cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exposure to a mixture of BMAA and MCLR synergistically modulates behavior in larval zebrafish while exacerbating molecular changes related to neurodegeneration.

Abstract Exposure to toxins produced by cyanobacteria (i.e., cyanotoxins) is an emerging health concern due to their increased occurrence and previous associations with neurodegenerative disease including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the neurotoxic effects of a mixture of two co-occurring cyanotoxins, β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and microcystin leucine and arginine (MCLR), using the larval zebrafish model. We combined high-throughput behavior based toxicity assays with discovery proteomic techniques to identify behavioral and molecular changes following 6 days of exposure. While neither toxin caused mortality, morphological defects, or altered general locomotor behavior in zebrafish larvae, both toxins increased acoustic startle sensitivity in a dose-dependent manner by at least 40% (p
Risk factors for emergency room use and rehospitalization among opioid-exposed newborns in Massachusetts.

OBJECTIVE To determine the risk factors for receipt of emergency room (ER) care and rehospitalization among opioid-exposed newborns in Massachusetts. DESIGN/METHODS We analyzed two linked data sets from 2002 to 2010: (a) Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System and (b) Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services Management Information System. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the independent association of maternal and infant characteristics with ER use and rehospitalization in the first year of life. RESULTS Four thousand and five hundred and twenty-four maternal-infant dyads affected by OUD were included in the analysis. In adjusted analysis, risk factors for receipt of ER care included Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 1.63 [95% CI 1.30-2.05]), lower education levels (aOR 1.54-1.69 [95% CI 1.12-2.31]), nonprivate insurance (aOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.11-1.86]), and presence of maternal chronic conditions (aOR 1.14 [95% CI 1.01-1.29]). Risk factors for rehospitalization included prematurity (aOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.14-1.82]), low birthweight (aOR 2.02 [95% CI 1.63-2.49]), and nonprivate insurance (aOR 1.58 [95% CI 1.13-2.22]). Prolonged infant birth hospitalization was protective against both ER use (aOR 0.84 [95% CI 0.73-0.96]) and rehospitalization (aOR 0.63 [95% CI 0.53-0.75]). CONCLUSIONS Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics are risk factors for receipt of ER care and rehospitalization among opioid-exposed newborns in Massachusetts.
Utilizing visitor simulations in exhibition design process: Evaluating designers’ perspectives

Throughout the design development process, simulations provide the ability to aid the designer in exploring the relationship between different variables, in various configurations, for as many iter...
Functional Brain Imaging During Rest and Pain: Differences According to Race and Knee Osteoarthritis

Considerable evidence suggests that knee osteoarthritis (OA)-related clinical pain and disability significantly differs according to racial background. However, brain mechanisms underlying these differences are not well understood. We investigated altered central pain processing in a sample comprised of Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) adults with and without knee OA. NHB and NHW participants with knee OA (n = 123) and without knee OA (N = 41) were recruited to complete a brain imaging protocol using Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) on a 3T fMRI scanner. Participant's regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), a measure of brain activation, was examined at rest and during pressure pain stimulation. Aim 1 was to examine altered central processing in people with knee OA compared to people without knee OA. Aim 2 assessed racial group differences in central processing among NHB and NHW adults with knee OA. People with knee OA showed significant differences in rCBF at rest and during pain in the anterior cingulate cortex, sensory-motor cortex, para-hippocampal gyrus, and amygdala in comparison to people without knee OA. For people with knee OA, ethnic differences between NHWs (n = 52) and NHBs (n = 71) were present in the cingulate gyrus, amygdala, thalamus, sensory-motor cortex, and cerebellum. Comparing people with knee OA to people without knee OA at rest while controlling for race, we found a significant effect in the thalamus (p = .036) and amygdala (p = .046). For people with knee OA, NHBs vs NHWs showed a significant effect for the difference score (pain - rest) in the cerebellum (p = .012) when controlling for age and education. These results indicate that knee OA and racial background may be important contributors to altered central nervous system processing of pain. Supported in part by NIH/NIA grant AG033906 and the NIH/NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards to the University of Florida (UL1 TR000064) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (ULITR000165).
Investigation of the effect of moisture on the critical parameters of stability of frame-rod structural systems made of wood

The work of end moments and shear forces is taken as a criterion influencing the value of the limiting compressive force. It was found that the form of bifurcation of an individual element (active or passive) has a significant effect on the value of the critical parameters of stability of the entire system as a whole.A frame-rod structural system made of wood is considered. The influence of humidity on the type of bifurcation of its compressed elements (constrained or forced) and the critical parameters of stability of the system as a whole under various modes of force loading are determined. It is shown that with a change in humidity, individual elements can go from passive loss of stability to active, which will change the value of the critical force by an average of 20 %.To check the obtained analytical dependencies, experimental tests of frame-bar structures made of wood were carried out under their power static loading and variable humidity. At the same time, it was noted that the results of numerical and laboratory studies showed satisfactory agreement, on average by 95 %, which indicates the reliability of the developed methodology.
The Gibbs Sampler

