cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complement activation by PEO-grafted glass surfaces.

Activation of the complement system is one way in which the human body reacts to foreign materials that come in contact with blood. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) has been used quite frequently to modify biomaterial surfaces to prevent protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Despite extensive use of PEO, however, PEO-induced complement activation has not been examined before. We examined the complement activation by PEO chains grafted to glass surfaces. PEO was grafted to trichlorovinylsilane-treated glass (TCVS-glass) by γ-irradiation using PEO homopolymer, Pluronic® F108 (PF108), and PEO-polybutadiene-PEO triblock copolymer (COP5000). Complement activation was assessed by measuring the plasma C3a level. Of the three polymers grafted (PEO, PF108, and COP5000), only PF108 showed significant increases in complement activation over controls. Complement C3a production on PF108-grafted glass was linearly dependent on surface concentration of grafted PF108. The C3a concentration increased from 46 ng/mL to 316 ng/mL as the surface PF108 concentration increased from 0–0.25 μg/cm2. Kinetics of C3a generation by PF108-grafted surfaces show that 60% of the steady state C3a concentration was generated during the first hour of plasma exposure. When the same PF108-grafted glass surface was repeatedly exposed to fresh plasma, the amount of C3a generated decreased by 70% after the first exposure. This supports the “single-hit” mechanism in complement activation. PEO homopolymer did not activate complement in bulk solution, and, thus, it appears that C3a complement activation by PF108-grafted surfaces is due to the presence of poly(propylene oxide) units. Grafting of PEO using PEO-containing block copolymers requires examination of complement activating properties of the non-PEO segment. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 48: 640–647, 1999
Comparison of the Effects of Static Picture and Video Prompting on Completion of Cooking Related Tasks by Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

This study compared the effects of static photographs and video prompts on the independent performance of cooking related tasks by six young adults with moderate intellectual disabilities. An adapted alternating treatment design with baseline and final treatment phase was used to measure the percentage of tasks correctly completed by each student across treatments. Results indicated that both procedures were effective in increasing correct performance of tasks for all participants from baseline levels in which only verbal task directions were provided. All six participants demonstrated greater independent responding on the target tasks when using video prompting. During the final treatment phase students increased their level of performance using video prompting with sets of tasks receiving static picture prompts in the comparison phase. Implications for future research and the development of curriculum, which include instruction of self-prompting strategies, are discussed.
RF channel performance assessment for a multiple carrier millimeter-wave communication system

Abstract Channel capacity, system versatility and ease of maintenance are factors of prime concern in future generations of wireless communication systems. As a result, millimeter-wave can offer considerable advantages in providing broadband interface. Nonlinearity and noise effects, including parametric fluctuations, are two significant causes for signal degradation in broadband communication systems. Two methods to assess the performance of an RF channel in a multi-carrier system are described. By measuring the forward transfer function from transmitter IF to receiver IF as the frequency is swept across the channel bandwidth, characteristics such as gain flatness, channel dispersion, and saturation effects are revealed. To evaluate the ability of the communication link in preserving the synchronization between two carriers, their heterodyned spectrum at the receiver IF output is studied. Both measurement methods employ standard equipment and have been found to be effective when applied to a multi-carrie...
Spectroscopic and optically detected magnetic resonance studies of PO2− in potassium chloride. II. Magnetic resonance analysis

The optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectrum of phosphorus activated potassium chloride crystals obtained at 2 K in zero and weak applied external magnetic fields is reported and analyzed. A theoretical fit to the observed field and angular dependence ofthe ODMR spectrum is obtained using a phenomenological spin hamiltonian, assuming the center to be the paramagnetic photoexcited 3B1 state of the C2v ion PO2−. The components of the phosphorus nuclear hyperfine structure tensor are obtained from the theoretical analysis and compared with those of other AB2 ions and radicals. Optical polarization measurements and weak field ODMR spectra are used to determine the orientation of the PO2− chemical impurity center in the cubic KCl lattice and the orientation is compared with those of other isostructural impurities in KCl. The PO2− chemical impurity center exhibits a dramatic photo-orientation effect at 2 K and is shown to be in thermal equilibrium between twelve crystallographically equivalent orientations at temperatures above 45 K.
Stability of emulsions to dispersed phase crystallization: Effect of oil type, dispersed phase volume fraction, and cooling rate

Abstract Emulsified n -hexadecane or confectionery coating fat (CCF) were repeatedly thermally cycled (40 to −10–40 °C at 1.5 °C min −1 ) in a differential scanning calorimeter. There is a single exotherm on cooling each emulsion (at 0.5 and 5 °C, respectively) corresponding to lipid crystallization by homogeneous nucleation. However, on subsequent cooling cycles, an increasing proportion of the CCF crystallization enthalpy occurs at a higher temperature (15 °C) corresponding to crystallization of non-emulsified fat. (The net enthalpy of crystallization is constant). The second peak is taken to be due to destabilized fat and increases with number of cycles and dispersed phase volume fraction. All n -hexadecane emulsions are stable to freeze-thaw. When the CCF emulsions are cooled more rapidly (5 °C min −1 ) there is no destabilization. Micrographs are presented and used to argue the destabilization is due to a collapse of partially coalesced structures on reheating.
Pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid reductase from soybean leaves

