cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for auditory temporal distinctiveness: modality effects in order and frequency judgments.

Two new, long-lasting phenomena involving modality of stimulus presentation are documented. In one series of experiments we investigated effects of modality of presentation on order judgments. Order judgments for auditory words were more accurate than order judgments for visual words at both the beginning and the end of lists, and the auditory advantage increased with the temporal separation of the successive items. A second series of experiments investigated effects of modality on estimates of presentation frequency. Frequency estimates of repeated auditory words exceeded frequency estimates of repeated visual words. The auditory advantage increased with frequency of presentation, and this advantage was not affected by the retention interval. These various effects were taken as support for a temporal coding assumption, that auditory presentation produces a more accurate encoding of time of presentation than does visual presentation. A confluence of research has led to the rather extraordinary claim that audition is more specialized for temporal encoding than is vision. Some aspects of this claim may seem intuitive, for instance, that audition is specialized for integrating information over time, whereas vision is specialized for integrating information over spatial extents (Fraisse, 1963; O'Connor & Hermelin, 1972). Also, that discriminability of durations is dependent on modality (Allan, 1979) does not seem newsworthy. The new claim is that auditory presentation results in a more accurate code for the time of presentation of events, and that this difference is not transitory, but can be revealed in memory tasks long after the events have occurred. We will refer to this as the temporal coding assumption. In this article we briefly review some of the research that has led to the temporal coding assumption. Then, we present two series of experiments that use different methods to adduce evidence consistent with the assumption. In preview, the weight of the evidence in both series of experiments supports the assumption. The temporal coding assumption has been invoked in attempts to explain the modality effect. In brief, the modality effect is the superior recall of recently presented auditory information compared with recall of the same information presented visually. The difference between the input modalities is almost always confined to the end of the list (but see Glenberg & Swanson, 1986). Until a few years ago, the most widely supported explanation was based on a brief echoic memory that could be used to boost recall of the last few auditory events (Crowder & Mortonl 1969). More recently,
Spontaneous craniospinal hypotension.

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak has been called “spontaneous intracranial hypotension,” emphasizing the intracranial symptoms and imaging findings. We present a patient with spontaneous CSF leak whose initial spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were thought to represent epidural tumor or infection. Subsequent MRI examinations showed an improvement of both intracranial and spinal CSF hypotension findings coinciding with clinical symptom resolution. We propose the term “spontaneous craniospinal hypotension” to better emphasize this syndrome's unifying intracranial and spinal pathophysiology and imaging findings. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Adjuvant Treatment of Esophageal Cancer.

Adjuvant radiation therapy for esophageal cancer can be delivered preoperatively andoor postoperatively. Although one series reports a significant decrease in localoregional failure and two report a survival advantage, when the data are combined, there is no clear advantage for preoperative radiation therapy. One of the two trials of postoperative radiation therapy used conventional radiation doses and did report a significant decrease in localoregional failure. However, this improvement was seen only in node-negative patients. Overall, there is limited benefit to adjuvant radiation therapy in the treatment of esophageal cancer. The more innovative approach of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy, either in the adjuvant setting or as a primary treatment modality, holds greater promise.
Development of Structural Uncertainty Models

The development and utilization of an uncertainty model for structures that undergo a change in operational environment is presented. Themotivatingapplicationis the developmentof an on-orbit (0-g) uncertaintymodel for structural control based solely on ground (1-g) modeling and experimentation, although other applications can be used. A parametric uncertainty model (mean errors and bounds on modal parameters) is developed for a nominal environment and then localized to speci c degrees of freedom (mass and stiffness uncertainties) using a  rst-order sensitivity method. The nominal mass and stiffness uncertainties are then projected into a modi ed environment to create an analogous,modi ed uncertainty model. Themiddeck active control experiment is introduced to verify the prediction of a space-based uncertainty model.
A solution of the equation w=w*F where F is a probability measure on Rd

Abstract The paper deals with equation w(t)=(w ∗F)(t) = ∫ R d w(t −x)F(dx) , ∀t∈ R d where F is a probability distribution on [ R d , B( R d )] . It will be demonstrated that if F is a non-arithmetic distribution then every solution of this equation in the class of bounded regular functions w: R d → R 1 (used notions will be defined below) has the form w(t) = const. ∀t.
Speaker recognition, speech characteristics, speech evaluation, and modification of speech signal--A selected bibliography

This paper represents an effort to update and expand an earlier paper, "Speech Analysis, Synthesis, and Processing - A Selected Bibliography," prepared and published by this author at Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas, in 1963. Selections included in this paper will provide the research with a fairly extensive and representative presentation of relevant source material in the areas to which the title refers.
Adolescents, organized activities, and peers: knowledge gained and knowledge needed.