To motivate the Gibbs Sampler, we consider a modification of Data Augmentation which we will refer to as Chained Data Augmentation. The Gibbs Sampler turns out to be a multivariate extension of Chained Data Augmentation.
Islam on the Catwalk: Marketing Veiling-Fashion in Turkey

Ever since Tekbir Inc. displayed its products on the catwalk in a fashion show in 1992, what we call “veiling-fashion” has been on the rise in Turkey. Veiling-fashion consists of ever-changing but always striking combinations of headscarves with skirts, pants, and coats in the season’s trendy colors, fabrics, and designs. Despite the harsh criticisms that target both the producers and consumers of these styles, veiling-fashion continues to expand and diversify. Today, about 200 companies specialize in the production of veiling-fashion. The largest market their products through fashion shows, glossy catalogues and advertisements. And they find a vibrant consumer base. How do companies market their products and employ visual and discursive strategies to seamlessly combine veiling and fashion? We examine the emergence and growth of veiling-fashion with a focus on its visual representations in fashion shows and catalogues. This analysis traces the aesthetic and functional expansion of the field. We argue that in catalogues and on the catwalk, prominent veiling-fashion companies construct an ideal image of the Muslim woman as cosmopolitan, trendy, beautiful, and of a certain class status. This multiple signification of veiling-fashion moves beyond the Islamic moral code as its only referent and brings into play a plurality of cultural, historical, and geographical references from the Ottoman past to contemporary destinations of global tourism in Europe. Veiling-fashion, thus, shifts the accepted boundaries of both religion and fashion.
On the theoretical status of position class restrictions on inflectional affixes

In heavily inflected languages, a word’s inflectional affixes are often required to appear in a fixed sequence; in such cases, the affixes can be classified according to the position(s) which they may occupy in that sequence. Consider, for instance, the partial inflectional paradigm of the Swahili verb ‘to want’ in (1). In this partial paradigm, three distinct prefix position classes can be distinguished, as in (2): the slot nearest the verb root is occupied by a class of prefixes which mark tense, slot II is occupied by a class of prefixes marking person/number agreement, and slot III is occupied by a class of prefixes marking negative polarity.1
Labor markets, informal

If a labor market is the place where individuals sell their human and physical capital to firms, with wages set by supply and demand, informal labor markets are, broadly speaking, those in which this process is not overseen by, or does not comply with, the rules set by the relevant regulatory authority. However, the exact definition remains under debate, despite decades of research and academic argument (Maloney 2004). As Peattie (1987) quotes from Schaefer (1976), “the informal sector is still too broad to be meaningful; at one end is a pool of surplus labor, at the other a skilled high-income earning entrepreneur; at one end a proliferation of residual enterprises involuntary in nature, at the other end of the spectrum dynamic evolutionary enterprises.” As a result, throughout the past century several competing theories appeared, in an attempt to explain what informal labor markets are, and also why they exist. Keywords: capitalism; Economic Systems; economy; labor
Global Legal Standards: Common Rules to Protect Property and Businesses

I decided to make you familiar with an aspect of American property law. You may not realize that a formalistic approach is taken regarding the necessity of consent to form contracts often presented to consumers, including subprime mortgage borrowers who signed the notes (which are themselves contracts) and mortgage documents to transfer the property to lenders. Because many who give what is known as objective consent ie they sign the paper incorporating an agreement, but they do not understand the terms of the contract or the impact on them, I argue that the form contract may protect businesses that use these, but not the property of those consumers/borrowers. These types of “take it or leave it” contracts are known as adhesion contracts. In subprime mortgages lenders offer borrowers form contracts (promissory notes) which the borrower must sign in order to obtain the loan. There is no negotiation of the terms of the note or the mortgage document.A significant part of the subprime crisis in residential real estate in the United States is due to a lack of subjective consent to the contracts entered into regarding the subprime mortgage loans. Then, of course because of globalization of investments this economic crisis affected investors worldwide. As was presented at the meeting of the Italian Civil Law Notaries in Torino in January 2008, many of these global investors trusted the US regulators and U.S. ratings agencies only to learn that neither was working effectively or as investors believed.
Mechanistic lessons learned from studies of planktonic bacteria with metallic nanomaterials: implications for interactions between nanomaterials and biofilm bacteria.

Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are used in numerous applications and have high likelihood of entering engineered and natural environmental systems. Careful assessment of the interaction of these NPs with bacteria, particularly biofilm bacteria, is necessary. This perspective discusses mechanisms of NP interaction with bacteria and identifies challenges in understanding NP-biofilm interaction, considering fundamental material attributes and inherent complexities of biofilm structure. The current literature is reviewed, both for planktonic bacteria and biofilms; future challenges and complexities are identified, both in light of the literature and a dataset on the toxicity of silver NPs toward planktonic and biofilm bacteria. This perspective aims to highlight the complexities in such studies and emphasizes the needs for systematic evaluation of NP-biofilm interaction.
Microfluorometric measurement of the formation of all-trans-retinol in the outer segments of single isolated vertebrate photoreceptors.

The first step in the detection of light by vertebrate photoreceptors is the photoisomerization of the retinyl chromophore of their visual pigment from 11-cis to the all-trans configuration. This initial reaction leads not only to an activated form of the visual pigment, Meta II, that initiates reactions of the visual transduction cascade, but also to the photochemical destruction of the visual pigment. By a series of reactions termed the visual cycle, native visual pigment is regenerated. These coordinated reactions take place in the photoreceptors themselves as well as the adjacent pigment epithelium and Muller cells. The critical initial steps in the visual cycle are the release of all-trans retinal from the photoactivated pigment and its reduction to all-trans retinol. The goal of this monograph is to describe methods of fluorescence imaging that allow the measurement of changes in the concentration of all-trans retinol as it is reduced from all-trans retinal in isolated intact salamander and mouse photoreceptors. The kinetics of all-trans retinol formation depend on cellular factors that include the visual pigment and photoreceptor cell type, as well as the cytoarchitecture of outer segments. In general, all-trans retinol forms much faster in cone cells than in rods.
Comparing family accommodation in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders, and nonanxious children.

Background Family accommodation describes ways in which parents modify their behavior to help a child avoid or alleviate distress caused by emotional disorders. Accommodation is associated with increased symptom severity, lower functioning, and poorer treatment outcomes. Accommodation is prevalent in childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders (ADs) but no studies have compared accommodation in these groups or compared them to healthy controls to ascertain if accommodation is prevalent in the general population. This study addresses these gaps by comparing patterns of accommodation, factors that maintain accommodation, and its relation to symptom severity in OCD and AD, relative to healthy controls. Method We directly compared reports of accommodation to childhood OCD (N = 26) and AD (N = 31), and a comparison group of nonanxious (NA) children (N = 30). Mothers completed measures of accommodation (Family Accommodation Scale (FAS)/Family Accommodation Scale–Anxiety (FASA)), anxiety (Screen for Childhood Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders–Parent Report (SCARED-PR)), and OCD (Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CYBOCS)). Results Family accommodation is prevalent among mothers of children with OCD and AD. Few differences were found between the two clinical groups who reported more accommodation (F[2,84] = 23.411, P < .001, partial η2 = .358), greater distress (F[2,84] = 24.050, P < .001, partial η2 = .364), and more consequences of not accommodating (F[2,84] = 18.967, P < .001, partial η2 = .311), than the NA group. Accommodation was associated with severity of anxiety in AD (r = .426, P = .017) and OCD (r = .465, P = .017), but not in the NA group. Conclusions Findings highlight family accommodation as a phenomenon that applies broadly and in a similar manner to children with AD and OCD. Evaluating accommodation provides useful information for clinical care and is an important part of the assessment of children with AD and OCD.
Ventilatory Management in the Postanesthesia Care Unit

Postoperative ventilatory depression is common in patients who have received intravenous and inhalational anesthetic agents. Prompt assessment and treatment of ventilatory depression are essential to minimize morbidity and mortality.
SPATIAL DEMAND THEORY AND MONOPOLY PRICE POLICY

The over-all conclusion of this paper is that the effec of delivery cost on the price policy of a monopolist depends systematically upon the shape of the demand curves of the consumers in his market area. In drawing the specific conclusions of propositions I–IV, we have used the simplifying assumptions of constant marginal production costs and identity of all consumer demand schedules. Our results are also dependent upon conditions that the convexity of the individual demand curve nowhere varies beyond well defined limits. Therefore, the results of our analysis are not as general as those which might be derived at the cost of a more involved analysis.
Responsiveness of superficial hand veins to phenylephrine in essential hypertension. Alpha adrenergic blockade during prazosin therapy

