cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition and Assembly of Axonemal Dyneins

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the composition and structure of axonemal dyneins. Axonemal dyneins form the inner and outer arms that are associated-with doublet microtubules within cilia and flagella. Axonemal dyneins come in multiple forms that contain one, two, or three non-identical heavy chains (depending upon the organism and location in the cilium). Each heavy chain has a globular motor domain with a doughnut-shaped structure believed to resemble that of other AAA proteins, a coiled coil "stalk" that binds to the microtubule, and an extended tail (or "stem") that attaches to a neighboring microtubule of the same axoneme. Axonemal dyneins can be classified based on whether they contain either a single or multiple motor units. The classes of dynein components are explained in the chapter, which also describes monomeric inner dynein arms, dimeric inner dynein arms, outer dynein arms, and inter dynein linkers. Furthermore, it describes the properties and organization of axonemal dynein motor units. Genetic and biochemical studies in a variety of model organisms have revealed the enormously complex nature of axonemal dyneins. Although most of the core dynein components have now been identified, there still remain challenges, especially as regards defining inner arms that are present in very low amounts and in identifying proteins that only transiently interact with the in situ arms.
Developing a Smart Semantic Web With Linked Data and Models for Near-Real-Time Monitoring of Red Tides in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

In recent decades, the technology used to detect and quantify harmful algal blooms (commonly known as red tides) and characterize their physicochemical environment has improved considerably. A remaining challenge is effective delivery of the information generated from these advances in a user-friendly way to a diverse group of stakeholders. Based on existing infrastructure, we establish a Web-based system for near-real-time tracking of red tides caused by the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis , which annually threatens human and environmental health in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The system integrates different data products through a custom-made Web interface. Specifically, three types of data products are fused: 1) near-real-time ocean color imagery tailored for red tide monitoring; 2) K. brevis cell abundance determined by sample analysis; and 3) ocean currents from a nested and validated numerical model. These products are integrated and made available to users in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format, which can be navigated, interpreted, and overlaid with other products in Google Earth. This integration provides users with the current status of red tide occurrence (e.g., location, severity, and spatial extent) while presenting a simple way to estimate bloom trajectory, thus delivering an effective method for near-real-time tracking of red tides.
What Skills Can Buy: Transmission of Advantage through Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills

Parental income and wealth contribute to children's success but are at least partly endogenous to parents' cognitive and noncognitive skills. We estimate the degree to which mothers' skills measured in early adulthood confound the relationship between their economic resources and their children's postsecondary education outcomes. Analyses of NLSY79 suggest that maternal cognitive and noncognitive skills attenuate half of parental income's association with child baccalaureate college attendance, a fifth of its association with elite college attendance, and a quarter of its association with bachelor's degree completion. Maternal skills likewise attenuate a third of parental wealth's association with children's baccalaureate college attendance, half of its association with elite college attendance, and a fifth of its association with bachelor's degree completion. Observational studies of the relationship between parents' economic resources and children's postsecondary attainments that fail to account for parental skills risk seriously overstating the benefits of parental income and wealth.
Measuring Carbon-based Contaminant Mineralization Using Combined CO2 Flux and Radiocarbon Analyses.

A method is described which uses the absence of radiocarbon in industrial chemicals and fuels made from petroleum feedstocks which frequently contaminate the environment. This radiocarbon signal — or rather the absence of signal — is evenly distributed throughout a contaminant source pool (unlike an added tracer) and is not impacted by biological, chemical or physical processes (e.g., the 14C radioactive decay rate is immutable). If the fossil-derived contaminant is fully degraded to CO2, a harmless end-product, that CO2 will contain no radiocarbon. CO2 derived from natural organic matter (NOM) degradation will reflect the NOM radiocarbon content (usually <30,000 years old). Given a known radiocarbon content for NOM (a site background), a two end-member mixing model can be used to determine the CO2 derived from a fossil source in a given soil gas or groundwater sample. Coupling the percent CO2 derived from the contaminant with the CO2 respiration rate provides an estimate for the total amount of contaminant degraded per unit time. Finally, determining a zone of influence (ZOI) representing the volume from which site CO2 is collected allows determining the contaminant degradation per unit time and volume. Along with estimates for total contaminant mass, this can ultimately be used to calculate time-to-remediate or otherwise used by site managers for decision-making.
Shadow Puppetry with Robotic Arms

In this work, we aim to introduce our framework that performs the hand shadow puppetry using robotic arms. Human arms are not flexible and dynamic enough to produce many complicated shadow poses so we aim to utilize robotic arms for shadow puppetry. Firstly, we construct a shadow library to cover all the possible shadow images for a single robotic hand. For the input image, we first extract the shadow image by using a salient object detector. Then we match the shape correspondences between the input shadow image with the ones in the shadow library. Finally, we transfer the corresponding parameters of the best matching shadow in the library into proper utility to control the physical robotics arms.
Perception of Entrepreneurial Success Characteristics

