cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct observation of the atomic structure of a twin boundary layer in a superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O ceramic

Abstract Direct structural images of a twin boundary in a superconducting Y–Ba–Cu–O ceramic have been obtained at 0·19 nm resolution by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and an image processing technique. It was found that the a and b planes of a twin domain gradually change to the b and a planes of a neighbouring twin domain across a twin boundary. This involves a shifting of the respective planes by a distance (⅓∼½)d(110) along the boundary as well as the rotation of the planes by ⊘ ≃ 2(b−a)/(a + b) across the boundary. Also, this transition takes place within approximately four times the (110) interplanar spacing d (100), which is considered as the twin boundary layer thickness.
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone-Receptor Interaction in GH3 Pituitary Cells*

The interaction between TRH and GH3 pituitary tumor cells was studied in monolayer cultures or membranecontaining fractions. In intact cells, the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) was ∼10 nM, and the total number of binding sites was ∼1.4 pmol/mg protein at temperatures of 0–37 C. In broken cell preparations, the number of sites occupied at saturating TRH concentrations was reduced by half when the temperature was increased from 0 to 30 C. Linear Scatchard plots were obtained under all conditions. The rate of dissociation of TRH was temperature dependent, and first order plots were nonlinear. The half-times for dissociation at 0 C were over 240 min in cells and membranes, while at 37 C, the half-time values were 24 min (cells) and less than 0.5 min (membranes). Identical dissociation kinetics were obtained by dilution alone or dilution with excess unlabeled hormone. When cultures which had been incubated with TRH were lightly fixed with glutaraldehyde, dissociation at 37 C became immeasurably slow. Howe...
Curvature in metabolic scaling

The relationship between an organism's metabolic rate and its body mass has fascinated biologists since Max Kleiber first proposed, in 1932, that metabolic rate scales across species with body mass raised to the power of 3/4. This 'scaling exponent' has been recalculated many times since, with some estimating the exponent to be close to 2/3 and others nearer to 3/4. A new analysis suggests that the relationship does not follow a straight line on a logarithmic scale, so is not a pure power law at all. Attempts to fit a straight line to what is really a curve produce 'scaling exponents' that are highly dependent on the data used. Data sets dominated by small organisms tend to produce exponents of 2/3 while those dominated by large organisms will produce 3/4. It has been thought that the basal metabolic rate of organisms increases as body mass is raised to some power, p. But the value of p has proved controversial, with both 2/3 and 3/4 being proposed. It is found here that the relationship between mass and metabolic rate does not follow a pure power law at all, and requires a quadratic term to account for curvature. Taking temperature and phylogeny into account, this explains why different data sets have produced different exponents when a power law has been fitted. For more than three-quarters of a century it has been assumed1 that basal metabolic rate increases as body mass raised to some power p. However, there is no broad consensus regarding the value of p: whereas many studies have asserted that p is 3/4 (refs 1–4; ‘Kleiber’s law’), some have argued that it is 2/3 (refs 5–7), and others have found that it varies depending on factors like environment and taxonomy6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16. Here we show that the relationship between mass and metabolic rate has convex curvature on a logarithmic scale, and is therefore not a pure power law, even after accounting for body temperature. This finding has several consequences. First, it provides an explanation for the puzzling variability in estimates of p, settling a long-standing debate. Second, it constitutes a stringent test for theories of metabolic scaling. A widely debated model17 based on vascular system architecture fails this test, and we suggest modifications that could bring it into compliance with the observed curvature. Third, it raises the intriguing question of whether the scaling relation limits body size.
Study of collisionless multiphoton absorption in S F 6 using picosecond C O 2 laser pulses

The dynamics of collisionless infrared multiphoton absorption in S${\mathrm{F}}_{6}$ was studied using picosecond C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ laser pulses. It was found that at this new regime of light-matter interaction at very high laser intensities, the absorption in the quasicontinuum has a considerable intensity dependence. The deviation from an energy fluence scaling law was found to begin at about 200 MW/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Above this intensity, the multiphoton interaction between the laser and the molecule should be described by the full coherent Schr\"odinger equation rather than by the usual master rate equations. A novel method of preheating the S${\mathrm{F}}_{6}$ molecules is also described and the saturation behavior of these preheated molecules is measured with the picosecond pulses.
Tri-pyramid Robot: Design and kinematic analysis of a 3-DOF translational parallel manipulator

3-DOF translational parallel manipulators have been developed in many different forms, but they still have respective disadvantages in different applications. To overcome their disadvantages, the structure and constraint design of a 3-DOF translational parallel manipulator is presented and named the Tri-pyramid Robot. In the constraint design of the presented manipulator, a conical displacement subset is defined based on displacement group theory. A triangular pyramidal constraint is presented and applied in the constraint designs between the manipulator@?s subchains. The structural properties including the decoupled motions, overconstraint elimination, singularity free workspace, fixed actuators and isotropic configuration are analyzed and compared to existing structures. The Tri-pyramid Robot is constrained and realized by a minimal number of 1-DOF joints. The kinematic position solutions, workspace with variation of structural parameters, Jacobian matrix, isotropic and dexterity analysis are performed and evaluated in the numerical simulations.
A screen for genes that suppress loss of contact inhibition: Identification of ING4 as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in human cancer

