cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk-averse based paradigms for uncertainty forecast and management in differential games of persistent disruptions and denials

The present work includes the development of a multi-agent game-theoretic model and closed-form risk-averse strategies of sense and avoid for responsive sensor resources management. The model is intended to provide appropriate scenarios for teaming and cooperation of multiple sensor agents, targeting applications in surveillance, exploration and cooperative manipulation. The essential contribution is twofold. First, the robustness of distributed data collection is addressed by using innovative paradigms for performance uncertainty forecast and management. Second, the efficiency of sensing resources is enhanced by the realization of benefit and risk perceptions for tradeoffs between performance benefits and risks in conjunction of the attainment of risk-averse and efficient Pareto sense and avoid tactics despite of persistent disruptions from the uncooperative pursuers and active denials from the evasive objects. Finally, potential users of the model proposed herein are operations researchers with definite interest in exploring the capabilities, limitations, and performance envelopes of various decision strategies and algorithms.
Beliefs about Chastity, Machismo, and Caste Identity: A Cultural Psychology of Gender

The study was conducted with a community sample (N = 1118) of participants from three caste groups (Brahmins, Thevars, and Gounders) from villages that are reported to have an extremely male-biased sex ratio in Tamilnadu, India. Chastity, Machismo, and Caste Identity scales were used to assess cultural beliefs about gender and caste. The correlations among beliefs about caste identity, chastity, and machismo were significant for all three caste groups. There was a significant difference between Brahmins and the other caste groups in beliefs about caste, chastity, and machismo. There was a significant interaction among marital status and gender. Married men’s scores on chastity and machismo were higher than unmarried men for all caste groups. Thevars and Gounders were high on machismo and chastity. Women in all caste groups, particularly Thevar women, were high on caste identity. The implications of the findings for the study of gender and immigration are discussed.
The binding of thiol reagents to axonal membranes: The effect of electrical stimulation

Summary Fluorescence techniques have been used to measure the binding of mercurochrome to walking leg nerve bundles of the spider crab. Reversibility of binding of mercurochrome by 2-mercaptoethanol was also measured. Both parameters were increased by electrical stimulation of the nerve bundle.
Thyroid Function and Treatment in Premenstrual Syndrome

In 1986 it was reported that a high percentage of women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) were found to have thyroid hypofunction (TH), mostly subclinical hypothyroidism, as defined by an augmented response of TSH to TRH, and that all affected women had complete relief of PMS symptoms with l-T4 therapy. We studied baseline thyroid function (T4, T3 uptake, T3, TSH, and TSH response to TRH) in 15 normal women (group 1) and 44 women with PMS and treated 22 of the PMS women with l-T4 (group 2; 1.6 μg l-T4/kg dose) and the other half with placebo (group 3) for 2 months in a double blinded protocol. We found no evidence of thyroid dysfunction in group 2 or 3, except for 1 subject with slightly elevated TSH (6.2 μlU/mL) and moderate augmented response to TRH (change in TSH, 65 μIU/mL). During the treatment phase we found a complete relief of symptoms in 6 (27%), a partial relief of symptoms in 6 (27%), and some relief of symptoms in 12 (54%) in group 2. Whereas in group 3, 10 (45%) had complete relief, 5 (23%) ha...
SCREENING FOR ADA DEFICIENCY

Some forms of combined immunodeficiency (CID) have been shown to have deficient activity of the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). Earlier detection of CID prior to infection, by ADA assay, would greatly benefit those patients, particularly if a histocompatible marrow donor were available. As the usual methods for measuring ADA are too laborious for large scale screening and require venous blood not readily available from newborns, we have developed a screening method using blood spotted on filter paper identical to the samples used in the Guthrie test for phenylketonuria. This method depends on pH reagents incorporated into a gel containing adenosine, which change color as ammonia is released in the presence of ADA. The method is about 97% accurate, and is simple to perform. The cost is about 1½ cents per sample. This technique has also been adapted for screening of serum, cultured fibroblasts, tissue hemogenates, and eluates from column chromatography with pH < 6. A pilot study using this method is at present underway at the PKU laboratory of the New York State Dept. of Health, Division of Labs, and Research, in Albany, N.Y., which analyzes blood from all newborns in the eastern half of New York State.
Comments concerning Iverach, et al., Screening for personality disorders among adults seeking speech treatment for stuttering [J. Fluency Disorders 34 (2009) 173-186].

