cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The response of systems with exponential distributions of activation energies for two classes of material temperature behavior

Methods for calculating the small-signal ac frequency and temperature responses of thermally activated materials arising from the presence of a distribution of transition rates are discussed. The specific case of a double-exponential distribution of activation energies (DEDAE), of great importance as a data-analysis model, is discussed in detail for distributed dielectric and intrinsically conducting materials, and important differences in the proper analyses of these systems are particularly emphasized. For both dielectric and conducting distributed systems, two different and important types of temperature response are described and related to earlier work. Model calculations are presented to illustrate frequency and temperature response possibilities for such thermally activated, distributed systems. Various errors in earlier work are corrected, particularly the near-universal identification of theoretical slope parameters appearing in the analysis of exponentially distributed systems with actual measured slopes and power-law exponents. The quite different experimental temperature dependences of the power-law exponents of many dielectric and conductive materials agree qualitatively and often quantitatively with the predictions of the DEDAE response model. Finally, the behavior is briefly discussed of systems which can exhibit wide-range dispersive results simultaneously in both their conductive and dielectric responses.
Channel Regularization and Vector Perturbation for Dual-Hop Precoded AF Relaying in Downlink Transmission

In this paper, we investigate the channel regularization and vector perturbation techniques at the source and linear precoding at the relay to enhance the performance of a dual-hop amplify and-forward (AF) relay downlink system. At first, an optimal regularized channel inversion scheme via regularization parameter is proposed. The joint channel regularization and linear precoder design at the relay is then investigated using the mean-square-error (MSE) criterion. Since dealing directly with such a criterion is quite involved, we propose a simple iterative solution. Our simulation results show that the proposed solution significantly outperforms the conventional channel inversion method. To further improve the performance of the regularization scheme, we further incorporate vector perturbation into channel regularization using a sphere encoder at the source. Numerical results show that the bit-error-rate (BER) performance of the regularized perturbation technique outperforms other well-known precoder designs in dual-hop AF relay downlink systems.
Efficient Evaluation of Nonlocal Pseudopotentials via Euler Exponential Spline Interpolation

An Euler exponential spline (EES) based formalism is employed to derive new expressions for the electron-atom nonlocal pseudopotential interaction (NL) in electronic structure calculations performed using a plane wave basis set that can be computed more rapidly than standard techniques. Two methods, one that is evaluated by switching between real and reciprocal space via fast Fourier transforms, and another that is evaluated completely in real space, are described. The reciprocal-space or g-space-based technique, NLEES-G, scales as NMlogM approximately N2logN, where N is the number of electronic orbitals and M is the number of plane waves. The real-space based technique, NLEES-R, scales as N2. The latter can potentially be used within a maximally spatially localized orbital method to yield linear scaling, while the former could be employed within a maximally delocalized orbital method to yield NlogN scaling. This behavior is to be contrasted with standard techniques, which scale as N3. The two new approaches are validated using several examples, including solid silicon and liquid water, and demonstrated to be improvements on other, reduced-order nonlocal techniques. Indeed, the new methods have a low overhead and become more efficient than the standard technique for systems with roughly 20 or more atoms. Both NLEES methods are shown to work stably and efficiently within the Car-Parrinello ab initio molecular dynamics framework, owing to the existence of p-2 continuous derivatives of a pth-order spline.
Indium Microrod Tags for Electrochemical Detection of DNA Hybridization

The preparation and advantages of indium microrod tracers for solid-state electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization are described. The cylindrical metal particles were prepared by a template-directed electrochemical synthetic route involving plating of indium into the pores of a host membrane. The linear relationship between the charge passed during the preparation and the resulting particle size allows tailoring of the sensitivity of the electrical DNA assay. The resulting micrometer-long rods thus offer a greatly lower detection limit (250 zmol), as compared to common bioassays' spherical nanoparticle tags. Indium offers a very attractive electrochemical stripping behavior and is not normally present in biological samples or reagents. Solid-state derivative-chronopotentiometric measurements of the indium tracer have been realized through a “magnetic” collection of the DNA-linked particle assembly onto a thick-film electrode transducer. Factors affecting the performance, including the preparation of...
Practical Synthesis of a Vanilloid Receptor-1 Antagonist

Small molecule TRPV1 antagonists have been a recent focus in the search for pain treatment agents. We herein describe a practical and scalable synthesis of AMG 628 (1), a bis-substituted pyrimidine derivative that was identified as a highly efficacious agent, suitable for clinical development. Highlights of our approach include a practical route to a substituted benzothiazole, a scalable synthesis of an enantiopure piperazine fragment, and identification of conditions for selective coupling reactions on 2,6-dichloropyrimidine, to access the active pharmaceutical ingredient in high purity and overall yield.
Antitrust Issues in the Food Industries