Borrowing a framework used to study adolescent peer groups, this chapter relates key findings from chapters in this volume to the status or reputation that peers accord a given organized activity, the tendency of activities to channel adolescents toward some relationships and away from others, and the context for peer interactions created within an activity. Then, a conceptual model is presented urging more careful consideration of specific features of a given activity and the peers who participate in them when examining peer effects on activity participants' psychosocial outcomes. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Studies on the deficiency of 21-hydroxylation in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

ABSTRACT This study was designed to investigate the degree of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in the pathways leading to production of cortisol and aldosterone in the 2 clinical variants of 21-hydroxylase deficiency—salt-losers and non-salt-losers. Five patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia resulting from deficiency of 21-hydroxylation were studied: 3 of these patients were salt-losers and the other 2 were non-salt-losers. Three normal volunteers were used as controls. All subjects were studied on an air-conditioned unit under strict metabolic conditions including constant diet and restricted activity, and each received each day 109–120 mEq of sodium. Sodium and potassium were measured in 24-hr urine pools and all sodium losses were replaced. The patients were studied off treatment and again after they had received ACTH intramuscularly, 20 U/m2 of body surface every 12 hr. Plasma progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and renin activity, aldosterone secretion rate, and urinary 17-hydroxysteroids and 17-ket...
Atomic force microscopy method for measuring smectite coefficients of friction.

The coefficient of friction of clay minerals at the micro-scale has generally not been studied due to difficulties in obtaining measurements in a bulk-soil volume undergoing shear at such small scales. Information on friction at the micro-scale may provide insight into grain-scale processes that operate in bulk samples or in natural faults. The objective of this study was to develop a method to measure the microscale friction coefficient of smectites. The experiments described show that the axial atomic force microscopy method can be adapted to easily obtain accurate coefficient of friction (p) measurements for smectites from force curves involving colloidal probes. The method allows for the measurements to be performed over spatial scales of a few pm, can be carried out under dry conditions or a wide range of aqueous solutions, and requires no calibration beyond making a few microscopic measurements of the probe. This method provides measurements of micro-scale normal and shear forces between minerals, which can be used for a variety of applications such as the study of shear deformation, consolidation, and fault dynamics. Control tests of silica on mica (μ = 0.29±0.02) agree with literature values where limits indicate one standard deviation. Coefficient of friction values for wet and dry Na-montmorillonite were determined to be 0.20±0.03 and 0.72±0.03, respectively.
Co-pilots in channel estimation

A new pilot-aided subspace channel estimation algorithm for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems is proposed. The channel model is a sparse L-multipath channel with gains subject to Rayleigh fading. The new algorithm constructs M2 virtual pilot tones from M physical pilot tones, and employs the subspace method, MUSIC, to estimate the multipath time delays. With the delay information, a minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimator is derived to estimate the frequency response of OFDM systems. The proposed algorithm can identify up to O(M2) multipath delays by using M physical pilot tones. It is also demonstrated that the proposed channel estimation algorithm can help the OFDM system to keep relatively good bit error rate (BER) performance, compared to conventional subspace channel estimation method with uniform pilots, even when the number of multipaths is greater than the number of pilots.
Abnormal membrane physical properties of red cells in McLeod syndrome

McLeod red cells (RBCs) lack Kx antigens and have weak expression of the Kell antigens. Individuals who carry the McLeod phenotype have acanthocytic RBCs and a compensated hemolytic state. To elucidate the role of the protein on which the Kx antigens reside in maintaining membrane deformability, the rheologic properties of McLeod RBCs were determined by ektacytometry. RBCs were obtained from normal individuals and from four patients with McLeod syndrome. Osmotic gradient deformability profiles of McLeod RBCs showed decreased whole cell deformability. Resealed ghosts from McLeod RBCs also showed decreased deformability, partly because of the decreased cell surface area and partly because of an intrinsic membrane stiffness in this syndrome. For the measurement of membrane mechanical stability, resealed ghosts were subjected to constant high shear stress in the ektacytomer, and deformability was recorded continuously as the deformable ghosts fragmented into rigid spherical vesicles. Membranes from McLeod RBCs showed a noticeable increase in mechanical stability. Acquired causes of acanthocytosis, such as liver disease, did not cause the rheologic abnormalities observed in McLeod cells. Other abnormalities noted in McLeod RBCs were decreased RBC potassium content and an increased number of dense RBCs, as determined by centrifugation on a discontinuous density gradient. The data indicate that McLeod RBCs are rigid and have decreased surface area and that their membranes are intrinsically rigid with increased mechanical stability. These abnormalities may account for the reduced RBC survival observed in McLeod syndrome. The protein that carries the Kx surface antigen seems to be required for the maintenance of the normal physical function of RBC skeletal proteins.
Nonlinear effects on thermonuclear reaction rates

Abstract Coulomb screening and nonlinear effects, together with many-body collisions, may enhance nuclear fusion rates by many orders of magnitude at temperatures much lower than those ordinarily required for such processes in hot plasmas.
A prospective randomized comparison of Dacron and polytetrafluoroethylene aortic bifurcation grafts

