cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined 25-Gauge Vitrectomy and Posterior Tube Shunt Placement for Advanced Glaucoma

Purpose To report the initial clinical outcomes of a combined procedure utilizing 25-gauge vitrectomy and posterior tube shunt placement in eyes with refractory glaucoma not amenable to standard treatment. Design Retrospective chart review. Participants We included 10 eyes (10 consecutive adult patients, mean age 61 years) with advanced glaucoma and anterior segment abnormalities precluding tube placement in the anterior chamber who were treated with combined 25-gauge vitrectomy and posterior tube shunt placement. Methods Records of consecutive patients were reviewed for demographics, etiology of glaucoma, preoperative clinical data (visual acuity, intraocular pressure, number of ocular antihypertensive medications), and postoperative outcome measures at predetermined time points. Main Outcome Measures (1) Intraocular pressure (IOP) at 1, 2, 6, and 12 months postoperatively; (2) number of ocular antihypertensive medications needed at 12 months postoperatively; (3) visual acuity (VA) at 12 months postoperatively; and (4) incidence of hypotony, retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, and corneal decompensation. Results Preoperatively, mean IOP was 31 mmHg, and patients required a mean of 2.5 ocular antihypertensive medications. Mean IOP at 1, 2, 6, and 12 months postoperatively were 17.0, 16.1, 17.8, and 16.1 mmHg, respectively, and significantly lower than preoperative IOP ( P Conclusions Combined 25-gauge vitrectomy and posterior tube shunt placement can be successful in lowering IOP in eyes with advanced glaucoma not amenable to other therapies. Financial Disclosure(s) The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article.
3-Benzoyl-2-hydroxy-9-methylpyrido[1,2-A] pyrimidin-4-one

The single aberrant product of the reaction between 2-amino-3-methylpyridine (2) and ethyl benzoylacetate (4) in diethylbenzene at ca. 180° was 3-benzoyl-2-hydroxy-9-methylpyrido-[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one (5). When administered to naive rats, 5 induced behavioral effects strikingly similar to those manifested by morphine-addicted rats who have been deprived of that analgetic.
Elliptically polarizing undulator beamline 4.0.1 for magnetic spectroscopy at the Advanced Light Source

A beamline for high resolution spectroscopy with elliptically polarized X-rays is described.The working energy range is large, from 20 eV to above 1800 eV. The resolving power is on the order of 10,000 at low energies (20-200 eV) and 6000 at high energies (200-1800 eV). This is achieved using a variable deviation angle plane grating monochromator. A single grating, with one line density and a varying groove depth, is used to cover the entire energy range. The beamline has been designed to operate with either one or two x-ray beams propagating simultaneously through the monochromator and to the experimental station. Switching between polarizations at rates of 0.1 Hz and slower is accomplished in the single beam mode by alternating the output of the elliptically polarized undulator source between left and right polarization. Fast polarization switching, at rates of 100-1000 Hz, is provided in the two beam mode by mechanical chopping between two photon beams, one of which is right circularly polarized, and the other left circularly polarized.
End-User Software Engineering and Why it Matters

End-user programming has become ubiquitous; so much so that there are more end-user programmers today than there are professional programmers. End-user programming empowers-but to do what? Make bad decisions based on bad programs? Enter software engineering's focus on quality. Considering software quality is necessary, because there is ample evidence that the programs end users create are filled with expensive errors. In this paper, we consider what happens when we add considerations of software quality to end-user programming environments, going beyond the "create a program" aspect of end-user programming. We describe a philosophy of software engineering for end users, and then survey several projects in this area. A basic premise is that end-user software engineering can only succeed to the extent that it respects that the user probably has little expertise or even interest in software engineering.
Nonlinear and quantum atom optics

Coherent matter waves in the form of Bose-Einstein condensates have led to the development of nonlinear and quantum atom optics - the de Broglie wave analogues of nonlinear and quantum optics with light. In nonlinear atom optics, four-wave mixing of matter waves and mixing of combinations of light and matter waves have been observed; such progress culminated in the demonstration of phase-coherent matter-wave amplification. Solitons represent another active area in nonlinear atom optics: these non-dispersing propagating modes of the equation that governs Bose-Einstein condensates have been created experimentally, and observed subsequently to break up into vortices. Quantum atom optics is concerned with the statistical properties and correlations of matter-wave fields. A first step in this area is the measurement of reduced number fluctuations in a Bose-Einstein condensate partitioned into a series of optical potential wells.
Wettability of refractories by molten glasses

Studies of the wettability of refractory materials lead to ideas on the degree of their destructibility by molten glasses of different compositions. The wetting angle of refractory materials depends not only on the chemical composition of the refractory and the glass, but also on the porosity of the refractory and the pore sizes. Between the wettability and corrodibility by molten window glass with one and the same temperature there is a definite connection only for separate groups of refractories; in the case of lead and borosilicate glasses this correspondence is noted also for refractories of different types.
WORLD‐CLASS WAREHOUSING

