cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Weight Restricted (Multiplier) Models

When considering various inputs and outputs in the basic DEA models discussed in earlier chapters, we made no judgment about the importance of one input versus another, and we assumed that all outputs had the same importance. In fact, in our example data, we assumed outpatient visits would consume the resources at the same level as inpatient admissions. Similarly, in producing the patient outputs, we valued the contribution of nursing hours the same as the contribution of medical supplies. Beside these assumptions, DMUs in a DEA can become efficient by simply taking advantage of a particular input or output variable. Simply, a hospital can become efficient by emphasizing a favorable input or output. For instance, observing from the example data, Hospital 9 has relatively low nursing hours but a high amount of medical supplies. The low nursing hours may be the reason this hospital is at the efficiency frontier (see Fig. 2.7). In the DEA literature, these DMUs that take advantage of these weak assumptions are sometimes called maverick DMUs.
Trends in Quality Management Approaches to Design–Build Transportation Projects

Beyond time and cost savings realized through alternative project delivery methods, the salient question has been whether project quality is degraded by either the speed of design and construction or the owner’s loss of direct control. Decisions made in the early phases of a project create impacts that may not be evident until many years after the project commences operation. Research conducted 10 years ago showed that owners assumed the design–build team’s qualifications automatically translated into design and construction quality. This study determined whether owners had changed their approach to quality management in design–build projects. Content analysis of 58 bid documents for design–build projects ($13 billion aggregate contract value) issued between 1999 and 2013 by state departments of transportation (DOTs) revealed a noticeable shift in DOTs’ dependence on qualifications. Most DOTs are now evaluating competing design–build teams’ design and construction quality plans before the award. This find...
Eradication of prostate cancer by immunotherapy using the most potent macrophage activating factor, GcMAF

1869 Highly activated macrophages are tumoricidal. Inflammation-derived macrophage activation is the principal macrophage activation process that requires serum vitamin D-binding protein (known as Gc protein) and participation of B and T lymphocytes. A trisaccharide composed of N-acetylgalactosamine with dibranched galactose and sialic acid termini at 420 threonine residue of Gc protein is hydrolyzed by the inducible s-galactosidase (Bgl) of inflammation-primed B cells and the Neu-1 sialidase of T cells to yield the macrophage activating factor (MAF). Thus, Gc protein is the precursor for the principal MAF. However, the MAF precursor activity of Gc protein of cancer patients was lost or reduced because Gc protein is deglycosylated by serum α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (Nagalase) secreted from cancerous cells but not from healthy cells. Thus, serum Nagalase activity is proportional to tumor burden and serves as a prognostic index. Exogenously given macrophage activating factor can bypass deglycosylated serum Gc protein and directly acts on macrophages for activation. Stepwise treatment of highly purified Gc protein with immobilized s-galactosidase and sialidase generated the most potent macrophage activating factor (GcMAF) ever discovered which produces no side effect in humans. Administration of 100 ng GcMAF per human results in the maximal activation of systemic macrophages, which develop enormous variation of receptors that recognize a variety of abnormalities, i.e., tumor associated antigens, in cancerous cell surface. When sixteen nonanemic prostate cancer patients were treated with 14-25 weekly administrations of 100 ng GcMAF (intramuscularly once a week), all cancer patients exhibited healthy control levels of the serum Nagalase activity, indicating eradication of tumors. During two years after GcMAF therapy, their serum Nagalase activity did not increase, indicating no recurrence. Poorly differentiated (termed undifferentiated) cancer cells should have more abnormality in cell surface than moderately or immediate differentiated (differentiated for short) cancer cells. Since the activated macrophages efficiently recognize and kill cancer cells having more abnormality, the activated macrophages cure patients with undifferentiated tumors more rapidly than those with differentiated tumors. However, the serum Nagalase activity of the majority of patients decreased rapidly in the first few weeks (up to 4 weeks) and followed by slow decrease during remaining therapeutic period (10-20 weeks). The result suggests that undifferentiated cells were mixed with differentiated cells in same tumor. These mixed cell population appeared to be developed by differentiation during growth of the undifferentiated tumor cells.
Measurement of Myocardial Blood Flow Using 133Xe

In 1945, Kety and Schmidt1 devised a method to measure cerebral blood flow using a diffusible indicator, nitrous oxide. In 1949, Kety2 substituted 24Na and described the first practical method to measure blood flow using a radionuclide tracer. In the following years, some groups3–11 elaborated further on Kety’s work and developed methods for measuring myocardial blood flow by injection of diffusible tracers into a coronary artery or into the myocardium itself. The disappearance, or “washout,” of radioactivity was measured by an external radiation-detection system placed over the myocardium. Kety had shown that the rate of washout of the diffusible indicator from tissue to blood was a function of tissue blood flow.1,2,12
Improving wireless link throughput via interleaved FEC

