cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Animal Models, Learning Lessons to Prevent and Treat Neonatal Chronic Lung Disease

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a unique injury syndrome caused by prolonged injury and repair imposed on an immature and developing lung. The decreased septation and decreased microvascular development phenotype of BPD can be reproduced in newborn rodents with increased chronic oxygen exposure and in premature primates and sheep with oxygen and/or mechanical ventilation. The inflammation caused by oxidants, inflammatory agonists, and/or stretch injury from mechanical ventilation seems to promote the anatomic abnormalities. Multiple interventions targeted to specific inflammatory cells or pathways or targeted to decreasing ventilation-mediated injury can substantially prevent the anatomic changes associated with BPD in term rodents and in preterm sheep or primate models. Most of the anti-inflammatory therapies with benefit in animal models have not been tested clinically. None of the interventions that have been tested clinically are as effective as anticipated from the animal models. These inconsistencies in responses likely are explained by the antenatal differences in lung exposures of the developing animals relative to very preterm humans. The animals generally have normal lungs while the lungs of preterm infants are exposed variably to intrauterine inflammation, growth abnormalities, antenatal corticosteroids, and poorly understood effects from the causes of preterm delivery. The animal models have been essential for the definition of the mediators that can cause a BPD phenotype. These models will be necessary to develop and test future-targeted interventions to prevent and treat BPD.
Basaltic volcanism in terrestrial planets

A prescription is presented of a 3-year experimental project designed to encourage a selected group of earth scientists to think on a Solar System scale rather than a terrestrial, lunar, or martian scale. Basaltic volcanism was the process selected because it manifests itself widely in the inner Solar System and because it seemed more cleanly separable from other geological problems than other processes considered. Studies in ten areas are to illuminate all aspects of the mechanics and chronology of the generation and eruption of basaltic lavas in the terrestrial planets. Attention is given to individual team reports related to the various areas.
The Nutritional Value of a Synthetic Diet Sterilized by Gamma Rays, as Measured by Reproduction and Life Span of Rats

The Officeof the Surgeon General of U. S. Army has carried out an investigation to determine the nutritional properties of foods which have been sterilized by gamma radiation from fis sion products. This laboratory has participated in this over all program on radiation preservation of foods since Septem ber 1954. One study in the program was to determine the nutritional value of an irradiated synthetic diet for repro duction and its effect on longevity in rats. The results of this study are described in this report. EXPERIMENTAL Four generations of rats, both in the reproduction and longevity studies, received a synthetic diet which had been irradiated with 2.79 X IO6rad of gamma rays. The same num ber of animals received the non-irradiated diet as a control. The composition of the diet is given in table 1. The diet was mixed in the laboratory, sealed in no. 2 plain tin cans, stored overnight at â€”4Â°F,packed in canvas packers with dry ice and shipped to the Materials Testing Reactor at Idaho Falls, Idaho. After the diet had come to ambient temperature half of each shipment was irradiated. This portion was designated the irradiated diet. The other half was not irradiated and it was used as the control diet. The irradiated and control diets 353
Outcome of living kidney donors left with multiple renal arteries

Individuals with kidneys having ≥ 2 arteries appear to have an increased incidence of hypertension. Whether kidney donors in whom the remaining kidney has ≥ 2 arteries are at increased risk of hypertension is unknown. Therefore, we studied 3685 kidney donors to determine whether donors left with a kidney having ≥ 2 arteries were at increased risk of hypertension, impaired renal function, or death. Cohorts were assigned based on our practice pattern and the anatomy of the donated kidney. Of the 3685 donors, 1211 were estimated to have a remaining kidney with ≥ 2 arteries. Mean follow-up time for the single-artery group was 14.1 (± 11.0) yr and 15.3 (± 11.2) yr for the ≥ 2 artery group. Six-month hospital readmission rate was 1.4% and 1.2%, hypertension was noted in 22.4% and 21.8% and proteinuria in 9.7% and 9.6%, and estimated glomerular filtration rate at last follow-up was 62 (± 28) and 62 (± 16) for single vs. ≥ 2 renal artery groups, respectively. Our data suggest no adverse clinical sequelae nor any decrease in long-term survival for donors left with a kidney having ≥ 2 renal arteries.
Isolation and characterization of a 1.7-kb transposable element from a mutator line of maize.

ABSTRACT We have cloned and sequenced a 1.7-kb Mu element from a Mutator line of maize and compared its structure to Mu1 , a 1.4-kb element. With the exception of a 385-bp block of DNA present in the 1.7-kb element, these transposable elements are structurally similar, sharing terminally inverted and internal direct repeated sequences. Derivation of 1.4-kb elements from the 1.7-kb class via deletion of internal sequence is suggested by the finding that a portion of the extra DNA in Mu1.7 is part of a truncated direct repeat sequence in the 1.4-kb element. An abundant poly(A) + RNA homologous to a portion of this extra DNA is present in several tissues of both Mutator and non-Mutator lines. Analysis of transcripts from an unstable mutant bronze1 ( bz ) allele containing a Mu1.7 element inserted in an exon of the gene detects three species of poly(A) + RNA that hybridize to a Bz1 ( Bronze ) gene probe: the largest contains the entire Mu1.7 element in the Bz1 gene transcript; another appears to be a spliced, chimeric transcript; the smallest is normal size Bz1 mRNA. The latter is most likely encoded by the normal-size alleles detected by Southern analysis of tissue expressing purple pigment, suggesting that normal gene function is restored by excision of the Mu1.7 element.
Heterogeneous fluorescence intermittency in single layer reduced graphene oxide