World‐class warehousing is examined and 10 dimensions for measuring world‐class performance are identified. For each measure, criteria for assigning world‐class ‘scores’ are provided. For a firm to be judged to be world‐class, it will have to perform well across all 10 dimensions.
Coastal eolian sands, paleosols, and Pleistocene geoarchaeology of the Southwestern Cape, South Africa

Abstract Narratives of Pleistocene prehistory for MIS 4 to 9 are primarily constructed on the basis of what appear to be subcontinuous archaeological records in cave sites, with subsidiary geo- and bioarchaeological research attempting to determine the nature of external environments and biotic resources from the inside, rather than the outside. The present study seeks to establish a detailed chronostratigraphy for faunal and archaeological sites linked with coastal sediments in the Southwestern Cape province. Accelerated shore deflation during glacio-eustatic oscillations of sea level deposited multiple eolianites, and textural changes of such calcified sands identify both transgressive and regressive sea level trends. These provide a proxy for local shore proximity, sometimes directly linked to ‘high’ sea level stands. Such sediments are subdivided into lithostratigraphic sequences by multiple paleosols, that range from ABC-soils to calcretes or plinthite/ferricrete horizons. Repeated intervals of solution or karstic activity created underground cavities that allowed fossil bone to collect in or below hyena lairs. Such fills further connect sedimentary units with pedogenic events, to integrate local stratigraphies into a regional lithostratigraphy that can be readily correlated with global chronostratigraphies (MIS stages and Dansgaard-Oeschger events), derived from polar ice and deep sea cores, as well as long stalagmite and pollen records. The faunal assemblages (see Table 9) of MIS 5 and early 4 were penecontemporaneous with pedogenic phases that record greater moisture during intervals when sea level oscillated a little below that of today. Dominated by larger grazers, such assemblages argue for a more open environment than the modern fynbos (sclerophyllous heath/brush) and specifically a land cover of higher productivity and nutritional status. Such conditions probably affected only a fraction of MIS 5 time. Middle Stone Age (MSA) assemblages are limited to late MIS 4 cave/overhang sites, also linked to such pedogenic phases, although an MSA-like site dates to MIS 5d. Older littoral sands, modified by plinthite development, include the Acheulian and faunal site of Duinefontein 2 that may represent MIS 9. Visible evidence for human occupation (including cave/overhang sites) during MIS 4 to 9 (see Table 9) was strikingly discontinuous in the Southwestern Cape begging questions about the number of prehistoric groups, demography, spatial patterning, and ecological context.
Sustainability, Human Welfare and Ecosystem Health

Two types of sustainability definitions are contrasted. 'Social scientific' definitions, such as that of the Brundtland Commission, treat sustainability as a relationship between present and future welfare of persons. These definitions differ from 'ecological' ones which explicitly require protection of ecological processes as a condition on sustainability. 'Scientific contextualism' does not follow mainstream economists in their efforts to express all effects as interchangeable units of individual welfare; it rather strives to express sensitivity to different types and scales of impacts that present activities can exert on the future. We can therefore express the moral obligation to act sustainably as an obligation to protect the natural processes that form the context of human life and culture, emphasizing those large biotic and abiotic systems essential to human life, health, and flourishing culture. Ecosystems, which are understood as dynamic, self-organizing systems humans have evolved within, must remain 'healthy' if humans are to thrive. The ecological approach to sustainability therefore sets the protection of dynamic, creative systems in nature as its primary goal.
ARDS Associated With Tumor Lysis Syndrome in a Patient With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

ARDS developed in association with tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Although a number of life-threatening complications have been noted to occur following TLS, this appears to be the first report of ARDS developing in association with TLS.
Prediction of slip resistance in climbing systems

The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model describing the slip resistance of various climbing surfaces. In a four-factor experiment, seven commonly used metal grating step surfaces were evaluated, along with four types of shoe soles (crepe, leather, ribbed-rubber, and oil-resistant-rubber); three contaminant conditions (dry, wet-water, and diesel fuel); and direction of force application. The results showed that the available slip resistance coefficients (ASRC) varied primarily as a function of sole material and contaminants. This result and the significant interactions between sole and step surfaces suggest that the appropriate selection of shoe soles and control of contaminants may be the most effective way of attaining adequate ASRC values. A predictive equation was developed using multiple regression which described the evaluated conditions with binary indicator variables. To increase the equation's applicability, the step surfaces were described in terms of generic features such as: painted vs. bare metal surface; ring vs. point protrusions; edge orientation; contact area, and protrusion height gradient. The equation explained 89% of the variance in the original data. In a validation study, the equation explained 80% of the variance in slip resistance for a new step surface under the original set of sole, contaminant, and directionality conditions.
Materialistic values and well‐being in business students

We explored whether values focused on money, image, and popularity are associated with lowered well-being, even in environmental circumstances supportive of such values. To this end, we administered three widely used measures of a materialistic value orientation to 92 business students in Singapore. As expected, those students who had strongly internalized materialistic values also reported lowered self-actualization, vitality and happiness, as well as increased anxiety, physical symptomatology, and unhappiness. Results are consistent with past research suggesting that some types of values may be unhealthy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diphoton production from quark–gluon plasma and hadronic matter