We have devised a screen for genes that suppress the loss of contact inhibition elicited by overexpression of the protooncogene MYCN. The initial application of this screen detected nine distinctive suppressors within a representative human cDNA library. One of these genes was ING4, a potential tumor suppressor gene that maps to human chromosome 12p13. Ectopic expression of ING4 suppressed the loss of contact inhibition elicited by either MYCN or MYC but had no direct effect on cellular proliferation. Pursuing the possibility that ING4 might be a tumor suppressor gene, we found inactivating mutations in ING4 transcripts from various human cancer cell lines. In addition, we used comparative genomic hybridization to detect deletion of the ING4 locus in 10-20% of human breast cancer cell lines and primary breast tumors. Ectopic expression of ING4 attenuated the growth of T47D human breast cancer cells in soft agar. We conclude that ING4 is a strong candidate as a tumor suppressor gene.
A Simple Proof of a Theorem of Whyte

Kevin Whyte showed that all Baumslag–Solitar groups BS(p,q) with 1 < p < q are quasi-isometric [Whyte, K., Geom. Funct. Anal. 11 (2001), 1327–1343]. We provide an elementary geometric proof.
CAOFES: an ontological framework for web service retrieval

Semantic web search involves retrieval of user-specific web artifacts by utilizing their semantic descriptions. A very specific web artifact that has evolved in recent times is web services. Web services can be semantically described in languages like OWL-S. However, such languages are limited with respect to their expressivity of context. They also lack a formal ontological framework where efficient web service retrieval can be conducted. In this paper we model a service request scenario within the web as an event-driven system. Services as well as user requests are modeled as events. We propose an ontological framework called Context-Aware Ontology Framework for Events and Services (CAOFES) where such event-driven web service retrieval can be efficiently executed by a novel reasoning technique.
Thoracic Duct Injury: A Complication of Jugular Vein Catheterization

Iatrogenic injury to the thoracic duct followed percutaneous cannulation of the left internal jugular vein. The case was managed successfully by supraclavicular ligation of the thoracic duct. We feel cannulation of the right internal jugular vein is preferable to cannulation of the left internal jugular vein.
Internalizing and Externalizing Subtypes in Female Sexual Assault Survivors: Implications for the Understanding of Complex PTSD

This study replicated and extended findings of internalizing and externalizing subtypes of posttraumatic psychopathology (Miller, M. W., Greif, J. L., & Smith, A. A. (2003). Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire profiles of veterans with traumatic combat exposure: Internalizing and externalizing subtypes. Psychological Assessment, 15, 205-215; Miller, M. W., Kaloupek, D. G., Dillon, A. L., & Keane, T.M. (2004). Externalizing and internalizing subtypes of combat-related PTSD: A replication and extension using the PSY-5 Scales. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113, 636-645) to a female sample of rape survivors with chronic PTSD. Cluster analyses of Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (Clark, L. A. (1996). SNAP-Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality: Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.) temperament scale profiles from 143 women with PTSD partitioned the sample into a simple PTSD cluster, defined by normal range personality scores and moderate symptomatology, and 2 more "complex" clusters distinguished by more severe tendencies towards externalizing or internalizing psychopathology. Externalizers were characterized by disinhibition, substance dependence, and Cluster B personality disorder features; internalizers by low positive temperament, high rates of major depressive disorder, and elevations on measures of schizoid and avoidant personality disorder.
Heat loss from a Newtonian animal

Abstract The conditions necessary for true Newtonian cooling to occur are unrealistic for an animal, but Newton's law of cooling is used overwhelmingly in the physiological literature as the sole description of heat loss. For purposes of developing fundamental relationships between the animal and its environment, these constraints of Newtonian cooling are imposed upon an animal and the process is discussed within the framework of Fourier's law and the general heat equation. The arguments are related to Newton's law and to some physiological observations. The dependence of the cooling rate and cumulative heat loss on the animal's metabolic and circulatory rates, area-volume ratio, surface conductance, mass, heat capacity, insulation thickness and conductivity and on physical factors of the environment is given explicitly.
Transparent Assessment: Discovering Authentic Meanings Made by Combat Veterans

To inform treatment innovation and assessment toward relevance to combat veterans, this mixed-methods intuitive inquiry applied art-based methods to thematic analysis with an emphasis on making the civilian researcher's interpretation transparent. The study explored changes in moral injury and complicated grief that corresponded with statistically significant improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eight male combat veterans voluntarily participated in a continuous five-day residential arts-based intervention (The Warrior's Journey). Each participant created 11 pieces of art and told a culminating story. Pre/post Posttraumatic Stress Checklist (PCL-M) Likert scales corresponded closely with narrative themes indicative of the identity domain of meaning reconstruction and posttraumatic growth. It was shown that meaning making and researcher bias can be assessed using art-based research methods. The results offer direction for increasing the relevance of treatment and assessment to address the i...
How to solve the N bit encoder problem with just two hidden units

