cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PGC SCZ WORKGROUP: GWAS WITH OVER 70.000 CASES AND 100,000 CONTROLS

Background The PGC (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) is an international group of researchers whose major aim is to maximize the utility of extant psychiatric GWAS through mega-analysis. In a previous study, our second wave of genome-wide schizophrenia association analysis identified multiple loci involved in this genetically complex and clinically heterogeneous disorder (Nature 2014). Methods Here we present an update of the biological insights gained analyzing the datasets coming from multiple ancestries. This international endeavor consists of more than 70,000 schizophrenia cases and 100,000 controls coming from over 90 substudies. The presented data is imputed into 1000 Genomes Phase3 and analyzed using standard logistic regression with ancestry components as covariates. All index SNPs with a p-value smaller than 1×10-6 were used for replication lookup in an independent GWAS analysis with 1,500 cases and 66,000 controls. Results Final analyses are pending. There are numerous follow up analysis being performed with the estimated more than 180 reliably associated regions from this newest round of meta-analysis. The loci implicated include all prior findings along with a host of new targets. Discussion These results are in line with prior predictions and developments in other complex disease GWAS with sufficiently large samples. They continue to provide new insights into the biology of schizophrenia.
Nim and Natural numbers.

THERE is a well-known strategy for winning the game of Nim.1 The strategy involves the use of an unfamiliar operation in the set of natural numbers. In this arti cle we describe the strategy. Then we examine the unfamiliar operation, giving special attention to its connection with the theory of groups. In Nim, which is played by two persons, there are three heaps of counters. A move consists of removing one or more counters from a single heap. The player making the last move is the winner. Professor C. L. Bouton of Harvard, who named the game and first analyzed it, showed that if the heaps are randomly chosen the odds are much in favor of the player having the first move.2 The first step in the winning strategy is to express the number of counters in each heap in the binary system. For example, if the heaps contain 23, 21, and 9 counters, these numbers are converted to 101II2, IOIOI2, and IOOI2. The second step is to compute the digital sum of these binary numbers. This is accomplished by adding columns and reducing each column sum modulo 2. Thus, in the given example, the digital sum looks like this : 10111 10101 1001
Scabs and Traitors: taboo, violence and punishment in labour disputes in Britain, 1760–1871

For a long time, the history of trade unionism in Britain was written as a Whiggish tale of onward and upward progress towards respectability and acceptance: worker organizations that were initiall...
A fixed-population problem for the person-affecting restriction

According to the person-affecting restriction, one distribution of welfare can be better than another only if there is someone for whom it is better. Extant problems for the person-affecting restriction involve variable-population cases, such as the nonidentity problem, which are notoriously controversial and difficult to resolve. This paper develops a fixed-population problem for the person-affecting restriction. The problem reveals that, in the presence of incommensurable welfare levels, the person-affecting restriction is incompatible with minimal requirements of impartial beneficence even in fixed-population contexts.
Striatal circuit development and synapse maturation

Abstract The basal ganglia are a series of subcortical nuclei essential for goal-directed motor actions and reward-based behavior in vertebrates. The goal of this chapter is to review the development of the striatum which is the largest nucleus and the main point of entry to the multiple afferent systems that are integrated and processed by the basal ganglia. We start describing early striatal patterning during embryonic development and continue through key stages of maturation after birth, including the compartmentalization of striatal circuits, maturation of cellular properties, assembly of synapses, and the maturation of striatal patterns of activity.
Early and Middle-Term Results and Anticoagulation Strategy after Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion Using an Epicardial Clip Device

Objective The present study aimed to evaluate short- and middle-term results and postoperative anticoagulation of left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion with an epicardial clip device. Materials and methods From September 2017 to August 2019, 102 patients at our institution underwent epicardial LAA exclusion using the AtriClip device. Anticoagulation therapy was resumed in the very early postoperative period and continued for at least three months after surgery. The patients' data were obtained by reviewing their medical records retrospectively. Results The mean and median durations of follow-up was 510 ± 184 days and 482 days (range, 216-938 days), respectively. Successful LAA exclusion was confirmed in all but one patient. No device-related complications occurred during surgery. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) findings revealed no migration or displacement of the clips in any patient; however, small clots were observed at the LAA stump in seven patients. Stroke-free rate during the follow-up period was 98.9%. Conclusion LAA exclusion using the AtriClip device was a feasible treatment method in terms of its early and middle-term safety and efficacy. In addition, our postoperative anticoagulation strategy could be optimal for maximizing the procedure's merits, although further studies, involving a larger number of patients and longer duration of follow-up, are needed.
The Canons of Social and Economic Rights