The rate of diphoton production is calculated from a quark–gluon plasma and compared with the rate from hadronic matter. Background diphotons are identified and quantified, including effects from hadronic form factors. Robust thermometry and spectroscopy are shown to be possible owing to the structure of the expected invariant mass spectrum. Charmonium could also be probed with diphotons.
Older monkeys' (Macaca radiata) response to new group formation: Behavior, reproduction and mortality

Abstract Preliminary study of 27 older bonnet macaques (11.5–18.5 yrs of age, mean age 15.3 yrs) during five months following formation into two new social groups in outdoor cages showed: (1) Patterns of sexual behavior appeared to be qualitatively similar to those described for younger bonnets. Males who were physically ill copulated little or not at all. (2) Agonistic behavior was low. Sexual and agonistic behaviors tended to vary together. (3) Mortality was high, 23%, and due to illnesses, most of which are associated with aging. This could be a manifestation of older monkeys' vulnerability to stresses of a major life change and a different type of tissue response to stress compared with that of younger monkeys. Younger bonnets formed into similar social groups during the previous year suffered more aggression-trauma deaths. (4) Reproductivity was drastically reduced. The pregnancy rate was 22%; out of four pregnancies, two infants survived.
Evaluation and analysis of auditory model front ends for robust speech recognition program summary

The purpose of this work is to integrate a number of auditory model front ends into a high-performance HMM recognizer, to test and evaluate these front ends on noisy speech, and to analyze the results in order to develop a more robust front end which may combine features of a number of the current auditory model-based systems.
Signatures of citizenship: The rhetoric of women's antislavery petitions

Women's antislavery petitioning not only contributed significantly to the success of the abolition movement, but also figured centrally in the ongoing struggle over defining and redefining various levels of U.S. citizenship.
DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF INDOMETHACIN ON THE SHEEP OVARY: PROSTAGLANDIN BIOSYNTHESIS, INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM, APOPTOSIS, AND OVULATION

Abstract Cells of the apical wall of the dominant follicle and contiguous ovarian surface epithelium become apoptotic with the approach of ovulation in the sheep. It was hypothesized that indomethacin, an established inhibitor of prostaglandin biosynthesis and ovulation, would protect apical ovarian cells from programmed death. The anovulatory potencies of two systemic doses of indomethacin (200 and 800 mg) were tested in gonadotropin-stimulated ewes. A complete blockade of ovulation occurred at the higher dose of indomethacin. Ovulation was not inhibited by 200 mg indomethacin. Both doses of drug suppressed follicular prostaglandin production below pregonadotropin levels. Immunofluorescence detection of digoxigenin end-labeled (fragmented) DNA was used as a marker of apoptosis among ovarian surface epithelial and granulosa cells recovered from the apical hemisphere of preovulatory ovine follicles. Cellular DNA fragmentation was averted in animals given 800 mg indomethacin, whereas apoptosis ensued after 200 mg. A sustained increase in cytosolic calcium is generally a prerequisite to apoptotic DNA fragmentation and cell death. Indeed, intracellular calcium, detected by fluorescence of fura-2, was elevated in ovarian cells of animals destined to ovulate (controls, 200 mg indomethacin) in comparison to (safeguarded) cells of anovulatory ewes (800 mg indomethacin). These observations provide circumstantial evidence that apical ovarian cell degeneration by calcium-mediated apoptosis is a determinant of follicular instability and rupture, but that these events are unrelated to the gonadotropin-induced rise in prostanoid production characteristic of preovulatory follicles.
Morphine and gp120 toxic interactions in striatal neurons are dependent on HIV-1 strain.

A rigorously controlled, cell culture paradigm was used to assess the role of HIV-1 gp120 ± morphine in mediating opioid-HIV interactive toxicity in striatal neurons. Computerized time-lapse microscopy tracked the fate of individual neurons co-cultured with mixed-glia from mouse striata during opioid and gp120 exposure. Subpopulations of neurons and astroglia displayed μ-opioid receptor, CXCR4, and CCR5 immunoreactivity. While gp120 alone was or tended to be neurotoxic irrespective of whether X4-tropic gp120IIIB, R5-tropic gp120ADA, or dual-tropic gp120MN was administered, interactive toxicity with morphine differed depending on HIV-1 strain. For example, morphine only transiently exacerbated gp120IIIB-induced neuronal death; however, in combination with gp120MN, morphine caused sustained increases in the rate of neuronal death compared to gp120MN alone that were prevented by naloxone. Alternatively, gp120ADA significantly increased the rate of neuron death, but gp120ADA toxicity was unaffected by morphine. The transient neurotoxic interactions between morphine and gp120IIIB were abrogated in the absence of glia suggesting that glia contribute significantly to the interactive pathology with chronic opiate abuse and neuroAIDS. To assess how mixed-glia might contribute to the neurotoxicity, the effects of morphine and/or gp120 on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and on glutamate buffering were examined. All gp120 variants, and to a lesser extent morphine, increased ROS and/or decreased glutamate buffering, but together failed to show any interaction with morphine. Our findings indicate that HIV-1 strain-specific differences in gp120 are critical determinants in shaping both the timing and pattern of neurotoxic interactions with opioid drugs.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Cd in Cd Cr 2 Se 4 and Cd Cr 2 S 4 , and Transferred Spin Polarization in Chromium Chalcogenide Spinels

