cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antidepressants and seizures : Clinical anecdotes overshadow neuroscience

Pharmacological treatment of depression in persons with epilepsy has been an area of controversy because some drugs commonly are perceived specifically to induce or exacerbate seizures in patients with seizure disorders. This prevailing misconception is unjustified by scientific studies, yet it continues to prevent afflicted persons from receiving appropriate therapy. The scientific literature shows that tricyclic antidepressant drugs cause seizures in overdose in both animals and humans. In lower doses, these drugs have anticonvulsant activity in humans and animals. Thus, the antidepressant drugs are like several antiepileptic drugs that can both prevent and cause seizures. The anticonvulsant activity of antidepressant drugs has been studied extensively in animals and almost certainly stems from their capacity to block norepinephrine and/or serotonin reuptake. The pharmacodynamic action responsible for their convulsant effects has not been well studied but may be due to their local anesthetic, antihistaminic, or antimuscarinic activity. The newer, more selective monoamine uptake blockers have very low convulsant liability, and it is suggested that their anticonvulsant activity, which is well documented in animals, be investigated further in humans. If their effects in humans are analogous to those in animals, these drugs can be used safely in epileptic patients with depression, and it is possible that their anticonvulsant activity can be exploited for use in the treatment of epilepsy.
Musculoskeletal causes of chronic pelvic pain: a systematic review of existing therapies: part II.

UNLABELLED Chronic pelvic pain is a common clinical problem with many causes. In addition to gynecologic causes, it is important to evaluate other potential etiologies, including the pelvic musculoskeletal system. There have been few published studies on musculoskeletal causes of pelvic pain and its treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate treatment of pelvic musculoskeletal pain among women with chronic pelvic pain. We used a set of key words pertaining to pain and the pelvic musculoskeletal structures to initially review the PUBMED database. Additional articles were sought by discussion with a clinician specializing in this field and review of relevant textbook bibliographies. Study inclusion was restricted to English-language publications that reported a patient-related chronic pelvic pain outcome measure. Each report must have described at least four patients. For each selected article, two investigators separately summarized pertinent data on study characteristics, patient profiles, intervention characteristics, and treatment outcomes. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Twenty-nine treatment studies met entry criteria. The existing literature largely consists of retrospective, uncontrolled observational studies. The two studies that feature control groups lack sufficient size and scope to allow generalizability. Properly designed and executed randomized, controlled trials are urgently needed to determine the true effectiveness of treatments for pelvic musculoskeletal pain. TARGET AUDIENCE Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completion of this article, the reader should be able to summarize the current data on musculoskeletal causes of chronic pelvic pain, to outline the various techniques used to treat musculoskeletal causes of chronic pelvic pain, and to recall the lack of evidence based data on the subject and need for randomized controlled trials.
The use of a psychological intervention to increase adherence during factor administration in a child with haemophilia.

Summary. While factor replacement treatments allow children with haemophilia to lead near normal lives, these treatments can be difficult to administer, especially to younger children. The intervenous infusions required by these treatments can be painful and result in children attempting to avoid treatment by exhibiting a range of inappropriate behaviours. Their children’s uncooperative behaviour during prophylaxis was cited by parents as a significant barrier to treatment adherence. This study provides a case illustration of the use of psychological interventions to increase adherence during factor administration. Single-case methodology was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the psychological interventions including counterconditioning, distraction, and positive differential reinforcement. The intervention resulted in increased adherence across several months of intervention. Psychological interventions can be effectively used by caregivers and care providers to increase adherence in the treatment of haemophilia.
Investigation of small-scale unintended releases of hydrogen: Buoyancy effects

Abstract Measurements were performed in small-scale hydrogen leaks to characterize the dimensional properties and flow characteristics of the resulting ignitable hydrogen cloud. The data are intended to provide a technological basis for determining hazardous length scales associated with the formation of ignitable mixtures due to unintended releases. In contrast to a previous study where momentum-dominated releases were considered, the present study focuses on smaller-scale releases at lower flow rates where buoyancy becomes important. A turbulent jet flow is selected as representative of releases in which the leak geometry is circular. Laser-based Rayleigh scattering is used to characterize the hydrogen concentration field downstream of the leak. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is also used to characterize the flow velocity. Time-averaged mean and fluctuating hydrogen concentration statistics are presented and compared with results in momentum-dominated flows to elucidate the effects of buoyancy on the H 2 dispersion process. Over the range of Froude numbers investigated ( Fr = 268, 152 and 99), increasing effects of buoyancy are seen as the Fr is reduced and at downstream locations where the influence of buoyancy increases relative to jet momentum. The primary effect of buoyancy is to increase the centerline decay rate of the time-averaged H 2 mass fraction relative to momentum-dominated flows. Acceleration due to buoyancy also results in a slower decay of the time-averaged axial velocity component along the centerline. Radial profiles of the time-averaged H 2 mass fraction also collapse onto the same curves as results in momentum-dominated flows when plotted against the same similarity/scaling variables. While buoyancy is found to have a negligible effect on centerline velocity fluctuations, the maximum H 2 mass fraction fluctuation intensity increases by 70 percent in the buoyant regime and the peak value shifts from the mixing region to the jet centerline. The database presented should provide a good test for the validation of CFD models being developed to predict unintended hydrogen releases under conditions where buoyancy is important.
Eating Clams with Your Fingers: A Survey of Contemporary Etiquette Books