We provide, for the first time, direct experimental evidence for heterogeneous blinking in reduced graphene oxide (rGO) during photolysis. The spatially resolved intermittency originates from regions within individual rGO sheets and shows 1/f-like power spectral density. We describe the evolution of rGO blinking using the multiple recombination center (MRC) model that captures common features of nanoscale blinking. Our results illustrate the universal nature of blinking and suggest a common microscopic origin for the effect.
Mobile communication and the transformation of daily life: The next phase of research on mobiles

In 2004, Prof. Christopher Henshilwood of the University of Bergen discovered in South Africa what appears to be the oldest known jewelry—75,000 year old pierced and ochre-tinted tick shells. His discovery suggested the importance of jewelry and other forms of interpersonal communication and representation. Henshilwood asserts that “once symbolically mediated behavior was adopted by our ancestors it meant communication strategies rapidly shifted, leading to the transmission of individual and widely shared cultural values” (Graham 2004). If we agree with Prof. Henshilwood’s assessment of the import of the initial use of symbolic display technologies (in this case, tick shell decorative jewelry), the implications for evolving practices of mobile communication technology may be even more significant than we generally assume. Specifically, novel forms of widespread mediated communication could alter the cultural values we embrace and transmit. They could also transform social structure, interpersonal processes and land use in ways we might neither anticipate nor desire.
Development of high-temperature Kolsky compression bar techniques for recrystallization investigation.

We modified the design originally developed by Kuokkala’s group to develop an automated high-temperature Kolsky compression bar for characterizing high-rate properties of 304L stainless steel at elevated temperatures. Additional features have been implemented to this high-temperature Kolsky compression bar for recrystallization investigation. The new features ensure a single loading on the specimen and precise time and temperature control for quenching to the specimen after dynamic loading. Dynamic compressive stress-strain curves of 304L stainless steel were obtained at 21, 204, 427, 649, and 871 °C (or 70, 400, 800, 1200, and 1600 °F) at the same constant strain rate of 332 s−1. The specimen subjected to specific time and temperature control for quenching after a single dynamic loading was preserved for investigating microstructure recrystallization.
Robust decisions in power system investments

Abstract The Turkish electrical system has been studied, particularly for the near term investment programme. The objective of the study was to determine the most likely investment alternatives for the next ten-year period, from a cost effectiveness point of view. A dynamic linear programming model was used in representing the national energy system, with special emphasis on the electricity sector. Hydro, coal, nuclear and oil-fired power plants as well as their interconnection investments were modelled. A 27-year planning horizon was defined. The scenario approach was utilized in establishing the effects of different factors, such as foreign currency requirements of projects, nuclear plant costs and nuclear fuel costs, demand growth rates for electricity as well as other fuels, availability of foreign currency and skilled manpower, and the development rates of coal mines, coal power plants and nuclear power plants. After analyzing the results of 24 different scenarios, robust plans for developing the power system are suggested. Other investments that are subject to the realization of certain conditions are also indicated.
Evidence of a Substantial Genetic Basis for IgG2 Levels in Families with Aggressive Periodontitis

IgG2 is elevated in localized but not in generalized aggressive periodontitis (AgP). Exposure to pathogenic bacteria is essential for disease. Immune responses are dominated by IgG2 reactive with bacterial surface carbohydrates. We used variance component analyses to assess IgG2 heritability and determine whether genes that influence IgG2 are the same genes that influence disease susceptibility. We studied 17 Caucasian and 43 African American families with two or more localized or generalized AgP-affected members (274 subjects with IgG2 measurements). Only 16% of the variance in IgG2 was attributable to age, race, and smoking. Even with the addition of localized AgP, the model still explained only 19% of IgG2 variance. By contrast, heritability of IgG2 levels was estimated to be 38% and highly significant (P = 0.0006), demonstrating a substantial genetic basis. Bi-trait variance component analyses of IgG2 and quantitative measures of AgP indicate that different genes appear to control IgG2 levels and disease susceptibility.
An improved algorithm for the generalized rank annihilation method

An improved algorithm for the generalized rank annihilation method (GRAM) is presented. GRAM is a method for multicomponent calibration using two-dimensional instruments, such as GC-MS. In this paper an orthonormal base is first computed and used to project the calibration and unknown sample response matrices into a lower-dimensional subspace. The resulting generalized eigenproblem is then solved using the QZ algorithm. The result of these improvements is that GRAM is computationally more stable, particularly in the case where the calibration sample contains chemical constituents not present in the unknown sample and the unknown contains constituents not present in the calibration (the most general case).
Values Sensitive Coaching: The DELTA Approach to Coaching Culturally Diverse Executives

