cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potentials and obstacles for community anaerobic digesters in the United States: Evidence from a case study in Vermont

Abstract The two purposes of this study are to identify factors for the failure of 31% of community anaerobic digesters (CADs) in the United States through a case study of the development, operation, and shutdown of a $4.5 million CAD in Vermont, and to derive policy recommendations for sustainable development of CADs. While many studies have used aggregated data to assess the potentials, obstacles, and policy implications of on-farm biogas production, this paper contributes to the literature with a case study of a large CAD's investment and funding sources, feedstock utilization, energy output, and operating costs and revenues over multiple years. Empirical findings suggest that it is technically feasible to use cow manure and organic wastes from multiple sources to generate electricity, but the economic feasibility and returns depend highly on grants and subsidies for initial investments and on such factors as electricity price, feedstock availability and quality, and market price of renewable energy credits (RECs). Major reasons for the shutdown of this CAD, and likely a large proportion of other CADs in the country, include underestimation of technical problems and operating costs, overestimation of financial returns, and low REC price in the past several years. Future CADs should be invested in and operated by commercial enterprises and government subsidies, and public supports should be based on CADs' outputs such as electricity and utilization of their byproducts like waste heat and recycled nutrients. Also, the educational and research needs of nonprofit organizations could be met via collaboration with privately operated CADs.
Evaluation of a Runoff Monitoring Methodology for Rangelands: UBeTubes

Abstract Rangeland degradation is a global concern that is exacerbated by soil loss through water erosion. A deeper understanding of rainfall and runoff dynamics can assist in the development of sustainable management strategies. Current methods to measure surface runoff (e.g., natural runoff plots, rainfall simulation and overland flow experiments, modeling approaches) have many advantages but can be prohibitively expensive, may require considerable maintenance, and/or result in significant disturbance during installation. To address these limitations, we assessed a relatively new and underused method for monitoring runoff, the Upwelling Bernoulli Tube (UBeTube). The UBeTube is a low-cost, passive runoff monitoring method that estimates runoff from the height of water flowing out of a slot machined in the side of a vertical tube. In this study, we evaluated the UBeTube across a range of flow rates with three specific objectives: 1) calibrate the UBeTube measurements using clean water, 2) assess the impacts from varying sediment loads on UBeTube measurement accuracy, and 3) evaluate accuracy under conditions similar to those on undisturbed and disturbed rangelands. We found that properly calibrated UBeTubes could be a relatively accurate runoff monitoring method on rangelands (mean percent error = 7.7% clean water calibration, 34.1% sediment loading, 35.2% undisturbed overland flow, 17.7% disturbed overland flow). UBeTubes provide an alternative method to monitor runoff on rangelands that can augment current methods by providing near real-time measurements of runoff generated during natural precipitation events. Easily and rapidly deployed across the landscape, UBeTubes could allow for the relative measurement of spatially variable hydrologic dynamics and serve as another source of information for management decision-making processes and the creation of sustainable strategies for rangeland development.
Woe is the loner: Female treefrogs prefer clusters of displaying males over single "hotshot" males.

Communal displays such as leks and choruses are puzzling phenomena, as it is not obvious why signalers or choosers should aggregate. It has been hypothesized that signalers in leks enjoy higher per-capita reproductive success because choosers prefer to sample among dense configurations ("clusters") that are easier to compare. Although female preferences as well as the signal features of attractive males are well characterized in many chorusing species, we know little about how mate sampling is influenced by the spatial dynamics within communal displays. Here, we ask how female Eastern Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) respond to isolated and clustered call stimuli in a simple one versus three playback design. We explored (i) whether females exhibit a general preference for call clusters, (ii) whether spatial preference is robust to call-feature preference, and (iii) how this affects the relative success of attractive and unattractive males in different spatial combinations. We found generalized spatial discrimination against lone callers but did observe fine-scale assessment of call features within clusters. The prominence of the spatial preference impacts the attractiveness of males, conferring particular advantage to attractive callers within clusters, while reducing attractiveness of isolated males regardless of their acoustic features. Our findings indicate that female frogs navigate complex choruses by initially orientating toward clusters of calling males, and then assess call features within them. This study provides novel insight into the mate choice heuristics involved in animal choruses.
Reduced wave equation with infinite components

We consider wave equations of the type [Γμpμ −c(p2)] ψ(p = 0 which is the reduced from of the higher-order wave equation constructed earlier on the basis of the Casimr operatorwμwμ of the Poincare group. By the reduced form we mean the same kind of relationship that the Dirac equation has to the Klein-Gordon equation. Covariance under the homogeneous Lorentz group including inversion leads us to the consideration of infinite-dimensional representations for the reduced wave equation. We investigate in detail two different representations ofΓμ, one suitable for integral spins, the other for half-odd integral spins. Matrix elements ofΓμ are given explicitly. Some general properties of the wave equation are discussed. As a by-product of this investigation, we have found the conditions under whichΓμ together withSμν, the spin part of the generators of the Lorentz group, form the generators of the de Sitter group. Our reduced equation does not have this property; the mass spectrum for an equation that does is discussed.
Extracting Oil Slick Features From VIIRS Nighttime Imagery Using a Gaussian Filter and Morphological Constraints

