cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Role of Diffusion in Synaptic Transmission through Inquiry-Based Learning & Quantitative Reasoning

The elucidation of the principal features of chemical synaptic transmission has been one of the great achievements in the history of neuroscience, yet students have significant difficulties developing a deeper understanding of the underlying concept. This is particularly true for the role that diffusion of neurotransmitters across the synaptic cleft plays in this process. At least part of the learning problem is due to an erroneous view of diffusion as a slow process, and to an inability to apply the concepts of size and scale to the synapse and its structural components. To overcome these difficulties, a structured/guided inquiry activity, combined with quantitative reasoning tasks, is described for teaching chemical synaptic transmission as part of undergraduate biology or neuroscience courses. Through this activity, students familiarize themselves with the absolute and relative dimensions of the structural components of synapses; use data from morphometric and schematic models of synapses to estimate the time it takes a neurotransmitter to diffuse across the synaptic cleft; and evaluate how this process relates to synaptic delay and generation of a sufficiently high concentration of transmitter molecules for activation of postsynaptic receptors.
Reinforcement learning across development: What insights can we draw from a decade of research?

Abstract The past decade has seen the emergence of the use of reinforcement learning models to study developmental change in value-based learning. It is unclear, however, whether these computational modeling studies, which have employed a wide variety of tasks and model variants, have reached convergent conclusions. In this review, we examine whether the tuning of model parameters that govern different aspects of learning and decision-making processes vary consistently as a function of age, and what neurocognitive developmental changes may account for differences in these parameter estimates across development. We explore whether patterns of developmental change in these estimates are better described by differences in the extent to which individuals adapt their learning processes to the statistics of different environments, or by more static learning biases that emerge across varied contexts. We focus specifically on learning rates and inverse temperature parameter estimates, and find evidence that from childhood to adulthood, individuals become better at optimally weighting recent outcomes during learning across diverse contexts and less exploratory in their value-based decision-making. We provide recommendations for how these two possibilities — and potential alternative accounts — can be tested more directly to build a cohesive body of research that yields greater insight into the development of core learning processes.
Issues in Scientific Visualization

Scientific visualization, used in partnership with today’s computational tools, whether supercomputer or medical scanner, provides the foremost communications medium in the scientific and engineering world for analyzing and describing phenomena from the atomic, through the anatomic, to the astrophysic.
A PROGRAM STRUCTURE BASED ON EXCEPTION HANDLING FOR VARIABLE STRUCTURE CONTROL SYSTEMS

Modern control systems such as state variable feedback control systems with observers or adaptive control systems are introduced in industry at a very slow rate. A major reason for this is that engineers must be convinced first that the algorithms of modern control theory are at least as powerful and reliable as the long proven three-term controller. A block-structured exception handling mechanism embedded in the real time operating system MODEB V2 coded in Modula-2 is proposed as a base for a general program structure adapting itself to variable environmental conditions. A variable structure control system consisting of a three-term controller, a state variable feedback controller, and an adaptive controller as well as the outline of the system implementation are given to illustrate the proposed program structure.
A molecular epidemiological survey on the outbreak of recombinant Norovirus GII.P16-GII.2 in Guangzhou city

Objective To find out the source and the epidemic pattern of norovirus outbreak in July, 2016 to June, 2017 in Guangzhou. Methods The stool samples and clinical information of diarrhea cases were collected by the sentinel hospitals and CDCs; a real-time RT-PCR method was used to detect the norovirus nucleic acids from the samples, the positive ones were amplified and sequenced; the partial sequences of norovirus were aligned by an online BLAST alignment, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed by a neighbor-joining method . Results A total of 854 cases with infectious diarrhea were reported by Guangzhou diarrhea surveillance network from July, 2016 to June, 2017; the gender ratio (male versus female) was 1∶0.67; 78.33% of the cases were preschool children under the age of 7 years. Totally 220 samples were detected norovirus G II+ (25.76%, including 5 double-positive samples with G I+ ). GII.Pe-GII.4.Sydney_2012 was the prevalent genotype in the second half of 2016 (94.64%), which was replaced by GII.P16-GII.2 in the first half of 2017 (67.65%). Since September 2016, the reported number of norovirus-caused diarrhea epidemic was increased gradually; the peak of epidemic curve emerged in February to March of 2017, and the number started to decrease since April. In May to June there were only 2-3 epidemics reported monthly. All the endemics from September to November 2016 were caused by genotype GII.Pe-GII.4.Sydney_2012; the endemics from December 2016 to April 2017 were mainly caused by genotype GII.P16-GII.2. Some samples from kitchen workers and babysitters were detected GII+ , which was consistent with the result of the cases′ samples. Conclusions It was the first time that the novel GII.P16-GII.2 recombinant strain outbroke occurred in Guangzhou City and homology analysis also suggested that GII.P16-GII.2 was the main source of those epidemics in 2016 -2017 winter and spring season. Furthermore, The kitchen workers and babysitters may have played an important role in the spread of norovirus. Key words: Norovirus; Infectious diarrhea; Molecular genotyping; Molecular epidemiology
Youth Participatory Action Research for Health Equity: Increasing Youth Empowerment and Decreasing Physical Activity Access Inequities in Under-resourced Programs and Schools.

