cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Compound Computer System for Image Data Processing

Practical image data processing (IDP) is comprised of a sequence of functions, i.e., image data acquisition, correction, editing, storing, analysis and feature extraction, display and output/ dissemination. The major application areas are environment control, medicine, document processing, etc. Some users handle multiple frames for reference or comparison as well as a single frame at a time. A single CPU cannot afford to deal with various kinds of image data at various processing phases in an interactive multiuser environment.
Expected limits on the ocean acidification buffering potential of a temperate seagrass meadow.

Ocean acidification threatens many marine organisms, especially marine calcifiers. The only global-scale solution to ocean acidification remains rapid reduction in CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, interest in localized mitigation strategies has grown rapidly because of the recognized threat ocean acidification imposes on natural communities, including ones important to humans. Protection of seagrass meadows has been considered as a possible approach for localized mitigation of ocean acidification due to their large standing stocks of organic carbon and high productivity. Yet much work remains to constrain the magnitudes and timescales of potential buffering effects from seagrasses. We developed a biogeochemical box model to better understand the potential for a temperate seagrass meadow to locally mitigate the effects of ocean acidification. Then we parameterized the model using data from Tomales Bay, an inlet on the coast of California, USA which supports a major oyster farming industry. We conducted a series of month-long model simulations to characterize processes that occur during summer and winter. We found that average pH in the seagrass meadows was typically within 0.04 units of the pH of the primary source waters into the meadow, although we did find occasional periods (hours) when seagrass metabolism may modify the pH by up to ±0.2 units. Tidal phasing relative to the diel cycle modulates localized pH buffering within the seagrass meadow such that maximum buffering occurs during periods of the year with midday low tides. Our model results suggest that seagrass metabolism in Tomales Bay would not provide long-term ocean acidification mitigation. However, we emphasize that our model results may not hold in meadows where assumptions about depth-averaged net production and seawater residence time within the seagrass meadow differ from our model assumptions. Our modeling approach provides a framework that is easily adaptable to other seagrass meadows in order to evaluate the extent of their individual buffering capacities. Regardless of their ability to buffer ocean acidification, seagrass meadows maintain many critically important ecosystem goods and services that will be increasingly important as humans increasingly affect coastal ecosystems.
Aztreonam Lysine Inhalation Solution in Cystic Fibrosis

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop pulmonary disease secondary to airway infection and dysregulated inflammation. Therapeutic innovations such as nebulized antimicrobial therapy targeting specific pathogens have resulted in improvements in quality of life and life expectancy. Aztreonam lysine for inhalation (AZLI) solution was initially approved to improve respiratory symptoms in CF patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) in 2010 by the Food and Drug Administration. Since then, research broadening labeling and clinical application has been developed. In this review, we analyze published and ongoing research regarding AZLI therapy in CF. A search of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases was conducted to identify publications about AZLI. Three pre-approval studies were identified and assessed. Two are Phase 3, placebo-controlled trials, assessing a variety of safety and efficacy endpoints, leading to FDA approval. The third is an open-label extension of the two previous trials. An additional seven post-approval, completed trials were identified and are included in this review. They represent a variety of study designs including safety and efficacy in patients with mild lung disease and young patients, an active comparator trial vs inhaled tobramycin, an eradication study, a study among patients with Burkholderia cepacia, and a study assessing continuous alternating antibiotic therapy. Finally, five ongoing clinical trials are discussed. Overall, studies demonstrated that inhaled aztreonam is a safe and effective antimicrobial treatment for the eradication of newly acquired P. aeruginosa and long-term suppressive therapy of chronic endobronchial infection among people with cystic fibrosis.
Ambient air pollution during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes in New York City.

Abstract Background Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between ambient air pollution and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but results have been inconsistent. Accordingly, we assessed the associations between ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels with risk of GDM. Methods Using linked data from birth certificates, hospital discharge diagnoses, and air pollution estimates informed by the New York City Community Air Survey, we fit conditional logistic regression models to evaluate the association between residential levels of PM2.5 and NO2 with risk of GDM among 256,372 singleton live births of non-smoking mothers in New York City born 2008–2010, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and stratified on zip code of maternal address. Results GDM was identified in 17,065 women, yielding a risk of GDM in the study sample of 67 per 1000 deliveries. In single pollutant models, 1st and 2nd trimester PM2.5 was associated with a lower and higher risk of GDM, respectively. In models mutually adjusting for PM2.5 levels in both trimesters, GDM was associated with PM2.5 levels in the 2nd trimester (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.10 per interquartile range increase in PM2.5), but not the 1st trimester (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.02). Conversely, GDM was associated with NO2 during the 1st trimester (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09), but not the 2nd trimester (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.06). The positive associations between pollutants and GDM were robust to different model specifications. PM2.5 in the 2nd trimester was more strongly associated with GDM among mothers who were aged Conclusions In this large cohort of singleton births in New York City, NO2 in the 1st trimester and PM2.5 in the 2nd trimester were associated with higher odds of GDM, while 1st trimester PM2.5 was weakly and inconsistently associated with lower odds of GDM.
Ensemble Machine Learning Based Adaptive Arc Fault Detection for DC Distribution Systems