I demonstrate that it is possible to construct a three-layer network of the standard feedforward architecture that can solve the N input-N output encoder problem with just two hidden units.
Industry models for enterprise data management in financial markets

The subprime credit crisis of 2007 and the ensuing liquidity crisis in global financial markets highlighted weaknesses in the risk management processes and the information technology infrastructure of many financial market organizations. There are various dimensions to this, but underpinning many of the issues that have arisen is a failure to manage critical data pertaining to financial instruments, counterparties, and liquidity in an integrated and readily accessible fashion. To address this, various industry bodies, vendors, and financial institutions have considered the adoption of industry data models and classification standards for financial instruments and other business entities. In this paper, we describe the industry models that IBM has developed for the financial market industry for this purpose. We illustrate how these models can be used to successfully underpin an enterprise data management (EDM) infrastructure in a financial market organization, thereby addressing some of the key issues arising from the crisis as they pertain to the integrity and management of critical enterprise data. We draw comparisons to related EDM technologies and to the data standardization efforts of the EDM Council, a leading industry body for the financial market industry.
CH...O and CH...N hydrogen bonds in ligand design: a novel quinazolin-4-ylthiazol-2-ylamine protein kinase inhibitor.

Aryl CH hydrogen bonds play an important role in the binding of several analogues of a pyrazol-3-ylquinazolin-4-ylamine inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). Understanding the importance of these CH···O and CH···N hydrogen bonds allowed the design of a novel quinazolin-4-ylthiazol-2-ylamine inhibitor of GSK3 with a structurally confirmed CH···O hydrogen bond to the protein.
A comparison of effects of sulfasalazine and its metabolites on the metabolism of endogenous vs. exogenous arachidonic acid

Sulfasalazine and, to a lesser extent, 5-aminosalicylic acid and N-acetyl-aminosalicylic acid, were found to block production of 5-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and LTB4 stereoisomers from both exogenous and endogenous [14C]arachidonic acid (14C-AA) in ionophore A23187 (1 microgram/ml)-stimulated human neutrophils. Lipids were assessed by thin-layer chromatography and reverse-phase high-pressure lipid chromatography. Sulfasalazine blocked the synthesis of these metabolites from both exogenous and endogenous AA, but was more effective in blocking the metabolism of exogenous than endogenous AA. The IC50 for sulfasalazine in blocking the synthesis of LTB4 was 0.8 mM when exogenous AA was the substrate and 2.8 mM when endogenous AA was the substrate. N-Acetyl-aminosalicylic acid showed a similar pattern, but was less effective than sulfasalazine (IC50 for exogenous AA was 5.4 mM, and for endogenous AA was 8.0 mM). 5-Aminosalicylic acid had similar effects with an IC50 of 6.0 and 6.4 mM respectively. Sulfasalazine but not 5-aminosalicylic acid inhibited the incorporation of arachidonic acid into phospholipids and triglycerides. Sulfasalazine, but not its metabolites, inhibited the release of 14C-AA from membrane phospholipids in a dose-dependent manner (46.0% inhibition with 4 mM sulfasalazine). Sulfasalazine also blocked the metabolism of exogenously added LTB4 to 20-OH LTB4 and 20-COOH LTB4 with an IC50 of 2 mM. Our findings suggest that under physiologic conditions, with endogenous AA as a substrate, sulfasalazine acts as an inhibitor of lipoxygenase, of phospholipase A2 and of LTB4 metabolism, whereas 5-aminosalicylic acid and N-acetyl-aminosalicylic acid inhibit only lipoxygenase.
A Code for the Transportation Problem of Linear Programming

Methods are described and results presented for greatly reducing the computation time for long narrow problems of the transportation problem of linear programming. The code builds on known methods with two principal innovations: a substantial reduction in the size of the tree representation of shipments, and a set of methods for calculating improved starting solutions.
Disc1 regulates foxd3 and sox10 expression, affecting neural crest migration and differentiation

This work reports the characterization and functional analysis of disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (disc1), a well-documented schizophrenia-susceptibility gene, in zebrafish cranial neural crest (CNC). Our data demonstrated that disc1 was expressed in zebrafish CNC cells. Loss of Disc1 resulted in persistent CNC cell medial migration, dorsal to the developing neural epithelium, and hindered migration away from the region dorsal to the neural rod. General CNC cell motility was not affected by Disc1 knockdown, however, as the speed of CNC cells was indistinguishable from that of wild-type counterparts. We determined that the failure of CNC cells to migrate away from the neural rod correlated with the enhanced expression of two transcription factors, foxd3 and sox10. These transcription factors have many functions in CNC cells, including the maintenance of precursor pools, timing of migration onset, and the induction of cell differentiation. Our work, in conjunction with previous studies, suggests that the perpetuation of expression of these factors affects several aspects of CNC cell development, leading to a loss of craniofacial cartilage and an expansion of peripheral cranial glia. Based on our data, we propose a model in which Disc1 functions in the transcriptional repression of foxd3 and sox10, thus mediating CNC cell migration and differentiation.
Special truss moment frames with Vierendeel middle panel