Satellite images of reflected sunlight have been used to detect and monitor oil spills in oceans. However, such a capacity is often hindered by the image noise due to either a low signal-to-noise ratio or other image features such as clouds or cloud shadows. The problem is particularly severe for nighttime images captured by the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). This letter proposes a practical method to extract oil slick features in a semiautomatic fashion from VIIRS nighttime images and other noisy optical remote sensing images. The method is based on statistical information and morphological operators, and it is demonstrated to be able to effectively remove the noise and identify line features with the appropriate selection of threshold values. Testing this method over VIIRS nighttime images shows the preliminary success of oil slick feature extraction. Experiments on daytime data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) also suggest the applicability of this method to other optical remote sensing images. However, the requirement of human intervention to determine optimal parameters points to the need for improved automation in future works.
Abstract B19: Discovery of novel tubulin inhibitor ABI-274 whose synergistic combination with vemurafenib overcome acquired vemurafenib resistance in BRAF mutated melanoma

Acquired clinical resistance to BRAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib or dabrafefnib arises frequently after short term of these targeted therapy. We hypothesized that a combined therapy using vemurafenib with a G2/M phase blocking agent will arrest resistant cells and overcome vemurafenib resistance. To test this hypothesis, we performed combination studies using our recently discovered tubulin inhibitor ABI-274 and vemurafenib on both vemurafenib-sensitive cells and a resistant A375RF21 sub line. The combination showed strong synergy in vitro, synergistically arrested cells in G1/G2/M phase, and significantly enhanced cancer cell apoptosis. In vivo co-administration of vemurafenib with ABI-274 showed strong synergistic efficacy in the vemurafenib-resistant xenograft model in nude mice. Overall, these results offer a rational combination strategy to significantly enhance the therapeutic benefit in melanoma patients who inevitably become resistant to current vemurafenib therapy. This work was supported by NIH grants R01CA148706, 1S10OD010678-01 and 1S10RR026377-01. Citation Format: Jin Wang, Jianjun Chen, Duane D. Miller, Wei Li. Discovery of novel tubulin inhibitor ABI-274 whose synergistic combination with vemurafenib overcome acquired vemurafenib resistance in BRAF mutated melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr B19.
Design of Interceptor Drains in Heterogeneous Soils

Approximate method for including variable permeability in design procedure is presented; use of water table contour map for transposing flow system in heterogeneous soil to equivalent system having constant permeability throughout; reverse-transformation of prediction from uniform soil system to field problem gives expected condition after drainage facilities are installed.
Characterization of high-voltage lithium niobate piezoelectric transformers

Piezoelectric transformers (PTs) are capable of generating the high accelerating potentials required for many charged-particle beam applications. However, the PTs need to be characterized during operation as an accelerator for such beam loads. PT characteristics such as internal stress, electric field, and electric potential can provide insight into the optimal operating conditions for a given application. Measurement of internal stress can be used to ensure that the single-crystal lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) PT does not exceed the fracture limit. Internal electric field and potential can be used to determine the accelerating potential created by the PT. Internal parameters such as these have been measured using an optical diagnostic that relies on the inherent photoelastic and electro-optic properties of lithium niobate. Beam currents have been determined using least-squares curve fitting with experimental and modeled results. Further characterization of the beam interactions with the PT was done by examining the direct bremsstrahlung x-ray spectra that were produced and the x-ray fluorescence peaks excited by the source. This paper presents a variety of PT characterization results under varied PT operating conditions.
Involving patients in enrolment decisions for acute myocardial infarction trials

Seriously ill patients requiring emergency treatment are unlikely to be able to give full informed consent for a clinical trial, but Neal W Dickert and Franklin G Miller argue that this does not mean that they shouldn’t be involved in enrolment decisions at all
Equating Visual Function Scales to Facilitate Reporting of Medicare Functional G-Code Severity/Complexity Modifiers for Low-Vision Patients.