Executive coaching is a popular intervention to improve the performance of middle and top level leaders. Globalization and the resulting cultural diversification of the workplace have also rapidly increased. Given these two trends, it is becoming increasingly important for executive coaches to understand how cultural values should affect their coaching. Recent research on coaching has suggested the need for a theoretical framework from which to empirically address this issue to provide scientifically rooted guidelines for effective implementation of executive coaching in these culturally diverse contexts. This article proposes a research-based, prescriptive motivational approach to coaching those from culturally diverse backgrounds. Called the DELTA approach, the model includes five components: (a) Determining cultural values, (b) Employing typical coaching techniques, (c) Looking and listening for motivational needs and deficiencies, (d) Tailoring coaching techniques to motivational needs and cultural values, and (e) Assessing the effectiveness of the approaches used. The DELTA model is intended to provide a flexible framework within which coaches can work with, motivate, and develop culturally diverse executives.
Spectrophotometric Assay Using o-Phthaldialdehyde for Determination of Proteolysis in Milk and Isolated Milk Proteins

Abstract A rapid, sensitive, and convenient Spectrophotometric assay was developed and characterized for measurement of proteolysis of milk proteins in buffered solutions or in milk. α -Amino groups released by hydrolysis react with ο -phthaldialdehyde and ( β -mercaptoethanol to form an adduct that absorbs strongly at 340nm. The absorptivity ( ɛ = 6000M −1 cm −1 ) is similar for all α -amino groups. Moreover, the absorptivity of the adduct with both α - and ɛ -amino groups of proteins is also similar and unaffected by local environment when proteins are denatured in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Thus, background is constant for a particular sample, and α -amino groups released by proteolysis can be quantitated accurately. Inclusion of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the assay provides a convenient way to terminate proteolysis and to insure full exposure and complete reaction of amino groups. Because all hydrolytic products are assayed, the method is more accurate than procedures that depend upon properties of aromatic residues (Hull and Lowry methods). Furthermore, the o-phthaldialdehyde Spectrophotometric assay is more rapid and convenient than methods using ninhydrin, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, or fluorescamine. The assay proved to be especially useful for measuring proteolysis in milk from microbial culture organisms such as Streptococcus lactis C2. Because trichloroacetic acid filtrates are used, the method should be adaptable to other dairy products.
Chemoreceptors in the cibario‐pharyngeal pump of the cabbage looper moth, Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The structure of contact chemoreceptors in the cibariopharyngeal pump of the moth Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is described. Two types of receptors designated A and B are located on the floor of the pump. Two groups of 9-12 A receptors are located in the anterior part of the pump, and two groups of two B receptors are in the posterior part of the pump. Five sensory dendrites extend to the tip of each A receptor and four to each B receptors. Available evidence indicates that these receptors are contact chemoreceptors and do not serve as mechanoreceptors. The receptors are compared to those of other insects.
Identifying latent variables in nonprofit proposal writing: results of two structural equation models

This study describes the results of two structural equation models tested within the nonprofit industry. Prior research requested that researchers assess complexity of proposal development, including collaborative and computer-based authoring. Complex interactions are difficult to directly measure, but factor analysis can account for latent variables.The study uses structural equation modeling to measure contributors to proposal writers' "Job satisfaction" and "Likeliness to contribute to knowledge management system." The researcher used a 126-item survey to collect 580 responses from members of professional organizations for fundraisers. Five significant pathways explained 25.6% of variance in "Job satisfaction": "Interpersonal trust," "Role in organization," "Learning via books/articles," "Relationship with management," and "Organizational processes." Three factors' pathways accounted for 21.1% of variance within "Likeliness to contribute to KM.": "Relationship with management," "Knowledge acquisition habits," and "Role in organization."This work contributes to a preliminary understanding of how communication processes contribute to the proposal writing process.
SOL-GEL Derived Ferroelectric Thin Films in Silicon Micromachining,

Abstract Ferroelectric thin films have been integrated with silicon micromechanical structures in the fabrication of microsensor and microactuator structures. Both the piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects in thin films of lead zirconate titanate (Pb(ZrxTi1_x)O3) and lead titanate (PbTiO3) have been used for physical force sensing (pressure sensor), thermal heat sensing (pyroelectric infrared detector) and microactuation (mechanical positioner). Solid-state micromachining is used to form mechanical membranes on a silicon wafer for implementing easily deformable membranes or structures with a low thermal mass. This paper demonstrates the compatible simultaneous integration of 1) sol-gel deposited ferroelectric thin films, 2) surface-machined micromechanical structures and 3) n-well CMOS integrated circuit technologies.
Partial orders generalizing the weak order on Coxeter groups

We define a new family of partial orders generalizing the weak order on Coxeter groups called T-orders, where T is a set of reflections determining the covers in this order. We show that the Grassmann and Lagrange orders on the Coxeter groups of type An and Bn introduced by Bergeron and Sottile are in fact T-orders. These partial orders were used to compute certain products in the cohomology ring of the flag manifolds associated to the complex Chevalley groups of these types. We exhibit T-orders generalizing these orders to partial orders for the Coxeter groups of type Dn, E6, and E7.
Supervised Competitive Learning

