cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Double-stranded RNAs targeting inhibitor of apoptosis gene show no significant cross-species activity.

RNA interference (RNAi) has become an integral part of mainstream research due to its versatility and ease of use. However, the potential nontarget effects associated with double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) are poorly understood. To explore this, we used dsRNAs targeting the inhibitor of apoptosis (iap) gene from nine insect species and assayed their possible nontarget effects. For each assay, we used a control (dsRNA targeting the gene coding for green fluorescent protein, GFP) and a species-specific dsRNA targeting nine iap genes in insect species to evaluate target gene knockdown efficiency, apoptosis phenotype in cells and mortality in insects. Our results revealed that dsIAP efficiently knocks down iap gene expression and induces apoptosis phenotype and mortality in target insect species. In contrast, no significant knockdown of the iap gene expression, apoptosis phenotypes, or mortality were detected in cell lines developed from nontarget insects or nontarget insects treated with dsIAPs. Interestingly, even among closely related insects such as stink bugs, Nezara viridula, Halyomorpha halys, and Murgantia histrionica, with substantial sequence similarity among iap genes from these insects, no significant nontarget effects of dsIAP were observed under the conditions tested. These data demonstrate no significant nontarget effects for dsIAPs and suggest that the threat of nontarget effects of RNAi technology may not be substantial.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES): Another imaging manifestation of COVID-19

Neuroimaging manifestations of COVID-19 are being reported with increasing frequency with recent reports of associated atypical leukoencephalopathies. We add to this literature by describing a COVID-19 + patient who demonstrated imaging findings typical for posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). The inflammatory syndrome associated with novel corona virus infection has shown markedly increased levels of cytokines and inflammatory markers. This has also been described in a proposed mechanism for PRES, where elevated inflammatory markers result in endothelial injury causing interstitial fluid extravasation typical of PRES. We expect that other cases of PRES will be observed in this population given the scope of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Does Perceived Injury Explain the Effects of Gender on Attributions of Blame for Intimate Partner Violence? A Factorial Vignette Analysis

Perpetrator and victim gender influence how blame is assigned in intimate partner violence (IPV) scenarios. Although men’s differential capacity to inflict and sustain harm is posited as the reason male perpetrators and victims receive more blame for IPV, it is possible that other aspects of the construct of gender, such as gender role beliefs, underscore these effects. Using a sample of 323 college students and a factorial vignette design that varied body sizes and genders of victims and perpetrators, we examined the extent to which perceptions of physical injury accounted for the effects of perpetrator and victim gender on blame attributions, and whether adherence to traditional gender roles moderated any influences of gender unassociated with perceived injury. For female perpetrators, participants estimated lower levels of perceived injury and greater victim blame, with the former effect predominantly accounting for the latter. Male victims were viewed as less injured and more blameworthy, but the latter finding was not predominantly driven by injury perceptions. Perceived physical injury also did not account for why females perpetrating against males were blamed least. Controlling for differences in perceived injury, those holding more traditional gender views blamed victims of female violence more than victims of male-perpetrated violence. Notably, variations in body physical size were not associated with injury perceptions or blame attributions. These findings overall suggest that gender does influence blame attributions by way of perceived physical injury, but other aspects of the construct of gender are also relevant to these evaluations.
Cancer as a form of life: Musings of the cancer and evolution symposium.

Abstract Advanced cancer is one of the major problems in oncology as currently, despite the recent technological and scientific advancements, the mortality of metastatic disease remains very high at 70–90%. The field of oncology is in urgent need of novel ideas in order to improve quality of life and prognostic of cancer patients. The Cancer and Evolution Symposium organized online October 14–16, 2020 brought together a group of specialists from different fields that presented innovative strategies for better understanding, preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Today still, the main reasons behind the high incidence and mortality of advanced cancer are, on one hand, the paucity of funding and effort directed to cancer prevention and early detection, and, on the other hand, the lack of understanding of the cancer process itself. I argue that besides being a disease, cancer is also a form of life, and, this frame of reference may provide a fresh look on this complex process. Here, I provide a different angle to several contemporary cancer theories discussing them from the perspective of “cancer-forms of life” (i.e. bionts) point of view. The perspectives and the several “bionts” introduced here, by no means exclusive or comprehensive, are just a shorthand that will hopefully encourage the readers, to further explore the contemporary oncology theoretical landscape.
A show of Hands: Novel and conserved expression patterns of teleost hand paralogs during craniofacial, heart, fin, peripheral nervous system and gut development.