Abstract Iverach, Jones, O’Brian, Block, Lincoln, and Harrison (2009) indicate the high co-occurrence of one or more Personality Disorders (PD) for adults who stutter. The findings of Iverach et al. argue against many years of research and the experiences of skilled clinicians who have considered the relationship between stuttering and anxiety/negative affectivity. The results of Iverach et al. are questioned based on several methodological issues. Educational objectives: 1. To explain why the unusually high occurrence of personality disorders (PD) for individuals who stutter found by Iverach et al. (2009) may be questionable based on methodological approach. 2. To explain the heightened levels of anxiety experienced by many individuals who stutter as a natural and reasonable response to a chronic and serious problem such as stuttering. 3. To debate the potential for the inaccurate diagnosis of Axis II Personality Disorders to unnecessarily stigmatize individuals who stutter.
A facile synthesis of 5-substituted 1-methyluracils and cytosine

A facile, general synthesis for a number of 5-substituted-1-methyluracils and cytosine which is suitable for the preparation of micro-quantities is reported. In contrast to other methods, the 5-substituent plays no role in determining the position of alkylation. 1-Methyl-5-hydroxymethyluracil and 1-methyl-5-formyluracil have also been synthesized by an alternate route.
Efficient Raman conversion of XeCl-laser radiation in metal vapors

The output from a discharge-pumped XeCl laser (75-mJ, 25-nsec FWHM at 308 nm) has been converted to several wavelengths in the visible spectrum through stimulated electronic Raman scattering in vapors of Ba, Ti, Pb, and Bi. Energy-conversion efficiencies of up to 40%6 have been reached in initial experiments.
Transfer of three identical nucleons in 16O + 48Ca☆

Abstract In the bombardment of 48Ca by 16O ions, three-proton “stripping” and three-neutron “pickup” reactions are observed with total yields approximately 45 μb and 5 μb, respectively.
Predicting Occupational Considerations: A Comparison of Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Outcome Expectations, and Person-Environment Congruence

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Holland's theory of career choice both make predictions about individuals' occupational considerations. SCCT suggests that occupational considerations are ...
Genome Evolution and Developmental Constraint in Caenorhabditis elegans

It has been hypothesized that evolutionary changes will be more frequent in later ontogeny than early ontogeny because of developmental constraint. To test this hypothesis, a genomewide examination of molecular evolution through ontogeny was carried out using comparative genomic data in Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae. We found that the mean rate of amino acid replacement is not significantly different between genes expressed during and after embryogenesis. However, synonymous substitution rates differed significantly between these two classes. A genomewide survey of correlation between codon bias and expression level found codon bias to be significantly correlated with mRNA expression (r(s) = -0.30 and P < 10(-131)) but does not alone explain differences in dS between classes. Surprisingly, it was found that genes expressed after embryogenesis have a significantly greater number of duplicates in both the C. elegans and C. briggsae genomes (P < 10(-20) and P < 10(-13)) when compared with early-expressed and nonmodulated genes. A similarity in the distribution of duplicates of nonmodulated and early-expressed genes, as well as a disproportionately higher number of early pseudogenes, lend support to the hypothesis that this difference in duplicate number is caused by selection against gene duplicates of early-expressed genes, reflecting developmental constraint. Developmental constraint at the level of gene duplication may have important implications for macroevolutionary change.
Osteoclastogenesis and Osteoclastic Resorption of Tricalcium Phosphate: Effect of Strontium and Magnesium Doping

Bone substitute materials are required to support the remodeling process, which consists of osteoclastic resorption and osteoblastic synthesis. Osteoclasts, the bone-resorbing cells, generate from differentiation of hemopoietic mononuclear cells. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of 1.0 wt % strontium (Sr) and 1.0 wt % magnesium (Mg) doping in beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) on the differentiation of mononuclear cells into osteoclast-like cells and its resorptive activity. In vitro osteoclast-like cell formation, adhesion, and resorption were studied using osteoclast precursor RAW 264.7 cell, supplemented with receptor activator of nuclear factor κβ ligand (RANKL). Osteoclast-like cell formation was noticed on pure and Sr-doped β-TCP samples at day 8, which was absent on Mg-doped β-TCP samples indicating decrease in initial osteoclast differentiation due to Mg doping. After 21 days of culture, osteoclast-like cell formation was evident on all samples with osteoclastic markers such as actin ring, multiple nuclei, and presence of vitronectin receptor α(v)β(3) integrin. After osteoclast differentiation, all substrates showed osteoclast-like cell-mediated degradation, however, significantly restricted for Mg-doped β-TCP samples. Our present results indicated that substrate chemistry controlled osteoclast differentiation and resorptive activity, which can be used in designing TCP-based resorbable bone substitutes with controlled degradation properties.
An in-memory object caching framework with adaptive load balancing

The extreme latency and throughput requirements of modern web applications are driving the use of distributed in-memory object caches such as Memcached. While extant caching systems scale-out seamlessly, their use in the cloud --- with its unique cost and multi-tenancy dynamics --- presents unique opportunities and design challenges. In this paper, we propose MBal, a high-performance in-memory object caching framework with adaptive Multiphase load Balancing, which supports not only horizontal (scale-out) but vertical (scale-up) scalability as well. MBal is able to make efficient use of available resources in the cloud through its fine-grained, partitioned, lockless design. This design also lends itself naturally to provide adaptive load balancing both within a server and across the cache cluster through an event-driven, multi-phased load balancer. While individual load balancing approaches are being lever-aged in in-memory caches, MBal goes beyond the extant systems and offers a holistic solution wherein the load balancing model tracks hotspots and applies different strategies based on imbalance severity -- key replication, server-local or cross-server coordinated data migration. Performance evaluation on an 8-core commodity server shows that compared to a state-of-the-art approach, MBal scales with number of cores and executes 2.3x and 12x more queries/second for GET and SET operations, respectively.
Uku Masing: A poet between east and west