Wireless communication is inherently vulnerable to errors from the dynamic wireless environment. Link layer packets discarded due to these errors impose a serious limitation on the maximum achievable throughput in the wireless channel. To enhance the overall throughput of wireless communication, it is necessary to have a link layer transmission scheme that is robust to the errors intrinsic to the wireless channel. To this end, we present interleaved-forward error correction (I-FEC), a clever link layer coding scheme that protects link layer data against random and busty errors. We examine the level of data protection provided by I-FEC against other popular schemes. We also simulate I-FEC in Bluetooth, and compare the TCP throughput result with Bluetooth's integrated FEC coding feature. We show that I-FEC consistently and significantly outperforms other link layer coding schemes by providing an impressive amount of protection against heavy channel burst errors.
Streptomycin and Infection of Escherichia coli by T6r+ Bacteriophage

Freda, Celia E. (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia), and Seymour S. Cohen. Streptomycin and infection of Escherichia coli by T6r(+) bacteriophage. J. Bacteriol. 92:1670-1679. 1966.-The thymineless, histidineless, uracil-less Escherichia coli 15 THU was shown to be sensitive to streptomycin, dying in patterns comparable to that of strain 15 TAU in the presence or absence of the required amino acid histidine. In the absence of histidine, the antibiotic stimulated ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis without a detectable inhibition or stimulation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. In the presence of streptomycin (40mug/ml) under conditions of multiple infection with T6r(+), lysis of THU occurred 1 hr earlier than did the control, having produced about one-third as much DNA and phage as did the control. In the absence of histidine, thereby preventing synthesis of phage DNA, accumulation of virus-induced RNA was similar for about 30 min in control and streptomycin-treated systems. In the presence of the antibiotic, however, the infected cells accumulated about 50 to 70% more RNA than did the control after 90 min. Nevertheless, the turnover of RNA was not detectably affected by streptomycin. The rate of production and final amount of deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase, as well as the cut off time of synthesis of this enzyme, were scarcely affected by streptomycin. The beginning of DNA synthesis was delayed about 3 to 4 min by the antibiotic. The incorporation of histidine in infected cells was unaffected for 10 min and was only about 10% less than the control at 70 min. Lysozyme production began at about 10 min in control and antibiotic-treated systems, continued at essentially similarly increasing rates for 20 min, but stopped abruptly in the streptomycin-treated cells despite continuing protein synthesis. With the exception of lysozyme, the production of phage-specific polymers in a streptomycin-sensitive bacterium was only slightly affected by the antibiotic.
Non-communicable diseases and preventive health behaviors: a comparison of Hispanics nationally and those living along the US-Mexico border

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising among US Hispanics, but few studies have examined the preventive health behaviors for these NCDs among Hispanics. This study compared the preventive health behaviors of smoke-free living, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and avoidance of heavy alcohol use in Hispanics in the United States and Hispanics living along the US-Mexico border. Two weighted data sets with information on Hispanic populations were analyzed: 1) the national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (n = 29,942) from 2009; and 2) the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (n = 1,439) recruited from the US-Mexico border between 2008–2011. To compare the preventive health behaviors of the samples, within a generalized estimating equation framework, weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted controlling for age, educational attainment, employment, language, and insurance status. Statistical tests were two-sided with a significance level set at 0.05. Both samples reported low engagement in preventive behaviors. However, Hispanic males and females from the US-Mexico border were significantly less likely than the national sample to meet physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption guidelines. Also, Hispanic males from the US-Mexico border were more likely to engage in heavy alcohol use. The lack of preventive health behaviors among Hispanics living along the US-Mexico border presents a dire prospect for NCD control in the region. Multipronged approaches to address multiple behaviors should be considered.
A support vector machine (SVM) classification approach to heart murmur detection

This paper focuses on the study of detecting low frequency vibrations from the human chest and correlate them to cardiac conditions using new devices and techniques, custom software, and the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification technique Several new devices and techniques of detecting a human heart murmur have been developed through the extraction of vibrations primarily in the range of 10 – 150 Hertz (Hz) on the human chest The devices and techniques have been tested on different types of simulators and through clinical trials Signals were collected using a Kardiac Infrasound Device (KID) and accelerometers integrated with a custom MATLAB software interface and a data acquisition system Using the interface, the data was analyzed and classified by an SVM approach Results show that the SVM was able to classify signals under different testing environments For clinical trials, the SVM distinguished between normal and abnormal cardiac conditions and between pathological and non-pathological cardiac conditions Finally, using the various devices, a correlation between heart murmurs and normal hearts was observed from human chest vibrations.
High temperature electronics packaging: An overview of substrates for high temperature

High temperature electronics (>200˚C) is an emerging technical area in electronics that requires new materials and processes or existing materials and processes in new ways. Results of reliability testing of packaging materials for >200˚C are presented so that the selection of appropriate packaging may be made to target an applications temperature and lifetime requirements. Polymer and ceramic substrates are compared using experimental testing. Lifetime comparisons at 200C for polymer substrates and limitations due to composition are made. Thick film alumina, Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic, and thin film AlN substrate qualification test results and limitations in material selection are presented.
Effect of dietary tryptophan on hepatic polyribosomes and protein synthesis in fasted mice.