Abstract Pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid reductase was purified 40-fold from soybean leaves (Glycine max L. var Corsoy). The enzyme was fairly unstable, had a broad pH optimum, and was inactivated by heat and acid; NADH and NADPH both served as cofactors. It had a higher activity with NADH (about 4 ×) compared to NADPH, but a lower Km for NADPH. NADP+ inhibited both the NADH- and NADPH-dependent activity. Sulfhydryl group blocking agents reduced the activity as did the carbonyl blocking agent, NH2OH. Thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid and phosphate inhibited the enzyme and proline inhibited only at high concentrations. ATP, GTP, and CTP were all effective inhibitors of both the NADH- and NADPH-dependent activity. Phosphorylated nucleotide inhibition was reversed by Mg2+ ions.
A generalization of the construction of test problems for nonconvex optimization

In this paper we adopt and generalize the basic idea of the method presented in [3] and [4] to construct test problems that involve arbitrary, not necessarily quadratic, concave functions, for both Concave Minimization and Reverse Convex Programs
Brazil: From Liberation Theology to a Theology of Citizenship as Public Theology

Liberation Theology has become known worldwide for its preferential option for the poor and its prophetic voice against economic and political oppression. Since the end of the military regime in Brazil (1985) and the fall of the Berlin wall (1989), theologians have been grappling with the continuously appalling poverty, exclusion and marginalization of very large sectors of society, within an ever more complex context and a diversity of theoretical positions. In civil society, politics and education, citizenship has become the central notion behind participatory democracy. By describing what have been the main assets of Liberation Theology and how the new situation is challenging them, this article explores theological proposals from Brazilian authors, who have taken up the concern for citizenship. Hence, it states the need for a theology of citizenship and maps the field for linking this to the growing international debate on public theology; a phrase not commonly used in Brazil thus far.
Reliability, Validity, and Sensitivity to Change of the Lower Extremity Functional Scale in Individuals Affected by Stroke

Objective To investigate reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) in individuals affected by stroke. The secondary objective was to test the validity and sensitivity of a single-item linear analog scale (LAS) of function. Design Prospective cohort reliability and validation study. Setting A single rehabilitation department in an academic medical center. Patients Forty-three individuals receiving neurorehabilitation for lower extremity dysfunction after stroke were studied. Their ages ranged from 32 to 95 years, with a mean of 70 years; 77% were men. Methods Test-retest reliability was assessed by calculating the classical intraclass correlation coefficient, and the Bland-Altman limits of agreement. Validity was assessed by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient between the instruments. Sensitivity to change was assessed by comparing baseline scores with end of treatment scores. Measurements were taken at baseline, after 1-3 days, and at 4 and 8 weeks. Main Outcome Measurements The LEFS, Short-Form-36 Physical Function Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Six-Minute Walk Test, Five-Meter Walk Test, Timed Up-and-Go test, and the LAS of function were used. Results The test-retest reliability of the LEFS was found to be excellent (ICC = 0.96). Correlated with the 6 other measures of function studied, the validity of the LEFS was found to be moderate to high ( r = 0.40-0.71). Regarding the sensitivity to change, the mean LEFS scores from baseline to study end increased 1.2 SD and for LAS 1.1 SD. Conclusion LEFS exhibits good reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change in patients with lower extremity impairments secondary to stroke. Therefore, the LEFS can be a clinically efficient outcome measure in the rehabilitation of patients with subacute stroke. The LAS is shown to be a time-saving and reasonable option to track changes in a patient's functional status.
Parametric finite element analysis of stress evolution during friction stir welding

AbstractIt is well known that the residual stress of the friction-stir-welded joint affects the fatigue strength and life, and the corrosion performance. In this paper, a three-dimensional finite e...
An interview study of college freshmens’ beliefs about their academic motivation

An important aspect of metacognition, one potentially affecting much of students’ academic efforts, was tapped in this study. College students’ beliefs about their academic motivation were elicited systematically using ethnographic interviewing. We reasoned that students are very conscious of their decisionmaking regarding academics, and thus, they would be able to report on many of the factors affecting their academic motivation. In general, the students reported that many factors affect their academic motivation, specifically, many more factors than have been considered in previous theoretical analyses of academic motivation, with students perceiving that interactions between motivational factors often are critically determinative of academic efforts and achievement.
RUNT DISEASE INDUCED IN NEONATAL MICE BY STERILE BACTERIAL VACCINES.