(1977). Uku Masing: A poet between east and west. Journal of Baltic Studies: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 16-21.
Reaction OF E-1,2-bis[triphenyl(trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy)phospho]ethylene, Ph3PCHCHPPh3·20Tfwith bases: Unusual products and evidence for C2-dlylide, Ph3PCCPPh3, formation

Abstract E-1,2-di[triphenyl(trifluoromethanesulphonyloxy)phospho]ethylene 4 reacts with Et 3 N or NaH in wet CH 3 CN affording phosphineoxides 6 and 7 as a result of phenyl migration and related rearrangements in hydrolysed phosphonium moieties. The reaction of 4 with t -BuLi in CH 2 Cl 2 results in nucleophilic vinylic substitution of the phosphonium group by the t -Bu anion. Evidence for the intermediate formation of the C 2 -diylide 3 is obtained in the reaction of 4 with n -BuLi in CH 2 Cl 2 via trapping with 3,4-dichlorobenzaldehyde.
Thrombocytosis and fatal coronary heart disease

Although thrombocytlosis may cause vascular thrombosis with resultant organ or tissue ischemia, the occurrence of coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction (MI) in this circumstance is rare. To our knowledge, this association has been reported only once previously, in a 22-yefar-old man.l In this report, we describe another 22-year-old man with fatal congestive heart failure almost a year after a large MI associated with thrombocytosis.
White perch horizontal cells in culture: methods, morphology and process growth.

Abstract Four types of horizontal cells are recognized in primary cultures of the adult white perch retina. Immediately after isolation, all horizontal cell types show fine terminal processes. However, these fine processes disappear over the next 12–24 h and the cells typically round up partially. After 2–4 days in culture, new processes appear on the horizontal cells, and these usually grows substantially with time. By 14–21 days, processes several hundred micrometers in length are observed in the retinal culture dishes. Processes from different cells intertwine and contacts that appear synaptic in nature are observed.
Stability properties of a class of differential equations modeling predator-prey relationships

Abstract A system of differential equations is proposed as a model of a class of three species predator-prey relationships. The qualitative behavior of solutions is studied, and it is shown that the qualitative behavior remains the same under small perturbations in the vector field.
Use of low-molecular-weight heparins in the treatment and secondary prevention of cancer-associated thrombosis.

Objective To provide oncology nurses with an understanding of the differences between low–molecular-weight heparins and unfractionated heparin, key clinical trial data, and current treatment guidelines. Data Sources Primary and tertiary literature and the authors’ clinical experience. Conclusion The latest American College of Chest Physicians guidelines recommend low–molecular weight heparin for at least the first 3 to 6 months of long-term treatment for most patients with cancer and deep vein thrombosis (DVT; grade 1A). Implications for Nursing Practice Anticoagulant therapy has been found to be the most effective form of treatment for venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer, and oncology nurses play a critical role in the choice of agents, the dispensing of drugs, and the monitoring of ongoing therapy. Vital to that role are an ability to differentiate among the available agents and apply the current practice guidelines based on the clinical trial data.
Medical oophorectomy with and without estrogen add-back therapy in the prevention of migraine headache.

Objectives.—To determine the preventive benefit of “medical oophorectomy” and transdermal estradiol in women with migraine. Background.—Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that declines in serum estrogen levels occurring during normal menstrual cycles can trigger headache in women with migraine. Prior to this study, no randomized controlled trials have evaluated whether minimizing these hormonal changes pharmacologically can prevent headache. Methods.—Twenty-one women with regular menstrual cycles and a diagnosis of migraine headache were enrolled. After a 2.5-month placebo run-in phase, all patients received a subcutaneous goserelin implant (a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist) to induce a medical oophorectomy. One month later, while continuing goserelin, participants were randomized to receive a transdermal patch containing 100 μg of estradiol-17β (gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/estradiol group, n = 9) or a placebo patch (gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/placebo group, n = 12) during a 2-month treatment phase. The primary outcome measure was the headache index, which was defined as the mean of pain severity ratings (0 to 10 scale) recorded three times per day by daily diary. Secondary outcome measures included headache disability, headache severity, headache frequency, and the percentage of headaches with a pain severity rating of 7 or greater. Results.—The headache index was significantly lower during the treatment period in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/estradiol group than in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/placebo group (P = .025). Similar improvements were observed in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/estradiol group for all secondary outcome measures with the exception of headache frequency, which was unchanged between the groups. Within the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/estradiol group, there was a 33.7% reduction (95% confidence interval, −64.4 to −3.0) in the headache index during the treatment phase when compared with the placebo run-in phase; no difference was seen between those phases within the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist/placebo group. Conclusions.—Minimization of hormonal fluctuations with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy alone is inadequate to prevent headache in women who are premenopausal with migraine. The addition of transdermal estradiol to existing gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy provides a modest preventive benefit.
Modeling of biocide action against biofilm.