Background Hand genes are required for the development of the vertebrate jaw, heart, peripheral nervous system, limb, gut, placenta and decidua. Two Hand paralogues, Hand1 and Hand2, are present in most vertebrates, where they mediate different functions yet overlap in expression. In ray-finned fishes, Hand gene expression and function is only known for the zebrafish, which represents the rare condition of having a single Hand gene, hand2. Here we describe the developmental expression of hand1 and hand2 in the cichlid Copadichromis azureus. Results hand1 and hand2 are expressed in the cichlid heart, paired fins, pharyngeal arches, peripheral nervous system, gut and lateral plate mesoderm with different degrees of overlap. Conclusions Hand gene expression in the gut, peripheral nervous system and pharyngeal arches may have already been fixed in the lobe- and ray-finned fish common ancestor. In other embryonic regions, such as paired appendages, hand2 expression was fixed, while hand1 expression diverged in lobe- and ray-finned fish lineages. In the lateral plate mesoderm and arch associated catecholaminergic cells, hand1 and hand2 swapped expression between divergent lineages. Distinct expression of cichlid hand1 and hand2 in the epicardium and myocardium of the developing heart may represent the ancestral pattern for bony fishes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Tribological properties of structural ceramics

The tribological and lubricated behavior of both oxide and nonoxide ceramics are reviewed in this chapter. Ceramics are examined in contact with themselves, other harder materials and metals. Elastic, plastic and fracture behavior of ceramics in solid state contact is discussed. The contact load necessary to initiate fracture in ceramics is shown to be appreciably reduced with tangential motion. Both friction and wear of ceramics are anisotropic and relate to crystal structure as has been observed with metals. Grit size effects in two and three body abrasive wear are observed for ceramics. Both free energy of oxide formation and the d valence bond character of metals are related to the friction and wear characteristics for metals in contact with ceramics. Surface contaminants affect friction and adhesive wear. For example, carbon on silicon carbide and chlorine on aluminum oxide reduce friction while oxygen on metal surfaces in contact with ceramics increases friction. Lubrication increases the critical load necessary to initiate fracture of ceramics both in indentation and with sliding or rubbing. Ceramics compositions both as coatings and in composites are described for the high temperature lubrication of both alloys and ceramics.
Forum: New Perspectives in Public Administration

(2010). Forum: New Perspectives in Public Administration. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 438-444.
Policy-oriented climate impact assessment

Abstract Concern about Society's ability to adapt to potential climate change impacts in a timely and effective manner has focused attention on the policy aspects of specific impacts. The author presents the results of a policy-oriented climate impact assessment of two case study sites in the southeastern USA: the Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir system and Apalachicola Bay. Each assessment draws upon biophysical impacts calculated from computer models of an atmosphere doubled in carbon dioxide. Policy implications of climate change impacts are discussed to identify options and weigh prospects for institutional adaptation.
The Benefits of Good Teaching Extend beyond Course Achievement.

This paper synthesizes research from the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education, the National Study on Student Learning, and the Research on Iowa Student Experiences study that estimates the influence of certain effective instructional practices on a range of student outcomes. Student perceptions of two specific teacher behaviors - instructor clarity and instructor organization - are associated with gains in a number of important student outcomes including critical thinking, propensity for lifelong learning, academic motivation, persistence to the second year of college, graduate degree plans, likelihood of obtaining a bachelor's degree, and student use of deep approaches to learning.
A simple scheme for transmit diversity using partial channel feedback

Previous work in wireless communications focuses on transmit diversity as a convenient means to obtain diversity gain where receivers have a limited number of antennas. Unlike at the receiver exploiting the diversity advantage from multiple transmitting antennas is difficult since channel knowledge is not readily available at the transmitter and because the signals arrive having been combined in space. To alleviate this problem we propose a simple scheme called partial phase combining (PPC) which uses partial knowledge about the relative phases of the channels to select the antenna phases. The proposed algorithm is useful in systems where the channel is correlated from frame to frame. Monte Carlo simulations are used to compare performance with other proposed transmit diversity systems.
A Proposal to Rescue New York Times v. Sullivan by Promoting a Responsible Press

Introduction 74 I. The Development of First Amendment Defamation Jurisprudence 76 II. The Tripartite Failures of the Actual Malice Standard 83 A. The Actual Malice Standard Overprotects Speech 84 B. The Actual Malice Standard Underprotects Reputation 87 C. The Actual Malice Standard Underprotects Speech ......... 91 III. The Constitutional Mandate to Promote a Responsible Press 93 A. The Relationship Between the First Amendment and the Press 95 1. Democracy-enhancing speech and the marketplace of ideas 96 2. The role of a responsible press in facilitating First Amendment interests 97 i. Democracy-enhancing speech 97 ii. The marketplace of ideas 101 B. The Need to Reform the Actual Malice Standard 103 IV. A Proposal for the Creation of a Summary Proceeding that Promotes Media Responsibility, Remedies Reputational Harm, and Reduces Litigation Costs 105 A. Alternative Approaches to Defamation Liability 106 1. Recent proposals for reform 106
Lutembacher's syndrome complicated by acute bacterial endocarditis; report of a case diagnosed during life.

