cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum norethindrone (NET) concentrations following intramuscular NET enanthate injection: effect upon serum LH FSH estradiol and progesterone.

Abstract Serum norethindrone (NET), FSH, LH, estradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P) concentrations were measured in 15 women twice weekly for 4 to 6 months following intramuscular injection of 200 or 300 mg of norethindrone enanthate (NET-EN). Serum NET levels reached a peak of 12 to 17 ng/ml about 1 week after injection. The serum NET levels were elevated for about 20 days after NET-EN injection and decreased thereafter, first precipitously, then gradually. Serum NET levels greater than 4 ng/ml persisted for 1 to 4 months, suppressing gonadotropin secretion and ovarian follicle maturation. The first follicle maturation evidenced by preovulatory serum E 2 levels was not followed by ovulation in 14 of the 15 study subjects. Positive feedback inhibition of the midcycle LH peak occurred at serum NET levels ranging from 0.1 to 1.8 ng/ml. The first ovulation after NET-EN injection was observed after a median time interval of 98 days, the earliest being 45 days and the second earliest 80 days after injection. Neither the dose difference of 300 vs. 200 mg of NET-EN nor the size of the vehicle (2 ml or 1 ml of oil) appeared to affect uterine bleeding patterns. Assuming a metabolic clearance rate of 551 liters/day for serum NET, essentially all the NET-EN injected appears to be absorbed and converted to circulating NET. The 300 mg NET-EN dose does not present any contraceptive advantage: it results in unnecessarily high initial serum NET levels, but does not provide higher serum NET levels 3 weeks after NET-EN injection than the 200 mg dose. Alteration of the vehicle volume from 1 to 2 ml of oil does not have any noticeable effect on serum NET concentrations. The return of fertility seems to vary more because of apparent individual variation of the threshold of positive LH feedback inhibition than because of subject to subject differences in serum NET levels.
Dielectric properties of the polymerization of an aromatic polyimide

Abstract Dielectric measurements made over a wide range of frequency are shown to provide a sensitive means for observing the chemistry of the polymerization process of an aromatic polyimide continuously as the monomer mixture undergoes major changes in viscosity leading to a fully cured, insoluble, crosslinked thermoset. Dynamic dielectric measurements of the polymerization of the high temperature polyimide prepared from a mixture of BTDE, MDA, NE and designated LaRC-160 have been made at a series of frequencies from 5 to 5 × 10 6 Hz. The capacitance ( C ), dissipation ( D ), and the conductivity ( G ) together with time and temperature were recorded. The complex permittivity (e∗) has been determined throughout the cure cycle. Using their frequency dependence, e′ and e″ have been separated into their ionic and dipolar components. The time and temperature dependence of the dielectric data are correlated with the previously reported imidization cure chemistry of the LaRC-160 system (ref. 1). The high temperature crosslinking reaction has also been observed dielectrically and compared with published viscosity and reaction data. Changes in the time-temperature properties of this polyimide system as a function of resin age over a period of six months have also been studied. In addition, the effect of the resin's composition on the time-temperature cure properties of the polymer has been examined using dynamic dielectric measurements.
967 EFFECTS HYDROCORTISONE AND THEOPHYLLINE CN MONONUCLEAR CELL SUPERNATANT IgE CONCENTRATIONS

As lymphocytes have been reported to have theophylline (THEO) receptors and variable sensitivity to hydrocortisone (HC), we have analyzed the effects of these widely used agents on atopic subjects' cultured mononuclear cell (MNC) supernatant IgE concentrations (S IgE). MNC were isolated from69 patients with elevated serum IgE (10,954 ng/ml) and cultured at 2×106/ml for 7 and 12 days in RPMI 1640 with 10% fetal calf serum to which 10−4 M THEO or 10−3 M to 10−7 M HC was added. Viable cell numbers (VCN) were assessed at the beginning and termination of culture by trypan blue exclusion; S IgE was measured by double-antibody RIA. THEO had no demonstrable effect on either S IgE (965 pg/ml with vs 1,676 pg/ml without, p=NS) or VON (1.29 × 106/ml with vs 1.28 × 106/ml without, p=NS) in studies with MNC of 3 patients. Cultures from 6 patients containing 10−3 M HC had less S IgE on day 7 (1,974 pg/ml with vs 5,532 pg/ml without, p<.05) and on day 12 (2,359 pg/ml vs 5,958 pg/ml, p<.05). However, at 10−3 M HC, VCN was also reduced (0.39 × 106 cells/ml with vs 0.88 × 106 cells/ml without, p<.005). In contrast, MNC from the same 6 patients cultured with 10−6 M HC had significantly more S Ig on day 7 (10,597 pg/ml with vs 5,532 pg/ml, p<.05) and on day 12 (12,393 pg/ml vs 5,938 pg/ml without, p<.05) even though 10−6 M HC also reduced VCN on day 7 (0.625 × 106/ml with vs 0.88 × 106 without, p<.05). Since S IgE augmentation by 10−6 M HC was noted despite fewer cells than in culture without HC, the effect may be directly on the B cell rather than allowing increased cell replication by action on suppressor T cells. Subpopulation studies are underway to elucidate the target cell of HC in this enhancing effect.
A Possible Source for Ricci's Notices On Regions Near China

