cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring and inducing brain plasticity in chronic aphasia.

Abstract Brain plasticity associated with anomia recovery in aphasia is poorly understood. Here, I review four recent studies from my lab that focused on brain modulation associated with long-term anomia outcome, its behavioral treatment, and the use of transcranial brain stimulation to enhance anomia treatment success in individuals with chronic aphasia caused by left hemisphere stroke. In a study that included 15 participants with aphasia who were compared to a group of 10 normal control subjects, we found that improved naming ability was associated with increased left hemisphere activity. A separate study ( N = 26) revealed similar results in that improved anomia treatment outcome was associated with increased left hemisphere recruitment. Taken together, these two studies suggest that improved naming in chronic aphasia relies on the damaged left hemisphere. Based on these findings, we conducted two studies to appreciate the effect of using low current transcranial electrical stimulation as an adjuvant to behavioral anomia treatment. Both studies yielded positive findings in that anomia treatment outcome was improved when it was coupled with real brain stimulation as compared with a placebo (sham) condition. Overall, these four studies support the notion that the intact cortex in the lesioned left hemisphere supports anomia recovery in aphasia. Learning outcomes : Readers will (a) be able to appreciate the possible influence of animal research upon the understanding of brain plasticity induced by aphasia treatment, (b) understand where functional changes associated with anomia treatment occur in the brain, (c) understand the basic principles of transcranial direct current stimulation, and (d) understand how brain stimulation coupled with aphasia treatment may potentially improve treatment outcome.
Synthesis of methyl ketones by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli.

Methyl ketones are a group of highly reduced platform chemicals with widespread applications in the fragrance, flavor and pharmacological industries. Current methods for the industrial production of methyl ketones include oxidation of hydrocarbons, but recent advances in the characterization of methyl ketone synthases from wild tomato have sparked interest towards the development of microbial platforms for the industrial production of methyl ketones. A functional methyl ketone biosynthetic pathway was constructed in Escherichia coli by over-expressing two genes from Solanum habrochaites: shmks2, encoding a 3-ketoacyl-ACP thioesterase, and shmks1, encoding a beta-decarboxylase. These enzymes enabled methyl ketone synthesis from 3-ketoacyl-ACP, an intermediate in the fatty acid biosynthetic cycle. The production of 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, and 2-tridecanone by MG1655 pTH-shmks2-shmks1 was initially detected by nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses at levels close to 6 mg/L. The deletion of major fermentative pathways leading to ethanol (adhE), lactate (ldhA), and acetate (pta, poxB) production allowed for the carbon flux to be redirected towards methyl ketone production, doubling total methyl ketone concentration. Variations in methyl ketone production observed under different working volumes in flask experiments led to a more detailed analysis of the effects of oxygen availability on methyl ketone concentration in order to determine optimal levels of oxygen. The methyl ketone concentration achieved with MG1655 ∆adhE ∆ldhA ∆poxB ∆pta pTrcHis2A-shmks2-shmks1, the best performer strain in this study, was approximately 500 mg/L, the highest reported for an engineered microorganism. Through the establishment of optimal operating conditions and by executing rational metabolic engineering strategies, we were able to increase methyl ketone concentrations by almost 75-fold from the initial confirmatory levels.
Upper Limits on Universal Microwave Radiation below λ = 1.7 mm

THE microwave radiation discovered by Penzias and Wilson1 fitted into the theory of the big-bang universe proposed by Gamow2 and Dicke et al.3, which predicts a residual radiation with a temperature of ∼ 3° K from the cooling of the primordial radiation. Measurement of the strength of the microwave radiation at different wavelengths4 and the inferred strength at 2.3 mm fitted the blackbody curve with a temperature of 2.7° K (Fig. 1). Supporters of the steady state universe5,6, however, are contesting this interpretation and suggest that the radiation may be the result of the superposition of “sources” or the scattering of source radiation by “dust grains”. At present, there are no direct experimental measurements of microwave radiation below a wavelength of 7 mm to show that the radiation is either a blackbody radiation of temperature 2.7° K or the type predicted by Narlikar and Wickramasinghe6. In this report I shall derive upper limits on the intensity of the microwave radiation below a wavelength of 1.7 mm using cosmic ray data to indicate the nature of the radiation.
Issues in the design and optimization of adaptive optics and laser guide stars for the Keck telescopes

We discuss issues in optimizing the design of adaptive optics and laser guide star systems for the Keck Telescope. The initial tip-tilt system will use Keck's chopping secondary mirror. We describe design constraints, choice of detector, and expected performance of this tip-tilt system as well as its sky coverage. The adaptive optics system is being optimized for wavelengths of 1 - 2.2 micrometers . We are studying adaptive optics concepts which use a wavefront sensor with varying numbers of subapertures, so as to respond to changing turbulence conditions. The goal is to be able to `gang together' groups of deformable mirror subapertures under software control, when conditions call for larger subapertures. We present performance predictions as a function of sky coverage and the number of deformable mirror degrees of freedom. We analyze the predicted brightness of several candidate laser guide star systems, as a function of laser power and pulse format. These predictions are used to examine the resulting Strehl as a function of observing wavelength. We discuss laser waste heat and thermal management issues, and conclude with an overview of instruments under design to take advantage of the Keck adaptive optics system.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
337 INTERACTION OF GROWTH HORMONE AND GASTRIC INHIBITORY POLYPEPTIDE IN HYPOPITUITARY PATIENTS

