cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protecting endangered species under future climate change: From single-species preservation to an anticipatory policy approach

Anthropogenic climate climate change presents a unique challenge for endangered species policy and an opportunity for policy makers to develop a more predictive and robust approach to preserving the nation's biological resources. Biological and ecological reactions to shifting climate conditions and the potential feedbacks and synergistic effects of such changes may threaten the well-being of many species, particularly of those already in jeopardy of extinction. The United States Endangered Species Act of 1973 will fail to keep pace with increasing numbers of species needing protection as long as it remains focused on protecting species individually. The actmust not be abandoned, however; it holds tremendous promise for preserving biological diversity through a more proactive, anticipatory perspective. The current Endangered Species Act should be reinforced and improved by better integration of scientific expertise into habitat and community preservation listing decisions and recovery plan devlopment. Given the uncertainties surrounding long-term environmental consequences of human activities and resource use, a longer-term perspective must be integrated into all efforts to protect our biotic resources.
Image-based change detection of areal objects using differential snakes

Change detection is an important issue for modern geospatial information systems. In this paper we address change detection of areal objects (i.e. objects with closed-curve outlines). We specifically focus on the detection of movement (translation and rotation) and/or deformation of such objects using aerial imagery. The innovative approach we present in this paper combines geometric analysis with our model of differential snakes to support change detection. Geometric analysis proceeds by comparing the first moments of the two outlines describing the same object in different instances, to estimate translation. Moment information allows us to determine the principal axes and eigenvectors of these outlines, and this we can determine object rotation as the angle between these principal axes. Next, we apply polygon-clipping techniques to calculate the intersection and difference of these two outlines. We use this result to estimate the radial deformation of the object (expansion and contraction). The results are further refined through the use of our differential snakes model, to distinguish true change from the effects of inaccuracy in object determination. The aggregation of these tools defines a powerful approach for change detection. In the paper we present the theoretical background behind these components, and experimental results that demonstrate the performance of our approach.
Spastic Velocity Threshold Constrains Functional Performance in Cerebral Palsy

Abstract Tuzson AE, Granata KP, Abel MF. Spastic velocity threshold constrains functional performance in cerebral palsy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:1363–8. Objectives: To evaluate a quantitative, velocity-based assessment of spasticity in the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to show the effects of spasticity in constraining knee velocities during fast gait. Design: A quantitative comparison of neuromuscular and biomechanical performance in patients with CP and controls without CP. Setting: Movement analysis laboratory within a university clinical referral center. Participants: A convenience sample of 18 ambulatory patients with CP and 11 control subjects without CP. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Spastic threshold velocity recorded from electromyographic response during passive isovelocity knee movement was compared with knee angular velocity during fast walking, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) scores, and Ashworth Scale score. Results: Patients with measurable spasticity showed slower peak knee angular velocity during walking than patients without spasticity ( P r =.85, P r =.58, P Conclusions: The velocity dependency of spasticity can be measured by electromyograph and dynamometer to determine spastic threshold velocity. Spastic threshold velocity correlated with limitations in joint angular velocity during walking and functional performance.
OF MANNERS AND MORALS

ABSTRACT: In this paper I explore the role of manners and morals.1 In particular, what is the connection between emotional demeanor and the inner stuff of virtue? Does the fact that we can pose faces and hide our inner sentiments, i.e., ‘fake it,’ detract from or add to our capacity for virtue? I argue, following a line from the Stoics, that it can add to our virtue and that, as a result, moral education needs to take seriously both a commitment to good character and a commitment to the ‘aesthetic’ of character.
Effects of dispersal and mortality on diversity in a forest stand model

Abstract The diversity of plant communities may be affected by trade-offs among competition, colonization, and longevity. mosel (MOdule for Spatially Explicit Landscapes), a version of the jabowa-foret model of the dynamic processes of establishment, growth, and death of forest trees that includes dispersal among cells, is used to elucidate the effects of colonization and mortality. Comparisons of diversity are made for simulations of equal or variable dispersal probabilities among species and of the occurrence or absence of density-independent mortality on sites. When diversity is examined between categories of generally high vs. low probabilities of dispersal, it is significantly greater with the former. When even and variable diversity are compared, diversity is greater (less) when the even dispersal probability is greater (less) than the average for variable dispersal probability. The exclusion of density-independent mortality decreases diversity significantly only in the case of generally low dispersal probability. Diversity thus seems to depend on having more movement through space, not necessarily on having different movement, and high dispersal can swamp the effects of low disturbance. In this simulation the relative success of nut-bearing species that are dispersed by both bluejays and mammals may indicate that the trade-off among competition, longevity, and colonization abilities may not be a zero-sum game when plant-animal interactions are considered.
Epitaxial AlGaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflectors for green (550 nm) lightwaves

Epitaxial AlGaAs/AlAs DBR mirror stacks have been investigated to determine the maximum reflectivity achievable for 550nm wavelength. A maximum reflectivity of greater than 90% has been achieved despite the optical loss in the AlGaAs, and a 70% peak reflectivity can be achieved with as few as five mirror periods.
Automated developmental sentence scoring using computerized profiling software.

