cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Core material effect on wave number and vibrational damping characteristics in carbon fiber sandwich composites

Abstract A sandwich composite is typically designed to possess high bending stiffness and low density and consists of two thin and stiff skin sheets and a lightweight core. Due to the high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios, sandwich composite materials are widely used in various structural applications including aircraft, spacecraft, automotive, wind-turbine blades and so on. However, sandwich composite structures used in such applications often suffer from poor acoustic performance. Ironically, these superior mechanical properties make the sandwich composites “excellent” noise radiators. There is a growing interest in optimizing and developing a new sandwich composite which will meet the high stiffness-to-weight ratio and offer improved acoustic performance. The focus of this study is to investigate the structural–vibrational performance of carbon-fiber face sheet sandwich composite beams with varying core materials and properties. Core materials utilized in this study included Nomex and Kevlar Honeycomb cores, and Rohacell foam cores with different densities and shear moduli. The structural–vibrational performance including acoustic and vibrational damping properties was experimentally characterized by analyzing the wave number response, and structural damping loss factor (η) from the frequency response functions, respectively. It was observed that the relationship between the slopes of the wave number data for frequencies above 1000 Hz is inversely proportional to the core material’s specific modulus (G/ρ). The analysis also showed the importance of using a honeycomb core’s effective properties for equal comparison to foam-cored sandwich structures. Utilizing analytical modeling, the loss factors of the core materials (β) was determined based upon the measured structural loss factors (η) for a frequency range up to 4000 Hz. It was determined that low shear modulus cores have similar material damping values to structural damping values. However as the core’s shear modulus increases, the percent difference between these values is found to increase linearly. It was also observed that high structural damping values correlated to low wave number amplitudes, which correspond to reductions in the level of noise radiation from the structure.
The neutron performance of a pre-moderated beryllium reflector-filter hydrogen moderator system for the Manuel Jr. Lujan Neutron Science Center

Abstract The Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center (Lujan Center) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory produces currently the highest time-averaged cold source brightness of any pulsed neutron scattering facility in the world, and efforts are underway to increase this even further. Part of these efforts is to boost the long-wavelength (>5 A) source brightness of the lower-tier hydrogen moderator by a factor of two. Of the many concepts that were evaluated for boosting cold source brightness, three proved to be sufficiently beneficial to recommend they be implemented in the next target system. These are: a light water flux-trap premoderator, a light water perimeter premoderator, and a cold (77 K) Be reflector-filter. A detailed study of the Monte Carlo simulations for these concepts is presented in this paper.
Efficient placement of directional antennas in infrastructure-based wireless networks

Over the past decade, the use of directional antennas has immensely proliferated in wireless networks. Methodically positioning and orienting directional antennas can help reduce the interference while saving energy. In an infrastructure-based wireless network, wireless devices communicate through base stations. In this setting, directional antennas placed on the base stations form the backbone of the communication network. The wireless devices distributed around the base stations have bandwidth requirements that have to be satisfied by the directional antennas, and antennas constrained by hardware limits can only serve a limited number of devices. This introduces an optimization problem and in this paper, we develop an integer linear program for placing and directing antennas on multiple base stations to minimize the number of antennas required to serve all the wireless bandwidth demands. Through this integer programming formulation, we analyze the performance of directional antennas under various settings. A simulation-based evaluation using Cplex's branch-and-bound algorithm demonstrates the efficacy of our approach and provides us further insights into these problems.
Effects of cytochalasin D on electrical restitution and the dynamics of ventricular fibrillation in isolated rabbit heart.

UNLABELLED Cytochalasin D in Rabbit Ventricle. INTRODUCTION Cytochalasin D (cyto-D) has been used as an excitation-contraction uncoupler during optical mapping studies. However, its effects on action potential duration restitution (APDR) and dynamics during ventricular fibrillation (VF) are unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts (N = 6) were immersed in a tissue chamber. Transmembrane potential was recorded using glass microelectrodes. APD measured to 90% repolarization (APD90) was used to construct the APDR curve. During regular pacing at 300-msec cycle length, increasing concentrations of cyto-D resulted in progressively prolonged APD90 (131 +/- 26 msec, 171 +/- 14 msec, and 177 +/- 14 msec) and steepened maximum slope of the APDR curve (1.1 +/- 0.2, 1.3 +/- 0.2, and 1.6 +/- 0.4 for control, 5 micromoles, and 10 micromoles, respectively; P 1 min) VF was repeatedly inducible at baseline and with 5 or 10 micromoles of cyto-D. CONCLUSION Continuous perfusion of cyto-D at 5 or 10 micromoles prolonged APD90, steepened APDR slope, and reduced dominant frequency in rabbit ventricles. Cyto-D at these concentrations allowed induction of sustained VF.
Effect of Angiotensin on Intraocular Pressure