We consider the mathematical model of dynamic antimicrobial action against bacterial biofilms. A mixture model is used in which the biofilm consisting of live and dead bacteria is modeled as one fluid component, while the solvent containing biocide is modeled as the other, and each component is represented by its volume fraction. The whole system is assumed to be an incompressible fluid and the velocity is governed by the Navier–Stokes equation. Biocide kills the live bacteria and its transport is governed by an advection–reaction–diffusion equation. Certain biocide also weakens the mechanical cohesiveness of the biofilm and results in biofilm removal under the shear stress of the external flow. Spatial and temporal patterns of antimicrobial action of three different biocides are considered and numerical simulation results by finite difference method are presented.
Modeling Viscoelastic Dielectrics

Abstract Dielectric elastomers, as an important category of electroactive polymers, are known to have viscoelastic properties that strongly affect their dynamic performance and limit their applications. Very few models accounting for the effects of both electrostatics and viscoelasticity exist in the literature, and even fewer are capable of making reliable predictions under general loads and constraints. Based on the principles of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, this paper develops a field theory that fully couples the large inelastic deformations and electric fields in deformable dielectrics. Our theory recovers existing models of elastic dielectrics in the equilibrium limit. The mechanism of instantaneous instability, which corresponds to the pull-in instability often observed on dielectric elastomers, is studied in a general non-equilibrium state. The current theoretical framework is able to adopt most finite-deformation constitutive relations and evolution laws of viscoelastic solids. As an example, a specific material model is selected and applied to the uniform deformation of a dielectric elastomer. This model predicts the stability criteria of viscoelastic dielectrics and its dependence on loading rate, pre-stress, and relaxation. The dynamic response, as well as the hysteresis behavior of a viscoelastic dielectric elastomer under cyclic electric fields, is also studied.
Thermal history-dependent expression of the hsp70 gene in purple sea urchins: Biogeographic patterns and the effect of temperature acclimation

Thermal variation associated with large spatial scales is thought to significantly affect the physiology of organisms in marine systems and consequently limit their distribution. To examine this phenomenon, this study compared the heat shock protein (hsp70) mRNA expression of purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) collected from different geographic locations and those acclimated to different temperatures. Tube feet were removed from S. purpuratus freshly collected from Fogarty Creek, Oregon (FC-OR) and Carpinteria, California (CRP-CA) and from urchins acclimated to 5 °C and 20 °C in the laboratory. Tissue samples were then immediately frozen or incubated at various temperatures between 5 °C and 36 °C for 30 min in vitro. Real-time PCR was used to measure the hsp70 mRNA levels of each sample. The results showed evidence for differential regulation of hsp70 between S. purpuratus in both field and laboratory studies. For example, the incubation temperature that induced maximum hsp70 mRNA expression (Tmax) was higher in CRP-CA urchins (26 °C) than those from FC-OR (23 °C). Additionally, although the Tmax of the two acclimation groups was identical (26 °C), S. purpuratus acclimated to 5 °C failed to induce hsp70 mRNA after incubation at 32 °C, while tube feet of the 20 °C-acclimated urchins remained transcriptionally active. In general, the extent of hsp70 mRNA induction was substantial, exceeding 250-fold in the 5 °C-acclimated urchin tissues after incubation at 26 °C. These data suggest that the thermal variation encountered across S. purpuratus' range is sufficient to effect the regulation of thermally sensitive genes, like hsp70.
Nickel-Specific Response in the Transcriptional Regulator, Escherichia coli NikR

Studies of the transcriptional repression of the Ni-specific permease encoded by the Pnik operon by Escherichia coli NikR using a LacZ reporter assay establish that the NikR response is specific to nickel in vivo. Toward understanding this metal ion-specific response, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis of various M-NikR complexes (M = Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cu(I), and Zn(II)) was used to show that each high-affinity binding site metal adopts a unique structure, with Ni(II) and Cu(II) being the only two metal ions to feature planar four-coordinate complexes. The results are consistent with an allosteric mechanism whereby the geometry and ligand selection of the metal present in the high-affinity site induce a unique conformation in NikR that subsequently influences DNA binding. The influence of the high-affinity metal on protein structure was examined using hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange detected by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). Each NikR complex...
Are men or women more likely to stop drinking because of alcohol problems