Patients with essential hypertension show an increase in vascular resistance. It is unclear whether this is caused by structural changes in the arterial wall or by hyperresponsiveness of vascular smooth muscle to endogenous alpha adrenergic agonists. Using the dorsal hand vein compliance technique we compared the changes in diameter of superficial veins in response to phenylephrine, an alpha 1 adrenergic receptor agonist, and to nitroglycerin, a venorelaxant, in patients with essential hypertension and in normotensive subjects. The dose of phenylephrine that produced 50% of maximal venoconstriction (ED50) in the hypertensive subjects was 257 ng/min (geometric mean; log mean +/- SD was 2.41 +/- 0.54). In the control subjects the ED50 was 269 ng/min (geometric mean; log mean was 2.43 +/- 0.43). Maximal response (Emax) for phenylephrine was 84 +/- 13% in the hypertensive subjects and 90 +/- 6% in the control subjects. Differences in the group means of the ED50 (P = 0.92) or the Emax (P = 0.27) were not significant. There were no significant differences in the ED50 (P = 0.54) or the Emax (P = 0.08) for nitroglycerin between the two groups. These results show no evidence for a generalized change in alpha adrenergic responsiveness in hypertension and support the concept that increased blood pressure responses to alpha adrenergic stimulation in hypertensives are due to structural and geometric changes in the arterial wall rather than to an increased responsiveness of postsynaptic alpha adrenergic receptors. The phenylephrine studies were repeated in seven hypertensive patients during treatment with prazosin, an alpha 1 adrenergic antagonist. The mean dose ratio of the shift in phenylephrine ED50 (ED50 during prazosin therapy/ED50 before prazosin therapy) was 6.1. This indicates that small doses of prazosin (1-2 mg) cause significant in vivo shifts in the dose-response relationship of alpha adrenergic agonists. The dorsal hand vein compliance technique is useful in detecting systemic effects of alpha adrenergic antagonists.
Does Augmentation with a Reinforced Fascia Patch Improve Rotator Cuff Repair Outcomes

Scaffold devices are used to augment rotator cuff repairs in humans. While the strength of a novel poly-L-lactic acid-reinforced (human) fascia patch has been documented, it is unclear whether such patches will enhance the strength or likelihood of healing of rotator cuff repairs. In a canine shoulder model, we asked: Do tendon repairs augmented with a reinforced fascia patch have (1) increased biomechanical properties at Time 0 and (2) less tendon retraction and increased cross-sectional area and biomechanical properties after 12 weeks of healing compared to repairs without augmentation? (3) Do the biomechanical properties of tendon repairs reach normal values by 12 weeks of healing? And (4) is the host response associated with use of the reinforced fascia patch biocompatible? Eleven dogs underwent bilateral shoulder surgery with partial release and acute repair of the infraspinatus tendon, one shoulder with augmentation and one without augmentation. Repair retraction, cross-sectional area, biomechanical properties, and biocompatibility were assessed at 12 weeks. At Time 0, the mean ± SD ultimate load of augmented repairs was 296 ± 130 N (46% ± 25%) more than nonaugmented repairs, with no difference in stiffness between groups. At 12 weeks, the ultimate load of augmented repairs averaged 192 ± 213 N (15% ± 16%) less than nonaugmented repairs, with no difference in stiffness between groups. At the tendon repair site at 12 weeks, the fascia patch showed a biocompatible host tissue response. The biomechanical properties of repairs augmented with a reinforced fascia patch demonstrated greater ultimate load at Time 0 than nonaugmented repairs but remained essentially unchanged after 12 weeks of healing, despite improvements in the ultimate load of nonaugmented controls in the same time frame. Together with our previous work, these findings support the possibility that reinforced fascia patches would incorporate and provide (at least early) mechanical augmentation to rotator cuff repair in human patients.
A knowledge map for describing variegated and conflict domains of sustainable development

This paper aims to draw a knowledge map of the fragmented and multidisciplinary literature of sustainable development. Through the process of metaphor making, the study identifies seven metaphors that together construct this map. Each metaphor represents a specific domain in this map. The metaphor of ethical paradox signifies the ethical domain; the material domain is represented through the metaphor of natural capital, the social domain through the metaphor of fairness, the spatial domain through the eco‐form metaphor, the political domain through the global discourse metaphor, the management domain through the integrative management metaphor, and the visionary domain through the utopian metaphor. The strength of this approach lies with its comprehensive representation of the complex sustainable development world. Its main weakness relies on the accurate representation of this map.
Parsing the Heterogeneity and Increasing Specificity: A Commentary on “Neurocognitive Functioning in Bipolar Disorder”

“Neurocognitive Functioning in Bipolar Disorder” is a comprehensive examination of the literatures examining neurocognitive and neuroimaging studies in pediatric and adult bipolar disorder. Based upon this review, the present commentary highlights four important areas of future investigation: increasing specificity of cognitive measures, evaluating the specificity of neurocognitive abnormalities to bipolar disorder, modeling heterogeneity of neurocognitive functioning within bipolar disorder, and searching for core neurocognitive processes more closely linked to the dysfunctional behavior seen in bipolar disorder. In addition to greater phenotypic clarity, attention to these four areas will be crucial for advancing the field. The present commentary provides recommendations for addressing these areas to facilitate progress in neurocognitive and neurobiological research of bipolar disorder.
Geiger-mode APD camera system for single-photon 3D LADAR imaging