IN a previous report from this laboratory1, it was observed that injections of noradrenaline, made directly into the vitreous body of the rabbit eye, lowered the intraocular pressure, apparently by reducing the resistance to outflow of aqueous humour from the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye. In order to determine whether such an effect could be related to the vasoconstrictor action of noradrenaline, it was decided to examine the ocular effects of angiotensin, a vasopressor compound which does not stimulate sympathetic alpha receptors. Some preliminary results obtained in this study are presented here.
What specialties perform the most common outpatient cosmetic procedures in the United States

BACKGROUND The number of cosmetic procedures performed annually is on the rise and is being performed by more specialties. PURPOSE We sought to determine the relative outpatient cosmetic procedure experience of dermatology and other specialties. We also examined demographic data of patients who underwent cosmetic procedures. METHODS Demographics and data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) were analyzed to estimate the number of visits for office-based cosmetic procedures from 1995 to 2003 by specialty and type of procedure. RESULTS In order of decreasing frequency, the percentage of all cosmetic procedures performed in the outpatient setting by specialty was as follows: dermatology (48%), plastic surgery (38%), general surgery (>4%), otolaryngology (>3%), ophthalmology (>3%), facial plastic surgery (1%), family practice (<1%), pediatrics (<1%), and internal medicine (<1%). Most cosmetic procedures were performed on white, female patients in the 40- to 59-year-old age group. There was a mean of 55 visits per 1,000 whites and 27 visits per 1,000 nonwhites. Chemical peels and soft tissue fillers were the two most common procedures. CONCLUSIONS Dermatology as a specialty performs more office-based cosmetic procedures than other specialties. On a per-physician basis, dermatologists and plastic surgeons have far more experience with cosmetic procedures than other physicians.
Centromere tethering confines chromosome domains

Summary The organization of chromosomes into territories plays an important role in a wide range of cellular processes, including gene expression, transcription, and DNA repair. Current understanding has largely excluded the spatiotemporal dynamic fluctuations of the chromatin polymer. We combine in vivo chromatin motion analysis with mathematical modeling to elucidate the physical properties that underlie the formation and fluctuations of territories. Chromosome motion varies in predicted ways along the length of the chromosome, dependent on tethering at the centromere. Detachment of a tether upon inactivation of the centromere results in increased spatial mobility. A confined bead-spring chain tethered at both ends provides a mechanism to generate observed variations in local mobility as a function of distance from the tether. These predictions are realized in experimentally determined higher effective spring constants closer to the centromere. The dynamic fluctuations and territorial organization of chromosomes are, in part, dictated by tethering at the centromere.
A new theory of elementary matter Part IV: Two-particle systems: The particle-antiparticle pair and hydrogen

The general theory developed thus far (Sachs, 1971b, c, d) is applied to two-particle systems. An exact bound state solution of the nonlinear field equations of this theory for a particle-antiparticle pair is demonstrated. From the Lagrangian formalism, this solution is shown to predict all of the experimental facts that are conventionally interpreted in terms of ‘pair annihilation’: (1) the energy-momentum four-vector (and each of the four components, separately) are zero, compared with the energy, 2mc2, of the state when the particle and antiparticle are (asymptotically) free and (2) the dynamical properties of this state of positronium make it appear in experimentation as two distinguishable currents, correlated with a 90° phase difference and polarised in a plane that is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of interaction with other charged matter. The latter features are conventionally interpreted as the two photons which are produced in the annihilation event — however, there are no photons in this theory. The spectral distribution of blackbody radiation is then derived from the properties of an ideal gas of such pairs, in their ground states of null energy-momentum, as observed in a finite cavity.
Fungi inhibiting growth of the crown-rot disease fungus Sclerotium delphinii Welch.

Sclerotium delphinii Welch is recognized as a highly destructive pathogen of a large number of vegetables and ornamental plants. Efforts during the past twenty-five years to develop practical control of this fungus have met with failure. Some investigators reported a slight benefit with chemicals, but the control achieved was far from satisfactory. Chemical tests by Davey and Leach in 19411, on a closely related organism, Sclerotium rolfsii, revealed that, of the seventeen water-soluble chemicals tested, only formalin at dilutions of 1 : 100 and applied at 3 gallons per sq. ft. of soil surface was effective. More recently, chemicals were also tried by Thomas Laskaris, while working on diseases of delphinium at the New York Botanical Garden. Because these and other workers were unsuccessful in finding a chemical control for this highly destructive fungus, an attempt has therefore been made, at the suggestion of Dr. P. P. Pirone, plant pathologist of the New York Botanical Garden, to achieve control by biological methods.
Differential postendocytotic compartmentation in Xenopus oocytes is mediated by a specifically bound ligand.