Using a national population sample of adults who had ever consumed at least 12 drinks per year, men and women were compared in terms of the proportions who had stopped drinking because of alcohol problems. Overall, 24% of the male drinkers and 31% of the female drinkers had stopped drinking as of the time of interview, but men were more likely than women to have stopped drinking because of alcohol-related problems (4.3 vs. 2.3%). After using survival techniques to adjust for women's greater competing risk of stopping drinking for other reasons and men's greater exposure time due to their earlier initiation of drinking, the conditional probabilities of having stopped drinking because of alcohol problems were almost identical for men and women during the first 15 years of their drinking histories. Thereafter, the conditional probabilities were about 50% higher for men than for women. The observed durations of drinking history were about five years longer for men than women. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, family history of alcoholism, and patterns of alcohol consumption, there was no gender difference in the hazard of stopping drinking because of alcohol problems among persons who drank alcohol on less than a daily basis during their period of heaviest consumption. However, among daily drinkers, the hazard of stopping drinking because of alcohol problems was greater for women than men, by a factor of 1.5 to 3, depending on quantity of consumption and interval since first drink.
Socioeconomic Incentives to Teach in New York and North Carolina: Toward a More Complex Model of Teacher Labor Markets, 1800‐1850

Before sunrise one spring morning in 1815, twenty-four-year-old Susan Davis Nye left her family's farm in Amenia, New York. “After a most affecting parting from my beloved brothers, sisters and friends, I kissed my little sleeping babes and before the sun shone upon my dear native hills, bade them farewell, perhaps forever!” Thus begins the first entry in her journal dated April 22nd, the day she undertook the initial leg of a long voyage south to teach in North Carolina.
ATOMIC-BEAM STUDY OF THE SOLAR 7699 A POTASSIUM LINE AND THE SOLAR GRAVITATIONAL RED-SHIFT.

The shape and red-shift of the solar potassium resonance line (42 P 1/2→42 S 1/2) at 7699 A have been studied by an atomic-beam resonant scattering technique. Light from the central 10% of the solar image fell on a potassium atomic beam whose scattering wavelength was shifted in a known way by a magnetic field. The line profile was obtained by measuring the scattered light intensity as a function of magnetic field. The time required for a single profile of the line core was 30–40 min. Most of the observed profiles were asymmetrical and the character of the asymmetry varied in an erratic way from profile to profile. The mean red-shift of the 40 profiles which showed small or no asymmetry was: (δλ)mean = 10 ± 1 mA = (0.61±0.06)(δλ)gravwhere (δλ grav) is the gravitational red-shift predicted on the basis of the principle of equivalence. This result, together with those of other recent experiments, is consistent with the previously observed correlation between the red-shift of a solar line and its strength. Various checks of the experimental method are discussed, including preliminary measurements on the solar sodium D1 line.
Benzyl ether polymers: Crystallinity and pendant adamantyl effects

A series of benzyl ether polymers with and without pendant adamantyl groups has been synthesized. A-B homopolymers with dibenzylether and thioether connecting units were made by phase transfer reaction of 2-(4-bromomethylphenyl)-6-bromomethylbenzoxazole with KOH or Na 2 S. The ether-linked material was soluble only in conc. H 2 SO 4 while the thioether polymer was only soluble in a mixture of trifluoroethanol and chloroform. The parent AA-BB polyether from resorcinol and α,α'-dichloro-p -xylene (or the dibromo analog) was obtained as a very high molecular weight product which showed multiple crystalline forms depending on sample history. Solid-state 13 C-NMR spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction patterns were obtained on two samples [each with a single (different) type of crystalline domain], a high molecular weight sample displaying both types, and on amorphous material. Incorporation of pendent adamantyl groups was also examined because of their ability to enormously modify polymer properties.
The influence of X-ray fluorescence on LIGA sidewall tolerances

Fluorescence radiation during LIGA X-ray exposure and the impact of the resulting secondary dose on feature sidewall tolerances are examined using numerical methods. The study addresses fluorescence emitted by the substrate of the PMMA resist and focuses on the tolerances obtained for resists patterned with a range of feature sizes. New models of the secondary dose and subsequent feature development are presented and discussed. These models are coupled such that the evolving feature geometry during development depends on the local total dose, as well as the development temperature and the transport of PMMA fragments away from the dissolution front. We find that sidewall tolerances for typical exposure and development conditions are less than 0.1 micron for a metallized silicon substrate, but exceed several microns for thick titanium, copper and nickel substrates. We also find that these tolerances are very sensitive to the feature geometry, development temperature and the magnitude of the primary dose.
A method for direct quantification of the amount of DTPA in 111In monoclonal antibody preparations

