cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quadratic program based nonlinear embedded control of series elastic actuators

This paper presents a method for embedded motor control based upon rapidly exponentially stabilizing control Lyapunov functions (RES-CLFs) implemented through Quadratic Programs (QPs). This will give guaranteed exponential convergence via an optimal nonsmooth nonlinear embedded level controller that provides the minimal control effort necessary to achieve the desired convergence in torque. Utilizing this novel control methodology, we are able to formally establish that the dynamics of series elastic systems can be approximated by rigid system models. Importantly, the RES-CLF based QP is presented in a way that will allow for its real-time implementation at the embedded level via a closed form solution to a QP; the end result is a nonlinear optimal controller able to run at over 5 kHz. To demonstrate this, simulation and experimental results are presented showing the performance of the embedded controller.
Character, Character Type, and Character Organization:

This paper explores the relevance of the concept of character organization for psychoanalysis and argues for its usefulness in preserving what is specific to character. Character organization is viewed as a bridge concept between the observable and the structural, the role of fantasy and object relations in development, and as a convenient way of describing certain global phenomena not easily encompassed by the structural theory or compromise formation.
STEADY-STATE ANALYSIS OF THE RISING SOLAR POND

Abstract The rising solar pond is a configuration in which brine is injected into the pond so as to give all or part of the gradient an upward velocity. This injection alters the salinity profile, steepening it adjacent to the gradient zone upper boundary and thus helping to minimize gradient erosion there. This paper presents analytic expressions for the steady-state salinity profiles in a rising pond, calculated as a function of injection and pond parameters for a constant solutal diffusivity, and also for a temperature-dependent diffusivity. Salinity profiles for various cases are related to specified temperature profiles to determine stability within the gradient zone. Injection into the gradient near the upper boundary is shown to provide the needed increase of boundary gradient with minimal reduction of the margin of safety for internal stability. Suggestions are given for practical implementation of the rising pond concept.
RMS: programs for generating raster molecular surfaces

Abstract RMS (Raster Molecular Surfaces) is a package of programs that offer the researcher a number of solid modeling techniques for presenting a macromolecular structure. The programs use a mapping algorithm, calculating the shading parameters only once, to reduce computation time. A simple linear approximation is used for antialiasing of atomic edges, shadows and surface intersections. I have implemented two major advances: depth cueing using an opaque “fog” and z-clipping to show detailed interactions in the interior of molecules. Spherical atoms and cylindrical bonds are also available.
Evidence that cocaine slows cardiac conduction by an action on both AV nodal and His-Purkinje tissue in the dog

Abstract The effects of intravenous cocaine (2 mg/kg) were tested on several indices of cardiac electrical activity in sedated dogs. These included sinus rate, PR, AH, and HV intervals; AV nodal effective refractory period (AVNERP); ventricular effective refractory period; QRS duration; and the QT interval. Cocaine induced significant changes in six control animals with an intact-functioning autonomic nervous systems. After pharmacologic autonomic blockade with propranolol plus propantheline, cocaine increased the PR interval (+11 ± 4.0 ms, p
Detection of a single electron produced inside bulk superfluid helium

Abstract The HERON project is an effort to develop a detector for low-energy solar neutrinos in real time by observing their elastic scattering from electrons using superfluid helium as the target material. By applying appropriate electric fields, the recoil electron can be separated from the positive ion, drifted upward to the liquid–vacuum interface, transmitted through the surface with the aid of a vortex ring, and detected using a calorimeter. By studying the correlation of the 16 eV photon signal produced by scintillation and the single-electron signal, we can locate a neutrino event in a large detector and distinguish it from the background events involving multiple Compton scattering.
Protamine does not affect the formation of cGMP or cAMP in pig vascular smooth muscle cells in response to vasodilators.

OBJECTIVES Protamine has recently been shown to have a direct vasodilator action in isolated vascular tissue. As one possible mechanism for this action, it has been hypothesized that protamine might increase the response of vascular smooth muscle to the endothelium-derived relaxing factor, nitric oxide. In this study, we tested this hypothesis and examined the effect of protamine on other guanosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)- and adenosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent processes. DESIGN Prospective, repeated measures analysis of concentration-response curves. SETTING Anesthesia research laboratory in an academic medical center. SUBJECTS Cultured coronary artery smooth muscle cells from pig heart. INTERVENTIONS Sodium nitroprusside was used to mimic the action of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor by stimulating the soluble guanylyl cyclase and increasing intracellular cGMP. Atrial natriuretic peptide was used to stimulate the particulate guanylyl cyclase. Isoproterenol and forskolin were used to increase intracellular cAMP. The responses to these agents were determined in the presence and absence of protamine. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS In cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, sodium nitroprusside increased cGMP, the second messenger for endothelium-derived relaxing factor, in a concentration-dependent manner. In cells treated with protamine (32 to 250 micrograms/mL), we could detect no effect of protamine on basal intracellular levels of cGMP until a concentration of 250 micrograms/mL of protamine was used. At this concentration, protamine increased basal cGMP concentrations from 4.2 +/- 0.3 to 9.0 +/- 0.6 pmol/mg protein (p < .001). The response of intracellular cGMP to sodium nitroprusside in cells treated with 250 micrograms/mL or other concentrations of protamine was not different from control. Likewise, we could detect no effect of protamine on intracellular cGMP stimulated with the atrial natriuretic peptide or on cAMP stimulated with the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, isoproterenol, or with forskolin. CONCLUSIONS These experiments show that protamine does not alter the responses of the intracellular second messengers, cGMP and cAMP, to the vasodilators sodium nitroprusside, atrial natriuretic peptide, isoproterenol, and forskolin. These results do not support the hypothesis that protamine sensitizes vascular smooth muscle cells to the endothelium-derived relaxing factor, nitric oxide.
Seasonal settlement of Olympia oyster larvae, Ostrea lurida Carpenter 1864 and its relationship to seawater temperature in two Southern California estuaries.