Abstract Xenopus laevis oocytes were used as a model system to study the intracellular fate of proteins incorporated by endocytosis. We found that the intracellular stability and compartmentation of proteins incorporated by receptor-mediated endocytosis differed substantially from that of proteins incorporated by nonspecific endocytosis. After its uptake, the specifically sequestered yolk precursor protein vitellogenin was converted to the yolk proteins lipovitellin and phosvitin which were stable with time (up to 13 days in culture). In contrast, nonspecifically incorporated albumin ( 125 I-labeled or 3 H-labeled bovine serum albumin) was rapidly degraded. To determine whether the differential stability of these proteins was related to their entry into different postendocytotic compartments, we examined the intracellular transfer pathways taken by these proteins. The transfer of vitellogenin from coated vesicles to the yolk platelets was found to involve a secondary compartment formed by the fusion of the incoming endosomes. This compartment, termed transitional yolk bodies (TYB), underwent a progressive condensation until it attained its terminal density (1.21 g/cm 3 ) after ∼1.5 hr. The fusion of the TYB with the yolk platelets then occurred coincidentally with the time at which vitellogenin was proteolytically processed into the yolk proteins within the TYB. When the proteolytic cleavage of vitellogenin was blocked there was no fusion of the two compartments. In contrast, we found that albumin incorporated in the absence of vitellogenin was directly transferred from endosomes to yolk platelets without the formation of, or fusion with, a secondary compartment. However, when oocytes were exposed simultaneously to albumin and vitellogenin both proteins followed identical routes of compartmentation (that of vitellogenin) with no evidence of direct transfer of either protein to the yolk platelets. These results suggest that the incorporation of a specifically bound ligand can result in the formation of a unique intracellular compartment. Moreover, since yolk platelets were able to fuse only with vesicles lacking occupied receptors (in the case of albumin alone) or with a compartment in which the specific ligand had been proteolytically cleaved and presumably released from its receptor (in the case of VTG), we suggest that occupied receptors can act as a transmembrane signal which directs the postendocytotic compartmentation of proteins.
Interposed abdominal compression-CPR: Its effects on parameters of coronary perfusion in human subjects

Recent literature has emphasized the relationship between coronary perfusion during CPR and the success of resuscitation from prolonged arrest. In this study, aortic and right atrial pressures were monitored simultaneously during modifications of CPR. Three parameters associated with survival or coronary blood flow during CPR were measured: diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), diastolic arteriovenous difference (DAVD), and mean AV difference (MAVD). Standard advanced cardiac life support protocol was used although vasopressors were given by continuous infusion. In a series of two-minute trials, standard CPR, interposed abdominal compression (IAC) CPR, high-compression force (HCF) IAC-CPR, and HCF standard CPR were performed, with each patient serving as his own control. The DAP increased from 25 mm Hg during standard CPR to 43 during IAC CPR ( P P P
Vestibular rehabilitation of patients with vestibular hypofunction or with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Since the initial introduction of exercises as a treatment for patients with vestibular deficits, there have been numerous clinical reports on the benefits of treatment. Clinical reports, however, are of limited use as a basis for treatment because, without a control group, they offer only interesting descriptions of the patient populations. Fortunately, several prospective, randomized studies on the treatment of patients with vestibular hypofunction or with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo have been published recently, adding to the small number of previous publications. This review will examine the information provided by those studies. Advances in the use of outcome measures, assessment of otolith function and treatment of related balance problems are also presented.
Signal processing for microcalorimeters

Most of the power in the signals from microcalorimeters occurs at relatively low frequencies. At these frequencies, typical amplifiers will have significant amounts of 1/f noise. Our laboratory systems can also suffer from pickup at several harmonics of the AC power line, and from microphonic pickup at frequencies that vary with the configuration of the apparatus. We have developed some optimal signal processing techniques in order to construct the best possible estimates of our pulse heights in the presence of these non-ideal effects. In addition to a discussion of our laboratory systems, we present our plans for providing this kind of signal processing in flight experiments.
The Authorship of the Moralium Dogma Philosophorum

THE didactic literature of the later Middle Ages abounds in treatises dealing with the virtues and vices. One of the most popular of these was the Moralium Dogma Philosophorum, or, as some modern writers cite it, the De Honesto et Utili.1 Though not entirely lacking in originality, the work is essentially a compilation of ethical maxims drawn from the De Offlciis of Cicero, the De Beneficiis of Seneca, and the writings of a considerable number of other Latin authors. Little to the taste of a twentieth-century reader as such a compendium may be, there is every indication that in its day it was a general favorite. Not only is the Latin original extant in at least sixty-seven MSS,2 but, what is more significant, a translation into Old French survives in thirty-eight.3 A few scattered MSS prove, moreover, that it was rendered wholly or in part into other vernacular tongues, Italian,4 Franconian German,5 and even Icelandic.6 These MSS are widely dispersed through Western Europe.
Vorticity Associated with a Jet in a Cross Flow