The detection of dc arc fault is a challenging task due to the low fault current caused by the high fault impedance, the random nature of arc discharge, and its dependence on current level. The electrical system in real applications creates an even more challenging environment with a large number of electronic loads and versatile operating conditions. This paper presents a Machine Learning (ML) based algorithm for arc fault detection and an experimental testbed for validation. The ML algorithm is trained with experimental arc fault data and an adaptive normalization procedure is proposed to reduce mistriggers. Moreover, a function is designed to ensure detection accuracy with various types of loads. The proposed detection algorithm is implemented on Udoo X86 Ultra microcontroller board and verified with real-time detection tests. The chosen ML algorithm resulted in a high accuracy performance within a relatively low delay time compared to conventional detection methods.
Designs of destruction: the making of monuments in the twentieth century

Before the recent flames had been extinguished, Notre-Dame de Paris was engulfed in discourse. The dramatic images that ricocheted across the media announced the fire as a spectacle of catastrophe,...
From Sharks to "The Big Ugly":

This longitudinal case study explored one rural elementary art teacher’s praxis for two years after she participated in professional development sessions on place-based education (PBE). These sessions focused specifically on PBE within the discipline of art for K-12 art educators in a geographically-large southeastern school district. Through surveys, observations, interviews, and document analysis of curricular materials, the researchers investigated the teacher’s experiences with PBE as she taught art in a rural area of the district. Her curricular decisions transitioned from a focus on art reflecting her personal knowledge base to art that built on students’ expressions of, experiences in, and knowledge of, their rural setting. Implications for teacher professional development focused on rural education include strategies for promoting the contextualization of content and communicating the benefits of transitioning from place-neutral to place-based instruction.
Affirmative gender equality policies in Central and Eastern Europe: Moving beyond the EU requirements:

What affects the adoption of affirmative gender equality measures across Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, given that the European Union directives do not require them? Drawing on manda...
Descriptive epidemiology of chordomas in the United States.

Chordomas account for 1% to 4% of all bone malignancies and 0.5% of all primary intracranial central nervous system tumors. Prior epidemiologic literature is based on limited population data. The purpose of this study is to provide the largest and most inclusive population based study of the descriptive epidemiology of chordomas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Program of Cancer Registries were queried for chordoma in all locations. Age-adjusted incidence per 100,000 persons was calculated by age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Annual percentage change was calculated using Joinpoint. From 2004 to 2014, a total of 3670 chordomas were diagnosed in the US. The most common location was cranial (38.7%), followed by sacral (34.3%) and spinal (27.0%). The average age-adjusted incidence rate was 0.088 per 100,000 persons per year (95% CI 0.086–0.091), with an annual percentage change of 1.29% (95% CI 0.31–2.28%). For all chordomas, the incidence peaks in the 75–84 year age group. The male-to-female incidence rate ratio is 1.54 (p < 0.001). American Indian/Alaskan Native and Black patients had a statistically lower incidence rate than White and Asian/Pacific Islander patients. Approximately 0.088 chordomas per 100,000 persons are newly diagnosed in the US each year, with cranial location being the most common, followed by sacral and spinal. Incidence increases with age, and men are at a significantly higher risk than women. This investigation represents the largest population-based epidemiologic study of chordomas in the US.
Trusting Sources of Information on Quality of Physician Care

Reporting healthcare quality has become an important factor in healthcare delivery. Prior research has shown that patient-consumers do not frequently use information on websites reporting physician quality to guide their choice of physicians. Our aim is to understand the contextual and personal characteristics that influence patient-consumers' decisions to trust or ignore information sources about healthcare quality. We use data from Finding Quality Doctors: How Americans Evaluate Provider Quality in the US, 2014, to examine factors that explain trust in sources reporting healthcare quality provided by physicians. Using factor analysis, 3 overarching information sources were identified: (1) employers and healthcare providers; (2) user advocacy sources; and (3) insurance companies and government. We use multiple regression analysis to understand the factors that impact trust in these 3 information sources. Our study found that contrary to previous findings, health status was not a significant factor that affects trust in sources reporting care quality data. Also, age was the only factor that significantly correlated with trusting information from all 3 sources. Specifically, younger adults trusted information from all sources compared to older adults. Furthermore, political affiliation, employment status, income, and area of residence correlated with trusting care quality information from either companies and government agencies or family and social network sources. Results suggest that individual and contextual characteristics are significant factors in trusting information sources regardless of health status and these should be taken into consideration by those promoting public reporting of healthcare quality information.
The Impact of V2G Placement on a Feeder Line