A form of runt disease has been produced in neonatal CF-1 and ICR mice by the repeated injection of 109 washed, autoclaved, saline-suspended staphylococci or streptococci. The most severely affected animals showed a marked decrease in lymphoid tissues and resembled grossly and microscopically animals suffering from the classical runt or wasting disease described by others. The timing of the initial antigenic stimulation was of importance, and animals started on their course of injections at an age of 48 hours or older showed no effect. There was a considerable variation in the severity of the disease within litters and from one litter to another. This variation could not be ascribed to a difference in susceptibility between sexes, since both male and female mice were observed to runt under appropriate conditions. Germ-free ICR mice were much more resistant to the runting phenomenon than conventional animals of the same strain, but could be induced to runt by injection of the staphylococcal vaccine suspended in homologous antiserum. The relationship of the runting phenomenon described here and classical runt disease or runting by adrenal hormones is discussed.
Alcoa’s Mining and Restoration Process in South Western Australia

This paper describes the sequence of Alcoa’s bauxite mining and restoration operations in Western Australia, commencing with pre-mining surveys and geological exploration through to the preparation and extraction of the bauxite ore, the restoration process, and then monitoring. These methods have changed continually since operations commenced in 1963 as knowledge improved; however, this paper only describes the current procedures.
Superelement methods applications to micromechanics of high temperature metal matrix composites

Adaptation of the superelement finite-element method for micromechanics of continuous fiber high temperature metal matrix composites (HT-MMC) is described. The method is used to predict the thermomechanical behavior of P100-graphite/copper composites using MSC/NASTRAN and it is also used to validate those predicted by using an in-house computer program designed to perform micromechanics for HT-MMC. Typical results presented in the paper include unidirectional composite thermal properties, mechanical properties, and microstresses.
The processing and storage characteristics of glandless cottonseed

Two consecutive storage tests of seven and six-months' duration were conducted to determine the relative effects of adverse storage conditions on glandless and glanded cottonseed and the products derived from each.
On the local and global well-posedness theory for the KP-I equation

Abstract In this paper we obtain new local and global well-posedness results for the KP-I equation.
An approach to mimicking the sesquiterpene cyclase phase by nickel-promoted diene/alkyne cooligomerization.

Artificially mimicking the cyclase phase of terpene biosynthesis inspires the invention of new methodologies, since working with carbogenic frameworks containing minimal functionality limits the chemist’s toolbox of synthetic strategies. For example, the construction of terpene skeletons from five-carbon building blocks would be an exciting pathway to mimic in the laboratory. Nature oligomerizes, cyclizes, and then oxidizes γ,γ-dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) and isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) to all of the known terpenes. Starting from isoprene, the goal of this work was to mimic Nature’s approach for rapidly building molecular complexity. In principle, the controlled oligomerization of isoprene would drastically simplify the synthesis of terpenes used in the medicine, perfumery, flavor, and materials industries. This article delineates our extensive efforts to cooligomerize isoprene or butadiene with alkynes in a controlled fashion by zerovalent nickel catalysis building off the classic studies by ...
Molybdenum(VI) Peroxo α-Amino Acid Complexes: Synthesis, Spectra, and Properties of MoO(O2)2(α-aa)(H2O) for α-aa = Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Valine, Leucine, Serine, Asparagine, Glutamine, and Glutamic Acid. X-ray Crystal Structures of the Glycine, Alanine, and Proline Compounds

The compounds MoO(O2)2(α-aa)(H2O), α-aa = glycine (1), alanine (2), proline (3), valine (4), leucine (5), serine (6), asparagine (7), glutamine (8), and glutamic acid (9), were prepared from the ac...
ICD-9 CM Code 333.1 as an Identifier of Patients with Essential Tremor: A Study of the Positive Predictive Value of This Code

Background/Aims: Health outcomes research often uses administrative databases. Patients with the diseases of interest are identified using International Classification of Diseases (
Effects of axial and radial-gap spacing on the local heat transfer of a shrouded rotor-stator system

Unlike the free disk in which heat transfer is primarily affected by rotational speed, heat transfer in rotor-stator systems is influenced by the operating conditions as well as system geometry. In a rotor-stator system with no radial shroud, commonly referred to as an open rotor-stator, Kreith et al. (1959, 1963) and Metzger (1970) demonstrated that the presence of the stator influences heat transfer from the disk at axial gap spacings less than 10 percent of the disk diameter. These studies also examined the effects that forced coolant flow introduced at the hub of the system has on the average heat transfer rate. As an extension of these studies, more recent evaluations by Metzger et al. (1979, 1991) and Popiel and Boguslawski (1986) have examined the effects of varying the location and rate of forced coolant flow. 10 refs., 4 figs.
Towards policy driven self-configuration of user-centric communication