Gastric Inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) given intravenously with glucose potentiates insulin secretion and improves glucose tolerance. Since patients with growth hormone (GH) deficiency frequently show alterations in oral glucose tolerance (GTT) and may have low insulin levels, the secretion of GIP in hypopituitary patients before and after GH administration for 6 months was studied. Glucose, insulin and GIP levels were obtained during an oral GTT. The results are expressed as ± the standard error of mean. There was no significant difference in the response of GIP, insulin, or glucose to an oral GTT before and after 6 months of GH administration (2 units Im 3 times weekly). The levels of GIP are comparable to normal controls suggesting no impaired secretion of GIP in growth hormone deficiency. It does not appear that GIP plays a role in the carbohydrate abnormalities in growth hormone deficiency. (Supported in part by the John W. Champion Center.)
Coarse-grained prediction of RNA loop structures.

One of the key issues in the theoretical prediction of RNA folding is the prediction of loop structure from the sequence. RNA loop free energies are dependent on the loop sequence content. However, most current models account only for the loop length-dependence. The previously developed “Vfold” model (a coarse-grained RNA folding model) provides an effective method to generate the complete ensemble of coarse-grained RNA loop and junction conformations. However, due to the lack of sequence-dependent scoring parameters, the method is unable to identify the native and near-native structures from the sequence. In this study, using a previously developed iterative method for extracting the knowledge-based potential parameters from the known structures, we derive a set of dinucleotide-based statistical potentials for RNA loops and junctions. A unique advantage of the approach is its ability to go beyond the the (known) native structures by accounting for the full free energy landscape, including all the nonnative folds. The benchmark tests indicate that for given loop/junction sequences, the statistical potentials enable successful predictions for the coarse-grained 3D structures from the complete conformational ensemble generated by the Vfold model. The predicted coarse-grained structures can provide useful initial folds for further detailed structural refinement.
Self-esteem and neuroendocrine response to challenge: MacArthur studies of successful aging

The role of self-esteem in modulating patterns of neuroendocrine response to challenge at older ages was examined in 16 healthy 70-yr-olds. Responses to two challenges were examined: (1) a driving simulation designed to reflect a 'real life' challenge situation; and (2) a pharmacologic, corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH) challenge (1 micrograms/kg). Both challenges evoked significant elevations in cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Levels of self-esteem were significantly and negatively associated with peak elevations in cortisol in response to the driving simulation challenge (r = -0.51, p = 0.04). ACTH responses showed similar trends (r = -0.41, p = 0.12). Self-esteem levels were not correlated with responses to the CRH challenge. These data indicate that psychological characteristics such as self-esteem may play a role in modulating patterns of neuroendocrine response to cognitive/behavioral challenges in everyday life in older individuals.
Effect of cobalt60 gamma radiation on susceptibility and immunity to trichinosis.

Summary1. Cobalt60 gamma whole body irradiation of 550 to 650 (rep) increased the susceptibility of Swiss mice to infections with Trichinella spiralis. 2. Exposure of Trichinella-immune mice to 600 (rep) before administering a challenge infection destroyed their immunity to reinfection. 3. Data are presented on the effects of 680 (rep) radiation upon the total leukocyte count in the peripheral blood of mice. The sharp reduction in the number of circulating leukocytes may indicate that the role of cellular immunity should be emphasized more in acquired immunity to infections with Trichinella spiralis.
An inertially augmented radio altimeter guidance system for space booster vehicles.

A guidance system, synthesized to extend radio command guidance to missions with overthe-horizon orbital injection requirements, is described. The application of the system to a mission requiring direct powered ascent into a 100-naut-mile circular parking orbit, free fall through 205° of the parking orbit, and a transfer burn to place the vehicle on a lunar trajectory or a Hohmann transfer ellipse for synchronous orbit insertion is described. A description of the powered flight guidance equations using an explicit computation of required velocity and the technique used to implement cross-product steering with altimeter arid accelerometer measurements is included. The equations required to implement the data processing technique that adjusts the parking orbit parameters in a minimum variance sense for real-time orbit estimation in the vehicle-borne guidance computer are given. Trajectory errors resulting from inertially augmented radio altimeter guidance of powered flight at insertion into the 100-naut-mile parking orbit and at completion of the transfer burn are included. Altimeter noise and vehicle parameter anomalies are considered as independent error sources. The standard deviations of the state variables at termination of the parking orbit were obtained by performing an error analysis of the data processing technique that adjusts the orbit parameters.
At Home With 'Real Americans': Communicating Across the Urban/Rural and Black/White Divides in the 2008 Presidential Election