Abstract Objective To present a method of estimating and equating scales across functional assessment instruments that appropriately represents changes in a patient's functional ability and can be meaningfully mapped to changes in Medicare G-code severity modifiers. Design Previously published measures of patients' overall visual ability, estimated from low-vision patient responses to 7 different visual function rating scale questionnaires, are equated and mapped onto Medicare G-code severity modifiers. Setting Outpatient low-vision rehabilitation clinics. Participants The analyses presented in this article were performed on raw or summarized low-vision patient ratings of visual function questionnaire (VFQ) items obtained from previously published research studies. Interventions Previously published visual ability measures from Rasch analysis of low-vision patient ratings of items in different VFQs (National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire, Index of Visual Functioning, Activities of Daily Vision Scale, Visual Activities Questionnaire) were equated with the Activity Inventory (AI) scale. The 39 items in the Self-Report Assessment of Functional Visual Performance (SRAFVP) and the 48 items in the Veterans Affairs Low Vision Visual Functioning Questionnaire (VA LV VFQ) were paired with similar items in the AI in order to equate the scales. Main Outcome Measures Tests using different observation methods and indicators cannot be directly compared on the same scale. All test results would have to be transformed to measures of the same functional ability variable on a common scale as described here, before a single measure could be estimated from the multiple measures. Results Bivariate regression analysis was performed to linearly transform the SRAFVP and VA LV VFQ item measures to the AI item measure scale. The nonlinear relationship between person measures of visual ability on a logit scale and item response raw scores was approximated with a logistic function, and the 2 regression coefficients were estimated for each of the 7 VFQs. These coefficients can be used with the logistic function to estimate functional ability on the same interval scale for each VFQ and for transforming raw VFQ responses to Medicare's G-code severity modifier categories. Conclusions The principle of using equated interval scales allows for comparison across measurement instruments of low-vision functional status and outcomes, but can be applied to any area of rehabilitation.
Role of nucleotides in stabilization of the phospholamban/cardiac Ca2+ pump inhibitory complex examined with use of metal fluorides

Phospholamban (PLB) inhibits the activity of the cardiac calcium pump SERCA2a. We previously showed that PLB with engineered Cys residues only cross-linked with the Ca(2+) -free E2 intermediate of SERCA2a. Formation of E2•PLB prevents Ca(2+) binding at the high-affinity Ca(2+) binding sites, blocking the enzyme kinetic cycle. Here we further studied the synergistic action of PLB and ATP on E2 in terms of prevention of formation of the phosphorylated E2P-like states stabilized by metal fluorides. SERCA2a was co-expressed in insect cell microsomes with PLB mutants of normal or super-inhibitory strength, with cross-linkable mutations at either the cytosolic side (N30C) or the luminal side (V49C) of PLB. For normal-strength PLB mutants, in the absence of nucleotide, metal fluorides totally inhibited both SERCA2a enzyme activity and cross-linking of PLB to SERCA2a at both sites, suggesting that PLB dissociates from SERCA2a in the E2P-like states. However, under the same conditions, super-inhibitory PLB mutants prevented total enzyme inhibition by metal fluorides. Further, the cross-linking of super-inhibitory PLB to SERCA2a was only partially inhibited by metal fluorides, but was drastically restored upon sequential addition of ATP. These results revealed the equilibrium between E2•PLB, E2•ATP, or E2•ATP•PLB states and E2P-like states, suggesting that the synergistic binding of ATP and PLB to SERCA is very strong, sufficient to prevent formation of E2 phosphoenzymes, even when stabilized by metal fluorides.
Kinetics of melittin binding to phospholipid small unilamellar vesicles.

Abstract We have used the decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the single tryptophan residue of bee venom melittin at long emission wavelengths that accompanies binding of the peptide to phospholipid small unilamellar vesicles to determine the rate of binding through the use of stopped-flow fluoremetry in the millisecond range. We have found the rate to depend on the degree of saturation of the lipid acyl chains as well as on the physical state of the bilayer, the net electric charge of the polar headgroups, and the lipid-to-melittin molar ratio R . For zwitterionic lipids (i) the binding process is found to exhibit negative cooperativity, and (ii) the rate-limiting step appears to be penetration of the protein into the hydrophobic region of the bilayer. For negatively charged lipids the results show that binding is a very fast process that seems to be electrostatic in nature.
The Crossing Borders Program: Increasing Intercultural Competency via Structured Social Interactions

Increasing diversity in American college classrooms and recent trends toward globalization require professors to teach more creatively in order to encourage students' face-to-face intercultural int...
Anti-analgesia and reduced antinociception from supraspinally administered β-endorphin in stressed rats: dependence on spinal cholecystokinin via cholecystokinin B receptors

Abstract Rats exposed to the stress of repeated exposure to a noxious heat source (52.5°C, hot plate) exhibit stress-induced analgesia, but reduced antinociception (detected using the tail-flick test) to the administration of β-endorphin into the periaqueductal gray region of the brain. This is accompanied by an anti-analgesic response (reduction in the stress-induced increase of tail flick latency) to doses of β-endorphin (0.03 nmol) lower than those usually associated with antinociception. These alterations are prevented and antinociceptive potency is maintained when rats are treated with cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonists intrathecally. The potency of L-365,260 and L-364,718, selective CCK B and CCK A receptor antagonists, respectively, correlated with their apparent affinities for CCK B receptors, suggesting that the altered sensitivity to β-endorphin is mediated via CCK B receptors.
Accessible Parallelization for the Open Modeling Interface