This study examined the accuracy of fully automated Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS; L. L. Lee, 1974) analysis performed by the Computerized Profiling (CP) software (S. H. Long, M. E. Fey, & R....
Application of FIB/SEM/EDXS tomographic spectral imaging and multivariate statistical analysis to the analysis of localized corrosion

Tomographic spectral imaging is a powerful technique for the 3D analysis of materials. The present work describes the application of this technique to the analysis of localized corrosion of a connector pin. Implemented via serial sectioning in a focused ion-beam/scanning electron microscope, electron-excited x-ray spectra were acquired from each voxel in a 3D array. The resultant tomographic spectral image was analyzed in its entirety with Sandia's Automated eXpert Spectral Image Analysis multivariate statistical analysis software. The result of the analysis is a small number of chemical components which describe the 3D phase distribution in the volume of material sampled.
Implicit layer coordination in arbitrary non-cumulative layered multicasting

Non-cumulative layered streaming in synchronous collaboration environments has received little attention due to overhead associated with uncoordinated receivers' subscriptions to different layers of the multicast stream. This paper presents a new layer coordination algorithm for such streams, termed Implicit Layer Coordination Algorithm (ILCA). ILCA computes, prior to multicasting, a representative layer combination for each attainable throughput that maximises the overlapping among the receivers. Consequently, ILCA can be deployed in the Internet for arbitrary non-cumulative layered multicasting. ILCA employs two search strategies (genetic and heuristic) to compute representative layer combinations. Complexity analysis shows the computational feasibility of ILCA. Simulation results demonstrate that ILCA can increase the overlapping among receivers' subscriptions and decrease the average number of joinings and leavings that receivers perform to change their rates. As a result, ILCA increases the average receiver throughput by 14-57%.
Three new species of gall-associated Allorhogas wasps from Costa Rica (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae).

Three new species of braconid wasps from Costa Rica are described here: Allorhogas crinitus reared from leaf galls on Protium panamense (Burseraceae), Allorhogas lacuna reared from galls on Melastomataceae and Allorhogas triopsis reared from fruit galls on Psychotria (Rubiaceae). These new species are diagnosed and compared with other species in the genus. These are the first records of an Allorhogas species associated with the plant families Burseraceae and Rubiaceae. It is the third association of Allorhogas with the family Melastomaceae.
Association Between Detrusor Overactivity and Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Male Bone Anchored Perineal Sling

Purpose: In this study we determined if there was an association between the presence of preoperative detrusor overactivity and patient outcomes after bone anchored perineal sling.Materials and Methods: A total of 85 men underwent a male perineal sling procedure for urodynamically proven stress urinary incontinence. Preoperative history and physical examination were performed, and patients completed self-assessment questionnaires. Based on urodynamics patients were divided into 2 groups of those with and those without detrusor overactivity. Questionnaires including the Patient Global Impression of Improvement Scale were readministered postoperatively. Success was defined by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement as very much better or much better. Failure was defined by the responses of a little better, no change, a little worse or much worse. Successes and failures were compared to the presence of detrusor overactivity. Preoperative parameters, preoperative and postoperative questionnaire scores, a...
Three-piece inflatable penile prosthesis components (surgical pearls on reservoirs, pumps, and rear-tip extenders)

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major quality-of-life disorder that affects greater than 30 million American men each year. Since the introduction of Viagra, more and more men are presenting with ED that is not responding to oral or local therapies. Penile prosthesis implantation is recognized as the most effective, although most invasive, ED therapy with a high satisfaction rate. With an aging population both aware of and requesting therapy for ED, the number of penile prosthesis implantations will remain stable, especially at centers specializing in ED treatment. Therefore, a better understanding of the techniques used for placement of the penile prosthesis is necessary. The following review will discuss the techniques and a few clinical pearls in the placements of inflatable penile prostheses.
Selenium and Vitamin E Sufficiency in Premature Infants Requiring Total Parenteral Nutrition

A randomized prospective study of LBW infants was undertaken to evaluate the effect of parenteral lipid infusions upon their antioxidant systems. Ten babies received a parenteral nutrition regimen with lipid emulsion, and ten received a regimen without lipid. Although the addition of lipid emulsion to the total parenteral nutrition regimen led to a rise in vitamin E levels, the selenium levels fell in both groups. Neither group showed evidence of deficient antioxidant systems by the peroxide hemolysis test or thiobarbituric acid test. There did not seem to be any adverse effect of the lipid infusion upon the clinical course of the infants except for hyperlipidemia. There was a better weight gain in infants receiving lipid.
Bootstrap power of the generalized correlation coefficient