Abstract A case of auricular septal defect with associated mitral stenosis (Lutembacher's syndrome) complicated by bacterial endocarditis is described. The diagnosis of Lutembacher's syndrome was made clinically and confirmed at necropsy. The diagnostic features are discussed. The mitral stenosis proved to be of rheumatic etiology.
Global Imbalances and the International Reserve System

Policymakers worldwide are primarily concerned about the sustainability of the global imbalances and the implications for the stability of the world economy, but they have not paid enough attention to the implications of the imbalances for the equity and efficiency of the resource allocation across countries. While most analysts mainly focus on the macroeconomic and structural issues associated with imbalances, this article emphasizes the inherent connection between the global imbalances and the flawed international reserve system.
Nucleotide Composition of Nuclear and Mitochondrial Deoxyribonucleic Acid of Fungi

The buoyant density of nuclear and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from 14 species of fungi was determined by CsCl density gradient equilibrium centrifugation. The buoyant density of both types of DNA was the same for all three Mucorales analyzed. The buoyant density of mitochondrial DNA was significantly lower than that of the nuclear DNA for nine species of Ascomycetes and two species of Basidiomycetes. No simple correlation could be obtained from the comparison of the two types of DNA. Mitochondrial DNA represented a very small proportion of total DNA. Heat-denatured mitochondrial DNA renatured more readily than nuclear DNA.
The Information Content of Option Prices Regarding Future Stock Return Serial Correlation

I investigate the relation between option prices and daily stock return serial correlation. I demonstrate that the variance ratio, calculated as the ratio of realized to implied stock return variance, has both a contemporaneous and predictive relation with stock return serial correlation. The ability of the variance ratio to predict future stock return serial correlation gives rise to a daily trading strategy that implements reversal trading on stocks predicted to exhibit large negative serial correlation and momentum trading on stocks with high predicted serial correlation. The trading strategy generates risk-adjusted returns in excess of 6.5% per year.
Minimum classification error training for online handwritten word recognition

We describe an application of the minimum classification error (MCE) training criterion to online unconstrained-style word recognition. The described system uses allograph-HMMs to handle writer variability. The result, on vocabularies of 5k to 10k, shows that MCE training achieves around 17% word error rate reduction when compared to the baseline maximum likelihood system.
A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE MORO REFLEX

The conflicting statements relative to the proper stimulus for eliciting the Moro reflex and the response to be expected have been discussed and a historical review of the varying points of view presented. The present study was done in three parts. In the first part, seven infants were studied by motion picture analysis at 0-4 days, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks of age. Four stimuli were used: (1) allowing the baby9s head to drop back suddenly; (2) a pin prick to the baby9s foot; (3) a loud noise; (4) slapping the examining table near the baby9s head. The second and third stimuli were relatively ineffective at all ages tested. The first and fourth stimuli were equally effective throughout. The outward movements of the arms were dominant throughout but the secondary inward movements were prevalent in the neonatal period, but absent at 12 weeks of age. In the second part, 30 infants were studied by motion picture analysis, only in the neonatal period using four stimuli: (1) allowing the baby9s head to drop back suddenly; (2) slapping the examining table near the head of the baby; (3) suddenly tilting downward a board to which the baby was fastened; (4) sudden jarring of the same board. A scoring scale for arm and hand movements was devised as well as a scale for the state of arousal of the infant just prior to testing. The first, second, and fourth stimuli were equally effective and all were superior to the sudden dropping of the board. It was concluded that the stimulation of the semicircular canals of the infants was not enough for a good Moro response when neck movement was prevented by the board. Neck movement seems to be essential for significant Moro response. The scores for hand response were somewhat related to those for arm responses. In the third part of this study, a detailed scoring technique for arm and hand movements and state of arousal of the baby was devised. Forty infants were studied in the neonatal period by direct observation. Interscorer agreement between five observers rating arm and hand movements was not good. This illustrates the difficulty of carefully observing and recording the Moro reflex response without the aid of motion pictures. The hand responses did not correlate strongly with the arm responses so that one could not rely on just hand observations. In both Parts II and III of this study, no correlation could be found between the state of arousal of the infant just prior to the administration of the stimulus and the degree of response.
Human fluke infection in Glen Canyon at AD 1250.