Abstract Mice were fasted overnight, and the following morning the the animals were tube-fed (a) a complete amino acid mixture, (b) the same mixture devoid of one essential amino acid (tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, or methionine), (c) a single essential amino acid (l-tryptophan, l-threonine, l-isoleucine, or l-methionine), or (d) nothing. All animals were killed 1 hour after the feeding. Postmitochondrial supernatants of liver homogenates were prepared and used for determination of protein synthesis in vitro, or, after addition of deoxycholate, for direct sucrose density gradient analyses. The polyribosome patterns of the livers of all the groups fell generally into one of two basic patterns: A, a shift of polyribosomes toward lighter aggregates, particularly monosomes, and a concomitant decrease of heavier aggregates, or B, a shift toward heavier aggregates with fewer monosomes. All groups fed l-tryptophan alone or amino acid mixtures which contained tryptophan, whether complete or incomplete with respect to other amino acids, showed the B polyribosome pattern, while the fasted controls, the tryptophan-devoid group, or the other single amino acid groups had the A pattern. The A pattern was associated with a low level of incorporation of 14C-leucine or 14C-phenylalanine into protein in vitro, while mice with the B pattern had a considerably enhanced level of incorporation. Four milligrams of l-tryptophan, but not equimolar amounts of single compounds structurally related to tryptophan, induced an increase in stimulation of hepatic protein synthesis, which changed little with higher levels of tryptophan. l-Tryptophan rapidly reached the liver and induced enhanced hepatic protein synthesis within 5 to 10 min, reached its peak effect by 1 hour, then began to decrease within 2 hours, and returned to control fasted levels within 4 to 6 hours. Animals fasted for longer periods (40 and 64 hours) rather than overnight (16 hours), adrenalectomized mice, and mice pretreated with actinomycin D, when tubefed l-tryptophan, showed enhanced hepatic protein synthesis as well as the B polyribosome profile response. Incubation in vitro with microsomal and supernatant fractions revealed results similar to those found with postmitochondrial supernatants and indicated that the microsomes of the tryptophan-fed animals accounted for the main increase in hepatic protein synthesis. Administration of 14C-leucine intraperitoneally to tryptophan-fed mice revealed a small but significant increase in hepatic protein synthesis in vivo over that in control fasted mice. The results indicate that dietary tryptophan plays a special role in the regulation of polyribosome aggregation and protein synthesis in the liver.
Improving student programming skills by developing program comprehension abilities: panel discussion

Students often have difficulty:Writing programs that do what the students intend;Understanding what they have written;Articulating hypotheses about the meaning of what they have written that can be turned into tests to check for correctness, and;Debugging their work once they realize there is a problem.The panelists will discuss four mutually supportive themes focused on developing program comprehension skills so that students can program more effectively.
Metabolic Dyslipidemia and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in 28,318 Adults With Diabetes Mellitus and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol <100 mg/dl

The risk of future coronary heart disease (CHD) in subjects with diabetes and "metabolic dyslipidemia" (high triglyceride [TGs] and low high-density cholesterol levels) remains a matter of concern. Little is known regarding the risk of CHD for this phenotype with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels <100 mg/dl. We analyzed a diabetes cohort of 28,318 members (aged 30 to 90 years) of Kaiser Permanente Northern California during 2002 to 2011 (192,356 person-years [p-y] follow-up), with LDL-C levels <100 mg/dl and without known CHD. We compared the incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) for CHD events in groups using Cox models: normal high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and TG (reference; n = 7,278, 25.7%); normal HDL and high TG (≥ 150 mg/dl; n = 4,484,15.8%); low HDL (≤ 50 mg/dl for women and ≤ 40 mg/dl for men) and normal TG (n = 4,048, 14.3%); low HDL and high TG (metabolic dyslipidemia; n = 12,508, 44%). Patients with metabolic dyslipidemia had the highest age-adjusted CHD events/1,000 p-y (12.7/1,000 p-y and 19.0/1,000 p-y for women and men, respectively). After multivariate adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, hypertension, smoking, statin use, duration of diabetes, and hemoglobin A1c, we observed an increased CHD risk in women (HR 1.35, 95% confidence interval 1.14 to 1.60) and men (HR 1.62, 95% confidence interval 1.43 to 1.83) with metabolic dyslipidemia compared to those with normal HDL and TG. Even in subjects with an LDL-C <100 mg/dl, presence of metabolic dyslipidemia in adults with diabetes is associated with an increased risk of CHD. In conclusion, effective CHD prevention strategies are needed for adults with diabetes and metabolic dyslipidemia.
Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Academic Resilience in Mathematics