As the availability of computing infrastructure continues to increase, so too does the need for accessible means for utilizing those resources. An effective approach is to enable desktop-oriented scientific software tools and frameworks to support execution on high performance cyberinfrastructure in a way that is transparent to the user. We have found this to be the case in our ongoing environmental modeling study in which we are applying multidisciplinary, integrated models to the study of a depleting aquifer. Our models are linked together using the Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) which provides a composition framework for the sequential execution of model components. In this work we investigate the potential for incorporating parallelism into the OpenMI as a first-class citizen. We present a general solution in which model components may be executed in parallel without requiring changes to their source code. An alternate solution achieves greater parallelism through simultaneous invocations of individual components, but requires them to be modified in some cases. These can result in significant reductions in simulation runtimes on both multi-core desktop machines as well as in high performance computing environments. We demonstrate this potential speedup in a performance study in which the application of the general solution achieved 86% of linear speedup when executed on a high performance machine with 80 cores.
Equality, Wealth, and Political Stability

The relation between economic equality and political stability presents an issue of great importance in view of recent increases in economic inequality in the United States and many other countries. This article presents theoretical reasons and empirical evidence derived from a large sample of the economic and political data of many different countries in support of the proposition that average incomes in a society, rather than the equality or inequality of the income distribution, increase political stability. Copyright 1997 by Oxford University Press.
Choroideremia, obesity, and congenital deafness.

I studied three generations of a family with choroideremia. Affected individuals, all male, had choroideremia, obesity, and congenital deafness. Others, including carriers, were asymptomatic. This family seems to represent a syndrome in which two of the three components (choroideremia and deafness) have been described as isolated X-chromosome-linked disorders.
“From food silos to community kitchens”—Retooling African libraries☆

This article explores reasons why the Western library system does not adequately address Africa's vision for a library and why it does not meet the local needs for information. With a focus on the AIDS pandemic, the role and mission of libraries are revisited as a customized tool that is culturally localized to effectively participate as a proactive disseminator of information, specifically to support the three key public health objectives regarding HIV/AIDS, namely, to have people tested for the virus, to inform those infected about their best options to sustain life, and to support efforts to prevent the spread of HIV. A progressive Africanized vision of the role of libraries is proposed—to retool libraries from their current passive roles as the guardians of books, to active, live, and customized disseminators of socially relevant and culturally appropriate information.
Differences in the cellular response and signaling pathways of cisplatin and BBR3464 ([{trans-PtCl(NH3)2}2μ-(trans-Pt(NH3)2(H2N(CH2)6-NH2)2)]4+) influenced by copper homeostasis

Abstract [{ trans -PtCl(NH 3 ) 2 } 2 μ -( trans -Pt(NH 3 ) 2 (H 2 N(CH 2 ) 6 -NH 2 ) 2 )] 4+ (BBR3464) is a cationic trinuclear platinum drug that is being evaluated in phase II clinical trials for treatment of lung and ovarian cancers. The structure and DNA binding profile of BBR3464 is different from drugs commonly used clinically. It is of great interest to evaluate the difference between the mechanisms of uptake employed by BBR3464 and cisplatin (c-DDP), as altered uptake may explain chemoresistance. Using transfected cell lines, we show that both c-DDP and BBR3464 use the copper transporter hCTR1 to enter cells and to a lesser extent, the ATP7B transporter to exit cells. Copper influenced c-DDP and BBR3464 uptake similarly; it increased the c-DDP and BBR3464 uptake in ovarian (A2780) and colorectal (HCT116) carcinoma cell lines as detected by ICP-OES. However, the effects of copper on c-DDP- and BBR3464-mediated cytotoxicity differed. Copper decreased c-DDP-induced apoptosis, caspase-3/7 activation, p53 induction and PARP cleavage in cancer cell lines. In contrast, copper increased BBR3464-induced apoptosis, and had little effect on caspase activation, PARP cleavage, and p53 induction. It was concluded that BBR3464 employs mechanisms of intracellular action distinct from c-DDP. Although these drugs use the same cellular transporters (hCTR1 and ATP7B) for influx and efflux, downstream effects are different for the two drugs. These experiments illustrate fundamental differences in the mechanisms of action between cisplatin and the novel Pt-based drug BBR3464.
Eyes in the Aisles Why Is Cap’n Crunch Looking Down at My Child?