The convergence of various multimedia communications that includes voice, video and data presents many opportunities for enabling unified communication but paradoxically leads to inefficiencies for the user as the communication may become complex. Model driven technologies such as the Communication Virtual Machine (CVM) propose to reduce such complexity through the use of models to define a user's communication needs. The CVM was extended to utilize multiple common-off-the-self (COTS) communication APIs such as Skype and Smack which we refer to as communication frameworks, to promote service and network independence. However, the user's current priorities and context play no role in the use and configuration of these frameworks.In this paper we introduce the notion of policy driven self-configuration into the CVM, where high level user policies play a major role in the self-configuration decisions. We show the results of a feature analysis of the domain which guided the policy definition process. We also provide a design of the policy driven self-configuring architecture.
Untersuchungen über die Reaktion von Diazoniumsalzen mit Sulfit

Die Gleichgewichtskonstanten fur die Reaktion des Diazoniumions zum syn-Sulfonat wurden an 8 Diazoniumsalzen gemessen. Die Ergebnisse erfullen die HAMMETT-Beziehung. Fur 3 Diazoniumsalze wurde die Isomerisierung und die Reduktion des syn- und anti-Sulfonats gemessen.
Carotid arteriography Still golden after all these years

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CEMRA) is the latest in a long line of noninvasive techniques developed to provide images of the carotid arteries. All of these techniques only indirectly determine the status of the carotid artery by studying the blood that flows through it. Doppler ultrasound measures the velocity of red blood cells and uses the magnitude of the velocity increase to infer the degree of vessel narrowing. Time of flight MR angiography takes advantage of the effect of motion on the proton MR signal to define the limits of the column of flowing blood. CT angiography and CEMRA rely on the IV injection of substances that change the signal characteristics of blood so that it shows up in high contrast relative to other structures. Digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) employs transfemoral introduction of small flexible catheters into the carotid artery with direct intra-arterial injection of radiographic dye and digital image enhancement. Even in the best of hands, DSA still carries a procedural risk of 1 to 4% for stroke and death.1,2⇓ Why, then, is DSA still widely considered the gold standard for evaluation of the carotid arteries when the other noninvasive techniques carry a much lower risk? The answer lies in the randomized, controlled, clinical trials that demonstrated the superiority of endarterectomy over medical therapy alone for the prevention of subsequent stroke in symptomatic patients. These studies showed that the degree of carotid stenosis was the most …
Joint asymptotic distribution of marginal quantiles and quantile functions in samples from a multivariate population

The joint asymptotic distributions of the marginal quantiles and quantile functions in samples from a p-variate population are derived. Of particular interest is the joint asymptotic distribution of the marginal sample medians, on the basis of which tests of significance for population medians are developed. Methods of estimating unknown nuisance parameters are discussed. The approach is completely nonparametric.
Discussion on “Quickest Detection Problems: Fifty Years Later” by Albert N. Shiryaev

Abstract The discussion concentrates on the material of Section 2, and shows how to apply the Wald Martingale to obtain exact formulae for certain functionals R W (A, B), T ∞(Z), etc.
An experimental investigation of the effect of biaxial loading on the master curve transition temperature in RPV steels

Abstract During the 1990s considerable work was conducted to characterize the effect of biaxial loading on the ductile to brittle transition temperature. The work centered on a series of tests using large cruciform bend specimens from an experimental A533B test plate denoted as HSST Plate 14 (Heavy Section Steel Technology Plate 14). Recently a series of similar biaxial cruciform tests has been conducted on the steel used for an extensive European Round Robin that investigated the ductile-to-brittle transition master curve and associated T0 reference temperature. The results of these tests have been used to promote the concept of a “Biaxial Effect” which corresponds to a shift in the shallow crack transition master curve of +20 °C or more when biaxial stresses are present, in comparison with the master curve for uniaxially loaded shallow crack specimens. A comprehensive analysis of the all of the available HSST Plate 14 data and data from two other structural steels was performed to investigate the extent of a biaxial effect on the reference temperature, T0. The analysis included many additional biaxial cruciform test results on three different materials. The results of all three materials discussed in this paper fail to clearly demonstrate that biaxial loading, imposed through the use of a cruciform specimen geometry, has an effect on the fracture toughness, characterized using a master curve approach and reference temperature T0. The analysis utilized in this paper assumes that the toughness distribution and temperature dependence of shallow cracked specimens can be modeled by using the master curve approach. This assumption has not been rigorously validated and would benefit from further study. Additional detailed stress analysis of the constraint evolution in the cruciform specimens may better define the precise conditions under which a biaxial effect on the fracture toughness could be realized.
Predisposing effects of neonatal visceral pain on abuse-related effects of morphine in adult male Sprague Dawley rats