Purely isotropic hyperfine fields have been observed for $^{111}\mathrm{Cd}$ and $^{113}\mathrm{Cd}$ by zero-field NMR in both ferro-magnetic Cd${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{4}$ and Cd${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{4}$. The values at 4.2 K are + 136.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 and (+) 167.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 kOe, respectively. Combined with earlier results for $^{53}\mathrm{Cr}$ and $^{77}\mathrm{Se}$ in Cd${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Se}}_{4}$, this work allows estimates to be made of the amount of unpaired spin covalently transferred to the nonmagnetic ions. Transfers between ligands and the $4s$ level of ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ are particularly important. Some consequences for the magnetic properties of the system are discussed.
Research On Catalysts For Long-Life Closed-Cycle CO 2 Laser Operation

Long-life, closed-cycle operation of pulsed CO2 lasers requires catalytic CO-O2 recombination both to remove O2, which is formed by discharge-induced CO2 decomposition, and to regenerate CO2. Platinum metal on a tin-oxide substrate (Pt/SnO2) has been found to be an effective catalyst for such recombination in the desired temperature range of 25 to 100 C. This paper presents a description of ongoing research at NASA-Langley on Pt/SnO2 catalyzed CO-O2 recombination. Included are studies with rare-isotope gases since rare-isotope CO2 is desirable as a laser gas for enhanced atmospheric transmission. Results presented include: (1) the effects of various catalyst pretreatment techniques on catalyst efficiency; (2) development of a technique, verified in a 30-hour test, to prevent isotopic scrambling when C(O-18) and (O-18)2 are reacted in the presence of a common-isotope Pt/Sn(O-16)2 catalyst; and (3) development of a mathematical model of a laser discharge prior to catalyst introduction.
Optic Disc Hemorrhages and Progression of Glaucoma

Purpose: To assess progressive changes of the optic nerve head and visual fields in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension after optic disc hemorrhage. Methods: The authors reviewed the charts of 91 patients with 121 disc hemorrhages who had a mean follow-up of 41.9 ± 3.6 months. The frequency of visual field and optic nerve head changes in these patients was studied. Results: The mean intraocular pressure at the examination when the disc hemorrhage was noted was 18.9 ± 0.5 mmHg. Overall, 64 (63%) of 101 eyes showed progressive changes of visual fields after disc hemorrhage, compared with 24 (24%) of 101 control eyes ( P P P P P = 0.0067) compared with control eyes matched by age, follow-up time, and diagnosis. Similarly, progressive changes of optic nerve head contour were observed more often in eyes after disc hemorrhage in patients with open-angle glaucoma ( P P P P P Conclusion: The authors' results indicate that disc hemorrhages in eyes with glaucoma or ocular hypertension often are associated with progressive changes of the optic nerve head and visual fields.
EXCLUSION OF THE GHRH GENE AS A CANDIDATE FOR MOST CASES OF FAMILIAL ISOLATED GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY

Familial isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) can have autosomal recessive (type I), autosomal dominant (type II) or X-linked (type III) modes of inheritance. White some cases of IGHD are due to deletions or point mutations affecting the growth hormone (GH-1) gene, linkage studies have excluded the GH-1 gene as the locus responsible for a significant proportion of IGHD cases. This fact, along with the positive response in GH secretion after exogenous GH releasing-hormone (GHRH) administration in several affected subjects, suggests that the GHRH gene is a good candidate for some autosomal cases of IGHD. In order in determine the proportion of IGHD cases that may be due to GHRH gene mutations, we studied three highly polymorphic microsatellites (CA repeats) previously mapped close to GHRH on chromosome 20 by linkage. Using these microsatellites as markers for the GHRH locus, we have carried out linkage analysis in 20 unrelated IGHD families (9 type 1, and 11 type II). All available family members were genotyped for the marker D20S44 (no recombination with GHRH at a LOD score of 3.6). Noninformative families were also genotyped for other microsatellite polymorphisms. D20S45 and D20S54 (located at 1 and 2 cM from GHRH, respectively). The segregation pattern of alleles at each of the three loci was compared with that of the disease phenotype. We found at least one recombinant meiosis with discordance between phenotype and genotype in 19/20 (95%) of the families: one family with IGHD II was not informative with any of the markers. Our results were consistent with exclusion of linkage between the GHRH and IGHD loci in all 19 families that were informative. There is a minimal probability (1-2%) of a false negative result due to recombination between the marker and the GHRH gene in each of the 7 families that were not informative with D20S44. Our data indicate that most mutations responsible for IGHD are not within or near the structural gene for GHRH on chromosome 20. Since linkage to GH-I had also been previously excluded in 40% of these families, mutations in other loci different from GH and GHRH must be the cause of IGHD in these patients.
Thermotropic homopolyesters: 5. Investigation of the smectic phase of polyesters based on p,p′-bibenzoic acid