Background. The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term results of Dacron and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) aortic bifurcation grafts in a prospective randomized manner. Methods. Sixty patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease were randomized to receive Dacron or PTFE bifurcation grafts. Preoperative risk factors, perioperative blood loss and fluid requirements, and postoperative complications were compared. A mean follow-up of 57 months was achieved. Results. The immediate postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were similar in the two groups, and the long-term complications were low in number and comparable. The cumulative patency rate for Dacron graft limbs was 86% versus 95% for PTFE graft limbs. Conclusions. No significant differences were noted between the results achieved with Dacron and PTFE aortic bifurcation grafts.
The effect of carbon dioxide gas alone or in combinations on the mortality of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and T. confusum du Val (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

Abstract Adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and T. confusum du Val exposed to various mixtures of N 2 or He and O 2 were killed when the O 2 concentration reached to 1·7% or below, whereas the adults exposed to CO 2 : O 2 mixtures were killed mostly due to the deleterious effects of CO 2 itself. At 26·7°C and 38 ± 6%r.h., 95 per cent mortality of T. confusum adults was obtained by an exposure of 271 hr to 45% CO 2 : 55% air mixture; 58 hr to 62% CO 2 : 38% air mixture; and 47·5 hr to 80% CO 2 : 20% air mixture, while for T. castaneum adults 95 per cent mortality required 192, 60, and 44 hr respectively. Data obtained by exposing mature and immature stages of both species to 100% CO 2 suggest that adults were the most susceptible, followed by larvae, eggs and pupae. Generally speaking, inactive stages (egg and pupal) were more tolerant to CO 2 than active stages (larval and adult). Increasing the temperature from 15·6° to 26·7°C resulted in increased insect mortalities; the degree of response varying in different stages. Increasing r.h. decreased the susceptibility of adult insects to 100% CO 2 . Under airtight conditions 200 adult T. castaneum with 8 g of food medium sealed in 1·2 1. glass flasks depleted the O 2 supply from 20·9% to a critical 1·7% level in 7 days, and adults of T. confusum depleted to the 1·6% level in 5 days of airtightness, and both species produced about 20% of carbon dioxide gas.
Validation of climate model output using Bayesian statistical methods

The growing interest in and emphasis on high spatial resolution estimates of future climate has demonstrated the need to apply regional climate models (RCMs) to that problem. As a consequence, the need for validation of these models, an assessment of how well an RCM reproduces a known climate, has also grown. Validation is often performed by comparing RCM output to gridded climate datasets and/or station data. The primary disadvantage of using gridded climate datasets is that the spatial resolution is almost always different and generally coarser than climate model output. We have used a Bayesian statistical model derived from observational data to validate RCM output. We used surface air temperature (SAT) data from 109 observational stations in California, all with records of approximately 50 years in length, and created a statistical model based on this data. The statistical model takes into account the elevation of the station, distance from coastline, and the NOAA climate region in which the station resides. Analysis indicates that the statistical model provides reliable estimates of the mean monthly SAT at any given station. In our method, the uncertainty in the estimates produced by the statistical model are directly determined by obtaining probability density functions for predicted SATs. This statistical model is then used to estimate average SATs corresponding to each of the climate model grid cells. These estimates are compared to the output of the RCM to assess how well the RCM matches the observed climate as defined by the statistical model. Overall, the match between the RCM output and the statistical model is good, with some deficiencies likely due in part to the representation of topography in the RCM.
Parallel assessment of CpG methylation by two-color hybridization with oligonucleotide arrays

We have developed a method for the parallel analysis of multiple CpG sites in genomic DNA for their state of methylation. Hypermethylation of CpG islands within the promoters and 5' exons of genes has been found to be a mechanism of transcriptional inactivation associated with a variety of tumors. The method that we developed relies on the differential reactivity of methylated and unmethylated cytosines with sodium bisulfite, which exclusively converts unmethylated cytosines to deoxyuracils. The resulting sequence changes are determined with single-nucleotide resolution by hybridization to an oligonucleotide array. Cohybridization with a reference sample containing a different label provides an internal standard for assessment of methylation state. This method provides advantages in parallelism over existing methods of methylation analysis. We have demonstrated this technique with a region from the promoter of the tumor suppressor gene p16, which is hypermethylated in many cancers.
Supporting tissue tension and microvascular reactions