A fluke egg was identified in a probably human coprolite recovered from a Glen Canyon Utah site of prehistoric inhabitation. True parasitism with the fluke could have resulted from eating snails or fish. False parasitism could have resulted from eating a wide variety of mammals known to have lived in the region. This finding identifies another potential medical hazard in the life of man in prehistoric North America.
Alkaline Earth Core Level Photoemission Spectroscopy of High-Temperature Superconductors

Abstract Photoemission measurements of the alkaline earth core levels of high temperature superconductors and related materials are reviewed. Models which seek to explain the large negative chemical shifts observed relative to the corresponding alkaline earth metals are discussed and critically examined. The effect of lattice site disorder on the core level spectra and the presence or absence of intrinsic surface peaks are also reviewed.
A pneumatically-actuated lower-limb orthosis

Powered lower-limb orthosis is a type of wearable mechanical devices that can serve a wide variety of important biomedical purposes. Due to the constraints associated with the actuation technology, the majority of current lower-limb orthoses are either passive or tethered to external power sources, limiting the functionality of such devices. In this paper, the authors present their preliminary research results towards a fully mobile (i.e. untethered) powered lower-limb orthosis, leveraging the high power density of pneumatic actuators for the joint power generation. The design of the orthosis is presented, with the objectives of providing full assistance in the locomotion of various common locomotive modes, and generating minimum level of restriction to the wearer's daily activities. To regulate the power delivery on the joints for a natural gait assistance, a finite-state impedance controller is developed, which simulates an artificial impedance to enable an effective interaction with the wearer. Preliminary testing demonstrated that the orthosis was able to provide a natural gait and comfortable user experience in the treadmill walking experiments.
An analysis of self-amplified spontaneous emission

Abstract The following analysis develops a classical theory of how a signal evolves from the initial incoherent spontaneous emission in long undulators. The theory is based on the coupled Klimontovich-Maxwell equations. Formulas for the radiated power, spectral characteristics and electron correlations are derived. The saturation due to nonlinear effects is studied using a quasilinear extension of the theory. The results agree reasonably well with the recent Livermore experiment in the microwave range. Performance of a possible high-gain free electron laser in a short-wavelength region is evaluated.
Jews and Muslims in Christian Syriac and arabic texts of the ninth century

In 780/8 I, the Nestorian patriarch Timothy I (727-823) addressed a letter to his friend Sergius, a future Metropolitan of Elam (794/95), describing a debate he had had with an "Aristotelian philosopher" at the Abbasid court, l The letter is essentially an apologetic treatise in defense of the Christian doctrines that are rejected by Muslims. The debate is cast in the style of a literary dialogue. In introducing his account, Timothy composed a preface explaining to Sergius the continuing need of Christians to defend their beliefs with rational arguments. He wrote: In the days of Herod, Pilate and the old Jews, there was both defeat and victory, and truth and falsehood. So also, now, in the days of the present princes, in our own time, and in the days of the new Jews among us, there is the same struggle and the same contest to distinguish falsehood and truth. 2 The "present princes" for Timothy were, of course, the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad, and the "new Jews" were the Muslims. Timothy agreed with the judgment of his Nestorian contemporary, Theodore bar K6ni, who had composed in Syriac a literary dialogue between a master and a disciple to defend Christian doctrines against Islamic objections. Theodore put the following sentence into the mouth of the master, as his assessment of the disciple's Islamic views: "As I see it, you are believing as a Jew. ''3 A review of the published Christian apologetic texts from the first Abbasid century reveals that the writers of these defensive tracts consistently characterize Islamic beliefs and practices as Jewish, or at least as Jewishly influenced. Of course, this usage was polemical, and behind it there stretched a long history of similar usages in earlier controversies. Greek, Latin, or Syriac
Safe Patient Handling and Movement During the Perioperative Continuum: Mobile Surgical Platform Use

Nursing is a high-risk occupation for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, usually caused by the strain of lifting and moving patients. These injuries are financially costly to health care organizations and increase significantly the workforce necessary to deliver health care effectively, efficiently, and safely. Opportunities to integrate innovative and safe patient-handling technologies abound. As the patient safety movement evolves, more evidence-based research is needed with respect to design interventions that minimize patient handling. One possible solution is to use multifunctional beds to reduce musculoskeletal disorders among caregivers.
Rethinking Red Meat as a Prevention Strategy for Iron Deficiency

The possibility that iron-deficiency anemia may lead to neurodevelopmental deficits has led some to recommend red meat as an early complementary food for infants; however, 2 new lines of evidence put this advice in a new light. First, recent studies show an association between consumption of red meat and cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality. Second, new research has elucidated the role of plant ferritin as a readily available source of iron. There is an abundance of options for plant-based iron-rich foods that are consistent with long-term healthful eating that can meet infants’ nutritional needs while sidestepping red meat’s potential adverse health effects.
Development of personal space among Puerto Ricans

Puerto Rican children at the first-, sixth-, and eleventh-grade levels were observed interacting in same-sex dyads in two different cultural environments, New York and Puerto Rico. In accord with results obtained with other cultural groups, older children used larger interaction distances than did younger children. This development occurred later, however, for Puerto Rican children than had been reported for Americans of northern European ancestry. Further, Puerto Rican children and adolescents did not display the consistently reported sex differences in personal space preferences. Females did stand more directly with one another (face-to-face) though, and older children of both sexes interacted at more direct orientations than younger children. The results are discussed in the context of cultural differences in socialization practices.
Hydrocarbyl ligand "tuning" of the PtII/IV redox potential.