The trend of the 21st energy industry is rapidly gearing towards achieving sustainable energy. V2G is considered as one of the most promising technologies to implement the global clean energy goal. However, the impacts of the V2G units on the electric grid have to be properly investigated before the credibility of its performance prospects can be guaranteed. In this paper, a model is presented for investigating the impact of V2G placement on the energy loss profile of the electric distribution systems. The results of computer simulations are presented and analyzed. The results of this study show that the position of a V2G unit on a feeder line segment can potentially impact the energy loss in a feeder line. The results of this research will be resourceful for researchers seeking research-guided recommendations on the impact of V2G placement on the distribution system.
Creating a translanguaging space in a bilingual community-based writing program

We, as multilingual teacher-scholars, had lingering questions about what community programs were doing, operating outside of school contexts, to maintain the bilingualism of racialized, Latinx chil...
Optimal Location for Renewable Gas Production and Distribution Facilities: Resource Planning and Management

Renewable energy contributes to the energy portfolios of many countries. One form of renewable energy is syngas which is generated from bio-residues. The focus of this paper is the biomass transportation and conversion network that covers the entire syngas (synthesis gas) production process from different biomass feedstocks to the end products. Specifically, we focus on the resource planning and management problem (a) to allocate different feedstocks to anaerobic digesters (reactors), (b) to determine number and locations of reactors in each region, (c) to determine number and locations of the condensers to liquefy syngas, and finally (d) to determine distribution network of syngas to demand points. We developed a mixed-integer, non-linear programming (MINLP) cost model to describe this resource planning wherein the constrained cost is minimized to find the optimal solutions for reactors and condensers locations. We identify optimal allocation of feedstocks to all reactors and the distribution of liquefied gas to distribution centers. We propose a new algorithm to search for an alternative between two sub-problems of the original MINLP. We verify the convergence of the algorithm to an optimal or sub-optimal solution by conducting various sets of numerical experiments using some real-world parameters.
A Multi-Staged Treatment Planning Framework for Large-Volume Ventricular Tachycardia Stereotactic Ablation.

Purpose/Objective(s) Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) is emerging as a non-invasive ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation treatment regimen (SAbR-VT) and has attained initial success of reducing VT that is refractory to drugs and standard catheter ablation. However, a single-fraction biological potent dose (25 Gy) ablating a large planning target volume (PTV, median 98.9cc, range 60.9–298.8cc in ENCORE-VT trial) has high risk of radiation toxicity. We propose a multi-stage SAbR-VT treatment planning strategy to mitigate radiation risk. Materials/Methods The principle of multi-staged SAbR-VT is to divide a large treatment volume into multiple stages with each stage irradiating a sub-target while minimizing the overall organ at risk (OARs) biological effective dose (BED)and toxicity. The N-staged planning problem is stated: given a set of sub-targets {T1, ..., TN}, and their respective prescription doses {p1, ..., pN}, and treatment sequence {t1, ..., tN}, finding treatment plans {x1, ..., xN} such that each plan xn delivers the prescription dose pn to target Tn in a single treatment session, and the total dose of all plans satisfies the OAR dose constraints Ck of the kth OAR for all OARs {O1, ..., OK}. We formulate this problem as a constrained optimization. Let dTn(xn) denote the dose function of target Tn of plan xn and dOk(xn)denote the OAR dose function of OAR Ok of plan, the constrained optimization problem can be written as min f = ∑wk·BED({dOk},{tn}) s.t. dTn(xn)≥ pn, ∀n∈{1,..., N} and ∑dOk(xn)≤ Ck, ∀k∈{1,..., k} The objective f is the weighted sum of OARs’ BED, where is the weighting factor wk for the kth OAR. BED of OAR is the function of both physical dose distribution {dOk} and treatment sequence {tn}. Results One of the VT cases we treated has PTV of 188.2cc. In a single-stage treatment plan, the maximum doses to stomach and esophagus are 20.46Gy and 21. 57Gy. Under a 3-stage treatment strategy, the single-stage-equivalent-doses to stomach and esophagus are estimated as 14.85Gy and 15.63Gy, respectively, which is a decrease of 28 percent. Conclusion A multi-staged SAbR-VT planning framework has the potential to significantly reduce OAR BED and consequently radiation toxicity.
A Cutting Plane Algorithm for Linear Reverse Convex Programs

In this paper, global optimization of linear programs with an additional reverse convex constraint is considered. This type of problem arises in many applications such as engineering design, communications networks, and many management decision support systems with budget constraints and economies-of-scale. The main difficulty with this type of problem is the presence of the complicated reverse convex constraint, which destroys the convexity and possibly the connectivity of the feasible region, putting the problem in a class of difficult and mathematically intractable problems. We present a cutting plane method within the scope of a branch-and-bound scheme that efficiently partitions the polytope associated with the linear constraints and systematically fathoms these portions through the use of the bounds. An upper bound and a lower bound for the optimal value is found and improved at each iteration. The algorithm terminates when all the generated subdivisions have been fathomed.
VERTEX RENORMALIZATION IN DIRAC POTENTIAL SCATTERING.