The United States is unique among countries of the world for its strong reliance on antitrust as its main public policy vehicle for regulating business. In the U.S. economy, the market is extant over almost 90% of the production of goods and services, while direct government regulation encompasses a little more than a tenth (Sherer, p. 519). Aside from government regulations to protect the environment, worker safety, and a number of other aspects of company conduct, the free market sector is essentially self-regulating with the government acting only infrequently and very selectively as a policeman to ensure that fair and open competition prevails. The history of antitrust has been mostly one of public indifference. However, the last five years, and especially this election year, have seen at least a minor ground swell of interest develop. This interest reflects frustration over the prolonged period during which the economy has experienced simultaneously high inflation and high unemployment rates. In 1971, the perceived failure of markets to operate without uncontrollable inflation and high employment saw the Congress and the most laissez faire national administration in two generations of American politics opt for a rigid system of price controls. The vestiges of that system lasted until April 1974. Abhorrence of regulation by the administration together with the unsure success of its price control program saw a major increase in the rhetoric supporting strong antitrust enforcement to make markets more competitive and self-regulating. The wave of food price increases that began in 1972 caused food to be a focal point of the public concern. Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice responded to the concern by increasing dramatically the amount of their resources spent on investigations involving food processing and retailing companies. In 1975, the FTC spent about a fifth of its total antitrust resources in the area. Because of this high level of activity, it is particularly appropriate that the American Agricultural Economics Association should consider the antitrust policy in agriculture. I discuss antitrust issues relating to the food marketing industries. In so doing, I limit myself to economic issues even though many people would argue, and correctly so, that the antitrust laws are deeply rooted in social philosophy. In limiting the discussion to antitrust issues relating to competitive efficiency, I focus on the potential competitive problems identified in the economic literature describing the structure and performance trends in the food manufacturing industries and food retailing industry and on the group of issues that are perceived by antitrust agencies in their enforcement activities. The latter differ from the former because of operational limitations imposed on the agencies by the antitrust statutes and court interpretations and by the attitudes and philosophies of agency administrators and staff.
Large-scale decomposition for successive quadratic programming

Abstract Successive quadratic programming (SQP) has emerged as the algorithm of choice for solving moderately-sized nonlinear process optimization problems. However, as the nonlinear programming problem becomes large (over 100 variables, say) storage requirements for the Hessian matrix and the computational expense of solving large quadratic programs can become prohibitive. To overcome this problem, Westerberg and coworkers proposed two SQP decomposition strategies in 1980 and 1983. The first strategy overcomes this problem but is difficult to implement, while the second has been observed to give inconsistent results. The strategy in this paper uses range and null space projections to develop a decomposition algorithm that is both easy to implement and performs as well as the full SQP algorithm on small problems. This range and null space decomposition (RND) allows for sparse implementations and thus solves large problems easily and reliably. Theoretical development of the RND method is presented as well as a geometric interpretation of this approach compared to others. Finally, a thorough numerical comparison of SQP strategies is presented on a battery of nonlinear programming and process optimization test problems.
Role of the second coordination sphere residue tyrosine 179 in substrate affinity and catalytic activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase

Phenylalanine hydroxylase converts phenylalanine to tyrosine utilizing molecular oxygen and tetrahydropterin as a cofactor, and belongs to the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases family. The catalytic domains of these enzymes are structurally similar. According to recent crystallographic studies, residue Tyr179 in Chromobacterium violaceum phenylalanine hydroxylase is located in the active site and its hydroxyl oxygen is 5.1 A from the iron, where it has been suggested to play a role in positioning the pterin cofactor. To determine the catalytic role of this residue, the point mutants Y179F and Y179A of phenylalanine hydroxylase were prepared and characterized. Both mutants displayed comparable stability and metal binding to the native enzyme, as determined by their melting temperatures in the presence and absence of iron. The catalytic activity (k cat) of the Y179F and Y179A proteins was lower than wild-type phenylalanine hydroxylase by an order of magnitude, suggesting that the hydroxyl group of Tyr179 plays a role in the rate-determining step in catalysis. The K M values for different tetrahydropterin cofactors and phenylalanine were decreased by a factor of 3–4 in the Y179F mutant. However, the K M values for different pterin cofactors were slightly higher in the Y179A mutant than those measured for the wild-type enzyme, and, more significantly, the K M value for phenylalanine was increased by 10-fold in the Y179A mutant. By the criterion of k cat/K Phe, the Y179F and Y179A mutants display 10% and 1%, respectively, of the activity of wild-type phenylalanine hydroxylase. These results are consistent with Tyr179 having a pronounced role in binding phenylalanine but a secondary effect in the formation of the hydroxylating species. In conjunction with recent crystallographic analyses of a ternary complex of phenylalanine hydroxylase, the reported findings establish that Tyr179 is essential in maintaining the catalytic integrity and phenylalanine binding of the enzyme via indirect interactions with the substrate, phenylalanine. A model that accounts for the role of Tyr179 in binding phenylalanine is proposed.
The Use of Obstetrical Procedures in the Care of Low-risk Women