Abstract The effects of stretch of supporting tissue on resting vessel lumen size and of its response to standard amounts of norepinephrine were examined in striated (cremaster) muscle of the rat. Controlled amounts of stretch were imposed upon cremaster muscle using a microtensor device. The amount of stretch was determined by attaching the tissue via thin (10-0) nylon thread to the actuating pin of a calibrated (0–1000 mg) strain-gauge transducer. In rats lightly anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (25 mg/kg), after control measurement of vessel lumen and its response to topical norepinephrine, the tissue tension was increased at 8-min intervals, and the measurement repeated at every newly achieved tissue tension. In 6 out of 10 arterioles in 10 rats, lumen expanded (av. 25%) with increasing tissue tension. The vessel response to norepinephrine increased in three of the expanded vessels, decreased in two, and remained unchanged in one. Two of the vessels showed no change in lumen but decrease in sensitivity, and two showed decrease in lumen size and increase in sensitivity to the drug stimuli. The results indicate that only overt stretch of supporting tissue >150 mg, will affect microvessel size and reactivity.
Cell hybridization: An explanation for the phenotypic diversity of certain tumours

Abstract Cell hybridization is invoked as a mechanism whereby certain tumours acquire properties which are foreign to their putative cells of origin. This hypothesis is supported by the demonstration of cell hybridization in vivo and the detection of phenotypically mixed hybrid cells in vitro . Several cell types are available for hybridization in vivo ; one-group, the APUD cells of Pearse could confer the capacity to secrete polypeptide hormones on a malignant cell and its progeny and thus account for true ectopic hormone secretion. Morphologically mixed malignant tumours could likewise be explained by cell hybridization. Murine myeloma is suggested as a model on which to test the hypothesis; it resembles ectopic hormone-secreting tumours in that it secretes a complex molecule or its component sub-units. This hypothesis has far reaching implications for, besides the examples given, it may explain dedifferentiation and metastatic spread by tumours and in addition, the secretion of oncofetal antigens, hormones, and enzymes.
An analysis of file movement under Dynamic File Management strategies

This paper addresses the data file movement inherent in Dynamic File Management (DFM) strategies. The goal of this data movement is to enhance the throughput of a computer system with a many level store by keeping the most active data near the top of the store. This paper does not address the criteria for file movement; rather the manner of file movement. The two DFM move primitivesT andP are defined functionally. This is followed by a careful analysis of the hole selection strategies employed to find valid destinations for the two DFM move primitives. Some additional DFM enhancements are clarified for better understanding of the DFM strategies. It is shown that the DFM move primitives are sufficient to implement a DFM. Simulation results verify the utility of DFM strategies.
Recognizing Multiple Decision-Making Models: A Guide for Managers

Empirical studies of decision making find that the process is more disorderly than described in rational models. New models have appeared that suggest that managers need to accommodate the randomness found in complex organizations. This article examines two approaches for dealing with this disorder: the political-bargaining model and the garbage can model. The essay clarifies the differences between these two approaches and assesses their usefulness to managers for understanding the decision-making process
Rapid rise of serum acid phosphatase after irradiation of metastatic carcinoma of prostate.

Abstract An eighty-two-year-old man with metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma was treated with radiation therapy to the lumbar region of the spinal column. A rapid rise in his acid phosphatase activities developed, increasing thirty-eight-fold in two days. He died on the second day posttherapy of hemorrhagic complications. The rapid increase in acid phosphatase activity was due to release from injured or dying prostatic adenocarcinoma cells.
Variable-sampling-rate sigma-delta modulator for instrumentation and measurement

We have designed, built, and tested a second-order, variable-sampling-rate, sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) which operates over an input frequency range from 1 Hz to 8 kHz. Experimental results show that this circuit performs well and maintains the same signal-to-noise ratio over an input frequency range from 1 Hz to 1 kHz although it was built with individually packaged operational amplifiers and analog switches. For input frequencies above 1 kHz the circuit still performs well, but the signal-to-noise ratio varies with input frequency. >
The price elasticity of export demand for soybeans and soybean products reconsidered

Abstract This paper addresses the question of whether the export demand for soybeans and soybean products has structurally changed over the 1950 to 1992 period as the US agriculture sector has become more integrated with the rest of the world economy. The export demand equation specification considered is one that has been used extensively in the empirical literature. The results of a structural change test suggest that the export demand for soybeans, soybean meal, and soybean oil did not destabilize over the sample period. Moreover, based on the model specification and the data available for estimating the requisite parameters, it is possible to infer conclusively that the long‐run soybean and soybean product export price elasticities are in the elastic range. The implications are that, among other things, for each 1 % reduction in the price of soybeans, soybean meal, and/or soybean oil brought about through a government program (e.g., the Export Enhancement Program applicable to soybean oil), exports wi...
Sonic tooth brushing reduces gingival overgrowth in renal transplant recipients