We report a study of the mesophases of the homologous series of polymers prepared from p,p′-bibenzoic acid and the tetra-, hexa-, octa-, and decamethylene glycols. These polymers are designated BBn, where n is the number of methylene units in the diol. The BB4 and BB6 polymers form a thermotropic smectic phase which was independently identified as SA by mutual miscibility studies with a known low molecular weight mesogen, TBBA, and by X-ray diffraction studies of oriented samples. The enthalpy change for the smectic-isotropic transition is only 1.4 Kcal mol−1 a value consistent with a smectic phase of low order. The smectic layer spacing is shorter than the fully extended length of the repeating unit for both BB4 and BB6. Low molecular weight samples of BB6 exhibit three crystal modifications. The two higher temperature forms have the same c-axis spacing as the smectic layer spacing, 18.7 A, while the polymorph stable at room temperature has a fibre repeat of 32 A, indicating a still smaller distance per repeating unit, 16 A. All of these values are smaller than the 20 A length of the fully extended repeating unit. Shearing the smectic hase of BB6 polymers having ηinh < 0.45 dL/g produces a highly oriented sample in which the repeating units are perpendicular to the direction of flow. Shear of the smectic phases of polymers having higher intrinsic viscosities breaks up the smectic structure, and leads to less perfect orientation of the molecules parallel to the shear direction.
AUTOMATION OF A FALLING HEAD PERMEAMETER FOR RAPID DETERMINATION OF HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY OF MULTIPLE SAMPLES

Measuring hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil (K s ) is one way to quantify soil hydraulic properties. However, this technique is very time consuming for both in situ and laboratory measurements, and often one is limited to measuring only one sample at a given time. Automation of hydraulic measurements has been suggested, but this has not been done for laboratory K, measurements. Thus, we propose to use pressure transducers to measure K s in multiple soil cores with a falling head permeameter. To accomplish this, an automated falling head permeameter was developed by attaching pressure transducers to falling head permeameters to measure K, of soil cores in the laboratory and a datalogger was used to record the readings. To test this method, 64 soil core samples were taken from two locations, 30 from a sandy soil, 23 from a silt loam soil, and 11 from a silty clay loam soil. The automated unit allows for six samples to be processed with minimal human oversight compared with only one sample being read manually (conventional method), requiring frequent observations during a period often >30 min. When values obtained using the automated method were compared with values obtained for the same cores using the manual technique, there was no statistical difference at the 95% level.
Primers for adhesive bonding to polyolefins

When polypropylene (PP) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) are coated with about 100 nm of triphenylphosphine (TPP) or cobalt acetylacetonate (CaAcac2) primers, adhesive bonds can be made using ethyl cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive. These bonds are sufficiently strong so that the bond strength exceeds the bulk shear strength of the polyolefin, and are sufficiently durable as to withstand immersion in boiling water for long periods of time. The dependence of adhesive bond performance on primer thickness, application solvent, aging of primed surface, and the durability of bond, are explained on the basis of a model where the primer dissolves in the polymer surface and facilitates interpenetration of the polyolefin and the monomeric CA. The primer catalyzes cure of the CA, resulting in entanglement of adhesive and adherend chains. This model is tested using infrared (IR) spectroscopic, x-ray spectroscopic (XPS), and microscopic (SEM) analysis. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the infeasibility of training neural networks with small mean-squared error

We demonstrate that the problem of training neural networks with small mean-squared error is computationally intractable. This answers a question posed by Jones (1997).
Response arrest associated with the corticifugal projection of chemically induced local seizure discharge

Abstract o 1. 1. Seizure discharge induced by ACh associated with the corticifugal projection of impulses to the subcortical reticular system produced a behavioral arrest in which the flexion CR was abolished. 2. 2. In the absence of the corticifugal projection of impulses the flexion response was not affected. 3. 3. Conditioned respiratory responses were unaffected by the projection of seizure discharge to the subcortex. 4. 4. Occasionally generalized seizures were produced as a result of local seizure discharge. However, in every case of generalized seizures, the seizure was preceded by subcortical electrophysiological changes.
Magnetic-field-induced crossover from 2e to e periodicity in the superconducting single-electron transistor

We present extensive experimental data on the gate-charge-periodic current I(${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{o}}$) through a single-electron transistor as a function of the applied magnetic field. This device consists of a mesoscopic superconducting island which is coupled to two macroscopic superconducting leads through small tunnel junctions and to a capacitive gate. The behavior of the system exhibits two separate transitions as the magnetic field is increased. In the first, the I-${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{o}}$ curves cross from 2e to e periodicity in ${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{o}}$ while two-electron tunneling is still the dominant charge transport mechanism. In a second transition that occurs at higher magnetic fields, single-electron tunneling becomes the dominant mechanism. This transition from two-electron to single-electron tunneling shifts the maxima of the I-${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{o}}$ curves by e/2 in ${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{o}}$, and results in a significant increase in the current magnitude. Both transitions can be understood by considering how superconductivity in the leads and the island is affected by an increasing magnetic field. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Effect of substrate stiffness on pulmonary fibroblast activation by TGF-β.