To what extent do cereal spokes-characters make eye contact with children versus adults, and does their eye contact influence choice? In study 1, the shelf placement and eye positioning of 86 cereal spokes-characters were evaluated in 10 grocery stores in the Eastern United States. We calculated the average height of cereal boxes on the shelf for adult- versus children-oriented cereals (48 in. vs. 23 in.) and the inflection angle of spokes-characters’ gaze (0.4° vs. −9.6°). We found that cereal characters on child- (adult-) oriented cereals make incidental eye contact at children’s (adults’) eye level. In Study 2, we showed that eye contact with cereal spokes-characters increased feelings of trust and connection to the brand, as well as choice of the brand over competitors. Currently, many of the cereals targeted toward children are of the heavily sugared, less healthy variety. One potential application of this finding would be to use eye contact with spokes-characters to promote healthy choices and healt...
Management of hydrocephalus in infancy: Use of acetazolamide and furosemide to avoid cerebrospinal fluid shunts

Despite its effectiveness, cerebrospinal shunting for hydrocephalus continues to be accompanied by considerable complications and morbidity. Medical therapy with acetazolamide 100 mg/kg/day and furosemide 1 mg/kg/day can be an effective alteraative to shunting by halting progression of hydrocephalus until such time as sutures can become fibrosed and spontaneous arrest can occur. In an appropriately selected population older than 2 weeks with hydrocephalus of varied origin, our success rate in avoiding shunting is >50%. The dramatic difference between the number of hospitalizations of patients with shunts and those treated medically, and the potential to avoid shunt dependence would appear to make an initial trial with medical therapy worthwhile.
Activation of RalA is critical for Ras-induced tumorigenesis of human cells

RalGEFs were recently shown to be critical for Ras-mediated transformed and tumorigenic growth of human cells. We now show that the oncogenic activity of these proteins is propagated by activation of one RalGEF substrate, RalA, but blunted by another closely related substrate, RalB, and that the oncogenic signaling requires binding of the RalBP1 and exocyst subunit effector proteins. Knockdown of RalA expression impeded, if not abolished, the ability of human cancer cells to form tumors. RalA was also commonly activated in a panel of cell lines from pancreatic cancers, a disease characterized by activation of Ras. Activation of RalA signaling thus appears to be a critical step in Ras-induced transformation and tumorigenesis of human cells.
Wake up, time for action

Scott Saleska explains why he and others think the US Environmental Protection Agency should fulfil its duty and regulate greenhouse gases
A tutorial on membership categorization

Abstract After setting Sacks’ work on membership categorization in its historical and analytical context, and suggesting some ways of reading the original texts, I sketch the major components of membership categorization devices (MCDs) – collections of categories and rules of application, and then the categories themselves and their features. These discussions lead to some consequences for research practice – both for social science generally and for conversation-analytic practice in particular, and to an initial treatment of some problems that arise in advancing this line of conversation-analytic research.
Mechanism and functional role of antibody catalysis

The light (L) chain of a model antibody (Ab) was deduced to contain a serine protease-like catalytic site capable of cleaving peptide bonds. The catalytic site is encoded by a germline VL gene. The catalytic activity can potentially be improved by somatic sequence diversification and pairing of the L chain with the appropriate heavy chain. Autoimmune disease is associated with increased synthesis of antigen (Ag)-specific Abs, but the reasons for this phenomenon are not known. Only recently has attention turned to the functional role of the catalytic function. Preliminary studies confirm that the catalytic cleavage of peptide bonds is a more potent means to achieve Ag neutralization, compared to reversible Ag binding. Administration of a monoclonal Ab to VIP in experimental animals induces an inflammatory response in the airways, suggesting that catalytic autoantibodies to this peptide found in airway disease and lupus are capable of causing airway dysfunction. The phenomenon of autoantibody catalysis can potentially be applied to isolate efficient catalysts directed against tumor or microbial Ags by exposing the autoimmune repertoire to such Ags or their analogs capable of recruiting the germline VL gene encoding the catalytic site.
Kinetics of Base-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Trimethadione

An infrared method is reported for determination of intact trimethadione (3,5,5- trimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione) in presence of products of hydrolysis. Kinetics have been determined for hydroxide ion-catalyzed hydrolysis of trimethadione and a mechanism is proposed in which there exists a rapid equilibrium between a cyclic and an acyclic structure. The rate of hydrolysis of trimethadione at pH 10 and 30° is 105 to 106 times that for acyclic compounds of similar structure.
Structure/function studies of an endotoxin-neutralizing peptide derived from bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein.