The unparalleled sensitivity of 3D LADAR imaging sensors based on single photon detection provides substantial benefits for imaging at long stand-off distances and minimizing laser pulse energy requirements. To obtain 3D LADAR images with single photon sensitivity, we have demonstrated focal plane arrays (FPAs) based on InGaAsP Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GmAPDs) optimized for use at either 1.06 μm or 1.55 μm. These state-of-the-art FPAs exhibit excellent pixel-level performance and the capability for 100% pixel yield on a 32 x 32 format. To realize the full potential of these FPAs, we have recently developed an integrated camera system providing turnkey operation based on FPGA control. This system implementation enables the extremely high frame-rate capability of the GmAPD FPA, and frame rates in excess of 250 kHz (for 0.4 μs range gates) can be accommodated using an industry-standard CameraLink interface in full configuration. Real-time data streaming for continuous acquisition of 2 μs range gate point cloud data with 13-bit time-stamp resolution at 186 kHz frame rates has been established using multiple solid-state storage drives. Range gate durations spanning 4 ns to 10 μs provide broad operational flexibility. The camera also provides real-time signal processing in the form of multi-frame gray-scale contrast images and single-frame time-stamp histograms, and automated bias control has been implemented to maintain a constant photon detection efficiency in the presence of ambient temperature changes. A comprehensive graphical user interface has been developed to provide complete camera control using a simple serial command set, and this command set supports highly flexible end-user customization.
A design modification to minimize tilting of an inferior vena cava filter does not deliver a clinical benefit

Objective In July 2007, our group began to use a modified conical inferior vena cava filter with additional stabilizing struts designed to reduce tilting of retrievable filters. We analyzed our experience with this modified filter (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind) from July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008 and compared it to our experience with the standard filter (Gunther Tulip, Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind) from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2008 to determine if adoption of the modified filter reduced tilting and delivered a discernible clinical benefit. Methods The primary outcome measure was tilt angle after deployment. Secondary outcomes were change in tilt angle between deployment and retrieval (self-centering) and retrieval failure due to inability to engage the filter hook. Measurements were retrospectively determined using the anteroposterior venogram at the time of placement and removal. Tilt angle was defined by the center line of the filter relative to the center line of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Statistical significance was assumed for P ≤ .05. Results During the study period, a total of 302 IVC filters were placed. Retrieval was attempted for 85 of 194 (44%) standard filters and 52 of 108 (48%) modified filters. The overall difference in tilt angle (degrees) between the standard (median [interquartile range] = 5 [3, 8]) and modified (5 [3, 8]) filters at the time of placement was not statistically significant ( P = .44). Modified filters deployed through a femoral route (8 [4, 11]) had significantly greater tilt angles than modified filters deployed using jugular access (4 [2, 6]; P P = .03). Overall, there were only four failures to retrieve the filter due to excess tilting (standard, 3 of 85 [4%], modified, 1 of 52 [2%]; P = .59). Conclusion Overall, tilt angle at insertion did not differ between the modified and standard filters, although more modified filters displayed self-centering. There was no difference between the groups in retrieval failure due to excess tilting. Despite its greater tendency to self-center, we did not recognize a measurable clinical advantage of the modified filter.
New model-independent measures of trabecular bone structure applied to in vivo high-resolution MR images.