In the copy of Matteo Ricci's World Map kept in the Library of the Tokyo Imperial Uiliversity, which was printed in 1602 by one of Ricci's closest friends, Li Chih Tsao, and of which the writer has some clear photographs, there are somne interesting descriptions of regions in the vicinity of North China. These regions are Niu-t'i-t'u-chiieh 4. a ) * , Kuei-kuo i , Yii-chiieh-MU tE * J#, WFu-lo-hou 0X 1* |0, Ch'ii-tu-mei K ?Peishih-wei 4, t , and IYa-chieh-tza t t . The notices concerning them are all written on the map beside their names. These names could not be found on any contemporary map of Asia made by Europeans of that time, nor are they to be found on any present day map of that continent. The question arises: where did Ricci derive these notices from? The problem of Ricci's sources for his descriptions of Europe, Africa, and the Americas can be easily disposed of. From an examination of the contents, it is very probable that Ricci depended largely upon the Mlercator map of 1569, the Ortelius map of 1570, and, for his later maps, the Plancius map of 1592. Ricci did not base his maps upon any one of the above sources, but most likely extracted and utilized information from all of them as well as
A Multimedia Social Story Intervention: Teaching Skills to Children with Autism

Although social stories have been used as a positive support intervention for people with autism and other developmental disabilities, their utility has primarily been supported by anecdotal record...
Growth and yield of mixed-sex, young-of-the-year Oreochromis niloticus raised at two densities in earthen ponds in Alabama, U.S.A.

Abstract Mixed-sex, young-of-the-year fish with a mean weight of 5 g were stocked at 5000 and 10 000/ha in 0.04-ha earthen ponds and cultured for 104 days. Fish were fed a pelleted feed at 10% of total body weight daily for the first 79 days, and at 5% of body weight thereafter. Mean harvest weights for fish stocked at 5000 and 10 000/ha were 150 and 140 g, respectively; the difference was not significant ( P > 0.05). Males (158 and 150 g) were significantly larger than females (141 and 126 g) at 5000 and 10 000/ha, respectively. Mean gross yield was significantly greater at 10 000 fish/ha (1194 kg/ha) than at 5000 fish/ha (696/ha). Five-month-old females reached sexual maturity before the end of the culture period, but offspring production was negligible.
Anomalous behavior in semi-decorated square Ising lattice

Abstract For a certain interaction strength, a semi-decorated square Ising lattice exhibits anomalous behavior in its phase transition. The specific heat is finite at the transition temperature T c .
Environment and Cohort Strength of Dover Sole and English Sole

Abstract We examined relationships between cohort strengths of Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) and English sole (Parophrys vetulus) off the Columbia River and variables that could hypothetically influence spawning success or survival. These variables included measures of spawning capacity, monthly means of oceanographic and Columbia River factors, and measurements of short-term weather variability. For Dover sole, spawning capacity was not significantly related to cohort strength. A correlation model incorporating two oceanographic factors, upwelling in early summer and offshore divergence the next winter, explained 65% of the cohort strength variation. Upwelling may have influenced food availability following yolk sac absorption, and divergence may have influenced the location of larval settling. For English sole, factors that had unusual values coincident with the unusually large 1961 cohort were not well correlated with the strengths of the other cohorts. Unique weather variability in the winter of ...
Asphalt Trackbed Technology Development: The First 20 Years

The evolution of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) trackbed technology is documented as presently practiced in the United States. Criteria used in selecting sites for and the attendant benefits of HMA trackbeds, based on long-term performance evaluations, are discussed. Prevailing practices for selecting ideal HMA mix parameters, trackbed section designs, and application procedures are described in detail. Primary attention is directed at the "underlayment" procedure in which the HMA serves as a premium subballast layer within the track structure to enhance the support, waterproofing, and confinement properties of the subballast. The roadbed or subgrade materials underlying the HMA mats maintain near-optimum moisture content. The HMA appears to undergo little if any weathering or deterioration in the trackbed environment. The resultant benefits are decreased maintenance costs, fewer slow orders, fewer operational interferences, and improved operational efficiency of the rail network overall.
Physiologically-motivated feature extraction for speaker identification

This paper introduces the use of three physiologically-motivated features for speaker identification, Residual Phase Cepstrum Coefficients (RPCC), Glottal Flow Cepstrum Coefficients (GLFCC) and Teager Phase Cepstrum Coefficients (TPCC). These features capture speaker-discriminative characteristics from different aspects of glottal source excitation patterns. The proposed physiologically-driven features give better results with lower model complexities, and also provide complementary information that can improve overall system performance even for larger amounts of data. Results on speaker identification using the YOHO corpus demonstrate that these physiologically-driven features are both more accurate than and complementary to traditional mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). In particular, the incorporation of the proposed glottal source features offers significant overall improvement to the robustness and accuracy of speaker identification tasks.
Is a loose-seed nomogram still valid for prostate brachytherapy in a stranded-seed era?