What do bank officials look for in entrepreneurs seeking capital for small businesses? Do entrepreneurs perceive these same characteristics as important or are there perceptual differences between ...
Minimally Invasive Posterior Cervical Decompression

Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures for posterior cervical laminectomy, laminoforaminotomy and discectomy techniques were developed to reduce muscle dissection and soft tissue trauma. MIS posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy has been shown to reduce operative times, blood loss, postoperative pain and duration of hospital stays. In carefully selected patients with lateral foraminal disease, excellent surgical results can be expected. In this chapter, we will discuss the indications, contraindications, surgical technique and common surgical nuances involved in a posterior cervical decompression. A video illustration of an MIS posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy is also included.
The type of mutation in apolipoprotein E determines whether type III hyperlipoproteinemia is expressed as a dominant or recessive trait

We have developed a hypothesis to explain the association of the different binding-defective apolipoprotein E (apo-E) mutants with either the dominant or recessive mode of inheritance of type III hyperlipoproteinemia (type III HLP). The apo-E2(158 Arg → Cys) mutant is the only variant proven to be associated with recessive expression of type III HLP, and the only one for which modulation of receptor binding of the intact protein has been demonstrated. Thus, the ability of this mutant to assume either a receptor-binding-inactive or -active conformation is the key factor that determines recessive expression of type in HLP. In six other, rare apo-E variants the defective binding cannot be modulated, and we believe that this resistance to modulation causes dominant expression of type III HLP. Although recessive expression of type III HLP is much more common than dominant expression in the human population because of the much higher frequency of the apo-E2(158 Arg → Cys) allele, recessive expression may be the exception rather than the rule for the mode of inheritance of type III HLP because of the unique properties of the apo-E2(158 Arg → Cys) variant.
Adulthood: Emotional Development

Research on emotional development in adulthood is a newly emerging field, inspired by the articulation of new theoretical models and a surge of research on emotions in early development. The research on adult development in the last two decades of the twentieth century has centered predominantly on the physiology, physiognomy, and subjective experience of emotion as people age, and their ability to regulate their emotions. Although replication and extension studies are clearly needed, the limited literature that does exist suggests that there are subtle changes in physiology, expressive behavior, and modulatory control with age, but that emotion remains a salient experience and that subjectivity remains essentially unchanged.
The photolysis of SO2 at 3130 Å in the presence of cis‐ and trans‐2‐pentene

The photolysis of SO2 at 3130 A, FWHM = 165 A, and 22°C has been investigated in the presence of cis- and trans-2-pentene. Quantum yields for the SO2 photosensitized isomerization of one isomer to the other have been made for a variation in the [SO2]/[C5H10] ratio of 3.41–366 for cis-2-C5H10 and of 1.28–367 for trans-2-C5H10. A kinetic analysis of each of these systems permitted new estimates to be made for the SO2 collisionally induced intersystem crossing ratio at 3130 A from SO2(1B1) to SO2(3B1). The estimates of k1a/(k1a + k1b) obtained are 0.12 ± 0.01 and 0.12 ± 0.02 (two different kinetic analyses in the cis-2-C5H10 study) and 0.20 ± 0.05 and 0.20 ± 0.04 (two different kinetic analyses in the trans-2-C5H10 study). Collisionally induced intersystem crossing ratios of k2a/(k2a + k2b) = 0.51 ± 0.10 and k3a/(k3a + k3b) = 0.62 ± 0.12 were obtained for cis- and trans-2-pentene, respectively. Quenching rate constants at 22°C for removal of SO2(3B1) molecules by cis- and trans-2-C5H10 were estimated as (1.00 ± 0.29) × 1011 l./mole·sec and (0.857 ± 0.160) × 1011 l./mole/sec, respectively. Prolonged irradiations, extrapolated to infinite irradiation times, for mixtures initially containing SO2 and pure isomer, either the cis or trans, yielded a photostationary composition of [trans-2-pentene]/[cis-2-pentene] = 2.1 ± 0.1.
Enteric Glia: A New Player in Abdominal Pain.

Chronic abdominal pain is the most common gastrointestinal issue and contributes to the pathophysiology of functional bowel disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. Current theories suggest that neuronal plasticity and broad alterations along the brain-gut axis contribute to the development of chronic abdominal pain, but the specific mechanisms involved in chronic abdominal pain remain incompletely understood. Accumulating evidence implicates glial cells in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Astrocytes and microglia in the central nervous system and satellite glia in dorsal root ganglia contribute to chronic pain states through reactive gliosis, the modification of glial networks, and the synthesis and release of neuromodulators. In addition, new data suggest that enteric glia, a unique type of peripheral glia found within the enteric nervous system, have the potential to modify visceral perception through interactions with neurons and immune cells. Understanding these emerging roles of enteric glia is important to fully understand the mechanisms that drive chronic pain and to identify novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss enteric glial cell signaling mechanisms that have the potential to influence chronic abdominal pain.
Molecular Dynamics of Water in Foods and Related Model Systems: Multinuclear Spin Relaxation Studies and Comparison with Theoretical Calculations