Social and economic rights occupy an unsettled place in any global canon of constitutional democracy and human rights. This Article, appearing in a collection of Global Canons in an Age of Uncertainty (S. Choudhry, M. Hailbronner & M. Kumm, eds., OUP) recommends a contender for canonical status, at the same time as it problematizes the search. Insofar as the search for a canon reveals the boundaries of what may be considered exemplary claims of constitutional and democratic practice, the 2000 South African case of Republic of South Africa v. Grootboom is canonical for its treatment of social and economic rights. This Article explores three features of Grootboom – its reasoning, pedigree and visibility – that it argues give it a canonical status, which include the case’s apparent resolution of justiciability, its proximity to South Africa’s post-apartheid Constitution and Constitutional Court, and its ambivalent legacy for housing rights. Yet Grootboom is not a singular source for establishing and renewing the boundaries of the global canon. Moreover, its legacy is not completely secure. The Article introduces the idea of proto-canons and counter-canons as adding to what should be a worldwide debate about foundational texts, for constitutional democracy and human rights. Indeed, proto- and counter-canons are especially useful categories for charting both the ambitions and marginality of social and economic rights, as well as the hegemony of distinctive visions of constitutional democracy. The Article therefore nominates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 as a proto-canon for social and economic rights, as crystallizing incipient ideas of freedom from want and an institutionally broad (and non-court centric) vision of realization. It also nominates the 1973 US case of San Antonia School District v. Rodriguez as a counter-canon, as that case marks the interpretive closure, by the Supreme Court, of available arguments for constitutional social and economic rights, and the devolution of the right to education to the states. These proto- and counter-canons help us reflect on the highly unsettled constitutional and democratic norms of the present.
Carotid sinus nerve transection abolishes the facilitation of breathing that occurs upon cessation of a hypercapnic gas challenge in male mice

This study presents the first evidence that carotid body chemoafferents play a key role in initiating the ventilatory responses such as increases in frequency of breathing, tidal volume, and minute...
Viewpoint: The measurement of water access and use is key for more effective food and nutrition policy

Abstract Water-related indicators have predominantly focused on water availability and water infrastructure; experiences with water access and use have received far less attention. However, the assessment of water security using disaggregated indicators that are more proximal to the human experience, i.e., household and individual access and use, has enormous potential for transforming our understanding of human well-being, in much the same way that the shift to experiential measures of food insecurity has been transformative. Water access and use shapes many aspects of economic well-being, food security, nutrition, and physical and mental health that have largely gone unappreciated in great part due to the lack of precise, high-resolution data on water insecurity. The recent advent of globally comparable measurements of water access and use with the Individual and Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scales has five major implications for more effective food and nutrition policy, i.e., for targeting, measuring impact, modeling, regulation design, and sectoral siloing. Experiences of water insecurity should be regularly measured worldwide in much the same way that food insecurity is because water is of intrinsic value, shapes food security and global health, and is critical for achieving many other development goals.
Superior Gluteal Vessels

The superior gluteal vessels are commonly used in reconstructive microsurgery as donor vessels of various flaps for reconstruction of lumbosacral, gluteal, and perineal defects and in breast reconstruction for the congenital or acquired absent breast. The majority of lumbosacral, gluteal, and perineal defects requiring soft tissue coverage are readily managed with regional muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flaps. Despite various options, a number of patients with defects of the pelvis will require reconstruction with microsurgical flaps. This chapter highlights the important anatomical considerations, surgical dissection, and applications of the superior gluteal vessels as recipient vessels for microsurgical reconstruction of defects in the gluteal, lumbosacral, and perineal areas.
Added dietary pyridoxine, but not thiamin, improves weanling pig growth performance.

ABSTRACT: We conducted two trials to determinethe effects of added dietary pyridoxine (vitamin B 6 )orthiamin (vitamin B 1 ) on growth performance of wean-ling pigs. In Exp. 1, weanling pigs (n =180, initially5.55 ±.84 kg, and 21 ±2 d of age) were fed either acontrol diet (no added pyridoxine or thiamin) or thecontrol diet with added thiamin (2.8 or 5.5 mg/kg) fromthiamin mononitrate or pyridoxine (3.9 or 7.7 mg/kg)from pyridoxine HCl. These ﬁve diets were fed in mealformintwophases(d0to14and14to35afterweaning),with identical vitamin concentrations in both phases.From d 0 to 14 after weaning, pigs fed added pyridoxinehad increased (quadratic, P <.05) ADG and ADFI; pigsfed 3.9 mg/kg of added pyridoxine had the greatest im-provement. From d 14 to 35 and 0 to 35, ADG andADFI increased (linear P =.06) for pigs fed increasingKey Words: Pigs, Growth, Vitamins, Pyridoxine, Thiamin 2000 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. J. Anim. Sci. 2000. 78:88–93 Introduction Thiamin and pyridoxine have important roles inamino acid, carbohydrate, and fatty acid metabolismandalsoplayamajorroleintheenergy-producingcitricacid cycle (McDowell, 1989). Although the need forthese vitamins in swine diets is recognized, they areusually not supplemented to swine diets because oftheir abundance in feedstuffs. The current estimatedrequirements (NRC, 1998) for 5- to 20-kg pigs for pyri-doxine and thiamin are 1.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, respectively.Thepyridoxineandthiaminconcentrationsofcorn,soy-bean meal, and dried whey, the principal ingredientsin most diets of weanling pigs, range from 4 to 6.4 mg/
CT Evaluation of Pediatric Chest in Routine Practice