Abstract The bicyclic anhydride of DTPA-1- 14 C (BADTPA-1- 14 C) was synthesized and reacted with an antibody to human melanoma associated antigen (MAA) and with one to human class II major histocompatibility complex antigen (HLA-DR). DTPA-1-C incorporation per mole of anti MAA at molar ratios of 1:1 to 200:1 ranged from 0.5 to 25, while immunoreactivity ranged from 49 to 9%. With antibody to HLA-DR, results were similar. Anti MAA, but not anti HLA-DR, demonstrated polymerization upon conjugation. BADTPA-1- 14 C provides a convenient and accurate method for measuring the amount of DTPA in monclonal antibody preparations and its effect on immunoreactivity.
Reduced endogenous estrogen delays epididymal development but has no effect on efferent duct morphology in boars

The study presented herein was designed to test the hypothesis that reduced endogenous estrogen in the boar alters efferent duct morphology, epididymal morphology, and steroid receptor expression. Twenty-eight littermate pairs of boars were treated with Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, or with vehicle from 1 week of age until castration at 2 through 8 months. Efferent ducts and epididymides were examined for morphological development and steroid receptor expression. Efferent duct morphology was not different between control and Letrozole-treated animals at any examined age. Androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha), and beta (ERbeta) were expressed in the epithelial cells of the efferent ducts at all ages; expression was similar in control and treated animals. Morphological development of the caput and corpus was delayed in Letrozole-treated animals, but this delay was transient since morphology was similar between control and treated animals at 8 months. The cauda did not show a delay in development, but was more developed in treated animals at 2 months. AR, ERalpha, and ERbeta were expressed in all three epididymal regions; no difference was observed between control and treated animals. In summary, estrogen appears to be important for development of the epididymis; however, the cauda may be regulated differently than the caput and corpus. Results for the efferent ducts suggest that the normally high endogenous estrogens are not required for regulation of fluid reabsorption in the boar. It also suggests that any ER activation required for maintenance of efferent duct morphology and function is normal in Letrozole-treated boars.
URETERAL OBSTRUCTION DUE TO COLONIC DUPLICATION

Ureteral obstruction due to intrinsic or extrinsic factors is a common clinical occurrence. However, the diagnosis can be difficult, especially with rare etiologies. We report on a patient with renal colic from ureteral obstruction caused by a segmental duplication of the hindgut. CASE REPORT A 24-year-old man presented with acute right flank pain and nausea. He had no history of kidney stones, infections of the urinary tract or hematuria. At age 17 years he had undergone percutaneous drainage of a right psoas abscess, of which the etiology was unclear. He reported intermittent crampy abdominal pain since the early teenage years. On physical examination, the patient was afebrile with normal vital signs. Right costovertebral tenderness was present as well as mild tenderness in the right upper quadrant. Laboratory evaluations, including complete blood count, creatinine and electrolytes, were normal. Urinalysis demonstrated microscopic hematuria without leukocytes, bacteria or crystals. A scout film of the abdomen showed no radiopaque shadows. Excretory urogram revealed obstruction of the proximal right ureter with associated hydronephrosis (fig. 1, A). The patient was referred to us with a diagnosis of a right ureteral stone. Intermittent abdominal cramping and right flank pain were persistent. Right retrograde pyelography showed a normal distal and mid ureter (fig. 1, B). The proximal ureter was dilated and the obstruction appeared to be due to extrinsic compression. A right ureteral stent was placed to relieve the obstruction. Abdominal computerized tomography demonstrated a tubular, thick walled cavity extending from the right retroperitoneal region just anterior to the proximal right ureter, which extended across the midline towards the left colon (fig. 2, A). Differential diagnosis of an abscess or tumor was considered and a barium enema was ordered (fig. 2, B). A blind-ending pouch arising from the splenic flexure, crossing the midline and ending in the region of the right kidney was seen. A large filling defect was near the neck of the pouch. Diagnosis was duplication of the colon causing ureteral obstruction. On surgical exploration the duplicated colonic segment was removed and ureterolysis with omental wrapping of the right ureter was performed. The filling defect seen on barium enema was a massive fecalith in the duplicated hindgut. Pathological examinations revealed all 3 layers of native bowel, which was consistent with a true duplication of the hindgut. Convalescence was uneventful with complete resolution of symptoms. After removal of the ureteral stent, a nuclear renal scan demonstrated normal function of the right kidney without evidence of obstruction.
Frequency of intermittent photic stimulation: Effect on photic afterdischarges, photic driving, and behavioral activity

The effects of various frequencies of intermittent photic stimulation (1/7, 1/3.5, 1/1, 3/1, 6/1, 9/1, 15/1, 18/1, 24/1, and 60/1 sec) on photically evoked afterdischarges (PhADs), photic driving (PD), and behavioral activity (gridcrossings) were examined in rats. Results demonstrate that frequencies from 3/1 to 60/1 sec induced reliable increases in behavioral activity. Well elaborated PhADs were elicited only at frequencies of 1/7, 1/3.5, and 1/1 sec, but only when behavioral activity was at a minimum. While PhADs could be elicited during the frequencies of 3/1-, 6/1-, and 9/1-sec stimulation, the predominant pattern was one of PD. With frequencies of 15/1, 18/1 and 24/1, the cortical EEG pattern was primarily one of PD. These results suggest that PhAD suppression by fast intermittent stimulation, per se, occurs only at frequencies of 9/1 sec and higher, suppression at lower frequencies being a result of behavioral activation by intermittent stimulation.
The Role of Exercise and Alternative Treatments for Low Back Pain