A review of recent studies of molecular dynamics of water in foods and model systems is presented, and the theoretical results are compared with experimental data obtained by several techniques. Both theoretical and experimental approaches are discussed for electrolytes, carbohydrates, and food proteins in solution. Theoretical results from Monte Carlo simulations are compared with experimental NMR relaxation data for quadrupolar nuclei such as those of deuterium and oxygen-17.
Outcomes With Moderate and Deep Sedation in an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training Program

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to determine the complication rate associated with the administration of intravenous (IV) sedation in an oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residency training program. Materials and Methods We performed a prospective cohort study that enrolled patients who had received IV sedation for various oral surgery procedures in the clinic setting of an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency training program. The composition of the anesthesia team included residents who had completed their anesthesia rotation, ranging from postgraduate year (PGY)-1 to PGY-4. Each trainee chose their own anesthetic technique and completed a form that included demographic data, types and amounts of anesthetic used, and any intraoperative or postoperative complications encountered. All sedations were performed by a single provider with oversight by an attending oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The demographic and medication data were used as predictor variables. The outcome variables included any reported complications. The Fisher exact test was used to compare the complication rate by subgroup. Results The study included 1005 patients treated during an 18-month period. The overall complication rate was 2.29%. The most common complication reported was postoperative nausea (n = 10; 0.99%), with 1 patient experiencing emesis. Other complications included laryngospasm (n = 1), prolonged recovery (n = 3), failed sedation because of agitation (n = 1), intraoperative hypertension (n = 1), postoperative hypertension (n = 1), ST elevation (n = 1), IV infiltration (n = 2), syncope during IV access (n = 1), and respiratory depression (n = 2). No deaths or no adverse events requiring escalation of the level of care occurred. Ketamine use resulted in a greater rate of postoperative nausea (1.21%), and propofol was associated with a lower rate of postoperative nausea (0.68%). Male patients experienced a greater rate of complications compared with female patients overall (2.4 vs 2.2%). However, the female patients had a greater rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting (0.96 vs 1.19%). Of those who had reported a previous history of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting (PONV), 50% experienced symptoms after sedation. The average length of the procedure was longer in the group that had experienced complications compared with those who had not (37.5 vs 31.6 minutes). None of these reported differences were statistically significant. Conclusions The results of the present study have demonstrated that the modern IV sedation anesthesia technique used in OMS training programs is safe and the complication rate is low. Postoperative nausea was the most common complication. Ketamine can increase the risk of PONV, and propofol can reduce the risk of PONV. However, larger studies are required for conclusive findings. A history of PONV is a good predictor of PONV. The length of the procedure might increase the risk of complications.
Now We’re Talking? Understanding the Interplay Between Online Selective and Incidental Exposure and Their Influence on Online Cross-Cutting Political Discussion:

This study examines how two distinct patterns of online political information exposure—pro-attitudinal selective exposure and counter-attitudinal incidental exposure—can work together to influence ...
Generating High-Quality Lymph Node Clinical Target Volumes for Head and Neck Cancer Radiation Therapy Using a Fully Automated Deep Learning-Based Approach.

Purpose To develop a deep learning model that generates consistent, high-quality lymph node clinical target volumes (CTV) contours for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, as an integral part of a fully automated radiation treatment planning workflow. Methods and Materials Computed tomography (CT) scans from 71 HNC patients were retrospectively collected and split into training (n = 51), cross-validation (n = 10), and test (n = 10) data sets. All had target volume delineations covering lymph node levels Ia through V (Ia-V), Ib through V (Ib-V), II through IV (II-IV), and retropharyngeal (RP) nodes, which were previously approved by a radiation oncologist specializing in HNC. Volumes of interest (VOIs) about nodal levels were automatically identified using computer vision techniques. The VOI (cropped CT image) and approved contours were used to train a U-Net autosegmentation model. Each lymph node level was trained independently, with model parameters optimized by assessing performance on the cross-validation data set. Once optimal model parameters were identified, overlap and distance metrics were calculated between ground truth and autosegmentations on the test set. Lastly, this final model was used on 32 additional patient scans (not included in original 71 cases) and autosegmentations visually rated by 3 radiation oncologists as being “clinically acceptable without requiring edits,” “requiring minor edits,” or “requiring major edits.” Results When comparing ground truths to autosegmentations on the test data set, median Dice Similarity Coefficients were 0.90, 0.90, 0.89, and 0.81, and median mean surface distance values were 1.0 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.1 mm, and 1.3 mm for node levels Ia-V, Ib-V, II-IV, and RP nodes, respectively. Qualitative scoring varied among physicians. Overall, 99% of autosegmented target volumes were either scored as being clinically acceptable or requiring minor edits (ie, stylistic recommendations, Conclusions We developed a fully automated artificial intelligence approach to autodelineate nodal CTVs for patients with intact HNC. Most autosegmentations were found to be clinically acceptable after qualitative review when considering recommended stylistic edits. This promising work automatically delineates nodal CTVs in a robust and consistent manner; this approach can be implemented in ongoing efforts for fully automated radiation treatment planning.
Determining Real Estate Licensee Income