This chapter reviews the applications of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of common chest problems in children, in particular, mediastinal masses and congenital lung anomalies. Normal anatomy and anatomic variants and CT techniques are also discussed.
Inhibition of caspase-1 slows disease progression in a mouse model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is an autosomal-dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in specific neuronal loss and dysfunction in the striatum and cortex. The disease is universally fatal, with a mean survival following onset of 15-20 years and, at present, there is no effective treatment. The mutation in patients with Huntington's disease is an expanded CAG/polyglutamine repeat in huntingtin, a protein of unknown function with a relative molecular mass of 350,000 (M(r) 350K). The length of the CAG/polyglutamine repeat is inversely correlated with the age of disease onset. The molecular pathways mediating the neuropathology of Huntington's disease are poorly understood. Transgenic mice expressing exon 1 of the human huntingtin gene with an expanded CAG/polyglutamine repeat develop a progressive syndrome with many of the characteristics of human Huntington's disease. Here we demonstrate evidence of caspase-1 activation in the brains of mice and humans with the disease. In this transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease, expression of a dominant-negative caspase-1 mutant extends survival and delays the appearance of neuronal inclusions, neurotransmitter receptor alterations and onset of symptoms, indicating that caspase-1 is important in the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, we demonstrate that intracerebroventricular administration of a caspase inhibitor delays disease progression and mortality in the mouse model of Huntington's disease.
The Effect of Insulin on Adipose Tissue

T HE RESULTS of a combined biochemical and electron microscopic study of the changes produced by insulin in the adipose cells of the epididymal fat pad of the rat in vitro are reviewed. � These experiments followed the observations of Winegrad and Renold4 who demonstrated that the addition of insulin to the epididymal fat pad of the rat, incubated in bi
John Charnley Award: Preoperative Patient-reported Outcome Measures Predict Clinically Meaningful Improvement in Function After THA.

Despite the overall effectiveness of total hip arthroplasty (THA), a subset of patients remain dissatisfied with their results because of persistent pain or functional limitations. It is therefore important to develop predictive tools capable of identifying patients at risk for poor outcomes before surgery. The purpose of this study was to use preoperative patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scores to predict which patients undergoing THA are most likely to experience a clinically meaningful change in functional outcome 1 year after surgery. A retrospective cohort study design was used to evaluate preoperative and 1-year postoperative SF-12 version 2 (SF12v2) and Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) scores from 537 selected patients who underwent primary unilateral THA. Minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) were calculated using a distribution-based method. A receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to calculate threshold values, defined as the levels at which substantial changes occurred, and their predictive ability. MCID values for HOOS and SF12v2 physical component summary (PCS) scores were calculated to be 9.1 and 4.6, respectively. We analyzed the effect of SF12v2 mental component summary (MCS) scores, which measure mental and emotional health, on SF12v2 PCS and HOOS threshold values. Threshold values for preoperative HOOS and PCS scores were a maximum of 51.0 (area under the curve [AUC], 0.74; p < 0.001) and 32.5 (AUC, 0.62; p < 0.001), respectively. As preoperative mental and emotional health improved, which was reflected by a higher MCS score, HOOS and PCS threshold values also increased. When preoperative mental and emotional health were taken into account, both HOOS and PCS threshold values’ predictive ability improved (AUCs increased to 0.77 and 0.69, respectively). We identified PROM threshold values that predict clinically meaningful improvements in functional outcome after THA. Patients with a higher level of preoperative function, as suggested by HOOS or PCS scores above the defined threshold values, are less likely to obtain meaningful improvement after THA. Lower preoperative mental and emotional health decreases the likelihood of achieving a clinically meaningful improvement in function after THA. The results of this study may be used to facilitate discussion between physicians and patients regarding the expected benefit after THA and to support the development of patient-based informed decision-making tools. For example, despite significant disease, patients with high preoperative function, as measured by PROM scores, may choose to delay surgery given the low likelihood of experiencing a meaningful improvement postoperatively. Similarly, patients with notably low MCS scores might best be counseled to address mental health issues before embarking on surgery. Level III, prognostic study.
Automatic speaker recognition using vocoded speech