It's no surprise that the early 1980s have witnessed a resurgence of interest in etiquette books, since that's that usual reaction after a period of loose morals. The current vogue features the New Right, short haircuts, and proper behavior, a predictable backlash after the “Age of Aquarius,” the hedonistic 1960s: the age of love‐ins, be‐ins, and smoke‐ins. Two bestselling etiquette books in particular have parlayed this social milieu into commercial success: Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior (1982), and Eve Drobot's Class Acts (1982). Ms. Drobot, a Canadian journalist, realizes that those of the tribal 1960s have “shucked blue‐jeans in favor of 3‐piece suits: we are junior members of law firms…we have to take clients out to lunch, attend cocktail parties, and travel on business.”
Protein Linewidth and Solvent Dynamics in Frozen Solution NMR

Solid-state NMR of proteins in frozen aqueous solution is a potentially powerful technique in structural biology, especially if it is combined with dynamic nuclear polarization signal enhancement strategies. One concern regarding NMR studies of frozen solution protein samples at low temperatures is that they may have poor linewidths, thus preventing high-resolution studies. To learn more about how the solvent shell composition and temperature affects the protein linewidth, we recorded 1H, 2H, and 13C spectra of ubiquitin in frozen water and frozen glycerol-water solutions at different temperatures. We found that the 13C protein linewidths generally increase with decreasing temperature. This line broadening was found to be inhomogeneous and independent of proton decoupling. In pure water, we observe an abrupt line broadening with the freezing of the bulk solvent, followed by continuous line broadening at lower temperatures. In frozen glycerol-water, we did not observe an abrupt line broadening and the NMR lines were generally narrower than for pure water at the same temperature. 1H and 2H measurements characterizing the dynamics of water that is in exchange with the protein showed that the 13C line broadening is relatively independent from the arrest of isotropic water motions.
Trends in Discrete Event Simulations

Discrete event simulation technologies have been up and down as global manufacturing industries went through radical changes. The changes have created new problems, challenges and opportunities to the discrete event simulation. On manufacturing applications, it is no longer an isolated model but the distributed modeling and simulation along the supply chain. In order to study the hybrid manufacturing systems, it is critical to have capability to model human performance with different level of skills and under various working conditions. On service applications, the most critical part is to model knowledge workers and their decision making process. The speaker reviews the discrete event simulation technologies; discusses challenges and opportunities presented by both global manufacturing and the knowledge economy.
An efficient method of computing static single assignment form

In optimizing compilers, data structure choices directly influence the power and efficiency of practical program optimization. A poor choice of data structure can inhibit optimization or slow compilation to the point where advanced optimization features become undesirable. Recently, static single assignment form and the control dependence graph have been proposed to represent data flow and control flow properties of programs. Each of these previously unrelated techniques lends efficiency and power to a useful class of program optimizations. Although both of these structures are attractive, the difficulty of their construction and their potential size have discouraged their use. We present a new algorithm that efficiently computes these data structures for arbitrary control flow graph We also give analytical and experimental evidence that they are usually {\em linear} in the size of the original program. This paper thus presents strong evidence that these structures can be of {\em practical} use in optimization.
The jejunal pouch as a rectal substitute after proctocolectomy.