To address gaps in the youth participation and adolescent physical activity (PA) promotion literature, we examined the feasibility of youth participatory action research (YPAR) in (a) general aftercare (YPAR only) and (b) with a physical activity intervention, (YPAR + PA) to reach marginalized youth and impact individual empowerment and second-order change for equitable PA access. We intervened during middle school, a developmental stage conducive to changing health habits. We used a concurrent, mixed-method triangulation design. Participants were students (94% non-Hispanic Black/African American, 75% free/reduced lunch) in the southeastern United States. YPAR was adapted from online modules. Youth conducted photovoice, capturing and analyzing social/environmental factors contributing to inequities in their schools/programs. PA inequities emerged for girls. Findings indicated feasibility of YPAR with systems supports. Changes occurred at the individual and systems level in the YPAR + PA program. Sociopolitical skills, participatory behavior, and perceived control empowerment subdomains increased pre-post, and youth qualitative responses aligned. A follow-up interview with the director revealed all youth-proposed changes occurred. A feedback loop was developed for continued youth input. Youth-led changes to increase PA access have potential to decrease health disparities by generating unique solutions likely missed when adults intervene alone. HIGHLIGHTS: Gaps in the youth participation and physical activity intervention literature are addressed. YPAR was implemented in aftercare, and with a physical activity intervention for youth-led change. Individual/systems change occurred in the program with YPAR with a physical activity intervention. Strategies for decreasing physical activity disparities are discussed.
Methamphetamine and cardiac disease among people with HIV infection

Objectives People living with HIV (PWH) are at elevated risk of cardiac disease compared to the general population. Methamphetamine use has been associated with structural heart disease and increased mortality from cardiovascular disease but has not been explored as a cause of cardiac disease among PWH. We sought to evaluate the association of methamphetamine use and cardiac disease among PWH. Methods We performed a case-control study of participant data in the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program. Cases were defined as PWH with a history of myocardial infarction or a history of heart failure (systolic or diastolic). Covariates, including methamphetamine abuse/dependence, were assessed using multiple logistic regression. Results Among 3747 PWH, there was a history of myocardial infarction in 115 subjects (3.1%), and a history of heart failure in 41 (1.1%). Current or prior methamphetamine abuse/dependence was reported in 1036 (27.9%) and was not associated with myocardial infarction (P = 0.27) or heart failure (P = 0.84). In addition to traditional risk factors, variables associated with myocardial infarction included the presence of HIV infection (P = 0.01) and duration of HIV infection (P = 0.05). Variables associated with heart failure among PWH included older age, hypertension and myocardial infarction. Conclusions No association between methamphetamine abuse/dependence and a diagnosis of myocardial infarction or heart failure was found among PWH. Significant covariates for myocardial infarction and heart failure included traditional risk factors, the presence of HIV infection and the duration of HIV infection, emphasizing the need for optimal traditional cardiovascular risk factor management among PWH.
From affective to cognitive processing: Functional organization of the medial frontal cortex.

Abstract The medial wall of the primate frontal lobe encompasses multiple anatomical subregions. Based on distinct neurophysiological correlates and effects of lesions, individual areas are thought to play unique roles in behavior. Further, evidence suggests that dysfunction localized to specific subregions is commonly found in different neuropsychiatric disorders. The neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders, however, remain far from clear. Here, to better understand the functions of medial frontal cortex (MFC) and its role in psychiatric disease, we focus on its functional organization. We describe the emerging pattern in which more dorsal regions subserve temporally extended cognitive functions and more ventral regions predominantly subserve affective functions. We focus on two specific domains, decision-making and social cognition, that require integration across emotion and cognition. In each case, we discuss the current understanding of the functions believed to depend on subregions of MFC as a stepping-stone to speculate on how they might work in unison. We conclude with an overview of how symptoms of certain psychiatric disorders relate to our understanding of MFC functional organization and how further discovery could fuel advances in circuit-based therapies.
Flow structure and turbulence in the near field of an immiscible buoyant oil jet

Simultaneous applications of particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence in a refractive index matched facility are used to visualize the phase distribution and measure velocity in an immiscible low Reynolds number buoyant oil jet injected into water. Initially, mixing involves entrainment of water ligaments inward and oil ligaments outward, followed by phase fragmentation into blobs and then droplets. Phase-based conditioning reveals spatially varying discrepancies between the velocity and all Reynolds stress components in the oil and water phases. Trends are attributed to intermittency and differences in turbulence production rate.
DNA Mismatch Repair Deficient Non-Neoplastic Endometrial Glands Are Common in Lynch Syndrome Patients and Are Present at a Higher Density Compared to the Colon