This ethnographic story seeks to reveal the complexity in talking across the urban/rural and Black/White divide in the 2008 Presidential Election.The story shows the tensions between feeling that an attempt to understand the other might help perpetuate the very intolerance we want to break through and feeling a responsibility to reach out and try to fashion a way out of prejudices and values with which we disagree. Is there a possibility for transformative dialogue and appreciative inquiry, where the four participants in this story might envision and generate a new, coconstructed reality, that all of them could believe in? Should that be our goal?
Phosphates in iron and pallasite meteorites

Ferrous /manganous/ orthophosphates, sarcopside and graftonite found in four iron and pallasite meteorites
Measurement of fracture stress, young's modulus, and intrinsic stress of heavily boron-doped silicon microstructures

Abstract Heavily boron-doped silicon microstructures fabricated using deep-boron diffusions and boron etch-stops have been widely used in a variety of integrated sensors and actuators. For many applications, having knowledge of the mechanical properties such as Young's modulus, intrinsic stress, and fracture stress of these films is very important in predicting the response parameters of the sensors and actuators that utilize them. These parameters include mechanical resonant frequency, sensitivity, bandwidth, linearity, and operating range. This paper describes the measurement of fracture stress, Young's modulus, and intrinsic stress of boron-doped silicon microstructures at doping concentrations above 5 × 10 19 cm −3 . The measurement of fracture stress is performed using 15 microm thick cantilever beams of widths ranging from 20 to 150 microm. The beams were bent to fracture and the maximum fracture stress was measured to be ≈ 1.8 × 10 10 dyne cm −2 which is a factor of about six higher than silicon structures with larger dimensions (bulk silicon). Young's modulus and intrinsic stress were measured using a novel custom-designed doubly supported beam (bridge) structure. The measurement technique uses the characteristic pull-in voltage of the beam as electrostatic voltage is applied across an air gap capacitor in the middle of the beam, which causes the bridge to collapse. The Young's modulus for (110)-oriented silicon was measured to be ≈ (2–2.2) × 10 12 dyne cm −2 which is 20%–30% higher than undoped silicon. The measured intrinsic stress of 1.83 × 10 8 dyne cm −2 agrees well with the measured pressure-deflection characteristics of thin diaphragms.
Causal explanations for school performance: Contrasts between mothers and children

This study investigated the causal attributions given by mothers and their fifth and sixth grade children to explain the children's success in a school subject of relatively high achievement as well as their failure in an area of low performance. Participants were asked to weight the importance of four attributions: ability, effort, personality, and training. Analyses of variance revealed significant differences between mothers' and children's weightings. Mothers cited children's ability as the main cause of success, while lack of effort was viewed as the reason for failure. Children, in contrast, gave effort as the explanation for success and lack of ability as the reason for failure. The apparent lack of concordance between mothers' and children's causal beliefs is discussed in terms of three explanatory possibilities: (a) actor/observer differences, (b) the effects of the affective bond between mother and child, and (c) the tendency toward self-presentational bias.
Molecular structure and flexibility of the yeast coatomer as revealed by electron microscopy

Coat protein complex I (COPI)-coated vesicles, one of three major types of vesicular carriers in the cell, mediate the early secretory pathway and retrograde transport from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum. COPI vesicles are generated through activation of the regulatory GTPase Arf1 at the donor membrane and the subsequent recruitment of coatomer, a coat protein complex consisting of seven stably associated components. Coatomer functions in binding and sequestering cargo molecules and assembles into a polymeric protein shell that encompasses the surface of COPI vesicles. Little is known about the structural properties of this heptameric complex. We have isolated native yeast coatomer and examined its structure and subunit organization by single-particle electron microscopy. Our analyses provide the first three-dimensional picture of the complete coatomer and reveal substantial conformational flexibility likely to be critical for its scaffolding function.
Potentiation of spontaneous synaptic activity in rat mossy cells

Recent studies have demonstrated the vulnerability of dentate mossy cells to seizure-induced damage. One source of potentially damaging synaptic input are spontaneously active granule cell terminals ('mossy terminals'.) We sought to test whether there were activity-dependent changes in the spontaneous excitatory input to mossy cells. Using the in vitro slice preparation, we examined the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) after intracellular current injection designed to mimic the extreme depolarization these neurons receive during repetitive afferent stimulation. In 4 of 7 neurons, depolarization with trains of current pulses resulted in a significant and persistent increase in frequency of spontaneous synaptic depolarizations (to an average of 178% of the initial baseline rate). In 3 of these affected neurons, an increased frequency of large amplitude, fast-rising EPSPs accounted for the majority of this change. Injection of hyperpolarizing current pulses failed to alter spontaneous activity in 3 other mossy cells. These results suggest spontaneous synaptic input to mossy cells in plastic and can be potentiated by depolarization of a single postsynaptic mossy cell. The ability of mossy cells to potentiate their excitatory input may be relevant to their vulnerability to excitotoxic injury during repetitive afferent stimulation.
Electronic characterization of ZnO/CuO heterojunctions

Abstract CuO/ZnO heterocontacts have previously been reported to exhibit nonlinear I-V characteristics which are sensitive to their environment including reducing gases and humidity. A detailed understanding of these phenomena are, however, not yet available, especially in terms of the electronic structure of the heterojunction. In this study, more reproducible methods for preparing p-CuO/n-ZnO heterojunction devices are attempted following thin-film techniques. The properties of CuO/ZnO heterojunctions prepared by reactive sputter deposition are being investigated taking into account oxygen stoichiometry, film thickness and morphology. D.c. and a.c. impedance measurements performed as a function of temperature and atmosphere are used to examine modification in the junction's barrier characteristics. A model for the electronic structure of the CuO/ZnO heterojunction and its reported sensitivity to its environment is being developed on this basis.
Antimicrobial activity and spectrum of the new glycylcycline, GAR-936 tested against 1,203 recent clinical bacterial isolates.