Our hypothesis was that a jejunal pouch used as a rectal substitute after proctocolectomy would slow enteric transit, delay defecation, and decrease stool frequency compared to an ileal pouch so used. Twelve dogs underwent proctocolectomy; six had a jejunal pouch-distal rectal anastomosis and six had an ileal pouch-distal rectal anastomosis. After recovery, postprandial mouth-to-anus transit was slower in jejunal pouch dogs (253 ±18 minutes [mean ± SEM]) than in ileal pouch dogs (112 ±7.9 minutes; P <0.05). Moreover, jejunal pouch dogs passed only 4.1 ± 0.3 stools during the 12 hours after eating, whereas ileal pouch dogs passed 6.3 ± 0.9 stools (P <0.05). The mean frequency of proximal ileal pacesetter potentials after feeding was less in jejunal pouch dogs (12 ± 0.4 cycles/min) than in ileal pouch dogs (16 ± 0.3 counts/min; P = 0.01), and jejunal pouches had more action potentials (jejunal = 82% ±4.3% of pacesetter potentials had action potentials, ileal = 61% ±3.0%; P <0.05). In contrast, gastric emptying and pouch motility, emptying, mucosal integrity, and bacteriologie and histologic properties were similar in the two groups of dogs. We concluded that the jejunal pouch operation slowed enteric transit, delayed defecation, and decreased postprandial stooling compared to the ileal pouch operation.
The Role of Airway Smooth Muscle in the Pathogenesis of Airway Wall Remodeling in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Airway wall remodeling processes are present in the small airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, consisting of tissue repair and epithelial metaplasia that contribute to airway wall thickening and airflow obstruction. With increasing disease severity, there is also increased mucous metaplasia and submucosal gland hypertrophy, peribronchial fibrosis, and an increase in airway smooth muscle mass. Apart from its contractile properties, airway smooth muscle produces inflammatory cytokines, proteases, and growth factors, which may contribute to the remodeling process and induce phenotypic changes of the muscle. Airflow limitation responds minimally to β-agonists and corticosteroid therapy, unlike asthma, perhaps because of alterations in β-receptor or glucocorticoid receptor numbers, alterations in receptor signaling, or the constrictive limitation imposed by peribronchial fibrosis. Better response is observed with the combination of inhaled long-acting β-agonists and corticosteroids. This could result from effects at the level of airway smooth muscle. Airway wall remodeling may involve the release of growth factors from inflammatory or resident cells. The influence of smoking cessation or of current therapies on airway wall remodeling is unknown. Specific therapies for airway wall remodeling may be necessary, together with noninvasive methods of imaging small airway wall remodeling to assess responses.
Analysis of the general nonsymmetrical directional coupler with arbitrary terminations

The scattering parameters of the general nonsymmetrical uniformly coupled-line 4-port device with arbitrary terminations are derived in terms of the scattering parameters with characteristic nonmode converting terminations. It is shown that the performance of directional couplers consisting of nonsymmetrical lines with unequal normal-mode phase velocities can be optimised in terms of the terminating impedances. A method to determine the optimum terminations with an example of a 6 dB nonsymmetrical edge-coupled microstrip coupler is presented.
Synthesis of meso bridgehead dienes [3.3] sigmatropic rearrangements of 1,n-divinyl bicyclo [n,m,o] alkanes

Abstract [3.3]Sigmatropic rearrangement of 1,n-divinyl bicyclo[n,m,o]alkanes results in formation of meso bridgehead dienes that contain a trans , trans -1,5-cycloalkadiene linkage
Human Genetics as a Tool to Identify Progranulin Regulators

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects individuals under the age of 65. It is known that the most common pathological subtype is FTLD with TAR DNA-binding protein 43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP). FTLD has a strong genetic component with about 50% of cases having a positive family history. Mutations identified in the progranulin gene (GRN) have been shown to cause FTLD-TDP as a result of progranulin haploinsufficiency. These findings suggest a progranulin-dependent mechanism in this pathological FTLD subtype. Thus, identifying regulators of progranulin levels is essential for new therapies and treatments for FTLD and related disorders. In this review, we discuss the role of genetic studies in identifying progranulin regulators, beginning with the discovery of pathogenic GRN mutations and additional GRN risk variants. We also cover more recent genetic advances, including the detection of variants in the transmembrane protein 106 B gene that increase FTLD-TDP risk presumably by modulating progranulin levels and the identification of a potential progranulin receptor, sortilin. This review highlights the importance of genetic studies in the context of FTLD and further emphasizes the need for future genetic and cell biology research to continue the effort in finding a cure for progranulin-related diseases.
Interrater agreement in the clinical evaluation of acute pediatric asthma.

Prior studies of observer agreement of the clinical exam of children with asthma have focused on small numbers of specially trained observers, often in the setting of clinical trials. Our objective was to evaluate interobserver reliability in the physical exam of acute pediatric wheezing and asthma among a large group of diverse examiners, in a setting of routine clinical practice, and without prior special training. The setting was a large urban children's hospital. Observers were attending pediatric emergency physicians and fellows; hospital respiratory therapists; and emergency department (ED) nurses. Patients were children receiving nebulized medications for wheezing in the ED or inpatient asthma unit. Pairs of observers simultaneously but independently rated work of breathing, wheeze, decreased air entry, prolonged expiration, breathlessness, respiratory rate, mental status, and global (or overall) severity using a structured exam template. A total score for each exam was also evaluated. A total of 230 pairs of observations were performed; mean patient age was 5.3 years. For all pairs, the weighted kappa statistics for the exam components ranged from 0.61 to 0.74 (moderate or substantial agreement). The global severity category and total score had weighted kappas of 0.80 and 0.82, respectively (excellent agreement). Agreement was generally somewhat lower for unlike (different profession) observer pairs than for like observer pairs, but remained acceptable. Agreement in two age groups ( or = 4) was at least moderate for all exam components analyzed. Spearman rank correlations between individual exam components and the global assessments of patient severity were all greater than 0.5, indicating at least moderate to good correlations. We found substantial interobserver agreement among a broad range of examiners in the components of the clinical examination of acute wheezing in both younger and older children. This is contrary to the commonly held observation that the poor interobserver reliability of physical exam findings in asthma may limit their usefulness as asthma outcome measures. Support for use of a structured respiratory exam format or template in asthma guidelines was also shown.
Neural networks and feedback linearization