Abstract. The purpose of this study is to describe the development and validation of a scale designed to measure academic resilience in mathematics (ARM). The ARM scale includes nine items and was administered to 528 7th and 8th grade students in a low-income urban school in the United States. The Many-Facet Rasch model was used to investigate the psychometric quality of the scale. Students responded to a six-category rating scale with responses ranging from 1 (= strongly disagree) to 6 (= strongly agree). The overall reliability of person separation was good (Rel = .79), and the scale exhibited good model-data fit. The data indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in student perceptions of their academic resilience by socioeconomic status (SES) or by performance levels on a statewide-standardized mathematics assessment. There were, however, statistically significant differences in student perceptions of their academic resilience by gender and teacher-assigned grades. The ARM sca...
Outcome Assessment Of A Management Program Using A Portfolio Approach: Lessons Learned

Over the past two decades the interest and use of student portfolios for assessing student learning outcomes has grown considerably. This paper presents an overview of the portfolio approach to outcome assessment adopted by the Department of Management at California State University, San Bernardino and discusses major issues encountered over six years of implementation. Experiences connected with the portfolio process are discussed from the perspectives of administrative complexity, the impact on academic program quality and evidence of assurance of student learning in relation to program learning objectives
Non-A, non-B hepatitis. II. Experimental transmission, putative virus agents and markers, and prevention

*Abbreviations used in this paper: ALT, alanine aminotransferase: anti-& antibody to S antigen; anti-HAV, antibody to hepatitis A virus; anti-HBc. antibody to hepatitis B core antigen: anti-HBs, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen: CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen: CEP. counterelectrophoresis; CMV, cytomegalovirus; 6, delta: EBV. Epstein-Barr virus: EIA, enzyme immunoassay: HAV. hepatitis A virus; HBcAg, hepatitis B core antigen: HBeAg, hepatitis B e antigen: HBIG. hepatitis B immune globulin: HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; HBV. hepatitis B virus: HBV DNA, hepatitis B virus DNA: HRA, hepatitis related antigen; IG. immune globulin; NANB. non-A. non-B; NIH, National Institutes of Health; RF, rheumatoid factor; RIA, radioimmunoassay; TTV Study. Transfusion-Transmitted Viruses Study.
Microbes and Microevolution

Opponents of evolution cannot deny the obvious successes of human-driven selection of domesticated animals and generally admit the processes of microevolution in nature. The chapter shows that minor genetic changes can lead to a dramatic shift from the original natural environment (habitat) of the species to completely new ones. In turn, these shifts in habitats could lead to physical separation of the organisms from the same species and their eventual macroevolution into different species. Baas-Becking hypothesis is related to the important similarity between humans and bacteria; humans adapt to different environments not by changing genetically but by inventing various tools that allow us to successfully survive and increase in numbers in new environments. To discuss the basis and significance of natural mutations within bacterial species, it is actually useful to make parallels not with domesticated animals but with ourselves, humans. As much as adaptive mutations seem to be important for microevolution, very few such natural changes are found within species of higher organisms. Studying microevolution of bacterial species can bring light to the elusive processes of microevolution in higher species. An understanding of the microevolution mechanisms and dynamics will bring us closer to grasping how new species and complex physiological systems have gradually evolved.
Stress intensification due to polarization switching

Experimental investigations suggest that crack growth in ferroelectric ceramics under alternating electric field appears to be governed by the magnitude of the applied electric field relative to the coercive field, defined as the theoretical strength of applied electric field that is required to induce macroscopic polarization switching. This paper presents the stress analysis for a ferroelectric bar under longitudinal vibration induced by laterally applied alternating electric field. These results indicate that the internal stresses oscillate at a frequency near the system resonance frequency, independent of the frequency of the applied electric field, and the oscillating stresses have substantially larger amplitudes when polarization switching takes place. These indications support the notion the polarization switching intensifies the internal stresses and hence promotes microcracking.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oral granisetron for strabismus surgery in children.

Purpose To determine the efficacy of oral granisetron in preventing postoperative vomiting (POV) following strabismus repair in children.
Application of DEA to medical clinics

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a mathematical technique used to determine the relative inefficiency of decision making units (DMUs). Results from DEA analysis yield important information regarding the optimal operating capabilities of each unit. This paper discusses two studies applying DEA to medical clinics, and provides a comprehensive explanation of the results. Data for the first study comes from 51 independent civilian clinics in the United States. The second study consists of data received from a set of clinics at a military base in the United States. The studies provide insight into the usage and capabilities of DEA.
Human autologous tumor-specific T cells in malignant melanoma.