Abstract This paper presents an alternative configuration of the special truss segment in special truss moment frames (STMF). The study is an extension of a previous study by Goel and Itani at the University of Michigan in which an integrated analytical and experimental programme was conducted on this system with X-diagonal middle segments for the trusses. The system showed excellent improvement in behaviour over the conventional truss moment frames as used in current practice. However, the X-diagonals in the middle panels may cause undesirable obstruction for ductwork and piping systems in some situations. A Vierendeel middle segment (no Xdiagonals) is proposed in this paper for STMF; thus, the wide opening can be utilized for ductwork and piping. The shear caused by lateral forces in the open panel of the trusses is resisted solely by the chord members. A four-storey study building, which had been designed using X-diagonal configuration in the previous study, was redesigned using the proposed configuration. Excellent inelastic response is obtained through stable and ‘full’ hysteretic loops. Minor reductions in the stiffness and strength of the system resulted due to the absence of X-diagonals.
A semi-empirical backscattering model at L-band and C-band for a soybean canopy with soil moisture inversion

Radar backscatter measurements of a pair of adjacent soybean fields at L-band and C-band are reported. These measurements, which are fully polarimetric, took place over the entire growing season of 1996. To reduce the data acquisition burden, these measurements were restricted to 45/spl deg/ in elevation and to 45/spl deg/ in azimuth with respect to the row direction. Using the first order radiative transfer solution as a form for the model of the data, four parameters were extracted from the data for each frequency/polarization channel to provide a least squares fit to the model. For inversion, particular channel combinations were regressed against the soil moisture and area density of vegetation water mass. Using L-band cross-polarization and VV-polarization, the vegetation water mass can be regressed with an R/sup 2/=0.867 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0678 kg/m/sup 2/. Similarly, while a number of channels, or combinations of channels, can be used to invert for soil moisture, the best combination observed, namely, L-band VV-polarization, C-band HV- and VV-polarizations, can achieve a regression coefficient of R/sup 2/=0.898 and volumetric soil moisture RMSE of 1.75%.
Chinese Students Perceptions Of Life In The U.S.

Fifty-six students studying at a Chinese college in a southern province were surveyed for this study and asked to describe their experiences if they were to wake up one day to find themselves in the United States as U.S. citizens. A content analysis was performed for the final analysis of the raw data. Chinese students views on the U.S. varied but mainly focused on the positive aspects of life in America. This researcher therefore concluded that Chinese students surveyed through this study did not have realistic views of life in the U.S.
Climate and floods still govern California levee breaks

[1] Even in heavily engineered river systems, climate still governs flood variability and thus still drives many levee breaks and geomorphic changes. We assemble a 155-year record of levee breaks for a major California river system to find that breaks occurred in 25% of years during the 20th Century. A relation between levee breaks and river discharge is present that sets a discharge threshold above which most levee breaks occurred. That threshold corresponds to small floods with recurrence intervals of ∼2–3 years. Statistical analysis illustrates that levee breaks and peak discharges cycle (broadly) on a 12–15 year time scale, in time with warm-wet storm patterns in California, but more slowly or more quickly than ENSO and PDO climate phenomena, respectively. Notably, these variations and thresholds persist through the 20th Century, suggesting that historical flood-control effects have not reduced the occurrence or frequency of levee breaks.
Room design for high-performance electron microscopy

Aberration correctors correct aberrations, not instabilities. Rather, as spatial resolution improves, a microscope's sensitivity to room environment becomes more noticeable, not less. Room design is now an essential part of the microscope installation process. Previously ignorable annoyances like computer fans, desk lamps and that chiller in the service corridor now may become the limiting factors in the microscopes performance. We discuss methods to quantitatively characterize the instrument's response to magnetic, mechanical, acoustical and thermal disturbances and thus predict the limits that the environment places on imaging and spectroscopy.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant with a partial defect in the synthesis of CDP-diacylglycerol and altered regulation of phospholipid biosynthesis.