Cyclosporine (CSA) is a commonly used immunosuppressive medication in pediatric transplantation. Drug-induced gingival overgrowth (DIGO) is a frequent side effect associated with CSA use and can impair the patient’s ability to achieve good oral hygiene. This study tested the hypothesis that sonic tooth brushing and oral hygiene instruction can reduce the occurrence or severity of DIGO in CSA-treated pediatric renal transplant recipients. Twenty-three pediatric renal transplant patients with DIGO were randomly allocated to treatment or control groups. The treatment group received oral hygiene instruction and use of a sonic toothbrush, while the control group continued their usual home care with manual brushes. Dental impressions and photographs of all subjects were taken at baseline and every 3 months for a year. The casts and photographs were evaluated by a dental panel to compare the DIGO levels from baseline until the end of the study. After 12 months the control group had significantly more severe DIGO than did the sonic tooth brushing and oral hygiene instruction group (OR=4.5, 95%CI=1.2–16.0, P=0.03). Of the risk factors considered, only male gender was significantly associated with worse outcome (OR=6.1, 95%CI=2.3–16.1, P=0.03). The use of a powered toothbrush, together with oral hygiene instruction, may be an important component of health maintenance for pediatric transplant patients on CSA.
Teaching Children to Make Emergency Telephone Calls

The purpose of this study was to develop a behavioral procedure to teach preschool children emergency dial ing and to examine its effectiveness. The behavioral procedure was administered by the classroom teacher to examine the effectiveness of teaching 4- and 5- year-old students to dial emergency telephone calls cor rectly when directed to do so by a parent. Training was conducted in a regular classroom setting. Three con ditions were compared to examine the effectiveness of the behavioral treatment strategy: (a) a behavioral procedure, (b) a teacher-devised method, and (c) a con trol group. In groups one and two, each subject was taught specific skills considered necessary in making emergency telephone calls. A component analysis for making emergency calls was carried out, and its content validity determined.
Oviposition of the Lone Star Tick

Female lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acarina: Ixodidae), engorged on bovines and were held at 27°C and 60–90% RH under a photocycle of 12 hr light : 12 hr dark. The average weight, 0.621 g (range 0.291–0.814 g), of females disturbed daily for removal of eggs did not differ significantly from the average weight, 0.600 g (range 0.366–0.802 g), of females that were allowed to oviposit undisturbed. The average weight of freshly laid eggs was 59–60 μg, and that of eggs from egg masses weighed after oviposition was complete (but before hatching) was 52 μg. The preoviposition period of all females averaged slightly longer than 9 days and was not correlated with weight of females. The number of eggs laid by females disturbed daily (avg 6179.2; range 2229–8929) and by undisturbed females (avg 6207.3; range 3181–8146) was highly significantly correlated with the weight of the female. The number of eggs per female did not differ significantly between females disturbed daily and those undisturbed. The Index of Reproduction Efficiency (number of eggs per weight of female) did not differ between females disturbed daily and undisturbed females and was not correlated with weight of the female. The Index of Conversion Efficiency (weight of eggs per weight of female) of undisturbed females was significantly higher than that of the undsturbed females. Peak daily oviposition, an average of 508 eggs per female, occurred on the 3rd day of oviposition; an average >440 eggs per day were laid on days 2–7. The length of the oviposition period (avg 25.4 days; range 16–31 days) was highly significantly correlated with both the weight of the female and the number of eggs laid. The average minimum incubation period was 29.4 days (range 27–32 days).
A multithreshold scheduling policy for readers and writers

Abstract We consider a multiserver queueing system processing “readers” and “writers.” A writer must be processed singly, as if it is using all servers in the system, while readers can be processed concurrently, each using one server. Higher throughputs and better response times for both readers and writers can be achieved by increasing the degree of concurrency in processing readers. The threshold fastest emptying (TFE) policy stops processing new readers in a system closed with respect to readers when the number of writers which have arrived at the system exceeds a certain threshold K . In a system with reader as well as writer arrivals the TFE policy achieves a higher maximum throughput than the FCFS policy (even when K = 1). We use the solution of a system closed with respect to readers to determine an “optimal” value for K from the viewpoint of minimizing the mean overall response time ( R o ) in this case. Activating several readers is more advantageous than activating a single writer from the viewpoint of reducing waiting times and hence R o , but the issue of efficient processing of readers has to be taken into account at higher loads. A threshold scheduling policy based on a threshold J (resp. J ′) to start (resp. stop) the processing of readers is intended to maximize the fraction of time the system is available for processing writers. A queueing analysis of a system with readers only shows that significant improvements in reader processing efficiency can be attained with the single threshold J and a further improvement with the additional threshold J ′. Finally, a double-threshold policy with a threshold K for writers and thresholds J and J ′ for readers is proposed. The processing of additional readers is stopped when there are less than J ′ readers and the threshold K for the processing of writers is attained. The processing of writers is stopped when there are J readers in the system and a certain number of writers are served in the current cycle for processing writers. It follows from simulation studies that this policy provides more flexibility than the aforementioned policies in minimizing R o .
Effects of Simulated Potassium Blockade on the Dynamics of Triggered Cardiac Activity