Abstract Background Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, BPI, has a β-turn with alternating cationic and hydrophobic residues in its lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin, LPS)-binding domain. A peptide, βpep25, was designed with 9 residues of the LPS-binding domain of BPI flanked by β-turn–inducing elements. Thereafter, we sought to use single amino acid substitutions to identify residues that are important for the biological activities of βpep25. Methods Single alanine or norleucine replacement “walkthrough” peptides based on βpep25 were generated and tested for their ability to kill P aeruginosa and to neutralize endotoxin. Results Substitution of all lysines inhibited bactericidal activity. Inhibition of LPS-neutralizing activity was seen in 9 peptides in which an alanine or norleucine was substituted for each of 4 of the basic residues and 1 hydrophobic residue from the LPS-binding region of BPI and 4 hydrophobic residues from the β-turn–inducing regions flanking the LPS-binding region on the carboxy-terminal side. Intriguingly, these last 4 substitutions resulted in peptides that exhibited increased bactericidal activity compared to βpep25. Conclusions These results demonstrate the importance of both cationic and hydrophobic amino acid residues to bactericidal and endotoxin-neutralizing activities. These perturbations of biological activity should be considered in the design of synthetic peptide endotoxin antagonists.
Early opacification and subsequent clearing of a MemoryLens intraocular lens

A 74-year-old woman had cataract extraction with implantation of a MemoryLens posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) (model CV232, Ioltech). On the first postoperative day, she complained of hazy vision and an opaque area was found in the IOL. Explantation was scheduled but postponed when the patient's vision improved and the IOL cleared by the second postoperative day. To date, the IOL has remained clear. To our knowledge, this is the first report of resolving opacification in a MemoryLens. Two cases of opacification in the same IOL model have been reported; the opacification persisted, and the IOLs were explanted. In this case, early opacification and resolution suggest an acute process. With early IOL opacification, it may be beneficial to delay explantation for a few days.
Role of AIF in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cell Apoptosis

Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), which exerts its effect via a caspase-independent pathway, has been suggested to be a mediator of cell injury. We have recently identified the expression of AIF in ...
Serum Antibody Response to Influenza Vaccine in Pulmonary Patients Receiving Corticosteroids

Objective Despite the recommendation that patients with chronic lung diseases—many of whom receive corticosteroids—receive annual influenza vaccination, it is not known whether corticosteroids influence antibody response to influenza vaccine in this population. The purpose of this study was to assess whether patients with pulmonary conditions receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy develop an adequate antibody response. Design We prospectively studied 39 consecutive candidates for influenza vaccination, 25 of whom were receiving corticosteroids for underlying lung diseases. Patients with immunosuppression besides corticosteroids were excluded. Serum samples were obtained prior to and 1 month after vaccination with inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine and assayed for antibodies to the three strains using a hemagglutination inhibition assay. No patients had any intercurrent illness compatible with influenza during the study period and patients receiving corticosteroids continued treatment with them during this time. Results A fourfold rise in antibody titer at 1 month to at least one component was seen in 21 of 25 (84%) of corticosteroid-treated patients, which was similar to patients not receiving corticosteroids (11/14, 79%). There was no corticosteroid-antibody, dose-response relationship. Conclusions Patients with pulmonary conditions receiving corticosteroids can generate an adequate antibody response to killed influenza virus vaccine. Long-term therapy with corticosteroids should not preclude influenza vaccination in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases who are deemed vaccine candidates.
Effect of Water Vapor/Hydrogen Environments on Niobium, B-66 Niobium Alloy, Tantalum, and Ta-10W Alloy

Abstract The results of an experimental investigation of the effect of water vapor/hydrogen environments on the mechanical properties of niobium, B-66 niobium alloy, tantalum, and Ta-10W alloy are presented. Tensile tests were conducted on specimens of these materials in water vapor/hydrogen environments with water vapor/hydrogen mixture ratios of 1 and 3. The water vapor/hydrogen environment caused strength reductions on tantalum and Ta—WW and ductility reductions on all four materials. The degree and causes of embrittlement were a complex function of temperature.
Multidimensional quantum eigenstates from the semiclassical dynamical basis set

A new method for obtaining molecular vibrational eigenstates using an efficient basis set made up of semiclassical eigenstates is presented. Basis functions are constructed from a ‘‘primitive’’ basis of Gaussian wave packets distributed uniformly on the phase space manifold defined by a single quasiperiodic classical trajectory (an invariant N‐torus). A uniform distribution is constructed by mapping a grid of points in the Hamilton–Jacobi angle variables, which parametrize the surface of the N‐torus, onto phase space by means of a careful Fourier analysis of the classical dynamics. These primitive Gaussians are contracted to form the semiclassical eigenstates via Fourier transform in a manner similar to that introduced by De Leon and Heller [J. Chem. Phys. 81, 5957 (1984)]. Since the semiclassical eigenstates represent an extremely good approximation of the quantum eigenstates, small matrix diagonalizations are sufficient to obtain eigenvalues ‘‘converged’’ to 4–5 significant figures. Such small diagonali...
Female ornamentation and male mate choice in dark-eyed juncos