Abstract A Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant (cdg1 mutation) was isolated on the basis of an inositol excretion phenotype and exhibited pleiotropic deficiencies in phospholipid biosynthesis. Genetic analysis of the mutant confirmed that the cdg1 mutation represents a new genetic locus and that a defect in a single gene was responsible for the Cdg1 phenotype. CDP-diacylglycerol synthase activity in mutant haploid cells was 25% of the wild-type derepressed level. Biochemical and immunoblot analyses revealed that the defect in CDP-diacylglycerol synthase activity in the cdg1 mutant was due to a reduced level of the CDP-diacylglycerol synthase Mr-56,000 subunit rather than to an alteration in the enzymological properties of the enzyme. This defect resulted in a reduced rate of CDP-diacylglycerol synthesis, an elevated phosphatidate content, and alterations in overall phospholipid synthesis. Unlike wild-type cells, CDP-diacylglycerol synthase was not regulated in response to water-soluble phospholipid precursors. The cdg1 lesion also caused constitutive expression of inositol-1-phosphate synthase and elevated phosphatidylserine synthase. Phosphatidylinositol synthase was not affected in the cdg1 mutant.
MR Imaging–Controlled Focused Ultrasound Ablation: A Noninvasive Image-Guided Surgery

The history of MR-guided FUS demonstrates the need for merging advanced therapy technology with advanced imaging. Without the ability of MR imaging to localize the tumor margins and without the temperature-sensitive imaging that provides the closed-loop control of energy deposition, this method is inadequate for most clinical applications. Given these limitations,high-intensity focused ultrasound initially appeared to have a narrow application area and was not able to compete with other surgical or ablation methods. Today, MR imaging-guided FUS has become a safe and effective means of performing probe-delivered thermal ablations and minimally invasive surgery. Moreover, it has the potential to replace treatments that use ionizing radiation such as radiosurgery and brachytherapy. Although the cost of integrating"big ticket" MR imaging systems with complex and expensive phased arrays is high, this expenditure will largely be offset by eliminating hospitalization and anesthesia and by reducing complications. In effect, an investment in this emerging technology will ultimately redound to the benefit of the health care delivery system and, most important, to the patient. The FUS system provides a safe, repeatable treatment approach for benign tumors (eg, uterine fibroid and breast fibroadenoma) that do not require an aggressive approach. MR-guided FUS can also be used for debulking cancerous tissue. It has already been tested as a breast cancer treatment; its application for other malignancies in the brain, liver, and prostate is under development. MR-guided FUS offers an attractive alternative to conventional surgery because it incorporates intraoperative MR imaging, which provides far more precise target definition than is possible with the surgeon's direct visualization of the lesion. MR-guided FUS is undeniably the most promising interventional MR imaging method in the field of image-guided therapy today. It is applicable not only in the thermal coagulative treatment of tumors but also in several other medical situations for which invasive surgery or radiation may not be treatment options. The use of FUS for treating vascular malformation or functional disorders of the brain is also exciting. It is uniquely applicable for image-guided therapy using targeted drug delivery methods and gene therapy. Further advances in this technology will no doubt improve energy deposition and reduce treatment times. In the near future, FUS will offer a viable alternative to conventional surgery and radiation therapy; in the longer-term, it may also enable a host of targeted treatment methods aimed at eradicating or arresting heretofore intractable diseases such as certain brain malignancies and forms of epilepsy.
Mate Recognition and Sex Differences in Cuticular Hydrocarbons of the Diurnal Firefly Ellychnia corrusca (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

There are several genera of diurnally active fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), and these adults generally do not produce bioluminescent signals. We investigated whether contact sex pheromones play a role in mate recognition in the diurnal firefly Ellychnia corrusca (L.). In laboratory behavioral assays, after antennal contact >70% of males attempted copulation with freeze-killed females, whereas no copulation attempts occurred when freeze-killed females had been washed with hexane. This shows that E. corrusca mate recognition relies on contact chemoreception and suggests that male mating responses are mediated by contact sex pheromones on the female cuticle. Using direct contact solid phase microextraction (SPME) and solvent extraction, we sampled cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) from both sexes of E. corrusca adults. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that SPME was more effective than solvent extraction in detecting CHCs (a two-fold increase in the number of compounds detected). Although E. corrusca males and females showed similar CHCs profiles, we documented several quantitative and qualitative differences between the sexes that may play a role in mate recognition. This report provides the first behavioral evidence for the existence of contact sex pheromones in any diurnal firefly.
Patients' perceptions of research in emergency settings: A study of survivors of sudden cardiac death

Conditions such as stroke, sudden cardiac death, and major traumatic injury are major causes of morbidity and mortality, and there is a need for clinical research to improve treatment for these conditions. However, because informed consent is often impossible, research in these situations poses ethical concerns. Despite growing literature on the ethics of emergency research, little is known about the views of relevant patient populations regarding research in emergency settings conducted under an exception from informed consent (EFIC). In this qualitative study, survivors of sudden cardiac death (SCD)--recruited from an outpatient cardiology clinic in late 2005--were asked their views on scenarios representing different types of EFIC research. Patients were generally accepting of such research, more than previous studies would have predicted. Their concerns focused primarily on study risks and benefits and less on waiving consent or randomization. EFIC research is of international importance and ethical controversy. This study represents the first attempt to assess views of SCD survivors on this type of research and one of the first to assess patients' views in-depth. Findings indicate broad acceptance of EFIC research among this population and re-focus discussion on what risks are reasonable for non-autonomous subjects. The study also demonstrates potential for valuable input from patients regarding complicated and ethically challenging issues using a method that allows them to develop opinions on unfamiliar issues.
Isolation of α-Terpineol Dehydratase from Pseudomonas gladioli