AIMS The hallmark of Lynch syndrome (LS) is DNA mismatch repair protein (MMR) deficiency. Recently, MMR deficiency in non-neoplastic colonic crypts has been identified as a novel indicator of LS. We aimed to determine whether MMR-deficient non-neoplastic endometrial glands can distinguish patients with and without LS, and to compare the level of MMR deficiency in the normal endometrium and colon in LS patients. METHODS AND RESULTS We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of MMR proteins in the normal endometrial mucosa from 64 patients, including 34 patients with confirmed LS (17 with endometrial cancer and 17 without cancer), 30 patients with endometrial cancer without LS (10 with tumours with MLH1 promoter hypermethylation and 20 with MMR-proficient tumours), and in the normal colonic mucosa from 30 LS patients. MMR-deficient non-neoplastic endometrial glands were identified in 47% of LS patients and in no patients without LS (P < 0.001). MMR-deficient non-neoplastic glands were more often identified in LS patients with endometrial cancer (65%) than in those without endometrial cancer (29%) (P = 0.04). In contrast to what was seen in the normal colon, MMR-deficient glands in the normal endometrium were seen as large, contiguous groups, ranging in number from two to 101 (87% versus 45%, P = 0.02). MMR-deficient glands were identified at a higher density in the endometrium than in the colon in LS patients (median number of MMR-deficient glands, 22 versus two, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that MMR-deficient non-neoplastic endometrial glands constitute an indicator of LS, and that MMR-deficient glands in the endometrium are present in a pattern of contiguous large groups.
Impact of Inlet Closures on Water Volumes in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Slusarczyk, G.; Cialone, M.A., and Nadal-Caraballo, N.C., 2021. Impact of inlet closures on water volumes in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, U.S.A. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(3), 461–467. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This paper describes the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the volume of water in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, and the potential for inlet closures to reduce that volume, had they been in place at the time of the storm. Barnegat Bay is hydraulically connected with several other bays to form the largest bay system in New Jersey (over 326 km2). The importance of reducing the volume of water in the embayment during a storm event is to minimize back-bay flooding from the water volume itself and to mitigate additional back-bay flooding from seiching effects along the north-to-south axis of this bay system. Analyses of Barnegat Bay water volume time-series during Hurricane Sandy were made to compare water volumes for different combinations of Barnegat Bay inlet closures to water volumes with no closures in place. The storm event was numerically simulated for all inlet closure configurations utilizing the ADvanced CIRCulation model. This paper will discuss the effect of numerically “closing” three inlets that contribute to surge propagation into the bay system. The comparison is based on closing the inlets individually and in combinations.
Impact force modelling for whole body vibration exposure during high impact multi-pass shovel loading operation

High impact shovel loading operations expose the truck operators to whole body vibrations (WBV), exceeding the ISO exposure limits resulting in long term disabilities and health issues. With dynami...
Recommendations to optimize life-long health and wellbeing for people born preterm

Abstract The preterm birth rate in the United States is 10%, with 8% being born between 36 and 32 weeks of gestation, and the remaining 2% born less than 31 weeks of gestation. The global preterm birth rate varies from 5% to 18%, with varying survival rates. These percentages signify a population of people that will receive health care across the life course without ever being asked about a preterm birth history. With a steady rise in the survival rate of preterm infants being discharged home from the neonatal intensive care unit, with limited referrals for neonatal or developmental follow up, it is essential adult care providers ask the right questions and identify risk factors for this vulnerable population. This review describes the recently published, evidence-based recommendations for addressing preterm history across the life course. A robust review of the literature has demonstrated that the long-term sequelae of being born preterm can adversely affect health and quality of life. The following will offer preterm birth history recommendations based on assessment and diagnosis, prevention and management and referral and treatment. The goal of the recommendations is to create awareness among adult health providers in acknowledging a past medical history of preterm birth and providing appropriate preventive care, therefore shifting the paradigm of care from reactive intervention to proactive care.
The Impact of Behavioral Anchors in the Assessment of Fellowship Applicants: Reducing Rater Biases

Abstract Introduction No standardized evaluation tool for fellowship applicant assessment exists. Assessment tools are subject to biases and scoring tendencies which can skew scores and impact rankings. We aimed to develop and evaluate an objective assessment tool for fellowship applicants. Methods We detected rater effects in our numerically scaled assessment tool (NST), which consisted of 10 domains rated from 0-9. We evaluated each domain, consolidated redundant categories, and removed subjective categories. For 7 remaining domains, we described each quality and developed a question with a behaviorally-anchored rating scale (BARS). Applicants were rated by 6 attendings. Ratings from the NST in 2018 were compared with the BARS from 2020 for distribution of data, skewness, and inter-rater reliability. Results Thirty-four applicants were evaluated with the NST and 38 with the BARS. Demographics were similar between groups. The median score on the NST was 8 out of 9; scores Conclusion Replacing a standard numeric scale with a BARS normalized the distribution of data, reduced skewness, and enhanced inter-rater reliability in our evaluation tool. This provides some validity evidence for improved applicant assessment and ranking.
Politico-Military Assessment

