-sequential, and Doppler flow imaging are performed in the inferior arcade region on normal healthy subjects breathing normal room air and 100% oxygen. The real-time Doppler SDOCT system displays fully processed, high-resolution [512 (axial)×1000 (lateral) pixels] B scans at 17 frames/sec in volumetric and time-sequential imaging modes, and also displays fully processed overlaid color Doppler flow images comprising 512 (axial)×500 (lateral) pixels at 6 frames/sec. Data acquired following 5 min of 100% oxygen inhalation is compared with that acquired 5 min postinhalation for four healthy subjects. The average vessel constriction across the population is −16±26% after oxygen inhalation with a dilation of 36±54% after a return to room air. The flow decreases by −6±20% in response to oxygen and in turn increases by 21±28% as flow returns to normal in response to room air. These trends are in agreement with those previously reported using laser Doppler velocimetry to study retinal vessel autoregulation. Doppler flow repeatability data are presented to address the high standard deviations in the measurements.
The tympanic membrane: Highly developed smooth muscle arrays in the annulus fibrosus of mustached bats

The annulus fibrosus tympanicus is the thickened peripheral rim of the pars tensa of the tympanic membrane. It is an area into which the connective tissue matrix of the membrane extends to attach to the tympanic bone (ring). Light microscopy, SEM, TEM and confocal microscopy were used to study the area in mustached bats Pteronotus p. parnellii,P. p. portoricensis and P. quadridens. In cross sections of the annulus morphologically distinct apical and basal or myovascular zones could be recognized. The apical zone had a collagenous matrix that was continuous with the pars tensa. The myovascular zone contained an extensive network of thin-walled endothelial tubes and a well-developed array of radially arranged smooth muscle cells that filled the interval between the vessels. The muscle tissue occupied the interval between the densely collagenous “apical zone” and the bony tympanic ring and was closely associated with bundles of unmyelinated nerve fibers. The structure and arrangement of the tissue suggests a highly developed specialization for the tonic control of tension of the pars tensa and a system that potentially regulates sound transmission to the middle and inner ear.
Brain–computer interface (BCI) operation: optimizing information transfer rates

People can learn to control mu (8-12 Hz) or beta (18-25 Hz) rhythm amplitude in the EEG recorded over sensorimotor cortex and use it to move a cursor to a target on a video screen. In the present version of the cursor movement task, vertical cursor movement is a linear function of mu or beta rhythm amplitude. At the same time the cursor moves horizontally from left to right at a fixed rate. A target occupies 50% (2-target task) to 20% (5-target task) of the right edge of the screen. The user's task is to move the cursor vertically so that it hits the target when it reaches the right edge. The goal of the present study was to optimize system performance. To accomplish this, we evaluated the impact on system performance of number of targets (i.e. 2-5) and trial duration (i.e. horizontal movement time from 1 to 4 s). Performance was measured as accuracy (percent of targets selected correctly) and also as bit rate (bits/min) (which incorporates, in addition to accuracy, speed and the number of possible targets). Accuracy declined as target number increased. At the same time, for six of eight users, four targets yielded the maximum bit rate. Accuracy increased as movement time increased. At the same time, the movement time with the highest bit rate varied across users from 2 to 4 s. These results indicate that task parameters such as target number and trial duration can markedly affect system performance. They also indicate that optimal parameter values vary across users. Selection of parameters suited both to the specific user and the requirements of the specific application is likely to be a key factor in maximizing the success of EEG-based communication and control.
Heritability and Genotype × Environment Interactions for Discolored Rice Kernels

Discolored kernels are but one component of rice (Oryza saliva L.) quality that requires attention by rice breeders. Discolored kernels are most often caused by damage from rice stink bugs [Oebalus pugnax (Fabricius)] and kernel smut disease (Tilletia barclayana Bref.), but other pathogens and physiological disorders can also contribute to kernel discoloration. Our objective was to further understand the inheritance and genotype x environment (GE) interactions for discolored rice kernels to improve rice kernel quality characteristics. Thirty-seven genotypes, representing southern U.S. rice germplasm, were evaluated for susceptibility to all causes of discolored kernels in field tests conducted during 1993 and 1994 at three Arkansas locations: Stuttgart, Tupelo, and Rohwer. Traits were inherited quantitatively, with single-plot heritability values of 0.07, 0.18, and 0.33 for rice stink bug damage, kernel smut, and other discolorations, respectively. The GE interactions were significant for all traits. Closer inspection of the GE interaction revealed that the causes were primarily related to magnitude changes but also included genotype rank changes. The bias of GE interaction during selection could be reduced by multi-year and multi-location testing. Phenotypic correlations among traits were low, indicating that selection for lower levels of one trait would not adversely raise the levels of another trait. Cultivars, such as Katy, Kaybonnet, and Drew, were identified as having stable, low susceptibility to rice stink bug damage, kernel smut, and other discolorations. Although breeding for improved kernel quality traits will have certain difficulties because of low heritability, the availability of good germplasm and a proper screening program should minimize this problem.
2 × 2 quantum dot based switching device employing multimode interference effects

An integrated 2 x 2 multimode interference switching device was fabricated with InAs/In0.15Ga0.85As quantum dots as the active medium. The device, when probed with a 1.31 μm wavelength laser beam, showed similar responses for TE and TM polarization with initial power splitting ratios of 1:29 (TE) and 1:52 (TM) that were continuously adjustable to 49:1 (TE) and 38:1 (TM) when a change in current of 24 mA was applied through one of the electrodes. This is equivalent to achieving channel-to-channel crosstalk values of better than -15 dB for both polarizations. A 50:50 split ratio was reached at a current of 17 mA. We also present the preliminary results from an integrated variable power splitter that is based on a half-length multimode interference structure.
Electronic windows: A follow-up note

method of increasing speed is not possible. a 311 comparator is suggested. Although it is more expensive than standard 301 or 741 operational amplifiers. it can be operated from logic power supplies. it is relatively fast (200 nsec). has a low threshold uncertainty (400 JAY). and is easily interfaced to logic. Figure 3 shows a 311 connected for TTL compatibility. with 5 mY of hvsterisis to compensate for slowly varying input signals. NOTES
THE ROLE OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC AND GROWTH HORMONE ON GLUCOCORTICOID SECRETION IN HYPOPITUITARY (HP) PATIENTS

THE ROLE OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC AND GROWTH HORMONE ON GLUCOCORTICOID SECRETION IN HYPOPITUITARY (HP) PATIENTS