Supervised Competitive Learning (SCL) assembles a set of learning modules into a supervised learning system to address the stability-plasticity dilemma. Each learning module acts as a similarity detector for a prototype, and includes prototype resetting (akin to that of ART) to re spond to new prototypes. SCL has usually employed backpropagation networks as the learning modules. It has been tested with two feature abstractors: about 30 energy-based features, and a com bination of energy-based and graphical features (about 60). About 75 subjects have been involved. In recent testing (15 college students), SCL recognized 99 % (energy features only) of test digits, 91 % (energy) and 96.6% (energy/graphical) of test letters, and 85% of test gestures (energy/graphical). SCL has also been tested with fuzzy sets as learning modules for recognizing handwritten digits and handwritten gestures, recognizing 97% of test digits and 91% of test gestures.
The Status of Limnocalanus macrurus (Copepoda: Calanoida: Centropagidae) in Lake Erie

The calanoid copepod Limnocalanus macrurus showed large declines in abundance and a narrowing of spatial distribution with the onset of cultural eutrophication and increases in rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) abundances in Lake Erie in the mid 20th century. Since 1995, however, Limnocalanus macrurus appears to have repopulated in western Lake Erie to levels of abundance that have not been observed since the late 1930s. We hypothesize that phosphorus abatement and the subsequent decrease in low dissolved oxygen events have assisted this resurgence. However, Limnocalanus macrurus abundances have not increased in the central and eastern basins, even though water quality has improved there too. High densities of rainbow smelt and associated smelt predation pressure in the central and eastern basins may be responsible for the low numbers in these basins.
The touch that hepatocytes seem to like

We have identified the liver-regulating protein (LRP), a cell surface protein involved in the maintenance of hepatocyte differentiation when cocultured with rat liver epithelial cells (RLEC). LRP was defined by immunoreactivity to a monoclonal antibody (mAb L8) prepared from RLEC. mAb L8 specifically detected two polypeptides of 85 and 73 kD in immunoprecipitation of both hepatocyte- and RLEC-iodinated plasma membranes. The involvement of these polypeptides, which are integral membrane proteins, in cell interaction-mediated regulation of hepatocytes was assessed by evaluating the perturbing effects of the antibody on cocultures with RLEC. Several parameters characteristic of differentiated hepatocytes were studied, such as liver-specific and house-keeping gene expression, cytoskeletal organization and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). An early cytoskeletal disturbance was evidenced and a marked alteration of hepatocyte functional capacity was observed in the presence of the antibody, together with a loss of ECM deposition. By contrast, cell-cell aggregation or cell adhesion to various extracellular matrix components were not affected. These findings suggest that LRP is distinct from an extracellular matrix receptor. The fact that early addition of mAb L8 during cell contact establishment was necessary to be effective may indicate that LRP is a novel plasma membrane protein that plays an early pivotal role in the coordinated metabolic changes which lead to the differentiated phenotype of mature hepatocytes.
Intra-articular disc displacement. Part I: Its questionable role in temporomandibular joint pathology.

The publications by Farrar relating temporomandibular joint (TMJ) signs and symptoms to disc displacement, and the rediscovery of TMJ arthrography by Wilkes, has stimulated renewed interest in TMJ internal derangement. ~'2 During the 1970s and 1980s, numerous publications documenting disc displacement and its clinical presentation appeared in the literature. 3-7 Supporting clinical evidence for disc displacement came from diagnostic imaging and surgical observations correlated with clinical signs and symptoms. It was proposed that TMJ pain, mandibular dysfunction, osteoarthrosis, and mandibular growth disturbances could be attributed to displacement of the TMJ disc and the position and shape of the disc became the focus of classification, diagnosis, and treatment of TMJ pain and dysfunction. However, despite the clinical evidence supporting the existence of TMJ disc displacement, there remained many unanswered questions that raised doubt as to the significance of such displacement. In 1983, I coauthored an article, "Internal Derangement of the Temporomandibular Joint: Fact or Fiction" in which it was concluded that TMJ disc displacement was a reality and, further, the major cause of TMJ pain, dysfunction, and osteoarthrosis. 8 However, during the past decade much has been learned about TMJ internal derangement. The purpose of this article is to re-evaluate the relationship of disc position to pain, mandibular dysfunction, osteoarthrosis, and growth disturbances, ie, to reconsider the clinical significance of disc displacement.
Effect of Prior Intensive Therapy in Type 1 Diabetes on 10-Year Progression of Retinopathy in the DCCT/EDIC: Comparison of Adults and Adolescents