Under certain conditions, drugs that partially block transmembrane potassium currents in ventricular myocytes predispose patients to ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Although the precise mechanisms by which potassium blockade initiates tachyarrhythmias are unknown, it is believed that early afterdepolarizations (EADs) may play a role. Using the Luo-Rudy kinetic model of the ventricular action potential, we examine the effect of potassium blockade on the likelihood of observing triggered cardiac activity in a system of two coupled kinetic patches. We found that (i) phase 2 EADs are capable of triggering full action potentials in neighboring tissue if the patches are separated by a relatively large resistive barrier, and (ii) partial potassium blockade can either increase or decrease triggering probabilities depending on coupling resistivity. To understand the dynamic contribution of potassium blockade to triggered activity, the two-patch model is decomposed into two single patches. In one of the patches we compute the stability properties of simulated EADs (arising from phase 2 of the ventricular action potential) as a function of potassium blockade. The EAD stability properties are then related to the frequency-amplitude response of the neighboring patch. From the analysis of the decomposed system we found (iii) that increases in triggering probabilities brought about by potassium blockade may result from frequency and amplitude shifts of stable EAD oscillations. The first finding suggests a mechanism by which potassium blockade could induce EAD-triggered arrhythmias within the setting of chronic myocardial infarction. The second and third findings may partially explain why potassium blockade is antiarrhythmic in some patients, and proarrhythmic in others.
"Opting-in" and unnecessary penalties for non kidney donors.

A variety of systems to procure organs equitably have been theorized or implemented; these include mandated choice, presumed consent, live donors, and volunteer donor registries (Mackey and Kjerulf...
Water quality changes in a polluted stream over a twenty-five-year period.

Abstract The Deckers Creek watershed in northern West Virginia (USA), containing a land area of 166 km2 (63 mi2), has a long history of industrial development and attendant environmental abuses from both land and water pollution practices. The water in Deckers Creek was sampled in 1974 at 29 locations along the main stem and resampled in 1999-2000 to determine water quality changes over this 25-year period. Water samples were analyzed for pH, acidity, alkalinity, iron, and calcium at both times, while aluminum, manganese, zinc, and fecal coliform (FC) bacteria densities were added in 1999-2000. Water at almost all sampling points showed lower acidity and metal contents in 1999-2000 compared with 1974. Water pH increased at the mouth from 5.4 in 1974 to 6.0 in 1999-2000. Acidity and iron concentrations were decreased an average of 70% in the upper stretches of the creek. However, one major untreated point source of water from an abandoned underground mining complex continues to degrade the quality of the creek in its lower stretches. In the upper section, the water quality in Deckers Creek has improved due to decreased surface and underground coal mining activities, reclamation of abandoned and recently permitted surface mined lands, and natural healing of past land use scars from timbering and mining over time. The decrease in mineral extraction activities and the reclamation of disturbed lands has occurred due to the passage and enforcement of water quality and land reclamation laws and regulations. More time and additional reclamation projects will continue to enhance the water quality in the creek. Improved water chemistry in the majority of the creek, however, shows the previously unnoticeable biological contamination from sewage inputs.
Whose animals? A history of property rights to wildlife in Toro, western Uganda

As property of the state and symbol of colonial authority, Africa's wildlife fared poorly during the 20th century. Current campaigns to devolve wildlife property rights promise to provide local communities with incentive to better protect wildlife. But defining ‘local community’ and building viable property arrangements requires an understanding of socio-ecological conditions and their historical formation. This paper examines the transition in claimants and wildlife property regimes in Toro District, western Uganda during 1923–79. Data are drawn from government archives and oral histories of 23 Toro elders. Toro wildlife ownership centered on spirit appeasement and a social hierarchy of hunting rights. Colonial wildlife ownership was also hierarchical, but emphasized parks and restrictions on hunting technology. Under both systems, Toro royals enjoyed privileged access to big game. Toro property claims ultimately cannot be disentangled from colonial wildlife property regimes. By mid-century, government ‘control’ campaigns packed wildlife into parks, where they were later decimated by war and poaching. Today recovering wildlife populations create conflict when they stray into densely settled agricultural lands. Necessary reform in property rights is constrained by historically rooted political and physical conditions, and idealized notions of ‘local community’. Neither wildlife nor the rural poor are served by simplistic prescriptions to ‘hand over’ wildlife to imagined communities isolated from government or market forces. Instead, wildlife property arrangements must reflect ecosystem-level processes and macropolitical and economic forces shaping local use of wildlife. National parks are essential, but inadequate components of the land-use and property rights mosaic in western Uganda. Considerable financial and political support is required to build comanagement systems allowing local communities and the government to negotiate and experiment with alternative ways of owning and using wildlife beyond park boundaries. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning to Teach in a Complex Interconnected World