This article examines the determinants of real estate licensee income using a 1997 survey of Texas real estate licensees. The factors having a positive effect on licensee income include: (1) number of hours worked; (2) work experience; (3) being a male; (4) using computer technology; (5) being involved in more transactions; (6) holding professional designations; (7) being associated with a larger firm; and (8) having access to personal assistants. Variables that negatively affect income include: (1) age; (2) selling primarily residential properties; and (3) having more affiliations. The results of this study, combined with previous studies, indicates that the high-earning real estate licensee is a younger male with more experience who: (1) works more hours; (2) has job satisfaction; (3) holds professional designations; (4) has access to personal assistants; and (5) utilizes a personal computer.
Determinants of Survival for Patients with Neoadjuvant-Treated Node-Negative Gastric Cancer.

This study sought to determine prognostic markers for disease recurrence and survival in a cohort of neoadjuvant-treated, node-negative gastric cancer patients (ypT0-4N0M0). Clinicopathologic data from patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative-intent gastrectomy at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1995 to 2017 were evaluated. Patients with AJCC TNM stage ypT0-4N0M0 were considered for analysis. The inclusion criteria were met by 212 patients with a mean age of 58.3 years. Of these patients, 60 % were male, 53 % were Caucasian, 87 % received chemoradiation, and 13 % received chemotherapy. The findings showed a median overall survival (OS) rate of 11.3 years, a 5-year survival rate of 72 %, and a 10-year survival rate of 57 %. During a median follow-up period of 5.5 years, 38.2 % of the patients died. In the multivariable analysis, ypT4-stage and nodal yield fewer than 16 were significantly associated with reduced OS. Cancer classified as ypT4 had more aggressive biologic traits, including lymphovascular and perineural invasion, and was treated more aggressively with total gastrectomy and additional organ resection despite frequent positive margins. Depth of invasion remained significantly associated with worse outcome after the analysis controlled for nodal yield and possible stage migration. Compared with ypT0-3 tumors, ypT4 cancers were associated with significantly more recurrences (13 % vs. 45 %; p < 0.05), and the primary modes of failure for ypT4 lesions were local recurrence and peritoneal metastases (88 % of recurrences). Depth of primary tumor invasion and nodal yield were significantly associated with OS among the patients with ypT0-4N0M0 gastric cancer. Serosal invasion (ypT4) was associated with a high rate of peritoneal recurrence, and trials of intraperitoneal therapy targeting these patients should be considered.
Thinking Vertically: Facilitating Transition for Students With Disabilities

Within special education, transition is a required part of a student’s Individualized Education Program, specifically the transition from school to postsecondary life. Recently, special educators h...
Therapeutic MK2 inhibition blocks pathological vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype switch

Vascular procedures, such as stenting, angioplasty, and bypass grafting, often fail due to intimal hyperplasia (IH), wherein contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) dedifferentiate to synthetic VSMCs, which are highly proliferative, migratory, and fibrotic. Previous studies suggest MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) inhibition may limit VSMC proliferation and IH, although the molecular mechanism underlying the observation remains unclear. We demonstrated here that MK2 inhibition blocked the molecular program of contractile to synthetic dedifferentiation and mitigated IH development. Molecular markers of the VSMC contractile phenotype were sustained over time in culture in rat primary VSMCs treated with potent, long-lasting MK2 inhibitory peptide nanopolyplexes (MK2i-NPs), a result supported in human saphenous vein specimens cultured ex vivo. RNA-Seq of MK2i-NP-treated primary human VSMCs revealed programmatic switching toward a contractile VSMC gene expression profile, increasing expression of antiinflammatory and contractile-associated genes while lowering expression of proinflammatory, promigratory, and synthetic phenotype-associated genes. Finally, these results were confirmed using an in vivo rabbit vein graft model where brief, intraoperative treatment with MK2i-NPs decreased IH and synthetic phenotype markers while preserving contractile proteins. These results support further development of MK2i-NPs as a therapy for blocking VSMC phenotype switch and IH associated with cardiovascular procedures.
Build More Houses: How an Incorrect Perception of Housing Supply Fueled the Great Recession and Slowed Recovery