ABSTRACT The continued lack of recovery of the United States west coast populations of the Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida † Carpenter 1864, has piqued recent interest in restoration projects. Because local population persistence is influenced by many factors, including larval settlement, information about the magnitude and timing of settlement will provide valuable contributions to such restoration efforts. We examined larval settlement as a function of season and also monitored water temperature, which is reported to influence settlement timing by cueing synchronized male spawning and subsequent larval settlement. Previous literature, based on an anomalous open coast population, found that settlement of O. lurida in La Jolla, CA occurred once seawater reached a temperature of 16°C. To observe variation over seasons in larval settlement density relative to temperature within the more common estuarine habitat in southern California, we placed ceramic tiles in two locations within Upper Newport Bay, Newport,...
Ethanol drinking elicited during electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus.

Abstract The fact that rats will drink intoxicating amounts of aversive ethyl alcohol solutions during electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus in a standard test chamber was demonstrated. The ingestion of ethanol was produced rapidly and daily for as long as 25 days without any obvious deleterious effects. Possible applications to the development of an animal model for the study of alcoholism are discussed.
Application of the particle beam interface to high-performance liquid chromatography-thermal energy analysis and electron impact mass spectrometry for detection of non-volatile N-nitrosamines

Abstract Interest in the analysis of non-volatile N-nitrosamines has recently been renewed due to the development of several new reversed-phase HPLC interfaces to thermal energy analysis (TEA) or chemiluminescence detection. A new application of a counter flow gas diffusion cell (CFGDC)-based particle beam LC interface (Universal Interface, Vestec) is described for the HPLC-TEA analysis of the non-volatile N-nitrosamines, N-Nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) and N-nitrosomethyl-p-amino-2-ethylhexylbenzoate (NMPABAO). The interface incorporates a thermospray vaporizer, desolvation chamber, and CFGDC to reduce the LC effluent to a dry aerosol and a single-stage momentum separator to form a particle beam of the non-volatile analyte. Using this system, the LC-TEA response to NDELA was linear in the range 6–200 ng total amount injected. Several experiments are reported indicating the effect of thermospray tip temperature, He carrier flow-rate, and mobile phase composition on TEA response. Minimum detection limits (5 ng NDELA injected on column) are comparable to other LC-TEA interfacing methods. Several advantages over existing methodology which include ease of use, ruggedness and MS compatibility are discussed. Additional LC-particle beam MS data are reported indicating that full scan electron impact MS identification of the N-nitrosamine contaminants in cosmetics is possible for confirming TEA detection data.
Synthetic biology: New strategies for directing design

The advancement of synthetic biology is thanks, in large part, to continuing improvements in DNA synthesis. The expansion of synthetic biology into the realm of metabolic engineering has shifted the focus from simply making novel synthetic biological parts to answering the question of how we employ these biological parts to construct genomes that ultimately give rise to useful phenotypes. Much like protein engineering, the answer to this will be arrived at following the combination of rational design and evolutionary approaches. This review will highlight some of the new DNA synthesis-enabled search methods and discuss the application of such methods to the creation of synthetic gene networks and genomes.
Perceptions of authenticity at a heritage destination: An examination of visitor perceptions of authenticity at South Luogu Alley, Beijing

Authenticity, often cited as an important component of heritage tourism, is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon. A central issue in understanding authenticity is to determine what is perceived to be authentic. The present study examined visitor perceptions of the authenticity of the South Luogu Alley (SLA), a Hutong in Beijing. Described as a “must-see” destination for visitors to Beijing seeking to experience traditional “Hutong” culture, SLA has been redeveloped to incorporate both traditional and modern facilities. The inclusion of new building materials, pseudotraditional architecture, and Western-influenced architecture has raised concerns about the authenticity of SLA. The present study examined perceptions of authenticity of 353 visitors to the SLA. A self-administered survey was used for the study. It examined perceptions of specific elements of the destination and the destination as a whole. It also analyzed the impact of demographic factors and visitor experience on perceptions of authenticity. The present study found that for many visitors the external environment and architecture were most important elements contributing to perceptions of authenticity. The study determined that visitors' understanding of authenticity is best described as “constructive” and that a variety of personal factors can influence perceptions of authenticity. It also found that visitors' criteria for authenticity tend to be contextual.
Identification and analysis of PCB dechlorinating anaerobic enrichments by amplification: accuracy of community structure based on restriction analysis and partial sequencing of 16S rRNA genes