The potentially tridentate macrocycle [2.1.1]-(2,6)-pyridinophane (L) enables the transient LPtII(CH3)+ to cleave the C−H bond of two molecules of C6F5H. The resulting product has two aryl groups on Pt but, in contrast to nonfluorinated analogue, varies in its location of the cleaved H, as is evident from the two products (HL+)PtIIR2 and (η3-L)PtIVH(R)2+. At equilibrium, the related example where R = CH3 is purely the PtIV redox isomer, which with R = C6H5 shows detectable populations of both isomers, and with R = C6F5 is purely the pyridine-protonated (HL+)PtII redox isomer. All species show a hydrogen bond from the pyridinium proton to PtII. Consistent with the idea that electron-withdrawing R makes platinum(II) more resistant to oxidation (i.e., a proton on Pt), and thus less Bronsted basic, the 1JPtH coupling constant falls in the series R = Me (90 Hz), R = C6H5 (86 Hz), and R = C6F5 (63 Hz).
Experience With Developing a High-Productivity Test Framework for Scalable Embedded and Mechatronic Systems

We describe the software core of a generic system test framework, named TF, for engineering verification of embedded and mechatronic systems. TF originated as an automated system test framework for the Siemens FireFinder XLS fire-safety system, but can be easily customized to place other systems under test. As a scalable and safety-critical system under rigorous certification constraints, XLS placed some very stringent requirements on the test harness. We performed a thorough evaluation of the available options for test executives, selecting the best one for our purposes. We then built TF on that test executive. TF enables high levels of productivity for both test developers and framework maintainers. TF also allows simulators to be substituted for physical hardware, without modifying the test scripts or underlying infrastructure. This feature is vitally important in scalability testing.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Long-term outcomes of primary trabeculectomy in diabetic patients with primary open angle glaucoma

Aims To evaluate primary trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin-C (MMC) in diabetic patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) without retinopathy who had ≥6 months of postoperative follow-up were retrospectively compared with a control group selected from the pool of patients without DM matched case-by-case to the diabetic group by age, gender, race, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and lens status. Surgical success was defined as IOP ≤15 and >5 mm Hg (± glaucoma medications) without complications or additional glaucoma surgery. Results 41 eyes (29 patients) with DM and 81 eyes (64 patients) without DM were compared. Kaplan–Meier cumulative survival rates at 60 months were 57.8±9.3% (DM group) and 68.6±5.3% (control group), and the mean trabeculectomy survival times were 63 months (DM group, 95% CI 50.3 to 75.7) and 74.6 months (control group, 95% CI 67.1 to 82.1; p=0.095). Mean postoperative IOP of control group was statistically significant lower at 2-, 3-, 6- and 7-year follow-up visits (p Conclusions POAG patients with DM without retinopathy undergoing primary trabeculectomy with MMC do not achieve the same long-term IOP control and may have a lower long-term surgical survival rate compared with patients without DM.
Development and fate of interphotoreceptor matrix components during dysplastic photoreceptor differentiation: a lectin cytochemical study of rod-cone dysplasia 1

The autosomal recessive retinal degeneration rod-cone dysplasia 1 (rcd1) affects Irish setter dogs during early postnatal development. The disease is the result of a cyclic guanosine monophosphate metabolic abnormality and morphological evidence of disease onset correlates with initiation of photoreceptor outer segment formation. Rod photoreceptors are affected earlier and more severely than cones. Postnatal development of specific interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) constituents was examined in tissue sections and extracted matrix preparations from control and affected dogs using peanut agglutinin (PNA) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin cytochemistry. These lectins bind two photoreceptor-specific domains through their affinity for specific terminal carbohydrate sequences present on proteoglycans and glycoproteins in the IPM. Development of rod and cone matrix domains in the normal dog occurs in parallel to the development and differentiation of outer segments (between postnatal days 10 and 60 in the dog); during this period the lectin specificity or distribution in the rcd1 retina did not differ from the normal control. Structural changes of the matrix domains were present and reflected the morphological alterations of the diseased and degenerating photoreceptor cells. Cone domains were present around severely degenerated cone cells as long as these cells were found within the interphotoreceptor space. The matrix domain investing surviving cones did not differ significantly from the normal to indicate an altered binding specificity or structure. The rod domain was still present around rod inner segments in late degeneration. The matrix domains are present in the IPM as long as the photoreceptor cell body remains in the interphotoreceptor space; photoreceptor loss results in disappearance of the matrix. We detected no change in matrix composition or distribution with the lectins used, either during development or degeneration, despite the serious biochemical and structural abnormalities of the photoreceptor cell that are characteristic of the disease.
Two-dimensional optoacoustic tomography: transducer array and image reconstruction algorithm