Data from birth certificates were used to examine the pattern of obstetrical procedures used in the care of a sample of low- risk women. The data suggests that hospitals ,with greater technological capabilities and more specialized medical manpower have a greater tendency to use the obstetrical procedures of cesarean section, forceps delivery and drug induced labor. However, the utilization rates of these procedures also varied considerably be- tween hospitals with comparable technology and medical staffs.
Effects of papaverine on basal and on isoproterenol-stimulated renin secretion from rat kidney slices

Abstract Papaverine inhibited the basal renin secretion of rat kidney slices incubated in a physiological salt solution at 37°C. Inhibition was concentration-dependent; secretion was 99 ± 0.2 % inhibited by 5 × 10 −4 M papaverine, and 8 × 10 −5 M was the estimated ED 50 . In contrast, 2 × 10 −4 M IBMx (3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine) increased the rate of secretion from 215 ± 17 to 366 ± 30 ng hr −1 mg −1 /20 min (p −7 , 8 × 10 −7 , and 5 × 10 −6 M) stimulated renin secretion in a concentration-dependent manner; the stimulatory effects were antagonized by papaverine but unaffected by IBMx. Thus, two known inhibitors of phosphodiesterase--IBMx and papaverine--produce sharply contrasting effects on basal and on isoproterenol-stimulated renin secretion from rat kidney slices.
The Bagolini striated lens test for cyclotropia

Measurements of cyclotropia obtained by two different techniques were compared in ten patients with superior oblique palsies. These techniques were the Maddox double rod test and a new test for cyclotropia using the Bagolini striated lenses. In contrast to the Maddox rods, the Bagolini lenses permit a nearly normal view of the visual environment; in addition with the Bagolini striated lens test, the patient's eyes were not prismatically dissociated as in the Maddox double rod test, but instead prisms were used when necessary to eliminate horizontal and vertical image disparities prior to measuring cyclotropia. The Bagolini striated lens test thereby permitted cyclotropia adaptive mechanisms to function under nearly normal viewing conditions. The two tests yielded similar measurements of cyclotropia under dissociated binocular conditions, but in several patients different results were found with the Bagolini striated lenses when associated vertical and horizontal heterotropias were eliminated spontaneously or prismatically. Three cases are reported in whom the Bagolini striated lens test provided important clinical information not revealed by the Maddox double rod test.
Understanding the chemical physics of nucleation

Observation and theory have steadily progressed our understanding of nucleation phenomena over the past 280 years. However, even more questions remain concerning the governing processes and mechanisms. The inherent instability and sensitivity of nucleation places a high premium on theoretical accuracy and experimental purity and similarly makes interpretation of both more challenging. The objective of the present paper is to contribute to the understanding of nucleation kinetics and thermodynamics with emphasis on cluster chemical physics within the context of Dynamical Nucleation Theory. Our hope is to share some insights that we have gained over the past several years concerning rate constants, molecular interactions, statistical mechanics and their consequences on nucleation.
Outcome of total hip arthroplasty in small-proportioned patients.

Abstract In a prospective, consecutive series, 41 total hip arthroplasties were performed in 27 small-proportioned patients with small femoral dimensions. The 17 female and 10 male patients averaged 23.6 years (range, 14–47 years), and the mean height and weight were 157 cm (range, 132–183 cm) and 53.5 kg (range, 36–84 kg). The most common preoperative diagnosis was juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in 18 patients (28 hips). Most patients were severely disabled in their daily activity, and 68% of the patients were classified as Charnley functional class C. The femoral implants consisted primarily of the proximally porous-coated miniature Anatomic Medullary Locking femoral component (AML/CDH, Depuy, Warsaw, IN) in 33 hips in 22 patients (average stem diameter, 9.5 mm; range, 8–12.0 mm). A porous ingrowth acetabular cup fixed with screws was used in all procedures. At an average follow-up of 51 months, Harris Hip Scores improved significantly from 34 points (range, 0–65 points) preoperatively to 85 points (range, 33–100 points) after arthroplasty. There were no intraoperative complications. There was 1 revision because of femoral implant loosening. Three cementless femoral components showed evidence of nonprogressive subsidence. One patient had significant bilateral acetabular component polyethylene wear and underwent revision. All other femoral and acetabular components were radiographically stable. The relief of pain and improvement of function were dramatic. The miniature AML/CDH femoral component, combined with an uncemented acetabular cup, provides a promising, off-the-shelf alternative in small-proportioned patients
The St. Jude valve: analysis of thromboembolism, warfarin-related hemorrhage, and survival.

Abstract From March 1978–1986, 590 St. Jude prostheses (232 aortic, 232 mitral, and 63 double aortic-mitral) were implanted in 527 patients (mean age 63 years) and followed for up to 8 years (mean 33 months; three lost; 99% complete). The early (30-day) mortality rate was 8.9% and was strongly associated with preoperatively depressed left ventricular function (ejection fraction p p There have been no structural failures. Embolism (28 events, 2.1%/patient-year) was less common with warfarin treatment (1.5%/patient-year; n=492) than with antiplatelet (3.2%/patient-year; n=19) or no drug therapy (18.9%/patient-year; n=16) ( p In conclusion, warfarin anticoagulation is recommended in all patients. Although the operative and late survival rates reported in this study reflect in part the inclusion of high-risk patients with advanced functional class, left ventricular dysfunction, and ischemic mitral regurgitation, a major cause of valve-related morbidity and late death was warfarin-related hemorrhage. A downward revision in the target prothrombin time ratio to 1.5 to 2.0 may result in fewer bleeding complications. The optimal antithrombotic regimen in children remains to be defined.
Equilibria in rent-seeking contests with homogeneous success functions*

We characterize pure-strategy Nash equilibria for symmetric rent-seeking contests in which the contest success function is homogeneous of degree zero. The equilibrium strategies have a simple form. We give sufficient conditions for existence of an equilibrium.
Leveraging quality web‐based library user services in the digital age

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore key issues involved with opportunities, challenges, and future developing trends of delivering dynamic and distributed web‐based academic library information resources, services, and instructions for library users in the digital age.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the typical web‐based, three‐tier client/server architecture, this paper explores ten key issues how to leverage quality library user services in the digital age: roles of academic libraries; funding support; information resources; information access; information services; instructions and trainings; impacts of cutting‐edge technologies and emerging technologies; web contents management and knowledge base; assessment and evaluation; and Librarians. Also discussed are the next‐generation web‐based client/server library information architecture and services in the foreseeable future.Findings – With the rapid development of the internet and the world wide web, information exchange and informa...
Effect of age on parathyroid hormone and forskolin stimulated adenylate cyclase and protein kinase activity in the renal cortex

Abstract The capacity of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to stimulate the renal production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D declines with age. Since the action of PTH in the kidney is mediated by cAMP, we have examined the effect of PTH and forskolin on renal cortical adenylate cyclase in young (3 months), adult (13–15 months), and old (25–27 months) F344 rats. PTH-dependent adenylate cyclase, measured as cAMP accumulation in cortical slices, was reduced in adult and old rats compared to young rats over a PTH concentration range of 0.015–15 units/ml. There was no differences in PTH-dependent adenylate cyclase activity between adult and old rats. Renal plasma membrane preparations demonstrated similar changes in PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. There was no difference in calcitonin, forskolin, or guanyl-5-ylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) stimulation of adenylate cyclase in plasma membranes from each age group, suggesting that the defect lies in the membrane receptor for PTH. The decreased adult sensitivity to PTH could be reversed by thyroparathyroidectomy. PTH stimulation of cytosolic protein kinase activity did not change with age. These results suggest that the decrease in PTH-dependent adenylate cyclase is due to the alterations at the level of PTH receptor. These alterations may be in response to the increase in serum PTH seen in these animals with increasing age.
Commercial Insurance Triples Chances of Breast Cancer Survival in a Public Hospital

Breast cancer survival is affected both by endogenous factors and exogenous factors such as socioeconomic status. This study explored the relationship between insurance status and overall survival of 987 female breast cancer patients in a population served by a public hospital. All patients were offered the same level of care regardless of ability to pay. Of the 987 breast cancer patients investigated, 54.6% were African-American. 54.1% of patients were insured (commercial insurance or Medicare), 27.1% with Medicaid, and 18.8% who were uninsured. Overall median survival was 15.5 years and was not statistically significant between Caucasian and African-American women. Median survival times were 15.8, 11.3, and 8.2 years for insured, Medicaid, and uninsured groups, respectively. Uninsured patients had worse overall survival rates compared with insured patients (p < 0.05). Adjusting for other factors (e.g., stage, age, race, body mass index, and income), insurance was a significant factor affecting survival with hazard ratios of 2.24 and 3.22 for Medicaid and uninsured patients, respectively, compared with insured patients. Even in a public hospital, after adjusting for potential risk factors, insurance status still proved to be an important factor in the survival of breast cancer patients. Further research is necessary to identify causal factors related to the survival disparities associated with insurance status.
Broodstock development for monosex production of grass carp

Abstract Monosex female grass carp production has been accomplished with a breeding program that involves functionally sex-inverted males as broodstock. Between 1977 and 1982, 102 phenotypic males were produced by treating genetic females with methyltestosterone; 16 have sired progeny. Only females have been found among 1339 offspring sexed from 3 year classes.
Solidification of a binary solution on a cold isothermal surface

The freezing of water-salt solutions on a horizontal wall is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The growth of the two-phase solid-liquid region is observed for NaCl-H2O and NH4C1-H2O systems under different temperature and concentration conditions. A unidirectional mathematical model is developed to predict the temperature distribution in a semi-infinite medium based on the assumption that a local thermodynamic equilibrium exists between the solid and the liquid in the two-phase region. The transport of heat is by diffusion, and convection in the liquid is absent. The mass diffusion is neglected and the growth of the crystals is governed by the transport of heat. In all experiments the salt concentration in the solution is smaller than the eutectic composition, and the wall temperature is higher than the eutectic temperature. The predicted temperature profiles agree well with experimental data. The local solid fractions as well as the salt concentrations are shown as a function of the position.
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VI (Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome): I. Sulfatase B Deficiency in Tissues

Sulfatase B activity was deficient in tissues from patients with type VI mucopolysaccharidosis (Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome; MPS VI). Liver, kidney, spleen, brain, and cultured fibroblasts all showed deficient activity. The sulfatase B deficiency was most evident in assays of pellet fractions. Sulfatase B activity was not reduced in the other mucopolysaccharidoses tested (types I, II, and III). The activities of control lysosomal enzymes (sulfatase A and acid phosphatase) were not reduced in MPS VI tissues. The evidence suggests that a sulfatase B deficiency may underlie the biochemical abnormalities responsible for the MaroteauxLamy syndrome. The findings also lend credence to the view that sulfatase B normally plays a catabolic role as an O-sulfatase in the pathways of sulfated mucopolysaccharide metabolism. The possibility that oligosaccharide chondroitin sulfate B (dermatan sulfate) is a substrate for sulfatase B remains to be critically tested.
Decomposition and binding action of polysaccharides in soil

Abstract In recent years more attention has been given to the polysaccharide fraction of the soil humus and some progress has been made toward an understanding of its nature and function in the soil. There is good evidence that it does contribute to soil aggregate stabilization. Its presence in the soil in relatively large amounts indicates relative resistance to decomposition. Methods for extracting and determination of total polysaccharides have improved but undoubtedly, still yield low results. Progress has been made in enumerating and quantitizing different structural units but it is not known whether (1) the soil polysaccharides consist of a mixture of numerous relatively simple plant and microbial polysaccharides at all stages of decomposition which are resistant to decomposition as such or become resistant through reactions with inorganic and organic soil constituents or, (2) whether the soil polysaccharides are new, highly complex polymers, consisting of numerous structural units, and which are naturally resistant to decomposition or become resistant through reaction with other soil constituents. Careful studies requiring new approaches and great ingenuity are needed to obtain more meaningful information on the structure, mechanisms of formation, and relationship to other soil constituents of the soil polysaccharide polymers. One rewarding area of research related to decomposition and binding action would be concerned with the recovery of soil polysaccharides (Finch et al., 1966). Relatively unaltered preparations should be obtained and freed from ash components. Further separation could be based on molecular weight distribution and relative concentration of uronic acid units. The preparations could then be used for binding or aggregation, adsorption and decomposition studies involving clays, soils, metal ions and humic acid preparations.
Identification and Characterization of Rabbit Buccal Mucosal Hyaluronidase

This study establishes the existence of a mammalian buccal mucosal hyaluronidase having properties typical of a lysosomal enzyme. Mucosal hyaluronidase exhibited a distinct substrate preference for hyaluronic acid, generated saturated de-polymerization products by endoglycosidic hydrolysis, and possessed a pH optimum of 3.5 and an isoelectric point of 5.9.
Crystal structure of tyrosine hydroxylase with bound cofactor analogue and iron at 2.3 A resolution: self-hydroxylation of Phe300 and the pterin-binding site.

TyrOH is a non-heme iron enzyme which uses molecular oxygen to hydroxylate tyrosine to form l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA), and tetrahydrobiopterin to form 4a-hydroxybiopterin, in the rate-limiting step of the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway. The 2.3 A crystal structure of the catalytic and tetramerization domains of rat tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrOH) in the presence of the cofactor analogue 7,8-dihydrobiopterin and iron shows the mode of pterin binding and the proximity of its hydroxylated 4a carbon to the required iron. The pterin binds on one face of the large active-site cleft, forming an aromatic π-stacking interaction with Phe300. This phenylalanine residue of TyrOH is found to be hydroxylated in the meta position, most likely through an autocatalytic process, and to consequently form a hydrogen bond to the main-chain carbonyl of Gln310 which anchors Phe300 in the active site. The bound pterin forms hydrogen bonds from N-8 to the main-chain carbonyl of Leu295, from O-4 to Tyr371 and Glu376, from...
Can we see fish from an airplane