The composition of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorinating mixed communities was analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR amplified rDNAs (ARDRA) and partial sequencing of 16S rRNA genes amplified from PCB degrading enrichments. Restriction analysis confirms that the 16S rRNA genes amplified from PCB dechlorinating communities vary depending on the PCB congener dechlorinated. Comparison of 16S rRNA sequences to published ribosomal databases indicates that the two most abundant Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) appear to be species of the genus Clostridium. The amount that the amplification procedure contributed to this result was determined by varying the amplification procedure and by creating an artificial template mixture. Varying the amount of template by sixfold in the amplification did not affect the distribution of OTUs but the number of OTUs observed decreased with decreasing template concentration. Comparison of products amplified from mixtures of 16S rDNA clones indicates that the more abundant Clostridium OTU did not amplify more efficiently than those of less abundant OTUs. Hybridization to a probe designed to detect the most abundant OTUs indicates that two other OTUs are closely related to this Clostridium species.
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 recombinant gp120 induces changes in protein kinase C isozymes--a preliminary report.

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and its purified proteins activate target cell functions. Because protein kinase C (PKC) plays a crucial role in signal transduction and there is a molecular heterogeneity of PKC, we compared the effect of recombinant HIV-1 gp 120 and phorbol ester (PMA) on PKC isozymes in monocytic U937 cells, with isozyme-specific antibodies using flow cytometry. All PKC isozymes except PKC-γ were present in U937 cells. Both PMA and HIV-1 gp120 increased levels of calcium-dependent and -independent PKC isozymes. The most striking change was observed in PKC-ξ isozymes levels. This study for the first time demonstrate the HIV-1 gp120 affects calcium-independent PKC isozymes in U937 cells.
2'-Hydroxy ceramide in membrane homeostasis and cell signaling.

Ceramide is a precursor of complex sphingolipids and also plays important roles in cell signaling. With the advances in lipid analytical technologies, the structural diversity of ceramide species have become evident, and the complexity of cellular metabolism and function associated with distinct ceramide species is beginning to be revealed. One of the common structural variations of ceramide is 2′-hydroxylation of the N-acyl chain. Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) is one of the enzymes that introduce the hydroxyl group during de novo synthesis of ceramide. FA2H is essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, as evidenced by demyelinating disorder associated with FA2H mutations in humans and mice. Studies of Fa2h mutant mice indicate that lack of 2′-hydroxy galactosylceramide in the myelin membrane results in loss of long-term stability of myelin and eventual demyelination. FA2H also regulates differentiation of various cell types (epidermal keratinocytes, schwannoma cells, adipocytes). When provided exogenously, ceramide induces apoptosis in many cell types. Interestingly, the effective concentration of 2′-hydroxy ceramide that induces apoptosis is significantly lower compared to non-hydroxy ceramide, and cells die much more rapidly, suggesting that 2′-hydroxy ceramide can mediate proapoptotic signaling distinct from non-hydroxy ceramide. Collectively, current evidence clearly shows that 2′-hydroxy ceramide and 2′-hydroxy complex sphingolipids have unique functions in membrane homeostasis and cell signaling that could not be substituted by non-hydroxy counterparts.
The Effect of Homosexuality on Perceptions of Persuasiveness and Trustworthiness

This study investigated the effect of sexual orientation on perceptions of persuasiveness and trustworthiness. Subjects were told that a university was considering adding either an International Studies Minor or a Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Studies minor to its curriculum. Subjects then viewed a videotape of a male professor, introduced as either homosexual or heterosexual, speaking about the benefits of the proposal. Following the video, ratings of the speaker's trustworthiness and persuasiveness were assessed. Results indicate that the speaker's sexual orientation alone did not have a significant effect on either of these ratings. However, a significant interaction occurred between the speaker's sexual orientation and the speech topic, indicating that subjects expressed especially low levels of trustworthiness when the homosexual speaker was lecturing on the GLB minor. Regression analyses revealed that subjects' attitudes toward homosexuals were a significant predictor of their judgements of the speaker's trustworthiness.
Adverse Reactions Following Administration of an Ionic Iodinated Contrast Media in Anesthetized Dogs