Opto-acoustic tomography (OAT) utilizes laser pulses to create acoustic sources in tissue and wide-band detection of pressure profiles for the image reconstruction. A new laser optoacoustic imaging system (LOIS) for breast cancer detection and two-dimensional visualization is described. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was used for generation of opto-acoustic profiles in phantoms and tissues in vitro. Acoustic pulses were detected by a 12 element linear array of piezoelectric transducers. Each transducer was made of 0.5-mm thick PVDF slabs with dimensions of 4.3 mm X 12.5 mm. Signal-to-noise ratio was calculated and the sensitivity of optoacoustic system was evaluated. The axial (in-depth) resolution and the lateral resolution of the system were determined. The axial resolution of the receiving array was limited by its frequency band and was estimated to be approximately 1 mm. The lateral resolution was about 2.5 times the lateral dimension of the 'tumor' and defined by the finite aperture of the array and relatively large size of the single transducer. The time of full data acquisition was limited by the time allowed in clinical procedure of about 5 - 10 minutes. The procedure of signal processing is described. It includes high-pass signal filtering, compensation for acoustic diffraction, detection of the irradiated surface position and rejection of the reverberating signal. Radial back-projection algorithm for image reconstruction was developed and included in the computer code. Two-dimensional opto-acoustic images of simulated spheres and objects inside tissue phantoms are presented. The contrast of these images and limits of detection and localization of deeply embedded tumors are discussed.
Quantitation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in HeLa cells.

Abstract A synthetic DNA polymer containing [8-3H]O6-methylguanine m6G) was used as a substrate to assay the in situ demethylation of the alkylated base by an activity in HeLa cell extracts. The repair activity appears to be similar to the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase of E. coli and to be inactivated by reaction with the substrate. Extracts of a methylation-repair proficient (Mer+) cell strain, HeLa CCL2, were found to contain m6G repair activity equivalent to approx. 100 000 molecules of methyltransferase per cell, assuming that each molecule can demethylate one m6G residue. No activity could be detected in the extract of a repair deficient (Mer−) cell strain, HeLa S3, and there is no evidence of an inhibitor of repair activity in this strain.
A Numerical Simulation of Seasonal Stratospheric Climate: Part I. Zonal Temperatures and Winds

Two numerical experiments were designed to isolate the effects of seasonal and latitudinal variations in longwave radiative transfer processes. The first experiment aimed at computing the rate of temperature change in the stratosphere due to longwave radiative transfer by CO2, H2O and O3 from Ramanathan's (1976) radiative-convective model applied to the troposphere-stratosphere circulation. The second experiment employs the Newtonian cooling approximation in which the rate of temperature change in the stratosphere by longwave radiative transfer is set equal to the product of the Newtonian cooling coefficient 'h' and the departure of the local temperature from a reference temperature. It is shown that the latitudinal temperature distribution of the lower stratosphere is maintained by the combined effects of dynamics, O3 solar heating and the longwave radiative coupling between troposphere and stratosphere. The latitudinal gradient in the troposphere-stratosphere longwave radiative coupling is maximum during winter and spring. The radiative response time (1/h) of the middle and upper stratosphere undergoes significant latitudinal and seasonal variations, largely due to the temperature dependence of h.
Youthful precursors of alcohol abuse in physicians.

Abstract purpose: This study was designed to determine youthful precursors of alcohol abuse in physicians. subjects and methods: We analyzed data from an ongoing prospective study of 1,014 male medical students enrolled in the graduating classes of 1948–1964 at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The cohort, now physicians aged 52 to 68 years, has been contacted regularly since medical school to identify major disease. In 1986, the CAGE alcoholism screening questionnaire was administered. Alcohol abuse was defined as self-admitted alcoholism, excessive consumption of four or more beverages per day on average, or a score of 2 or higher on the CAGE questionnaire. results: By these criteria, 131 of 1,014 (12.9%) patients abused alcohol. Medical school precursors associated (p conclusion: Our results suggest that there are several identifiable medical school precursors of alcohol abuse in physicians.
Future Monetary Costs of Dementia in the United States under Alternative Dementia Prevalence Scenarios.

Population aging will likely lead to increases in health care spending and the ability of governments to support entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Dementia is a chronic condition that is especially pertinent because of its strong association with old age and because care for dementia is labor intensive and expensive. Indeed, prior research has found that if current dementia prevalence rates persist, population aging will generate very large increases in health care spending for dementia. In this study we considered two alternative assumptions or scenarios about future prevalence. The first adjusts the prevalence projections using recent research that suggests dementia prevalence may be declining. The second uses growth hypertension, obesity and diabetes, and the relationship between dementia and these conditions to adjust future prevalence rates. We find under the first scenario that if the rates of decline in age-specific dementia rates persist, future costs will be much less than previous estimates, about 40 % lower. Under the second scenario, the growth in those conditions makes only small differences in costs.
Green's function inequalities for two-point boundary value problems.