NOAA is developing an airborne lidar system for marine fisheries. It measures the direct backscatter of green light from objects, including fish, in the water column. We can, in fact, see fish from an airplane with this lidar. The lidar is described, and examples of fish signatures are presented. Other products are maps of the spatial distribution of fish and vertical profiles of biomass; examples of these are also presented.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
National Ignition Facility TestController for automated and manual testing

Abstract The Controls and Information Systems (CIS) organization for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) has developed controls, configuration and analysis software applications that combine for several million lines of code. The team delivers updates throughout the year, from major releases containing hundreds of changes to patch releases containing a small number of focused updates. To ensure the quality of each delivery, manual and automated tests are performed using the NIF TestController test infrastructure. The TestController system provides test inventory management, test planning, automated and manual test execution, release testing summaries and results search, all through a web browser interface. As part of the three-stage software testing strategy, the NIF TestController system helps plan, evaluate and track the readiness of each release to the NIF production environment. After several years of use in testing NIF software applications, the TestController's manual testing features have been leveraged for verifying the installation and operation of NIF Target Diagnostic hardware. The TestController recorded its first test results in 2004. Today, the system has recorded the execution of more than 160,000 tests and continues to play a central role in ensuring that NIF hardware and software meet the requirements of a high reliability facility. This paper describes the TestController system and discusses its use in assuring the quality of software delivered to the NIF.
A user evaluation of information characteristics related to demand deposit systems: An empirical analysis

Abstract In a recent issue of Information and Management, Neumann and Segev developed a correlation analysis of user evaluation of information characteristics (IC) for system improvement. The purpose of this note is to offer a modest extension to their theory which is otherwise viewed as an excellent attempt at modeling realistic aspects of the user IC evaluation. This empirical study factor analyzes the four IC variables. These variables (Content, Accuracy, Frequency, and Recency) are also ranked according to their relative dominance. The differentiation level among these IC variables is found to be low. Thus, the four variables have been reduced to one factor. Moreover, a formula for an index of IC has been set. Thus, it is possible to condense these four variables into one factor.
The association between birthweight 4000 g or greater and perinatal outcomes in patients with and without gestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective The objective of the study was to examine the association between birthweight of 4000 g or greater and perinatal outcomes in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study of 36,241 singleton pregnancies stratified by the diagnosis of GDM, with presence or absence of birthweight of 4000 g or greater. Outcomes examined included neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), shoulder dystocia, and Erb's palsy. χ2 tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to control for confounders. Results In women with GDM, neonates with a birthweight of 4000 g or greater, compared with those with a birthweight of less than 4000 g, had higher frequencies of hypoglycemia (5.3% vs 2.6%; P = .04), RDS (4.0% vs 1.5%; P = .03), shoulder dystocia (10.5% vs 1.6%; P Conclusion Birthweight of 4000 g or greater is associated with a higher incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes such that neonatal providers should be alerted.
Fibroblast growth factors are translocated to the nucleus of human endothelial cells in a microtubule- and lysosome-independent pathway.

Abstract Exogenous acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors undergo rapid nuclear translocation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. When nuclear translocation reaches saturation, more than 70% of the internalized growth factors are in the nuclear fraction. Lysosomal inhibitors, such as leupeptin and chloroquine, and microtubule inhibitors including colchicine and 2-methoxyl-β-estradiol neither increase nor decrease nuclear translocation. The results suggest that nuclear translocation of fibroblast growth factors does not require cytosolic accumulation or lysosomal processing and that the transportation of exogenous growth factors across the cytoplasm is independent of microtubules.
Native American Stand-Up Comedy: Epideictic Strategies in the Contact Zone

Contemporary Native American stand-up comedy is a form of epideictic rhetoric in the contact zone of the performance space, using generic conventions of stand-up comedy, traditional elements of Native humor, and Aristotelian strategies to challenge what audiences think they know about indigenous experiences in this land. Specifically, Howie Miller is one Native American stand-up comedian who constructs an epideictic performance in which entertainment, education, and assumptions collide.
Optical Crossbar Signal Processor

A proposed high performance, many Gigaflop signal processor is described in which 512 processors are interconnected with a 768 by 768 crossbar switch utilizing a spatial light modulator of the type presently under development. Optical fibers are used to provide high speed communication between the processors and the switch. The system, processor nodes, programming and functional operation are described. The advantages are discussed for reconfigurability, optical crossbar switches and programmed data flow. Efficient implementations are presented for: a systolic filter, a fast Fourier transform, a correlator and a matrix-vector multiplier.
Compositional maturity of limestones - a review