Adverse early life experiences are risk factors for drug abuse and addiction. Changes in brain opioid systems have been demonstrated in response to neonatal visceral pain (NVP), but the impact of these changes on abuse-related effects of morphine are unknown. The NVP procedure used models chronic visceral hyperalgesia persisting across development. Intravenous self-administration, drug discrimination, and locomotor activity were used to compare the abuse-related effects of morphine in NVP and control rats. Rats self-administered 0.3 mg/kg/inj morphine under an FR1 schedule, and dose–effect functions for morphine were then established. Separate rats were trained to discriminate 3.2 mg/kg morphine from saline under an FR20 schedule, and morphine dose–effect functions were then determined in the absence and presence of 0.1 mg/kg naltrexone. A third group of rats was tested with a range of morphine doses in an assay of locomotor activity, then injected daily with 10 mg/kg morphine to assess locomotor sensitization. NVP rats self-administered more morphine than controls at reinforcing doses. Discriminative stimulus effects of morphine were similar between groups, but in the presence of naltrexone, the ED50 for morphine was more than 12× greater in control rats than in NVP animals. Morphine did not stimulate locomotor activity at any tested dose in NVP rats, although significant effects were observed in controls. Finally, significant locomotor sensitization was observed only in NVP rats. NVP-induced changes in brain opioid systems have persistent pharmacological consequences into adulthood and may increase sensitivity to abuse-related effects of opioids across development.
Isolation, biology and chemistry of the disorazoles: new anti-cancer macrodiolides

Covering: 1994 to 2008. The disorazoles comprise a family of 29 closely related macrocyclic polyketides isolated in 1994 from the fermentation broth of the gliding myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum. Disorazoles A1, E and C1 have shown exceptional biological activites toward inhibiting the proliferation of human cancer cell lines in picomolar and nanomolar concentrations through the disruption of microtubule polymerization. This review gives a brief introduction describing the biosynthesis and the significance of the disorazoles as a new class of microtubulin disruptors. Another portion of the review focuses on the biology of the disorazoles, specifically disorazole A1 and C1, and their antiproliferative efficacy against animal and human tumor cell lines, as well as the available SAR data. The majority of the discussion addresses synthetic efforts, including partial syntheses of various disorazoles and a summary of the total synthesis of disorazole C1.
Kombinatorische heterogene Katalyse – ein neuer Weg in einem alten Gebiet

Kombinatorische Katalyse bedeutet die mit hohem Durchsatz betriebene systematische Herstellung, Bearbeitung und Erprobung groser, vielfaltiger, chemisch und physikalisch unterschiedlicher Materialbibliotheken. Sie beinhaltet auch die Mikroherstellung, Robotik, Automation, Instrumentation und die rechnergestutzte Chemie sowie die Handhabung groser Informationsmengen und hat das Potential, zu einer Renaissance in der Verfahrenstechnik katalytischer Reaktionen zu fuhren. Die hohe Geschwindigkeit und die okonomischen Vorteile kombinatorischer Vorgehensweisen wurden durch die Entdeckung hochwertiger katalytisch aktiver Materialien innerhalb von Stunden und Tagen demonstriert, wohingegen die traditionellen Methoden hierfur Monate und Jahre benotigen. Kombinatorische Methoden konnen aber auch erheblich dazu beitragen, unser Verstandnis katalytischer Funktionen zu verbessern, einerseits, indem sie unsere Chancen erhohen, vollig neue und unerwartete katalytische Materialien zu entdecken, und andererseits, indem sie es uns erlauben, Trends und Muster in Struktur-Aktivitats-Beziehungen schneller zu erkennen, sodass neue katalytische Materialien gezielter entworfen werden konnen. In einer Zeit, in der die Industrie sich wachsender globaler Konkurrenz und einem Druck zur Entwicklung umweltfreundlicherer Verfahren stellen muss und in der die finanziellen Ressourcen fur die Forschung kleiner werden, wird die kombinatorische Katalyse zweifellos das neue Paradigma der Katalyseforschung werden.
Evidence of territoriality and species interactions from spatial point-pattern analyses of subarctic-nesting geese.

Quantifying spatial patterns of bird nests and nest fate provides insights into processes influencing a species’ distribution. At Cape Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, recent declines in breeding Eastern Prairie Population Canada geese (Branta canadensis interior) has coincided with increasing populations of nesting lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) and Ross’s geese (Chen rossii). We conducted a spatial analysis of point patterns using Canada goose nest locations and nest fate, and lesser snow goose nest locations at two study areas in northern Manitoba with different densities and temporal durations of sympatric nesting Canada and lesser snow geese. Specifically, we assessed (1) whether Canada geese exhibited territoriality and at what scale and nest density; and (2) whether spatial patterns of Canada goose nest fate were associated with the density of nesting lesser snow geese as predicted by the protective-association hypothesis. Between 2001 and 2007, our data suggest that Canada geese were territorial at the scale of nearest neighbors, but were aggregated when considering overall density of conspecifics at slightly broader spatial scales. The spatial distribution of nest fates indicated that lesser snow goose nest proximity and density likely influence Canada goose nest fate. Our analyses of spatial point patterns suggested that continued changes in the distribution and abundance of breeding lesser snow geese on the Hudson Bay Lowlands may have impacts on the reproductive performance of Canada geese, and subsequently the spatial distribution of Canada goose nests.
Therapeutic interventions in cerebral palsy