This article has 2 goals. First is the goal of revisiting articles published in Theory Into Practice (TIP) over the past 50 years to examine evolving perspectives on the topic of learning to teach as revealed in the pages of this journal. The 2nd goal is to look to the future to imagine likely new issues, directions, and changes in education related to learning to teach. A close review of the articles on learning to teach from different perspectives revealed that 4 predominant topics emerged within the domain of learning to teach; curriculum, policy directives, mentoring, and collaboration. Through brief snapshots of the perspectives represented in these 4 areas, trends in the research related to learning to teach were extracted and summarized. These snapshots provided an overview of how our field has conceptualized learning to teach within a changing social, political, and demographic context—reflecting a complex range of variables concerning the perspectives that must be considered by those who are inte...
NAG-2, a Novel Transmembrane-4 Superfamily (TM4SF) Protein That Complexes with Integrins and Other TM4SF Proteins

Abstract Transmembrane-4 superfamily (TM4SF) proteins form complexes with integrins and other cell-surface proteins. To further characterize the major proteins present in a typical TM4SF protein complex, we raised monoclonal antibodies against proteins co-immunoprecipitated with CD81 from MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells. Only two types of cell-surface proteins were recognized by our 35 selected antibodies. These included an integrin (α6β1) and three different TM4SF proteins (CD9, CD63, and NAG-2). The protein NAG-2 (novelantigen-2) is a previously unknown 30-kDa cell-surface protein. Using an expression cloning protocol, cDNA encoding NAG-2 was isolated. When aligned with other TM4SF proteins, the deduced amino acid sequence of NAG-2 showed most identity (34%) to CD53. Flow cytometry, Northern blotting, and immunohistochemistry showed that NAG-2 is widely present in multiple tissues and cell types but is absent from brain, lymphoid cells, and platelets. Within various tissues, strongest staining was seen on fibroblasts, endothelial cells, follicular dendritic cells, and mesothelial cells. In nonstringent detergent, NAG-2 protein was co-immunoprecipitated with other TM4SF members (CD9 and CD81) and integrins (α3β1and α6β1). Also, two-color immunofluorescence showed that NAG-2 was co-localized with CD81 on the surface of spread HT1080 cells. These results confirm the presence of NAG-2 in specific TM4SF·TM4SF and TM4SF-integrin complexes.
Design of a graphic user interface for a part's inner feature detection

Abstract We describe a graphical user interface kit that allows the user to recognize conveniently the contours and inner holes of an object in a binary image. The interface is named “Hole and Connectivity in Pattern Recognition” ( hcpr ). It uses the operations of mathematical morphology. hcpr provides a viewing window which allows the user to observe the image or its contours directly from hcpr 's interface.
Laser frequency stabilization using regenerative spectral hole burning

We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization using a continuously regenerated transient spectral hole in an inhomogeneously broadened resonance of a solid. Regenerative transient holes provide extreme stabilization for time scales appropriate for spectroscopy, signal processing, ranging, and interferometry. Stabilization to 20 Hz on a 10-ms time scale using spectral holes at 793 nm in ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}{:\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ gives substantial improvement in the reliability of stimulated photon echoes in the same material and enables the observation of a third population storage mechanism for hole burning in ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{3+}{:\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Al}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}.$
Parents' Perceptions of Their Preschool Children's Obedience

This study compared parents' perceptions of their own preschool children's obedience with their perceptions of other preschool children's obedience, and compared the mothers' and fathers' perceptions with each other. Parents of 44 nursery-school children predicted the obedience levels of their own children and of most other children in an experiment on obedience. Their predictions suggest that parents perceive their own children as more obedient than other children to the request of an adult stranger, and that mothers and fathers differ in their perceptions of how obedient their children are.
Human Pituitary Glutaminyl Cyclase: Expression in Insect Cells and Dye Affinity Purification

Abstract Human pituitary glutaminyl cyclase (hQC) was expressed in Drosophila S2 cells under the control of an inducible metallothionene promoter and fused to the Drosophila immunoglobulin-binding protein signal sequence to enable secretion into the culture media. Expression levels reached 50 μg/mL culture media after 7 days of induction. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity directly from culture media by affinity chromatography on Reactive Blue 4–agarose using a step pH elution. The identity of the expressed protein was confirmed by peptide mass mapping and Western blotting. Glutaminyl cyclase was expressed as a fully active 37 kDa enzyme with kcat/Km values of 14.3, 9.3, and 2.4 mM−1 s−1 for the substrates Gln–Gln, Gln–NH2, and Gln-t-butyl ester, respectively. The two cysteines were disulfide bonded, and the lone predicted glycosylation site, asparagine 49, was shown by both enzymatic deglycosylation of the expressed enzyme and site-directed mutagenesis to be glycosylated.
Photofragmentation of Acetyl Cyanide at 193 nm