T cell lines and clones with autologous tumor-specific activity have been developed in malignant melanoma by stimulating peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), lymph node lymphocytes or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) with autologous melanoma cells in the presence of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2). T-cell lines and clones have been developed with specific cytotoxicity and/or proliferative responses for autologous melanoma targets but not for allogeneic melanoma tumor cells, autologous normal cells or natural killer (NK)-sensitive targets. The concentration of rIL2 is critical for the generation of autologous tumor-specific T-cell lines, with low rIL2 concentrations (up to 800 IU/ml) facilitating the growth of T-cell lines with tumor-specific activity. The αβ T-cell receptor (TCR) and the CD3 antigen are involved in specific cytotoxicity and/or proliferative responses of these T-cell lines and clones. An oligoclonal pattern of β-chain TCR gene rearrangements was observed on T-cell lines and clones with autologous tumor-specific cytotoxicity, suggesting that they are comprised of T cells that have undergone a clonal expansion in response to particular antigen. Autologous tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells are HLA-restricted and recognize on the melanoma tumor cells HLA Class I or possibly Class II antigens plus a tumor-specific determinant. TIL from patients with metastatic melanoma have unique characteristics in comparison with PBL and lymph node lymphocytes and they appear to contain substantial proportions of T cells that have been locally sensitized to autologous tumor cells. Single stimulation of TIL with autologous tumor cells in the presence of rIL2 is sufficient for the generation of T cell lines with autologous tumor-specific activity, whereas, multiple stimulation of PBL and lymph node lymphocytes was required to achieve the same purpose. TIL-derived T cell lines have been expanded in rIL2 in vitro by at least 1,500-fold without losing their activity. Approximately, 40% of the patients exhibited complete or partial responses to adoptive immunotherapy with melanoma TIL and rIL2.
SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL PATHOLOGY DISCOVERED DURING A MALE INFERTILITY EVALUATION

Purpose: Because a pregnancy can be achieved without a male infertility evaluation, some have questioned its usefulness. However, by bypassing a urological evaluation the man might not learn the cause of infertility and not be offered specific corrective therapy. In addition, men with subfertility may have a serious underlying medical or genetic problem that could also be overlooked. We determine the incidence of significant medical pathology discovered during a male infertility evaluation at 2 academic infertility practices.Materials and Methods: All men examined for either primary or secondary infertility were included in our study, while men seen for vasectomy reversal were not. All patients underwent evaluation, consisting of a complete history, physical examination, semen analysis, hormone testing, urinalysis and genetic testing when appropriate.Results: Significant medical pathology was discovered in 33 of 536 (6%) patients. A total of 27 patients had genetic abnormalities, including cystic fibrosis...
Evaluation of Precipitation Products for Global Hydrological Prediction

Abstract Accurate precipitation data are critical for hydrologic prediction, yet outside the developed world in situ networks are so sparse as to make alternative methods of precipitation estimation essential. Several such alternative precipitation products that would be adequate to drive hydrologic prediction models at regional and global scales are evaluated. As a benchmark, a gridded station-based dataset is used, which is compared with the global 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40), and a satellite-based dataset [i.e., the Global Precipitation Climatology Project One-Degree Daily (GPCP 1DD)]. Each dataset, with a common set of other meteorological forcings aside from precipitation, was used to force the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrology model globally for the 1997–99 period for which the three datasets overlapped. The three precipitation datasets and simulated hydrological variables (i.e., soil moisture, runoff, evapotranspiration, and snow water equivalent) are compared in terms ...
Developing International Partnerships: American School Psychologists Consulting in Other Countries

Consultation has been defined as a collaborative relationship between an individual with specialized knowledge (i.e., a consultant) and another individual or group (i.e., the consultee). The consul...
Ion-induced release of calcium from isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum

Choline Cl addition to either longitudinal reticulum or terminal cisternae of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum caused release of Ca2+ which had previously accumulated in the presence of ATP. However the extent of release was considerably greater in terminal cisternae. Ca2+ accumulation and release by terminal cisternae were also observed using chlorotetracycline as a probe for membrane-associated Ca2+. Among a number of salts and ions tested for effectiveness in causing Ca2+ release the order was gluconate−<cacodylate−<isethionate−=methane sulfonate−<methylsulfate−<SCN− for anions, and K+=Na+=Li+<choline+=tetramethylammonium+ for cations. Valinomycin enhanced Ca2+ accumulation in the presence of ATP both in the absence and presence of the releasing agent, choline Cl. The concentration of sucrose in the medium exerted no discernible effect on the rate or extent of Ca2+ release from terminal cisternae. The rate of release was estimated using a stopped-flow mixing apparatus. The rapid phase of release was complete in 6 sec when choline Cl or KSCN were employed to initiate release. Ca2+ efflux was slower when release was initiated by EGTA addition. The estimated rate of release was 4–6 nmol/mg protein/sec. The fluorescent probe, 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate was employed to estimate the influence of ions on the surface potential of terminal cisternae. A broad inverse correlation was observed between the fluorescence of the probe in the presence of various salts and their ability to induce Ca2+ release.
A polarity gradient in the expression of the replicase gene of rna bacteriophage Qβ