We present a bootstrap Monte Carlo algorithm for computing the power function of the generalized correlation coefficient. The proposed method makes no assumptions about the form of the underlying probability distribution and may be used with observed data to approximate the power function and pilot data for sample size determination. In particular, the bootstrap power functions of the Pearson product moment correlation and the Spearman rank correlation are examined. Monte Carlo experiments indicate that the proposed algorithm is reliable and compares well with the asymptotic values. An example which demonstrates how this method can be used for sample size determination and power calculations is provided.
Laminar mixed convection in a partially blocked, vertical channel

A numerical investigation is made of laminar mixed convection of air in a vertical channel containing a partial rectangular blockage on one channel wall. The wall containing the blockage is assumed to be heated while the other wall is assumed to be either adiabatic (asymmetric heating) or heated (symmetric heating). Results indicate that at low values of GrRe2 the maximum velocity occurs near the adiabatic wall in the asymmetrically heated channel. As GrRe2 increases, this peak shifts towards the hot wall. Reverse flow is predicted beyond the blockage. In this reverse flow region temperature variations are small. The average Nusselt number in the blockage and the pre-blockage regions increases with decreasing GrRe2 values. Beyond the blockage, the average Nusselt number decreases with GrRe2 at high Rayleigh numbers. For the symmetrically heated channel, the velocity profiles are depressed at the center. For both thermal conditions (symmetric and asymmetric), the Nusselt numbers are smaller than the corresponding smooth duct Nusselt numbers.
Shake-Table Test of a Full-Scale 7-Story Building Slice. Phase I: Rectangular Wall

This paper is a companion to "Displacement-Based Method of Analysis for Regular Reinforced-Concrete Wall Buildings: Application to a Full-Scale 7-Story Building Slice Tested at UC-San Diego" and presents key results obtained from a full-scale 7-story reinforced concrete building slice built and tested on the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Large Outdoor High-Performance Shake Table at the University of California, San Diego. The building was tested in two phases. This paper discusses the main test results obtained during Phase I of the experimental program. In this phase, the building had a rectangular load-bearing wall acting as the main lateral force-resisting element. The building was subjected to four historical California input ground motions, including the strong- intensity near-fault Sylmar record, which induced significant nonlinear response. The test addressed the dynamic response of the building, including the interaction between the walls, the slabs, and the gravity system as well as four issues relevant to construction optimization: (1) reduction in the longitudinal reinforcement; (2) use of a single curtain of reinforcement to transfer shear; (3) constrain of plasticity in the first level of the wall using capacity design; and (4) use of resistance-welded reinforcement in the boundary elements of the first level of the walls. The building responded very satisfactorily to the ground motions reproduced by the shake table and met all performance objectives. The effects of kinematic system overstrength and higher modes of response in the experimental response were important; this verified to a large extent the displacement-based method of analysis presented in the companion paper. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000332. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Walls; Displacement; Lateral forces; Earthquakes; Shake table tests; Concrete structures; Multi-story buildings.
Rats maintained on high-fat diets exhibit reduced satiety in response to CCK and bombesin.

Abstract Rats maintained on high-fat diets often exhibit increased food intake and weight gain. We hypothesized that high-fat diets might result in reduced sensitivity to hormonal signals responsible for terminating food intake—satiety signals. The intestinal hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) and the gastrointestinal neuropeptide, bombesin (BBS) both have been proposed as satiety signals. To determine whether maintenance on high-fat diets alters sensitivity to satiating effects of CCK and bombesin (BBS), rats were maintained on a low fat diet (LF), a high-fat diet that was isocaloric with the low-fat diet (HF), or one of two hypercaloric high-fat diets (HF-1, HF-2) that differed from HF and LF in fat, fiber, and total caloric content. CCK and bombesin reduced food intake significantly less in rats maintained on high-fat diets, compared to those on the low fat diet. Neither high caloric intake, which was associated with increased body weight gain on the two hypercaloric diets, nor fiber content of the diet accounted for the reduced response of HF rats to CCK. Rather, reduced sensitivity to CCK was related only to the high proportion of calories taken as fat. We also determined whether reduced CCK sensitivity was due to the maintenance on a particular diet or to the diet eaten during a CCK test. After CCK, rats maintained on LF reduced food intake more (49%) than rats maintained on HF (22%), regardless of whether they ate HF or LF during the CCK test itself. These findings indicate that maintenance of rats on high-fat diets reduces sensitivity to some peptide satiety signals. Reduced sensitivity to satiety signals might contribute to overeating and obesity often observed when rats are maintained on high-fat diets.
Universal Design for Learning: Enhancing Achievement of Students with Disabilities