The authors propose a general method for learning of the input-output feedback linearization (IOFL) laws for the class of nonlinear systems described by F.-C. Chen (1990). The direct method previously described by the author (1991) is used with some modifications in the implementation. Three general assumptions required for successful implementation of the method are given. The objective was to learn a controller using a high-order three-layer network such that the resulting closed-loop system behaves similarly to a linear reference model. The IOFL problem is classified into three cases, and the required assumptions to learn the feedback for each case are given. In all cases, the feedback linearizable control law is learned directly from the error between the closed-loop system and the reference model outputs. >
Modeling of formation and implosion of plasma liners by discrete jets.

In Plasma Jets Driven Magneto Inertial Fusion (PJMIF), a cylindrical or spherical array of plasma jets merge to form an imploding liner. The radial momentum of the liner is used to compress and confine a magnetized target. The chief advantages of this approach include small reactor volume, lower pulsed power requirements compared with laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, and secondary fusion burn of the plasma liner. In this study a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code is used to study formation of imploding plasma liners in 3D geometries. The choice of SPH, a free Lagrange method, for plasma liner simulations was made because of difficulties in traditional Eulerian and Lagrangian algorithms using finite element or finite volume methods. Our technical approach consists of studying the behavior of one jet, extending this to the merging of two jets, and finally, the merging of 24 or 60 jets in a spherical arrangement. The results provide physical insights into forming plasma liners for magneto inertial fusion confinement. I. Introduction
Allocation of Chips to Wafers in a Production Problem of Semiconductor Kits

The problem of maximizing the production of good sets of semiconductor chips under random yield is reexamined in this paper. A set of semiconductor chips is called a semiconductor kit. This problem has been considered by Avram and Wein Avram, F., L. Wein. 1992. A product design problem in semiconductor manufacturing. Opns. Res.405 986-998. and Singh et al. Singh, M. R., C. T. Abraham, R. Akella. 1988. Planning for production of a set of components when yield is random. Fifth IEEE CHMT Internat. Electronic Manufacturing Technology Proc.. To solve this problem we show that under certain combinations of assumptions the production process can be replaced by a black box. The use of the black box model considerably simplifies the analysis and reduces the simulation effort required for carrying out parametric analysis of the proposed solution procedure. The model includes that of Avram and Wein, and we extend their results to more general settings and strengthen their conclusions. Using the black box model, it is shown that the strategy of placing different types of chips on a single wafer gives larger yield of kits in a stochastic sense than the traditional method of placing single types of chips on a wafer. We compare the production of kits under different chip design and lot release policies and also carry out a parametric analysis with respect to factors such as set proportions and yield.
Heats of reduction of ketones with sodium borohydride

Abstract The heats of reduction of four ketones with NaBH4 in 0·1000M NaOHaq have been measured at 25·00°.
An Ultrawideband Microstrip Dual-Ring Antenna for Millimeter-Wave Applications

A new ultrawideband (UWB) dual-ring antenna is presented in this letter. Two ring resonators are combined to provide a broadband operation bandwidth of 33.2%, from 31 to 42.8 GHz, with an average gain of 4.5 dBi. The radiation patterns over the whole operation band are stable. The antenna is printed on R/T Duroid 5880 substrate with epsivr = 2.2 and a thickness of 1.3 mm. The newly developed UWB antenna is useful for commercial and military mobile communications, and can be easily redesigned for the applications of microwave or higher millimeter-wave bands.
Ectopic expression of miR-126*, an intronic product of the vascular endothelial EGF-like 7 gene, regulates prostein translation and invasiveness of prostate cancer LNCaP cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs that down-regulate gene expression by promoting cleavage or translational arrest of target mRNAs. While most miRNAs are transcribed from their own dedicated genes, some map to introns of ‘host’ transcripts, the biological significance of which remains unknown. Here, we show that prostate cells are naturally devoid of EGF-like domain 7 (Egfl7) transcripts and hence also deficient in a miRNA, miR-126*, generated from splicing and processing of its ninth intron. Use of recombinant and synthetic miRNAs or a specific antagomir established a role of miR-126* in silencing prostein in non-endothelial cells. We mapped two miR-126*-binding sites in the 3′UTR of the prostein mRNA required for translational repression. Transfection of synthetic miR-126* into prostate cancer LNCaP cells strongly reduced the translation of prostein. Interestingly, loss of prostein correlated with reduction of LNCaP cell migration and invasion. Thus, the robust expression of prostein protein in the prostate cells results from a combination of transcriptional activation of the prostein gene and absence of intronic miRNA-126* due to the prostate-specific repression of the Egfl7 gene. We conclude that intronic miRNAs from tissue-specific transcripts, or their natural absence, make cardinal contributions to cellular gene expression and phenotype. These findings also open the door to tissue-specific miRNA therapy.
A point source in a finite sphere