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine differences between adolescents and adults in persistence of the benefits of intensive therapy 10 years after completion of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS During the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study, progression of retinopathy from DCCT closeout to EDIC year 10 was evaluated in 1,055 adults and 156 adolescents. RESULTS During 10 years of follow-up, HbA 1c (A1C) was similar between original intensive (INT) and conventional (CON) groups and between former adolescents and adults. At EDIC year 10, adults in the former INT group continued to show slower progression of diabetic retinopathy than those in the CON group (adjusted hazard reduction 56%, P P = 0.13). Seventy-nine percent of observed differences in the prolonged treatment effect between adults and adolescents at year 10 were explained by differences in mean A1C during DCCT between adolescents and adults (8.9 vs. 8.1%), particularly between INT adolescents and adults (8.1 vs. 7.2%). CONCLUSIONS Prior glycemic control during DCCT is vital for the persistence of the beneficial effects of INT therapy 10 years later. Lowering A1C to as close to normal as safely possible without severe hypoglycemia and starting as early as possible should be attempted for all subjects with type 1 diabetes. These results underscore the importance of maintaining A1C at target values for as long as possible because the benefits of former INT treatment wane over time if A1C levels rise.
High power target measurements and finite element calculations for ISL targets

Abstract Methods for cooling thick spallation targets (emphasis is on targets for an ISL facility) to uniform temperatures are discussed along with methods for testing targets in a manner that does not require an accelerator facility or result in induced radioactivity. Empirical data is supplemented by computer models using a custom finite element analysis package which allows modeling of combined heat and fluid flow.
Chelators enhanced biocide inhibition of planktonic sulfate-reducing bacterial growth

Biocides are currently the primary mitigation method to control sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in biofouling, reservoir souring and microbiologically influenced corrosion. Increasingly restrictive environmental regulations and safety concerns on biocide uses demand more efficient dosing of biocides. Chelators have been known to enhance antibiotics because of their properties such as increasing the permeability of the outer cell membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Two readily biodegradable chelators, ethylenediaminedisuccinate (EDDS) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)iminodiacetic acid (HEIDA) disodium salts that are touted as potential replacements of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), were evaluated as potential biocide enhancers for glutaraldehyde and tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) in their inhibition of planktonic SRB growth. Desulfovibrio vulgaris ATCC 7757 and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 14563 were grown in modified ATCC 1249 medium and in enriched artificial seawater, respectively. Laboratory tests in 100 ml anaerobic vials showed that EDDS or HEIDA alone did not inhibit SRB growth. However, when EDDS or HEIDA was combined with glutaraldehyde or THPS, each of them enhanced the biocide inhibition of planktonic SRB growth.
ORGAN WEIGHTS OF NORMAL RABBITS : SECOND PAPER.

The results of a second series of organ weight determinations on normal rabbits are reported and the values obtained are compared with those for the first series. Figures are also given which represent the results obtained by combining the two series of animals or from weight determinations made on 645 apparently normal rabbits selected from stocks used for various experimental purposes.
The phenomenology of non-clinical panic in older adults in comparison to younger adults

The prevalence and nature of panic symptoms in the elderly are poorly understood. In a replication and extension of Deer and Calamari [J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry 29 (1998) 303], the current study sought to determine which symptoms of anxiety best differentiated elderly endorsers of panic from elderly who do not panic, and to compare these results to a reference younger sample. Based on a sample of 302 community-dwelling older adults and a comparison group of 275 younger adults, non-clinical panic (NCP) was endorsed in 26.2% of older adults, which is less frequent than the younger adults (42.7%). Although older and younger adults were similar in terms of clinical features of panic, health factors interacted significantly with panic symptoms in the elderly. When controlling for health, cognitive symptoms of anxiety were stronger predictors of panic in older adults than were physiological symptoms. Clinical implications for the assessment of panic in older adults are discussed.
The Effects of Bilingualism on Preschoolers' Private Speech.

This study was designed to examine the effects of bilingualism on the development of self-regulatory private speech. The sample consisted of 34 Spanish-speaking preschoolers learning English as a second language in the context of a bilingual preschool program in El Paso, Texas. Protocols of spontaneous private speech were obtained with video recorders while children worked by themselves in a corner of the preschool classroom on block design, classification, and story-sequencing tasks. Instructions were given bilingually, in order to encourage the use of both languages within the experimental setting. Results show that the private speech of bilingual preschoolers appears to develop normally: Namely, it follows a curvilinear relation to mental age, increases with task difficulty, and is gradually subvocalized in the form of whispers and mutterings. The findings suggest that the experience of learning a second language in the context of an additive bilingual preschool program has positive effects both on the frequency of private speech and on the number of diverse functions for which it is used. No evidence was found, however, in support of the hypothesis that bilingual children use their two languages to “code switch” while working on challenging cognitive tasks.
High order stiffly stable composite multistep methods for numerical integration of stiff differential equations

Let $$\dot y$$ =f(y,t) withy(t 0)=y 0 possess a solutiony(t) fort≧t 0. Sett n=t 0+nh, n=1, 2,.... Lety 0 denote the approximate solution ofy(t n) defined by the composite multistep method with $$\dot y_n $$ =f(y n ,t n ) andN=1, 2,.... It is conjectured that the method is stiffly stable with orderp=l for alll≧1 and shown to be so forl=1,..., 25. The method is intrinsically efficient in thatl future approximate solution values are established simultaneously in an iterative solution process with only one function evaluation per iteration for each of thel future time points. Step and order control are easily implemented, in that the approximate solution at only one past point appears in each component multistep formula of the method and in that the local truncation error for the first component multistep formula of the method is easily evaluated as $$T^{[l]} = \frac{h}{{t_{Nl} - t_{(N - 1)l - 1} }}\{ y_{Nl}^{PRED} - y_{Nl} \} ,$$ wherey Nl PRED denotes the value att Nl of the Lagrange interpolating polynomial passing through the pointsy (N−1)l+j att (N−1)l+j withj=−1, 0,...,l − 1.
Control Variates for Monte Carlo Analysis of Nonlinear Statistical Models, I: Overview