Abstract This paper defines universal design for learning, presents examples of how universally designed technology hardware and software applications promote increased learning, and provides examples of how professors integrate UDL and technology into college settings to enhance learning outcomes of all students, including those with disabilities. UDL strategies enhance the quality of higher education through the creation of more flexible and student-centered learning environments. UDL strategies enhance learning for all students, including students with disabilities who are majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), one of the most rigorous academic disciplines, but also one of the most financially rewarding careers.
Lens fiber connexin turnover and caspase-3-mediated cleavage are regulated alternately by phosphorylation

Lens connexins are phosphorylated in vivo; however, the function and regulation of the phosphorylation remain largely unknown. We have previously identified an in vivo phosphorylation site, Ser364, at the COOH terminus of lens connexin (Cx) Cx45.6 and phosphorylation appears to regulate connexin protein turnover. To assess the specific mechanism of Ser364 phosphorylation in Cx45.6, exogenous wild type and Ser364 mutant Cx45.6 were expressed in primary lens cultures through retroviral infection. Cx45.6 turnover was attenuated primarily by proteasomal inhibitors and to a lesser extent by lysosomal inhibitors. Furthermore, the level of Cx45.6 protein in ubiquitin co-expressed cells was significantly reduced as compared to the cells expressing Cx45.6 alone. Moreover, overexpression of ubiquitin led to a more significant decrease in wild type Cx45.6 than Cx45.6(S364A), a mutant deficient of phosphorylation site at Ser364, although we did not detect any difference in the levels of ubiquitination between wild ty...
Set covering approach for reconstruction of sibling relationships

A new combinatorial approach for modelling and reconstructing sibling relationships in a single generation of individuals without parental information is proposed in this paper. Simple genetic constraints on the full-sibling groups, imposed by the Mendelian inheritance rules, are employed to investigate data from codominant DNA markers. To extract the minimum number of biologically consistent sibling groups, the proposed combinatorial approach is employed to formulate this minimization problem as a set covering problem, which is a well-known NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. We conducted a simulation study of a relaxed version of the proposed algorithm to demonstrate that our combinatorial approach is reasonably accurate and the exact version of the sibling relationship construction algorithm should be pursued. In addition, the results of this study suggest that the proposed algorithm will pave our way to a new approach in computational population genetics as it does not require any a priori knowledge about allele frequency, population size, mating system or family size distributions to reconstruct sibling relationships.
Apparel acquisition via single vs. multiple channels: College students’ perspectives in the US and China

Abstract Drawing on both the diffusion of innovation and market channel literature, this study compared college students from China and the US regarding predictors of channel choice. Moreover, the research identified barriers impeding use of non-store channels. Logistic regression analyses indicated that intention to use multiple channels is positively related to convenience orientation and Internet connectivity in the Chinese sample, and negatively related to age in the US sample. Content analysis revealed the primary barrier to catalog shopping was that respondents could not see how clothing looked in three dimensions; for Internet shopping, it was the difficulty in assessing clothing quality.
The effect of desolvating droplets and vaporizing particles on ionization and excitation in Ar inductively coupled plasmas

Abstract Plasma conditions near and far from incompletely desolvated droplets and vaporizing particles were investigated. Time-gated laser-excited fluorescence measurements show that Sr atom number densities increase by more than a factor of 40 near incompletely desolvated droplets and by more than a factor of 60 near vaporizing particles. Similar measurements show a 2.6-fold increase in Sr ion number densities near droplets and a seven-fold increase near vaporizing particles. Decreases in the extent of analyte ionization near droplets and particles are noted. Emission measurements gated to the presence and absence of droplets and particles are also reported. Large decreases in the extent of excitation near droplets and particles are indicated by changes in emission to fluorescence ratios. Temperatures and electron number densities were roughly estimated based upon ion to atom fluorescence and emission to fluorescence ratios using the Burton-Blades correction to the local thermodynamic equilibrium model. Calculated electron number densities based upon fluorescence ratios were more than an order of magnitude lower near either droplets or particles. Based upon emission to fluorescence ratios, electron number densities changed by roughly one order of magnitude.
An integrated network-based mechanistic model for tumor growth dynamics under drug administration

Cancer chemotherapy complexity ranges from the routes that the drug must follow before reaching the tumor site (pharmacokinetics), to the drug effects on tumor depletion (pharmacodynamics). Previous researchers, in their majority, have focused either on the pharmacokinetics (PK) or on the pharmacodynamics (PD) aspects of chemotherapy. Moreover, models that account for the molecular mechanisms of cancer development have limited scope in addressing the protein signals involved in tumor progression. For instance, the recently developed models for the p53 network, for which a number of mutations have been reported, must be integrated for further understanding of the disease. Here, we propose an integrated model that is composed of a compartmental PK/PD representation for drug therapy that incorporates p53 and cell cycle regulation. In particular, the dynamics of p53 and its network components, such as Mdm2, pRb, cyclin-cdk's, are modeled under drug administration. The results show that the proposed model is a realistic representation of the physiological expectations in a multi-scale, integrative approach.
A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING THERMOREGULATORY BEHAVIOR IN THE RAT