Two methods for studying the properties of the vertex renormalization constant in Schrodinger potential theory in the case of bound states are extended to Dirac scattering. For purposes of illustration, the properties of a (1/2+) bound state vertex are treated in detail. The potential is assumed to transform like a Lorentz scalar and a derivation is given of Sato’s wavefunction normalization condition in the Dirac case subject to this limitation.
Multimodal dynamics: self-supervised learning in perceptual and motor systems

This thesis presents a self-supervised framework for perceptual and motor learning based upon correlations in different sensory modalities. The brain and cognitive sciences have gathered an enormous body of neurological and phenomenological evidence in the past half century demonstrating the extraordinary degree of interaction between sensory modalities during the course of ordinary perception. We develop a framework for creating artificial perceptual systems that draws on these findings, where the primary architectural motif is the cross-modal transmission of perceptual information to enhance each sensory channel individually. We present self-supervised algorithms for learning perceptual grounding, intersensory influence, and sensory-motor coordination, which derive training signals from internal cross-modal correlations rather than from external supervision. Our goal is to create systems that develop by interacting with the world around them, inspired by development in animals. We demonstrate this framework with: (1) a system that learns the number and structure of vowels in American English by simultaneously watching and listening to someone speak. The system then cross-modally clusters the correlated auditory and visual data. It has no advance linguistic knowledge and receives no information outside of its sensory channels. This work is the first unsupervised acquisition of phonetic structure of which we are aware, outside of that done by human infants. (2) a system that learns to sing like a zebra finch, following the developmental stages of a juvenile zebra finch. It first learns the song of an adult male and then listens to its own initially nascent attempts at mimicry through an articulatory synthesizer. In acquiring the birdsong to which it was initially exposed, this system demonstrates self-supervised sensorimotor learning. It also demonstrates afferent and efferent equivalence---the system learns motor maps with the same computational framework used for learning sensory maps. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Office bladder distention with Electromotive Drug Administration (EMDA) is equivalent to distention under General Anesthesia (GA)

Bladder distention is commonly used in diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC). Traditionally performed in the operating room under general or spinal anesthesia (GA), it is expensive and associated with short term morbidity. Office bladder distention using electromotive drug administration (EMDA) has been suggested as an alternative that is well tolerated by patients. We report the first comparative findings of patients undergoing both office distention with EMDA and distention in the operating room (OR) with GA. This retrospective chart review identified 11 patients participating in two protocols of EMDA bladder distention who also underwent bladder distention under GA either prior to or after the EMDA procedure. The median absolute difference in bladder capacity between GA and EMDA was only 25 cc; the median percent difference was 5%. Cystoscopic findings, while not prospectively compiled, appear to have been similar. This study represents the first comparison between distention with EMDA versus GA and confirms the technical feasibility of performing bladder distention in an office setting. The distention capacity achieved in the office was nearly identical to that in the OR and the cystoscopic findings very similar. Further investigation into the comparative morbidity, cost, and other outcome measures is warranted to define the ultimate role of EMDA bladder distention in the clinical evaluation and care of patients with IC.
Ultra-lightweight PANiNF/MWCNT-functionalized separators with synergistic suppression of polysulfide migration for Li–S batteries with pure sulfur cathodes

A custom separator with an ultra-lightweight polyaniline nanofiber/multiwall carbon nanotube (PANiNF/MWCNT) coating has been utilized in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries for investigating the electrochemical performance of the hybrid conductive-polymer/carbon coating. The cells employing the PANiNF/MWCNT-functionalized separators facilitate high reversible capacities of 709, 641, and 612 mA h g−1 at, respectively, C/5, C/2, and 1C rates after 100 cycles. High charge-storage capacity retention was also found in the cell with the PANiNF/MWCNT-functionalized separator after a resting time of 12 h. Such dynamic and static electrochemical stability could be ascribed to the synergistic physical adsorption and chemical immobilization of the polysulfides by the ultra-lightweight PANiNF/MWCNT coating (only 0.01 mg cm−2). This demonstrates that the design of hybrid polymer/carbon-coated-separators has the potential to become a viable approach for successfully developing practical Li–S batteries.
Partial purification and properties of thiamine pyrophosphokinase from pig brain.