An enzyme which converts the citrus by-product limonene to α-terpineol was purified 13-fold. After cell disruption of P. gladioli, α-terpineol dehydratase (α-TD) remained associated with a heterogeneous group of particulate material. α-TD was partially solubilized by extraction with 10 mM HEPES buffer, pH 7.0 containing 2.0% (w/v) Triton X-100 and 0.5M sodium trichloroacetate. Two soluble forms existed in 1.0% (w/v) Triton X-100 with apparent molecular weights of 94,500 and 206,500 daltons.
Asymptotic results for elastodynamic propagator matrices in plane-stratified and spherically-stratified earth models

Summary. Asymptotic results, applicable at high frequencies, are established for elastodynamic propagator or transfer matrices. We are concerned here with a single layer', by which we shall mean a region of a spherically- symmetric earth model in which physical properties vary smoothly with radius, or a region of a plane-stratified earth model in which physical properties vary smoothly with depth. Results are obtained for the spheroidal and toroidal oscillations of a solid spherical layer, the spheroidal oscillations of a spherical fluid layer, P-SV and SH waves in a plane solid layer and P waves in a plane fluid layer. Each of these results is given to first order in 0-l where w is the angular frequency.
Oxygen deprivation inhibits a K+ channel independently of cytosolic factors in rat central neurons.

1. K+ channel modulation has been shown to be an integral and important cellular response to O2 deprivation. Although part of this modulation occurs as a result of changes in concentrations of several cytosolic factors such as ATP and Ca2+, it is unknown whether there are mechanisms other than those originating from the cytosol. To test the hypothesis that membrane-delimited mechanisms participate in the O2-sensing process and are involved in the modulation of K+ channel activity in central neurons, we performed experiments using patch-clamp techniques and dissociated cells from the rat neocortex and substantia nigra. 2. Whole-cell outward currents were studied in voltage-clamp mode using Na(+)-free or low-Na+ (5 mM, with 1 microM tetrodotoxin) extracellular medium plus 0.5 mM Co2+. O2 deprivation produced a biphasic response in current amplitude, i.e. an initial transient increase followed by a pronounced decrease in outward currents. The reduction in outward currents was a reversible process since perfusion with a medium of PO2 > 100 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133 Pa) led to a complete recovery. 3. In cell-free excised membrane patches, we found that a specific K+ current (large conductance, inhibited by micromolar concentrations of ATP and activated by Ca2+) was reversibly inhibited by lack of O2. This was characterized by a marked decrease in channel open-state probability and a slight reduction in unitary conductance. The magnitude of channel inhibition by O2 deprivation was closely dependent on O2 tension. The PO2 level for 50% channel inhibition was about 10 mmHg with little or no inhibition at PO2 > or = 20 mmHg. 4. Single-channel kinetic analysis showed that channel open times consisted of two components and closed times were composed of three. The hypoxia-induced inhibition of K+ channel activity was mediated by selective suppression of the longer time constant channel openings without significantly affecting closed time constants. This led to an increase in frequency of opening and closing and rapid channel flickerings. 5. Our data showed that O2 deprivation had no effect on another K+ current characterized by a much smaller conductance and Ca2+ independence. This provides evidence for the selective nature of the hypoxia-induced inhibition of some species of K+ channels. 6. These results therefore provide the first evidence for regulation of K+ channel activity by O2 deprivation in cell-free excised patches from central neurons.
Efficacy of Clear Antacid Prophylaxis in Obstetrics

We studied 33 women scheduled to undergo general anesthesia for cesarean section. Prior to induction of anesthesia, each patient received in a random fashion one of two prophylactic antacids. Group I (n= 17) received 30 ml Gelusil® orally and Group II (n=16) received 30 ml of 0.3 mol/1 sodium citrate. After induction of general anesthesia an oro-gastric tube was passed. The amount and pH of the gastric aspirate were measured at the time of delivery and 45 min after delivery “before extubation.” Both antacids elevated gastric pH above 3.5 in all patients but one in the Gelusil group. The pH remained elevated 45 min later. It is concluded that 0.3 mol/1 sodium citrate is effective as an antacid when given orally prior to induction of anesthesia.
Information visualization on large, high-resolution displays: issues, challenges, and opportunities