Various therapeutic interventions have been used in the management of children with cerebral palsy. Traditional physiotherapy and occupational therapy are widely used interventions and have been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of cerebral palsy. Evidence in support of the effectiveness of the neurodevelopmental treatment is equivocal at best. There is evidence to support the use and effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in children with cerebral palsy. The effectiveness of many other interventions used in the treatment of cerebral palsy has not been clearly established based on well-controlled trials. These include: sensory integration, body-weight support treadmill training, conductive education, constraint-induced therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and the Vojta method. This article provides an overview of salient aspects of popular interventions used in the management of children with cerebral palsy.
Lactones in foods

Lactones represent another important class of flavor compounds that have been found in a wide variety of foods although traditionally they have been mainly associated with dairy products. This review summarizes their occurrences in foods along with their formation pathways, sensory properties, and isolation, identification, and synthesis techniques specific to lactones associated with food flavor.
Nonstimulant treatment of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

A substantial literature supports the viability of nonstimulant treatments for ADHD. Despite their chemical differences, the various compounds with documented anti-ADHD activity share a common noradrenergic/dopaminergic activity. Although TCAs are established alternative treatments forADHD, particularly the more noradrenergic secondary amines (DMI and nortriptyline), their narrow therapeutic index and potential for cardiovascular toxicity have limited their use. The atypical mixed noradrenergic/dopaminergic antidepressant bupropion also has been documented to be effective in treating adults with ADHD in a controlled clinical trial. Recent work with the novel noradrenergic specific agent, atomoxetine, has produced convincing evidence of substantial efficacy, tolerability, and safety in children and adults. Despite these advances, more work is needed to further document the short- and long-term safety and efficacy of stimulants and alternative agents for treating adults with ADHD. It also is hoped that advances in the understanding of the underlying neurobiology of ADHDwill lead to the development of a new generation of safe and effective treatments for this disorder. Such developments have the promise of improving the quality of life of the millions of affected patients and their families worldwide.
AN ENTROPY MODEL FOR BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENTROPY

Abstract The similarity between the entropy balance equation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the classical balance equations of chemical reaction kinetics or allometric biological growth models is used to construct an entropy model for biological systems. In this model the entropy transport rate is assumed to be proportional to surface area and the entropy production rate is assumed to be proportional to system volume. It is also hypothesize that, at any time (age), the entropy transport and production rates depend directly upon the instantaneous value of the system total entropy. The resulting entropy rate balance can then be solved uniquely for the total system entropy as a function of time (age) Also, it is postulated that all living systems are characterized by a continuously, decreasing total entropy level, and that biological death occurs at some minimum total entropy value. The time required to reach this minimum is the lifespan of the biological system.
A simple procedure for protein determination by the Lowry method in dilute solutions and in the presence of interfering substances

Abstract Protein, present at concentrations between 5 and 25 μg/ml, is precipitated quantitatively by 10% trichloroacetic acid in the presence of yeast-soluble ribonucleic acid as a carrier. The precipitate is dissolved in alkali, after which protein is measured by the Lowry procedure. Many substances that interfere with the colorimetric method do not precipitate under these conditions and are therefore eliminated.
Capsule endoscopy contraindications: complications and how to avoid their occurrence.

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE), which was approved for clinical use in the United States in August 2001, allows noninvasive visualization of the small intestinal mucosa and is a major innovation in the diagnosis of diseases of the small bowel. The capsule endoscope (M2A, Given Imaging, Yoqneam, Israel) is easy to swallow, and the information is easily retrieved. All procedures have risks, however. This article elucidates the actual and potential complications of WCE and illustrates out how these can be avoided or handled successfully.
Radiation effects in intrinsic 3HF scintillator

Abstract Test scintillators of the type 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) plus polystyrene were prepared with 3HF doping concentrations between 0.05% and 2.0% by weight. Ternary scintillators of the type p-terphenyl(1%)+3HF(0.01%) and p-terphenyl(1%)+3HF(0.1%) in polystyrene were also prepared. The scintillation light yield is given for all samples. Representative fluorescence and transmittance spectra are also shown. Changes in light yield, transmittance, and fluorescence are shown for 60 Co irradiations with integrated doses of 10 and 30 Mrad.
Dynamic-compression fatigue of hot-pressed silicon-nitride

This paper presents a technique to study dynamic compression fatigue of hard ceramics. In this technique, a split-Hopkinson-compression-bar apparatus is modified to allow recovery tests on hard ceramic samples. The exact number of fatigue cycles along with the stress level and strain rate can be controlled, and strain rates as high as 400s−1 at a peak stress of 3.2 GPa were obtained for each fatigue cycle. Two types of hotpressed silicon-nitrides, one having crystalline-grain-boundary phase, and the other having amorphous-grain-boundary phase, were repeatedly tested on this apparatus. Fatigue lives of both materials were found to be very sensitive to sample-surface roughness, and for equivalent sample-surface condition, the dynamic fatigue life of amorphous-grain-boundary phase silicon-nitride was observed to be higher than that of crystalline-grain-boundary phase silicon-nitride.
The effect of axial ligand plane orientation on the contact and pseudocontact shifts of low-spin ferriheme proteins