Abstract Pig brain thiamine pyrophosphokinase (ATP: thiamine pyrophosphotransferase, EC 2.7.6.2) was purified 260-fold over extracts of brain acetone powder. A direct, radiometric assay was used to follow the purification. By isoelectric focusing, the purified enzyme appeared to have an isoionic point of approx. pH 4.2, but these preparations were still not homogeneous by disc-gel electrophoresis nor by analytical ultracentrifugation. The purified enzyme has a broad pH optimum extending from pH 8.3 to 9.3 in 0.028 M phosphate/glycylglycine buffers. For optimal enzymatic activity, the ratio of magnesium to ATP must be fixed at 0.6, which suggests that for this ATP-pyrophosphoryl transfer reaction, the enzymatically preferred reactant may be Mg(ATP)26−. A preliminary study of the kinetics of the reaction reveals that the enzyme may function via a partial “ping-pong” mechanism; on this basis, dissociation constants for ATPt and for thiamine were evaluated. Pyrithiamine, butylthiamine, ethylthiamine, and oxythiamine appeared to be competitive inhibitors withr respect to thiamaine as the variable substrate, and their inhibitor dissociation constants were calculated. The relatively poor affinity of oxythiamine to the enzyme emphasizes the 4-amino group in the pyrimidine ring as one of the specificity requirements for thiamine pyrophosphokinase. Preliminary values for the apparent equilibrium coefficient of the thiamine pyrophosphokinase-catalyzed reaction, in terms of total species, has been approximated at several initial concentrations of reactants: e.g. K′eq,app = [AMP t ] eq [TDP t ] eq [ATP t ] eq [TH] eq =0.9·10 −5 − 1.6·10 −5 , at initial [ATP t ] initial = [Mg t ] initial 0.6 = 9.66 · 10 −3 M and [Th]initial = 1 · 10−6 and 2 · 10−6 M, respectively, where TDP, Th, t and eq represent thiamine diphosphate, thiamine, total concentration and “eq”, equilibrium concentration, respectively.
The effects of arm elevation, direction of pull and speed of pull on isokinetic pull strength

Abstract This study examines the effects of three variables — arm elevation, direcon (or plane) of pull and speed of pull — on isokinetic pull strength, with the preferred arm. Eleven male adult subjects were tested for maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) pulls, while standing, at all 12 combinations of three starting positions of the arm, two directions of pull, and two speeds of pull. The results indicated that all three variables were influential on pull strength; but that there was a significant interaction effect between speed and arm elevation. Speed exerted a greater effect when pulling obliquely upward, starting with the arm below the shoulder (from a stoop-stand posture), than horizontally (at shoulder height) or downward (starting above the shoulder). Also, pulling toward the body was 9% stronger than pulling accoss it. Under the best pull conditions, pull strength was 1.65–2.09 times stronger than under the worst conditions. The mean pull force of the 11 subjects averaged 36%–58% of their body weight, depending on the pull condition (variable combination).
Content analytic approach to measuring constructs in operations and supply chain management

Abstract This paper presents and illustrates the content analytic approach to measuring constructs in operations and supply chain management (OSCM). In this paper, a methodological review of OSCM empirical research in 2002–2007 is provided to highlight that OSCM empirical studies, unlike those in other business disciplines, have rarely used content analysis as a methodological tool. This paper then reviews the methodological strengths of content analysis, which lie primarily in its malleability, economy of data collection, repeatability, and unobtrusiveness. These strengths not only make content analysis a viable empirical method but also position it as a method that can be used in concert with other empirical methods in OSCM research, such as survey, case study, and secondary research methodologies. This paper also proposes a generic framework for a content analytic approach to measuring theoretical constructs, illustrates the application of the framework to a construct in the OSCM literature (buyer–supplier relationalism), and reports the satisfactory results of reliability and validity tests for the content analysis-based measure of buyer–supplier relationalism. In addition, this paper proposes and demonstrates that the use of convergence study in tandem with content analysis can substantially reduce the content analysis efforts needed in measuring the construct of interest, thus improving the overall efficiency of the process of content analysis.
Iowa catalog of solar X-ray flux - 2-12 A

Solar X-ray flux from Explorer 33 and 35 observations, presenting catalog of tabular and graphical data
Estrogen-induced expression of mouse lactate dehydrogenase-A gene.

Abstract The synthesis of lactate dehydrogenase-A isoenzyme was shown to increase significantly in the uterus of immature mice treated by diethylstilbestrol. The expression of the mouse LDH-A promoter and cat fusion gene in Chinese hamster ovary cells was also induced by 17β-estradiol and diethylstilbestrol.
Autonomic and behavioral thermoregulation in golden hamsters exposed perinatally to dioxin

Abstract Perinatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) causes a permanent change in thermoregulatory control of male offspring of the rat, characterized by a reduced core temperature ( T c ) over a wide range of ambient temperatures ( T a ). To examine the similarities in this effect across species, the thermoregulatory effects of perinatal TCDD were evaluated in the golden hamster, a species which is very resistant to the lethal effects of TCDD. Adult male hamsters exposed on Gestational Day 11.5–11.75 to 2.0 μg TCDD/kg by gavage were subjected to a variety of behavioral and autonomic thermoregulatory measurements. Nocturnal T c of TCDD-treated animals was 0.4 to 1.0°C below that of controls over a T a range of 14 to 34°C. Hypothermia persisted in spite of normal metabolic responses to cold exposure. The hypothermic effect of perinatal TCDD exposure was found to persist over a 24-hr period in unrestrained hamsters monitored by radiotelemetry. The TCDD-treated hamster offspring placed in a temperature gradient exhibited a preference for warm T a ’s for 2 to 3 hr; however, when maintained over a 22-hr period in the gradient there was no effect of TCDD on behavioral thermoregulation. TCDD had no effect on motor activity measured over a 24-hr period. TCDD resulted in a ∼30% reduction in body weight compared to controls; however, this weight loss appeared to have no bearing on the thermoregulatory deficiencies of the TCDD-treated animals. TCDD-treated hamsters displayed a normal metabolic response to cold exposure; thus, it would appear that perinatal exposure to TCDD leads to a dysfunction in the central control of body temperature. The perinatal effects of TCDD on thermoregulation in the rat and hamster appear to be similar.
STUDY ON SORPTION ISOTHERMS OF SHRIMP BEADS

