cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seven Hundred Medicolegal Cases in Ophthalmology

Seven hundred medicolegal claims in ophthalmology were reviewed by one ophthalmologist who served as an expert for four decades. The ophthalmologist was personally involved in 620 claims. The 700 cases have been categorized and analyzed. The reasons for the claims and some lessons derived from them are presented. Familiarity with the claims encountered by others may enable ophthalmologists to avoid similar claims.
An osmiophilic substance in brain synaptic vesicles not associated with catecholamine content

Nach Fixierung durch Glutaraldehyddurchstromung und Behandlung mit OsO4 bei 60°C wahrend 30 min erhalt man im Rattenhirn elektronendichte Niederschlage innerhalb der kleinen synaptischen Vesikel. Amin-Entleerungsversuche und autoradiographische Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass diese Niederschlage nicht mit dem Katecholamingehalt des Gehirns zusammenhangen.
Thermodynamic model of secondary structure for α-helical peptides and proteins

A thermodynamic model describing formation of alpha-helices by peptides and proteins in the absence of specific tertiary interactions has been developed. The model combines free energy terms defining alpha-helix stability in aqueous solution and terms describing immersion of every helix or fragment of coil into a micelle or a nonpolar droplet created by the rest of protein to calculate averaged or lowest energy partitioning of the peptide chain into helical and coil fragments. The alpha-helix energy in water was calculated with parameters derived from peptide substitution and protein engineering data and using estimates of nonpolar contact areas between side chains. The energy of nonspecific hydrophobic interactions was estimated considering each alpha-helix or fragment of coil as freely floating in the spherical micelle or droplet, and using water/cyclohexane (for micelles) or adjustable (for proteins) side-chain transfer energies. The model was verified for 96 and 36 peptides studied by 1H-nmr spectroscopy in aqueous solution and in the presence of micelles, respectively ([set 1] and [set 2]) and for 30 mostly alpha-helical globular proteins ([set 3]). For peptides, the experimental helix locations were identified from the published medium-range nuclear Overhauser effects detected by 1H-nmr spectroscopy. For sets 1, 2, and 3, respectively, 93, 100, and 97% of helices were identified with average errors in calculation of helix boundaries of 1.3, 2.0, and 4.1 residues per helix and an average percentage of correctly calculated helix-coil states of 93, 89, and 81%, respectively. Analysis of adjustable parameters of the model (the entropy and enthalpy of the helix-coil transition, the transfer energy of the helix backbone, and parameters of the bound coil), determined by minimization of the average helix boundary deviation for each set of peptides or proteins, demonstrates that, unlike micelles, the interior of the effective protein droplet has solubility characteristics different from that for cyclohexane, does not bind fragments of coil, and lacks interfacial area.
Identification and validation of effective connectivity networks in functional magnetic resonance imaging using switching linear dynamic systems

Dynamic connectivity networks identify directed interregional interactions between modeled brain regions in neuroimaging. However, problems arise when the regions involved in a task and their interconnections are not fully known a priori. Objective measures of model adequacy are necessary to validate such models. We present a connectivity formalism, the Switching Linear Dynamic System (SLDS), that is capable of identifying both Granger-Geweke and instantaneous connectivity that vary according to experimental conditions. SLDS explicitly models the task condition as a Markov random variable. The series of task conditions can be estimated from new data given an identified model providing a means to validate connectivity patterns. We use SLDS to model functional magnetic resonance imaging data from five regions during a finger alternation task. Using interregional connectivity alone, the identified model predicted the task condition vector from a different subject with a different task ordering with high accuracy. In addition, important regions excluded from a model can be identified by augmenting the model state space. A motor task model excluding primary motor cortices was augmented with a new neural state constrained by its connectivity with the included regions. The augmented variable time series, convolved with a hemodynamic kernel, was compared to all brain voxels. The right primary motor cortex was identified as the best region to add to the model. Our results suggest that the SLDS model framework is an effective means to address several problems with modeling connectivity including measuring overall model adequacy and identifying important regions missing from models.
Conformity and genetic relatedness estimation in crop species having a narrow genetic base: the case of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)*

A set of 155 SSR (107) and SCAR (48) markers were used to evaluate 53 cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) accessions of diverse origin to characterize genetic relationships and to define a standard marker array that was most effective in detecting genetic differences in this germplasm array. A multivariate marker-based analysis of diverse germplasm using this standard marker array (17 SSR and 5 SCAR markers) was compared with results from a set of 70 previously reported RAPD markers, and then used to explore the potential value of these genetic markers for plant variety protection (PVP) and the establishment of essential derivation (ED) threshold values in this species using elite lines and hybrids and backcross progeny. Diversity analysis allowed identification of distinctly different lines that were used for the construction of three sets of backcross families (BC1-BC3). While general genetic relationships among accessions were similar in SSR/SCAR analyses (rs ¼ 0.65) using two genetic distance (GD) estimators, differences in accession relationships were detected between RAPD and SSR/SCAR marker evaluations regardless of the estimator used. The GDs among elite germplasm with known pedigrees were relatively small (0.06–0.23 for any pairwise comparison). GD values decreased and degree of fixation (at three to seven loci depending on the mating) increased with increased backcrossing such that recurrent parent allelic fixation occurred in least one family of each of the BC3 families. In many instances the degree of fixation of loci was not uniformly achieved in the BC3. Although the level of genetic polymorphisms will likely restrict the use of molecular markers for PVP and the establishment of ED values, the use of single nucleotide differences will likely provide opportunities to define specific functional distances that have potential for PVP in cucumber. Nevertheless, without an expanded, genetically robust standard marker array (e.g. 50 codominant markers), ED threshold values will be difficult to define in this species, and perhaps will require the appraisal of single nucleotide polymorphisms as discriminators of difference in this species.
On the Slow Rotation of Asteroids

Abstract Asteroids with very slow rotation rates, up to 100 times slower than the mean for ordinary asteroids, are clearly a statistically distinct population from the rest. The cause of such slow rotation has remained a mystery since the discovery of the population about 20 years ago. The expected distribution of slow rotations for three-dimensional rotation vectors f → if uniform near the origin (e.g., a three-dimensional Maxwellian distribution) would be N ( f )∝ f 3 , where f is the rotation frequency (inverse period of rotation) and N ( f ) is the cumulative number of asteroids with spin rate less than f . In this paper I show that the statistics of the slow-rotation population as currently known is well fit as a uniform distribution of the one-dimensional parameter f , that is N ( f )∝ f . I offer as a possible explanation for slow rotations that they result from disintegration of high mass ratio (∼1:5) binaries through the rapid transfer of rotational energy of the primary into the orbit of the secondary due to the irregular gravity field of the primary. A troubling aspect of this hypothesis is that it would seem to predict a distribution of residual spins of the approximate form N ( f )∝ f 2 , which does not fit the available data.
Letter to Editor: Previous research in operating room scheduling and staffing

Persson and Persson describe operating room scheduling wherein patients receive care within days [1]. The paper is similar to our work published in 2000 [2]. We speculate that the similarity arises from the authors’ assumptions being reasonable and realistic, as were ours. The insensitivity of results to the “on line” bin packing algorithm was published the preceding year (1999) [3], as was the requirement from the practical requirement from the integer nature of the problem to use at least a four-week period [4]. Persson and Persson are modeling the efficiency of use of OR time and yet lack the advances made in the >100 papers using those techniques since publication of Strum et al.’s 1999 paper [5]. Our 2000 paper [2] combined the research published independently in 1999. The paper from 2000 has 31 citations so reasonably could have been found by literature review. The two papers from 1999, on which the 2000 paper was based, have 42 and 77 citations, respectively.
Variables that influence the activity of captive orangutans

It is well known that the environment significantly influences the behavior of captive animals. However, the specific nature of the cues that promote speciestypical behavior patterns is not usually known. This study extends an earlier investigation by Wilson (Zoo Biology 1: 201–209, 1982). The objective was to identify and quantify specific environmental components that influence activity levels in orangutans. Six enclosure variables were quantified, and activity levels measured, for 29 orangutans housed in nine zoological parks. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the combination of the number of animals, amount of usable surface area, number of movable objects, and enclosure volume was the best predictor of activity levels, accounting for 58% of the variance in activity levels. It was concluded that the provision of large enclosures, containing large numbers of movable objects and providing social opportunities, would promote higher levels of activity in captive orangutans. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Early indicators of success in a pharmacy curriculum: The role of pre-professional science and mathematics courses

This study identified courses in the pre-professional portion of the curriculum at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy that predicted success in the professional pharmacy curriculum, as measured by their impact on both cumulative grade point average (GPA) for their pre-professional work as well as their GPA before entering clinical externships. Transcripts of the class that started their pre-professional coursework in 1997 at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy underwent multiple regression modeling using SPSS software to analyze the effect of pre-professional science and math courses on pre-professional and pre-clinical academic performance. The basic math and science skills taught in general chemistry, biology, physiology, physics and organic chemistry had the strongest correlation with pre-professional success. Successful entry into the externship phase of the pharmacy curriculum depended primarily on biology, organic chemistry and physiology.
Effects of low medium magnesium concentration on bone resorption in response to parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in organ culture.

We have examined the effects of decreasing the magnesium concentration in the medium on bone resorption in organ culture. During a 5-day culture, low magnesium (0.25 vs. 0.8 mm) caused a decrease in unstimulated 45Ca release from live and killed fetal rat bones for the first 2 days but not thereafter, suggesting an early and transient alteration in physicochemical equilibrium for calcium between bone and extracellular fluid in magnesium deficiency. In addition, 45Ca release in response to low and intermediate doses of PTH and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was significantly impaired throughout the 5-day culture period, such that the response to the lowest dose of both hormones that was effective at 0.8 mm magnesium was abolished at 0.25 mm. The DNA and magnesium content of bones was significantly decreased after 1 day of preculture in deficient medium. Subsequently, there was DNA loss from control bones, such that there was no significant difference in high and low magnesium concentrations at the end of the cul...
Purification and characterization of an osteoclast membrane glycoprotein with homology to manganese superoxide dismutase

The osteoclast is the specialized multinucleated cell primarily responsible for the degradation of the inorganic and organic components of bone matrix. Isolated avian osteoclasts have been used to immunize mice and generate an osteoclast-directed monoclonal antibody library (J. Cell Biology, 100:1592). A subset of these monoclonal antibodies recognizes antigens which are expressed on osteoclasts and which are absent or nearly so on multinucleated giant cells formed in vitro from monocyte or marrow mononuclear cells. One of these antibodies, designated 121F, has been used to identify and purify an osteoclast plasma membrane-associated glycoprotein. Western blot analysis on disulfide bond-reduced extracts from osteoclasts or multinucleated giant cells formed in vitro demonstrates that the 121F antibody recognizes a 150 kDa protein detectable only in osteoclasts. This high molecular weight protein has been purified by a combination of immunoaffinity and gel filtration chromatography procedures, in conjunction with electroelution of a single band from SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Silver staining of the purified antigen on SDS-polyacrylamide gels has revealed a single protein species larger than 200 kDa in its unreduced form and 150 kDa when disulfides are reduced. Isoelectric focusing of the purified antigen reveals a single species, having a neutral pl point of 6.95. Whereas endoglycosidase treatment and lectin affinity chromatographic analyses demonstrate that the antigen recognized by the 121F antibody possesses complex N-linked sugars, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid treatment indicates there are no additional O-linked carbohydrate components. Periodate oxidation and monosaccharide hapten inhibition studies provide no evidence for the antigenic epitope bound by the 121F antibody being carbohydrate in nature. Although the native antigen is blocked at its N-terminus, amino acid analysis of a hydroxylamine generated peptide disclosed a striking relationship between the osteoclast antigen recognized by the 121F monoclonal antibody and manganese and iron superoxide dismutase. Therefore, in addition to serving as a distinguishing cell type-specific marker for osteoclasts, this cell surface glycoprotein may function directly in osteoclast-mediated bone resorption.
Wounds that Can’t Be Seen: Implicit Trauma Associations Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Abstract Background and objectives Prominent theories suggest that explicit and implicit cognitive biases are critical in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, studies evaluating implicit PTSD-related cognitive biases are rare, and findings are mixed. We developed two adaptions of the Implicit Association Test (IAT), the “traumatized self” IAT (evaluations of the self as traumatized vs. healthy) and the “dangerous memory” IAT (evaluations of remembering as dangerous vs. safe), and investigated their psychometric properties and relations to PTSD symptoms and trauma exposure. Methods Participants were visitors to the Project Implicit research website (Study 1: N = 347, Study 2: N = 501). They completed the IATs (Study 1: both IATs; Study 2: traumatized self IAT only), a trauma exposure measure, a PTSD symptom inventory, and explicit cognitive bias measures (Study 2 only). Results Both IATs had good internal consistency, but only the traumatized self IAT was correlated with PSTD symptoms and identified participants meeting clinical cutoffs for PTSD symptoms. Study 2 focused on the traumatized self IAT and included explicit cognitive bias measures. The IAT correlated with PTSD symptoms and explicit cognitions, and predicted variance in PSTD symptoms above and beyond trauma exposure and explicit cognitions. Limitations Study designs were cross-sectional; samples were unselected; and PTSD symptoms were self-reported. Conclusions Despite these limitations, these studies provide preliminary validation of an implicit measure of PTSD-related cognitive bias – the traumatized self IAT – that is consistent with PTSD theories and may ultimately improve the identification and treatment of individuals with PTSD.
Credo of a Lucky Textbook Author

When a scholarly discipline is in a fruitful phase of innovative advance, it spares little time in studying its own history. Few know the revolutions that hit economic introductory textbooks half a century ago. This is a good occasion to sketch that story and, as Schumpeter would say, to review the troops. Also, I conclude with notes for historians on ideological pressures brought against postwar economics teachers. The 1920s and 1930s were a fallow period in textbook writing. Frank Taussig's (1911) classic was nearing its end: in 1940 at Harvard, we taught Economics I from it. The bestseller out of Yale was still Fairchild, Furniss and Buck (1936), a watereddown version of Irving Fisher's (1911) text with coverage of Marshall's dd and ss intersections. At Chicago in the 1931–32 years, Aaron Director assigned me Sumner Slichter's (1931) new text, poor-mouthing it from the beginning. Actually, it gave a pretty fair institutional picture of the 1920s: when I recently reread Frank Knight's (1932a,b) polemics in the Journal of Political Economy against it, what all the shooting was about was hard to discern. The next quarter, Lloyd Mints shifted to Richard Ely's Outlines of Economics, which dated from church materials in the 1890s. Ely's later editions were written by a committee, presided over by the gifted Allyn Young. The list of competing texts was not short. Among the competent was the Garver and Hansen (1938) text (Alvin did the macro). Among the pedestrian were perennials like Wisconsin's Kiekhoffer (1936) text: it was "institutional," but primarily in the sense of being "NON-theoretical." Digression: just 60 years ago, Kiekhoffer never began his lectures before a thousand Madison undergraduates until delegated cheerleaders led the crowd in a Wisconsin locomotive. No kidding!
Influence of oxygenated fuel additives and their metabolites on γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor function in rat brain synaptoneurosomes

Abstract Experimental and occupational inhalational exposure to oxygenate fuel additives in reformulated gasoline has been reported to induce neurological symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, dizziness). We reported previously that the ether additives (methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE), t-amyl-methyl ether (TAME) and ethyl-t-butyl ether (ETBE)) and their metabolites (t-amyl alcohol (TAA), t-butyl alcohol (TBA) and ethanol) alter the binding of [3H]t-butylbicycloorthobenzoate ([3H]TBOB), a ligand for the γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor in rat brain membrane preparations. To more directly assess the effects of the ethers and their alcohol precursors on GABAA receptor function, the uptake of 36Cl− was measured in synaptoneurosomes, a preparation of closed membrane sacs comprised of pre- and postsynaptic membranes from adult rat cerebral cortex. Each of the compounds caused a concentration-dependent enhancement of muscimol-stimulated uptake of 36Cl−, which diminished with further increasing concentrations. The potency of the enhancement by the compounds was in the rank order: MTBE=TAME>TAA=ETBE>TBA>ethanol. The half-maximally effective concentration (EC50) for the facilitation of muscimol-stimulated 36Cl− uptake ranged from 0.06 to 3 mM, and that for the higher-dose inhibitory effect (IC50) ranged from 3 to 50 mM. The facilitatory concentrations of the compounds are in the range of the blood concentrations reported in experimental animals after exposures known to induce CNS effects such as ataxia. The results suggest a potential role of the GABAA receptor in some of the reported neurotoxic effects of gasoline additives.
Angiogenic and neurotrophic effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165): studies of grafted and cultured embryonic ventral mesencephalic cells

The present series of experiments investigated the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) on adult rat striatal cerebrovasculature and embryonic dopamine (DA) neuron allografts in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). We examined VEGF165's ability to (1) alter the vascular network of the adult rat striatum, (2) influence the vascular growth of solid embryonic day 14 (E14) ventral mesencephalic (VM) grafts when placed into a VEGF-pretreated host striatum, (3) alter the function and survival of E14 VM grafts when transplanted into an adult DA-deleted striatum, and (4) influence cell survival and neurite growth in cultures of E14 VM cells. We demonstrate here that a single bolus injection of VEGF165 into the adult rat striatum significantly increases the amount of vasculature in the vicinity of the injection site in a delayed and transient manner when compared to saline controls. Transplanting solid E14 VM grafts into the VEGF165-pretreated striatum resulted in a homogeneous distribution of small blood vessels throughout the graft, a pattern that closely resembles mature adult vasculature. In contrast, grafts in the control condition contained a patchy distribution of heavily dilated vessels. Behavioral measurements indicate that VEGF pretreatment of the intrastriatal graft site accelerates recovery of amphetamine-induced rotational asymmetry in unilateral 6-OHDA lesioned rats. Unexpectedly, however, VEGF pretreatments failed to increase survival of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (THir) neurons in the grafts. In contrast to this finding in vivo, adding VEGF165 to glial-reduced E14 rat VM cultures produced a fourfold increase in THir cell survival and a doubling in the length of THir neurites. We conclude that with the proper method of delivery, VEGF165 may prove to be one of several strategies necessary to significantly improve the survival and function of fetal VM tissue grafts.
Basic proteins in neurons containing fibrillary deposits

Abstract Following intracerebral injection of aluminum phosphate into rabbits, [3H]-leucine uptake into an enriched neuronal brain fraction obtained by discontinuous Ficoll-sucrose density gradient centrifugation was increased significantly by about 100% as compared to the same fraction of normal controls. This finding is consistent with increased synthesis or turnover of protein in neurons containing aluminum phosphate-induced fibrillary deposits. Amino acid composition of hydrolysates of brain fractions containing neuronal perikarya and neuronal processes from aluminum phosphate treated rabbits revealed the presence of a basic protein with significant elevations of proline, lysine and arginine. Since an increased [3H]leucine uptake was found only in neuronal perikarya fractions of experimental animals, we suggest that a large portion of this basic protein is probably formed in the perikarya. The presence of this basic protein in neuronal processes could produce changes in the excitability of neuromembranes and might be responsible for convulsions following aluminum phosphate injection.
Recanalization therapy for acute ischemic stroke, part 2: mechanical intra-arterial technologies

Stroke therapy has been revolutionized in the past two decades with the widespread implementation of chemical thrombolysis for acute stroke. However, chemical thrombolysis continues to be limited in its efficacy secondary to relatively short time windows and a high associated risk of hemorrhage. In an attempt to minimize hemorrhagic complications and extend the available therapeutic window, mechanical devices designed specifically for thrombus removal, clot obliteration, and arterial revascularization have experienced a recent surge in development and utilization. As such, chemical thrombolytics now represent only one of many options in acute stroke therapy. These new mechanical devices have extended the potential treatment window and now provide alternatives to patients who do not respond to conventional intravenous thrombolysis. This review will discuss the development of these devices, supporting literature, and the individual strengths that each engenders towards a life-saving therapy for stroke.
Endothelium and Vascular Smooth Muscle Function in Internal Mammary Artery after Cryopreservation

An optimal cryopreserved arterial conduit should have anatomic and physiologic characteristics similar to those of the fresh artery. We have cryopreserved canine internal mammary artery (IMA) with intact, prostacyclin (PGI2)-producing endothelial cells, but the underlying vascular smooth muscle appeared nonfunctional. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate which steps of the cryopreservation method compromise vascular smooth muscle function in cryopreserved IMA. Isometric tension recording responses to vasoconstrictor agonists were used to evaluate the level of vascular muscle integrity, while endothelial function was assessed by relaxation responses to acetylcholine and by PGI2 production. These variables were measured in vessels rewarmed to 37 degrees C, following initial exposure to different stages of an eight-step computerized cryopreservation protocol (n = 10). In this protocol, tissue temperature was lowered to -10 degrees C (steps 1-2), rapidly reduced to -12 degrees C (steps 3-4), reduced further to -40 degrees C at a rate of -0.5 degrees C/min (steps 5-6), lowered to -70 degrees C (step 7), and finally equilibrated at - 196 degrees C by immersion in liquid nitrogen (step 8). Compared to fresh IMA, the amplitude of dose-dependent contractions to norepinephrine (NE 10(-9) to 10(-4) M) was step-wise depressed after cooling to < or = -12 degrees C (steps 3-4), showing only 75 and 19% of maximal contraction after steps 3-4 and step 7, respectively. Similarly, depolarization-induced contractions to KCl (10 to 60 mM) also were progressively depressed after step-wise cryopreservation, showing reduced contractile amplitudes even after steps 1-2 (-10 degrees C). Vascular muscle agonist sensitivity was unchanged (KCl) or only mildly influenced (NE) by these same temperature reductions. In contrast, endothelial-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine and PGI2 production were maintained after all steps in the cryopreservation process, and baseline PGI2 production was higher in cryopreserved IMA. These data indicate that IMA smooth muscle cell viability is poorly preserved after cooling to below -10 to -12 degrees C of the cryopreservation process, whereas endothelial cell function appears intact after profound cooling to -196 degrees C. The loss of vascular smooth muscle responsiveness coupled with the protection afforded by an intact endothelium may provide an arterial conduit less susceptible to vasospasm. Such a graft, however, would lack the dynamic properties of flow regulation in response to the metabolic needs of the myocardium.
Studying ultra-cold molecules formation and decay via a feshbach resonance

Quantum degenerate sodium dimer molecules are produced from an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate via a magnetically induced Feshbach resonance, with an initial phase-space density above 20. Atom-molecule coupling strength is probed by studying dissociation dynamics above threshold
Variable Loop Glycan Dependency of the Broad and Potent HIV-1-Neutralizing Antibodies PG9 and PG16

The HIV-1-specific antibodies PG9 and PG16 show marked cross-isolate neutralization breadth and potency. Antibody neutralization has been shown to be dependent on the presence of N-linked glycosylation at position 160 in gp120. We show here that (i) the loss of several key glycosylation sites in the V1, V2, and V3 loops; (ii) the generation of pseudoviruses in the presence of various glycosidase inhibitors; and (iii) the growth of pseudoviruses in a mutant cell line (GnT1−/−) that alters envelope glycosylation patterns all have significant effects on the sensitivity of virus to neutralization by PG9 and PG16. However, the interaction of antibody is not inhibited by sugar monosaccharides corresponding to those found in glycans on the HIV surface. We show that some of the glycosylation effects described are isolate dependent and others are universal and can be used as diagnostic for the presence of PG9 and PG16-like antibodies in the sera of HIV-1-infected patients. The results suggest that PG9 and PG16 recognize a conformational epitope that is dependent on glycosylation at specific variable loop N-linked sites. This information may be valuable for the design of immunogens to elicit PG9 and PG16-like antibodies, as well as constructs for cocrystallization studies.
Indian and Pakistani views on nuclear deterrence

While officials in India and Pakistan have been virtually silent on the issue of nuclear deterrence in South Asia, a small number of nonofficial strategists in both countries are moving to fill the void. They describe the current low‐level nuclear standoff as “recessed deterrence.” Nuclear weapons advocates within this group have voiced their dissatisfaction with the status quo, ostensibly because nuclear ambiguity undermines stability. This has led them to promote the concept of “minimum deterrence,” described essentially as a scaled‐down version of the superpower assured destruction doctrine. Generally, strategists that favor nuclear deployment have high confidence that India and Pakistan would be responsible nuclear powers. They also contend that just as nuclear deterrence stabilized U.S.‐Soviet relations, so too can it work for South Asia. Other analysts are more skeptical, both of the premise behind minimum deterrence and the observance of nuclear restraint in the subcontinent. They likewise question...
Evaluation of Supermix as an in vitro model of human liver microsomal drug metabolism.

SUPERMIX is a commercially available formulation of insect cell-expressed human drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms, mixed in proportions that are optimized to parallel their relative activities in human liver microsomes. We have evaluated the apparent functional affinity and capacity of individual CYP isoforms in SUPERMIX in comparison with microsomes from a panel of 12 human livers, using enzyme kinetic studies of isoform-selective index reactions. In addition, we have measured the concentration of NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (OR) in SUPERMIX and compared it with the concentrations of this accessory electron transfer protein in human liver microsomes. No important differences were evident in the catalytic activities of CYPs 1A2, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4 between SUPERMIX and human liver microsomes. However, SUPERMIX lacks CYP2B6 activity and did not hydroxylate the antidepressant bupropion, a clinically relevant substrate of this enzyme. In addition, the concentration of OR in SUPERMIX (1198 pmol mg protein(-1)) is 17-fold higher than the mean value in human liver microsomes (70 pmol mg protein(-1)). In conclusion, SUPERMIX lacks CYP2B6 activity and contains supraphysiological concentrations of the accessory electron transfer protein OR. These factors should be considered when this formulation is used as an in vitro model in human liver microsomal drug metabolism studies.
High performance power DMOSFET with integrated Schottky diode

A hybrid DMOSFET-Schottky (FastFET) device has been developed that exhibits the excellent on-resistance and gate control properties of the DMOSFET along with improved internal diode switching characteristics. The 45 V and 30 V devices fabricated use an integrated Schottky device that consumes less than 15% of the active area while returning a 35% improvement in reverse recovery performance. The leakage of the FastFET is higher than that of the standard DMOSFET but is still within the tolerances set by most manufacturers' data sheets. Future improvements will include process modification that will reduce this leakage. >
Dither incorporated deterministic dynamic element matching for high resolution ADC test using extremely low resolution DACs

A novel dither incorporated deterministic dynamic element matching (DIDDEM) approach is proposed. With this approach, the combined output of a DDEM DAC and a dither DAC serves as the stimulus to an ADC under test. Theoretical analysis shows that the test performance with the DIDDEM DAC is equivalent to that of a DAC with an ENOB (effective number of bits) equal to the summation of the ENOB of the DDEM DAC and the dither DAC plus log/sub 2/p, where p is the DDEM iteration number. The test performance using DiDDEM is also validated by simulation results.
Variation of corticosteroid-induced inhibition of collagen synthesis at equivalent anti-inflammatory doses*

At equivalent anti-inflammatory doses of corticosteroids, granuloma growth is not linearly related to the inhibition of granuloma collagen synthesis. However, the inhibition of granuloma collagen synthesis is linearly related to the inhibition of skin collagen synthesis. Therefore the decrease of collagen synthesis by corticosteroids is not related to anti-inflammatory activity but is related to the specific corticosteroid used.
Prevalence of Freestyle Biomechanical Errors in Elite Competitive Swimmers

Background:Poor freestyle stroke biomechanics is a suggested risk factor for shoulder pain and pathology, but this has not been proven in biomechanical or clinical studies. Furthermore, the prevalence of these theoretical errors has not been identified, which would help coaches, athletic trainers, and researchers determine the most appropriate errors to focus on and develop interventions.Hypothesis:The majority of swimmers will present with at least 1 freestyle stroke error.Study Design:Cross-sectional study.Level of Evidence:Level 4.Methods:Stroke biomechanics for 31 swimmers from a collegiate swimming team were captured using underwater/above-water cameras. Each video was evaluated for biomechanical errors: a dropped elbow during the pull-through phase, a dropped elbow during the recovery phase, an eyes-forward head-carrying angle, incorrect hand position during hand entry, incorrect hand entry angle, incorrect pull-through pattern, and inadequate body roll. Error prevalence was calculated, and relation...
Optimistic Expectancies and Cell-Mediated Immunity The Role of Positive Affect

Optimistic expectancies affect many psychosocial outcomes and may also predict immune system changes and health, but the nature and mechanisms of any such physiological effects have not been identified. The present study related law-school expectancies to cell-mediated immunity (CMI), examining the within- and between-person components of this relationship and affective mediators. First-year law students (N = 124) completed questionnaire measures of expectancies and affect and received delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests at five time points. A positive relationship between optimistic expectancies and CMI occurred: Changes in optimism correlated with changes in CMI. Likewise, changes in optimism predicted changes in positive and, to a lesser degree, negative affect, but the relationship between optimism and immunity was partially accounted for only by positive affect. This dynamic relationship between expectancies and immunity has positive implications for psychological interventions to improve health, particularly those that increase positive affect.
DRL INTERRESPONSE‐TIME DISTRIBUTIONS: QUANTIFICATION BY PEAK DEVIATION ANALYSIS

Peak deviation analysis is a quantitative technique for characterizing interresponse-time distributions that result from training on differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedules of reinforcement. It compares each rat's obtained interresponse-time distribution to the corresponding negative exponential distribution that would have occurred if the rat had emitted the same number of responses randomly in time, at the same rate. The comparison of the obtained distributions with corresponding negative exponential distributions provides the basis for computing three standardized metrics (burst ratio, peak location, and peak area) that quantitatively characterize the profile of the obtained interresponse-time distributions. In Experiment 1 peak deviation analysis quantitatively described the difference between the interresponse-time distributions of rats trained on variable-interval 300-s and differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 72-s schedules of reinforcement. In Experiment 2 peak deviation analysis differentiated between the effects of the psychomotor stimulant d-amphetamine, the anxiolytic compound chlordiazepoxide, and the antidepressant desipramine. The results suggest that peak deviation analysis of interresponse-time distributions may provide a useful behavioral assay system for characterizing the effects of drugs.
XIAP antisense therapy with AEG 35156 in acute myeloid leukemia

Introduction: AEG 35156 is an antisense oligonucleotide to X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). Overexpression of XIAP is common in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other cancers and is thought to cause resistance to cancer therapy. Effective treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory AML are limited and survival continues to be poor. Targeting resistance mechanisms is expected to improve results in relapsed as well as front-line settings. Areas covered: Role of XIAP in apoptosis pathways, structure of AEG 35156, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy and review of clinical trials in AML. Expert opinion: AEG 35156 in combination with standard chemotherapy was generally very well-tolerated and had shown some evidence of anti-leukemic activity in AML. The target knock down was transient and has not always correlated with response. Future studies may be done with variations in dose scheduling and with more emphasis on comprehensive pharmacodyn...
The Name of the Father: Women, Paternity, and British Rule in Nineteenth-Century Jamaica

When William Knibb, a Baptist missionary in Jamaica, made his famous abolition ist speech in 1832, he did more than just condemn slavery. He particularly emphasized its degrading effect on women, evoking images of them being flogged and preyed on sexually by masters and overseers. He often had seen slave women chained together, even during pregnancy, in Jamaica. He pointedly remarked that he had never seen such things in England, and asked his audience if Englishmen could endure the thought of these evils. At the time of his speech, the end of slavery was two years away, and it seemed reasonable to assume Jamaica and the other slave colonies would be cleansed of vice and raised to the moral level of England. I will focus here on efforts after 1834 to develop a new social/sexual order in Jamaica, most important of the British sugar islands. Emancipation and the reconfiguration of Jamaican politics and society which followed were strongly shaped by gender issues; I believe these issues are as fundamental to understanding post-emancipation Jamaica as the conflicts over land and labor which have traditionally preoccupied historians.1 Second, I want to show that events in Jamaica expose prominent fault lines of sexual and political ideology in Britain. Most important of these is the question of whether the established moral grounding Knibb evoked in his speech even existed in Britain. That this is contestable emerged at various times in the nineteenth century. But it was especially evident in a long-running argument between John Stuart Mill and Thomas Carlyle, for whom the Jamaica question was a key occasion. My third objective is to suggest how social/sexual order is related to colonialism in general. Edward Said has pointed out how culture is a "system of discriminations," legislated at the top but enacted throughout the entire entity, involving distinctions between high and low, superior and inferior, "them" and "us."2 This is true, but Said overstates the monolithic quality of dominant cultures, ignoring the ways in which they are fissured, patched, and sometimes in disarray. Gertrude Himmelfarb, from a political
A correlation between cleavage-fan angle and bed thickness

A chevron-folded phyllite composed of well contrasted quartzose and micaceous layers was examined [at Bigbury-on-Sea, Devonshire, England]. The false cleavage in the mica layers is of fan type and measurements show a correlation between the angle of the fan and the thickness of the layer in which it forms. Such a correlation is to be expected if the folds formed by buckling under lateral compression.
Realization of miniature humanoid for obstacle avoidance with real-time ZMP preview control used for full-sized humanoid

Many walking pattern generators for humanoid robots require predefined trajectories for the robot to track. This inflexibility limits the range of real-world environments that the robot can navigate through. For environments with obstacles and inconsistent terrain, the ability to change the walking trajectory becomes valuable. Using a miniature humanoid, a three-dimensional inverted pendulum model and ZMP preview control with ZMP and Foot generator were used to implement a real-time ZMP preview controller. We show the simulation results walking on obstacle field which validates that this approach can generate the all types of walking pattern based on the distance estimated based on the sensor data to the target to step without the predefined trajectory.
The Amino Acid Deficiencies of Gelatin for the Growing Chicken

Abstract EARLY attempts by Jackson et al. (1928) and Kruse et al. (1934) to promote optimal growth in rats fed gelatin-containing diets supplemented with the amino acids then known (1928–34) to be deficient failed. At that time, however, threonine had not been identified as an essential amino acid. Even in the light of newer knowledge a decade later, Hier et al. (1944) were still unsuccessful in obtaining good growth in rats fed amino acid-supplemented gelatin diets. These workers reported slower growth on the amino acid-supplemented gelatin diets than for the amino acids fed separately. They concluded that the difficulty with gelatin might be due to an inhibitory effect caused by the unusually high content of glycine and proline. Fourteen years later Summers and Fisher (1962) again tried, unsuccessfully, to simulate the amino acid pattern and the growth response of isolated soy-protein in chicks fed amino acid-supplemented gelatin diets. In these …
Symbolic and syntactic capacities

Three kinds of information invite renewed speculation about the origin of language. Studies of manual signing in chimpanzee have now shown that this species has a rudimentary symbolic capacity, but they have not shown that chimpanzee has any syntactic capacity. Diverse instances of something like language invention in historic times converge on the conclusion that iconicity is the primary principle of symbol invention, and the iconic possibilities are far greater with manual symbols than with vocal symbols. The study of fossil endocasts may eventually show when, in the fossil record, the hominid brain became organized in ways associated with linguistic capacities in present-day Homo sapiens, but it is unlikely ever to be able to distinguish the brain substrate for manual language from the substrate for vocal language. These several pieces of evidence suggest that the symbolic capacity developed before any syntactic capacity and was at first manifest in manual iconic form.
External defibrillation: New technologies

Recent technological advances have enhanced our ability to diagnose and treat ventricular fibrillation (VF). Self-adhesive electrode pads for external defibrillation are as effective as standard hand-held paddle electrodes, and have substantial advantages for monitoring during transportation and in the emergency department/intensive care unit/critical care unit. These electrode pads work equally well whether placed in apex-anterior or apex-posterior positions. Preapplication in calm, prearrest circumstances assures accurate placement and enhances shock success. Transthoracic impedance is a critical determinant of the success of low-energy shocks. Prediction of transthoracic impedance in advance of the first shock is now feasible. First-shock energy can then be based on impedance, and inappropriate low energies for high-impedance patients may be avoided. Automatic external defibrillation by minimally trained rescuers extends our ability to treat out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation. A vertical defibrillation pathway, using the tongue as one electrode site, allows rapid, automated detection of VF. Animal defibrillation studies and preliminary human studies (during elective cardioversion) have demonstrated the efficacy of the pathway and defined the impedance and energy requirements. Clinical trials of the device for out-of-hospital defibrillation are now in progress.
SENATE BARON: A Simulation of Politics in the U.S. Senate, 1933-1942

SENATE BARON is an educational simulation in which each participant takes on the role of a U.S. Senator during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. As few as 12 and as many as 96 participants may participate in this. Players strive to gain influence by promoting legislation that they support and by blocking legislation that they oppose. The goal of the exercise is to illustrate the political climate of the 1930s, and the difficulties involved in building coalitions for and against various proposals. Facilitators may also wish to teach about the rhetorical strategies employed by the senators of the time through use of the optional Debate Phase.
Upscaling of Dynamic Soil Organic Carbon Pools in a North‐Central Florida Watershed

Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 74:2010 Published online 29 Mar. 2010 doi:10.2136/sssaj2009.0242 Received 26 June 2009. *Corresponding author *Corresponding author (sabgru@ufl.edu). © Soil Science Society of America, 677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison WI 53711 USA All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.