Abstract Exact analysis and the FN method are used to compute the radiation field due to a point source of radiation located at the center of a finite sphere.
Neuron-wide RNA transport combines with netrin-mediated local translation to spatially regulate the synaptic proteome

The persistence of experience-dependent changes in brain connectivity requires RNA localization and protein synthesis. Previous studies have demonstrated a role for local translation in altering the structure and function of synapses during synapse formation and experience-dependent synaptic plasticity. In this study, we ask whether in addition to promoting local translation, local stimulation also triggers directed trafficking of RNAs from nucleus to stimulated synapses. Imaging of RNA localization and translation in cultured Aplysia sensory-motor neurons revealed that RNAs were delivered throughout the arbor of the sensory neuron, but that translation was enriched only at sites of synaptic contact and/or synaptic stimulation. Investigation of the mechanisms that trigger local translation revealed a role for calcium-dependent retrograde netrin-1/DCC receptor signaling. Spatially restricting gene expression by regulating local translation rather than by directing the delivery of mRNAs from nucleus to stimulated synapses maximizes the readiness of the entire neuronal arbor to respond to local cues.
Dynamic data structures on optical disks

Current data structures for online secondary storage depend on the ability to alter data once it is written. On an optical disk such modification is not possible, so new approaches are needed. In this paper, data structures which allow additions, logical deletions, and rapid access to data stored on optical disks are proposed and analyzed.
Induction of IL-12 Secretion and Enhanced Surface Expression of B7.1/B7.2 and ICAM-1 in Human Monocytes Activated by the Vaccine Carrier Brucella Abortus: Correlation with in Vivo Generation of Cellular Immune Responses

It is well established that two cytokines, IFN-γ and IL-4, play an important role in the differentiation of Th0/Tc0 cells into effector types Th1/Tc1 or Th2/Tc2 cells during the initial phase of the immune response (O’Garra and Murphy, 1994). In addition to these lymphokines, it has been demonstrated that another cytokine, IL-12, is a pivotal positive factor in the differentiation of the Th1/Tc1 cell subset (Manetti et al, 1993). IL-12 is a heterodimeric protein consisting of p40 and p35 subunits (Kobayashi et al, 1989; Stern et al, 1990) that binds to its receptor of approximately 110 kDa (Chizzonite et al, 1992). The biologic activities of IL-12 include stimulatory effects on human NK cells and cytotoxic T cells (Bloom and Horvath, 1994; Chouaib et al, 1994; Kobayashi et al, 1989; Wolf et al, 1991), and induction of proliferation of activated, but not resting, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Bertagnolli et al, 1992; Gately at al, 1991; Perussia et al, 1992). IL-12 potentiates production of IFN-γ by Th1 and Th0 clones (Manetti et al, 1994), and also by NK and CD8+ cells (Croft et al, 1994; D’Andrea et al, 1992). Studies in the murine system demonstrated an important role for IL-12 in the development of immune protection against infectious agents such as Candida (Romani et al, 1992), Leishmania major (Afonso et al, 1994), Listeria in SCID mice (Tripp et al, 1994) and Schistosomiasis (Wynn et al, 1995). IL-12 was also shown to play an important role in IFN-γ-dependent protection against malaria (Sedegah et al, 1994) and tuberculosis (Zhang et al, 1994) in humans. The ability of IL-12 to induce protective immunity against many infections suggests that this cytokine should be a key component of vaccines designed to elicit strong cell-mediated immunity.
Fish and land use influence Gammarus lacustris and Hyalella azteca (Amphipoda) densities in large wetlands across the upper Midwest