Abstract The in vitro activity of GAR-936, a new semisynthetic glycylcycline, was evaluated in comparison with two tetracyclines and several other antimicrobial agents. A total of 1, 203 recent clinical isolates were tested by reference broth or agar dilution methods. Among the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, GAR-936 was generally two- to four-fold more active than minocycline, and two- to 16-fold more active than tetracycline. All enteric bacilli MIC 90 results were ≤ 4 μg/mL; the exception being Proteus mirabilis and indole-positive Proteae (≥ 8 μg/mL). GAR-936 demonstrated excellent activity against all Gram-positive cocci with 90% of the penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates inhibited at 0.03 μg/ml, while the same isolates had a MIC 90 of 8 and > 8 μg/mL for minocycline and tetracycline, respectively. All Enterococcus spp., including vancomycin-resistant isolates, were inhibited at 0.25 μg/mL of GAR-936 (MIC 90 , 0.12 or 0.25 μg/mL). Although GAR-936 (MIC 50 , 0.25 μg/mL) was two-fold less active than minocycline (MIC 50 , 0.12 μg/mL) against oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, all isolates were inhibited at ≤ 0.25 μg/mL. GAR-936 demonstrated good activity against nonfermentative bacteria such as Acinetobacter spp. (MIC 90 , 2 μg/ml) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (MIC 90 , 4 μg/mL), but the compound exhibited only modest activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 50 , 8 μg/mL). Haemophilus influenzae (MIC 90 , 1–2 μg/mL), Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC 90 , 0.12 μg/mL), and various Neisseria spp. (MIC 90 , 0.12–0.5 μg/mL) were susceptible to GAR-936. These results indicate that GAR-936 has potent in vitro activity against a wide range of clinically important pathogenic bacteria, and that several Gram-positive and -negative isolates resistant to older tetracyclines and other drug classes remain susceptible to GAR-936, the newest glycylcycline candidate for clinical use.
Two‐and four‐subtest short forms of the WAIS‐R: A closer look at validity and reliability

Vocabulary and Block Design were proposed previously as a two-subtest short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised; the addition of Arithmetic and Picture Arrangement was suggested to provide a four-subtest short form of the scale. The present article reports the validities (correlations with the Full Scale) and reliabilities of these two short forms for each of the nine age groups in the standardization sample, together with standard errors of estimate and standard errors of measurement. The results are judged to support the use of these particular short forms for the purposes for which they were intended.
A Process-Oriented Methodology Toward Understanding the Organization of an Extensive Mesoscale Snowband: A Diagnostic Case Study of 4–5 December 1999

A case study of a long, narrow band of heavy snowfall is presented that illustrates those processes that force and focus the precipitation in a unique linear fashion. System-relative flow on isentropic surfaces shows how the trough of warm air aloft (trowal) formed to the north-northwest of a weak synoptic-scale surface cyclone. To the north of the trowal, midtropospheric frontogenesis formed as the warm, moist, high-e air in the trowal canyon became confluent with cold, dry air to the northwest of a closed midlevel circulation. Within the trowal airstream, isentropic uplsope is shown to contribute to vertical motion, while transverse to this flow, mesoscale lift is enhanced on the warm side of a frontogenetical zone in the presence of weak symmetric stability and conditional symmetric instability. Further, it is shown that a sloping zone of small positive to negative equivalent potential vorticity forms to the southeast of the midtropospheric system-relative closed circulation as low-e air associated with the dry conveyor belt, seen in water vapor imagery, overruns warm, moist high-e air associated with the warm conveyor belt. In this way cold season instability forms due to differential moisture advection on the warm side of the frontogenesis axis. Finally, a conceptual model is shown that encapsulates the key processes that contributed to the extensive, narrow band of heavy snow in the presence of a weak synoptic-scale surface cyclone.
The politics of language and nation building in Zimbabwe

The politics of language and nation building in Zimbabwe, by Finex Ndhlovu, Bern and New York, Peter Lang, 2009, xvi + 227 pp., €37.80/US$56.95, ISBN 978-3-03911-942-4 The ostensible cultural-natio...
On the effectiveness of soft biometrics for increasing face verification rates