Traits that enhance attractiveness in one sex may or may not influence attractiveness in the other. In the dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis, outer tail feathers of males and females are all or partly white and form a sharp contrast with the bird’s mostly grey plumage. The amount of white in these feathers (‘tail white’) is greater in males than in females and, as we report here, is greater in birds that have completed a second prebasic moult than in yearlings. During courtship, male juncos spread their tails, revealing their tail white, and a previous experiment has shown that males with experimentally enhanced tail white are more attractive to females. To determine whether females with experimentally enhanced tail white would be preferred by males, we clipped and replaced tail feathers of females, creating a control group with low to natural levels of tail white and an enhanced group with high levels. We tested preference in a mate choice apparatus like that used previously and found that males courted both control and enhanced females and displayed individual preferences but showed no collective preference for members of either category of females. Because we found neither a preference for trait values that indicate greater age/experience (experimentally enhanced females) nor a preference for less male-like appearance (control females), our results are inconsistent with a role for male mate choice in the maintenance of tail white in females. Female tail white may be subject to selection in another context or persist owing to a genetic correlation between the sexes. Regardless, the sexes apparently prefer different trait values, which suggests that preferences are expressed independently in males and females.
Translation-invariant linear forms on L2(G) for compact Abelian groups G∗

The first author has proved previously [J. Functional Analysis 8 (1971), 173–188] that translation-invariant linear forms on D(Rn), as well as on several other spaces of C∞ test functions and distributions, are necessarily continuous. The analogous result is proved here (Theorem 3) for the Hilbert space L2(G), where G is a compact Abelian group with a finite number of components, as well as for a one-parameter family of spaces fp of pseudo-measures on G, for 1 ⩽ p < ∞. These results are new even for the case that G is the circle group T. The facts (Theorem 1) underlying these new results turn out to be somewhat different from the corresponding facts underlying the case of D(Rn). This is reflected in the method of proof which is rather different here from that [ibidem] for the previous cases, even though both methods make full use of the characterization of the Fourier transforms of the objects (functions, pseudo-measures, or distributions) under consideration.
Physical activity, cardiovascular disease, and medical expenditures in U.S. adults.

Background: Physical inactivity is an established independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death and disability among U.S. adults. Information on the economic impact of CVD associated with inactivity is lacking, however, although it is needed to attract more resources for preventing CVD and promoting physical activity.Purpose: The objective of this study was to estimate the direct medical expenditures of CVD associated with inactivity.Methods: A population-based analysis of direct medical expenditures was performed by linking the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to the 1995 National Health Interview Survey. The study participants were adults (N = 2,472; ages ≥ 19 years; not pregnant) in the noninstitutionalized, civilian population in 1996. Medical expenditures associated with inactivity were derived by comparing the medical expenditures between population groups stratified by physical activity and CVD status.Results: In 1996, the prevalence of physical inactivity was 47.5%. The overall prevalence of CVD was 21.5% (16.7% in active persons, 23.6% in inactive persons, and 49.5% in persons with physical limitations). In this population, there were 7.3 million CVD cases; 1.1 million of them (15.3%) were associated with inactivity. The total medical expenditure of persons with CVD was $41.3 billion, of which $5.4 billion (13.1%) was associated with inactivity. Applying these percentages to the total health and economic burdens of CVD in the United States, there were 9.2 million CVD cases ($23.7 billion direct medical expenditure) associated with inactivity in 2001.Conclusions: The high economic burden of inactivity-associated CVD demonstrates the need to promote physical activity among U.S. adults.
Optimal control of the chemotherapy of HIV.

Using an existing ordinary differential equation model which describes the interaction of the immune system with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), we introduce chemotherapy in an early treatment setting through a dynamic treatment and then solve for an optimal chemotherapy strategy. The control represents the percentage of effect the chemotherapy has on the viral production. Using an objective function based on a combination of maximizing benefit based on T cell counts and minimizing the systemic cost of chemotherapy (based on high drug dose/strength), we solve for the optimal control in the optimality system composed of four ordinary differential equations and four adjoint ordinary differential equations.
Genetic Evaluation of Familial Cardiomyopathy

Hereditary forms of hypertrophic, dilated, restrictive, and right ventricular cardiomyopathies are frequently seen. Patterns of inheritance include autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked, and matrilinear. Recognition of the mode of inheritance facilitates proper clinical screening of family members in subsequent generations. Report of successful sequence analysis of the human genome 7 years ago has resulted in widespread translation of genomic information into clinical applications. As technologic advances in high throughput sequence determination continue to evolve, an era of personalized medicine based on genomic data is highly anticipated. Today, clinical genetic testing is available for most monogenic forms of cardiomyopathy and the demand among patients and families is increasing. However, physicians and patients should consider the benefits and limitations of such testing. This review will focus on inherited forms of cardiomyopathy, detailing the currently available genetic tests, as well as benefits, limitations, and possible outcomes of such testing.
Protecting Location Privacy in Sensor Networks against a Global Eavesdropper