Simple inequalities are obtained for the Green's function G(t, s) of a two-point boundary value problem for a kth order linear ordinary differential equation. The constants appearing in the inequalities are best possible. Each estimate has right side a product of a function of t and a function of s. Illustrations are given for k—2,3,4 and certain kih order constant coefficient operators.
Extreme-ultraviolet spectra of Pd, Ag, Cd, and Sn ions observed in a 1.3-keV tokamak plasma

The elements Pd, Ag, Cd, and Sn were each injected by laser ablation into a tokamak plasma of 1.3-keV electron temperature. Spectra in the range of 50–400 A were observed photographically with a 2.2-m grazing-incidence spectrograph. We identified lines in the isoelectronic sequences of S, Cl, Ar, and K that were not previously classified. They fall in the range of 51–78 A and were measured with an uncertainty of ±0.010 A. Graphs of the differences between the measured and the calculated transition energies vary smoothly and confirm the identifications. Least-squares fits to these differences permit accurate predictions for elements Tc, Ru, Rh, and In that have not been investigated. Similar fits to ground-state doublet splittings in the Cl and K sequences provide accurate values of magnetic dipole transition energies for these ions.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS: THE PAST IS THE PROLOGUE FOR THE FUTURE

To reflect, as one does on an occasion such as this, upon Julian Bloom’s career that has spanned three decades, is to think of the evolution of Radiation Oncology into a modern medical and oncologic specialty. Julian Bloom embodies the spirit of that growth, which began a generation earlier in Europe in general and in England, in particular. Julian Bloom has carried on the leadership set in the tradition of his mentors Sir Brian Windeyer at Middlesex and Sir David Smithers at the Royal Marsden. The present stature of our discipline rests on the strength and character of individuals such as Julian Bloom-his ability to meet the challenges, to seize the opportunities, to maintain his sense of commitment, and above all, to be creative in finding solutions. It is the history of the past accomplishments in radiation therapy which is the prologue to the future of our specialty. In this inaugural address, I will attempt to interweave two major topics: Neuro-oncology-the title of this symposium-and Professor Julian Bloom, to whom this conference and occasion are dedicated. The reason is clear to those of us in attendance-the clinical trials in brain tumors Julian Bloom has designed and the results he has achieved have set the “gold standard” in the field of neuro/ oncology. In his own distinctive manner, he has shaped this field and provided a stimulus for many of the reports which we will hear in the following days. Neurologic oncology encompasses both the basic biological and clinical areas pertinent to the diagnosis and management of tumors of the brain and spinal cord. During the past few decades, dramatic achievements and advances in central
Testing meningeal strains of Streptococcus suis to detect M protein genes.

Abstract Previous reports have suggested that the surface proteins found in meningeal strains of Streptococcus suis might be similar to the M protein of group A streptococci. Fifty-five strains of S suis , including human and swine meningeal and pneumonic isolates, were tested for M protein genes by dna probes representing the constant domain of the 3′ end of the group A, M protein gene. None of the S suis strains examined was positive, indicating that these organisms either lack M protein genes or harbour different genes, not expressing the constant domains of protein M from group A.
Physical Layer Design of Nanoscale Silicon Photonic Interconnection Networks

In the continual drive toward improved microprocessor performance, power efficiency has emerged as a prime design consideration. At the chip scale, the trend toward multi-core architectures and chip multiprocessors (CMPs) for driving performance-per-watt via increases in the number of parallel computational cores is dominating new commercial releases. The role of the interconnect and associated global communication infrastructure is becoming central to the chip and ultimately computing system performance. On-chip photonic communication has been recently explored to address the communication requirements in future high-performance CMPs. We have developed a photonic network simulation environment that uniquely incorporates physical layer silicon photonic device models. We report on the design optimization of the network micro-architecture layout and photonic switching fabric organization. The event-driven network simulator establishes physical layer metrics for the silicon photonic devices and provides a measure of the network performance-per-Watt requirements derived from device characteristics.
Nanostructures in Physical Materials Chemistry: An Exploratory Laboratory

The blend of nanotechnology and material science is often beyond the scope of undergraduate laboratories. Through undergraduate research, graphite-intercalated compounds have been incorporated in the production of carbon-based nanostructures. Based on this work a series of exploratory exercises were designed for the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory emphasizing nanostructure material science. This rapidly expanding area of science and technology can be introduced at an undergraduate level using a high temperature oven to produce nanostructure samples that are analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy at research university laboratories, infrared spectroscopy, and a bomb calorimeter. In these experiments we use samples of pure graphite, fluorinated graphite, and lanthanum oxide to induce the formation of nanostructures. An overview of fullerenes, nanotubes, boron nitride and Si nanostructures, other carbon forms, graphite-intercalated compounds, and the storage of hydrogen in nanotubes are provided in an appendix. Several extensions of the laboratory are proposed.
Inductivism and Parmenidean epistemology: Kyburg's way