The term soft biometrics typically refers to attributes of people such as their gender, the shape of their head or the color of their hair. There is growing interest in soft biometrics as a means of improving automated face recognition since they hold the promise of significantly reducing recognition errors, in part by ruling out illogical choices. This paper concentrates specifically on soft biometrics as opposed to extended attributes, and presents the results from three experiments quantifying performance gains on a difficult face recognition task when standard face recognition algorithms are augmented using soft biometrics. These experiments include (1) a best-case analysis using perfect knowledge of gender and race, (2) support vector machine-based soft biometric classifiers and (3) face shape expressed through an active shape model. All three experiments indicate small improvements may be made when soft biometrics augment an existing algorithm. However, in all cases, the gains were modest. One reason is that false matches are more likely between faces of people sharing the same soft biometric traits. This is to be expected, since face recognition algorithms utilize appearance information, which is the same information used by algorithms designed to assign soft biometric labels to face images.
Urine Cortisol/Creatinine Ratio in Controlled Insulin-induced Hypoglycemia

An elevated urine cortisol/creatinine ratio has been presented as a simple laboratory method to detect nocturnal hypoglycemia. The present study examines the time course of the rise and fall of the urine cortisol/creatinine ratio in 11 patients following insulin-induced hypoglycemia. The mean urine cortisol/ creatinine ratios at 1 and 3 h after the onset of symptomatic hypoglycemia were 170 ± 103 and 62 ± 23, respectively. These were significantly greater (P
The Thermal Expansion of Crystalline Sodium Between 80°K and 290°K

The observed linear thermal expansion of crystalline sodium is tabulated at ten degree intervals between 80\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 290\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The behavior of this material is in accord with the relation obtained by Gruneisen between thermal expansion and heat content, within the precision measure of the latter quantity. A description of the thermal expansion and cryostatic apparatus is given.
A Retrospective Chart Review of Gabapentin for the Treatment of Aggressive and Agitated Behavior in Patients With Dementias

In a 24-patient case series from retrospective chart review, the authors examined the use of gabapentin for the treatment of aggressive and agitated behaviors in nursing home patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of dementia. On Clinical Global Rating Scale scores, 17 of 22 patients were much or greatly improved; 4 were minimally improved; and only 1 remained unchanged. Two of the 24 patients discontinued use of the medication because of excessive sedation. No other significant side effects were noted in treatment lasting up to 2 years.
Dilations and Completions for Gabor Systems

Let \(\Lambda=\mathcal{K}\times\mathcal{L}\) be a full rank time-frequency lattice in ℝd×ℝd. In this note we first prove that any dual Gabor frame pair for a Λ-shift invariant subspace M can be dilated to a dual Gabor frame pair for the whole space L2(ℝd) when the volume v(Λ) of the lattice Λ satisfies the condition v(Λ)≤1, and to a dual Gabor Riesz basis pair for a Λ-shift invariant subspace containing M when v(Λ)>1. This generalizes the dilation result in Gabardo and Han (J. Fourier Anal. Appl. 7:419–433, [2001]) to both higher dimensions and dual subspace Gabor frame pairs. Secondly, for any fixed positive integer N, we investigate the problem whether any Bessel–Gabor family G(g,Λ) can be completed to a tight Gabor (multi-)frame G(g,Λ)∪(∪j=1NG(gj,Λ)) for L2(ℝd). We show that this is true whenever v(Λ)≤N. In particular, when v(Λ)≤1, any Bessel–Gabor system is a subset of a tight Gabor frame G(g,Λ)∪G(h,Λ) for L2(ℝd). Related results for affine systems are also discussed.
Applying the Vagueness of Language: Poetic Strategies and Campmeeting Piety in the Mid-Nineteenth Century

Methodist studies of the last four decades have insisted that Methodism be seen as a distinctive intellectual tradition with its own integrity. These studies have corrected the excesses of an earlier experiential interpretation. Although some may still characterize Wesley's Christianity as “almost totally devoid of intellectual content,” the subjects of Wesley, of Methodism, and of the American Holiness Movement can now no longer be reduced to merely an unreflective warm-hearted piety. Current studies have especially highlighted several distinct Wesleyan theological developments. These include the displacement of election and predestination by a religious assurance from the witness of the spirit, the tension between salvation by holy living and salvation by faith alone, an emphasis on vital Christian experience in theological reflection, and especially the development of a Protestant understanding of Christian perfection or holiness. As Henry Rack states, Wesley “softened the hard edges of Calvinism” with an Arminian accent and moved the center of Protestantism so that justification became “the door into the pilgrimage of holiness” rather than the Lutheran cradle or the Calvinist promise. Wesley's prominence in Jaroslav Pelikan's history of Christian doctrine indicates the growing acceptance of this Methodist intellectual history.
Eigenvalue multiplicities of highly symmetric graphs