Purpose To characterize the amount of activity required to treat the prostate with stranded 125 I radioactive seeds and compare our stranded data with the amount of activity recommended when individual seeds are implanted using a Mick applicator. Methods and Materials Data from two groups of patients at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center who were treated with prostate brachytherapy as monotherapy were analyzed. The first group included 100 patients implanted with individual seeds in 2000 and 2001. The second group comprised 81 patients for whom stranded seeds were implanted in 2006 and 2007. Seeds in both groups were 125 I seeds with an air kerma strength of 0.497 U per seed (0.391 mCi per seed). The prescribed dose to planning target volume was 145 Gy. Results The total implanted activity and the number of seeds used were significantly lower in the second group ( p 3 prostate and approximately 15% for a 60-cm 3 prostate. With equivalent activity between the two groups, the stranded-seed treatment covered a larger treatment volume with the prescribed dose. Conclusions The amount of activity required to effectively treat a prostate of a given volume was lower with stranded seeds than with loose seeds. Our experience suggests that prostate brachytherapy that uses stranded seeds leads to a more efficient implant with fewer seeds and lower overall activity, resulting in improved homogeneity.
Image categorization using N x M grams

A method for categorizing images using N X M-grams is presented. The goal of categorization is to find all images from the same category as a given query image. Some example categories are hand-written documents, printed documents, floor plans, satellite images, and fingerprints. The categorization method is based on the N-gram technique that is commonly used for determining similarity of text documents. Intuitively an N X M-gram is a small pattern in an image. The hypothesis that two images that have the same recurring patterns are likely to belong to the same category is examined. The notion of N X M-grams is defined and the process of computing an image profile in terms of the N X M-grams termed an N X M-gram vector is explained. Two similarity measures to compare images based on their N X M-gram vectors are proposed. Results of an experiment on images from various categories are presented. The two similarity measures for N X M-gram vectors are compared to each other as well as to results of categorization using a method based on color distribution features. The results show that for our test images N X M-gram based methods were more successful in finding images from the same category as a given query image than color distribution based methods.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Certitude and the Constrained Processing of Feedback.

Abstract In this study, two predictions of a model of instructional feedback ( Kulhavy & Stock, 1989 ) were tested. A total of 117 undergraduate students read an experimental text, rated certitudes, and were presented feedback at varying speeds. Students were tested immediately or after a 2-day interval. Results upheld the hypothesized relationship between certitude and the probability of answering correctly on a post-test. A second hypothesis, relating certitude to the probability of maintaining a response, was not upheld.
The early develoment of the duck's egg, with special reference to the origin of the primitive streak

This study deals with the development of the duck embryo from the unincubated blastoderm to the 1-to-3-somite stage. In the unincubated stage the thickened posterior germ wall is the most active region mitotically, contributing cells to complete the entodermal layer. The slightly thickened ectoderm of the posterior half of the pellucid area is the precursor of the embryonic shield. During incubation this ectoderm increases in height, forming the embryonic shield. The primitive streak arises in the posterior part of the shield, where tall ectodermal cells in the midline become several-layered and proliferate cells from their ventral surface which migrate laterally, becoming mesoderm. At first short and broad, the streak becomes longer and narrower until it attains its definitive stage. The greatest proliferation of ectodermal cells occurs always at the anterior end of the streak of all stages, forming at the definitive stage a definite thickening–Hensen's node. Proliferation diminishes posteriorly along the streak. The number and orientation of mitotic figures indicate cell movements as follows: Prestreak stages–ectodermal cells migrate from posterior part of shield toward midline, thence forward in midline; early streak stages–anterior movement in streak and to sides of streak, and lateromedial movement from sides toward middle of streak; definitive streak stages–postero-anterior and lateromedial migration of cells. The embryonic axis, of prestreak and streak stages, lies approximately at right angles to the egg axis in slightly over 50 per cent of the cases.
Total factor productivity and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A comment and some intuition