The photodissociation of gaseous acetyl cyanide has been examined following excitation at 193 nm. CN X2Σ+ photofragments were probed via laser fluorescence excitation to determine their rotational, vibrational, and translational energy distributions. CN was produced in v‘‘ = 0 and 1 with mean rotational energy (13.5 ± 2) kJ mol-1, and v‘‘ = 2 with mean rotational energy (10 ± 4) kJ mol-1. Mean translational energies of the CN fragments were (32 ± 10) kJ mol-1. Ab initio electronic structure theory has been used to characterize the heat of formation for acetyl cyanide along with its geometries and vibrational frequencies. The acetyl cyanide heat of formation, ΔH0f,0, is predicted to be (−0.4 ± 8) kJ mol-1 using Gaussian-2 theory (G2). The theoretical results are used to compute bond dissociation energies of acetyl cyanide for further interpretation of the experimental photodissociation data. Evidence is presented that the majority of CN fragments are produced via dissociation of the parent acetyl cyanide t...
Latinas' Experience of Sexual Assault Disclosure

This study describes Latina’s experience of sexual assault disclosure. This study contributes Latinas’ voices to the literature on sexual assault disclosure, about feelings experienced during the initial disclosure—regret, shame, and negative judgment of self, and about consequences experienced from the disclosure—feeling spoiled for marriage, silenced, and disbelieved. It points to the need for further research on social interventions to empower Latina sexual assault survivors. Although the literature review identified some research in the area of sexual assault with Latinas, there has been a limited amount of research conducted on feelings and consequences experienced specifically by Latinas during a sexual assault disclosure.
“Alfonse, wait here for my signal!”

At first glance, Java monitors appear easy to use. However, a deeper analysis reveals that they are surprisingly tricky, suffer from subtle race conditions, and are actually a low-level synchronization tool in stark contrast to the reputation Java has as a modern well-engineered language. The programmer is responsible for building safe and robust synchronization structures from Java monitors.
Pharmacokinetic targeting of intravenous busulfan reduces conditioning regimen related toxicity following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia

Optimal conditioning therapy for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) remains undefined. We retrospectively compared outcomes of a consecutive series of 51 AML patients treated with oral busulfan (1 mg/kg every 6 hours for 4 days) and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg IV × 2 days) - (Bu/Cy) with 100 consecutive AML patients treated with pharmacokinetic targeted IV busulfan (AUC < 6000 μM/L*min per day × 4 days) and fludarabine (40 mg/m2 × 4 days) - (t-IV Bu/Flu). The Bu/Cy and t-IV Bu/Flu groups significantly differed according to donor relation, stem cell source, aGVHD prophylaxis, remission status, primary vs. secondary disease, median age, and % blasts prior to HCT (p < 0.01 for each). Conditioning with t-IV Bu/Flu reduced early toxicity including idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) and hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD). Additionally, the trajectory of early NRM (100 day: 16% vs. 3%, and1 year: 25% vs. 15% for Bu/Cy and t-IV Bu/Flu, respectively) favored t-IV Bu/Flu. Grade II-IV aGVHD (48% vs. 82%, p < 0.0001), as well as moderate/severe cGVHD (7% vs. 40%, p < 0.0001) differed between the Bu/Cy and t-IV Bu/Flu groups, due to the predominance of peripheral blood stem cells in the t-IV Bu/Flu group. Pharmacokinetic targeting of intravenous busulfan in combination with fludarabine is associated with reduced conditioning regimen related toxicity compared to oral busulfan and cyclophosphamide. However, multivariable analysis did not demonstrate significant differences in overall survival (p = 0.78) or non-relapse mortality (p = 0.6) according to conditioning regimen delivered.
The preferred conformation of noradrenaline and a consideration of alpha-adrenergic receptor.

The preferred conformation of noradrenaline has been calculated using extended Huckel molecular orbital theory. The conformation was found to be identical to the previously calculated conformation of (—)-ephedrine in respect to the relation of the quaternary and hydroxyl groups and the phenyl ring. These findings reinforce the previous hypothesis of the nature of the α-adrenergic receptor and also support the view that these molecules function at the receptor in their preferred conformations.
Rectangular waveguide with dielectric-filled corrugations supporting backward waves

A new application for corrugated waveguides as left-handed (LH) meta-material guided-wave structures is investigated. The waveguide is operated below the cutoff of the dominant mode, where the waveguide has an inherent shunt inductance. The dielectric-filled corrugations are used to provide a series capacitance, which, along with the shunt inductance, create the necessary environment to support backward waves. A simple equivalent-circuit model is constructed, and proves quite accurate in determining the dispersion, as well as the scattering characteristics of the structure. Experimental verification of the occurrence of backward waves in the corrugated waveguide is presented. Very good agreement between the results obtained using the equivalent-circuit model and the full-wave finite-difference time-domain solution is achieved. The effect of the various design parameters on the LH propagation bandwidth is investigated. The advantages and possible applications of the structure are discussed.