A tracking procedure was used to investigate the ability of rats to regulate their ambient temperature. Rats were placed in a chamber with two levers; depressions of one lever controlled a cold-water flow (11 degrees C) and the other controlled the flow of hot water (57 +/- 1 degrees C). If it alternated responses, the rat could regulate temperature within these two extremes. With training, this regulatory behavior resulted in a narrow environmental temperature range that approximated normal body temperature.
Using chemical ionization mass spectrometry for detection of HNO3, HCl, and ClONO2 in the atmosphere

Abstract Ion chemistry schemes involving three different reagent ions are described for measuring nitric acid (HNO3), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and chlorine nitrate (ClONO2) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS). These schemes were evaluated in the laboratory for sensitivity and selectivity of the neutral species. The use of one scheme, based on the SF5− reagent ion, is described for airborne measurements. Initial atmospheric measurements show that HNO3, HCl, and ClONO2 can be measured using SF5− with high precision and accuracy.
Impact of zooplankton grazing on Alexandrium blooms in the offshore Gulf of Maine

Abstract Zooplankton grazing was investigated by shipboard experiments during natural blooms of Alexandrium spp. in the offshore Gulf of Maine in spring and/or summer of 1998, 2000, and 2001. Grazing studies were done in conjunction with studies of accumulation of Alexandrium toxins in the zooplankton, as part of the ECOHAB-Gulf of Maine regional program. Several species of copepods, marine cladocerans, and appendicularians were allowed to graze upon natural phytoplankton assemblages, at ambient temperatures (14–17 °C). Grazing was measured by quantitative microscopic analyses of disappearance of phytoplankton cells in initial, control, and experimental food suspensions. Thus, we were able to examine grazing upon Alexandrium in comparison to grazing on other co-occurring phytoplankton taxa. Even during Alexandrium “blooms,” this dinoflagellate was a minor component of the overall phytoplankton assemblage. It was present at stations where grazing experiments were conducted at levels of 0.12–7.57×103 cells l−1, or 0.03–3.93% of total phytoplankton cells. Maximum ingestion of Alexandrium accounted for only up to 3.2% of total cells ingested. Phytoplankton assemblages were dominated by athecate microflagellates, and to a lesser extent by diatoms and non-toxic dinoflagellates. Microflagellates were present at abundances of 159.62–793.93 cells ml−1, or 60.6–95.56% of total cells. Grazing on microflagellates accounted for 35.59–98.21% of total grazing. Grazing on Alexandrium spp. and microflagellates was generally non-selective, with these taxa being ingested in similar proportions to their availability in food assemblages. Grazing on diatoms was selective, with diatoms being disproportionately ingested, compared to their proportions in food assemblages. There were no apparent adverse effects of Alexandrium on grazers during incubations of 18–24 h, and grazer survival was 100%. Estimated daily zooplankton grazing impact on Alexandrium spp. field populations by field populations of experimental grazers averaged 5.79% (range=0–117%). Extrapolating experimentally determined grazing rates to total zooplankton assemblages increased potential grazing impact to 0–667.77% (mean=114.7%). However, these potential impacts are likely overestimations, because toxin accumulation data indicated that many of the most-abundant zooplankters (Oithona similis copepodites and copepod nauplii) likely graze only minimally upon Alexandrium spp. Thus, antipredation effects of high concentrations of Alexandrium on some grazers reported from some laboratory studies may only occur rarely in nature, because of low individual zooplankter grazing rates on Alexandrium, and dilution of grazing upon it by grazing on other food sources such as abundant microflagellates and diatoms.
Pluripotent Stem Cells Identified in Multiple Murine Tissues

Pluripotential stem cells (PSCs) have been recently described in many tissues including skeletal muscle, brain, and bone marrow. However, the true nature of these cells is still unclear, and their precise definition has yet to be determined. We hypothesized that a common, rare population of PSCs with a broad tissue differentiation potential can be identified in multiple murine tissues and that these cells are capable of transdifferentiation into cells of different primordial germ layer origins in response to diverse microenvironmental cues. To examine this hypothesis, we isolated phenotypically defined cells from murine skeletal muscle and cultured these cells under different conditions tailored to promote differentiation into several cell types including myocytes. We report here that in conditions permissive for hematopoietic differentiation, muscle-derived CD45(-)Sca-1(+)c-kit(-) cells differentiated into cells expressing hematopoietic-specific mRNA; while in conditions promoting myogenic, neuronal, and adipocytic differentiation, cells morphologically typical of these cell types expressing tissue-specific markers were identified 9-14 days in culture. When CD45(-)Sca-1(+)c-kit(-) cells from muscle or bone marrow were transplanted intracerebellarly into Purkinje cell degenerative (pcd) mice, the behavior of these mice improved 28 days after transplantation relative to mice injected with vehicle alone, suggesting that these cells contributed to the appearance of functional neuronal cells that may have improved the ataxic condition characteristic of these mice. Phenotypic analysis of single cell suspensions prepared from brain, blood, and intestinal epithelium revealed the presence of CD45(-)Sca-1(+)c-kit(-) cells in varying degrees. These studies suggest that a phenotypically common, multipotent cell can be identified in different tissues and that this cell may represent a universal pluripotent stem cell residing at different levels in multiple murine tissues.
Long-term efficacy of argon laser trabeculoplasty.