We find lower bounds on eigenvalue multiplicities for highly symmetric graphs. In particular we prove:Theorem 1. If @C is distance-regular with valency k and girth g (g>=4), and @l (@l +/--k) is an eigenvalue of @C, then the multiplicity of @l is at least k(k-1)^[^g^4^]^-^1 if g=0 or 1 (mod 4), 2(k-1)^[^g^4^] if g=2 or 3 (mod 4) where [ ] denotes integer part. Theorem 2. If the automorphism group of a regular graph @C with girth g (g>=4) and valency k acts transitively on s-arcs for some s, 1=+/--k) is at least k(k-1)^s^2^-^1 if s is even, 2(k-1)^(^s^-^1^)^2 if s is odd.
Intraspecific metabolic diversity among strains of Burkholderia cepacia isolated from decayed onions, soils, and the clinical environment

A collection of 218 strains of Burkholderia cepacia (including 18% strain replicates) was assembled from organic soils, decayed onions, and clinical sources. Each strain was characterized for virulence to onion, catabolic ability using the Biolog GN microtiter plate, and several other behaviors. Overall test reproducibility was estimated at 98%. The results obtained using the Biolog GN system corresponded well to those obtained using standard methods. Three coefficients of resemblance (Gower similarity, pattern difference, and Jaccard similarity) were calculated and clustered by the group-average method. The sorted matrices and phenograms, while giving evidence of an underlying phenetic structure to the B. cepacia nomenspecies, gave little evidence of sorting by broad source of isolation. Strains isolated from within fields or samples were frequently found to be similar, however, strains isolated from fields with similar cropping histories were not. The Gower-transformed centroids of ordained clusters were projected in a principal coordinate system and estimates of disjunction were calculated. Strains of B. cepacia were shown to be non-uniformly distributed in taxonomic space. Strains isolated by serial dilution on onion slices formed a tight phenetic cluster which includes the type strain of the nomenspecies and that of a synonymous group (Pseudomonas multivorans); the strains in this phenon were generally virulent to onion and were partially differentiated from others by pectolytic behavior and by the production of diffusible pigment on King's medium A. Further characterization should better resolve the taxonomy of the nomenspecies.
Modelling summary data

Several problems in specifying aggregate functions in relational systems are investigated. We propose a solution to these problems in the form of an extension of the relational data model. In particular we introduce the concept of summary data. The query language STRAND is presented in order to describe retrieval operations on the extended model. STRAND allows a user to formulate queries involving aggregate functions without conceptualizing the query in terms of aggregation. Two example applications, proposal tracking and socio-demographic data bases, are used to illustrate the concepts of the extended model.
Microphase Separation and Rheological Properties of Polyurethane Melts. 2. Effect of Block Incompatibility on the Microstructure

This second paper in this series regarding the relationship between structure and viscoelastic properties of multiblock polyurethane elastomers presents the results of varying segmental incompatibility at fixed segment length and composition. Three series of amorphous polyurethanes with pendant trimethylammonium groups were synthesized. Quaternization of these groups with iodomethane caused segmental incompatibility to increase in a controlled fashion without significantly affecting the block length, composition, or molecular weight. This gave three series of polyurethanes with varying incompatibility; their microstructures have been characterized in this paper and their viscoelastic properties, in the accompanying paper. DSC experiments showed that increasing incompatibility caused microphase separation and that the polyurethanes ranged from almost homogeneous to highly microphase-separated. All polyurethanes showed a peak in their SAXS data. The peak intensity was independent of temperature for all mate...
Health status, health problems and practices among refugees from the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.

Recent refugees from Poland Romania Iraq and Vietnam were extensively interviewed to assess their health health care utilization and health services use barriers. 277 recent arrivals from these countries and 63 previously arrived Laotians comprised the 1983-1985 sample from the Detroit metropolitan area. Results from a 195-item bilingual questionnaire indicated good overall health and little evidence of serious physical health symptoms. Dental health was the area of greatest reported need. Prenatal care and mental health services were additional areas of need noted by researchers. Barriers to health service utilization were primarily language related. There were major differences in both health problems and health service utilization among the 4 groups surveyed. (authors)
On the similarity of dendrograms.

Abstract A metric on binary trees is defined to give the similarity of two dendrograms. One of the major desirable properties of the proposed tree similarity measure is to clarify the decision ordering nature of biological trees. This metric is applied to evolutionary tree reconstructions and comparative embryogenesis. The mathematical properties of this metric are discussed, and an algorithm is proposed to compute the metric. “ …. our essential task lies in the comparison of related forms rather than in the precise definition of each; and the deformation of a complicated figure may be a phenomenon easy of comprehension, though the figure itself have to be left unanalysed ….”
Electrochemical biosensor for detecting DNA sequences from the pathogenic protozoan Cryptosporidium parvum

An electrochemical hybridization biosensor was developed for the detection of short DNA fragments specific to the deadly waterborne pathogen Cryptosporidium. The sensor relies on the immobilization of a 38-mer oligonucleotide unique to the Cryptosporidium DNA onto the carbon-paste transducer, and employs a highly sensitive chronopotentiometric transduction mode for monitoring the hybridization event. Variables of the probe-immobilization, hybridization and indicator-detection steps are optimized to offer convenient quantitation of ng ml(-1) levels of the Cryptosporidium DNA target, in connection with short (3-15 min) hybridization times. The suitability for direct detection of the spiked Cryptosporidium DNA target in untreated drinking and river water samples is demonstrated. Similar performance characteristics are observed at DNA-coated microfabricated thick-film carbon strips. This and similar developments hold great promise for field screening of Cryptosporidium and other microorganisms in environmental samples.
Quantitative PCR analysis used to characterize physiological changes in brain tissue of senescent sockeye salmon