While many protocols for sensor network security provide confidentiality for the content of messages, contextual information usually remains exposed. Such contextual information can be exploited by an adversary to derive sensitive information such as the locations of monitored objects and data sinks in the field. Attacks on these components can significantly undermine any network application. Existing techniques defend the leakage of location information from a limited adversary who can only observe network traffic in a small region. However, a stronger adversary, the global eavesdropper, is realistic and can defeat these existing techniques. This paper first formalizes the location privacy issues in sensor networks under this strong adversary model and computes a lower bound on the communication overhead needed for achieving a given level of location privacy. The paper then proposes two techniques to provide location privacy to monitored objects (source-location privacy)-periodic collection and source simulation-and two techniques to provide location privacy to data sinks (sink-location privacy)-sink simulation and backbone flooding. These techniques provide trade-offs between privacy, communication cost, and latency. Through analysis and simulation, we demonstrate that the proposed techniques are efficient and effective for source and sink-location privacy in sensor networks.
Differential effects of systemically administered nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) on κ-opioid agonists in the mouse writhing assay

The opioid antagonist effects of systemically administered nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) were evaluated against the kappa agonists CI-977, U69,593, U50,488, ethylketocyclazocine (EKC), Mr2034 and bremazocine, the mu agonist morphine and the alkaloid delta agonist BW-373U86 in the acetic acid-induced writhing assay in mice. All eight agonists completely and dose-dependently inhibited writhing. Antagonism of CI-977 was apparent 1 h after administration of 32 mg/kg nor-BNI, peaking after 4 h and was maintained for at least 4 weeks; no antagonist effects of nor-BNI were apparent after 8 weeks. Nor-BNI (32 mg/kg) caused little or no antagonism of morphine or BW-373U86 at 1 h and none at 24 h after nor-BNI administration. Subsequently, dose-effect curves for CI-977, U50,488, U69,593, EKC, Mr2034 and bremazocine were determined 24 h after pretreatment with 3.2, 10 and 32 mg/kg nor-BNI. Pretreatment with 3.2 mg/kg nor-BNI produced significant antagonism of all six kappa agonists, suggesting that their antinociceptive effects were mediated at least in part by nor-BNI-sensitive kappa receptors. At higher doses, nor-BNI dose-depend-ently shifted the agonist dose-effect curves of CI-977, U50,488, U69,593 and bremazocine, but not those of EKC and Mr2034, suggesting that the latter compounds may be producing effects via nor-BNI-insensitive receptors. Mu receptor involvement was demonstrated following a 24 h pretreatment with 32 mg/kgβ-FNA in combination with nor-BNI, which significantly increased the degree of antagonism of Mr2034 and EKC from that seen with nor-BNI alone. Hence, SC administered nor-BNI selectively antagonized agonist activity mediated through kappaopioid receptors without differentiating between kappa subtypes. Nor-BNI also enabled the mu agonist activity of proposed kappa agonists to be measured.
An organization-environment framework for assessing program implementation

Evaluations of health programs are typically conducted from a rational bureaucratic framework in which client change and client outcome are seen as logical outcomes of program activity. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for examining organizational consequences of program implementation. Factors in the internal environment (e.g., the hospital) and the external environment (e.g., the community) which contribute to the program's success or failure, are considered. Observational and structured interview data are used to compare two state funded perinatal projects, one an organizational "success" and the other a costly failure. Attributes of external environments which may be important to successful implementation include demand for services, provider competition, access to information, social beliefs, and professional commitment. Important features of the internal environment include host organization commitment and conflict, and structural attributes: complexity, formalization, centralization, and coordination. The paper concludes with theoretically-based questions which serve as guidelines for process evaluation.
Conformational studies of a two-module fragment of nebulin and implications for actin association

Nebulin, a family of giant myofibrillar proteins of 700-900 kDa, has been proposed as a length-regulating template for the thin filaments of skeletal muscle. In the present study, the conformational states of a two-module nebulin fragment (ND8) were investigated by circular dichroism, steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, and one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR techniques. We observed the following: (a) Contrary to the predicted high alpha-helical content by computer analysis, CD spectra of ND8 indicated only a maximum of 10% alpha-helix and 25% beta-sheet in a variety of buffers; (b) The presence of increasing concentrations of trifluoroethanol (TFE) promoted the formation of alpha-helix and ND8 contained 50% alpha-helix at 67% TFE; (c) Measurement of fluorescence lifetime, anisotropy, and CD of tyrosines in ND8 in various concentrations of TFE indicates that tyrosines are incorporated into the newly formed helical segments; (d) Preliminary correlation spectroscopy and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy NMR spectra of ND8 confirmed the formation of alpha-helical structure and identified sites of helical segments in 30% TFE around the highly conserved tyrosine residues. These data suggest that the conformation of nebulin and its mode of interaction with actin are distinct from the helical tropomyosin.