ABSTRACT Sorption isotherms of shrimp heads ( adsorption and desorption ) were analyzed by the microclimate method as temperatures of 30, 45 and 60°C and conditions for shrimp heads conservation by drying were determined. Equilibrium time was reduced from normally 2–3 weeks to only 5–8 days by employing sulfuric acid at different concentrations and vacuum. The results were adjusted by Henderson and G.A.B. models and correlation coefficients were up to 0.9900 for the last model.
The Effect of Cyclopropane on Ion Uptake and Protoplasmic Streaming in Barley Roots

Increasing concentrations of cyclopropane up to about 95 % C3H6—5 % O2 caused an increasing inhibition of uptake by excised barley roots from KC1 solution, much more so for Cl than K. No inhibition of K uptake from K2SO4 occurred under similar conditions. It is suggested that the small decrease in K uptake from KC1 is related to the large decrease in Cl uptake and that C3H6 primarily inhibits Cl uptake with little or no effect on K uptake. Time curves of uptake in 80 % C3H6 20 % O2 revealed no indication of cumulative injury in either KC1 or K2SO4 for periods up to 3 hours. The amount of organic acid production associated with K uptake from K2SO4 was about the same in 80 % C3Hg— 20 % O2 as in air. Oxygen consumption in K2SO4 was unaffected by the gas mixture and only slightly affected in KC1. Protoplasmic streaming in epidermal cells was rapidly stopped at C3H6 concentrations of 20 % or higher. In 80 % C3H6–20 % O2 the effect on streaming was confined mostly to the outer two or three layers of root cells. A connection between the cessation of streaming and the inhibition of Cl uptake appeared to exist but very little if any relationship between streaming and K uptake was observed.
The Art of Linguistics

Author's Summary— The objectives of modern philology are not the same as in the nineteenth century. Emotional factors [irony, humor] play an important role in the development of language. Neglect of philological work is deplorable. The present division of literature and philology is unsound.
Fourier Transform near Infrared Assessment of Biomass Composition of Shrub Willow Clones (Salix sp.) for Optimal Bio-Conversion Processing:

Biomass, typically obtained from fast growing plants or over-stocked agricultural products, has been widely recognised as a replacement for traditional energy sources. The challenge is, however, to...
Lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens in rats having an ancestry of a perinatal lodine-131 insult

The possible existence of a genealogical memory consisting of altered lymphocyte proliferative responses to a perinatal iodine-131 insult has been investigated in two generations of inbred Fischer F344 rat offspring. The studies which involved exposure to the radioiodine during late pregnancy with concentrations ranging from 1.85 MBq (50 μCi) to 7.4 MBq (200 μCi) revealed that only the peripheral blood T lymphocytes of the first generation male animals were significantly affected. These animals were found to possess T lymphocytes which exhibited increased proliferative responses expressed toward the mitogens concanavalin A and phytohemagglutin; however, no significant changes were noticeable in their B cell population following exposure to lipopolysaccharide. Neither the first generation females nor the male and female offspring of the second generation developed through sibling interbreeding seemed to be affected, this was unlike the cellular, humoral, and natural immunity which had previously been observed to be changed in both the second and third generation animals. These observations suggest that the effects of the radiation insult upon immunocompetency as measured by lymphocyte proliferation do not appear to be inherited.
Statistical estimation of utility functions

The paper begins with a discussion of the possibility of estimating the parameters of a utility function from the estimated values of the parameters of the demand functions derived from them. The cases of the Klein-Rubin and Quadratic utility functions are analysed in detail. Next, from the assumptions of utility optimization, a method is derived for estimating the parameters of linear and logarithmic utility functions. This method is based on Principal Component Analysis. The method is applied to a sample of 9 countries in all levels of development. It is verified that the results obtained agree with accepted notions about the rankings of goods and services according to preferences.
Interpretation of Sea Bed Logging Data Using the LQL Method

Summary In this paper we develop and study a new technique for 3-D interpretation of sea-bottom electrical profiling data, collected with a mobile horizontal electric dipole (HED) transmitter and an array of seafloor electric receivers (The Sea Bed Logging Method). Our method is based on the localized quasi-linear approximation, which allows modeling and inversion of seafloor electrical data simultaneously for all positions of the transmitters and receivers. This opens a way for a full 3-D inversion of the SBL data for petroleum exploration. We apply this method to interpretation of the synthetic EM data simulated for the model of a seabottom petroleum reservoir. Our results demonstrate that the SBL method with an LQL-based 3-D interpretation can be used for seabottom reservoir detection in the presence of a salt dome structure.
Age Specificity and Ecological Theory