Parameter values of nonlinear statistical models are typically estimated from data using iterative numerical procedures. The resulting joint sampling distribution of the parameter estimators is often intractable, resulting in the use of approximators or Monte Carlo simulation to determine properties of the sampling distribution. This paper develops methods, using linear and higher-order approximators as control variates that reduce the variance of the Monte Carlo estimator by orders of magnitude. Estimation of means, higher-order raw moments, variances, covariances, and percentiles is considered.
Percutaneous saphenous vein angioplasty to avoid reoperative bypass surgery

Abstract Thirty-seven patients with vein graft stenosis following coronary artery bypass underwent percutaneous transluminal vein graft angioplasty to avoid another operation. Location of the stenoses was at the aortic anastomosis in 3 patients, in the vein body in 12, and at the distal anastomosis in 22. All patients had disabling angina pectoris. Initial success (greater than 20% reduction of stenosis) was achieved in 35 patients. Vein graft angioplasty was performed within a year after bypass in 28 patients. The percent of stenosis and the pressure gradient across the obstruction were reduced from 84 to 24% and from 58 to 15 mm Hg, respectively. Complications of the procedure included emergency coronary artery bypass in 2 patients, myocardial infarction in 2, and ventricular fibrillation in 1. There were no deaths. Of 15 patients with stenosis at the aortic anastomosis or vein body, the dilation was initially successful in 14 but restenosis occurred in 7 within the first year after angioplasty. Only 2 of the remaining 7 were asymptomatic after vein graft angioplasty. However, for patients having vein graft angioplasty of the distal anastomosis, restenosis occurred in only 3, while 12 were asymptomatic at the end of the first year. The average hospital cost of a repeat coronary artery bypass operation was 2.8 times the cost of vein graft angioplasty.
Radiation Leukemia Virus Contains Two Distinct Viral RNAs

Summary We have analyzed the RNA genome of RadLV/VL 3 , a highly oncogenic murine leukemia virus. This virus is produced by a permanent cell line derived from a radiation leukemia virus-induced thymic lymphoma of C57BL/Ka mice. Two distinct RNA components were found in the virions: a 70S dimer containing two 8 kb RNA subunits and a 54S dimer containing two 5.6 kb RNAs. A nononcogenic retrovirus, BL/Ka(B), endogenous in the same strain of mice, contains only 8 kb viral RNA subunits. The linkages between both RadLV/VL 3 dimers have identical thermal stabilities. Both dimers can serve as primer templates for reverse transcriptase and both produce very similar "strong-stop" cDNAs 147 ± 1 bases long. Sequences at the 5′ end of the 5.6 kb subunit contain the genes for the viral proteins p15 and p12, but the gene for p30 is either absent or partially deleted. In vitro translation of the 5.6 kb RNA yields a 100,000 molecular weight protein containing antigenic determinants which react with antibody to p15 but not with antibody to p30. In addition, cells producing RadLV/VL 3 virus synthesize a novel 1.6 kb poly(A)-containing cytoplasmic RNA which shows very little if any homology with BL/Ka(B) viral sequences.
Belowground decomposition of mangrove roots in Florida coastal everglades

Mangrove root decomposition rates were measured by distributing mesh bags containing fine root material across six sites with different soil fertility and hydroperiod to compare ambient differences to substrate quality. Roots from a site with lower soil phosphorus concentration were used as a reference and compared to ambient roots at five other sites with increased phosphorus concentration. Four mesh bags of each root type (ambient versus reference), separated into four 10-cm replicate intervals, were buried up to 42 cm depth at each site and incubated for 250 d (initiation in May 2004). Mass loss of ambient mangrove roots was significant at all study sites and ranged from 17% to 54%; there was no significant difference with depth at any one site. Reference decomposition constants (−k) ranged from 0.0012 to 0.0018 d−1 among Taylor Slough sites compared to 0.0023–0.0028 d−1 among Shark River sites, indicating slower decomposition rates associated with lower soil phosphorous and longer flood duration. Reference roots had similar decomposition rates as ambient roots in four of the six sites, and there were no significant correlations between indices of root substrate quality and decomposition rates. Among these distinct landscape gradients of south Florida mangroves, soil environmental conditions have a greater effect on belowground root decomposition than root substrate quality.
Temporal Profiles of Walleye Angling Effort, Harvest Rate, and Harvest in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Abstract In regions where water resources are abundant, broad-scale fisheries management requires quantifying fishery trends on a representative sample of lakes and then using these data to evaluate management actions and assess fishery status. Therefore, we quantified regional fishery profiles of the average number of complete-trip interviews, effort per acre, the number of walleyes Sander vitreus harvested per angler-hour, and the number of walleyes harvested per acre among hours, seasons, and years from 1991 to 2002 in northern Wisconsin lakes. The average number of interviews within days was similar between weekday and weekend day types but differed between open-water and ice-fishing seasons, peaking at midday and late afternoon during open water and midday during ice fishing. The average harvest rate within days was similar between day types and seasons and was highest in the morning and afternoon. The average angler effort during the angling season differed between day types and peaked in July on we...
Square-law circuit using junction field-effect transistors