cording to Henry Kyburg, all extralogical and extramathematical propositions accepted as evidence and all propositions accepted inductively on the basis of such evidence are uncertain. There is a possibility of error. Consequently, neither the corpus of inductively accepted statements nor the corpus of statements accepted as evidence can serve as a standard for serious possibility in the sense I have deployed since the 1970s. The standard for serious possibility remains an unchanging Parmenidean standard. In contrast to other Parmenidean epistemologists that eschew inductive acceptances Kyburg insists that the corpus of evidence and of inductively accepted statements is subject to critical review and change; but the changes have no bearing on the standard for serious possibility. have always agreed with Henry's emphasis on a distinction between acceptance as evidence and inductive acceptance. But I have insisted that the corpus of evidence or state of full belief is a standard for serious possibility and that the standard is subject to modification. burg does think of acceptance as evidence and inductive acceptance as modal notions and has recently used the expression ''serious possibility'' in this connection. But when Kyburg and Teng speak of ''risky knowledge'', they are speaking of claims that might be false in the sense of serious possibility that they seem to be suggesting is immune to change and seems to correlate with serious possibility as I have used it since the 1970s. So acceptance (both inductive and evidential) are modal notions subject to change but are not to be confused with the notion of serious possibility of error or riskiness.
Employee Loyalty: An Examination

This article presents and examines four different reconstructions of Ronald Duska’s argument for the thesis that employees’ loyalty to their employers is misguided. One of them is the reconstruction presented by John Corvino in this journal. The remaining three revolve around, respectively, employers’ failure to reciprocate employees’ (attempts at) loyalty, the commercial character of employment, and the instrumental character of employment. The result of the examination is that the argument does not withstand scrutiny in any of the four reconstructions. The failure of Duska’s argument, however, does not mean that employee loyalty is justified, because the burden of proof is on the defenders of the loyalty. Moreover, a different argument, which is also presented in the article, shows that the loyalty of most present-day employees to their employers is bound to be significantly limited, because of the radical changeability of corporations with publicly traded stock.
The Relative Motion Between the Ball Guide and Slipper Retainer Within an Axial-Piston Swash-Plate Type Hydrostatic Pump

The objectives of this research are to develop the equations that describe the relative motion between the ball guide and the slipper retainer within an axial-piston swash-plate type hydrostatic pump, Using a relationship between spherical and Cartesian coordinates a contact point between the ball guide and the retainer is identified and matched for an observer on the ball guide and an observer on the retainer. Once a generic contact point is established, the position of a fixed particle on the ball guide is subtracted from the position of a particle on the retainer. The trajectory of this particle relative to the fixed particle on the ball guide is then used to describe the teardrop wear patterns that are expected to appear on the ball guide. These wear patterns are confirmed by experiments. Next, the velocity of a particle on the ball guide is subtracted from the velocity of a particle on the retainer at the contact point. Based upon this result it is shown that a relative velocity between the ball guide and the retainer is always maintained for a nonzero swash-plate angle and that the minimum relative velocity between the retainer and the ball guide may be increased by increasing one or all of the following: the design value of the retainer cone-angle, the radius of the ball guide, the operating speed of the pump, or the pump swash-plate angle.
Titin-Based Passive Tension is Increased in a Titin AI KO Mouse

The giant sarcomeric protein titin spans the length of the half sarcomere and consists of an I-band region that functions as a molecular spring and a less well understood A-band region. Here we characterize a mouse model in which a portion of titin near the A-I junction has been removed(AIKO). We measured passive stiffness using a muscle mechanics stretch-hold-release protocol in which a skinned fiber from the left ventricle papillary was stretched to a given sarcomere length(SL) within the physiological range, held for 90 seconds, and subjected to a sinusoidal frequency sweep. Active tensions were measured at SL=2.0μm and SL=2.2μm in both tissue types. We found that both total and titin-based passive stiffness was significantly higher in the AI KO compared to WT; at SL=2.3μm peak total passive tension was 43.5+/8.3mN/mm2 in the KO compared to 23.5+/-3.6mN/mm2 in the WT while peak titin-based passive tension was 28.7+/-7.0mN/mm2 in the AI KO compared to 13.8+/-2.0mN/mm2 in the WT. A similar trend was observed for total and titin-based steady state passive tensions. No significant differences in active tensions were observed at either SL indicating no major changes to the thick filament or myofilament area; this suggests the passive tension difference is intrinsic to titin. The sinusoidal frequency sweep was used to quantify the vicious and elastic modulus. Viscous and elastic moduli are defined as (σ/e)sin(θ) and (σ/e)cos(θ) respectively where σ is stress, e is strain, and θ is the phase shift. We found that both the viscous modulus and the elastic modulus were higher in the AI KO at high frequencies. These results suggest that WT passive tension levels rely on an intact A-I junction; the removal of this region results in increased titin stiffness.