Abstract Long-term efficacy of 360° argon laser trabeculoplasty was studied in 118 eyes of 93 patients with uncontrolled chronic open-angle glaucoma. The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) decrease was 8.9 ± 5.4 mmHg (mean ± standard deviation [SD] in 71 eyes at 1 year, 9.3 ± 4.3 mmHg (mean ± SD) in 51 eyes at 3 years, and 10.3 ± 3.9 mmHg (mean ± SD) in 28 eyes at 5 years. The probability of success at 4 years (decrease in IOP ≥ 3 mmHg, IOP ≤ 19 mmHg, stable visual field, stable optic nerve, and no further laser or surgical intervention) was 52%. Pretreatment IOP, diagnosis, previous operations, age, and sex were not significant determinants for success or failure. Eyes receiving argon laser trabeculoplasty before cataract surgery maintained control of IOP after surgery. Failure was most common in the first year after treatment (23%), and thereafter failure occurred at a rate of 7 to 10% per year.
Robust rank-EASI algorithm for blind source separation

Robustness against deviations from nominal source pdf assumptions is very desirable in blind source separation (BSS) algorithms. In the paper, a new approach for robust BSS is proposed. The EASI (equivariant adaptive separation by independence) algorithm (Cardoso and Laheld, 1996) is modified to use ranks of observed signals. The modified EASI algorithm can be applied to both real-valued and complex-valued data. Design guidelines are discussed for the nonlinear rank weighting functions in the modified EASI algorithm. Simulation results for two examples are given, showing very good performance.
The role of cause and affect in service failure

Purpose – The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the role of emotions that consumers experience as a result of assigning causal attributions to service failures. The secondary purpose is to consider the effects of each of these emotions on behavioral outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – This paper extends the work of Wetzer, Zeelenberg, and Pieters regarding emotions and draws upon the existing literature to present a series of research propositions tying attributions to emotions and emotions to behavioral outcomes.Findings – When a service failure occurs, customers experience any of a variety of negative emotions. The particular emotional reaction depends on the customer's perception of why the service failure occurred in the first place. Behavioral outcomes associated with service recovery therefore depend directly on the negative emotion and indirectly on the customer's perception of the cause.Practical implications – To the extent that marketing managers can frame the cause of the service f...
Ventilation to Eliminate Oxygen Deficiency in a Confined Space—Part III: Heavier-Than-Air Characteristics

Abstract This study investigated characteristics of ventilation to eliminate oxygen deficiency caused by heavier-than-air (HTA) contaminants in confined space (CS) models. The HTA “contaminant” gases were carbon dioxide, halocarbon-22, and sulfur hexafluoride, having specific gravities (SG) of approximately 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0, respectively. Neutrally bouyant nitrogen (SG = 0.98) also was tested, consistent with previous studies. CS models having cubical and vertical noncubical shapes were tested. Other variable design parameters included ventilation mode (exhaust and supply), volume flow rate, inlet/outlet elevation, and sampling elevation inside the CS model. Testing confirmed that HTA contaminants would stratify in the CS models. Regressions of experimental data provide a means to calculate oxygen recovery times from initial deficiencies. Ventilation time was found to increase significantly with increasing contaminant SG. The effect was most pronounced at low CS model elevations. Supply ventilation was m...
Metal formates as potential stabilizers for vinylidene chloride copolymers