The effect of axial ligand nodal plane orientation on the contact and pseudocontact shifts of a symmetrical low-spin octamethylferriheme center has been calculated as a function of the angle of the axial ligand. Simple Huckel techniques have been used to estimate the contact contribution, and values obtained from model hemes, together with counter-rotation of the g-tensor, have been used to estimate the pseudocontact contribution, for the eight β-pyrrole methyl and four meso-H positions. It is found that the maximum and minimum contact shifts occur when the axial ligand is aligned at an angle of ±15° to the meso-H axes of the heme, rather than when the axial ligand plane lies along the porphyrin nitrogens, as assumed previously by some investigators. For systems having one planar axial ligand or two ligands in parallel planes, the contact and pseudocontact contributions at the meso-H positions are comparable in size (at least on the basis of simple Huckel estimates), while the contact contribution clearly dominates the isotropic shifts of the heme methyls. Allowing for the substituent effect of the 2,4-vinyls of protohemin, or the 2,4-thioethers of hemin c, as well as the average diamagnetic shifts of the heme methyls and meso-H, plots of the predicted shifts as a function of axial ligand nodal plane orientation have been constructed for hemin b- and c-containing proteins. Excellent agreement in the order of shifts, and reasonable agreement in the sizes of the observed shifts, is observed in the majority of the ferriheme proteins for which the methyl and meso-H resonances have been assigned and proton shifts reported. Plots have also been constructed for hemin c-containing proteins having the two axial ligand nodal planes oriented at relative angles of 40°, 70°, and 80°. Excellent agreement in the order of shifts, and reasonable agreement in the magnitudes of the observed shifts, is observed in all cases of bacterial cytochromes which do not fit the plots that assume the ligands are in parallel planes, except one – the cytochrome c-552 of Nitrosomonas europae. Except for this case, where the order of the predicted methyl shifts at any angle of the axial ligands disagrees with the observed, the reasons can usually be attributed to a large dihedral angle between two axial ligand nodal planes, to strong H-bonding interactions involving His and/or CN– ligands, or to off-axis binding of one (or both) axial ligand(s). Ruffling of the porphyrin ring may also contribute to the contact shift in as yet undefined ways. Hence, despite the simplicity of the calculations, the agreement with observed data is highly satisfying and the concept of the importance of axial ligand plane orientation on the observed proton shifts of heme proteins is fully confirmed.
Elevated Troponin Levels are Predictive of Mortality in Surgical Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients

Objective Elevated troponin levels are a common occurrence after ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and have been described as a neurogenic form of myocardial injury. The prognostic significance of this event is controversial with numerous studies citing conflicting results. The importance of cardiac stress is of particular relevance in the operative management of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). To this end, we investigated whether troponin levels were an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality from all causes in surgically treated ICH patients.
An alternative to turnbuckle splinting for elbow flexion.

The longer proximal strip, strip A, lies dorsally from the base of the first metacarpal across the dorsum of the hand to approximately the third CMC joint. Strip B folds back under the radial edge to lie volar to the MP joint, and should be molded well with the joint held in some flexion. Strip C lies dorsally across the proximal phalanx. Careful molding of the splint is essentiaL The thumb should be held in palmar abduction and MP flexion during molding, with care to avoid any radial deviation of the MP joint.
The Computer Conversion of a Sine Drive Spectrometer to Linear Wavenumber Drive

For various reasons, we have had only sine drive spectrometers in our Raman laboratory, in spite of the advantages of working with spectra plotted linearly with respect to frequency. Since the inception of a research program in resonance Raman spectroscopy, it became more desirable to record spectra on a linear wavenumber scale, in order to facilitate comparison of spectra obtained with different excitation wavelengths. We have interfaced one of our spectromters to a minicomputer based data acquisition system, which can record data on magnetic tape for further processing at our Computation Centre; it is, of course, straightforward to replot these data on a wavenumber scale. However, for much of our work there is no other reason to acquire and store these spectra, and it is thus inconvenient to obtain a wavenumber plot in this manner. Therefore, it was decided to write a computer program for the system which would drive the sine drive spectrometer in a constant wavenumber per unit time mode, such that we could use normal detection methods to obtain a chart output which was linear in wavenumber.
Headspace–SPME analysis of volatiles of the ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula) and bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) flowers