This paper attempts first to deal with the question of aging as a byproduct of natural selection, drawing on the theories of Medawar, Williams and Hamilton, and second, to apply the conclusions to considerations of population and behavioral ecology. It is concluded that: (1) Age—specific mortality should drop to a minimum prior to earliest reproductive age and then rise with age. (2) Age—specific fecundity should rise with age to a peak, which may occur at almost any age depending on the sort of organism considered, and then fall. (3) A sudden increase in mortality at a given age will result in natural selection favoring higher relative mortality at immediately preceding and following ages, and lowered fecundity immediately after that age. (4) A sudden increase in fecundity at a given age will result in natural selection favoring relative higher mortality in early life and immediately after that age, as well as relaxed selection for increased fecundity, especially at middle and late ages. (5) Selection acts to make increasingly steep the survivorship curve of a population declining or fluctuating due to changes in mortality. (6) Selection acts to postpone reproductive effort in populations declining or fluctuating due to changes in fecundity. (7) If mortality is very low, animals, as they age, should ideally take greater risks to secure reproductive success. (8) The nature of altruistic behavior may be age specific, with older individual more characteristically altruistic and younger individuals more characteristically pampered. (9) Intergroup hostilities should be largely directed toward certain age groups.
Long-term Behavioural Aberration produced in Mice by a Pharmacological Agent

HARMALA alkaloids which are derived from plants all contain a β-carboline moiety. These compounds have been of interest because they are hallucinogenic1–3. in addition to possessing other pharmacological properties4. Because of the ease of formation of tetrahydro-β-carbolines from the reaction of tryptamines and aldehydes in mild, aqueous conditions, they have been suggested to be endogenously formed psychotropic agents arid causative factors in some psychoses5. In order to investigate further their effect on animal behaviour, and other pharmacological responses, a series of new terahydro-β-carbolines (tetrahydroharmans) has been synthesized4. One of these was prepared by the Pictet-Spengler reaction from 5-methoxytryptamine and pyridoxal (vitamin B6). The structure of the compound, 1-(3-hydroxy-5-hydroxy-methyl-2-methylpyridyl-4)-6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline (compound 1), is shown in Fig. 1. Thus it contains indole, 5-substituted tryptamine, β-carboline and vitamin B6 moieties combined in one molecule. When compound 1 was injected intraperitoneally into trained rats at dosages useful for behavioural studies of other tetrahydro-β-carbolines (1.5–3 mg/kg) all animals were slowly intoxicated and died within 24–48 h.
Clinical experience with the oxytocin challenge test

Abstract The oxytocin challenge test may provide information regarding fetal well-being which is helpful to the obstetrician. In this study, there were 65 negative tests on 43 patients, and those fetuses with negative tests uniformly did well, if there were no congenital anomalies or complications in the mechanics of delivery. There were 21 positive tests on 15 patients. A positive test was significant in that it confirmed the clinical impression that the fetus was existing in a markedly unfavorable environment, heralded a fall in maternal estriol excretion and, in 3 instances, signified impending intrauterine death. Loss of beat-to-beat variability of the fetal heart rate may increase the ominous prognosis of a positive test. In instances where the 24 hour urinary estriol excretion is chronically low and therefore of questionable value in timing delivery, the test provides a physiologic stress to the fetus, the response to which may reflect the degree of fetoplacental respiratory reserve. Or, when a positive oxytocin challenge test occurs in the face of normal 24 hour estriol production, the likelihood of subsequent fetal deterioration seems high.
An empirical test of Mowrer’s theory of imitation

It would be predicted from Mowrer’s theory of imitation that children who receive candy while watching a model make specific responses would match those specific responses more frequently than would children who did not receive candy. The results of this experiment offered no support for this hypothesis. Mere frequent exposure to the specific responses facilitated the occurrence of imitation.
Performance of Laying Hens Fed Various Phosphorus Levels Continuously or Phase Fed Decremental Phosphorus Levels

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of dietary phosphorus levels on performance of White Leghorn hens. In Experiment 1, dietary available phosphorus (AP) levels of .26, .36, .46, or .56% were fed continuously from 24 to 68 weeks of age. Concurrently, diets containing .46, .36, and .26% AP or .56, .46, and .36% AP were “phase fed” during the age intervals of 24 to 36, 36 to 48, and 48 to 68 weeks, respectively. Dietary AP levels of .16, .26, .36, and .46% were fed from 27 to 71 weeks in Experiment 2. Also, phosphorus was phase fed in this experiment at levels of .46, .36, and .26% AP or .36, .26, and .16% AP for ages 27 to 39, 39 to 51, and 51 to 71 weeks, respectively. No significant effects of dietary AP levels were observed in either experiment with respect to rate of egg production, feed efficiency, egg weight, eggshell thickness, changes in body weight, or mortality. In Experiment 1, rate of egg production, egg weight, and eggshell thickness of the hens fed .26% AP continuously were numerically less, and mortality was numerically greater, than those of hens fed higher AP levels. The percentage of ash and the quantities of phosphorus contained in carcasses (feather-free) at the end of Experiment 1 tended to be directly related to dietary AP level. Total carcass phosphorus of hens fed .26% AP continuously was reduced significantly as compared with all other treatment groups except for the hens fed .36% AP continuously. Neither concentration of carcass ash nor quantity of phosphorus in carcasses was affected consistently by dietary AP in Experiment 2. Assuming an average daily feed consumption of 95 to 100 g/hen, the results indicated that phase-feeding of dietary AP levels of .46, .36, and .26% and possibly .36, .26, and .16% during the age intervals of approximately 24 to 39, 39 to 51, and 51 to 71 weeks, respectively, will support high rates of egg production without excessive depletion of body phosphorus.
Correlation Function Method for Transport Phenomena