An oversupply of housing, as a result of a building boom after the turn of the century, is commonly cited as a key cause of the Great Recession and the slow recovery from that recession. Using both national data and data for individual metropolitan areas, such as housing permits, residential investment, and population trends, I show that the evidence for systematic overbuilding is weak. New building was primarily meeting sustainable demand for shelter before the crisis. Building had increased where local regions with inadequate supply had created pent up demand and in regions where population was increasing as households were forced to move away from regions with inadequate housing supply. Elevated vacancy rates, where they developed, are best explained by unexpected declines in population growth. Declining population trends had already become problematic by 2007 in cities where high vacancies and collapsing prices were the worst after the recession. Yet, in 2007 and throughout the crisis, Federal Reserve officials acted explicitly on the perception that excess supply was an impediment to a recovery in residential investment, construction employment, and general economic stability. In short, an incorrect perception of housing oversupply rather than actual oversupply fueled the deep recession and slow recovery by prompting the Federal Reserve to accept or induce negative trends in economic activity.
Choice of Minimally Invasive Approaches: A Review of Unique Risks and Complications

In the last two decades, spine surgery has witnessed an evolution of minimally invasive procedures. Despite established evidence of long-term efficacy, conventional open surgical approaches are associated with high morbidity that can sometimes mitigate clinical benefits. On the other hand, minimally invasive surgical techniques are purported to minimize soft tissue trauma and, therefore, offer the advantages of decreased blood loss, reduced postoperative pain, shorter hospitalization, facilitate quicker recovery and rehabilitation, and delay progression of adjacent level degeneration and deformity.
Images in Anesthesiology: Massive Hepatic Parenchymal and Portal Venous Gas.

Images in Anesthesiology: Massive Hepatic Parenchymal and Portal Venous Gas David Barbara;Stephen Broski;Benjamin Smith;Thomas Comfere; Anesthesiology
Cristilabrum kessneri, a new camaenid land snail from the Jeremiah Hills, Western Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae)

Abstract Cristilabrum kessneri, new species, is described from a small set of limestone hillocks on the eastern fringe of the Jeremiah Hills. They are situated 6.2 km west of Point Spring, Weaber Ranges and about 42 km north-northeast of Kununurra, Kimberley, Western Australia. C. kessneri has the most modified shell of any species belonging to the Ningbing Range-Jeremiah Hills camaenid land snail radiation. Its genitalia also has modifications that correlate with the small size of both the shell and the limestone hillocks on which it lives.
A Clinical View of the Effectiveness of Hypnosis in Pain Control

Hypnosis can be a useful tool in the control of many types of pain, if the practitioner first understands something of the dynamics of hypnosis. A lack of knowledge about the clinical hypnotic situation has been partially responsible for the delay in the acceptance of the professional use of hypnosis as a treatment for many problems regarding pain. It is a difficult subject to study scientifically because the hypnotic situation is not a constant It fluctuates with the needs of both the patient and the doctor. In treatment of pain, hypnosis, like aspirin, may not be appropriate or effective for many patients. It is, however, “one of the possible approaches to the handling of the patient’s problems that possesses special and highly significant values at both the psychological and physiological levels.”1
On Some City Guarding Problems

We consider guarding a city of kvertical buildings, each having a rectangular base, by placing guards only at vertices. The aim is to use the smallest number of guards. The problem is a 2.5D variant of the traditional art gallery problem, and finds applications in urban security. We give upper and lower bounds on the number of guards needed for a few versions of the problem. Specifically, we prove that $\lfloor\frac{2(k-1)}{3}\rfloor + 1$ guards are always sufficient and sometimes necessary to guard all roofs, and $1 + k + \lfloor \frac{k}{2}\rfloor$ guards are always sufficient to guard the roofs, walls, and the ground, while each roof has at least one guard on it.
Rigidity variations with depth along interplate megathrust faults in subduction zones

The world's largest earthquakes occur along the contact between subducting and overriding tectonic plates in subduction zones1. Rock and sediment properties near this plate interface exert important controls on the frictional behaviour of faults and earthquake rupture dynamics2. An important material property to define along the plate interface is the rigidity (the resistance to shear deformation). Rigidity affects the degree of earthquake shaking generated by a given fault displacement through its influences on seismic wave speed and earthquake rupture velocity. Here we present an investigation of the relationship between the duration of earthquake rupture and source depth, which yields estimates of rigidity variation along plate interfaces in six subduction zones in the circum-Pacific region. If stress drop is assumed constant, rigidity appears to increase with depth in each seismogenic zone by a factor of ∼5 between depths of 5 and 20 km. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that ‘tsunami’ earthquakes (characterized by large slip for a given seismic moment and slow rupture velocity) occur in regions of low rigidity at shallow depths3,4,5. These rigidity trends should provide an important constraint for future fault-zone and earthquake-modelling efforts.
GARGOYLE: an environment for real-time, context-sensitive active vision