Automatic speaker recognition (ASR) offers potential benefit for numerous applications, including identification of users of communication channels such as the telephone and channels using processed or vocoded speech. Currently the listener must subjectively determine whether the person on the other end of the line is who he or she claims to be. However, when the speech is processed, recognition of voices can be very difficult for human listeners. A series of tests was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of automatic speaker recognition with processed or vocoded speech. The analog outputs of six different voice processors were used as input to a real-time ASR system. Recognition accuracy results for the processed speech were 70% to 95% using a 2500 Hz bandwidth input filter, and 75% to 95% using a 4000 Hz input filter. These results indicate that ASR using vocoded speech is definitely feasible, though further research is needed to determine which speech parameters are best suited for use with each voice processor.
MALFORMATIONS INDUCED IN THE MOUSE BY THALIDOMIDE.

Pregnant mice of Swiss ICR/Ha and the A/St and the C3H/He inbred strains were given thalidomide by oral intubation for four or five days beginning six or seven days postconception. Congenital anomalies including skeletal malformations were induced with doses of 31 to 250 mg of thalidomide per kg of body weight. Skeletal malformations of the long bones, head and trunk were seen in radiographs; soft tissue malformations were limited to structural malformations of the brain, seen in histological preparations. Because of the relatively small number of Swiss and C3H mice used, no attempt was made to discern the severity or pattern of malformations presented by each strain.
Correlates of persistent postconcussional disorder: DSM-IV criteria versus ICD-10.

Controversy surrounding the causation of symptom complaints after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is reflected by the existence of alternative diagnostic criteria for postconcussional syndrome (PCS) in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and postconcussional disorder (PCD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–4th edition (DSM-IV). Previous studies of persisting symptoms have employed various symptom checklists rather than uniform criteria-based diagnoses. This is the first prospective study of persisting symptom complaints using the formal diagnostic criteria for PCD and PCS and comparing these criteria sets in terms of prevalence, relationship to potential compensation, and emotional/functional status. In this prospective study, an unselected series of adults with uncomplicated MTBI (N = 139) was assessed at 6 months postinjury with a brief neuropsychological battery and measures of psychiatric symptoms/disorders, social support/community integration, health-rela...
Deactivation of Copper Nickel-Catalysts Due to Changes in Surface Composition

A reversible deactivation phenomenon is observed when copper-nickel particles are reacted in ethylene at temperatures in excess of 700[degrees]C. Addition of hydrogen to the system is found to extend the active life of the catalyst to higher temperatures. In situ electron diffraction analysis performed on a model catalyst system indicates that separation of the alloy into its single constituents occurs at 700[degrees]C in ethylene and 800[degrees]C in hydrogen. This deactivation phenomenon is extremely complex and involves not only the reactions occurring at the gas/catalyst interface but also modifications in the particle chemistry arising from dissolved carbon and hydrogen species, and also the influence of the deposited graphite in the form of a filament at the rear of the particle. Lowering of the temperature results in a reestablishment of the bimetallic surface and restoration of catalytic activity. By measuring both the gas-phase and solid products of the reaction, the authors have been able to develop a novel method to continuously follow the changes in composition of the surface as a function of reaction temperature, time, and nature of the reactant gas. These results are discussed in terms of a model, which relates the ethylene adsorption characteristics to the surface composition ofmore » the bimetallic system. 28 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.« less
Geophysical prospection of the frontiers of the Roman Empire in southern Germany, UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Roman Limes with a length of 550 km is the largest archaeological site of Europe as well as the largest monument of the Roman period. In July 2005 it was decided that the Limes and its interrelated archaeological sites, together with Hadrian's Wall in England, would be a component of a ‘Trans-National World Heritage Site’ taking the name ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’. From that point it was necessary to minimize and/or to avoid archaeological excavation. Further research on such sites is mainly limited to the application of non-destructive techniques. Among other geophysical tools, magnetometry, based on the rock magnetic knowledge turned out to be a highly suitable method. Two examples that allowed verification and completion of old maps of the Reichs-Limes-Kommission will be shown here; these projects exemplify geophysical work on the Bavarian Limes. At the site of Oberhochstatt we discovered the exact location and determined information on the size and orientation of the fort that previous searches for a long time had failed to find. At Theilenhofen we were able to complete the map of the whole fort with all fortification ditches and the water supply, to verify the troop level and to confirm the former fort on which is superimposed the traces of the Roman vicus. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Validation of an endoscopic part-task training box as a skill assessment tool.