Larger, higher-resolution displays are becoming accessible to a greater number of users as display technologies decrease in cost and software for the displays improves. The additional pixels are especially useful for information visualization where scalabitity has typically been limited by the number of pixels available on a display. But how will visualizations for larger displays need to fundamentally differ from visualizations on desktop displays? Are the basic visualization design principles different? With this potentially new design paradigm comes questions such as whether the relative effectiveness of various graphical encodings are different on large displays, which visualizations and datasets benefit the most, and how interaction with visualizations on large, high-resolution displays wit[ need to change. As we explore these possibilities, we shift away from the technical limitations of scalability imposed by traditional displays [e.g. number of pixels] to studying the human abilities that emerge when these limitations are removed. There is much potential for information visualizations to benefit from large, high-resolution displays, but this potential wit[ only be realized through understanding the interaction between visualization design, perception, interaction techniques, and the display technology. In this paper we present critical design issues and outline some of the challenges and future opportunities for designing visualizations for large, high-resolution displays. We hope that these issues, challenges, and opportunities will provide guidance for future research in this area.
Reconciling measured and predicted fluxes of oxygen across the deep sea sediment-water interface1

Rates of sediment community oxygen consumption determined in situ are compared to fluxes predicted from oxygen microelectrode gradients measured in cores from -3,750-m water depth in the eastern North Pacific. Oxygen concentrations decrease exponentially over > 1.5 cm and suggest that organic matter in the sediments is degraded most rapidly immediately below the sediment-water interface. Molecular diffusion of oxygen across the interface is modeled as an “internal regime” and can account for nearly all the directly measured in situ flux, 0.2Ot-0.02 pmol cm-2 d-l. This differs from published accounts of nearshore marine environments, where activity of bottom-dwelling macrofauna or bubble ebullition enhances benthic fluxes of dissolved nutrients or gases 2-4 times. Millimeter depth-scale profiles of porosity, organic C, carbonate C, and bacterial abundance are reported to provide additional constraints on interface processes, including the relative effects of organic matter degradation and bioturbation. The highest organic C, bacterial, and porosity values are in the uppermost sediments (O-O.2 cm). Within the stratum O-l cm, porewater flux ratios of oxygen to nitrate support a model of exchange by diffusion leading to organic matter oxidation and nitrification according to Redfield stoichiometry. Below the oxygen reduction zone, changes in the porewater concentrations of N03-, Mn2+, Fe2+, NH4+, and alkalinity indicate that anaerobic respiration reactions using N03-, MnO,, Fe,O,, and S042- as electron acceptors complete the early oxidation of organic matter at this site.
MR flow measurement using RF phase gradients in receiver coil arrays

Radio frequency (RF) phase gradients in the receiver coil field pattern can encode flow velocity information in magnetic resonance (MR) images in the form of phase variations. These phase variations are not readily observed in MR images because they are relatively small compared to phase variations caused by static magnetic field (B/sub 0/) inhomogeneities, susceptibility variations, and other sources. However, the phase contributions from these other sources are independent of the receiver coil. Therefore, the RF phase gradient encoded flow information can be recovered by subtracting images obtained simultaneously using arrays of independent receiver coils and a multiple channel receiver. This flow velocity information can be extracted retrospectively from standard imaging sequences, including flow-compensated sequences. No additional time is required for the flow study as the flow measurements are made using sequences chosen for optimal imaging, and the images from each coil are obtained simultaneously. Initial results indicate that sufficient sensitivity is obtained to make flow measurements in the range of velocities commonly found in the carotid arteries and other major vessels. In principle, the method works with only two receiver coils. However, additional elements provide additional phase measurements that can be used to increase accuracy, remove ambiguities in flow direction or velocity calculations, and increase the region over which velocity measurements can be accurately made. >
Lithium Methyl(phenylseleno)cuprate

[91365-06-9] C7H8CuLiSe (MW 241.60) InChI = 1S/C6H6Se.CH3.Cu.Li/c7-6-4-2-1-3-5-6;;;/h1-5,7H;1H3;;/q;;+1;/p-1 InChIKey = QCKFBWJFMCHISJ-UHFFFAOYSA-M (heterocuprate designed for 1,4-addition–elimination reactions2 with aryl β-(phenylseleno)vinyl sulfones3) Solubility: sol ether, THF. Analysis of Reagent Purity: an assay to determine relative thermal stabilities4 can be used to estimate reagent quality and concentration: a sample of known volume and temperature is quenched with excess PhCOCl; the yield of acetophenone is measured by GC, precalibrated using authentic product and n-dodecane as internal standard. Preparative Methods: Phenylselenocopper(I) is prepared by portionwise addition of 1.0 equiv Diphenyl Diselenide to a mechanically stirred, rt solution of 2.0 equiv Sodium Borohydride in 1∶1 2 M aqueous NaOH∶EtOH. The resultant yellow suspension is heated at reflux under N2 for 30 min; a clear solution results. Cooling to 0 °C and acidification to pH 5–6 using conc HCl is followed by addition of 1.0 equiv Cu2O in one portion. The mixture is heated at reflux under N2 for 18 h. Cooling is followed by filtration and washing of the brownish-yellow precipitate with ethanol and water; drying overnight in vacuo provides the selenide.3 MeCu(PhSe)Li is prepared by stirring a 0 °C suspension of 1.0 equiv PhSeCu in THF under N2 and adding 1.0 equiv of an ether solution of Methyllithium dropwise. After 15 min the resultant clear green-brown solution is cooled to −78 °C and is ready for use. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: best results will be obtained with PhSeCu prepared from high purity Cu2O, dry, O2-free solvents, and alkyllithium solutions free of contaminating alkoxides or hydroxides.5 MeLi is pyrophoric;6 care must be exercised in its handling. The reagent appears to have thermal stability equal to that of Lithium Methyl(phenylthio)cuprate. Use in a fume hood.
Uterine Rupture During VBAC Trial of Labor: Risk Factors and Fetal Response