Abstract Chimeli and Braden [Chimeli, Ariaster B., Braden, John B., 2005. Total factor productivity and the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 49, 366–380] derive a necessary and sufficient condition under which inter-country differences in total factor productivity can yield an Environmental Kuznets Curve. They argue that their results emphasize the importance of differences in total factor productivity across countries as well as the need for decreasing returns to scale in pollution-abating technologies for the existence of an Environmental Kuznets Curve. We show that their Proposition 1 is equivalent to Proposition 2 in Lieb [Lieb, Christoph M., 2002. The Environmental Kuznets Curve and satiation: a simple static model. Environment and Development Economics 7, 429–448]. This implies that, even in Chimeli and Braden's model, contemporaneous changes in the marginal rate of substitution between environmental quality and consumption on the demand side and the marginal rate of transformation between these goods on the supply side drive the pollution–income relationship. This is a very general condition that does not rely on either differences in total factor productivity or decreasing returns to scale in abatement, and which is widely applicable.
Vision-based method for autonomous landing

This paper presents eight visual cues to be used as part of a control loop for autonomous landing. The idea is based on fixating the camera at the vanishing point of the projection of the runway in the image. Two-dimensional geometrical cues are used to derive the visual cues. The visual cues that are extracted are the relative location of the camera to the runway in terms of the runway width, orientation of the camera, and relevant angles such as glide slope angle.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On-line parameter estimation using a high sensitivity estimator

An on-line parameter identification method is presented. The method is based on a recursive formulation of the maximum likelihood method, with a significant modification on the gains of the state estimator. In the conventional maximum likelihood method, the Kalman gains are used in the state estimator. This produces unbiased, minimum variance parameter estimates in the presence of process noise and measurement noise, but it also slows the convergence rate when the identification is done on-line. Here we suggest choosing the gains to maximize a measure of the sensitivities of the state estimates to parameter variations. One such criterion is to minimize the trace of the inverse information matrix. This increases the convergence rate significantly. After one or two time constants, the gains are switched to the Kalman values to assure unbiased, minimum-variance estimates. The state estimate will initially be nonoptimal, and may not be adequate for control purposes. In this case, a parallel Kalman filter which uses the identifier's parameter estimates can be used. This method is applied here for the identification of a simple first-order system, and for the identification of short-period stability derivatives of an F-8 aircraft from simulated data.
Infrared detectors: Past, present and future

The author provides a thumbnail sketch of the historical development of infrared detectors and related technology. IR detectors are characterized by the shape of their spectral response, their speed of response and the detectivity at a particular wavelength, usually at the spectral peak. In addition, such data as temperature of operation, magnitude and frequency dependance of detector noise, detector impedance, angular field of view and detector area may distinguish one type of detector from another and even detectors of the same type. Detectors may be placed into two categories with vastly different properties: Thermal and Photon detectors. Thermal detectors have been in use since the early 1800's.
Comparison of Electron Transfer Kinetics between Redox Proteins Free in Solution and Electrostatically Complexed to a Lipid Bilayer Membrane

Abstract The second-order rate constants obtained in solution for the reduction of horse cytochrome c (cytc; net charge +7) by either Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin semiquinone (Fld; net charge −16) or reduced spinach ferredoxin (Fd; net charge −15) decrease monotonically with increasing ionic strength, as expected for reactions between oppositely charged species. Although the rate constant for the Fld reaction is almost two orders of magnitude larger at low ionic strength than that for Fd, the values extrapolated to infinite ionic strength are closely similar, indicating comparable reactivities when electrostatic effects are eliminated. Furthermore, Fld has a much larger value for the electrostatic interaction energy, and thus a larger apparent active site charge, than does Fd, accounting for the rate constant disparity at low ionic strength. Electrostatically binding cytc at low ionic strength to a negatively charged Lipid bilayer vesicle (membranes containing mixtures of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cardiolipin (CL)) results in a marked decrease of the observed electron transfer rate constant ( k obs ) for reduction of the cytochrome by both Fld and Fd. The magnitude of this decrease is proportional to the mole percent of CL present in the membrane (10- to 20-fold change over 5-60 mol%). With Fld, k obs decreases monotonically with increasing ionic strength at a fixed CL concentration. With Fd an increase in k obs occurs as the ionic strength is increased, which maximizes at intermediate ionic strength at a value larger than that obtained in the absence of lipid vesicles. When Fld is electrostatically bound to a positively charged vesicle composed of 40 mol% dioctadecyldimethylammonium ion (DODAC) and 60 mol% PC, again k obs for electron transfer to cytc is decreased over that obtained in solution, and the magnitude is diminished monotonically by increasing ionic strength. In contrast, k obs for electron transfer from Fd to cytc is unaffected by the presence of the positively charged membrane. The implications of these results for the role of membrane surface charge in modulating protein-protein interactions is discussed.
Imaging the microscopic structure of shear thinning and thickening colloidal suspensions