Researchers in robot vision have access to several excellent image processing packages (e.g., Khoros, Vista, Susan, MIL, and XVision to name only a few) as a base for any new vision software needed in most navigation and recognition tasks. Our work in automonous robot control and human-robot interaction, however, has demanded a new level of run-time flexibility and performance: on-the-fly configuration of visual routines that exploit up-to-the-second context from the task, image, and environment. The result is Gargoyle: an extendible, on-board, realtime vision software package that allows a robot to configure, parameterize, and execute imageprocessing pipelines at run-time. Each operator in a pipeline works at a level of resolution and over regions of interest that are computed by upstream operators or set by the robot according to task constraints. Pipeline configurations and operator parameters can be stored as a library of visual methods appropriate for different sensing tasks and environmental conditions. Beyond this, a robot may reason about the current task and environmental constraints to construct novel visual routines that are too specialized to work under general conditions, but that are well-suited to the immediate environment and task. We use the RAP reactive plan-execution system to select and configure pre-compiled processing pipelines, and to modify them for specific constraints determined at run-time.
Solidification in the Presence of a Third Phase

In the mathematical treatment of microstructure evolution presented so far, only two phases were considered, solid and liquid. However, casting alloys often exhibit inclusions that degrade their mechanical properties. The solid, liquid or gaseous inclusions, that constitute a third phase, can considerably affect solidification morphology. In turn, solidification conditions influence the size and distributions of these inclusions. This chapter will describe two of the most significant phenomena related to the interaction between inclusions and the solidification front, interaction of solid particles with the S/L interface and micro-shrinkage formation.
The Decline of Natural Right

What happened to the doctrine of natural right in the nineteenth century? We know that it flourished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We know that something like it - the doctrine of human rights and new forms of social contract theory - flourished again in the second half of the twentieth century and continues to flourish in the twenty-first. In between there was a period of decline and hibernation - uneven, to be sure, and never complete - but a period in which to invoke natural right was always to invite intellectual ridicule and accusations of political irresponsibility. Thus article asks: How far can the decline of natural right in the nineteenth century be attributed to the reaction against the revolution in France? How far it was the effect of independent streams of thought, like positivism and historicism? Why was radical thought so ambivalent about natural right throughout the nineteenth century, and why was socialist thought in particular inclined to turn its back on it? As a framework for thought, natural right suffered a radical decline in the social and political sciences. But things were not so clear in jurisprudence, and natural right lived on to a much riper old age in the writings of some prominent economists. So we have to ask: What is it about this theory that allowed it to survive in these environments, when so much of the rest of intellectual endeavor in the nineteenth century was toxic or inhospitable to it. Finally, I shall ask how far American thought represents an exception to all of this. Why and to what extent did the doctrine survive as a way of thinking in the United States, long after it had lost its credibility elsewhere.
Off-label prescribing to children in the United States outpatient setting.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of off-label prescribing to children at United States outpatient visits and to determine how drug class, patient age, and physician specialty relate to off-label prescribing. Methods Data from the 2001 through 2004 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NAMCS) consisted of a sample of 7901 outpatient visits by children aged 0 through 17 years in which prescriptions were given, representative of an estimated 312 million visits. We compared FDA-approved age and indication to the child's age and diagnoses. We used multivariate logistic regression to determine adjusted differences in probabilities of off-label prescribing. Results Sixty-two percent of outpatient pediatric visits included off-label prescribing. Approximately 96% of cardiovascular-renal, 86% of pain, 80% of gastrointestinal, and 67% of pulmonary and dermatologic medication prescriptions were off label. Visits by children aged Conclusions Despite recent studies and labeling changes of pediatric medications, the majority of pediatric outpatient visits involve off-label prescribing across all medication categories. Off-label prescribing is more frequent for younger children and those receiving care from specialist pediatricians. Increased dissemination of pediatric studies and label information may be helpful to guide clinical practice. Further research should be prioritized for the medications most commonly prescribed off label and to determine outcomes, causes, and appropriateness of off-label prescribing to children.
PURIFICATION OF SPECIES SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES TO CARBOHYDRATE COMPONENTS OF MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA (PHAEOPHYTA)1

Polyclonal rabbit antibodies to cell wall components were produced against gametophytes of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera (Linnaeus) C. Agardh. These antibodies were found to react with carbohydrates extracted from M. pyrifera and Pterygophora californica Ruprecht by carbohydrate based enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The antibodies reacted with carbohydrates from both species. After affinity purification on a column with M. pyrifera carbohydrate coupled to AH-Sepharose, the eluted antibody was specific for M. pyrifera carbohydrate with little cross reactivity to P. californica carbohydrate in the EIA test. In experiments carried out to characterize the antigenic specificity of unfractionated antibody using commercially prepared carbohydrates in the EIA, the antibodies were shown to react primarily with fucoidan and to a lesser degree, alginate. The unfractionated antibody was also shown to bind to proteins from both M. pyrifera and P. californica. These results indicate that species specific carbohydrate determinants may be present in the kelp cell wall.
CONSUMPTION OF THE MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN POLYMERIZATION SYSTEMS USING PHOTOSENSITIZED OXIDATION OF DIMETHYLANTHRACENE