Background There is no objective methodology to assess trainee progress in endoscopy. Our prior work has detailed the development of the endoscopic part-task training box. Objective To assess validity evidence regarding relationship to other variables by evaluating a correlation between level of endoscopic experience and training box score. Design Prospective validation study. Setting Three academic institutions. Participants A total of 42 participants: 7 novices, 7 first-year GI fellows, 7 second-year GI fellows, 7 third-year GI fellows, 7 attending physicians, and 7 interventional attending physicians. Interventions The training box consists of 5 modules: retroflexion, knob control, torque, polypectomy, and navigation/loop reduction. Performance is scored for precision and speed. Each participant was required to complete the training box once. Additionally, 5 participants at different endoscopic levels completed the training box 3 times at 1-week intervals. Main Outcome Measurements A correlation between level of endoscopic experience and training box score. Results All 42 participants completed the 5 modules during a single session. Aggregate training box scores differed significantly between each training level ( P values P values Limitations The training box focuses only on the technical aspects of endoscopy and does not address the cognitive elements of endoscopic training. Conclusion The endoscopic part-task training box is able to objectively assess endoscopic ability by differentiating scores based on clinical experience. Further multicenter efforts are now needed to establish learning curves and to correlate use of the simulator with improved clinical aptitude.
Familial carotid body tumors: Case report and epidemiologic review

We report on the cases of two sisters with carotid body tumor (CBT) and present a literature review that assembles epidemiologic information on 88 familial and 835 nonfamilial CBT patients. The sex ratio (males/females) of 1.0 for familial CBT (0.7 for nonfamilial) and CBT reports with complete sibship information suggest autosomal dominant genetic transmission. As in other familial cancers, bilateral disease is significantly more frequent in familial (31.8% of cases) than in nonfamilial CBT (4.4%). However, there is no difference in age at diagnosis between familial and nonfamilial CBR. Thus, this adult-onset familial cancer does not completely fit the Knudson "two-step mutation" model of carcinogenesis. We also found that 6% of reported CBT patients developed second primary tumors, mostly other paragangliomas. This feature suggests that CBT may be part of a larger neurocristopathy syndrome of multiple tumors of cells of neural crest origin.
The role of imagery in the maintenance and treatment of snake fear

Two studies assessed the role of mental imagery in the maintenance of fear of common phobic stimuli. Study 1 asked participants who were afraid of a wide range of phobic stimuli to report their visual and somatic imagery. Blind ratings of the imagery on horror and vividness were positively correlated with participant's self-reported fear and avoidance. Study 2 tested the efficacy of modifying imagery using cognitive restructuring compared to in vivo exposure and a minimal exposure, relaxation control in snake fearful participants. Both active treatment groups improved significantly more than the control group in self-reported snake fearfulness and behavioral approach. Condition also interacted with initial severity. Highly fearful subjects responded better to the cognitive imagery modification than to the in vivo exposure, and found the cognitive intervention significantly less aversive. These results are seen as supporting a cognitive model of the maintenance of specific phobia.
SYMMETRIC FISSION OBSERVED IN THERMAL-NEUTRON-INDUCED AND SPONTANEOUS FISSION OF $sup 257$Fm.

The observed mass distribution for thermal-neutron-induced fission of $^{257}\mathrm{Fm}$ is strongly symmetric, whereas that for spontaneous fission of $^{257}\mathrm{Fm}$ is found to be predominantly asymmetric with, however, some symmetric fission present. The mass distributions were derived from energy measurements on coincident fission fragments. The onset of symmetric fission at $^{257}\mathrm{Fm}$ supports theories relating asymmetric fission to the second hump of the fission barrier.
An equation of state for polyatomic fluids

An equation of state has been developed for convex nonspherical particles with nonpolar and multipolar forces. The effects of nonsphericity and multipolarity on phase behavior are characterized by a geometric shape parameter and an energy fluctuation parameter, respectively. The equation performs for real fluids better than the Van der Waals equation and as well as the Redlich-Kwong and Peng-Robinson equations.
Optimal Ground-Water Remediation Design Using Multiple Control Technologies

Combined optimization-simulation models for designing ground-water remediation systems generally focus on design strategies that use only one remedial technology, typically pumping. In practice, many field remediation programs use pumping along with one or more additional ground-water control technologies, such as drains, trenches, slurry walls, and low permeability caps. Simulated annealing provides a flexible optimization framework that can incorporate a number of different remedial technologies into the design process. Using simulated annealing, additional remedial technologies can be added to or subtracted from the optimization at any time. This flexibility can provide for remedial design evaluations that are more consistent with current field implementations. The use of simulated annealing is demonstrated by a series of hypothetical remediation design problems that incorporate four different remedial technologies. The computed optimal design solution depends on the relative costs of the remedial tools as specified by the cost function and on the effects that each tool has on the system behavior. A sensitivity analysis can reveal which costs are critical to the outcome of the optimization.
Interactions and structures of n-alkane thiol monolayers on gold surfaces