The determination of whether a patient should pursue an active or passive treatment program is often made by medical practitioners. Knowledge about all forms of treatment, including complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments, is essential in the treatment of low back pain. Medical practitioner-directed active treatments that have been shown to be effective for the treatment of low back pain include physical therapy-directed exercise programs such as core stabilization and mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT). Based on the current literature, it appears that yoga is the most effective nonphysician-directed active treatment approach to nonspecific low back pain when comparing other CAM treatments. Acupuncture is a medical practitioner-directed passive treatment that has been shown to be a good adjunct treatment. More randomized controlled studies are needed to support both CAM treatments and exercise in the treatment of low back pain.
Effects of access to a stimulating object on infant behavior during tummy time.

Placing infants in a prone position for “tummy time” often is recommended to ensure appropriate infant development and to combat the effects associated with infants spending extended periods of time in a supine position. However, tummy time may be associated with inappropriate infant behavior such as crying and noncompliance. We provided continuous access to a preferred stimulus to decrease negative vocalizations and to increase the duration of an infant's head being elevated during tummy time.
Using triggered operations to offload collective communication operations

Efficient collective operations are a major component of application scalability. Offload of collective operations onto the network interface reduces many of the latencies that are inherent in network communications and, consequently, reduces the time to perform the collective operation. To support offload, it is desirable to expose semantic building blocks that are simple to offload and yet powerful enough to implement a variety of collective algorithms. This paper presents the implementation of barrier and broadcast leveraging triggered operations -- a semantic building block for collective offload. Triggered operations are shown to be both semantically powerful and capable of improving performance.
Quantification of the Relationship between Bacterial Kinetics and Host Response for Monkeys Exposed to Aerosolized Francisella tularensis

Francisella tularensis can be disseminated via aerosols, and once inhaled, only a few microorganisms may result in tularemia pneumonia. Effective responses to this threat depend on a thorough understanding of the disease development and pathogenesis. In this study, a class of time-dose-response models was expanded to describe quantitatively the relationship between the temporal probability distribution of the host response and the in vivo bacterial kinetics. An extensive literature search was conducted to locate both the dose-dependent survival data and the in vivo bacterial count data of monkeys exposed to aerosolized F. tularensis. One study reporting responses of monkeys to four different sizes of aerosol particles (2.1, 7.5, 12.5, and 24.0 μm) of the SCHU S4 strain and three studies involving five in vivo growth curves of various strains (SCHU S4, 425, and live vaccine strains) initially delivered to hosts in aerosol form (1 to 5 μm) were found. The candidate models exhibited statistically acceptable fits to the time- and dose-dependent host response and provided estimates for the bacterial growth distribution. The variation pattern of such estimates with aerosol size was found to be consistent with the reported pathophysiological and clinical observations. The predicted growth curve for 2.1-μm aerosolized bacteria was highly consistent with the available bacterial count data. This is the first instance in which the relationship between the in vivo growth of F. tularensis and the host response can be quantified by mechanistic mathematical models.
High efficiency all-optical polarization conversion of cw 1.55 /spl mu/m lasers with liquid crystals by nonresonant optical wave mixing

Summary form only given. In this paper, we revisit the theory and practice of laser induced orientational scattering, in which a polarized 'pump' laser is converted into its orthogonal polarization component by two-beam coupling effects between the 'pump' and its scattered noise. We consider the case of an extraordinarily polarized laser incident on a planar nematic film with the optical electric field parallel to the director axis. We demonstrate the feasibility of an all-optical polarization conversion process using a cw 1.55 /spl mu/m laser, to our knowledge for the first time. The liquid crystal used is pure E-7 (EM Chemicals), which has a nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature of 60.5/spl deg/C. The laser used is an erbium doped fiber laser capable of 2 W unpolarized output.
Use of exterior contours and shape features in off-line signature verification

An approach to off-line signature verification, one with an on-line flavor, is described. A sequence of data is obtained by tracing the exterior contour of the signature which allows the application of string-matching algorithms. The upper and lower contours of the signature are first determined by ignoring small gaps between signature components. The contours are combined into a single sequence so as to define a pseudo-writing path. To match two signatures a non-linear normalization method, viz., dynamic time warping, is applied to segment them into curves. Shape descriptors based on Zernike moments are extracted as features from each segment. A harmonic distance is used for measuring signature similarity. Performance is significantly better than that of a word-shape based signature verification method. When the two methods are combined, the overall performance is significantly better than either method alone. With a database of 1320 genuines and 1320 forgeries the combination method has an accuracy of 95% (with 20% rejection) which is comparable to that of on-line systems.
Improving the ensemble estimate of the Kalman gain by bootstrap sampling