Abstract Nine mutants of bacteriophage Qβ were studied, each having an amber mutation in the coat protein gene. The N-terminal coat protein fragments synthesized in vitro by a non-suppressing Escherichia coli cell extract directed by the mutant RNA's were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, agarose column gel filtration, and their relative content of certain amino acids. These methods permitted the mutant codon in the coat protein gene to be identified unambiguously; in three cases the amber mutation was at position 17; in five cases, at position 37, and in one case at position 86. Phage-specific uracil incorporation and Qβ replicase activities were measured in infected, non-suppressing cells. Their amounts for each mutant were related to the position of the amber mutation, indicating that across the coat protein gene of Qβ there exists a gradient of polarity for the expression of the replicase gene.
Summative evaluation of the SINCGARS Tutor

Abstract In an earlier set of studies with a different Intelligently Coached Simulation (Orey, M.A., Fan, H., Park, J., Tzeng, S., & Gustafson, K. (1995). Evaluation of Device operator in a context of a coached simulation environment), we found a retention and a transfer problem. We tried to solve these problems while building a new Intelligently Coached Simulation (the SINCGARS Tutor). The solutions to the two problems were to use an interactive conceptual model for the retention problem and we used photographs of the equipment as the visuals of the simulation. We then tested this new tutor with a group of 22 officers who were not only required to know how to operate the SINCGARS radio, but would be responsible for teaching others in their unit when their training was complete. We had one group of officers train on the real equipment, in pairs, with one instructor available for guidance. The other group of 11 learned via the SINCGARS Tutor. The post test was to put an actual radio into operation while being observed by a trained observer. Results indicate that not only did the transfer problem go away, but officers trained on the computer performed the task more accurately both initially on the immediate post test and again on a surprise four-week delayed post test. The SINCGARS Tutor was found to be a very good training solution.
Virtualization and security: happily ever after?

Virtualization has been a major enabling technology for improving trustworthiness and tamper-resistance of computer security functions. In the past decade, we have witnessed the development of virtualization-based techniques for attack/malware monitoring, detection, prevention, and profiling. Virtual platforms have been widely adopted for system security experimentation and evaluation, because of their strong isolation, maneuverability, and scalability properties. Conversely, the demand from security research has led to significant advances in virtualization technology itself, for example, in the aspects of virtual machine introspection, check-pointing, and replay. In this talk, I will present an overview of research efforts (including our own) in virtualization-based security and security-driven virtualization. I will also discuss a number of challenges and opportunities in maintaining and elevating the synergies between virtualization and security.
Formation of non-volatile mutagens by water chlorination: Persistence and relationship to molecular weight of organic material in water

Abstract Non-volatile mutagens resulting from the chlorination of freshwater were detected using the Ames/ Salmonella /microsome assay with strain TA 100 in a non-liver activated system. Results indicated that dissolved organic material
Professional communication in Korea: playing things by eye

Westerners doing business with Koreans need to understand "nunch'i", a complex and subtle concept related to tact and subtlety of communication. In a high context culture such as that of Korea, nunch'i governs verbal and nonverbal communication to such an extent that westerners who are not familiar with its basic concepts can fall prey to serious miscommunication. The paper defines and describes nunch'i, providing illustrations of its proper usage in professional communication situations.
Zeno behavior in electromechanical hybrid systems: From theory to experimental validation

The goal of this paper is to assess the capacity of Zeno phenomena to correctly predict the behavior of real physical systems. We begin by considering electromechanical hybrid systems. Formal conditions are given on when systems of this form display Zeno behavior, in which case the hybrid model is completed to allow for solutions to be carried past the Zeno point. The end result is periods of unconstrained and constrained motion, with transitions to the constrained motion occurring at the Zeno point, i.e., a Zeno periodic orbit. We then consider a double pendulum with a mechanical stop controlled by a DC motor, use these formal methods to predict the existence of a Zeno periodic orbit in simulation, and verify through experimentation that Zeno behavior provides an accurate description of the behavior of the physical system.
V–Mg–O Prepared via a Mesoporous Pathway: A Low-Temperature Catalyst for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane to Propene

The oxidative dehydrogenation of propane was investigated in a fixed-bed tubular flow reactor at 350 and 450°C over V–Mg–O catalysts prepared via a solid reaction (the mix-VMg catalysts) or from mesoporous precursors (the meso-VMg catalysts). Significantly higher selectivities and yields to propene were obtained over the meso-VMg catalysts than over the mix-VMg ones. The cooperation between a much higher BET specific surface area and a novel phase, a highly dispersed-Mg-in-V2O3, is suggested as responsible for the higher ODP performance of the meso-VMg catalysts than of the mix-VMg ones.
Constitutive Equations and the Correspondence Principle for the Dynamics of Gas Lubricated Triboelements