We report the results of low energy helium atom scattering studies of the surface structure of n-alkane thiol overlayers on gold surfaces. We show that the primitive unit mesh of conventionally prepared self-assembled monolayers is not a simple ((root)3X(root)3)R30deg hexagonal mesh but is in fact a 8.65X9.99 $angstrom rectangle [corresponding to a c(4(root)3X2(root)3)R30deg overlayer]. We also discuss the results of recent molecular-beam-deposition experiments which produce ordered (5(root)3X(root)3)R30deg and rectangular (root)3Xn (n$AP10) overlayers, structures quite distinct from the solution-grown c(4(root)3X2(root)3)R30deg structure. Finally, we report thermally-induced reorganization of conventionally prepared self-assembled c(4(root)3X2(root)3)R30deg monolayers into (5(root)3X(root)3)R30deg and (root)3Xn (n$AP10)lattices. These experiments suggest that the variety of structures observed results from dependence of the molecular packing upon coverage. Our observations demonstrate that the ordering of thiols on gold is not as simple as early studies have proposed; rather, adsorption of these molecules on gold results in a rich variety of structures, depending upon the coverage and, possibly, the means of preparation.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Endogenous lateral electric fields around bovine corneal lesions are necessary for and can enhance normal rates of wound healing

The strength of the electric fields in the vicinity of 1.5 mm circular lesions in the bovine cornea has been found to influence the rate of re-epithelization. A decrease in the field strength by submersion of the lesions or by treating the lesions with the Na+-channel blocker, benzamil, significantly retarded healing. An increase in the field strength of lesions treated with Na+-depleted Hanks' solution, by the addition of direct current, increased epithelization. Epithelization was fastest in wounds with field strengths raised to - 80 mV/mm, more than twice the normal field strength present in wounds maintained in Hanks' solution alone. Epithelization decreased, however, when the field strengths were increased to -120 mV/mm. A similar pattern was also observed when the field's polarity was reversed. By manipulating and monitoring the field strengths, we have been able to show for the first time that increased wound field strengths enhance corneal wound epithelization, and that field strengths with reversed polarity also enhance this epithelization.
The effect of biotin on the production of succinic acid by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens

Succinic acid is an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and therefore, is found in almost all plant and animal cells, albeit at very low concentrations. It has a very wide usage range, which includes applications in agriculture, food, medicine, plastics, cosmetics, textiles, plating and waste-gas scrubbing. Succinic acid currently is produced commercially by chemical processes. A fermentation process for its production is of great interest because in such process, renewable resources such as corn-derived glucose can be used as starting material. There is not a current biological process for the commercial production of succinic acid. Extensive efforts have been devoted to the isolation and screening of succinic acid-producing microorganisms. The anaerobic bacterium, Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens, is considered among the best direct succinic acid producers. A number of patents concerning the production of succinic acid by this organism have been issued. Our first attempt to develop a biological process for the production of succinic acid by A. succiniciproducens involved fermentation media improvement, in particular the use of supplemented nutrients. In this note, we show that higher yield of succinic acid could be achieved by supplementing the fermentation media with biotin, as a potential nutrient supplement representative.
Cutting performance of a chemical oxygen-iodine laser on aerospace and industrial materials

A chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) was used for cutting aluminum, titanium, inconel and copper plates. The laser was operated with a stable resonator having an intracavity aperture to produce a circular COIL beam with very few transverse modes. The multimode focal spot diameter was calculated to be 0.24 mm. The new aluminum cut was of particularly high kerf edge quality. These COIL cutting data are compared with an existing theoretical laser cutting model. Using thermophysical data for aluminum, titanium,l inconel and copper, this theory agrees very well with the data. To test the versatility of the model, the effects of different assumptions are examined; different assumptions produced very little effect on model predictions at high cutting speeds and a small difference at very slow cutting speeds. Overall, the theoretical model provides good agreement with experiments for a wide variety of metals.
Optimum element lengths for Yagi-Uda arrays

An analytical method is developed for the maximization of the directivity of a Yagi-Uda array by adjusting the lengths of the dipole elements. The effects of a finite dipole radius and the mutual coupling between the elements are taken into consideration. Currents in the array elements are approximated by three-term expansions with complex coefficients that convert the governing integral equations into matrix equations. Array directivity is maximized by a perturbation procedure that adjusts the lengths of all array elements simultaneously and that converges very rapidly. This method can be combined with the previously developed spacing-perturbation method to form a double-perturbation procedure and obtain a Yagi-Uda array of nonuniformly spaced elements of unequal lengths. which yields a maximum directivity.
Hereditary hemochromatosis protein, HFE, interaction with transferrin receptor 2 suggests a molecular mechanism for mammalian iron sensing