Abstract Compositional maturity, as defined for carbonates, is the extent to which a sediment approaches the constituent end-member (intraclasts, ooids, fossils, peloids, micrite matrix, and terrigenous minerals) to which it is driven by the environmental processes operating upon it. An immature lime sediment is produced in an environment where many biological, physical, and chemical processes are operating simultaneously. The resulting sediment is a mixture of several of the six major constituents. As the number of competing processes decreases in an environment, the sediment progresses through advanced stages of compositional maturity. A supermature sediment is produced in an environment where a single formative process has operated to completion; consequently, only one constituent dominates the sediment. The index of compositional maturity provides a clue to the complexity of the depositional setting, reflecting the number of environmental processes, their interactions, and rates of sediment production. There is a natural tendency for many different carbonate constituents to be produced on the shallow-water shelf, and most lime sediments of this deposystem are mature and immature. On the other hand, the number of environmental processes is generally low and the compositional maturity high on mobile oolite shoals, beaches, tidal flats and sabkhas, and in deep-water basins. Application of compositional maturity in carbonate-facies analysis, therefore, focuses attention on sedimentary processes in the depositional environment.
Implementation of the Voting Rights Act: the Case of New York

rT | HE VOTING RIGHTS ACT is a federal civil rights statute designed to end racial discrimination in voting. It prohibits the use of any "test or device" to abridge or deny any citizen of the United States the right to vote on account of race or color. Under certain, well-defined conditions, the Voting Rights Act requires that any changes in the laws governing the election of public officials must be submitted to the U.S. Justice Department for "pre-clearance." The Justice Department must in turn certify that the changes do not have the effect of reducing the voting strength of minority groups protected under the Act. If the Justice Department rejects the proposed changes, it is possible to appeal the decision to the Federal Courts but the changes cannot be implemented pending the appeal. In a series of cases in the 1970s the Supreme Court defined where and how the Act would be applied. Of primary concern here, the Court confirmed the Act's application to congressional and to state legislative redistricting (Georgia v. United States, 411 U.S. 526, 1973) and ruled that districting schemes which effectively excluded minority participation would be overturned (White v. Regester, 412 U.S. 755, 1973). In Beer v. United States (S. Ct. 1357, 1976) the Court further concentrated its attention on the effects of the proposed redistricting plan and ruled that redistricting plans must provide for the "non-retrogression" of minority representation. While there was dissent on other issues, no justice disputed the focus of the decision on electoral outcomes. In UnitedJewish Organizations of Williamsburg v. Carey (430 U.S. 144, 1977) the Court accepted the claim that the consideration of race and of outcomes was essential to the implementation of the Voting Rights Act in regard to redistricting. The intent of the framers is reasonably clear here (Scher and Button 1984; Bullock 1984). The Voting Rights Act demands that public officials attend to the matter of protecting the interests of certain racial and ethnic minorities as regards the fundamental right to vote. It specifically constrains local political officials from designing an election system which has the effect of denying protected individuals from complete and meaningful access to the political process via the ballot box. While maximizing minority representation is not a requirement, the dilution of minority voting strength is clearly proscribed.
The effect of ethanol on nitrite‐ and 1‐naphthol‐induced oxidant stress in human and sheep erythrocytes

Abstract The enhancement by ethanol of nitrite‐ and 1‐naphthol‐Induced oxidant stress was assessed in vitro in human and Dorset sheep erythrocytes as measured by changes in methemoglobin (MetHB) and glutathtone (GSH) levels. The human and sheep erythrocytes treated with nitrite (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM), 1‐naphthol (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mM) or ethanol (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0%) alone revealed significant increases in MetHb (P .05) except for sheep erythrocytes exposed to 1‐naphthol (P < .01) and ethanol (P < .05). The combined nitrite‐ethanol treatment resulted in greater than additive increases in MetHb leveis in both species; however, a protective effect occurred in sheep erythrocytes at the lowest combined treatment levels. The Joint naphthol‐ethanol treatment also resulted In synergtstic increases in MetHb levels in both species. No synergistic decreases in GSH levels were detected for either of the combined treatments. These results suggest that ethanol combined ...
Surface fluorination of composite membranes. Part II. Characterization of the fluorinated layer

Abstract The fluorinated surface layer of membranes exposed to a dilute stream of fluorine gas has been characterized. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) were used to determine the concentration and profile of reacted fluorine in poly (4-methyl-1-pentene) membranes after exposure to fluorine. The thickness of the fluorinated layer as a function of reaction time was calculated using the results of bulk elemental analysis and of XPS. The permeability of this layer was determined using the calculated thickness and the (Pf/lf) values reported previously. It is shown that the permeability of the fluorinated material is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the original poly(4-methyl-1-pentene). A simple diffusion limited reaction model is able to give a good estimate of the thickness of the fluorinated layer as a function of fluorine reaction time.
Continuous separation of particles from macromolecules in split-flow thin (SPLITT) cells