Senescence varies considerably among fishes, and understanding the evolutionary basis for this diversity has become an important area of study. For rapidly senescing species such as Pacific salmon, senescence is a complex process as these fish are initiating anorexia while migrating to natal spawning grounds, and die within days of reproduction. To better understand senescence in Pacific salmon we examined expression patterns for a suite of genes in brain tissue of pre-senescent and senescent sockeye salmon. Interestingly, a significant increase in expression of genes involved in telomere repair and immune activity was observed in senescent salmon. These data provide insight into physiological changes in salmon undergoing senescence and the factors contributing to variation in observed senescence rates among individuals and populations.
Differentiation of the roles of sulfide oxidase and rhodanese in the detoxification of sulfide by the colonic mucosa.

Purpose: Identify the roles of sulfide oxidase and rhodanese in sulfide detoxification in rat colonic mucosa. Results: Gel filtration of colonic mucosa and purified bovine rhodanese showed that rhodanese and sulfide oxidizing activities resided in different proteins. In the presence of cyanide, rhodanese shifted the major mucosal metabolite of sulfide from thiosulfate to thiocyanate. The purported ability of purified rhodanese to metabolize sulfide reflects: (a) contamination with a sulfide oxidase, and (b) the spontaneous conversion of sulfide to thiosulfate during storage; rhodanese then catalyzes the conversion of this thiosulfate to thiocyanate. Conclusions: Rhodanese does not metabolize sulfide. The rate-limiting step in sulfide detoxification is oxidation by a sulfide oxidase to thiosulfate. Rhodanese then converts this thiosulfate to thiocyanate, but this reaction does not increase the rate of sulfide detoxification. The recent use of rhodanese activity as a surrogate for the rate that colonic mucosa detoxifies sulfide is inappropriate.
Exercise-induced hypoxemia in athletes: role of inadequate hyperventilation.

These experiments examined the exercise-induced changes in pulmonary gas exchange in elite endurance athletes and tested the hypothesis that an inadequate hyperventilatory response might explain the large intersubject variability in arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) during heavy exercise in this population. Twelve highly trained endurance cyclists [maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) range = 65-77 ml.kg-1.min-1] performed a normoxic graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer to VO2max at sea level. During incremental exercise at VO2max, 5 of the 12 subjects had ideal alveolar to arterial PO2 gradients (PA-aO2) of above 5 kPa (range 5-5.7) and a decline from resting PaO2 (delta PaO2) 2.4 kPa or above (range 2.4-2.7). In contrast, 4 subjects had a maximal exercise PA-aO2 of 4.0-4.3 kPa with delta PaO2 of 0.4-1.3 kPa while the remaining 3 subjects had PA-aO2 of 4.3-5 kPa with delta PaO2 between 1.7 and 2.0 kPa. The correlation between PAO2 and PaO2 at VO2max was 0.17. Further, the correlation between the ratio of ventilation to oxygen consumption vs PaO2 and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide vs PaO2 at VO2max was 0.17 and 0.34, respectively. These experiments demonstrate that heavy exercise results in significantly compromised pulmonary gas exchange in approximately 40% of the elite endurance athletes studied. These data do not support the hypothesis that the principal mechanism to explain this gas exchange failure is an inadequate hyperventilatory response.
On the notion of infinite pseudorandom sequences

Abstract Three definitions of infinite pseudorandom sequences, with respect to polynomial time and space complexity, are introduced and compared with each other. It is shown that the first two definitions, based on Martin-Lof's notion of sequential tests and Levin and Schnorr's notion of monotonic operator complexity, are equivalent with respect to polynomial space complexity, while both are strictly stronger than the third definition, which is derived from Von Mises's notion of collectives.
Multiplicative Zak Transform

A multiplicative Zak transform will be defined on the space L2 (0, ∞) which can be used to study properties of finite bandwidth affine group wavelet systems of the type considered in "Painless Nonorthogonal Expansions" by I. Daubechies, A. Grossman, and Y. Meyer (J. Math. Phys. 27(5), 1986, 1271-1283). The multiplicatice Zak transform can be viewed as the multiplicative analogue of the standard Zak transform and both are special instances of intertwining operators for irreducible representations of Heisenberg group over locally compact abelian groups. Fundamental formulas involving products of multiplicative Zak transforms will be derived and applied to establishing frame conditions for finite bandwidth affine group wavelet systems.
Cache-Aware Compositional Analysis of Real-Time Multicore Virtualization Platforms