Gammarus lacustris and Hyalella azteca (hereafter G. lacustris and H. azteca, respectively) are important components of secondary production in wetlands and shallow lakes of the upper Midwest, USA. Within the past 50 years, amphipod densities have decreased while occurrences of fish and intensity of agricultural land use have increased markedly across this landscape. We investigated influences of fish, sedimentation, and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) on densities of G. lacustris and H. azteca in semipermanent and permanent wetlands and shallow lakes (n = 283) throughout seven eco-physiographic regions of Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota during 2004–2005. G. lacustris and H. azteca densities were positively correlated with densities of SAV (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Both species were negatively correlated with densities of large fish (non-Cyprinidae; P = 0.01 and P = 0.013, respectively) and with high densities of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas; P < 0.001 and P = 0.033, respectively). H. azteca densities also were negatively correlated with densities of small fish (e.g., other minnows [Cyprinidae] and sticklebacks [Gasterosteidae]; P = 0.048) and common carp (Cyprinus spp.; P = 0.022). G. lacustris densities were negatively correlated with high levels of suspended solids (an index for sedimentation; P < 0.001). H. azteca densities were positively correlated with the width of upland-vegetation buffers (P = 0.004). Our results indicate that sedimentation and fish reduce amphipod densities and may contribute to the current low densities of amphipods in the upper Midwest. Thus, removing/excluding fish, and providing a thick buffer of upland vegetation around wetlands may help restore amphipod densities and wetland and water quality within this landscape.
Human vision, anti-aliasing, and the cheap 4000 line display

Despite its other advantages, one of the major objections to raster graphics has been the poor image quality and aliasing effects caused by discrete sampling. These effects include “jaggies” or stair-stepping, crawling, line breakup, and scintillation. Several solutions have been proposed in the literature, however, most suffer severe drawbacks and are only partially successful at eliminating aliasing effects. One solution, area anti-aliasing, is not only effective, it produces results comparable to higher resolution systems. Using widely available data on human visual response, it is shown how this technique actually increases the perceived resolution of a display beyond the hardware resolution by factors of up to 16X. The requirements of such a system are discussed, as well as some of the problems encountered.
On the Behavior of Plates Laminated of Bimodulus Composite Materials

An excet and finite-element analysis is used to predict the static bending and natural vibration response of rectangular plates laminated of composite material having different elastic properties depending upon whether the fiber-direction strains are tensile or compressive. The analysis is based on a theory that accounts for anisotropy, bending-stretching coupling, thickness shear deformation, and both coupling inertia und rotatory inertia. The finite-element results are found to agree very closely with the exact closed-form solutions in the case of a cross-ply rectangular plate having simply supported edges and subjected to sinusoidally distributed normal-pressure loading or temperature loading. Um statische Biegung und Eingeschwingungsantwort von geschichteten Rechteckplatten vorauszusagen, die aus zusammengesetztem Material bestehen, das unterschiedliche elastische Eigenschaften besitzt, je nachdem, ob die Dehnung in Fasserrichtung Druck- oder Zugcharakter hat, wird eine exakte wie auch eine Finite-Elemente-Analyse angewandt. Die Rechnung basiert auf einer Theorie, die Anisotropie, Biegungs-Dehnungs-Kopplung, Schubdeformation uber die Dicke und sowohl Kopplungs- als auch Verdrehungstragheit berucksichtigt. Es ergibt sich, das die Ergebnisse aus der Finite-Elemente-Analyse im Falle einer kreuzweise beschichteten Rechteckplatte mit einfach unterstutzten Kanten, die sinusolidal-verteilten Normaldruck- oder Temperaturbelastungen ausgesetzt ist, sehr gut mit den exakten Losungen in geschlossener Form ubereinstimmen.
Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Method to Distinguish Three Mealybug Groups Within the Planococcus citri-P. minor Species Complex (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae)

The mealybug species Planococcus citri (Risso) and Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) have special significance to U.S. quarantine and U.S. agriculture. Commonly intercepted at U.S. ports-of-entry, they are difficult to identify based on morphological characters. This study presents a molecular method for distinguishing P. citri, P. minor, and a genetically distinct group that is morphologically identical to P. citri, from Hawaii. This method uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment polymorphism analysis (RFLP) using the restriction enzymes BspHl, BsmHl, and HpHl. The resulting band patterns can be visualized in a 2% agarose gel and are sufficient to differentiate between the three entities mentioned above. PCR-RFLP diagnostics can be used for all life stages and is cheaper and faster than DNA sequencing.
Toward development of silvical strategies for forest restoration of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) using blight-resistant hybrids

Backcross breeding has provided a viable means to restore American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) to eastern North American forests, where the foundation species was essentially extirpated by an introduced pathogen. With the prospect of American chestnut reintroduction imminent, it is critical to formulate restoration strategies based on the ecology and silvics of the species, operational confines, social or policy limitations, and ecological implications. American chestnut was apparently adapted to a relatively wide range of site conditions, has evolved a capacity to survive for prolonged periods beneath forest canopies yet respond rapidly to disturbance, and demonstrates extraordinary growth and competitive ability. These characteristics are discussed in reference to operative planting techniques and potential for migration of regeneration from hybrid chestnut plantings into forests of the original American chestnut range. The use of hybrid trees for American chestnut reintroduction may generate social and policy ambiguities that require conciliation. Additionally, potential long-term ecological implications associated with reintroduction of American chestnut to the original species range, or introduction to areas outside its original range, must be realized and integrated into reintroduction strategies. Limitations in genetic fitness, potential for disease mutation, and threats from other exotic insects and pathogens may serve as continual challenges to American chestnut restoration. This paper helps establish preliminary guidelines for restoration plantings and creates awareness of imposing ecological issues and barriers that must be overcome to successfully restore American chestnut to its natural range, while simultaneously maintaining ecological integrity and ensuring conservation benefits to eastern North American forests.
Analysis of tetrodotoxin