A split-flow thin (SPLITT) cell with a perpendicular driving force of one gravity has been utilized for the rapid separation of micron-sized particles from macromolecules. The procedure involves the simultaneous use of two transport mechanisms and thus two operating modes: a sedimentation process controls the displacement of the particles across the thickness of the thin channel, while diffusion controls the displacement of macromolecules. The theoretical equations for these two operating modes are summarized and it is shown how the two modes can be combined to yield specified recovery factors. The theory was tested on a mixture of 10 microns polystyrene latex beads and three different proteins. The observed separation was in excellent agreement with theory. Attempts to fractionate red blood cells and plasma proteins from whole blood were only partially successful as a consequence of the weak sedimentation of red blood cells. Various remedies to this problem are suggested, the most promising of which is the use of a SPLITT cell subject to mild centrifugal forces.
Do special education teachers use IEPs to guide instruction

Teachers in a large urban school system were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire and a modified nominal group technique to assess their views about IEPs and identify impediments to implementing the IEPs of their students. Teachers indicated that they viewed the IEP more as a legal requirement than as an important guide for planning instruction. Frequently they were not involved in the development of their students' IEPs. The article specifies reasons given by teachers for not adhering to their students IEPs and provides recommendations for increasing teacher involvement in IEP preparation. It also presents recommendations for improving instructional conditions and practices which may facilitate IEP implementation.
Inverse scattering with subwavelength resolution in the near-zone

In classical microscopy and inverse scattering, images are made from far field measurements. It will be shown that the standard Abbe or Rayleigh resolution limits arise as a result of assumptions which do not hold in the near field. Existing technologies such as TIRM and PSTM that exploit these properties of the near field produce two dimensional images which exhibit structure on a subwavelength scale. These images have proven difficult to interpret when the sample presents variations in structure and optical properties simultaneously in three dimensions. We present the analytic singular value decomposition of the linearized scattering operator. This representation leads to a robust inversion algorithm for the inverse scattering problem in the near zone. Numerical implementation of the algorithm is demonstrated using simulated noisy data to produce tomographic images of a three dimensional scatterer.
Rapid immune reconstitution and dendritic cell engraftment post-bone marrow transplantation with heterogeneous progenitors and GM-CSF treatment

Objective Bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (BMT) has been the treatment of choice for severe hematological diseases and cancers. Rapid host immune recovery following BMT is critical for reducing complications and improving therapeutic outcome. Here we report manipulations that facilitate rapid immune and dendritic cell (DC) reconstitution post-BMT for improvement in therapeutic outcome of BMT-based disease treatment. Methods Using lentiviral vector–modified or unmodified murine hematopoietic stem cells, we examined the engraftment efficiency and kinetics in immune reconstitution of unfractionated bone marrow cells (BM), lineage marker–negative (Lin − ) hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), or purified Lin − Sca-1 + hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) at an equal hematopoietic progenitor number. Results Our study revealed that BM reconstituted host primary and secondary lymphoid tissues more efficiently and rapidly. Moreover, in a competitive BMT setting using lentiviral vector–engineered BM and HSC expressing GFP or DsRed respectively, we showed that GM-CSF treatment further enhanced DC reconstitution to therapeutic relevant level as early as 2 weeks post-BMT. On the other hand, Flt3 ligand was less effective in enhancing DC reconstitution till 3 weeks post-BMT. This accelerated DC engraftment by GM-CSF treatment correlated well with improved overall immune reconstitution and enhanced activation of antigen-specific T cells post-BMT. Conclusion This study suggests that use of heterogeneous BM for transplantation facilitates more rapid immune reconstitution, especially in the presence of DC-stimulating cytokines. This improved immune reconstitution would provide additional therapeutic benefits for BMT-based immunotherapy and gene therapy of genetic disorders and cancers.
Improving prediction accuracy in mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide

Model calibration plays a fundamental role in the implementation of the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide. The data used in the default calibration effort, which were afforded by the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) database, have a network-level inference space. As implementation proceeds, state highway agencies may be inclined to calibrate at a local network level. However, with a focus on the calibration data set to local project-level conditions, model prediction error can be reduced further. Under this study, Nebraska Department of Roads Pavement Management System data were used to calibrate two design guide smoothness models at the local project level. The focused data set was categorized by annual daily truck traffic and surface layer thickness. Results showed that project-level calibrations reduced default model prediction error by nearly twice that of network-level calibration. This study offers a window into the accuracy that can be achieved with local focus calibrations of design...
Some reflections on being visiting consultant

This is intended as a description, from the visitor's point of view, of an arrangement whereby a computing director or manager at one university spends several weeks or months on a temporary appointment to the staff of the computing director at another university.