An extensive wind-tunnel test of a round turbulent jet directed normally through a flat plate into a subsonic cross flow has been conducted. The results of the velocity field measurements are presented in a concise and usable form through the use of simple models to relate the velocity field to empirical values for the strength and location of the pair of contrarotating vortices associated with the jet.
The State‐by‐State Economic Impacts of the 2002 Shutdown of the Los Angeles–Long Beach Ports

In previous research, the economic impacts of temporary shutdowns of the Los Angeles–Long Beach harbors were simulated after a hypothetical terrorist attack, applying the National Interstate Economic Model to estimate state-by-state as well as interindustry impacts. However, the unpredictable characteristic of terrorist attacks might not be applicable to the case of a ports shutdown such as the one caused by the lockout of September–October 2002. Market participants can be expected to have contingency plans based on anticipations of a strike or shutdown. Can we identify any of these in terms of the use of alternate ports, in terms of alternate modes or even alternate time periods? The purpose of this study is to examine these questions. The approach is elaborated by testing for the possible effects of trade diversion to other West Coast ports, transportation modes, and intertemporal substitutions. We use data from WISERTrade describing commodity-specific trade for the major West Coast ports before, during, and after the 11-day shutdown of the fall of 2002. Shippers’ ability to divert trade is a key ingredient in the economy's ability to withstand attacks and disruptions. The work estimates the impacts on 47 industrial sectors across 50 states (and the District of Columbia).
Faculty Perceptions of Students' Business Communication Needs

Today's student populations comprise more minority students, more students for whom English is a second language, and more older students than in the past. These changes prompted this descriptive study in which business faculty members' perceptions about the business commumcation curriculum are examined. Faculty perceive their students to have problems with basic writing skills as well as with sophisticated writing concepts and techniques. Faculty seem to agree on the content that should be included in a business communi cation course. As a result, guidelines are recommended for those who revise the business communication course.
Longevity and Lineages: Toward the Integrative Biology of Degenerative Diseases in Heart, Muscle, and Bone

Human aging is characterized by debilitating diseases, including heart failure, cardiac pacemaker defects, muscle wasting, and osteoporosis, in heart, skeletal muscle, and bone. Recent studies are identifying pathways for these aging-related diseases by examining how the process of aging influences tissue-specific progenitors and differentiated cell lineages in these organ systems. These advances form a foundation for new therapeutic strategies to delay the onset of aging-related disorders.
Support Service Decision Making for Students with Multiple Service Needs: Evaluative Data

This quasi-experimental (pretest/posttest) study explored the use of (Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach) (VISTA) with 11 educational teams serving students with multiple disabilities. Information about VISTA, a process to facilitate consensus decision making about support services (i.e., type, mode, frequency), was obtained by 75 team members through self-study. Following self-study the teams used VISTA to make support service decisions for students with multiple service needs. The findings of this study provide data regarding: (a) changes in team and individual decision making as a result of using VISTA, (b) the extent to which team members perceived that VISTA did what it purported to do (e.g., increase parental and general education involvement, decrease gaps, overlaps, and contradictions), and (c) changes in the teams' level agreement about which support services students need. Implications for future related service decision making are discussed.
Monoubiquitination of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Induced by Stalled Replication Requires Uncoupling of DNA Polymerase and Mini-chromosome Maintenance Helicase Activities

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a homotrimeric, ring-shaped protein complex that functions as a processivity factor for DNA polymerases. Following genotoxic stress, PCNA is modified at a conserved site by either a single ubiquitin moiety or a polyubiquitin chain. These modifications are required to coordinate DNA damage tolerance processes with ongoing replication. The molecular mechanisms responsible for inducing PCNA ubiquitination are not well understood. Using Xenopus egg extracts, we show that ultraviolet radiation and aphidicolin treatment induce the mono- and diubiquitination of PCNA. PCNA ubiquitination is replication-dependent and coincides with activation of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR)-dependent DNA damage checkpoint pathway. However, loss of ATR signaling by depletion of the ATR-interacting protein (ATRIP) or Rad1, a component of the 911 checkpoint clamp, does not impair PCNA ubiquitination. Primed single-stranded DNA generated by uncoupling of mini-chromosome maintenance helicase and DNA polymerase activities has been shown previously to be necessary for ATR activation. Here we show that PCNA ubiquitination also requires uncoupling of helicase and polymerase activities. We further demonstrate that replicating single-stranded DNA, which mimics the structure produced upon uncoupling, is sufficient to induce PCNA monoubiquitination. Our results suggest that PCNA ubiquitination and ATR activation are two independent events that occur in response to a common single-stranded DNA intermediate generated by functional uncoupling of mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase and DNA polymerase activities.
Isolation of ribonuclease-free intact polyribosomes from rat kidney.

Abstract High levels of RNAase present in rat kidney have prevented isolation of intact polyribosomes from this tissue. This problem has been circumvented by a thorough in situ arterial perfusion of rat kidney, coupled with homogenization of the perfused rat kidney in heparin and detergents-fortified high-speed supernatant prepared from rat liver. This procedure reduced RNAase activity in the homogenate by as much as 70%. Sedimentation of the polyribosomes from this homogenate through a layer of 2.0 M sucrose resulted in a 78–80% yield of polyribosomes from the rat kidney. The resulting polyribosomal pellet contained less than 8% of the RNAase activity present in polyribosomes from non-perfused rat kidney. The remaining RNAase activity was separated from the larger polyribosomes by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The majority of the polyribosomes were larger than tetramers. This procedure also increased both the yield and size of polyribosomes from rat and mouse liver.
Synthesis of [13N]cisplatin

A method for the “carrier-added” synthesis of [13N]cisplatin is described. Yields were ∼1–4 mCi from 20–40 mCi of [13N]ammonia with a total synthesis time of 19–28 minutes. The product was ∼96% radiochemically pure as judged by HPLC analysis and had a specific activity of ∼100 mCi/mmole in 1.0 ml of saline. [13N]Cisplatin was administered intraperitoneally to mice. Of the tissues investigated, concentration of label was highest in kidneys. At 10 min, considerable label in the blood, liver, and kidney was in a form other than cisplatin. However, no evidence was obtained that [13N]ammonia was released from [13N]cisplatin in vivo. [13N]Cisplatin may be used to assess drug delivery to primary and metastatic brain tumors in patients receiving intravenous or intraarterial cisplatin chemotherapy.
General simulation model to improve the design and operation of cross-docking systems

Cross-docking operations involve receiving and unloading groups of incoming units and then disassembling, recombining each unit into groups that meet outgoing needs, and loading them onto outgoing containers. The primary objective of cross-docking is to reduce storage, handling, and lead time so as to minimize transportation and storage costs and maintain a high level of customer service.This paper focuses on the development and application of a general cross-docking simulation model that is used to understand the stochastic and dynamic behavior of cross-docking systems. It is used to assess the performance of alternative physical arrangements and operational policies. In order to represent the most flexible designs, a key component of the model -- a general door object -- is presented. It is able to dynamically switch between inbound and outbound functions based on a specified set of operational rules. Example uses of the model are provided.
Assembly and performance modeling of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are favored in many applications due to their simplicity and relatively high power density. However, there has been a lack of understandings of the fundamental mechanisms of assembly and manufacturing induced phenomena and their influence on performance and durability. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of assembly pressure induced phenomena in PEM fuel cells using multi-physics based modeling. A finite-element-based structural and mass-transfer model was developed by integrating mechanical deformation, mass transfer resistance, and electrical contact resistance to study the effects of assembly pressure and the fuel cell overall performance. Contact resistance, inhomogeneous deformation of membrane and GDL, electrochemical analysis were simulated. The fuel cell performance was predicted and an optimal assembly pressure was identified through this multi-physics model. Results show that PEM fuel cell performance first increases gradually to a maximum and then decreases with further assembly pressure increase. The influence of temperature and humidity on cell performance was also investigated.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Inter-And Intrajudge Reliability Of A Clinical Examination Of Swallowing In Adults

This study investigates inter- and intrajudge reliability of a clinical examination of swallowing in adults. Several investigations have sought correlations between clinical indicators of dysphagia and the actual presence of dysphagia as determined by videofluoroscopy. Whereas some investigations have reported interjudge reliability for the videofluoroscopic measures employed, none have reported reliability for clinical measures. Without established reliability for rating clinical measures, conclusions drawn regarding the utility of a measure for detecting aspiration can be called into question. Results of the present study indicate that fewer than 50% of the measures clinicians typically employ are rated with sufficient inter- and intrajudge reliability. Measures of vocal quality and oral motor function were rated more reliably than were history measures or measures taken during trial swallows. There is a need to define more clearly the measures employed in clinical examinations and to be consistent in reporting reliability for clinical measures of swallowing function in future research.
Synthesis of chiral malathion and isomalathion

Abstract The first synthesis of the chiral isomers of isomalathion and malathion are reported herein.
An embryonic culture system for the investigation of striatal medium spiny neuron dendritic spine development and plasticity.

Abstract Dendritic spines of striatal M edium S piny N eurons (MSNs) receive converging dopaminergic and glutamatergic inputs. These spines undergo experience-dependent structural plasticity following repeated drug administration and during disease states like Huntington's and Parkinson's. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to structural plasticity is an important step toward establishing a clear relationship between spine structure and function, and will ultimately contribute to understanding how changes in dendritic spine structure relate to behaviors or diseases. One major difficulty faced when studying MSN development is the lack of a detailed, standardized in vitro model system that produces MSNs with in vivo-like morphologies. For example, unlike cultured pyramidal neurons, MSNs grown in mono-cultures display stunted dendritic arborization and fail to develop a full cohort of mature dendritic spines. Here we report the generation of an embryonic mouse cortical–striatal co-culture that generates high cell yields from a single embryo. Unlike MSNs in striatal mono-culture, MSNs in co-culture develop in vivo-like morphologies and high densities of dendritic spines. Morphological identification of co-cultured MSNs expressing a soluble fluorescent protein can be confirmed by immunochemical detection of DARPP-32 ( D opamine and cyclic A MP r egulated p hospho p rotein of 32 kDa). Additionally, co-cultured MSN spines contain PSD-95 puncta and are apposed to SV2 puncta, indicating the spines express synaptic machinery. Finally, whole-cell recordings of co-cultured MSNs exhibit higher mEPSC frequency compared to mono-cultured MSNs, suggesting that the spines are functionally mature. These studies establish that this co-culture system is suitable for studying the morphological and physiological development and function of MSN dendritic spines.
The isolation game for regular graphs

Abstract In Ringeisen's Isolation Game on a graph, two players alternately ‘switch’ at successive vertices v not previously switched: the switching operation deletes all edges incident with v, and creates new edges between v and those vertices not previously adjacent to it. The game is won when a vertex is first isolated. A previous paper established that (with best play) such games can be won only either very early or very late, implying that most graphs are nonwinnable by either player. Here we focus on regular graphs, showing that their Isolation Games cannot be won unless they can be won extremely early, and identifying the winnable regular graphs explicitly.
Sugar and energy cane date of planting effects on cane, sucrose, and fiber yields

Abstract Energy cane is believed to have more vigor than sugar cane because energy cane contains a higher percentage of alleles from Saccharum spontaneum relative to Saccharum officinarum . Cane, sucrose, and fiber yields of three sugar cane varieties (HoCP 96-540, L 99-233, and L 99-226) and one energy cane variety (L 79-1002) were compared when planted on August 1, September 1, and October 1. Varieties responded similarly ( P = 0.08) to planting date. Averaged across varieties in plant cane, the August planting date produced 11.6 and 18.1 Mg ha −1 more sugar cane and 1600 and 2300 kg ha −1 more sucrose than the September and October plantings, respectively. The August planting increased fiber yields by 2.4 Mg ha −1 relative to the average of the September and October planting dates. Moreover, the September planting date produced 6.5 Mg ha −1 more sugar cane and 700 kg ha −1 more sucrose than the October planting date, but there were no differences between the fiber yields for the September and October planting dates. Our data suggest that growers should attempt to plant both sugar and energy cane in August to maximize yields. However, if plantings are delayed into September for both sugar and energy cane, it is best to plant sugar cane first, instead of energy cane, because sucrose yield continued to decline in October while fiber yields were consistent with September and October plantings.
GBR 12909 and 12935 block dopamine uptake into brain synaptic vesicles as well as nerve endings.

Abstract GBR 12909 and 12935, commonly used as potent neuronal dopamine uptake blockers, also inhibit dopamine uptake into brain synaptic vesicles. The concentrations required for the latter activity (34–45 nM) are one order of magnitude higher than those required for inhibiting neuronal uptake of dopamine (1–6 nM). In contrast, the two activities differ by three orders of magnitude for cocaine (137 μM versus 0.35 μM). We propose that the vesicular effect of GBR-type dopamine uptake blockers should be taken into account when interpreting in vivo experiments.
The Role of Two-Dimensional Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of Ineffective Endocarditis

Two-dimensional echocardiography has had a significant impact on and is considered the technique of choice for the diagnosis and management of infec tive endocarditis. Over a thirty-six month period, 106 patients were evaluated by echocardiography for the possibility of endocarditis. The diagnosis of en docarditis was determined by strict clinical and laboratory criteria. All clinical histories, blood cultures, echocardiograms, and autopsy results were reviewed. Five echocardiograms were technically inadequate, resulting in a study popula tion of 101 patients.The age of the patients ranged from forty-five days to eighty-eight years (mean fifty-seven years). The clinical manifestations of endocarditis included fever (83%), chills (60%), congestive heart failure (25%), and splenomegaly (18%). Twelve patients had preexisting valvular or congenital heart disease. Gram-positive cocci were the most common microorganisms. Complications included mitral regurgitation, subarachnoid hemorrhage, renal infarction, str...
The effect of cortisone and the adrenocorticotrophic hormone of the pituitary on the blood pressure in experimental renal hypertension.

THE existence of a relationship between the adrenal cortex and the hypertensive state has long been conjectured (Grollman, 1936; Grollman, Harrison and Williams, 1940; Perera, 1950). Despite the many observations suggestive of the existence of such a relationship, the available data fail to support such a view. The recent interest in cortisone and the adrenocorticotrophic hormone of the pituitary (ACTH) has again aroused interest in this problem and led to the trial of these drugs in clinical hypertension. Because of the difficulties and uncertainties involved in evaluating changes observed in the blood pressure of the human subject, the effects of the above-mentioned drugs on the blood pressure in experimental renal hypertension was determined. Rats and dogs rendered hypertensive by application of a figure-of-eight ligature to one kidney and removal of the contralateral one (Grollman, 1944) were injected intramuscularly with cortisone and ACTH.
Block and joint ℋ-matrix preconditioners for the Oseen equations

For saddle point problems in fluid dynamics, many preconditioners in the literature exploit the block structure of the problem to construct block diagonal or block triangular preconditioners. The performance of such preconditioners depends on whether fast, approximate solvers for the linear systems on the block diagonal as well as for the Schur complement are available. We will construct these efficient preconditioners using hierarchical matrix techniques in which fully populated matrices are approximated by blockwise low rank approximations. We will compare such block preconditioners with those obtained through a completely different approach where the given block structure is not used but a domain-decomposition based ℋ-LU factorization is constructed for the complete system matrix. Preconditioners resulting from these two approaches will be discussed and compared through numerical results. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The taxonomy of protein structure

Three questions, which are progressively more discriminating, are pertinent when comparing the three-dimensional structures of proteins. (1) Can two proteins be oriented to superimpose in space a significant number of secondary structural elements (“structural equivalence”)? (2) Are these secondary structural elements directed and sequenced along the polypeptide chain in the same sequential order (“topological equivalence”)? (3) How large are the insertions and deletions between the structurally or topologically equivalent sections when compared to the total polypeptide chain? Quantitative measures of these characters have been defined and tested in comparisons of (i) lactate dehydrogenase with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, (ii) cytochrome b 5 with the hemoglobin β -chain and (iii) hen egg-white lysozyme with phage lysozyme. Further comparisons were then attempted in the light of the established criteria of similarity. Hexokinase was shown to consist of two domains, each with some resemblance to the nucleotide binding fold in lactate dehydrogenase. Their respective functions are allosteric control and catalysis. Their arrangement in space and conformation are similar to the two lobes of phosphoglycerate kinase. Subtilisin and carboxypeptidase also possess a topology similar to each other and to the NAD binding domain of lactate dehydrogenase. The active centers of all these structures are located near the carboxy end of the parallel sheet. The probability of convergence or divergence is discussed in relationship to the various criteria of similarity.
The effects of melt history, crystallization pressure, and crystallization temperature on the crystallization and resultant structure of bulk isotactic polypropylene

A study of the effects of constant-pressure isothermal crystallization on polymer structure was conducted in bulk isotactic polypropylene. The investigation was designed to determine the influence of pressure, temperature, and melt history variables on the structure of this bulk polymer. Results demonstrate that the effects of pressure and crystallization temperature can be quite adequately combined into one processing parameter, undercooling (defined as the melting temperature minus the crystallization temperature), by use of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. This parameter is demonstrated to be important in determining the kinetics of crystallization and the resultant structure. The moderate to high undercoolings involved in this study are representative of commercial injection-molding processes, and a number of conclusions regarding commercial processing are made based on these laboratory investigations.
On the Semisimplicity of Low-Dimensional Representations of Semisimple Groups in Characteristic p

There is an unfortunate conflict of terminology in the theory of algebraic groups in characteristic p: unlike in characteristic zero, the representations of a semisimple group need not be semisimple. Thanks to Chevalley [15], over any algebraically closed field we can associate to each dominant weight μ a representation Vμ satisfying Weyl’s character formula, but it is no longer, in general, irreducible. Springer [13] has shown that in one sense representation theory for large p stabilizes to the usual characteristic zero theory: for a fixed root system, a fixed dominant weight μ, and p 0, Vμ is irreducible. Unfortunately, there exist representations of low dimension which are not of the form Vμ, no matter how large p is taken. A typical example is the absolute Frobenius representation of SL(2):
Comparison by crime type of juvenile delinquents on pornography exposure: the absence of relationships between exposure to pornography and sexual offense characteristics