Abstract Law enforcement personnel interdicted an illegal shipment of a chemical suspected to be an illicit drug. However, literature within the package indicated that the substance was actually tetrodotoxin, a potent marine neurotoxin. Analyses of the questioned samples by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed no evidence for the presence of illicit drugs, but this technique was ineffectual for the identification of tetrodotoxin. Direct-inlet-probe mass spectrometry was likewise unable to characterize the chemical identity of the subject material. Electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry was implemented to successfully identify the interdicted substance as tetrodotoxin.
Analysis of Manning Requirements for the LCS Mine Warfare Module

The present paper describes a manning and crew workload analysis conducted to support the development of the mine warfare module for the Littoral Combat Ship. An initial analysis was conducted to develop mission scenarios, a functional breakout, a task list, and an estimate of manning requirements. Ways to reduce the required manning from 27 sailors to 15 sailors were identified, contingent upon design changes and hybrid training. A detailed workload analysis was conducted to assess the viability of the reduced manning concepts. Results indicate that although the reduced crew could handle peak operations requirements, they could not accomplish all the tasks required for the mission within a standard 70-hour workweek. A crew of 19 would be expected to accomplish all the tasks. The present analysis illustrates the value of jointly performing human engineering and manning analyses. Insight gained can be shared simultaneously with system designers, personnel planners, and training developers.
Why Henry Giroux's Democratic Pedagogy is Crucial for Confronting Failed Corporate School Reform and How Liberals Like Ravitch and Darling-Hammond Are Making Things Worse

Progressive media and the academic community outside of education has largely embraced liberal criticisms of corporate school reform or neoliberal educational restructuring, typified by the highly publicized writing and speaking of Diane Ravitch and Linda Darling-Hammond. Despite offering valuable policy information, the liberal view is grounded in a number of indefensible positions with regard to the politics of knowledge and curriculum, neoliberal globalization, and the relationship between the political economy of schooling and broader economic and political questions. The article juxtaposes the ethical, political and cultural thought of Henry Giroux against the liberal position. It suggests that those committed to educational justice ought to re-evaluate political and cultural values in the struggles against corporate school reform so as not to follow the mistaken liberal thought and collude with the neoliberal ideology and economic doctrine that animates these destructive policies.
Using cytochrome P-450 gene knock-out mice to study chemical metabolism, toxicity, and carcinogenicity

Cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes are heme-containing proteins that carry out oxidative metabolism of a wide range of structurally diverse exogenous chemicals and therapeutic agents as well as endogenous compounds. For some of these xenobiotics, oxidative metabolism results in the formation of toxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic metabolites. In the past, the role of CYP enzymes in metabolism and chemical-induced toxicity was studied indirectly through use of specific antibodies or inducers and inhibitors of these enzymes. Progress in molecular biology and the ability to bioengineer animal models that do not express CYP1A2, CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2E1, or both CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 isozymes has allowed for direct investigations of the in vivo role of these enzymes in the metabolism, toxicity, and carcinogenicity of xenobiotics. This article reviews research conducted to date that utilizes these genetically bioengineered mice in metabolism, toxicity, or carcinogenicity studies of chemicals. Some studies showed a positive correlation between in vivo results and in vitro predictions for the role of a specific CYP in chemical-induced effects, whereas other studies did not support in vitro predictions. Work reviewed herein demonstrates the importance of using animal models for investigating the role of specific CYP enzymes in metabolism and chemical-induced toxicity or carcinogenicity rather than relying solely on in vitro techniques. Eventually, studies of this nature will facilitate a more accurate assessment of human risks with regard to chemicals by helping us to understand the relationships between chemical metabolism, carcinogenicity, and polymorphisms in CYP enzymes.
Interlaminar connections of the superior colliculus in the tree shrew. III: The optic layer