For the woman with a prior uterine scar, neither repeat elective cesarean birth nor vaginal birth after cesarean birth (VBAC) trial of labor (TOL) is risk-free. When VBAC-TOL is successful, it is associated with less morbidity than repeat cesarean birth. However, when VBAC-TOL fails due to uterine rupture, severe consequences often ensue. The challenge for clinicians today is to provide women who desire TOL after cesarean birth, a more individualized risk assessment of uterine rupture, thereby enhancing success and optimizing outcome. This article examines major risk factors for uterine rupture during VBAC-TOL. In addition, fetal response to uterine rupture and neonatal outcomes are reviewed.
Supervital Mutants of Arabidopsis.

At three loci four phenotypically different mutations were induced by x rays which affect the photoperiodic response of the carrier. The standard wild type develops visible flower primordia in 10 to 12 days after germination. The mutants have various flowering response and may need a period up to 4 to 6 times as long for the completion of the same developmental stage. In spite of the large differences in the time required for the onset of fiowering, the life cycle of the latest mutant is only 2 to 3 times that of the wild type. The slower development is accompanied by very vigorous growth; dry matter production may increase over 20 times and seed production may rise tenfold. These hereditary changes do not involve impaired genetic transmission, altered crossing-over value or visible chromosomal alterations. In three different competitive populations (mutant x wild) under long-day conditions, in the greenhouse, during a 60-week period (about ten generations of the wild type), the mutant allele increased from the initial 0.500 frequency to 0.869, 0.995, and 0.997, respectively. The roughly estimated selective advantage of the mutants under the experimental conditions varies from 0.3 to over 1.0. These are extremely high values. Since the progressmore » of selection is rapid in self-fertilizing plant community, if vigorous late mutants occur at a fair rate, their rapid increase may be expected. In nature late ecotypes are prevalent. The possible evolution of the photoperiodic response in the species is discussed. The suggestion is made that the different degree of dominance of the late ecotypes, based on modifier genes, indicates the evolution of dominance of the character concerned and the late flowering forms in nature represent the emergence of the new wild type of the species. (auth)« less
An adaptive multimodal biometric management algorithm

This paper presents an evolutionary approach to the sensor management of a biometric security system that improves robustness. Multiple biometrics are fused at the decision level to support a system that can meet more challenging and varying accuracy requirements as well as address user needs such as ease of use and universality better than a single biometric system or static multimodal biometric system. The decision fusion rules are adapted to meet the varying system needs by particle swarm optimization, which is an evolutionary algorithm. This paper focuses on the details of this new sensor management algorithm and demonstrates its effectiveness. The evolutionary nature of adaptive, multimodal biometric management (AMBM) allows it to react in pseudoreal time to changing security needs as well as user needs. Error weights are modified to reflect the security and user needs of the system. The AMBM algorithm selects the fusion rule and sensor operating points to optimize system performance in terms of accuracy.
Evaluating an objective method to measure fresh pork loin firmness.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop an objective method for measuring fresh pork loin firmness. A total of 42 fresh boneless pork loins were collected from a range of subjective firmness scores based on the whole boneless loin to create a population suitable for creating a prediction equation. Loins were subjectively scored by panelists prior to objectively being measured with a Texture Analyzer. An R2 value of 0.54 was achieved for the prediction equation that was generated. A second trial was performed to test the equation resulting in an R2 value of 0.30 concerning subjective and objective values. The results from these studies indicate that it is possible to create a standardized protocol in order to determine objective firmness that would be useful for future studies and for the development of hand held or online firmness measuring devices.
Introduction to flap movement: Reconstruction of five similar nasal defects using different flaps

Background. There are several options for closure of a given surgical defect after tumor extirpation is confirmed. Flap reconstruction is one of these options. Objective. The purpose of this article is to introduce the three basic types of flap movement: advancement, rotation, and transposition. Methods. Five similar defects located on the nasal sidewall were repaired, each using a different flap design. Results. The optimal flap design for a given defect on a particular patient is based on the answers to a series of questions: Where is the available tissue reservoir? How can tissue be mobilized from the reservoir to cover the defect? How do the resulting tension vectors affect critical structures? Where are the final incision lines? Conclusion. Many factors must be evaluated before determining a method of reconstruction. Flap reconstruction requires a thorough understanding of anatomy and tissue movement.