ABSTRACT It is well known that the presence of oxygen in free radical polymerization systems leads to an inhibition period and a lowered ultimate conversion. In this contribution, we report a method for consuming molecular oxygen photochemically before the polymerization takes place, thereby allowing the reaction to proceed in an oxygen-free environment. The method is based on the generation of singlet oxygen by reaction of the ground state oxygen with the excited triplet state of the singlet oxygen generator (a porphyrin, Znttp). The singlet oxygen is then consumed by reaction with a second compound (the singlet oxygen trapper, dimethylanthracene). The possible factors that might affect the efficiency of the singlet oxygen generation/trapping processes were discussed and the effectiveness of a dimethylanthracene/Znttp combination for consumption of oxygen was investigated in two acrylate systems of different viscosity.
Differential pulse effects in the A3 spin system in anisotropic medium: Direct measurement of the quartet minus doublet contribution to relaxation

The effects of the tip angle in the observing pulse for an A3 spin system in an anisotropic medium are studied using both theoretical and experimental methods for different spin preparations. The results show that the total magnetization is independent of this angle, but the other two magnetization modes belonging to the antisymmetric manifold are dependent upon the observing pulse. This feature provides a new very effective way to separate the degenerate quadruplet and doublet contributions to the central line in coupled relaxation experiments. Furthermore it is shown that the use of a 90° observing pulse makes the symmetric manifold unobservable in an FT spectrum.
The Drosophila gene coding for the alpha subunit of a stimulatory G protein is preferentially expressed in the nervous system

Abstract In mammals, the alpha subunit of the stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein (Gs alpha) functions to couple a variety of extracellular membrane receptors to adenylate cyclase. Activation of Gs alpha results in the stimulation of adenylate cyclase and an increase in the second messenger cAMP. A 1.7-kilobase cDNA has been identified and characterized from Drosophila that codes for a protein 71% identical to bovine Gs alpha. The similarity is most striking in the regions thought to be responsible for the interactions with receptors and effectors, suggesting that the basic components of this signal-transduction pathway have been conserved through evolution. RNA blot hybridization and DNA sequence analysis suggest that a single transcript, expressed predominantly in the head, is present in Drosophila. In situ hybridization studies indicate that the Drosophila Gs alpha transcript is localized primarily in the cells of the central nervous system and in the eyes.
On-column sample enrichment for capillary electrophoresis sheathless electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: evaluation for peptide analysis and protein identification.

Although several designs have been advanced for coupling sample enrichment devices to a sheathless electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MS) interface on a capillary electrophoresis (CE) column, most of these approaches suffer from difficulties in fabrication, and the CE separation efficiency is degraded as a result of the presence of coupling sleeves. We have developed a design that offers significant improvements in terms of ease of fabrication, durability, and maintenance of the integrity of the CE-separated analyte zones. Capillaries with different inside and outside diameters were evaluated to optimize the performance of the CE-MS system, resulting in a mass limit of detection of 500 amol for tandem MS analysis of a standard peptide using a 20-microm-i.d. capillary. The improved design incorporates an efficient method to preconcentrate a sample directly within the CE capillary followed by its electrophoretic separation and detection using a true zero dead-volume sheathless CE-MS interface. Testing of this novel CE-MS system showed its ability to characterize proteomic samples such as protein digests, in-gel-digested proteins, and hydrophobic peptides as well as to quantitate ICAT-labeled peptides.
A meta-analysis of the export growth hypothesis

Abstract Meta-analysis is performed on a sample of seventy-six studies that have empirically gauged the nexus between exports and economic growth. The results show that studies that use aggregate exports report lower t-ratios, but studies that use oil and manufactured exports report higher t-ratios. The study also documents the existence of publication bias in the literature.
Review article: Nuclear receptors and liver disease - Current understanding and new therapeutic implications

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 30, 816–825 Summary Background The important role of nuclear receptors and their contribution to liver function in both physiological and pathological conditions has come to attention in recent years and has advanced our understanding of several liver diseases. These findings led to the introduction of targeting nuclear receptors as treatment strategies for various liver diseases. Aims To review the new insights brought by the study of nuclear receptors to our understanding of the molecular basis of various liver diseases, and to summarize some of the recent studies that evaluated the efficacy of targeting nuclear receptor as a new approach in treating liver diseases. Methods Review of articles, using PubMed and article references. Results Nuclear receptor ligands in patients with liver diseases have been associated with a variety of toxicities. Some clinical results have not met the expectations predicted from animal experiments. Mechanistic explanations at the molecular level are needed for preventing toxicity and improving outcomes from nuclear receptor ligands. Conclusion The use of various nuclear receptor ligands in liver diseases is a promising approach that can benefit many patients suffering from these devastating diseases. However, we are far from a full understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors work.
Comparison of M-mode echocardiographic measurement of right ventricular wall thickness obtained by the subcostal and parasternal approach in children