These experiments were designed to test the idea that the optic layer in the tree shrew, Tupaia belangeri, is functionally distinct and provides a link between the visuosensory superficial and the premotor intermediate layers of the superior colliculus. First, cells in the optic layer were intracellularly labeled with biocytin in living brain slices. Compared to cells in the adjacent lower part of the superficial gray layer, which have apical dendrites that ascend toward the tectal surface, optic layer cells have dendritic fields that are restricted for the most part to the optic layer itself. The differences in dendritic-field location imply that superficial gray and optic layer cells have different patterns of input. The axons of optic layer cells terminate densely within the optic layer and, in addition, project in a horizontally restricted fashion to the overlying superficial gray and subjacent intermediate gray layers. This pattern also is different from the predominantly descending interlaminar projections of lower superficial gray layer cells. Next, cells in the intermediate gray layer were labeled in order to examine the relationships between optic layer cells and these subjacent neurons that project from the superior colliculus to oculomotor centers of the brain stem. Neurons in the upper part of the intermediate gray layer send apical dendrites into the optic layer and therefore can receive signals from the superficial gray layer either directly, from descending axons of lower superficial gray layer cells, or indirectly, through intervening optic layer cells. In contrast, lower intermediate gray layer cells have more radiate dendritic fields that are restricted to the intermediate gray layer. Thus, these lower cells must depend on descending projections from optic or upper intermediate gray layer cells for signals from the superficial gray layer. Together, these results support the idea that the optic layer is a distinct lamina that provides a link between the superficial and intermediate gray layers. They also are consistent with the traditional view that descending intracollicular projections play a role in the selection of visual targets for saccades.
Quantitative analysis of cortical pyramidal neurons after corpus callosotomy.

This study quantitatively explored the dendritic/spine extent of supragranular pyramidal neurons across several cortical areas in two adult male subjects who had undergone a callosotomy several decades before death. In all cortical areas, there were numerous atypical, supragranular pyramidal neurons with elongated “tap root” basilar dendrites. These atypical cells could be associated with an underlying epileptic condition and/or could represent a compensatory mechanism in response to deafferentation after callosotomy.
Developmental expression profile of quaking, a candidate gene for schizophrenia, and its target genes in human prefrontal cortex and hippocampus shows regional specificity.

Decreased expression of oligodendrocyte/myelinrelated (OMR) genes, including quaking (QKI), is a consistent finding in gene expression studies of post-mortem brain from subjects with schizophrenia, and these changes are most prominent in the hippocampus vs. the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Although expression of QKI and other OMR genes has been examined in rodents, little is known about their developmental trajectory in the human brain. Therefore, we examined expression of QKI and several putative mRNA targets of QKI in human PFC and hippocampus at different ages. The pattern of QKI expression in the PFC resembled that reported in rodents, with high QKI-5 in the fetal brain and an increase in QKI-6 and QKI-7 during the period of active myelination, although QKI-5 expression did not decrease substantially during postnatal development in the PFC in humans as it does in rodent brain. Most of the putative QKI target genes also showed linear increases in expression with increasing age in the PFC. In contrast, expression of these genes showed little evidence of developmental regulation in the hippocampus. Correlations between expression levels of the nuclear vs. cytoplasmic QKI isoforms, and putative splicing targets of the former, also differed between tissues. Thus, we speculate that a robust increase in OMR gene expression normally occurs with age in the PFC, but not in the hippocampus, which may explain why decreases in OMR gene expression in schizophrenia are more pronounced in the latter tissue. We also suggest that OMR transcripts might be processed by different splicing proteins in different tissues. V C 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Report of Discussions by the Minerals Exploration Interest Group

On the afternoon of Thursday, December 14th 1989, a group of participants with an interest or experience in the field of minerals exploration were designated by the Organising Committee. The group was charged with the task of discussing and developing conclusions and recommendations concerning the needs of minerals exploration for 3-D modelling techniques.
Reporting On Recession: Journalism, Prediction, And The Economy

This paper examines the difficulties that recession coverage poses for journalists and the implications of how news work shapes that subject. It argues that in trying to predict and cover recession, journalists reify this systemic process into an independent entity. Recession comes to be presented as a lurking threat that remains “out there” even when the economy is strong, rising periodically to threaten society when boom becomes bust. Moreover, other themes in reportage - a cyclic view of temporality and tropes of sin/punishment – also encourage economic instability.
Cervical Aortic Arch Associated with Tetralogy of Fallot

Forty-seven cases of cervical aortic arch have been reported in the literature. Eleven of these patients had congenital cardiac defects, including tetralogy of Fallot in three. An additional case of cervical aortic arch and tetralogy of Fallot is presented along with a brief review of the literature pertaining to this rare condition.
Disciples of the State?: Religion and State-Building in the Former Ottoman World

As the Ottoman Empire crumbled, the Middle East and Balkans became the site of contestation and cooperation between the traditional forces of religion and the emergent machine of the sovereign state. Yet such strategic interaction rarely yielded a decisive victory for either the secular state or for religion. By tracing how state-builders engaged religious institutions, elites, and attachments, this book problematizes the divergent religion-state power configurations that have developed. There are two central arguments. First, states carved out more sovereign space in places like Greece and Turkey, where religious elites were integral to early centralizing reform processes. Second, region-wide structural constraints on the types of linkages that states were able to build with religion have generated long-term repercussions. Fatefully, both state policies that seek to facilitate equality through the recognition of religious difference and state policies that seek to eradicate such difference have contributed to failures of liberal democratic consolidation.