A simple square-law circuit which requires no DC power supply is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The circuit uses a matched pair of symmetrical junction field-effect transistors, and is compatible with current integrated-circuit technologies.
Recognition and function in a degenerate immune system

Degeneracy in the immune system not only refers to the recognition by its specific receptors, but also at the level of functional degeneracy of reactivity by its lymphocytes. Features of the immune system such as dominance and competition occur at each of these two levels. Another characteristic of the immune system as a fuzzy system, is its continuum of states, where difficult choices lead to the emergence of unpredictable phenotypes.
Recovery of strains of the polyomavirus SV40 from rhesus monkey kidney cells dating from the 1950s to the early 1960s

From stocks of adenovirus and poliovirus prepared in primary rhesus macaque kidney cells and dating from 1956 to 1961, the time when SV40 contaminated some poliovirus vaccine lots, we have recovered ten isolates of SV40. Of these ten isolates, based on the C-terminal region of T antigen, five novel strains of SV40 have been identified. Additionally, three pairs of isolates were found to be the same strain: one pair was strain 777, one pair was strain 776 archetype, and the third pair represented a novel strain. All strains had identical protein sequences for VP2 and VP3. There were two variants of agnoprotein and the small t antigen and three variants of VP1. These results, and those of others, suggest that a limited number of SV40 strains might exist in rhesus macaques in the United States, and thus determining the origin of the SV40 sequences detected in human tumors might be difficult.
The Interactive Role of Negative Affectivity and Job Characteristics: Are High‐NA Employees Destined to Be Unhappy at Work?1

The present study examined whether employees high in negative affectivity (NA) are destined to be unhappy at work. Managerial employees provided information regarding perceptions of job characteristics, negative affectivity (NA), job satisfaction, and intentions to turnover. Using hierarchical regression, our findings suggest that employees who reported being high NA were more reactive to the environmental cues of perceived job scope. Specifically, NA interacted with job scope such that individuals high in NA who perceived their jobs as being higher (lower) in scope reported more (less) job satisfaction than did individuals low in NA. Implications for organizations and future research directions are discussed.
Sleep Electroencephalographic Studies After ECT: Age and Clinical Response.

Forty-one patients with major depressive disorder were treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Sleep polysomnography studies (SPSs) were performed after the course of ECT. The hypotheses tested were that age is a significant factor in post-ECT SPS results and that some SPS parameters are correlates of outcome of ECT. An interaction between age and response to ECT could not be identified; however, older patients demon strated significantly disrupted sleep post-ECT. Response to ECT was associated with lower REM activity and lower REM density. Sleep-onset REM periods post-ECT were observed in almost 50% of the patients regardless of age. The SPS monitoring of recovery after a course of ECT may identify sleep correlates of response to ECT and variables associated with poorer longitudinal outcome.
The Evaluation of Efficiency and Variability of Sampling for Atmospheric Nitrogen Dioxide

Abstract A study of the efficiency and variability of the sampling system used to collect nitrogen dioxide in the Alabama Air Pollution and Respiratory Disease Study is described. Experimental sampling was conducted with single and multiple bubblers in series, equipped in each case with either fritted-tip or restricted opening air dispersers. Comparative evaluations of 0.4 to 0.5 Ipm and 0.2 to 0.3 Ipm air-flow rates indicated that higher collection efficiency, but greater variability, can be expected with lower air-flow rates. Fritted-tip bubblers were found to be more efficient, but restricted-opening bubblers are preferable because their variability is about half that of the fritted-tip bubblers. Sampling variability apparently was not affected by ambient air temperatures, humidity, or the concentration of collecting solution used. Collection efficiency, variability, and the method of empirically determining these factors should be specified when reporting ambient atmospheric nitrogen dioxide.
Kallidin Effect on Renal Tubular Function in Meclofenamate- and Vehicle-Pretreated Rats

The effect of kallidin (lysyl-bradykinin) on the urinary recovery of sodium-22 was examined in anesthetized, volume-expanded rats. Sodium-22 was microinfused into the lumen of late proximal convoluted tubules with and without kallidin (100 pg/ml). Kallidin enhanced mean sodium-22 recovery from a control of 2.24 f 0.29% to 6.22 f 1.30% (A = 3.98 f 1.31%, P c 0.005). The urinary recovery of simultaneously microin- fused inulin, mean blood pressure, urine flow, and the rate of tubular infusion were similar during control and kallidin microinfusions. Pretreatment of rats with meclofenamate (3.0 mg/kg) to inhibit renal prostaglandin synthesis blunted, but did not abolish, the effect of kallidin to promote sodium-22 recovery. The changes in sodium recovery induced by kallidin represent a 175 f 47% and a 58 f 11% increase from control values in vehicle- and meclofenamate-pretreated rats, respectively. The results indicate that kallidin, microinfused in high doses into the lumen of late proximal tubules, may lower sodium efflux in that nephron. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis reduced the tubular effect of kallidin, suggesting that enhanced prostaglandin synthesis may contribute to the natriuretic effects of kallidin. Alternatively, meclofenamate may directly oppose the tubular effect of kallidin. (P.S.E.B.M. 1990, Vol 1931 he kallikrein-kinin system is highly active in the kidneys and it may play a role in the regulation
Isolation and characterization of soybean hull hemicellulose B