We thank T. Beatus, Y.-C. Lin, J. Brady, L. Ristroph, and N. Wagner for useful discussions. This research was supported by grants from NSF Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation, Division of Materials Research (DMR), and DMR Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, and in part by award KUS-C1-018-02 from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). J.N.I. was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering under award DE-FG02-87ER-45331.
Zoning For and Against Sprawl: The Case for Form-Based Codes

Despite widespread recognition of the dual problems of sprawl and conventional zoning, the specific nature of the relationship between sprawl and zoning is not well specified. In part this is because aggregate and economic analyses of sprawl and zoning miss the larger point that zoning has a significant detrimental impact on urban pattern and form at the local scale. In addition, little systematic research has been done on the contrast between conventional zoning and coding reform efforts such as form-based codes. This paper uses a localized analysis of the relationship between zoning and sprawl to answer two main questions: how does zoning contribute to sprawl, and how do form-based codes attempt to mitigate it? The paper also includes a descriptive analysis of the current status of form-based code efforts in the US.
Growing food, growing a movement: climate adaptation and civic agriculture in the southeastern United States

This article examines the role that civic agriculture in Georgia (US) plays in shaping attitudes, strategies, and relationships that foster both sustainability and adaptation to a changing climate. Civic agriculture is a social movement that attracts a specific type of “activist” farmer, who is linked to a strong social network that includes other farmers and consumers. Positioning farmers’ practices within a social movement broadens the understanding of adaptive capacity beyond how farmers adapt to understand why they do so. By drawing upon qualitative and quantitative data and by focusing on the cosmological, organizational, and technical dimensions of the social movement, the study illuminates how social values and networks shape production and marketing strategies that enable farmers to share resources and risks. We propose a conceptual framework for understanding how technical and social strategies aimed to address the sustainability goals of the movement also increase adaptive capacity at multiple timescales. In conclusion, we outline directions for future research, including the need for longitudinal studies that focus on consumer motivation and willingness to pay, the effects of scale on consumer loyalty and producer cooperation, and the role of a social movement in climate change adaptation. Finally, we stress that farmers’ ability to thrive in uncertain climate futures calls for transformative approaches to sustainable agriculture that support the development of strong social networks.
The Symbiosis of Liberal Arts and International Business

Abstract Many academicians believe that collegiate liberal arts education and business education are antithetical. Furthermore, the decline in the numbers of traditional college students has exacerbated the perceived conflict. This article explores the alternate proposition that liberal arts institutions are uniquely qualified to meet the growing global demand for international business education. Specifically, a process is proposed by which U.S. liberal arts institutions can develop international business programs employing primarily existing resources. By doing so, they would be able to compete more effectively for the growing global market of students seeking international business programs.
Stability of columns with semi-rigid connections including shear effects using Engesser, Haringx and Euler approaches

Abstract A complete column classification and the corresponding stability equations that can be used to evaluate the elastic critical axial loads of prismatic columns with sidesway uninhibited, partially inhibited, and totally inhibited including the simultaneous effects of bending and shear deformations and semi-rigid connections are presented and derived using three different approaches. The first two approaches are those by Engesser and Haringx that include the shear component of the applied axial force proportional to the total slope ( d y / d x ) and to the angle of rotation of the cross-section ( ψ ) along the member, respectively. The third approach is a simplified formulation based on the classical Euler theory that includes the effects of shear deformations but neglects the shear component of the applied axial force along the member. Comparisons among the critical loads obtained using these three approaches and those using the classical Euler solutions for classical column cases are presented. Examples that demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed stability equations and the importance of shear deformations and shear component of the applied axial force are presented in detail. These effects must be taken into account particularly in structures made of columns with relatively low effective shear areas A s (like laced columns, columns with batten plates or with perforated cover plates, and columns with open webs) or with low shear stiffness GA s of the same order of magnitude as π 2 E I / h 2 (like short columns made of laminated composites with low shear modulus G when compared to their elastic modulus E ). These effects become even more significant when the external supports are not perfectly clamped. The effects of semi-rigid connections and those due to shear forces and deformations are condensed into the proposed characteristic equations.
United States practice patterns in the use of transesophageal echocardiography during adult liver transplantation.