Abstract Peptide crosslinkers containing the sequence C-X-CG (X represents various adhesive peptides) were incorporated into poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel networks with different mechanical properties. Pulmonary fibroblasts (PFs) exhibit increased adhesion to rigid hydrogels modified with X = RGDS, DGEA and IKVAV (0.5 and/or 5 mM) compared with a scrambled control (X = HRPNS). PFs exhibit increased adhesion to softer hydrogels when X = DGEA at low (0.5 mM) peptide concentration. PFs seeded onto hydrogels modified with X = RGDS produce alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a myofibroblast marker, and form an extensive cytoskeleton with focal adhesions. Decreasing substrate stiffness (achieved through hydrolytic degradation) results in down-regulation of α-SMA expression by PFs. Substrate stiffness increases the sensitivity of PFs to exogenously applied transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1); PFs on the most rigid gels ( E = 900 kPa) express α-SMA when treated with low concentrations of TGF-β1 (1 ng ml −1 ), while those on less rigid gels ( E = 20–60 kPa) do not. These results demonstrate the importance of both mechanical and chemical cues in studying pulmonary fibroblast activation, and establish PEG hydrogels as a viable material for further study of IPF etiology.
Dietary magnesium intake and risk of cardiovascular disease among women

This study assessed the hypothesis that greater magnesium intake is associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke, in a large prospective cohort of women. In 1993, a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess magnesium intake in 39,876 female health professionals aged 39 to 89 years who had no history of CVD or cancer. During a median of 10 years of follow-up, 1,037 incident cases of CVD were identified, including 280 nonfatal MIs and 368 strokes. After adjustment for age and randomized treatment status, magnesium intake was not significantly associated with risk for incident CVD. Comparing the highest quintile of magnesium intake (median 433 mg/day) with the lowest quintile (median 255 mg/day), the relative risks were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72 to 1.05, p for trend = 0.24) for total CVD, 0.88 (95% CI 0.70 to 1.12, p for trend = 0.34) for coronary heart disease (CHD), 1.03 (95% CI 0.72 to 1.49, p for trend = 0.96) for nonfatal MI, 1.11 (95% CI 0.61 to 2.00, p for trend = 0.95) for CVD death, and 0.87 (95% CI 0.64 to 1.18, p for trend = 0.55) for total stroke. Additional adjustment for other CVD risk factors did not materially change the observed null associations. In conclusion, the results do not support the hypothesis that magnesium intake reduces the development of CHD, although a modest inverse association with stroke cannot be ruled out.
History of successful Ballot initiatives-Oregon

In this report, the author traces the background of Ballot Measure 44, which raised taxes on cigarette and other tobacco products in Oregon. He highlights the effect of a positive coalescing of different forces (nonprofit health groups and medical groups) despite initial differences in program strategy.
Management Development: Choosing the Right Leadership Simulation for the Task

In 1978 the first large-scale, behaviorally focused business simulation was completed and used to diagnosis and develop leadership skills. It was a fictitious company comprised of a series of realistic management situations permitting participants to perform individually and collectively within a corporate context. Based on observations of participants' performances, feedback was provided. Today, nine fictitious organizations are used by hundreds of companies as leadership practicums to accomplish learning objectives ranging from the development of communication skills to organization and from planning skills to strategic thinking skills. The similarities and differences among these fictitious organizations are described and guidance is provided for choosing among them based on learning objectives of various management development efforts.
Monte Carlo path integration for the real time propagator

Monte Carlo methods are described for evaluating the Feynman path integral representation of the (real time) propagator (time evolution operator), exp(−iHt/ℏ). The approach is based on the modified Filinov algorithm presented earlier by Makri and Miller [Chem. Phys. Lett. 139, 10 (1987)]. Numerical calculations are presented for time evolution in a symmetric double well potential, as well as in a Morse potential.
Molecular biology: Circles reshape the RNA world.

The versatility of RNA seems limitless. The latest surprise comes from circular RNAs, which are found to counteract the function of another class of regulatory RNA — the microRNAs. See Article p.333 & Letter p.384 Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been detected in animal cells, but their function has been unclear. Two papers, from the laboratories of Nikolaus Rajewsky and Jorgen Kjems, have now defined a function for one circRNA that binds the microRNA miR-7. They find that this circRNA is replete with microRNA binding sites and can act as a 'sponge' capable of binding scores of miRNAs per circRNA molecule. These studies suggest a role for circRNAs in post-transcriptional regulation.
Patient Characteristics and Anesthetic Technique Are Additive but Not Synergistic Predictors of Successful Motor Evoked Potential Monitoring

BACKGROUND:Spinal cord monitoring is associated with a significantly lower rate of neurologic deficits after deformity surgery, and has been shown to have predictive value in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar surgery. Lower extremity motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are particularly sensitive to anesthet
Peripheral visual information and its effect on distance judgments in virtual and augmented environments

A frequently observed problem in medium-field virtual environments is the underestimation of egocentric depth. This problem has been described numerous times and with widely varying degrees of severity, and although there has been considerable progress made in modifying observer behavior to compensate for these misperceptions, the question of why these errors exist is still an open issue. This paper presents the findings of a series of experiments, comprising 103 participants, that attempts to identify and quantify the source of a pattern of adaptation and improved depth judgment accuracy over time scales of less than one hour. Taken together, these experiments suggest that peripheral visual information is an important source of information for the calibration of movement within medium-field virtual environments.
Numerical Ellipsometry: Ellipsometer analysis in the n–k plane for growing films on unknown homogeneous, isotropic substrates and unknown, layered substrates

Abstract Ellipsometry is an optical analytical method based on measuring the change in polarization state of reflected or transmitted polarized light. A major challenge of the method has been the computation of reflecting surface physical parameters of interest from the raw measured data. These methods in common use are plagued by local minima and algorithm performance. The mathematics of the light reflection has long taken advantage of some aspects of Complex Analysis. The authors have used much more of Complex Analysis to treat growing films on homogeneous, isotropic substrates. The work presented here explores this advanced treatment for unknown homogeneous, isotropic substrates and for unknown layered substrates. The results lay the groundwork for a set of solution algorithms which are much more powerful and convenient than existing algorithms. Such algorithms eliminate the multiple solution problems inherent in least squares methods.
Converting Chattecx Balance System Vertical Reaction Force Measurements to Center of Pressure Excursion Measurements

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the precision with which the postural stability data generated by the Chattecx Balance System could be converted to center of pressure displacement measurements. Subjects. Two men and one woman were selected to represent a broad range of body sizes (age=23–33 years, height=154–175 cm, weight=45–80 kg). Methods. The Balance System load cells were placed on a force plate, and data were collected simultaneously from the Balance System and the force plate while the subjects performed standardized postural tasks. Linear regression analysis was used to characterize the relationship between the estimated center of pressure from the Balance System and the calculated center of pressure from the force plate. Results. Significant linear relationships between the center of pressure estimated from the Balance System and the center of pressure calculated from the force plate were determined (all R2 values=>.90). Conclusion and Discussion. System data can be converted, and the methods recommended for use with the Balance System are described.
Cardinal differences in occlusion of natural teeth and that of artificial teeth

Occlusal requirements differ for natural teeth and for artificial dentures. The dif­ ferences are physiologic and relational. Natural teeth have a complex, dynamic, biological individuality and interdepen­ dence, whereas the teeth of artificial dentures are bonded together by a den­ ture base. Cuspal interference on a natu­ ral tooth usually would affect only the supporting structures of that tooth; cus­ pal interference in artificial teeth is detri­ mental to the stability of the denture base and to the supporting tissues at sites far removed from the immediate area of malocclusion.
Arsenophonus, an emerging clade of intracellular symbionts with a broad host distribution.

Background The genus Arsenophonus is a group of symbiotic, mainly insect-associated bacteria with rapidly increasing number of records. It is known from a broad spectrum of hosts and symbiotic relationships varying from parasitic son-killers to coevolving mutualists. The present study extends the currently known diversity with 34 samples retrieved mainly from hippoboscid (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) and nycteribiid (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) hosts, and investigates phylogenetic relationships within the genus.
Structure-Specific Effects of Protein Topology on Cross-β Assembly: Studies of Insulin Fibrillation†

Systemic amyloidoses, an important class of protein misfolding diseases, are often due to fibrillation of disulfide-cross-linked globular proteins otherwise unrelated in sequence or structure. Although cross-beta assembly is regarded as a universal property of polypeptides, it is not understood how such amyloids accommodate diverse disulfide connectivities. Does amyloidogenicity depend on protein topology? A model is provided by insulin, a two-chain protein containing three disulfide bridges. The importance of chain topology is demonstrated by mini-proinsulin (MP), a single-chain analogue in which the C-terminus of the B chain (residue B30) is tethered to the N-terminus of the A chain (A1). The B30-A1 tether impedes the fiber-specific alpha --> beta transition, leading to slow formation of a structurally nonuniform amorphous precipitate. Conversely, fibrillation is robust to interchange of disulfide bridges. Whereas native insulin exhibits pairings [A6-A11, A7-B7, and A20-B19], metastable isomers with alternative pairings [A6-B7, A7-A11, A20-B19] or [A6-A7, A11-B7, A20-B1] readily undergo fibrillation with essentially identical alpha --> beta transitions. Respective pairing schemes are in each case retained. Isomeric fibrils and the amorphous MP precipitate are each able to seed the fibrillation of wild-type insulin, suggesting a structural correspondence between respective nuclei or modes of assembly. Together, our results demonstrate that effects of polypeptide topology on amyloidogenicity depend on structural context. Although the native structures and stabilities of single-chain insulin analogues are similar to those of wild-type insulin, the interchain tether constrains the extent of conformational distortion at elevated temperature, retards initial non-native aggregation, and is apparently incompatible with the mature structure of an insulin protofilament. We speculate that the general danger of fibrillation has imposed a constraint in protein evolution, selecting for topologies unfavorable to amyloid formation.
Multicultural Care: A Clinician's Guide to Cultural Competence

In today's increasingly diverse society, clinicians must provide appropriate and effective services when working with multicultural clients. Examining the role of context on our clients, ourselves, and our world is critical. In this book, Lillian Comas-Diaz offers a comprehensive, practical approach for enhancing your understanding of clients' contexts, developing a multicultural therapeutic relationship, and adapting your healing approach to your clients' needs. Each chapter demonstrates the application of cultural competence to a different aspect of clinical practice: self-awareness, assessment, engagement, treatment, psychopharmacology and testing, folk healing, and general multicultural consciousness. Ample clinical vignettes are provided, along with clear, easy-to-remember tools for integrating multicultural sensitivity into clinical practice. Importantly, the book draws on research and the APA Multicultural Guidelines to support the models and principles, which are illustrated with clinical material. This book is a must-read for all clinicians.
Rapid and Efficient Protection for All-Optical WDM Mesh Networks

Survivability becomes increasingly critical in managing high-speed networks as data traffic continues to grow in both size and importance. In addition, the impact of failures is exacerbated by the higher data rates available in optical networks. It is therefore imperative to address network survivability in an efficient manner in order to design and operate reliable networks. Transparent optical networks (TONs) provide several advantages over optically opaque networks for supporting the growing communication demands, but suffer from several drawbacks that reduce the efficacy of most applicable capacity-efficient survivability techniques. In this paper, we present a protection algorithm (for single link and/or node failures) called Streams. Streams protection is identical to 1:1 dedicated path protection in terms of recovery speed, but requires significantly less capacity. We study both online non-dynamic routing as well as (online) dynamic provisioning scenarios to compare Streams with dedicated and shared path protection in terms of capacity, blocking probability, path lengths, and recovery time/data loss, and report the relative tradeoffs between the different protection schemes in detail. Our results show that our simple heuristic for Streams under online provisioning scenarios offer attractive tradeoffs in terms of blocking, recovery speed, data loss and implementation overhead. We also briefly cover simple ILP solutions to address static offline routing problems, and show that the Streams protection scheme is also efficient under offline routing scenarios as well.
Worker reproductive competition affects division of labor in a primitively social paperwasp (Polistes instabilis)

Social insects are premier models for studying the evolution of self-organization in animal societies. Primitively social species may be informative about the early stages of social evolution and transitions in self-organization. Previous worker removal studies in Polistes instabilis paper wasps suggested that dominant but non-egglaying workers play an important role in regulating rates of task performance by inducing foraging in subordinates. We extend previous worker removal studies by quantifying changes in individuals’ behavior following removals, and by measuring associations between behavioral change and individuals’ reproductive capacity (ovary development). Workers changed their rates of aggressive behaviors more than queens following the dominant worker removals. Increases in worker’s rates of aggressive behaviors were correlated with decreases in their foraging rates. Changes in individual rates of social aggression were associated with their reproductive capacity: worker females with well-developed ovaries increased their rates of aggression. Further changes in rates of aggression after the dominant workers were returned also depended on ovary development. These patterns suggest that task performance and potential fecundity are linked in workers, and that worker interactions play a strong role in regulating task performance. We conclude that worker reproductive competition may have influenced the evolution of colony organization in social insects.
Engineering a software environment for distance education

The authors describe an industry/university software engineering project which, after extensive classroom testing, has resulted in a commercial product that adds to a school's educational environment at reasonable cost. Software design, analysis, and refinement are described. >
Uranium in the Earth's core

That there is no radioactivity in the earth's core is a concept that has long been held. The reason is that the major radioactive elements, potassium and uranium, exist as siderophobic compounds, such as silicates and oxides, in the earth's mantle and thus were thought to be immiscible with the metal core. An experimental measurement of the binary system of steel and UO2, however, shows that above 3120 K the system is a two-phase liquid, the one rich in UO2 and the other poor in UO2. The phase diagram predicts that there must be a temperature above which there is total miscibility between UO2 and steel. This temperature may be above the boiling point of UO2, estimated as 3750 K. The temperature at the core-mantle interface of the earth's interior is estimated most recently as 3130 K. Thus there is a strong likelihood that uranium exists in the earth's metal core. Hence the natural alpha radioactivity of uranium offers a power source for the earth's magnetic dynamo.