Complementing measurements of bone mass with measurements of the architectural status of trabecular bone is expected to improve predictions of fracture risk in osteoporotic patients and improve the assessment of response to drug therapy. With high-resolution MRI the trabecular network can be imaged with 156×156×500 mm3 voxels, sufficient to depict individual trabeculae, albeit with inaccurate thickness. In this work, distance transformation techniques were applied to the three-dimensional image of the distal radius of postmenopausal patients. Structural indices such as trabecular number (app.Tb.N), thickness (app.Tb.Th) and separation (app.Tb.Sp) were determined without model assumptions. A new metric index, the apparent intra-individual distribution of separations (app.Tb.Sp.SD), is introduced. The reproducibility of the MR procedure and structure assessment was determined on volunteers, and the coefficient of variation was found to be 2.7–4.6% for the mean values of structural indices and 7.7% for app.Tb.Sp.SD. The distance transformation methods were then applied to two groups of patients: one of postmenopausal women without vertebral fracture and one of postmenopausal women with at least one vertebral fracture. It was found that app.Tb.Sp.SD discriminates fracture subjects from non-fracture patients as well as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements of the radius and the spine, but not as well as DXA of the hip. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.67 for app.Tb.Sp.SD, 0.72 for DXA radius, 0.67 for DXA spine and 0.81 for DXA of the hip. A combination of MR indices reached an AUC of 0.75. Age-adjusted odds ratio ranged from 1.85 to 2.03 for app.Tb.N, app.Tb.Sp and app.Tb.Sp.SD (p<0.003). We conclude that in vivo high-resolution MRI not only has the potential of imaging trabecular bone, but in combination with novel metrics may offer new insight into the structural changes occurring in postmenopausal women.
Failure of timed bright light exposure to alleviate age-related sleep maintenance insomnia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a twice-weekly maintenance schedule of evening bright light exposure is effective in alleviating sleep maintenance insomnia on a long-term basis, after the establishment of a more favorable phase relationship between the core body temperature (CBT) rhythm and sleep. DESIGN: Subjects underwent light treatment while living at home. Eleven to 13 consecutive days of acute light treatment (active) were followed by a 3-month maintenance light treatment period (active or control). Subjects completed five laboratory sessions: before and after the acute phase and once a month during the maintenance period. SETTING: Sleep laboratory and subjects' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen older subjects (seven women, eight men; aged 63–84) with chronic (>1 year) complaints of sleep maintenance insomnia. INTERVENTIONS: During the acute phase, all participants were exposed to evening bright light (≈9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.;>4,000 lux). During the maintenance phase, light treatment was reduced to a twice-weekly schedule, in which the active group received bright light from ≈9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and the control group received bright light from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MEASUREMENTS: During each laboratory session, polysomnographic sleep and CBT were measured. RESULTS: Bright light exposure during the acute treatment resulted in an average phase delay in the temperature rhythm (Tmin) of 94 minutes. Sleep quality was not improved. No significant differences between active and control subjects were found during the maintenance phase; in both groups, Tmin gradually reverted to the baseline phase position, and sleep efficiency remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Although a significant phase shift in CBT was achieved during the acute treatment phase, no improvement in sleep quality was observed. Twice-weekly light exposure was not effective in maintaining the circadian phase shift over the subsequent 3 months. Issues of compliance and alternate etiologies for the sleep maintenance insomnia are discussed. J Am Geriatr Soc 50:617–623, 2002.
IMPLEMENTING THE PERFECTLY MATCHED LAYER ABSORBING BOUNDARY CONDITION WITH MIMETIC DIFFERENCING SCHEMES

This paper concerns the implementation of the perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary condition in the framework of a mimetic differencing scheme for Maxwell's Equations. We use mimetic versions of the discrete curl operator on irregular logically rectangular grids to implement anisotropic tensor formulation of the the PML. The form of the tensor we use is fixed with respect to the grid and is known to be perfectly transmitting in the continuous case for orthogonal coordinate systems in which the metric is constant, i.e. Cartesian coordinates, and a quasi-PML for cylindrical coordinates. Examples illustrating the effectiveness and long-term stability of the methods are shown for each. These examples demonstrate that the grid-based coordinate implementation of the PML is effective on Cartesian grids, but generates systematic reflections on grids which are orthogonal but non-Cartesian (quasi-PML). On non-orthogonal grids progressively worse performance of the PML is demonstrated. The paper begins w...
The functional and structural observations of the neonatal reproductive system of alligators exposed in ovo to atrazine, 2,4-D, or estradiol.

Wild alligators exposed to persistent organochlorine contaminants, municipal waste compounds, and contemporary-use herbicides exhibit reproductive alterations that are thought to be caused by endoc...
Electrical neutralization of aerosols

Abstract The charge neutralization process for aerosol particles in a bipolar ionic atmosphere has been studied theoretically and experimentally. The degree of neutralization was found to depend on the parameter, Nt, where N is the ion concentration and t is the neutralization time. For particles in the 0·001–100, μm dia. range, the maximum Nt product needed for charge neutralization was found to be 6 × 106 and 1 × 105 (ions/ml) (sec) respectively for the two limiting cases studied, i.e. a ⪢ λanda Experimental studies were made on four radioactive krypton-85 neutralizers with activities of 0·5,1, 2 and 10 mCi. The equilibrium ion concentration was found to range from 1·2 × 106to 8·8 × 106ions/ml. The performance of these devices as aerosol charge neutralizers was investigated using monodisperse DOP (di-octyl phthalate) aerosols of 2·53 μm dia. The results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Absence of ordering in a class of random spin systems, including simple models for spin glasses, and a new inequality for random ferromagnets

Abstract Absence of ordering is proved for a class of one- and two-dimensional quenched random systems including the Edwards-Anderson model for spin-glasses; a new inequality for random ferromagnets is proved using FKGP-inequalities and very recent correlation inequalities due to Sherman.
Associate in Applied Science Technician—The Answer to the Missing-Middle?—Problems and Solutions

Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, offers a course of study leading to the AAS in Optical Technology. This curriculum arose out of a regional need which is really, the author believes, an industry-wide critical area. Background, philosophy, details, and some socioeconomic effects of such a program are discussed.
Differential influence of vision and proprioception on control of movement distance.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of proprioceptive and visual information about initial limb position in controlling the distance of rapid, single-joint reaching movements. Using a virtual reality environment, we systematically changed the relationship between actual and visually displayed hand position as subjects’ positioned a cursor within a start circle. No visual feedback was given during the movement. Subjects reached two visual targets (115 and 125° elbow angle) from four start locations (90, 95, 100, and 105° elbow angle) under four mismatch conditions (0, 5, 10, or 15°). A 2×4×4 ANOVA enabled us to ask whether the subjects controlled the movement distance in accord with the virtual, or the actual hand location. Our results indicate that the movement distance was mainly controlled according to the virtual start location. Whereas distance modification was most extensive for the closer target, analysis of acceleration profiles revealed that, regardless of target position, visual information about start location determined the initial peak in tangential hand acceleration. Peak acceleration scaled with peak velocity and movement distance, a phenomenon termed “pulse-height” control. In contrast, proprioceptive information about actual hand location determined the duration of acceleration, which also scaled with peak velocity and movement distance, a phenomenon termed “pulse-width” control. Because pulse-height and pulse-width mechanisms reflect movement planning and sensory-based corrective processes, respectively, our current findings indicate that vision is used primarily for planning movement distance, while proprioception is used primarily for online corrections during rapid, unseen movements toward visual targets.
Evolution of the Solar Nebula. VII. Formation and Survival of Protoplanets Formed by Disk Instability

A major concern for the disk instability mechanism for giant planet formation is survival of the self-gravitating clumps that form in a marginally gravitationally unstable disk. Previous grid-based calculations have found that these clumps may only survive for an orbital period or two, an outcome that has been attributed to insufficient spatial resolution of the clumps. Here we use the highest spatial resolution grid-based models to date (effectively over 8 × 106 grid points, with a locally refined radial grid and 1024 azimuthal grid points) to demonstrate that clump formation and survival are enhanced as the numerical resolution is increased, even with a full treatment of disk thermodynamics and radiative transfer. The overall disk evolution appears to be converging toward a solution with robust spiral arms and self-gravitating protoplanets. The survival of these protoplanets is then further explored by introducing "virtual protoplanets," point masses representing massive protoplanets that accrete gas from the disk and interact with the disk as they orbit around the protostar. While growing cores and protoplanets formed by core accretion are thought to be subject to significant orbital migration, the virtual protoplanet models show that protoplanets formed by disk instability are likely to avoid rapid inward orbital migration, at least initially, because the self-gravitating disk gas flows inward, past the protoplanets, while the protoplanets orbit relatively undisturbed. Subsequent orbital migration in this case may depend primarily on the outer disk lifetime and hence on the star-forming environment, i.e., whether it is Taurus-like with relatively long-lived outer disks or Orion-like with relatively short-lived outer disks. The latter environment should lead to minimal inward orbital migration, as appears to be the case for our solar system, while the former may lead to sufficient inward migration to produce the observed short-period gas giant planets.
Assessment of nitric oxide signals by triiodide chemiluminescence

Nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity is mainly conveyed through reactions with iron and thiols, furnishing iron nitrosyls and S-nitrosothiols with wide-ranging stabilities and reactivities. Triiodide chemiluminescence methodology has been popularized as uniquely capable of quantifying these species together with NO byproducts, such as nitrite and nitrosamines. Studies with triiodide, however, have challenged basic ideas of NO biochemistry. The assay, which involves addition of multiple reagents whose chemistry is not fully understood, thus requires extensive validation: Few protein standards have in fact been characterized; NO mass balance in biological mixtures has not been verified; and recovery of species that span the range of NO-group reactivities has not been assessed. Here we report on the performance of the triiodide assay vs. photolysis chemiluminescence in side-by-side assays of multiple nitrosylated standards of varied reactivities and in assays of endogenous Fe- and S-nitrosylated hemoglobin. Although the photolysis method consistently gives quantitative recoveries, the yields by triiodide are variable and generally low (approaching zero with some standards and endogenous samples). Moreover, in triiodide, added chemical reagents, changes in sample pH, and altered ionic composition result in decreased recoveries and misidentification of NO species. We further show that triiodide, rather than directly and exclusively producing NO, also produces the highly potent nitrosating agent, nitrosyliodide. Overall, we find that the triiodide assay is strongly influenced by sample composition and reactivity and does not reliably identify, quantify, or differentiate NO species in complex biological mixtures.
Influence of contractile force on properties of motor unit action potentials: ADEMG analysis