Vinylidene chloride copolymers have a number of superior properties, most notably, a high barrier to the transport of oxygen and other small molecules. As a consequence, these materials have assumed a position of prominence in the packaging industry. At processing temperatures these copolymers tend to undergo degradative dehydrochlorination. The dehydrochlorination reaction is a typical chain process with distinct initiation, propagation, and termination phases. It has been demonstrated that initiation of degradation is strongly facilitated by the presence of unsaturation along the backbone. Such unsaturation may be introduced via interaction of the polymer with a variety of agents which might commonly be encountered during polymerization or processing. The presence of an unsaturated unit within the polymer generates an allylic dichloromethylene, which may function as a major defect (labile) site for the initiation of degradation. The conversion of these dichloromethylene units into nonreactive groups would interrupt propagation of the dehydrochlorination reaction and lead to the stabilization of the copolymer. Potential stabilization in the presence of metal formates has been examined using a vinylidene chloride/methyl acrylate (5 mol%) copolymer and thermogravimetric techniques. The effect of the metal formate on the stability of the polymer reflects the relative halogenophilicity of the metal cation present. Metal formates of low cation acidity [sodium, calcium, nickel(II) and to a lesser extent lead(II), cadmium, manganese(II) and magnesium] may be expected to be ineffective as stabilizers for vinylidene chloride copolymers. At the other extreme, metal formates that contain cations sufficiently acidic to actively strip chlorine from the polymer backbone, e.g., zinc formate, will function to enhance the degradation process. An effective carboxylate stabilizer must contain a metal cation sufficiently acidic to interact with allylic chlorine and to facilitate its displacement by the carboxylate anion. Copper(II) formate may possess the balance of cation acidity and carboxylate acitvity to function as an effective stabilizer for vinylidene chloride copolymers.
Solid-phase synthesis with tris(alkoxy)benzyl backbone amide linkage (BAL)

The novel and general BAL concept allows for solid-phase synthesis of C-terminal-modified and cyclic peptides, small organic molecules, and modified amino sugars, as single species or as part of combinatorial chemistry applications. A BAL anchor attached to resin is depicted.
Between anti‐Semitism and Islamophobia: Some thoughts on the new Europe

The apparent resurgence of hostility against Jews has been a prominent theme in recent discussions of Europe. At the same time, the adversities of the Muslim populations on the continent have received increasing attention as well. In this article, I attempt a historical and cultural clarification of the key terms in this debate. I argue against the common impulse to analogize anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Instead, I offer an analytic framework that locates the two phenomena in different projects of exclusion. Anti-Semitism was invented in the late 19th century to police the ethnically pure nation-state; Islamophobia, by contrast, is a formation of the present, marshaled to safeguard a supranational Europe. Whereas traditional anti-Semitism has run its historical course with the supersession of the nation-state, Islamophobia threatens to become the defining condition of the new Europe.
Sugaring: An Ancient Method of Hair Removal

Background. Excess body hair can be removed by several methods including shaving, waxing, electrolysis, and lasers. We report herein an ancient technique of hair removal. Objective. To describe the technique of sugaring for removal of unwanted hair. Methods. Skin and paste preparation are described and paste application explained. Results. Hairless and exfoliated skin is achieved. Conclusion. Sugaring is a cost effective and practical method of hair removal heretofore unreported in the medical literature.
Sensitization of meningeal sensory neurons and the origin of headaches

The headaches that accompany certain intracranial pathologies (such as meningitis, subarachnoid haemorrhage and tumour) have been considered to result from mechanical or chemical stimulation of pain-sensitive structures of the intracranial meninges. Although the recurrent headache of migraine is of unknown origin and is not accompanied by an identifiable pathology, it shares with intracranial headaches features that suggest an exaggerated intracranial mechanosensitivity (worsening of the pain by coughing, breath-holding or sudden head movement). One possible basis for such symptoms would be a sensitization of meningeal afferents to mechanical stimuli. Previous studies of neuronal responses to meningeal stimulation have focused primarily on cells in the central portion of the trigeminal pathway, and have not investigated the possible occurrence of sensitization. We have recorded the activity of primary afferent neurons in the rat trigeminal ganglion that innervate the dural venous sinuses. Chemical stimulation of their dural receptive fields with inflammatory mediators both directly excited the neurons and enhanced their mechanical sensitivity, such that they were strongly activated by mechanical stimuli that initially had evoked little or no response. These properties of meningeal afferents (chemosensitivity and sensitization) may contribute to the intracranial mechanical hypersensitivity that is characteristic of some types of clinically occurring headaches, and may also contribute to the throbbing pain of migraine.
Bolt elongation of variable message signs

The purpose of this paper is to describe existing problem areas in the manufacturing and erecting of variable message signs (VMS) on cantilever truss units. VMS are electronic message boards that are rectangular in shape and weigh between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds. The structures that were inspected for this paper are part of the Route 80 Magic Project and the Traffic Signal Contract #25 (Route 37).© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The infusion of ex vivo activated and expanded CD4(+)CD25(+) immune regulatory cells inhibits graft-versus-host disease lethality.