This retrospective study was conducted to identify hemodynamic alterations associated with the administration of an ionic iodinated contrast media in dogs. Case records of 49 dogs that were anesthetized for computed tomography scanning were reviewed. Values for heart rate (HR) and direct arterial pressure were obtained. Overall, 37% of dogs had a ≥20% change in either HR or systolic arterial pressure from baseline values. Four dogs (8%) became tachycardic and two dogs (4%) became bradycardic. Eight dogs (16%) became hypertensive and two dogs (4%) became hypotensive. A significant proportion of dogs experienced changes in HR and blood pressure following IV administration of an ionic iodinated contrast media under general anesthesia.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of covalently cationized polyethylene as a function of sample temperature

Abstract A pre-charged, low molecular mass, low polydispersity linear polyethylene was analyzed with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry as a function of sample temperature between 25 °C and 150 °C. This temperature range crosses the polyethylene melting temperature. Buckminsterfullerene (C 60 ) was used as MALDI matrix due to the high volatility of typical MALDI matrices making them unsuitable for heating in vacuum. Starting at 90 °C there is an increase in polyethylene ion intensity at fixed laser energy. By 150 °C the integrated total ion intensity had grown by six-fold indicating that melting did indeed increase ion yield. At 150 °C the threshold laser intensity to produce intact polyethylene ions decreased by about 25%. Nevertheless, significant fragmentation accompanied the intact polyethylene ions even at the highest temperatures and the lowest laser energies.
UNIQUE CHROMOSOME ABNORMALITIES IN A CHILD WITH PRE-B CELL - B CELL LEUKEMIA

A seven-month-old white male presented with Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with 90% FAB L2 phenotype, Tdt positive, intercytoplasmic and surface immunoglobulin positive blasts in the bone marrow, suggestive of Pre- B - B Cell malignancy. An occasional cell in the peripheral smear showed Auer rods. Cytochemical stains of the bone marrow were negative. Initial karyotype analysis showed 100% of the bone marrow cells with a male karyotype, trisomy 19 and pericentric inversion of 7: 47,XY,+19, inv(7). The patient achieved a short remission with ALL protocol. At relapse, blasts morphology and cytochemistry was suggestive of Acute Myeloid leukemia (AML) and in addition to the previously described chromosome abnormalities two new clones emerged, i.e., 47,XY,+19, inv(7), del(7q) and 47,XY,+19, inv del(7p). The patient was unresponsive to AML chemotherapy and subsequently expired. To our knowledge this is the first report of trisomy 19 in combination with inversion 7 in a leukemia with biphenotypic features. Although the morphological and cytochemical features of the leukemic cells changed to a myeloid type, the chromosome abnormalities typical of lymphoid malignancies persisted and could explain the poor clinical response of the patient to AML therapy.
Race/ethnicity and breast cancer estrogen receptor status : impact of class, missing data, and modeling assumptions

Objective To test whether reported associations between race/ethnicity and breast cancer estrogen receptor (ER) status are inflated due to missing ER data, lack of socioeconomic data, and use of the odds ratio (OR) rather than the prevalence ratio (PR).
Secure and privacy-preserving biometrics based active authentication

User authentication is critical in preventing system breaches. Existing authentication approaches usually do a onetime log-in authentication, but rarely incorporate mechanisms to differentiate the initial log-in user and the user who is currently taking control of the system, which may cause post-authentication breaches. In this paper, we study user authentication for both login session and post-authentication session and propose a biometrics based active authentication approach. Moreover, concerning the usage of biometrics, the system is biometrics-secure and privacy-preserving. Security analysis and experimental results prove that the proposed approach is secure, resilient to various attacks and effective.
Anatomy of the brain neurogenic zones revisited: Fractones and the fibroblast/macrophage network

Cytogenesis in adult peripheral organs, and in all organs during development, occurs nearby basal laminae (BL) overlying connective tissue. Paradoxically, cytogenesis in the adult brain occurs primarily in the subependymal layer (SEL), a zone where no particular organization of BL and connective tissue has been described. We have reinvestigated the anatomy of the area considered the most neurogenic in the adult brain, the SEL of the lateral ventricle, in zones adjacent to the caudate putamen, corpus callosum, and lateral septal nucleus. Here, we report structural (confocal microscopy using laminin as a marker) and ultrastructural evidence for highly organized extravascular BL, unique to the SEL. The extravascular BL, termed fractones because of their fractal organization, were regularly arranged along the SEL and consisted of stems terminating in bulbs immediately underneath the ependyma. Fractones contacted local blood vessels by means of their stems. An individual fractone engulfed in its folds numerous processes of astrocytes, ependymocytes, microglial cells, and precursor cell types. The attachment site (base) of stems to blood vessels was extensively folded, overlying large perivascular macrophages that belong to a fibroblast/macrophage network coursing in the perivascular layer and through the meninges. In addition, collagen-1, which is associated with BL and growth factors during developmental morphogenetic inductions, was immunodetected in the SEL and particularly regionalized within fractones. Because macrophages and fibroblasts produce cytokines and growth factors that may concentrate in and exert their effect from the BL, we suggest that the structure described is implicated in adult neurogenesis, gliogenesis, and angiogenesis.
Public assistance and the pressure to commit crime: An empirical challenge to conservative criminology