A new method for characterizing the dynamic behavior of gas films in triboelements is developed. The new method is based on an expansion of the step jump method. In this method, the dynamic character of the gas film is preserved in the form of its force response to a step jump stimulus. Transforming this step response into the frequency domain yields the frequency dependent stiffness and damping properties of the gas film. By approximating the step response with analytic constitutive models and using the elastic-gas film correspondence principle, it is possible to determine the system characteristic equation in analytic form and to find closed-form solutions for stability, transient and forced responses. Requirements are given for choosing constitutive models that comply with the second law of thermodynamics. The new analytical solution method offers a significant time savings compared to direct numerical methods, and it is much more conducive to parametric studies.
Financial Reporting of Fair Value Based on Managerial Inputs versus Market Inputs: Evidence from Mortgage Servicing Rights

This research studies one specific financial instrument – Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSRs) and examines whether the fair value of MSRs based on managerial inputs (Level 3) has financial reporting characteristics that differ from the fair value of MSRs based on market inputs (Level 2). Since fair value represents discounted future cash flows, we use future mortgage servicing fees as a proxy for future cash flows and measure whether the fair value of MSRs reflects the persistence of future servicing fees. We find that the fair value of MSRs based on managerial inputs (Level 3) better reflects the persistence of future servicing fees compared with the fair value of MSRs based on market inputs (Level 2). We also document that Level 3 fair values have a stronger association with proxies for default risk and prepayment risk. Consistent with conjectures made by Ryan (2008) and Laux and Leuz (2009), our results suggest that, although unobservable inputs are subject to managerial discretions, managers have the potential to generate higher quality fair value estimates than market inputs due to their information advantage, especially when the market for the underlying asset is inactive.
Physical Organic Chemistry of Transition Metal Carbene Complexes. 7.1 Kinetics of Hydrolysis of (CO)5MC(OR)Ph (M = Cr, W; R = Me, Et) and (CO)5Cr(OMe)CHCHPh in Aqueous Acetonitrile

A study of the hydrolysis of (CO)5CrC(OMe)Ph (1a), (CO)5CrC(OEt)Ph (1b), (CO)5CrC(OMe)CHCHPh (1c), (CO)5WC(OMe)Ph (1d), and (CO)5WC(OEt)Ph (1e) in 50% MeCN−50% water (v/v) at 25 °C is reported. The...
A comparison of perceived and actual dental needs of a select group of children in Texas.

— Dental caries (DMFS) evaluations were made for 150 children in Grades 2 to 7. Three months later, a trained interviewer questioned 120 children from 100 families to determine attitudes toward oral hygiene and dental health on the part of (a) the child, (b) the parent, along with (c) the child's perception of the parent's attitude, and (d) the parent's perception of the child's attitude. Evaluation of the perceived attitudes toward oral hygiene revealed a statistically significant correlation between the child's attitude and the degree of dental health as well as between the attitudes of child and parent. Conclusions were: (1) parents were not accurate in their perception of the dental health habits of their children, (2) children were not performing acceptable routine oral hygiene procedures, (3) children accurately perceived the attitudes of their parents toward dental health, and (4) children's actual dental health behavior as manifested by dental health status was related to the attitudes of their parents.
Early Alveolar Clearance of Particles in Rabbits Undergoing Acute and Subchronic Exposure to Ozone

The concentration-response relationship for changes in early alveolar clearance resulting from O3 inhalation were investigated. Groups of five rabbits were exposed to 0.0, 0.1, 0.6, or 1.2 ppm O3, 2 hr/day X 1 day; or to 0.0, 0.1, or 0.6 ppm O3, 2 hr/day X 13 days. Following the initial O3 exposure all rabbits inhaled an aerosol of 85Sr-tagged, 3.0-micron, polystyrene latex particles and particle retention was determined daily for the following 14 days. Single exposures to O3 produced a concentration related trend from accelerated clearance at 0.1 ppm to a transient impairment of clearance at 1.2 ppm. Subchronic exposure resulted in a significant acceleration of particle clearance at both 0.1 and 0.6 ppm, with the effect more pronounced at the higher level. These results demonstrate that single or repeated exposure of rabbits to 0.1 ppm O3, a level below the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard, produces alterations in early alveolar clearance. The effects observed at higher levels of O3 appeared to depend on both the concentration and exposure regime; acute exposures produced a concentration related trend toward an initial retardation of clearance, which was followed by an acceleration in particle removal, while repeated exposures resulted in a persistent acceleration of clearance.
Experimental demonstration of high-resolution three-dimensional x-ray holography

Tomographic x-ray holography may make possible the imaging of biological objects at high resolution in three dimensions. We performed a demonstration experiment with soft x-rays to explore the feasibility of this technique. Coherent 3.2 nm undulator radiation was used to record Fourier transform holograms of a microfabricated test object from various illumination angles. The holograms were numerically reconstructed according to the principles of diffraction tomography, yielding images of the object that are well resolved in three dimensions.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Topology of Spade Drills for Wood Drilling Operations, Part 1: Spade Drill Point Geometry Definition