Immune regulatory CD4+CD25+ cells play a vital role in the induction and maintenance of self-tolerance and the prevention of autoimmunity. Recently, CD4+CD25+ cells have been shown to be required for the ex vivo induction of tolerance to alloantigen via costimulatory blockade and to inhibit allogeneic skin graft rejection. Data presented here demonstrate that CD4+CD25+ cells play an important role in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) generation. Depletion of CD4+CD25+ cells from the donor T-cell inoculum or in vivo CD25-depletion of the recipient before transplantation resulted in increased GVHD mediated by CD4+or whole T cells in several strain combinations irrespective of the total body irradiation conditioning regime. The infusion of freshly purified donor CD4+CD25+ cells modestly inhibited GVHD when administered in equal numbers with whole CD4+ cells. Because CD4+CD25+ cells only account for 5% to 10% of the total CD4+ population, the administration of high numbers of fresh donor CD4+CD25+ cells may not be clinically practical. However, we found that large numbers of CD4+CD25+ cells can be obtained by ex vivo activation and expansion. Cultured CD4+CD25+ cells, administered in equal numbers with CD4+ T cells or CD25-depleted whole T cells, resulted in significant inhibition of rapidly lethal GVHD. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that activated, cultured CD4+CD25+ cells can offer substantial protection in a relevant in vivo animal model of disease. These data have important ramifications for clinical bone marrow and solid organ transplantation. CD4+CD25+ cells warrant consideration as an exciting new modality of cellular therapy for the inhibition of undesirable autologous and allogeneic responses.
On the security of the Merkle- Hellman cryptographic scheme (Corresp.)

A simplified version of the Merkle-Hellman public key cryptographic system is breakable. While their full-fledged system seems to be resistant to the cryptanalytic attack we propose, the result suggests some ways in which the security of their system can be enhanced.
Ventriculocoronary connections in hypoplastic right heart syndrome: Autopsy serial section study of six cases

Myocardial sinusoids communicating with the coronary systems occur in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum. To test the hypothesis that the extent of ventriculocoronary connections correlates with the degree of right ventricular outflow obstruction as evidenced by clinical, angiographic and gross anatomic findings, a serial section study of six human autopsy hearts representing a spectrum of hypoplastic right heart was undertaken. Slides were evaluated for the presence and extent of ventriculocoronary connections, associated developmental abnormalities and secondary changes in the ventricular walls. Whereas extensive blind-ended deep sinusoids were a feature of all five cases with unrelieved obstruction, ventriculocoronary connections were identified in three. Changes that suggested ongoing remodeling provide new evidence for the postnatal temporal evolution of these anomalous communications. The regional distribution of myofiber disarray in hypoplastic right heart supports the concept that vascularization parallels myocardial organization in the developing human heart.
The effects of progressive general anoxia on the pulmonary circulation.

The effects of progressive anoxia on the hemodynamic changes in the pulmonary circuit were reinvestigated in anesthetized dogs. Evidence is presented that some increase in pulmonary arterial resistance takes place, but that the augmented output of the right ventricle is dominantly responsible for elevation of the pulmonary arterial pressure when anoxia affects the body as a whole.
Studies on the Metabolism of Adipose Tissue: The Stimulation of Oxygen Consumption by TSH Preparations in Relation to Growth Hormone and Other Pituitary Fractions

An attempt has been made to define the principle (s) present in growth hormone preparations responsible for their effect in vitro on the oxygen uptake of rat epididymal adipose tissue. An examination of whole pituitary powder and 8 fractions derived therefrom revealed that the active principle was present in the largest amounts in those fractions richest in TSH, while the fractions richest in growth hormone possessed a relatively low activity. Purified samples of TSH were found to be very active in increasing the oxygen uptake, and this stimulatory activity was proportional to the TSH content of the preparations. The oxygen uptake of adipose tissue was increased by the addition of as little as a few tenths of a milliunit per ml of TSH. The amount of TSH reported to be present in the growth hormone preparations is sufficient to account for the effect of these preparations on the oxygen uptake of adipose tissue. It is suggested that certain previously described actions of growth hormone preparations on adip...
An efficient and robust computational framework for studying lifetime and information capacity in sensor networks

In this paper we investigate the expected lifetime and information capacity, defined as the maximum amount of data (bits) transferred before the first sensor node death due to energy depletion, of a data-gathering wireless sensor network. We develop a fluid-flow based computational framework that extends the existing approach, which requires precise knowledge of the layout/deployment of the network, i.e., exact sensor positions. Our method, on the other hand, views a specific network deployment as a particular instance (sample path) from an underlying distribution of sensor node layouts and sensor data rates. To compute the expected information capacity under this distribution-based viewpoint, we model parameters such as the node density, the energy density and the sensed data rate as continuous spatial Functions. This continuous-space flow model is then discretized into grids and solved using a linear programming approach. Numerical studies show that this model produces very accurate results, compared to averaging over results from random instances of deployment, with significantly less computation. Moreover, we develop a robust version of the linear program, which generates robust solutions that apply not just to a specific deployment, but also to topologies that are appropriately perturbed versions. This is especially important for a network designer studying the fundamental lifetime limit of a family of network layouts, since the lifetime of specific network deployment instances may differ appreciably. As an example of this model's use, we determine the optimal node distribution for a linear network and study the properties of optimal routing that maximizes the lifetime of the network.