In this paper, bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to evaluate three hypotheses about the relationship between public assistance and the frequency of criminal arrests among women. The first two hypotheses are derived from conservative doctrine. These hypotheses propose that either (1) there is no correlation between public assistance and reported criminal offenses, or (2) there is a positive correlation between public assistance and reported criminal offenses. The third hypothesis is drawn from liberal scholarship and proposes that there is a negative correlation between public assistance and reported criminal offenses. The study tests these hypotheses using a sample compromised of 104 at-risk women. Statistical analysis find no empirical support for the two conservative hypotheses. Significant empirical support is found for the hypothesis derived from the liberal tradition. Results are presented and discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the significance of these findings for future social policy with respect to public assistance and street crime.
Ankyrin and beta-spectrin accumulate independently of alpha-spectrin in Drosophila

Abstract We report the identification and initial characterization of Drosophila melanogaster ankyrin. Oligonucleotide primers based on the spectrin-binding domain of human brain ankyrin were used to amplify Drosophila genomic DNA. A cloned 184-bp PCR product was used to isolate Drosophila ankyrin cDNAs. Ankyrin cDNA probes detected a 5.5-kb transcript from embryonic poly(A)+ RNA and a single polytene chromosome locus (101F-102A). The cDNA sequence encodes a 170-kDa protein that is 53% identical to human brain ankyrin (Ank2). Antibodies directed against a recombinant fragment of Drosophila ankyrin reacted with a 170-kDa polypeptide from Drosophila embryos, larvae, S2 cells, and adult flies. The ankyrin antibody coimmunoprecipitated alpha- and beta-spectrin with ankyrin in detergent extracts of Drosophila embryo membranes. Antibodies against Drosophila ankyrin, alpha-spectrin and beta-spectrin were used to detect these proteins in wild-type and alpha-spectrin-mutant larvae. alpha-Spectrin levels were greatly diminished in mutant larvae, but levels of ankyrin and beta-spectrin were indistinguishable from wild type. The persistence of ankyrin and beta-spectrin may explain the relatively mild phenotype of alpha-spectrin mutants during early Drosophila development.
Clinical predictors of bioterrorism-related inhalational anthrax.

Summary Limitation of a bioterrorist anthrax attack will require rapid and accurate recognition of the earliest victims. To identify clinical characteristics of inhalational anthrax, we compared 47 historical cases (including 11 cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax) with 376 controls with community-acquired pneumonia or influenza-like illness. Nausea, vomiting, pallor or cyanosis, diaphoresis, altered mental status, and raised haematocrit were more frequently recorded in the inhalational anthrax cases than in either the community-acquired pneumonia or influenza-like illness controls. The most accurate predictor of anthrax was mediastinal widening or pleural effusion on a chest radiograph. This finding was 100% sensitive (95% CI 84·6–100·0) for inhalational anthrax, 71·8% specific (64·8–78·1) compared with community-acquired pneumonia, and 95·6% specific (90·0–98·5) compared with influenza-like illness. Our findings represent preliminary efforts toward identifying clinical predictors of inhalational anthrax.
Inflammatory cytokines induce the transformation of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells into myofibroblasts: a potential role in skin fibrogenesis

Background: The myofibroblast plays a central role in wound contraction and in the pathology of fibrosis. The origin(s) of this important cell type in skin has not been firmly established. Methods: Human epithelioid dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC) were isolated from foreskin tissue and maintained in cell culture. The transformation of epithelioid HDMEC into myofibroblasts (EMT) was induced by the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the transformed cells were characterized by electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR. Results: After short-term exposure to IL-1β or TNF-α ( 10 days), EMT was permanent. The transformed cells were identified as myofibroblasts by cytoplasmic microfilaments with dense bodies and attachment plaques, by the expression of α-smooth muscle actin, type I collagen and calponin, and by quantitative RT-PCR gene expression of type I collagen and α-smooth muscle actin. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to TNF-α or IL-1β induced the permanent transformation of HDMEC into myofibroblasts in cell culture. A similar transformation following chronic inflammatory stimulation in vivo may explain one source of myofibroblasts in skin fibrogenesis.
The scattering of Alfven waves by density fluctuations

The propagation of an Alfven wave packet through a medium containing time-dependent random density fluctuations is considered. The Alfven wave interaction with these density irregularities causes the transfer of wave power to both shear (Alfvenic) and compressive (magnetosonic) disturbances. The latter are dissipated and heat the plasma. The Alfven wave decay rate is computed in the limit of short-wavelength density fluctuations, the results are applied to the solar corona and interstellar medium.
Neuropsychologic Assessment in Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy

Neuropsychologic assessment has long been an integral part of evaluation for surgical treatment of epilepsy. Neuropsychologic evaluation and consultation continue to be an important part of the assessment for operative intervention for epilepsy, but the role of neuropsychology has changed over time. At one time, neuropsychologic assessment assumed a diagnostic role in preoperative evaluation for epilepsy and also contributed to the lateralization and localization of the seizure focus. Sophisticated electroencephalo-graphic techniques and especially neuroimaging have revolutionized the diagnosis and management in epilepsy surgical treatment centers. Although still helpful, neuropsychology no longer has a major role in lateralization or localization of seizure onset. This report describes neuropsychologic evaluation and its current role in surgical treatment of epilepsy. The characteristics and purposes of neuropsychologic assessment and Wada testing (intracarotid injection of amobar-bital) are described. Current research on assessment of emotional adjustment and on its predictors before and after surgical therapy for epilepsy is reviewed. Finally, the risk for neuropsychologic decline after temporal lobectomy is discussed in light of recent research on preoperative memory, hippocampal pathologic lesions, and quantitative neuroimaging data.
WHAT HAVE POLICY STUDIES TOLD US ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND WHERE CAN WE QOFROM HERE

Twenty years after the enactment of the Civil Rights Act o 9 4, politica moral, and legal debates continue over aspects of i t s implementation through the use of affirmative action. Members of the recently reconstituted U.S. Commission on Civil Rights have expressed skepticism over reliance on affirmative action in the future thereby adding new fuel to these discussions. Regrettably, when we turn our attention to policy studies of affirmative action in one key area that of federal employment it is evident policy research has not done enough to answer what many now pose as the central question: Does affirmative action work? The essay assesses the state of knowledge pertaining to this question and suggests how future research might be undertaken to provide a more comprehensive answer.
Extraction of Lipid and Cholesterol from Fish Muscle with Supercritical Fluids

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was explored as a method for removing lipids and cholesterol from fish muscle. Selected conditions of extraction pressure, time, temperature and sample size were evaluated for effective removal of lipid and cholesterol. Increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) pressure from 2000 to 5000 psig and the temperature from 40° to 50°C had little effect on the extent of lipid removal. Increasing the extraction time from 3 hr to 9 hr increased lipid removal. Ethanol as an entrainer significantly enhanced lipid extraction at all pressures used. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) and SCO2 plus ethanol removed 78% and 97% of the lipids and 97% and 99% bf the cholesterol, respectively, from trout muscle. The solubility of the muscle proteins decreased following extraction.
Regulation of Transpiration to Improve Crop Water Use

Decreasing fresh water supplies and increasing agricultural drought threaten sustainable worldwide crop production. Consequently, there is a global priority to develop crops with higher water use efficiency (WUE): biomass production or yield per unit of water used. Water use efficiency varies substantially among species and genotypes within a species, and a major effort is now underway to identify the genetic determinants of WUE. Today, it is known that genotypes in primary gene pools exhibit allelic variation for WUE through mechanisms that regulate transpiration, which is the conductance of water through stomata, the cuticle, and the boundary layer. Because of the differential diffusion properties of water and carbon dioxide (CO2) through these pathways, it is feasible that WUE could be improved by decreasing transpiration without a concomitant reduction in CO2 uptake. Since CO2 uptake and transpirational water loss occur predominantly through stomatal pores, it is not surprising that genes involved in ...
Itinerant Ferromagnetism in Disordered Metals: A Mean-Field Theory

We develop a mean-field approach to interacting disordered systems of itinerant electrons based on a statistical treatment of disorder enhanced Hartree-Fock interactions. We demonstrate that for $d\ensuremath{\le}2$ a disordered system may exhibit a finite temperature partial spin polarization even if its clean analog is paramagnetic. The disorder and temperature dependent magnetization and spin susceptibility are calculated. Possible relevance to recent experiments on quantum dots is discussed.
LYSOSOMES IN BRAINS OF LOWER VERTEBRATES.

1. 1. Sucrose homogenates prepared from brain and cervical spinal cord of two teleostean fish and one amphibian were separated into a nuclear fraction, sedimenting below 800 g, a granule fraction 800 g−17,000 g), microsomal fraction (17,000 g−10,000 g) and post-100,000 g supernate. The original homogenate and each of the above fractions were assayed for two of the acidhydrolases associated with lyosomal granules in mammalian brain: viz. acidphosphatase and acid-ribonuclease. 2. 2. Hihgest specific activity and highest per cent of total recovered enzyme activity of acid-phosphatase occurred in the granule fraction in all three species. Distribution of acid-ribonuclease activity paralleled that of acid-phosphatase in two of the species. 3. 3. Addition of a non-ionic detergent (Tergitol-NPX) to the homogenates caused the release of nearly 100 per cent of both granule-associated hydrolases into the non-sedimentable phase of the homogenates. 4. 4. Thse oberservation provide biochemical evidence to support the existence of lysosomes in central nervous tissues of certain lower vertebrates.
Newborn tracheal aspirate cytology: Classification during respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Cytopathologic examinations of tracheobronchial aspirates from 108 infants sampled during mechanical ventilation demonstrated a well-defined progression of cytologic changes in bronchial epithelial cells that could be divided into three classes. Seventy percent of infants with respiratory distress syndrome who developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia had pulmonary effluent cytology designated Class III; no infants with RDS but without BPD had these cytologic findings. Additionally, a temporal progression of events involving polymorphonuclear leukocyte and macrophage populations occurred in the absence of infection; these events were associated with duration of assisted ventilation and oxygen exposure. The technique described provides a useful way to monitor the progression of lung injury and repair and offers a cytologic method to predict and diagnose the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Optical constants of D 2 O in the infrared