Using a small ensemble size in the ensemble Kalman filter methodology is efficient for updating numerical reservoir models but can result in poor updates following spurious correlations between observations and model variables. The most common approach for reducing the effect of spurious correlations on model updates is multiplication of the estimated covariance by a tapering function that eliminates all correlations beyond a prespecified distance. Distance-dependent tapering is not always appropriate, however. In this paper, we describe efficient methods for discriminating between the real and the spurious correlations in the Kalman gain matrix by using the bootstrap method to assess the confidence level of each element from the Kalman gain matrix. The new method is tested on a small linear problem, and on a water flooding reservoir history matching problem. For the water flooding example, a small ensemble size of 30 was used to compute the Kalman gain in both the screened EnKF and standard EnKF methods. The new method resulted in significantly smaller root mean squared errors of the estimated model parameters and greater variability in the final updated ensemble.
A model-checking-based approach to risk analysis in supply chain consolidations

Supply chain strategy has become an important factor that dictates the successes of companies in today's competitive world. Nowadays more and more companies are tapping into the mergers and acquisitions in hope of getting the synergistic gain in supply chain consolidation. In this paper we use a model-checking-based approach to study the impact of different consolidation strategies on risks in supply chains and compare their capacity of risk reduction. We model stochastic behaviors of supply chains using an extension of Markov Decision Processes and translate the goal of risk analysis into a temporal logic. We then apply probabilistic model checking to analyzing risks inherent in a stochastic supply chain model. In our computational study, we consider three different consolidation strategies initially modeled in [18] and compare their capability of risk reduction in a generic three-echelon supply chain network. Our results reveal some key factors that improve the benefit of supply chain consolidation on risk reduction.
An interest management scheme for mobile peer-to-peer systems

Interest management is essential for reducing communication overhead by filtering irrelevant messages in mobile distributed systems. Interest management schemes developed for distributed simulation systems such as those based on HLA can be applied to mobile systems. Sort-based schemes have been proposed and shown to yield good performance. When using sort-based schemes in mobile peer-to-peer systems, questions such as the design of the sorting mechanism and where to perform the sorting process must be addressed. This paper proposes an interest management mechanism for mobile peer-to-peer systems, that divides the entire space into cells and uses a bucket sort to sort the regions in each cell. A mobile land-marking scheme is presented to implement this scheme in mobile peer-to-peer systems. The new mechanism is expected to have better computational efficiency for both static and dynamic matching. Experimental results indicate that this approach yields better performance than several alternate interest management schemes.
Overview of Therapeutic and Prophylactic Trials with Lithium in Psychiatric Patients

The material presented so far in this volume, relating to the present chapter, offers a wealth of information relevant to research design and methodology, problems of controlled clinical trials, statistical analysis of data, moral and ethical problems of treatment, the use of lithium in manic states and in depression, and lithium maintenance in recurrent affective and other psychiatric disorders.
Genome-wide scan for bovine twinning rate QTL using linkage disequilibrium.

Summary Twinning is a complex trait with negative impacts on health and reproduction, which cause economic loss in dairy production. Several twinning rate quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been detected in previous studies, but confidence intervals for QTL location are broad and many QTL are unreplicated. To identify genomic regions or genes associated with twinning rate, QTL analysis based on linkage combined with linkage disequilibrium (LLD) and individual marker associations was conducted across the genome using high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes. A total of 9919 SNP markers were genotyped with 200 sires and sons in 19 half-sib North American Holstein dairy cattle families. After SNPs were genotyped, informative markers were selected for genome-wide association tests and QTL searches. Evidence for twinning rate QTL was found throughout the genome. Thirteen markers significantly associated with twinning rate were detected on chromosomes 2, 5 and 14 (P < 2.3 × 10−5). Twenty-six regions on fourteen chromosomes were identified by LLD analysis at P < 0.0007. Seven previously reported ovulation or twinning rate QTL were supported by results of single marker association or LLD analyses. Single marker association analysis and LLD mapping were complementary tools for the identification of putative QTL in this genome scan.
A simulation approach for analyzing parking space availability at a major university

Simulation is used to evaluate parking space availability for a current layout and for future design options at Miami University. By using simulation, an alternative design that increased the average number of parked cars and decreased the number of balked cars was derived. This paper describes the models developed and provides details on the analysis.
Image data ordering and compression using Peano scan and LOT

An efficient method for visual data compression is presented which combines generalized Peano (1890) scan and a lapped orthogonal transform (LOT). The Peano scan, an application of the Peano curve to the scanning of images, is used locally to cluster highly correlated pixels. The new set of data is compressed using a LOT. The LOT is a tool for block transform coding with basis functions that overlap adjacent blocks. The blocking effect is reduced significantly by applying LOT. An adaptive procedure is developed to encode image blocks at low bit rates without any visible blocking effects. The compression method was tested on several images. >