Objective To characterize contemporary practice patterns in the use of transesophageal echocardiography during adult liver transplantation and to identify factors preventing more frequent use. Design Online questionnaire. Setting Liver transplantation centers in the United States performing 12 or more adult liver transplants in 2011. Participants One representative from each qualifying center: The transplant anesthesiology director, a transplant anesthesiologist personally known to the authors, or the department of anesthesiology chair. Interventions Three e-mail attempts were made to solicit participation in the study between June and August 2012. Measurements and Main Results Of the 97 institutions identified, an anesthesiologist from each of 79 (81.4%) centers completed the questionnaire; 38.0% of centers reported routine use and 57.0% for special circumstances or rescue situations, yielding an overall use rate of 94.9%. This distribution was consistent regardless of operative volume, practice size, or academic affiliation. The sole factor predictive of routine transesophageal echocardiography use was an overlap between an institution’s cardiac and transplant anesthesiology teams. In practices not routinely employing the technology, the most compelling reason was a sense that it was not necessary. Although 69.9% of transplant anesthesiologists reportedly were proficient in echocardiography, inadequate anesthesiologist training was also a strongly cited hindrance. Conclusions Transesophageal echocardiography during adult liver transplantation in the United States has become widely prevalent, with notable growth in its use as a routine diagnostic and monitoring modality. Almost all institutions now use the technology at least occasionally, with the participation of cardiac anesthesiologists being predictive of a center’s routine use.
Haemolymph specific gravity, soluble total protein and total solids of plant-reared, normal, and parasitized diet-reared tobacco hornworm larvae

Abstract Specific gravity, soluble total protein, and total solids of the haemolymph from fourth and fifth instar larvae and pharate pupae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta , were determined. Comparisons were made between insects reared on synthetic and natural diets and between parasitized and non-parasitized insects reared on synthetic diet. Values for all three parameters of diet-reared larvae were significantly higher than those for plant-reared larvae, but no differences were observed between their pharate pupae. Values for parasitized insects were more variable, but specific gravity and total solids were significantly lower than, or in some cases equal to, controls, and total soluble protein was significantly greater than in the controls. Excellent correlation between the three parameters was found for diet-reared larvae and less accurate, but useful, correlations were found for plant-reared larvae. There was very poor correlation between soluble protein and specific gravity or total solids in parasitized larvae.
Paleobrine Temperatures, Chemistries, and Paleoenvironments of Silurian Salina Formation F-1 Salt, Michigan Basin, U.S.A., from Petrography and Fluid Inclusions in Halite

Abstract A 3.7 m stratigraphic section of the Silurian Salina Group F-1 Salt, Detroit Salt Company mine, Michigan Basin, was studied to document the paleodepositional conditions, including brine chemistry and temperature, of evaporite precipitation. Sedimentary features, including rippled surfaces, halite chevrons, cumulate halite, and dissolution surfaces confirm a shallow-water depositional setting. Penecontemporaneous dissolution surfaces indicate that waters undersaturated with respect to halite were introduced into the Michigan Basin, and that the basin brines were nonstratified during flooding, allowing inflow waters to come into contact with halite crystals at the bottom. Fluid inclusions in primary chevron halite have homogenization temperatures between 5° and 25° C, which represent brine temperatures during halite precipitation. These temperatures are lower than expected for a marginal marine basin at a subtropical paleolatitude, and they suggest a climatic cold spell for a period of thousands of years. The major ions in fluid-inclusion brines, analyzed using the ESEM-X-Ray-EDS method, have relatively low concentrations of Na+, Mg2+, and SO42−, and elevated concentrations of Ca2+ compared to modern seawater. Brine-inclusion chemistries from the F-1 Salt compare closely with the major-ion composition of fluid inclusions from other Silurian marine halites (A-1, A-2, and B Evaporites of the Salina Group and Carribuddy Group, Canning Basin, Australia). These results indicate a seawater parentage of the Michigan basin F-1 Salts and that the major-ion chemistry of seawater remained more or less constant during the last 15 million years of the Silurian. Detailed documentation of the temperatures, brine chemistries, and environments of halite deposition is a prerequisite for geobiological study of the entrapment of ancient microbes in salt. The results reported here can help pinpoint the timing of entrapment of microorganisms in fluid inclusions in halite and can be used to argue that brine inclusions in the F-1 halites have been isolated and preserved in an unmodified state for more than 400 million years.
Multiple Verb Movement in Hoan

I argue that verbal compounds in ≠ Hoan are derived from underlying structures similar to serial verb constructions. I show that the derivation crucially involves multiple verb movement, which is subject to the same kinds of locality constraints as other types of multiple movement. I show how the multiple verb movement analysis applies to a range of verbal compounds in ≠ Hoan.
A five-parameter model for current and cross modulation in field-effect transistors with high drain voltage

A new five-parameter model for the behavior of field-effect transistors with high drain voltage has been developed. The resulting single expression is shown to predict the drain-current-gate-voltage characteristics of a variety of devices with an accuracy of ±0.002 V over many decades of drain current. Several methods for the evaluation of model parameters are discussed. The effect of temperature is successfully included in the model in one case. Cross-modulation characteristics can be calculated which are in qualitative agreement with measurements.
Phenytoin/Isradipine Interaction Causing Severe Neurologic Toxicity:

OBJECTIVE:To report a young man on phenytoin who developed acute neurologic symptoms after isradipine was introduced to his treatment regimen and discuss the possible causes of this drug interaction.CASE SUMMARY:A 21-year-old white man, with propionic acidemia and seizures treated with phenytoin and carbamazepine, was started on isradipine for essential hypertension. Soon thereafter, he developed acute and severe lethargy, ataxia, dysarthria, and weakness that resolved once isradipine was withheld. Phenytoin concentrations were within normal limits or elevated, despite sequential reductions of phenytoin dosage, during concomitant isradipine administration.DISCUSSION:Isradipine is a known inhibitor of the CYP450 isoenzyme family. Although the daily dose of phenytoin was decreased significantly, phenytoin blood concentrations remained high, suggesting a pharmacokinetic interaction. Previously, the patient had never had neurologic symptoms associated with increased phenytoin concentrations. This also indicat...
Unrealized Expectations for Restoration of a Floodplain Plant Community

The ongoing restoration of the channelized Kissimmee River is expected to promote reestablishment of the prolonged, deep inundation regimes that sustained broadleaf marsh as the dominant wetland plant community on the historical floodplain. The success of the restoration was evaluated at locations on the remnant floodplain where broadleaf marsh had been replaced by a mesophytic shrub community, and on the lower portion of the reconstructed floodplain, which was recreated by backfilling of a flood control canal and degradation of associated spoil mounds. During the 8-year post-restoration period (2001–2008) mean annual hydroperiods and depths on the restored floodplain were not significantly different from pre-channelization hydrologic conditions at historical reference sites. Increased hydroperiods and depths eliminated the mesophytic shrub (primarily Myrica cerifera) and associated fern cover, and led to colonization of floating and mat-forming species, but did not result in the reestablishment of a broadleaf marsh community. Signature broadleaf marsh species, Sagittaria lancifolia and Pontederia cordata, were found in all remnant floodplain plots and colonized 8 of the 10 reconstructed floodplain plots, but had mean cover ranging from only 0.9 to 6.1%. Several factors may have contributed to unsuccessful reestablishment of broadleaf marsh, including unfavorable edaphic conditions, brief drawdown (low stage) periods for establishment of seedlings, flood induced mortality, and an invasion of the exotic shrub, Ludwigia peruviana, which had post-restoration mean cover of 17–19%. Study results indicate hydrologic restoration of floodplain plant communities can be influenced by more discrete aspects of the river flood pulse than average hydroperiods and depths.
Abnormal lymphocyte function in childhood leukemia.

Lymphocyte function was evaluated in 26 untreated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 5 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) by stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in dose- and time-response studies. The response to PHA correlated positively with the percentage of lymphocytes (r = + 0.786) and negatively with the percentage of lymphoblasts (r = − 0.728). Sixteen patients with a WBC 20,000/cu mm (10 ± 3% lymphocytes, 88 ± 4% lymphoblasts and 18 ± 28% T cells) had a significantly lower response to PHA on these days (13,609 ± 5,568 cpm). Six of the ten high-WBC patients had a delayed peak response on the sixth or seventh day of culture. This abnormal response to PHA is similar to that which has been described in patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia and is at least partially due to the dilution of a normal lymphocyte population by the proliferation of a population of non-PHA-responsive lymphoblasts. The remaining four high-WBC patients had flat PHA dose- and time-response curves and a poorer clinical course. Two of them had T-cell leukemia. The absence of response to PHA in these children may characterize a group of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are immunodeficient at the time of diagnosis and may reflect the presence of a unique population of lymphoblasts with suppressor activity.
Prison buildup and disorder

In contrast to the predictions of many, the prison buildup in the USA did not lead to dramatic increases in chaos behind bars. Instead, prison riots have become rarer, the homicide rate among inmates has declined dramatically and a smaller proportion of inmates are held in segregation and protective custody. Escapes are less common. What caused, then, the trend toward greater, rather than less, order? Neither demographics nor the development of supermax facilities are found to be responsible for much of the improvement. Rather, the data are consistent with the position that political and correctional leadership made prison institutions more effective. There may well be many negative social consequences of the prison buildup, but diminished prison order was not one.
Geographic variation in songs of the Common Yellowthroat

ABSTRACT The Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) exhibits widespread geographic variation in plumage, morphology, migratory behavior, and song. In addition, researchers recently found evidence that the Common Yellowthroat has three genetically distinct groups across its North American range: eastern, western, and southwestern. These groups are more genetically similar to other Geothlypis species than to each other, which suggests relatively long-term isolation. I hypothesized that geographic variation in song behavior should reflect these genetic differences. To test this hypothesis, I examined spatial patterns of variation in both note types and acoustic characteristics of song. Consistent with the hypothesis, I found significant differences among the three groups, particularly in frequency measures, internote duration, notes per phrase, and note elaborateness. Within the eastern and western groups, I also found significant song differences among historically recognized subspecies. When comparing we...
A biogeographical perspective on ecological systems: some personal reflections