Abstract By aqueous alkaline extraction of commercial soybean hull holocellulose, there is obtained a crude hemicellulose B fraction in 6% yield. The major polysaccharidc from this fraction is isolated by alcohol fractionation and is electrophoretically homogeneous; [α]D25 +57.3 ° with a number-average molecular weight of 40,800. It contains 17.7% glucuronic acid isolatable in the aldobiouronic acid 2-O-(4-O-methyl-α- d -glucopyranosyluronic acid)- d -xylose. Hydrolysis of the fully methylated polysaceharide yields 2-O-methyl- d -xylose, 2,3-di-O-methyl- d -xylose, 2,3-di-O-methyl- d -glucose, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl- d -galactose, and 2,3,5-tri-O-methyl- l -arabinose and 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl- d -xylose in the ratio 2.4:2.0:1.5:1.5:1.0. Thus, the polysaccharide is branched with d -xylose, l -arabinose, and d -galactose as end units and d -xylose and d -glucose at points of branching.
Stimulation of gene expression by introns: conversion of an inhibitory intron to a stimulatory intron by alteration of the splice donor sequence.

Abstract Efficient expression of many mammalian genes depends on the presence of at least one intron. We previously showed that addition of almost any of the introns from the mouse thymidylate synthase (TS) gene to an intronless TS minigene led to a large increase in expression. However, addition of intron 4 led to a reduction in minigene expression. The goal of the present study was to determine why TS intron 4 was unable to stimulate expression. Insertion of intron 4 into an intron-dependent derivative of the ribosomal protein L32 gene did not lead to a significant increase in expression, suggesting that its inability to stimulate expression was due to sequences within the intron. Deleting most of the interior of intron 4, improving the putative branch point, removing purines from the pyrimidine stretch at the 3' end of the intron, or removing possible alternative splice acceptor or donor sites within the intron each had little effect on the level of expression. However, when the splice donor sequence of intron 4 was modified so that it was perfectly complementary to U1 snRNA, the modified intron 4 stimulated expression approximately 6-fold. When the splice donor site of TS intron 1 (a stimulatory intron) was changed to that of TS intron 4, the modified intron 1 was spliced very inefficiently and lost the ability to stimulate mRNA production. Our observations support the idea that introns can stimulate gene expression by a process that depends directly on the splicing reaction.
Optical Design of a Camera Lens System for Echelle Spectroscopy

In order to take full advantage of CCD detector arrays for high dispersion astronomical spectroscopy, an echelle spectrograph is being designed and built for the Palomar sixty inch reflecting telescope. Critical to the performance of the spectrograph is the design of a seven element lens for the spectrograph camera, which has proved capable of 20 micron spot diameters over the CCD field and for wavelengths ranging from 320 nm to 700 nm.
Creativity abhors prescription

Eric Gustafson (2011) has initiated a discussion aimed at advancing the field of landscape ecology by revising scientific publication formats including better use of information technology. I empathize with Eric—it is difficult to determine quickly if a paper is worth reading, and some papers were not worth reading after all. As Eric noted, there are examples of journals using sidebars or structured abstracts to help solve the first problem, and this journal should adopt a similar format. I also agree it would be helpful to publish a statement of the relevance of research to this journal’s audience, perhaps using as a guide the key issues and research priorities identified in Wu and Hobbs (2002). It would surprise me if the problem of irrelevant or inadequate papers can be solved independently of the peer review process which is the defining feature of a scientific journal. Editors and reviewers are expected to read poor papers so that journal readers do not have to. Like other interdisciplinary fields, our journal requires an enlightened peer review process to ‘‘...encourage and publish papers that are novel, synthetic, and interdisciplinary; that combine theory and practice; and that contain grounded speculation, while also being able to identify and eliminate junk...’’ (Holling 1997). Better use of information technology is essential, but creativity abhors prescription and well-documented junk is still junk.
Thermodynamics of SU(2) $$ \mathcal{N} $$ =2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

The thermodynamics of four-dimensional SU(2) $$ \mathcal{N} $$ =2 super-Yang-Mills theory is examined in both high and low temperature regimes. At low temperatures, compelling evidence is found for two distinct equilibrium states related by a spontaneously broken discrete R-symmetry. These equilibrium states exist because the quantum moduli space of the theory has two singular points where extra massless states appear. At high temperature, a unique R-symmetry-preserving equilibrium state is found. Discrepancies with previous results in the literature are explained.