An expression for the nonequilibrium density matrix is derived in terms of dynamical fluxes, which leads to a rigorous formulation of the correlation function method for transport phenomena with nonuniform thermodynamic quantities.
Cardiorespiratory responses of snakes to experimental hemorrhage

Cardiovascular, respiratory and ventilatory responses were measured simultaneously in yellow rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata) subjected to acutely graded experimental hemorrhage. Unanesthetized snakes maintained arterial pressure and normal or greater levels of oxygen uptake during cumulative losses of whole blood averaging 90.3%. Oxygen delivery during hemorrhage was usually associated with high levels of arterial saturation, increased ventilation, increased arterialPO2, and stability of arterial pH and blood pressure. Arterial pressure eventually declined with increasing blood loss, but patterns were variable and some snakes maintained pressure at blood volume deficits exceeding 100% of the estimated prehemorrhage value. At severe blood losses (typically exceeding 50–80%) arterial pressure fell precipitously and at levels below 15–10 Torr was paralleled by arterial pH. Initially, blood levels of lactic acid were as low as a few mg% but increased dramatically (1–2 orders of magnitude) after severe blood loss when cardiorespiratory performance diminished. Snakes survived the experiments when allowed to drink water, in spite of significant levels of anemia. The observed relationships reflect well developed abilities of these reptiles to control hemodynamic and respiratory functions.
Spontaneous rupture of the stomach in the adult.

The diagnosis of spontaneous rupture of the stomach should be considered in all patients developing sudden and severe abdominal symptoms and shock. From a pathological point of view, it is unjustified not to entertain the diagnosis of spontaneous rupture of the stomach in cases of rapid and unexplained death presenting a large perforation of the stomach at autopsy. Awareness and proper study of this entity, at times, may solve a puzzling medico-legal problem. Useful diagnostic criteria are: (1) absence of autolytic changes throughout the body, (2) the size and the site of the perforation, (3) thinning of the surrounding gastric wall, (4) diastasis of the muscular layers around the perforation, (5) marked irregularity of the margins of the rupture, and (6) histological evidence of intramural hemorrhage, edema, or dissociation and disruption of muscle bundles, without inflammatory changes.
Measurement of Prostaglandins in the Cerebrospinal Fluid in Cat, Dog, and Man

Prostaglandins are involved in the modulation of various central functions (neurotransmitters and hypothalamic hormone release, thermoregulation, cerebrovascular tone) and their levels increase in pathological situations [subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), stroke, convulsive disorders, etc.]. This study, using sensitive and specific antibodies, examined levels of four eicosanoids, prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha (PGE2, PGF2 alpha); and the metabolites of PGI2, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha), and of thromboxane A2, thromboxane B2 (TxB2), in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained atraumatically from three species (human, canine, and feline). An assessment of the methodologic procedures (extraction and radioimmunoassay) was carried out. Human lumbar cerebrospinal fluid was shown to contain PGF2 alpha (15-44 pg/ml), 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (undetectable to 39 pg/ml), and TxB2 (undetectable to 28 pg/ml), whereas PGE2 was undetectable (less than 18 pg) in all cases. In both animals species the eicosanoid concentrations were 3- to 30-fold higher than humans for every prostaglandin examined. Although the prostaglandin profile for a given species remained constant (cat, PGE2:6-keto-PGF1 alpha:TxB2:PGF2 alpha; dog, TxB2:PGE2:6-keto-PGF1 alpha:PGF2 alpha), the absolute levels were found to be lower in the pentobarbital-anesthetized animals than in conscious cats. The correspondence of the prostaglandin profiles found in cerebrospinal fluid with the profiles reported in the literature in brain homogenates for the same species supports the hypothesis that cerebrospinal fluid levels of prostaglandins reflect the relative rates of synthesis in neural tissue.
Quantum-well electro-absorption sampling for broadband THz detection

Broad-band THz detection is demonstrated using GaAs/AlGaAs asymmetric double quantum-well structures. Transient electro-absorption modulation by the THz pulses is sampled coherently with detection bandwidth exceeding 10 THz.