During my graduate studies, I characterized patterns of geographical distribution and taxonomic differentiation in birds of the West Indies, which suggested that species undergo phases of expansion and contraction similar to the taxon cycles that E. O. Wilson had described for Melanesian ants. Fieldwork in the early 1970s with George Cox confirmed that these phases were associated with variation in habitat distribution and abundance on individual islands, tying together local ecology and biogeography. Because taxon-cycle stage was independent of taxonomic or ecological relationships among birds of the West Indies, George and I postulated that whether a species was in a phase of expansion or contraction reflected the outcome of coevolved relationships with antagonists, including pathogens. The taxon cycle concept had a cool reception initially, but subsequent phylogeographical analyses, beginning in the early 1990s with Eldredge Bermingham, provided a time scale that confirmed the relationship between taxon cycle stage and the relative age of the most recent population expansion. The discrete nature of islands allows one to visualize taxon cycles in island systems, but the principle should apply in a continental biota as well. The absence of strong phylogenetic effects in distribution and abundance is consistent with evolutionary lability caused by coevolutionary outcomes with specialized antagonists. Related species appear to compete for resources on a more-or-less equal footing across a broad range of environments, and their distribution at any particular time is likely to be determined primarily by their relationships with pathogens, among other antagonists. This model of distribution and abundance within a regional community is consistent with much of what we know about the interactions between pathogens and their host populations, but testing the model will require the development of a new research programme focused on endemic pathogen effects in natural communities.
Noise stress testing for real-time ST segment measurement algorithms: a new methodology

A simple and computationally efficient testing methodology for quantitative performance evaluation of ST measurement algorithms in the presence of noise is described. Noise signals used include baseline wander, electrode motion artifact, and muscle artifact. Evaluation of testing results is done using graphical trends of the algorithm-generated ST measurements and histograms of the differences between the algorithm-generated ST values and the true ST values. Two new performance measures, the ST measurement sensitivity (STM-SE) and the ST measurement positive predictivity (STM-PP) are also defined to further quantify the performance results. Using this methodology, it is shown that the performance of a ST monitoring algorithm in the presence of noise can be evaluated and quantified.
Horizontal Spatial Variation in the Lake

Up to this point most of the analysis has dealt with samples taken from the index station in the middle of the lake. The question arises how typical the index station is of the lake as a whole. This question is answered here in two stages. First, an analysis is made of the five-station heterogeneity series. As described in Chapters 2 and 3, this series consisted of analyses made on a set of samples taken on 32 different dates at the four main stations and the index station. The top (0–5 m) and bottom of the water column were sampled at each station. Since each one of the four main stations was located at the mouth of one of the four main arms of the lake, this sample series gives information about the degree of variation to be expected over the deep-water section of the lake.
The validation of complete fourier direct MR method for diffusion MRI via biological and numerical phantoms

The equations of the Complete Fourier Direct (CFD) MR model are explicitly derived for diffusion weighted NMR experiments. The CFD-MR theory is validated by comparing a biological phantom constructed from nerve bundles and agar gel with its numerical implementation. The displacement integral distribution function estimated from the experimental data is in high agreement with the numerical phantom. CFD-MR's ability to estimate accurately and fully spin diffusion properties demonstrated here, provides the experimental validation of the theoretical CFD-MR model.
A Strategy for Verification of Decomposable SCR Models

Formal methods for verification of software systems often face the problem of state explosion and complexity. We propose a divide and conquer methodology which leads to component-based verification and analysis of formal requirements specifications expressed using Software Cost Reduction (SCR) models. This paper presents a novel decomposition methodology which identifies components in the given SCR specification and automates related abstraction methods. Further, we propose a verification strategy for modular and decomposable software models. Efficient verification of SCR models is achieved through the use of invariants and proof compositions. Experimental validation of our methodology brought to light the importance of modularity, encapsulation, information hiding and the avoidance of global variables in the context of formal specification models. The advantages of the compositional verification strategy are demonstrated in the analysis of the Personnel Access Control System. Our approach offers significant savings in terms of time and memory requirements needed to perform formal system verification.
Reassessing the ‘Cumaean Chronicle’: Greek Chronology and Roman History in Dionysius of Halicarnassus

A biographical digression on the Cumaean tyrant Aristodemus Malacus in Dionysius' Roman Antiquities has elicited widespread speculation about the existence of an early Greek source for events in Italy contemporaneous with the origins of the Roman Republic. The communis opinion about the importance of this hypothetical ‘Cumaean chronicle’ warrants reconsideration on two grounds. First, the events in question fall well before the development of Greek historical writing concerned with contemporary events. Second, we must not overlook the potential impact on the tradition of Roman historians who wished to integrate their city's early history with that of the wider (Greek) world.