Multicore processors are becoming ubiquitous, and it is becoming increasingly common to run multiple real-time systems on a shared multicore platform. While this trend helps to reduce cost and to increase performance, it also makes it more challenging to achieve timing guarantees and functional isolation. One approach to achieving functional isolation is to use virtualization. However, virtualization also introduces many challenges to the multicore timing analysis, for instance, the overhead due to cache misses becomes harder to predict, since it depends not only on the direct interference between tasks but also on the indirect interference between virtual processors and the tasks executing on them. In this paper, we present a cache-aware compositional analysis technique that can be used to ensure timing guarantees of components scheduled on a multicore virtualization platform. Our technique improves on previous multicore compositional analyses by accounting for the cache-related overhead in the components' interfaces, and it addresses the new virtualization-specific challenges in the overhead analysis. To demonstrate the utility of our technique, we report results from an extensive evaluation based on randomly generated workloads.
Circulatory Changes Produced by the Valsalva Maneuver in Normal Subjects, Patients with Mitral Stenosis, and Autonomic Nervous System Alterations

The cardiac output has been measured during the immediate post-Valsalva maneuver recovery period in normal subjects, patients with clinically significant mitral stenosis, and patients with alterations of the autonomic nervous system. When compared with the resting value, it was found that normal subjects had a decrease in cardiac output during the immediate post-Valsalva recovery period, while patients with mitral stenosis had an increased output following the same stress. Three patients with alterations of the autonomic nervous system had a variable response. Changes in total peripheral vascular resistance usually were directionally opposite to changes in the cardiac output. The difficulties of attaching clinical significance to a patient's response to the Valsalva maneuver are considered.
Age-related changes in hip abductor and adductor joint torques.

Abstract Johnson ME, Mille M-L, Martinez KM, Crombie G, Rogers MW. Age-related changes in hip abductor and adductor joint torques. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:593–7. Objective To test the hypothesis that older age significantly affects hip abduction and adduction joint torque-time generating capability in women. Design Cross-sectional study, wherein subjects were tested in a supported standing position. Setting University human performance laboratory. Participants Seventy-six healthy, adult women (38 young; 38 old). Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures The dependent variables were peak isometric torque and its corresponding torque rate and average peak isokinetic torque. Age group differences were assessed by analysis of variance. Results Isometric peak torques were significantly lower in older women (P≤.001) for hip abduction (34%) and adduction (24%). Decreases with age were also significant for isometric rates of torque for both muscle groups (P≤.001). Average isokinetic peak torque of hip abduction and adduction showed even greater declines in older women versus the young (P≤.001) with losses of 44% and 56%, respectively. Conclusions The hip abductor and adductor torques showed relatively marked age-related changes. To enhance balance assessment and treatment, and to reduce the risk of falls and related injuries in older women, greater focus should be placed on understanding the role of joint torque-time changes on frontal plane balance control.
Test of supersymmetry in e − e − collisions

The production of scalar electrons in e/sup -/e/sup -/ collisions can proceed by exchange of a Majorana fermion, which is the photino in supersymmetric theories. Detection of this process will establish the self-conjugate nature of the photino and thus serve as a test of supersymmetry. Reactions of particular polarization configurations e/sub L//sup -/e/sub L//sup -/ or e/sub R//sup -/e/sub R//sup -/ are sensitive to the photino mass. We study the predicted cross sections and the event distributions.
Photoacoustic detection spectroscopy with dye laser excitation. The 6190 Å CH4 and the 6450 Å NH3 bands

Abstract We have applied photoacoustic detection to the observation of the weak visible overtone transitions of CH 4 and NH 3 . Spectra were obtained by placing the photoacoustic cell in the cavity of a dye laser and scanning the laser across the absorption band. A spectral resolving power of over 200 000 proved to be adequate to resolve single rotational features (probably rotational manifolds) within these complex bands. The application of these results to the observational study of the major planetary atmosphere is indicated.
Attraction by Repellents: An Error in Sensory Information Processing by Bacterial Mutants

Normal Escherichia coli bacteria are repelled by acetate, benzoate, and indole and attracted by alpha-aminoisobutyrate. We have isolated mutants that are attracted to acetate, benzoate, and indole and may be repelled by alpha-aminoisobutyrate. These reversed-taxis mutants are defective in a central processing component: a set of methylated proteins known as MCP 1. The mechanism of reversal of taxis is discussed.
Field Test of Nonfuel Hydrocarbon Bioventing in Clayey-Sand Soil

Abstract A pilot-scale bioventing test was conducted at the Greenwood Chemical Superfund Site in Virginia. The characteristics of the site included clayey-sand soils and nonfuel organic contamination such as acetone, toluene, and naphthalene in the vadose zone. Based on the results of an earlier treatability study, an 80-ft by 80-ft (24-m by 24-m) treatment plot was established in a 35-ft (11-m) vadose zone. Air was injected at a low flowrate for 15 months. Performance monitoring included initial and final soil analysis and periodic soil gas analysis and in situ respiration tests. After beginning aeration, soil gas oxygen levels in the plot rose slowly, reaching 10% at virtually all measured locations in approximately 4 months. In situ respiration rates decreased with time indicating that the site was being cleaned. Soil concentrations of the target contaminants decreased significantly during the test, with > 98% confidence for acetone, naphthalene, benzene, chlorobenzene, and toluene, and > 90% confidenc...