Spade bits, widely and routinely used in the construction industry, have not received any attention in the technical literature, yet there is a pressing need to improve the performance of these bits whose basic design has not changed for decades. To facilitate such improvements, a thorough understanding of the geometric, manufacturing, and cutting mechanics aspects of these tools is necessary. In this two-part paper, the point geometry and manufacturing issues will be discussed. To fundamentally understand the spade drill bit's behavior, a complete mathematical model of its principal topological elements will be established. In conjunction with this model, the corresponding analytical formulations of the geometry and kinematics of the appropriate manufacturing procedures will also be formulated. In unison, these models will lay the foundation for a methodology and a software package for a detailed geometric analysis of all relevant cutting angle distributions and edge profiles of the spade bit. This will facilitate, at a later point, new point developments rooted in rigorous analytical models.
Nanoarray-Enhanced Micromechanical Pressure Sensor with Remote Optical Readout

We demonstrate a compact implantable intraocular pressure (IOP) sensor with remote optical readout for glaucoma research and patient management. Using non-invasive white light, we excite the sensor’s pressure-sensitive optomechanical cavity and detect the reflected light, whose optical signature changes as a function of IOP. The sensor has provided robust measurements of hydrostatic pressure between 10-60 mmHg with an accuracy of 0.15 mmHg.
Preoperative neurological status in predicting surgical outcome of spinal epidural hematomas

Abstract The postoperative progress of 3 patients with spinal epidural hemorrhage, but without spinal fracture or dislocation, is presented. From the literature, 158 cases were collected of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma treated surgically. Postoperative return of motor function was noted in 95.3%, 87%, and 45.3% of the patients with incomplete sensorimotor, incomplete sensory but complete motor, and complete sensorimotor lesions, respectively. Complete sensorimotor recovery occurred in 41.9%, 26.1%, and 11.3% of these 3 groups of patients, respectively. Recovery following surgical treatment depends on the severity of neurological deficits before treatment. However, the absence of motor or sensorimotor functions preoperatively does not necessarily indicate a poor prognosis.
Nonsteroidal-induced benign strictures of the colon: a case report and review of the literature

Colonic strictures are a rare complication reported to result from chronic use of sustained release formulations of indomethacin and diclofenac. Such strictures often present with associated mucosal ulceration and are thought to result from nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced alterations in enterocyte homeostasis. Strictures generally occur in the cecum, ascending, and proximal transverse colon with symptoms of occult blood loss, obstruction, changes in bowel habits, and rarely, perforation. The first reported case of a 69-year-old woman who developed recurrent colonic strictures with inflammatory changes and mucosal ulceration while taking Lodine (etodolac) is presented. A brief review of the relevant literature and suggested preventative therapies are discussed.
Preliminaries of Six-Degree-of-Freedom Ultra Resolution Metrology with Laser Beams and Convex Mirrors

In recent years, high resolution metrology up to nano-scale has attracted substantial attention due to the increasing need of ultra precision measurement systems for MEMS and NEMS calibration. In this paper, an analytical and numerical investigation for the proposed design of a 6-degree-of-freedom (6-dof) universal ultra precision metrology system using relatively simple and inexpensive but highly sensitive set up is presented. This system utilizes a convex mirror and two flat mirrors, one angled and one vertical, as targets to reflect the laser beams onto photo detectors. These targets, placed on the object of interest for metrology applications, change the direction of the reflected beam when there is any movement in the object, which is detected by the photo detectors. The use of convex and angled mirrors enhances the sensitivity of the system greatly. Geometric relationships are established among all the optical components to predict the final intersection points of the laser beams reflected from the targets with the photo detector planes. These relationships are used to establish a Jacobian partial derivative matrix, which is further used to estimate the target pose when the photo detector outputs are given. Numerical simulation of the measurement process is performed using MATLABreg. Assuming the approximate distance from laser beams origin to targets and the targets to photo detectors as 50 mm and photo detector resolution as 0.1 mum, translations and rotations less than 50 nm and 2 arc sec, respectively, can be measured accurately
The intracytoplasmic channel in pigment epithelial cells of the chick retina.

The fine structure of pigment epithelial cells in the chick retina was studied by electron microscopy with a special attention to the intracytoplasmic channel which is considered to be an important passage of metabolites from the choroidal side to the vitreal side. The chick retina was fixed either by perfusion with glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide or by immersion in situ with osmium tetroxide before removal of the eyeball. The infoldings appearing in the basal zone of the retinal pigment epithelial cell were provided with the gear-like projection which was encountered as their bottom in many cases, suggesting selective absorption of proteins. It was noticed that certain interspaces of the infoldings were continuous to tubular elements of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, the tubular elements were found in association with such other cellular components as nuclear envelope, mitochondria, fuscin granules and plasma membrane surrounding the outer segment of photoreceptor. The pigment epithelial cell appeared to be continuous with the photoreceptor through the pores of their plasma membranes. The presence of a certain intracytoplasmic channel from the choroid to the photoreceptor is considered to facilitate the transport of metabolites in the pigment epithelial cell.