Abstract Previous literature on pornography indicates that pornography use for men at risk for aggression may result in sexually aggressive behavior, but very little research has been reported on juvenile sexual abusers' exposure to pornography. The current study compared pornography exposure between male adolescent sexual abusers (n = 283) and male nonsexually offending delinquent youth (n = 170). Sexual abusers reported more pre- and post-10 (years of age) exposure to pornography than nonsexual abusers. Yet, for the sexual abusers, exposure is not correlated to the age at which the abusers started abusing, to their reported number of victims, or to sexual offense severity. The pre-10 exposure subscale was not related to the number of children the group sexually abused, and the forceful exposure subscale was not correlated with either arousal to rape or degree of force used by the youth. Finally, exposure was significantly correlated with all of the nonsexual crime scores in the study. Implications for forensic nursing are discussed.
Isolation of a Hemolytic Component of Fire Ant Venom

A crystalline hemolytic principle, shown to be a constituent of fire ant venom and having the properties of an amine, was isolated from crude extracts of whole ants. The chromatographic procedure of isolation is described, and a preliminary report is given about some properties of the substance.
A stochastic model for chemotactic motion of micro-beads propelled by attached bacteria

This work presents a stochastic model for the motion of 10 µm beads propelled by an ensemble of attached flagellated bacteria in a chemical attractant gradient. Population scale stochastic models normally adopted when studying biological systems may not be an effective approach for cases in which a small number of agents are exposed to different boundary conditions and are interacting in a complex manner. The stochastic model presented here simulates the swimming behavior of each of the 44 bacteria assembled on a 10 µm bead and propel the bead in a transient chemo-attractant field. The concentration of the chemo-attractant as a function of location and time is calculated and the run and tumble rates of the attached bacteria are adjusted accordingly. Chemotactic motility of the micro-beads is modeled for timescales significantly shorter than its randomization time to capture directed propulsion behavior of the system. It is shown that the motion of the bead is a function of the chemo-attractant gradient field the micro-bead resides within. The simulation results are compared with previously reported experimental data to validate the model. The stochastic model demonstrates a 56.6% enhancement in the displacement to distance ratio of the micro-bead when traveled in a chemo-attractant gradient field; thus, proving the feasibility of achieving autonomous directed motion of bio-hybrid microrobots using chemotaxis.
A improved incompressible lattice Boltzmann model for time-independent flows

It is well known that the lattice Boltzmann equation method (LBE) can model the incompressible Navier-Stokes (NS) equations in the limit where density goes to a constant. In a LBE simulation, however, the density cannot be constant because pressure is equal to density times the square of sound speed, hence a compressibility error seems inevitable for the LBE to model incompressible flows. This work uses a modified equilibrium distribution and a modified velocity to construct an LBE which models time-independent (steady) incompressible flows with significantly reduced compressibility error. Computational results in 2D cavity flow and in a 2D flow with an exact solution are reported.
Dialysis Therapy for Psoriasis

PSORIASIS affects approximately 3% of the population. It has been treated with topical steroids, tar or tar derivatives alone or in combination with ultraviolet B light, or photosensitizing psoralen compounds in combination with ultraviolet A light. Oral antimetabolites may be effective but are associated with deleterious side effects. So far, to our knowledge, three patients with severe psoriasis have responded to dialytic therapy. 1,2 A fourth patient had intractable psoriasis that resolved during the course of hemodialysis. Report of a Case A 51-year-old woman was hospitalized at the University of Minnesota Hospitals with renal failure secondary to polycystic kidney disease. She complained of fatigue, lethargy, weakness, anorexia, and some nausea associated with her renal disease. Her skin problems had begun 16 years earlier when she noted scaling on her face and scalp that gradually progressed to involve the nose, ears, neck, buttock, abdomen, and knees. Two of the nails of
Videoconferencing for Civil Commitment: Preserving the Dignity [Leading Edge]

The paper states that teleconferencing saves time, improves productivity, enhances safety, and helps preserve patient dignity.
An analysis of concentration profiles for fluxes, diffusion depths, and zero-flux planes in multicomponent diffusion

Concentration profiles developed during isothermal, multicomponent diffusion for a single-phase, solid-solid diffusion couple are expressed on the basis of a relative concentration variable for each component and analyzed for the determination of interdiffusion fluxes. The individual concentration profiles intersect at a common cross-over composition where the relative concentrations of all components are identical. New relations are developed for describing internal consistency among the concentration profiles of the various components. A link is made between the cross-over composition and the depths of the diffusion zone on either side of the Matano plane for a diffusion couple. The cross-over composition is interpreted as the average relative concentration of each component over the diffusion zone. The identification of a zero-flux plane from concentration profiles is also described. The analysis offers several advantages in presenting as well as checking the self-consistency of results as illustrated with a single phase Cu-Ni-Zn diffusion couple annealed at 775 °C.