The near-normal incidence spectral reflectance of deuterium oxide at 27 °C has been measured in the spectral range 6800–350 cm−1. Kramers-Kronig phase shift analysis has been applied to measured reflectance to obtain values of the real and imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction Nˆ(ν) = n(ν) + ik(ν). The results are compared in detail with the corresponding optical constants of ordinary water at 27 °C. In general, the D2O absorption bands are narrower and less intense than the corresponding bands in ordinary water.
Performance and Private Speech of Children with Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder while Taking the Tower of Hanoi Test: Effects of Depth of Search, Diagnostic Subtype, and Methylphenidate.

We administered the Tower of Hanoi to demographically comparable samples of control participants (n = 34) and children with the Combined (n = 22) and Inattentive subtypes (n = 19) of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Controls excelled over children with the Inattentive subtype, who outperformed patients with the Combined subtype. These results replicated findings of greater executive deficits in the Combined than in the Inattentive type of ADHD. Double-blind administration of methylphenidate improved task performance only for patients with the Inattentive subtype. In a drug-free Baseline session, children with both subtypes of ADHD made more private verbalizations than controls, particularly when failing puzzles. In later sessions, regardless of drug condition, the inattentive sample exhibited a smaller increase in self-regulatory utterances under failure. In contrast, the combined sample decreased self-regulatory verbalizations under failure only under methylphenidate. The results support some differences between the two subtypes of ADHD in executive functioning and in their response to stimulant therapy.
Steady-State Intake Flow in a High-Performance V-Twin Engine

The design of intake ports for high-performance internal combustion engines has traditionally relied on steady-state flow benches and prototype core boxes. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods were employed to gain further insight into the characteristics of a high-performance motorcycle engine. In this particular engine configuration, the throttle is located in very close proximity to the intake port, and the effects of throttle position on the intake flow characteristics were examined. This study shows that steady-state CFD analysis can be used in combination with traditional flow optimization techniques to provide further insight for cylinder head development. The intake flow behavior in this engine was found to vary considerably as a function of valve lift and throttle position. It was found that at low valve lifts the intake flow is relatively uniform around the periphery of the intake port, but at high valve lifts the flow into the cylinder is biased towards the top of the intake port. This results in a tendency to promote tumble at high valve lifts, but not at low valve lifts. Small throttle opening angles were found to magnify the flow biasing effect at high valve lifts.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Studying of Contact Angle Friction and Contact Angle Hysteresis (CAH) Though Force Measurements

A novel method of measuring contact line friction and contact angle hysteresis is described. In this method, a droplet is constrained between two surfaces while the surface of interest initiates motion. The results are compared to conventional characterization methods such as measuring the angle of inclined plane for droplet motion and measuring advancing and receding contact angles by infusing/withdrawing liquid from the substrate. At slow speeds, the proposed method provides a measure of the hysteresis but can also capture information about the contact line friction and viscous affects. Droplet force dependence on droplet size (height/width) is also investigated.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Combining Nonstably Infinite Theories

The Nelson---Oppen combination method combines decision procedures for first-order theories over disjoint signatures into a single decision procedure for the union theory. In order to be correct, the method requires that the component theories be stably infinite. This restriction makes the method inapplicable to many interesting theories such as, for instance, theories having only finite models. In this paper, we describe two extensions of the Nelson---Oppen method that address the problem of combining theories that are not stably infinite. In our extensions, the component decision procedures exchange not only equalities between shared variables but also certain cardinality constraints. Applications of our results include the combination of theories having only finite models, as well as the combination of nonstably infinite theories with the theory of equality, the theories of total and partial orders, and the theory of lattices with maximum and minimum.
A Formative Evaluation of Shared Family Mealtime for Parents of Toddlers and Young Children

Shared family mealtime offers numerous health benefits for young children. Unfortunately, only a few studies examine the benefits and barriers to eating together as a family. The present study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by applying the health belief model to understand parents' perceptions about the challenges of preparing and executing family mealtime for toddlers and young children. Six focus groups were conducted with parents of toddlers and/or young children (n = 24). Results revealed that parents identified several benefits to shared family mealtime, including good teaching moments for their children, enhanced family connectedness, and encouraging nutritious meals. Parents also identified barriers to eating together as a family, including child behavioral issues, scheduling difficulties, and ill-prepared husbands. The risks associated with not eating together as a family were seldom mentioned; however, parents highlighted several issues related to self-efficacy, such as difficulty in se...
New Approaches for Antiviral Targeting of HIV Assembly