HFE and transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2) are membrane proteins integral to mammalian iron homeostasis and associated with human hereditary hemochromatosis. Here we demonstrate that HFE and TFR2 interact in cells, that this interaction is not abrogated by disease-associated mutations of HFE and TFR2, and that TFR2 competes with TFR1 for binding to HFE. We propose a new model for the mechanism of iron status sensing that results in the regulation of iron homeostasis.
Data Envelopment Analysis as a Decision-Making Tool for Transportation Professionals

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a mathematical method based on production theory and the principles of linear programming. It enables one to assess how efficiently a firm, organization, agency, or such other unit uses the resources available (inputs) to generate a set of outputs relative to other units in the data set. Recent papers by different writers present different applications of DEA in the transportation engineering domain. All of these papers are published in transportation journals. These papers are mainly aimed at addressing the transportation-related issues and thus do not focus too much on the DEA concept itself. It can be asserted that DEA is very likely to be used more and more in the transportation engineering domain. Given this, there is a need for the transportation professionals to fully understand the DEA concept. It is essential for such a community to identify cases where the application of this innovative and powerful method can be useful to help the decision-making process, to accurately apply DEA in a particular setting, to derive meaningful conclusions from the obtained results, and to acknowledge the limitations of DEA in certain cases so as to approach the results with caution. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate to the civil engineering, more specifically to the transportation engineering community the use of this powerful approach in performing comparative performance measurement. Within this context, this paper will address a transportation-related problem by using the DEA approach. Different from the other papers containing transportation-related DEA applications (as mentioned above), this paper will discuss, in detail, the steps that need to be taken to generate the DEA model and solve it.
PRIVATE SECTOR ASSET MANAGEMENT AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MONETARY POLICY: THEORY AND PRACTICE

THE CONTROVERSY about how money affects the economy is deeper and more fundamental than is evident in the current literature. From the current literature it seems as if the dispute is over either the definition of money and the specifications of the variables in a demand function for money or whether stable monetary growth is a) capable of being defined, b) obtainable, and c) superior, as a stabilization technique, to active discretionary monetary and fiscal policies.' In truth the above are peripheral or secondary issues. The fundamental issue in monetary theory is whether a capitalist economy is inherently stable or whether, due to its very nature, it is unavoidably unstable; that is whether unsustainable booms and deep depressions are due to essential characteristics of capitalism. Financial crises, domestic and international, have been associated with capitalism throughout its history. This does not prove that they are inherent in capitalism-the crises of history may have been due to a combination of ignorance, human error and avoidable attributes of the financial system. One polar view in the stability of capitalism is represented by the Chicago School. An article of faith, nowhere better stated than in Henry Simons' famous article "Rules Versus Authorities. . ." [22], is that serious depressions are due to man-made imperfections in the financial system. Friedman and Schwartz argue that "The monetary collapse [of the 1930's] was not the inescapable consequence of other forces, but rather a largely independent factor which exerted a powerful influence of the course of events. The failure of the Federal Reserve System to prevent the collapse reflected not the impotence of monetary policy but rather the particular policies followed by the monetary authorities and, in smaller degree, the particular monetary arrangements in existence [10, p. 4]. In this "Chicago" view there exists a financial system, different from that which ruled at the time of crisis but nonetheless consistent with capitalism, which would make serious financial disturbances impossible. It is the task of monetary analysis to design such a financial system, and of monetary policy to execute the design. In Simons' view this depression-proof good financial society required a radical restructuring of the financial system. In Friedman's view the establishment of the good financial society requires only the adoption of a stable money growth rule by the Federal Reserve System, given that the
Separation of catecholamines from catechol acids by alumina.

Abstract The factors affecting the adsorption of catechol derivatives on alumina have been studied. The results have permitted the reconciliation of conflicting literature reports. Catecholamines and catechol acids are adsorbed quantitatively on alumina at pH 4 only in the absence of ions and at pH 6 only in the absence of phosphate ions. At pH 8.5 quantitative adsorption in the presence of phosphate or other ions was confirmed. Based on the different elution characteristics of catecholamines and catechol acids a method was developed for the quantitative determination of dopamine and dopa, separately and together. The concentration of the catechol derivatives was determined by the method of Arnow modified for spectrophotometric analysis.
The physical and chemical characterization of electrochemically reformed silver surfaces