Right ventricular (RV) wall thickness was measured from M-mode echocardiograms at end-diastole from both the parasternal and subcostal approaches in 50 children of various body surface areas (0.24 to 1.68 m2). The measurements were obtained from M-mode recordings generated from sector scans to ensure precise location and position. Twenty-three children had normal hearts, and 27 had various congenital heart defects that may be associated with RV hypertrophy. Corresponding measurements of the RV wall thickness at end-diastole from the 2 approaches were similar. Subcostal echocardiographic measurement of RV wall thickness was found to be a reliable alternative to parasternal measurement in children with normal hearts and in those with congenital heart disease and RV hypertrophy.
The Promise of Particularism and the Theology of Culture: Limits and Lessons of “Neo‐Boasianism”

This article compares the status of “culture” as a politically engaged concept in Franz Boas's time and in our own time. Taking a Boasian approach to “neo-Boasianism,” I examine the limits of this comparability in order to shed light on the nature of public culture-talk today and to identify dimensions of the Boasian concept of “culture” particularly relevant to a contemporary anthropology.
Synthesis of 13C and 2H-labelled 2-phenylcyclododecanones

13C labelled (1,2 and 1,12) and perdeuterated derivatives of 2-phenyl cyclododecanones, as precursors for labelled triplet flexible biradicals to probe magnetic isotope effects at the radical centers on the triplet decay dynamics, were synthesized. Isotopomers of 2-phenylcyclododecanone-13C2-(1,2 and 1,12) were synthesized from cyclododecanone-13C2-(1,2) by dibromination, followed by phenylation with lithiumdiphenylcuprate. Cyclododecanone-13C2-(1,2) was obtained from 1, 10-dibromodecane via the following sequence: (1) K13CN; (2) hydrolysis; (3) esterification; (4) acyloin condensation. Perdeuterio-2-phenyl cyclododecanone (95% isotopic purity) was prepared from unlabelled 2-phenyl cyclododecanone by a substitution of deuterium for hydrogen by treatment with excess D2O, catalyzed with D2-reduced PtO2 in the presence of D2O2.
Low cost plane parallel plate lateral shearing interferometer for infrared laser beam diagnostics

ABSTRACT Few cost-effective methods exist for measuring the wave fron t of mid- and long-wave infrared beams that span 3-5 and 8-12 P m, respectively. One obvious need within the infrared laser community is the ability to measure the degree of collimation of an infrared laser beam, e.g. that formed by a beam expanding telescope used with a CO 2 laser or a system of lenses used to collimate a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL). An ideal approach for this type of metrology is the use of a lateral shearing interferometer (LSI). An LSI uses various methods to displace (shear) a beam with respect to itself to create an interferogram that can subsequently be used for diagno sing the wavefront quality of the beam. Since this type of interferometer is of the common path variety, it is inse nsitive to vibration making it ideal for field applications, where vibration isolation may neither be possibl e nor practical. In this paper we present and demonstrate, through laboratory measurements and computer ray tracing simulations, a low-cost LSI using a single commercial off-the-shelf uncoated ZnSe window in conjunction with an infrared camera. This plane parallel plate LSI configuration was used to interactively collimate a LWIR beam and also provide quantitative transmitted wavefront error data using static fringe analysis software. We also present a self-contained review of the theory of lateral shearing interferometry, including the necessary design equations as applicable to this LSI configuration, to enable researchers to construct a similar beam diagnostic shearing interferometer from readily available components. Keywords: Interferometry, lateral shearing interferometry, laser beam metrology
High-intensity-laser post-ionization mass spectrometry for uniform and ultrasensitive surface analysis

High intensity nonresonant multiphoton ionization has been used in conjunction with time-of-flight mass spectrometry to perform highly sensitive, quantitative, chemical analysis. To achieve quantification of all elements simultaneously and obtain uniform detection efficiencies, all species, regardless of ionization potentials, should be saturated in a single, well-defined volume. To aid in this analysis, 3D potentials intensity distributions of high power laser beams were imaged at a nd near their focus. The cross-sectional intensity distributions of the fundamental and higher order harmonics of a 35-ps Nd:YAG laser beam showed near Gaussian profiles. For nonresonant multiphoton ionization of sputtered or gaseous atoms and molecules, high laser beam quality combined with high power density led not only to photo-ionization saturation of species with quite different ionization potentials, but also to sharply defined ionization volumes. Experiments were performed on the nonresonant multiphoton ionization of species from solid samples and from gaseous samples using well-characterized, high intensity laser beams. The result, driving relative sensitivity factors almost to unity, demonstrate quantitative compositional analysis.
Dynamics of the light-induced current in Hermissenda

Abstract Although many of the biochemical reactions involved in phototransduction have been characterized, the identity of the ligand of the light-induced current is still unknown. The present study addresses the issue of which ligand activates the light-induced sodium current in Hermissenda by developing a model of the biochemical reactions involved in phototransduction, and examining the dynamics of the light-induced current in response to various ligands such as calcium and IP3. The results show that IP3, but not calcium, is a plausible ligand for the light-induced sodium current, and IP3 production is co-localized with the sodium channel.