The pressing need to develop antivirals active against resistant strains of HIV-1 has led to efforts to target steps in the virus life cycle other than reverse transcription and Gag proteolysis. Among those steps are entry, integration, and assembly and/or maturation. Advances in understanding the structural biology of both the immature and the mature forms of the HIV capsid have made it possible to design or discover small molecules and peptides that interfere with both assembly and maturation. Here, we review the current state of the art in assembly and maturation inhibitors.
Gas chromatographic method for the determination of testosterone in urine

Abstract A method is described for measuring testosterone in the urine using glucuronidase hydrolysis, continuous extraction with methylene dichloride, and chromatography on silica gel column as well as thin-layer and gas chromatography. This method proved to be practical for processing large numbers of samples and gave consistently reproducible results in the more than 600 specimens tested in the course of clinical evaluation of patients.
On the Proliferation Potential of Uranium Fuel for Research Reactors at Various Enrichment Levels

This article reviews the rationale of selecting an enrichment of just less than 20% (low-enriched uranium) as the preferred enrichment level for research reactor fuel in order to minimize overall proliferation risks. The net strategic value of the nuclear material associated with reactor operation is evaluated for a variety of enrichment levels, ranging from slightly enriched to weapon-grade fuel. To quantify the proliferation potential, both the demand of fresh uranium fuel as well as the plutonium buildup in the irradiated fuel are estimated via cell burnup calculations. The analysis confirms the usefulness of the current enrichment limit and challenges a recent trend to reconsider fuel enrichment levels between 20% and 50% for new research reactor projects.
Single-Molecule FRET Shows Folding Transition Path Time for All-Alpha Protein Slowed by Internal Friction

The transition-path is the tiny fraction of an equilibrium, single-molecule trajectory when a transition occurs between two states. The importance of the transition-path in protein folding is that it contains all the mechanistic information on how a protein folds and unfolds. However, a transition-path has never been observed experimentally for any molecular system in the condensed phase because it is too fast to measure. Even determining the average transition-path time, 〈tTP〉, is challenging. Previously, we determined 〈tTP〉∼2μs for the all-β protein, FBP28 WW-domain (1/kF=100μs) and an upper bound of 〈tTP〉∼10μs for the much slower αβ-protein GB1 (1/kF =1s) by employing the Gopich-Szabo maximum likelihood analysis of photon trajectories in single-molecule FRET experiments and a kinetic model in which the lifetime of an additional state in a one-step discretization of the transition path corresponds to 〈tTP〉 (Chung et al., Science 2012). Surprisingly, the 〈tTP〉s for the two proteins differ by <5-fold, while the folding rates differ by ∼10,000-fold. Even more surprising is that this result can be explained by the theory for diffusion of a Brownian particle over a barrier on a one-dimensional free-energy surface, which predicts 〈tTP〉 to be insensitive to the barrier height but to scale as 1/D∗, the diffusion coefficient at the barrier top, i.e. 〈tTP〉μln(3βΔG∗)/D∗. Maximum likelihood analysis of photon trajectories for α3D, an all-α protein (1/kF=2ms), reveals an additional-state lifetime of 12μs. While the folding time for all-β proteins scales linearly with the solvent viscosity, like other all-α proteins, the folding time of α3D scales sub-linearly with viscosity (1/kF∼η1/2), as does the 12μs lifetime. These results indicate that this additional lifetime corresponds to 〈tTP〉, slowed compared to the WW-domain by a larger contribution of internal friction to D∗.
Pro-oxidant activation of ocular reductants. 2. Lens epithelial cell cytotoxicity of a dietary quinone is associated with a stable free radical formed with glutathione in vitro.

The ability of 2,6-dimethoxyquinone (DMQ) to impair 86 Rb uptake by bovine lens epithelial cells was found to be independent of exogenous ascorbate in contrast to the impairment induced by Fe/Cu or riboflavin plus light. The cytotoxicity was associated with an electron spin resonance (ESR) detectable singlet radical (g = 2·0062) which also formed on incubation of DMQ with glutathione (GSH) or gamma-crystallin in vitro. Formation of the stable free radical appeared to require conjugation of DMQ by peptidyl thiol and required transition metal catalysis. A structure for the DMQ-glutathione free radical conjugate is proposed. Redox activity of quinone conjugates is suggested to be of relevance to an oxidative damage hypothesis of cataract.
Reducing Government Involvement in a Market: Lessons from the Privatization of Sallie Mae

Government intervention shapes institutions and markets; even when government seeks to reduce its involvement, it must protect against resulting market distortions. Government provided substantial benefits to Sallie Mae as a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE). Giving up GSE status allowed Sallie Mae to expand the scope of its financial services beyond restrictions of its GSE charter. Benefits of GSE status led to scale economies and low cost structure that now propel the company's dominance and growth as a non-GSE. Lessons from Sallie Mae apply to removal of GSE status from other GSEs and to restructuring and deregulation in other economic sectors.