The headspace (HS) volatile compounds of the flowers of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula) and bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) were analysed by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). In the ridge gourd, 16 volatiles were positively identified and nine were tentatively identified, while in the bitter gourd 13 compounds were positively identified and six were tentatively identified. Typical compounds that are found in essential oils and fragrances such as terpenes, hydrocarbons and oxygenated terpenes were successfully identified. For the ridge gourd, the results showed that with more than 90% of the headspace, the most abundant volatile compound of the flower is trans-β-ocimene. For the bitter gourd flower, the four most abundant compounds were identified as linalool (5% of total headspace), 2-aminobenzaldehyde (27% of total headspace), 1H-indole (33% of total headspace) and methyl anthranilate (32% of total headspace), accounting for over 95% of the headspace volatiles of the flower. These results indicate that SPME coupled with GC–MS is a potential alternative for the effective extraction and analysis of odours of rare, exotic, delicate flowers. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A note about Laplace transform tables for computer use

The purpose of this note is to give another illustration of the fact that the best way for a human being to represent or process information is not necessarily the best way for a computer. The example concerns the use of a table of inverse Laplace transforms within a program, written in the REDUCE language [1] for symbolic algebraic manipulation, which solves linear ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients using Laplace transform methods. (See [2] for discussion of an earlier program which solved such equations.)
Comparison of the initial phase of group therapy in adult and latency age groups

This paper focuses on the initial phase of group therapy and compares adult with latency groups to highlight the development and phenomena in latency groups. The group dynamics and the behavior of particular types of patients and their resistances are detailed. Dependency needs and transference wishes are explored along with the therapist's role and countertransference. Indicators of the end of the initial phase provide a guide to the therapist for adult and latency groups.
Abnormal expression of mu-crystallin in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

To identify proteins expressed abnormally in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), we extracted soluble proteins from deltoid muscle biopsies from unaffected control and FSHD patients and analyzed them using two-dimensional electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and immunoblotting. Muscles from patients with FSHD showed large increases over controls in a single soluble, 34 kDa protein (pI=5.08) identified by mass spectrometry and immunoblotting as mu-crystallin (CRYM). Soluble fractions of biopsies of several other myopathies and muscular dystrophies showed no appreciable increases in mu-crystallin. Mu-crystallin has thyroid hormone and NADPH binding activity and so may influence differentiation and oxidative stress responses, reported to be altered in FSHD. It is also linked to retinal and inner ear defects, common in FSHD, suggesting that its up-regulation may play a specific and important role in pathogenesis of FSHD.
Network of fully integrated multispecialty hospital imaging systems

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) DHCP Imaging System records clinically significant diagnostic images selected by medical specialists in a variety of departments, including radiology, cardiology, gastroenterology, pathology, dermatology, hematology, surgery, podiatry, dental clinic, and emergency room. These images are displayed on workstations located throughout a medical center. All images are managed by the VA's hospital information system, allowing integrated displays of text and image data across medical specialties. Clinicians can view screens of `thumbnail' images for all studies or procedures performed on a selected patient. Two VA medical centers currently have DHCP Imaging Systems installed, and others are planned. All VA medical centers and other VA facilities are connected by a wide area packet-switched network. The VA's electronic mail software has been modified to allow inclusion of binary data such as images in addition to the traditional text data. Testing of this multimedia electronic mail system is underway for medical teleconsultation.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The growth hormone receptor messenger ribonucleic acid present in ovine fetal liver is a variant form.

Specific binding of ovine GH (oGH) to microsomal membranes isolated from fetal sheep liver is slight to nonexistent. The complementary DNA sequence encoding the oGH receptor (oGHR) has been reported, and Northern blot analysis has indicated that oGHR messenger RNA (mRNA) is present in fetal liver and skeletal muscle from mid- to late gestation. In human tissues, the GHR mRNA exists in multiple forms, including the deletion of exon 3 and variable 5'-untranslated regions. In rodents, the GHR mRNA exists in two forms, one encoding the membrane-bound receptor and the other encoding the soluble GH-binding protein. To further characterize the oGHR mRNA transcript present in ovine fetal liver during gestation, we designed a series of primers to be used in reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR), which generate products that span from the 5'-untranslated region through the coding region of the oGHR mRNA. Nucleotide sequences of the resulting complementary DNAs revealed that an oGHR mRNA is prese...
Governance in the age of global markets: challenges, limits, and consequences

We live in an age defined in large part by various facets of neoliberalism. In particular, the market world has impinged on virtually every aspect of food and agriculture. Moreover, most nation-states and many international governance bodies incorporate aspects of neoliberal perspectives. Multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs), with their own standards, certifications, and accreditations are evidence of both the continuing hegemony of neoliberalism as well as various responses to it. Importantly, to date even attempts to limit neoliberal hegemony through MSIs have been largely within the parameters established by those same neoliberal agendas. However, neoliberalism is itself in crisis as a result of climate change, the continuing financial crisis, and rising food prices. The founding myths of neoliberalism are still widely held, having the effect of closing off alternative paths to the future. Yet, this need not be the case. Alternatives to the current MSIs that promote justice, democracy, and equality can still be constructed.