New, alternative concepts of force employment and development in NATO’s central region need to be assessed in a strategic framework that: articulates the goals of NATO’s strategy, to deter aggression by the Soviet Union and its partners in the Warsaw Pact; recognizes both nuclear and non-nuclear forces as essential to NATO’s deterrent strategy of flexible response and forward defense; anticipates the demographic trends, popular attitudes, political forces, and fiscal constraints that are likely to challenge NATO’s defense planners and policy-makers in the 1990’s; identifies the strategic concepts, strengths, and difficulties that will influence Soviet international behavior, especially if recent patterns of politico-military involvement in Angola, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Afghanistan entail growing Soviet ambitions and possible future miscalculations elsewhere, including menacing campaigns of intimidation and even coercion against individual NATO countries or the Alliance as a whole; represents the decision-making process through which precautionary security measures and deterrent mobilizations can be undertaken by NATO; takes NATO’s existing forces, plans, and arrangements as the starting point for constructive innovation.
The Search for Reconciliation: Initial Isolation: Pre-Normalization Sino-Japanese Relations

The Chinese and Japanese nations are intimately related, not only from the point of view of communications but in all other respects as well. There is a saying among the people of both countries that China and Japan are brother nations, whose people are of a similar race and culture; that, therefore, they should join hands in common effort. – Sun Yat-sen, November 28, 1924 In parallel with the European case, I divide postwar Sino-Japanese relations into four periods. In the 1950s and 1960s, China and Japan were in a state of nonreconciliation, treating each other as enemies and preparing for an immediate violent conflict. In the second period, from 1972 through 1981, bilateral relations improved to the stage of shallow reconciliation–rapprochement, in which bilateral political and economic cooperation expanded smoothly but failed to reach a comprehensive level, and warm feelings developed between the two peoples as a product of political manipulation and romanticized imagination rather than true mutual understanding and trust. The third period began in the early 1980s, when the atmosphere of friendship was replaced by friction and alienation in both governmental and popular dimensions, marking a relationship downturn from rapprochement to friction within the stage of shallow reconciliation. Japan and China also began to bicker about war history in the 1980s, something that they rarely did in the previous two periods.
Enzymatic systems that synthesize and degrade glycerolipids possessing ether bonds.

Publisher Summary Ether bonds in glycerolipids were first detected in biological materials. The O-alkyl linkage was found in marine organisms, whereas the O-alk-1-enyl linkage was first detected in mammalian cells. This chapter discusses the nomenclature and illustrates the structures of known O-alkyl and O-alk-1-enyl lipid classes that are of biological interest. It presents the conclusions drawn from enzyme studies on the biosynthesis and degradation of alkyl and alk-1-enyl bonds in glycerolipids and their precursors; in vivo results and chemical syntheses have been discussed. The function of the ether-linked lipids in biological systems is unknown, although their structural role in membranes, especially surface membranes, has become apparent in a number of investigations. Chromatographic isolation procedures and subsequent identifications in biochemical investigations, as well as chemical syntheses, have led to the discovery of a large number of distinct ether-linked lipid classes. The lipid classes that contain ether bonds are structural analogs of the acylated lipid classes.
LA SONRISA REVISIONISTA DE MANFREDO

El presente articulo propone que una cuidadosa lectura de la aparicion de Manfredo en el canto III de “Purgatorio” permite una aproximacion al complejo pensamiento politico y estetico de Dante Alighieri. El trabajo sugiere que la presencia de Manfredo en "Antepurgatorio" es uno de los momentos claves de La Commedia para entender la posicion de Dante frente a cuestiones tan importantes para su texto y su tiempo como la relacion entre la letra y el espiritu, y las posibilidades y limitaciones de la representacion estetica. Es decir, la validez misma de proyectos artisticos como el suyo dentro de un marco escatologico de la historia
Hegel, Nietzsche, and Philosophy: Thinking Freedom

Acknowledgements List of texts, translations and abbreviations Introduction: freedom and philosophy Part I. Freedom In and Through Hegel's Philosophy: 1. The place of freedom in Hegel's philosophy 2. The freedom of willing: Hegel's Philosophy of Right 3. Freedom beyond willing: From the Philosophy of Right to absolute spirit 4. Freedom through Hegel's philosophy Part II. Freedom In and Through Nietzsche's Philosophy: 5. The place of freedom in Nietzsche's philosophy 6. The freedom of willing: decadence and nobility 7. Freedom beyond willing: from nobility to tragedy 8. Freedom through Nietzsche's philosophy Conclusion: philosophy and freedom Notes Index.
Multinational Enterprise and Economic Analysis: The MNE and Models of International Economic Activity

In Chapter 1, we presented a microeconomic view of the multinational enterprise (MNE) based on the theory of economic organization. Yet foreign direct investment was traditionally a concern of international economics, a branch disposed to use general-equilibrium tools for explaining economy-wide or worldwide phenomena: nations' patterns of commodity trade, the allocation of their endowments of factors of production, and the functional distribution of income. Does international economics offer a distinctive and sufficient explanation of MNEs to place against the organizational explanation from Chapter 1? If so, which has the more explanatory power? If not, how can organizational models of the MNE be consistently embedded within models of international production and exchange? Foreign Direct Investment and International Capital Flows The key junction between international economics and the MNE is the export of equity capital that occurs when a company starts a foreign subsidiary. International flows of capital are a central concern of international economists, who long explained the MNE as simply an arbitrager of equity capital from countries where its return is low to countries where it is high. If the differing rates of return to capital that induce these movements correspond to differences in the social marginal productivity of capital, then the MNE's activity also raises the world's real income. This approach ties the MNE to a considerable body of general-equilibrium theory about the interrelationships of international trade, international movements of factors of production, and the distribution of income (see Section 2.3).
BLACK-WHITE RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

This multilevel study explores the potential relationship between Black-White residential segregation and physical activity. It combines data on physical activity from the 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a national telephone survey of adults overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with a measure of racial segregation. Using hierarchical linear modeling, it controlled for age, sex, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, income, and amount of urban sprawl. For each one-point increase in the Black-White Dissimilarity Index (on a 0–100 scale), the modeled risk of being physically inactive increased by .7% (odds ratio [OR]51.007, 95% confidence interval [CI]51.003, 1.011). The relationship between segregation and physical activity was similar for Blacks and Whites, though not statistically significant for the Black-only analysis. This finding may imply that the pathway between segregation and ill health includes physical inactivity.
July 1914: Countdown to War by McMeekin, Sean

With the centennial anniversary of the First World War fast approaching, one can expect a fresh outpouring of books analyzing the crisis of July 1914 that led to the fighting. Few of them, one susp...
The effect of extrinsic attributes on liking of cottage cheese

Preference mapping studies with cottage cheese have demonstrated that cottage cheese liking is influenced by flavor, texture, curd size, and dressing content. However, extrinsic factors such as package, label claims, and brand name may also influence liking and have not been studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of package attributes and brand on the liking of cottage cheese. A conjoint survey with Kano analysis (n=460) was conducted to explore the effect of extrinsic attributes (brand, label claim, milkfat content, and price) on liking. Following the survey, 150 consumers evaluated intrinsic attributes of 7 cottage cheeses with and without brand information in a 2-d crossover design. Results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and multivariate analyses. Milkfat content and price had the highest influence on liking by conjoint analysis. Cottage cheese with 2% milkfat and a low price was preferred. Specific label claims such as "excellent source of calcium (>10%)" were more attractive to consumers than "low sodium" or "extra creamy." Branding influenced overall liking and purchase intent for cottage cheeses to differing degrees. For national brands, acceptance scores were enhanced in the presence of the brand. An all-natural claim was more appealing than organic by conjoint analysis and this result was also confirmed with consumer acceptance testing. Findings from this study can help manufacturers, as well as food marketers, better target their products and brands with attributes that drive consumer choice.
Multimerization and DNA Binding Properties of INI1/hSNF5 and Its Functional Significance

INI1/hSNF5/BAF47/SMARCB1 is an HIV-1 integrase (IN)-binding protein that modulates viral replication in multiple ways. A minimal IN-binding domain of INI1, S6 (amino acids 183-294), transdominantly inhibits late events, and down-modulation of INI1 stimulates early events of HIV-1 replication. INI1 both stimulates and inhibits in vitro integration depending on IN concentration. To gain further insight into its role in HIV-1 replication, we purified and biochemically characterized INI1. We found that INI1 forms multimeric structures. Deletion analysis indicated that the Rpt1 and Rpt2 motifs form the minimal multimerization domain. We isolated mutants of INI1 that are defective for multimerization using a reverse yeast two-hybrid system. Our results revealed that INI1 residues involved in multimerization overlap with IN-binding and nuclear export domains and are required for nuclear retention and co-localization with IN. Multimerization-defective mutants are also defective for mediating the transdominant effect of INI1-S6-(183-294). Furthermore, we found that INI1 is a minor groove DNA-binding protein. Although IN binding and multimerization are required for INI1-mediated inhibition, the acceptor DNA binding property of INI1 may be required for stimulation of in vitro strand transfer activities of IN. Binding of INI1 to IN results in the formation of presumably inactive high molecular weight IN-INI1 complexes, and the multimerization-defective mutant was unable to form these complexes. These results indicate that the multimerization and IN binding properties of INI1 are necessary for its ability to both inhibit integration and influence assembly and particle production, providing insights into the mechanism of INI1-mediated effects in HIV-1 replication.
On the penetration of semi-infinite targets by long rods

Abstract T he one-dimensional eroding-rod penetration theory proposed by A. T ate ( J. Mech. Phys. Solids 15 , 387, 1967; 17 , 141, 1969) is modified in two ways. In the equation of motion of the rigid end of the rod, a proper accounting is made of mass transfer into the plastic region. Also, the mushroom strain at the deforming end of the rod is incorporated into the analysis. It is shown that this latter factor has a very substantial effect on calculated penetrations.
Monotone mappings in dynamic programming

In this paper we consider a class of monotone mappings underlying many sequential optimization problems over a finite or infinite horizon which are of interest in applications. This class of problems Includes deterministic and stochastic optimal control problems, minimax control problems, Semi-Markov Decision problems and others. We prove some fixed point properties of the optimal value function and we analyze the convergence properties of a related generalized Dynamic Programming algorithm. We also give a sufficient condition for convergence, which is widely applicable and considerably strengthens known related results.
Circulation in the Archipiélago de Colón (Galapagos Islands), November, 1993

Abstract DCP and CTD data are used to investigate the circulation pattern in the region of the Archipielago de Colon during the period 8–21 November 1993. Surface flow was dominated by the westward flowing South Equatorial Current except in a small region to the west of Isla Fernandina, where eastward flow associated with the shoaling of the Equatorial Undercurrent was observed. The Equatorial Undercurrent was observed to the west of the Archipelago, centered along 0.5°S at 70 m with peak velocities ∼0.6 m s-1 and, at 92°W, a transport of 6.6 Sv. Between 92°W and the Archipielago, a distance of only 40 km, the Undercurrent surfaced, the eastward flow decelerated, and meridional flow diverged on either side of 0.5°S, the southward flow appearing to be stronger and better developed than the northward flow. At 89°W the Undercurrent and its associated salinity maximum were observed at 50 m depth at 1°S, with greatly reduced speed, 0.2 m s-1; subsurface eastward flow also appeared in the northern hemisphere, but this flow was at greater depth, 140 m. The interaction of the Undercurrent and the Archipielago appeared to enhance the thickness of the 16°C thermostad.
Critical appraisal of randomized controlled trials of anemia correction in patients with renal failure

Purpose of review Recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported risks and benefits in the correction of anemia using erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) in patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage renal disease. The purpose of this review is to critically appraise the RCTs most relevant to clinical decision-making. Recent findings The Trial to Reduce cardiovascular Events with Aransep Therapy (TREAT) is the biggest and best designed RCT performed so far, enrolling 4038 diabetic patients with CKD in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Comparing the high hemoglobin (Hb) darbopoietin group with placebo, it reported no difference in cardiac and renal outcomes, a significantly increased risk of stroke, and modest improvement in fatigue and transfusion rate. Meta-analysis demonstrated that correction of anemia with ESA was associated with a significantly increased risk of hypertension and vascular access clotting and an increased risk of death that approached statistical significance. Quality-of-life improvements appeared to maximize in the target Hb range of 10-12 g/dl. Summary Treatment of renal anemia using ESAs to target Hb higher than 13 g/dl is harmful. Treatment of Hb below 9 g/dl provides substantial transfusion and quality-of-life benefits, but safety is unknown. Target Hb levels of 10-12 g/dl seem reasonable, but increasing ESA doses in hyporesponsive patients to achieve a specific target is not.
Microemulsion Polymerization. 2. Influence of Monomer Partitioning, Termination, and Diffusion Limitations on Polymerization Kinetics

We investigate the polymerization kinetics of microemulsions prepared with the cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and the hydrophobic monomers n-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, n-hexyl methacrylate, and styrene. Our previous model for microemulsion polymerization kinetics cannot account for the kinetics of these systems. Using the results of small-angle neutron scattering monomer partitioning studies and an extended kinetic model to analyze the data, the failure of the original kinetic model is shown to be due to a combination of nonlinear monomer partitioning, nonnegligible bimolecular termination, and, in some cases, diffusion limitations to propagation.
Determination of the extent of rhizosphere soil

Abstract The extent of the rhizosphere was investigated by using root volume and root length in ten replications. The experiment was conducted using split cylindrical pots, 23 cm long and 7.5 cm in diameter. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) plants were grown in a calcareous soil of low phosphorus (P) status. Fertilized soil (750 g soil and 250 g sand) was placed in a closed‐bottom PVC tube. At harvest, plant roots were gently removed from the pots and the roots were shaken five times in order to reduce variation between samples. The soil that was easily shaken from the root surface was assumed to be non‐rhizosphere soil, and the soil adhering to the root segment after a gentle shake was considered to be rhizosphere soil. The rhizosphere thickness was found to have a range of 0.39 to 0.64 mm from the root surface (0.51 mm average thickness). Rhizosphere soil mass was also calculated and found to be on average 22% of the total soil mass.
Line shapes in triple-resonance ionization spectroscopy

Line shapes in high-resolution triple-resonance ionization spectroscopy have been calculated and compared with experimental measurements on the 4s21S0→ 4s4p1P1 → 4s4d1D2 → 4snf1F3→ Ca+ system of calcium. Calculations based on the density matrix formalism integrated the fundamental equations over experimental atomic angular and velocity distributions and laser intensity profiles. The measurements reveal and confirm all predicted structures arising from the complex coupling of four atomic states with three laser fields and the Doppler distribution of the atomic ensemble. Effects of different laser beam geometries on the line shapes have been investigated. The agreement between calculated and experimental spectra is generally good over a dynamic range of 10 orders of magnitude. Thus these calculations can accurately predict optical isotopic selectivity in multistep resonance ionization, with a value of Sopt ∼ 1010 expected for detection of the ultratrace isotope 41Ca.
Photoinduced arene deligation of a dicationic bis(arene)—iron (II) complex

Abstract Continuous photolysis, flash photolysis and photosensitization studies are reported for Fe(η6-mes)22+, where mes = 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (mesitylene). The complex absorbs in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions owing to the presence of ligand field, mes → Fe charge transfer, and intraligand π-π∗ absorption bands. Selective irradiation of the various bands causes substitution of both mesitylene ligands by solvent. The quantum efficiency of arene deligation ranges from 0.6 to 1.0 depending upon the excitation wavelength, but is independent of complex concentration, solvent, oxygen content and excess PF6− counterion. Reaction occurs from both ligand field and mes → Fe charge transfer excited states, with no evidence of communication between the states.
COMPARISON OF COGNITIVE TEMPO AND TIME ESTIMATION BY YOUNG BOYS

The relationship between cognitive tempo and time estimation by young boys is investigated. Emphasis is on clarifying the physiological vs learned etiology of cognitive tempo on the assumption that a predilection to cortical excitation or inhibition can be indicated through time estimation. Significant differences between 20 impulsive and 20 reflective boys (aged 8--0 to 8--11) on estimates of reproduction time and a high correlation (-.49) between impulsive boys' response times and estimates of reproduction time were noted.
Gold nanoparticle-cored poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers as a new platform for multifunctional drug delivery systems

Two poly(propyleneimine) dendrons (PPI dendrons) of third generation, containing eight branches (nitriles or primary amines) and having tyramine as the focal point, were prepared. A tetraethylene glycol spacer (TEG), terminated by a protected thiol group, was attached to their focal points. The obtained TEG–PPI dendrons were successfully used to cap 18 nm spherical gold nanoparticles, with no need for intermediate thioctic acid exchange of citrate, as previously reported for non-anionic ligands. The novel gold nanoparticle-cored PPI dendrimers were characterized by UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Importantly, the amine terminated gold nanoparticle-cored PPI dendrimer showed great stability in PBS buffer, as well as in the presence of a salt, and they did not show any sign of degradation after freeze-drying. Also, this new type of PPI dendrimer was found to protonate at pH around 4.5 for their internal tertiary amines. The latter being present in large numbers on each gold nanoparticle, their protonation at pH below 5 will produce a proton-sponge effect, which plays a crucial role in lysosomal escape during drug delivery.
An Ethnography of Couple and Therapist Experiences in Reflecting Team Practice

Couple and therapist perspectives about the use and process of reflecting team practice were analyzed using ethnographic research. A domain analysis was performed on postsession interviews from both couples and therapists, and on field notes from each therapist. Seven couples and five therapists were interviewed at least twice over a 4-month period concerning their reactions to andperceptions of reflecting team practice. Six domains concerning reflecting team practice emerged from the analysis: (a) benefits of its use, (b) effects of gender, (c) recommended use, (d) contraindicated use, (e) the importance of creating spatial separateness between couple and team members, and cf) sequences of communication between the couple and team members that elicit change. The latter two domains described the process of reflecting team practice (i.e., steps in how it is used and how it is implemented). The role of ethnography in reflecting team practice and in family therapy research is discussed.
Optical absorption in extended Peierls-Hubbard models

Abstract We examine the optical absorption spectra for half-filled, one-dimensional systems involving both electron-phonon and electron-electron interactions as described by extended Peierls-Hubbard models. Exactly diagonalizing rings up to 12 sites, we examine the effects of electronic correlations in the intermediate- and strong-coupling regimes. In particular, using a novel “phase-randomization” technique, we are able to obtain absorption spectra with high resolution. Using a combination of weak- and strong-coupling and “decoupled dimer” analytic arguments, we are able to obtain a qualitative understanding of our numerical results over a wide range of electronic interactions and lattice distortions.
An HPLC method for measuring 5-fluorouracil in plasma

Abstract 5-Fluorouracil in plasma was determined by extraction with methyl isobutyl ketone, evaporation of the ketone, and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography of the evaporation residue. With UV detection at 280 nm the lower limit of detection is 10.0 ng/ml and interfering peaks eliminated. The method is highly reproducible.
Improved numerical results for the three-dimensional alloy with site diagonal disorder

Densities of states are obtained for \ensuremath{\sim} 10 000-atom three-dimensional alloy models with site-diagonal disorder, and the results are compared with the single-site coherent-potential approximation. The numerical approach contains several improvements over our previous calculations.
If Not Combatants, Certainly Not Civilians

Stein and I see targeted killing in fundamentally different ways. Stein sees the Palestinian terrorists as civilian noncombatants who are not engaged in war or even armed conflict with Israel. As such, there is no legal or moral right to target them. I see targeted killing as an appropriate response to an intolerable threat. Israel has the right and obligation to defend itself against armed Palestinians who seek to kill as many innocent Israeli civilians as possible. So long as the Palestinian Authority is incapable or unwilling to halt terrorist attacks, most interpretations of international law, Israeli law, and just war tradition support Israel's efforts to stop these murderous attacks before they can be carried out.
Nutritional and antigenic effects of two bovine milk preparations in infants

A comparative study of the nutritional and antigenic effects of two bovine milk preparations (a high whey: casein ratio formula, SMA-S26, and a standard evaporated milk formula) in a divided infant population of 488 babies revealed comparable growth rates of the two groups and comparable dietary acceptability of the two preparations. There was no clinical or serologic evidence of increased antigenicity of the high whey: casein formula over the evaporated milk formula in the population studied. The over-all incidences of positive skin tests (5 per cent), tanned cell hemagglutinins (76 per cent), and precipitins (2.2 per cent) to cow's milk were in agreement with the findings of other investigators.
Excitons in semimagnetic semiconductor quantum-well systems: Magnetic polaron effects

The energy of the exciton formed from an electron and heavy hole in a narrow CdTe quantum well between barriers of ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$Te is evaluated using a simple variational trial function. The magnetic polaron effect, resulting from the exchange interaction of the carriers with localized Mn-ion spins located in the barrier, is included. Because of its heavier mass and small quantum-well depth, the hole is much more dramatically influenced by the magnetic polaron effect and tends to localize near one of the interfaces.
Yes-no answering systems in young children

Abstract Across the world's languages two quite different systems are used in answering negative questions such as Aren't you going? In English the speaker answers yes or no depending on the speaker's intention about the matter (e.g., Yes, I am going , if the speaker intends to go). In Japanese, the speaker answers yes or no in agreement or disagreement with the literal statement of the question (e.g., No, I am going , if the speaker is going and thus disagrees with the literal form of the question). One purpose of this study was to see which of these linguistic systems is acquired earlier. The other was to see whether the two systems work independently in bilingual children. The data on positive and negative questions from English and Japanese monolingual children showed that the English system is easier to acquire and the data from Japanese-English bilingual children showed that they used the English system to answer Japanese negative questions. The results suggest that the English system is acquired earlier than the Japanese system and that the two systems interact in bilingual children. These results were discussed in terms of sentence verification models.
Molecular Defects in Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A

Sanfilippo A syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA, MPS-IIIA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder due to an enzymatic defect of the lysosomal enzyme sulphamidase (EC 3.10.1.1) required for the degradation of heparan sulphate. In this study, molecular defects in the sulphamidase gene of MPS-IIIA patients were investigated in a group of 10 patients of Australian and American origin. The entire coding region of the sulphamidase gene was RT-PCR amplified and one polymorphism (R456H), four novel mutations (S66W, R245H, E447K, 1307 del 9) and one previously described mutation (1284 del 11) were identified by direct PCR sequencing. R245H was present in six patients including one severely affected homozygote. In three of the other patients with R245H, second mutant alleles were identified as S66W, 1284 del 11 and E447K, respectively. S66W was also detected in another patient where the other mutant allele remains undefined. In addition, 1307 del 9 was also detected in a patient with the other mutant allele remaining undefined. Allele specific oligonucleotide hybridisation was used to determine the incidence of these in a population of 26 MPS-IIIA patients (Australian and American) and 60 normal controls (Australian). R245H represented 27% (14/52 alleles) in this total patient population, while the other three changes ranged from 1.9 to 9.6% (1-5 of 52 alleles). The sequence variant, R456H, was shown to be polymorphic as it was present in 55% of normal and 38% of patient alleles. The total combined incidence of these five is 46% of alleles. This is the first study of the molecular defects in MPS-IIIA patients and will greatly assist the development of molecular analysis for MPS-IIIA patients and studies concerned with genotype to phenotype relationships.