Abstract The effects of electrochemically oxidizing and reducing polycrystalline silver foils in aqueous chloride solutions are studied from a physical and chemical standpoint. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that the resulting surface is rough, consisting of nodular formations. Auger electron spectroscopic, secondary ion mass spectrometric and electrochemical results provide clear indication that a highly purified layer of metallic silver of increased surface area and activity is produced by the electrochemical reformation process. No evidence is found for the retention of intense Raman scatterers such as pyridine at these surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The implications of the chemical and physical state of the reformed silver foils are discussed in the context of theories which have been proposed to explain the anomalously intense Raman spectra of scatterers adsorbed from solution onto these reformed silver surfaces. The origin of the 240 cm−1 Raman line commonly observed on electrochemically reformed silver is discussed and assigned to the Ag−Cl− stretching mode.
Economical aspects of a data management system

Abstract Much interest has focused on generalized data management systems. This paper takes a hard look at one of these systems—MIRADS.
Tracking with Steady-State Optimization: an Application to Air-Breathing Hypersonic Vehicle Control

The specific control problem addressed in the paper is the design of controllers that ensure asymptotic tracking of output reference trajectories for overactuated systems. The redundancy in the input space is used to optimize the steady state performance of the closed-loop system. Since the considered plant models are not square, the control input and state trajectories in steady state that enforce perfect tracking are not unique. The proposed methodology employs a continuous parameterization of all possible steady state input trajectories, that is used for optimizing the selection of the steady state input, while providing perfect tracking and fulfillment of constraints on the magnitude of the control input. An application to altitude and velocity tracking control for an hypersonic vehicle employing air-breathing (scramjet) propulsion is presented and discussed.
A visual language for the evolution of spatial relationships and its translation into a spatio-temporal calculus

Queries about objects that change their spatial attributes over time become particularly interesting when they ask for changes in the spatial relationships between different objects. We propose a visual notation that is able to describe scenarios of changing object relationships. The visual language is based on the idea to analyze two-dimensional traces of moving objects to infer a temporal development of their mutual spatial relationships. We motivate the language design by successively simplifying object traces to their intrinsic properties. The notation can be effectively translated into a calculus of spatio-temporal predicates that formally characterizes the evolution of spatial relationships. We also outline a user interface that supports specifications by menus and a drawing editor. The visual notation can be used directly as a visual query interface to spatio-temporal databases, or it can provide predicate specifications that can be integrated into textual query languages leading to heterogeneous languages.
Characterization of Antigenic Determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi Shared by Other Bacteria

Three antigenic determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi that were shared with other spirochetes and gram-negative bacterial species, as measured by Western blot, ELISA, or both, were identified and characterized using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Two were associated with immunogenic integral membrane lipoproteins of 19- and 22-kDa, respectively, by [3H]palmitate incorporation and Triton X-114 phase partitioning. A third antigenic determinant was shown to be associated with a 72-kDa heat shock protein that was also immunogenic in human patients. MAb agglutination assays with B. burgdorferi and treatment of the spirochete with proteases indicated that none of the antigenic determinants were surface exposed. NH2-terminal sequence analysis revealed the 72-kDa protein to have 100% identity with the first 13 amino acid residues of the Escherichia coli dnaK heat shock protein. The presence of these and other shared antigenic determinants in ELISA antigen preparations could explain the high degree of serologic cross-reactivity in current diagnostic procedures.
The Limits of Bureaucratic Citizenship

As many volumes as have been written about Wood row Wilson, there will yet be many more. He is, after all, academic and practitioner in one. He had the relatively rare opportunity to attempt to put into practice, and at the helm of a nation no less, his own lofty ideals and theories as he had conceived them in his days of study and lecture. We must always seek to understand the past within the context it occurred. Hence, Wilson as bureau man. There is a certain beauty, too, in bringing the past forward to unpack it and apply what we can in a recent context. It is through this lens, offered by Cook, that we can come
Bilateral Infiltrating Renal Inflammatory Pseudotumor Responsive to Corticosteroid Therapy

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) is a quasi-neoplastic lesion that most commonly involves the lung, but has been shown to occur in nearly every tissue type. Renal involvement is very uncommon. We report the second case of IPT ever published presenting as bilateral infiltrating renal masses. Although most renal IPTs were treated with nephrectomy, our patient was managed successfully with conservative steroid treatment, thereby avoiding the alternative of dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Self-Defence, Defence and Pre-Emption:

Military supporters and critics often find each others' positions on war preposterous. The divergent attitudes of these two groups may derive from their view about the analogy, or lack thereof, between war and self-defence, an issue recently highlighted by the controversial question of ‘pre-emption’. In general, bombing campaigns conducted abroad are better understood as pre-emptive acts of war than as literal acts of ‘self-defence’. The support by governments of the weapons export trade is also difficult to reconcile with the ‘self-defence’ interpretation of war. Accordingly, those who reject ‘pre-emptive defence’ on the grounds that it exceeds the parameters of ‘self-defence’ should, in consistency, oppose bombing campaigns and the exportation of weapons as well.