We have used automatic decomposition electromyography (ADEMG) to measure the configurational and firing properties of 13 206 motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) in the brachial biceps, brachial triceps and anterior tibial muscles of 30 healthy adults (22 men, 8 women; mean age 48.6 ± 16.9 years, range 20–76) at three levels of isometric contractile force: threshold, 10% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and 30% MVC. In all muscles, the increment in contractile force from threshold to 10% MVC was associated with a significant (P < 0.05, paired t-test) increase in mean MUAP firing rate and number of turns per MUAP. The increment from 10% to 30% MVC led to highly significant (P < 0.005) increase in mean firing rate, number of turns, amplitude and rise rate. Each force increment was associated with an increase in the number of simultaneously-active MUAPs per recording site; and with a significant decrease in mean MUAP duration in all muscles, due to noise-dependency of the duration measurement. Quantitatively, the changes in MUAP properties with force were comparable to or exceeded the effects of age, gender differences, or intermuscular variability. Test-retest measurements 2 years apart in a subgroup of young adults showed good correspondence of mean MUAP properties with force standardization. These results demonstrate that contractile force is a major determinant of MUAP shape and behavior properties, and so must be precisely measured or controlled in clinical EMG studies.
Estimation of evolutionary distances between nucleotide sequences

A formal mathematical analysis of the substitution process in nucleotide sequence evolution was done in terms of the Markov process. By using matrix algebra theory, the theoretical foundation of Barry and Hartigan's (Stat. Sci. 2:191–210, 1987) and Lanave et al.'s (J. Mol. Evol. 20:86–93, 1984) methods was provided. Extensive computer simulation was used to compare the accuracy and effectiveness of various methods for estimating the evolutionary distance between two nucleotide sequences. It was shown that the multiparameter methods of Lanave et al.'s (J. Mol. Evol. 20:86–93, 1984), Gojobori et al.'s (J. Mol. Evol. 18:414–422, 1982), and Barry and Hartigan's (Stat. Sci. 2:191–210, 1987) are preferable to others for the purpose of phylogenetic analysis when the sequences are long. However, when sequences are short and the evolutionary distance is large, Tajima and Nei's (Mol. Biol. Evol. 1:269–285, 1984) method is superior to others.
Fatal Infections Associated with Mifepristone-Induced Abortion

In July, the FDA reported that it was aware of four U.S. deaths due to sepsis in women who had used mifepristone and announced its second revision to the black-box warning in eight months. Dr. Michael Greene writes that these deaths have important implications both for the care of individual patients and for public policy.
Current issues involving lethal injection

Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 by the Supreme Court in Gregg v. Georgia, over 83% of those executed have been put to death by means of lethal injection, which is intended to be more humane than other methods of capital punishment. The prevailing lethal injection procedure has been challenged by the contention that the first drug does not adequately anesthetize the condemned prisoner in the three‐drug sequence. Because the first drug, the sedative, may not function as intended, the second and third drugs may result in excruciating pain to the prisoner. The US Supreme Court, in Baze v. Rees (2008) has held that because this process is not intended to cause unnecessary pain and suffering, it is not ‘objectively intolerable’ and is not a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. However, the Eighth Amendment is only a minimum standard. The court observed that states have been changing and revising execution methods for well over a century and exp...
Origin of biquadratic superexchange

Abstract The orbit-lattice interaction is found to lead to a biquadratic superexchange in linear T 2 g system V 2+ − F - − V 2+ in cubic KMgF 3 . This is the first time that the biquadratic superexchange related to magnetostriction is calculated for any system.
Movement of Kepone (chlordecone) across an undisturbed sediment-water interface in laboratory systems

The distribution of Kepone® (chlordecone) in a sediment bed after various periods of continuous toxicant input to the overlying water column was determined in a laboratory system. Most of the Kepone was found to accumulate in the top 0.6 to 1.5 cm of sediment. A mathematical model was developed to predict Kepone concentrations with depth over time in the sediment. An equilibrium partition coefficient was determined from batch sorption tests and a molecular diffusion coefficient for Kepone was estimated from an empirical relationship between diffusivity and molecular weight. A computed Kepone distribution based on diffusion rates that decreased with depth and with incubation time gave the best fit to the observed data. We attribute the apparently faster rates in the upper sediment to mixing between interstitial and overlying water. Our results illustrate the value of models in conjunction with laboratory studies in defining the interactions of pollutants with sediment beds.
Triggering final oocyte maturation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) versus human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in breast cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation: an extended experience

Purpose To analyze the cycle outcomes and the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), when oocyte maturation was triggered by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) versus human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in breast cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation.