cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Column Switching for the Determination of Cocaine and Benzoylecgonine Concentrations in Vitreous Humor

A sample concentration technique was adapted for the determination of cocaine and benzoylecgonine (BE) concentrations in vitreous humor. Vitreous humor (0.5 mL) was diluted 1:1 with water and applied through a filter onto a 3-cm preconcentration column. Following a simple wash step, the analytes were flushed directly onto a reversed-phase analytical high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. Absolute recoveries were high (above 90%) and the chromatograms were free from interference. Analysis for the drug and its breakdown product was performed using ultraviolet (UV) visible photodiode array detection, which allowed confirmation of peak identity. Recognizable UV spectra could be measured with as little as 20 ng on column. Comparison of the drug levels in 27 blood and vitreous humor samples showed that, while there was only a low correlation between the blood and vitreous concentrations (R = 0.70), vitreous cocaine and BE determinations were good indicators of antemortem cocaine use. In almost all cases, the vitreous BE concentrations were higher than the cocaine concentrations. The technique was easy to perform and the vitreous samples were especially compatible with this low-labor analytical procedure.
Cooling-induced dilatation of cutaneous arteries is mediated by increased myoendothelial communication.

Cold causes cutaneous vasoconstriction to restrict heat loss. Although cold also initiates cutaneous dilatation, the mechanisms and role of this dilatation have not been clearly defined. This study...
A State-Created Danger Case in High School Wrestling

This article looks at a case that was filed against the Pocono Mountain School District, which alleged that the state violated a wrestling team participant’s civil rights, amongst other claims, aft...
Physical Therapist Management of Anterior Knee Pain

Anterior knee pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint among people of all ages and activity levels. Non-operative approaches with an emphasis on physical therapy management are the recommended initial course of care. The purpose of this review is to describe the current evidence for physical therapist management of anterior knee pain with consideration of biomechanical and psychosocial factors. The latest research suggests anterior knee pain is a combination of biomechanical, neuromuscular, behavioral, and psychological factors. Education strategies to improve the patient’s understanding of the condition and manage pain are supported by research. Strong evidence continues to support the primary role of exercise therapy and load progression to achieve long-term improvements in pain and function. Preliminary studies suggest blood flow restriction therapy and movement retraining may be useful adjunct techniques but require further well-designed studies. Anterior knee pain includes multiple conditions with patellofemoral pain being the most common. An insidious onset is typical and often attributed to changes in activity and underlying neuromuscular impairments. A thorough clinical history and physical examination aim to identify the patient’s pain beliefs and behaviors, movement faults, and muscle performance that will guide treatment recommendations. Successful physical therapist management involves a combination of individualized patient education, pain management, and load control and progression, with an emphasis on exercise therapy.
A probabilistic and anisotropic failure metric for ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm risk assessment

Abstract To noninvasively assess the risk of aneurysm rupture and dissection, an accurate material failure metric of the aortic wall is crucial. Previous studies used deterministic or isotropic failure metrics for the aortic wall. However, experimental studies have shown that aortic wall tensile strengths in circumferential and axial directions are significantly different (i.e., anisotropic) and vary greatly among patients. In this study, we developed a new probabilistic and anisotropic material failure metric for rupture risk assessment of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA). We performed uniaxial tensile failure tests using aortic tissue samples of 84 ATAA patients, from which a joint probability distribution of the anisotropic wall strengths was obtained. Subsequently, we derived an anisotropic failure probability (FP) metric based on the Tsai-Hill (TH) failure criterion. The novel FP metric incorporates uncertainty and anisotropy of failure properties. To compare the FP metric with traditional deterministic and isotropic metrics, we numerically estimated “baseline” risks of additional 41 ATAA patients using matching CT images and tissue testing data. We presented different risk assessment methods (e.g., with and without patient-specific hyperelastic properties) and compared them using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The results demonstrated that: (1) the probabilistic FP metric outperforms the deterministic TH metric and the isotropic maximum principal stress; (2) patient-specific hyperelastic properties can help to improve the performance of probabilistic FP metric in ATAA risk assessment. The proposed probabilistic modeling framework may be adopted for other types of materials.
Utilizing Economic Activity and Data Science to Predict and Mediate Global Conflict

The year 2020 has left many individuals finding that their lives are continually being changed based on the state of global circumstances. Some believe that these changes have given many citizens the opportunity to understand the interconnected nature of global actions and domestic consequences.
Isolation of the Novel Phage PHB09 and Its Potential Use against the Plant Pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect target bacteria. Recently, bacteriophages have been considered potential biological control agents for bacterial pathogens due to their host specificity. Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a reemerging pathogen that causes bacterial canker of kiwifruit (Actinidia sp.). The economic impact of this pest and the development of resistance to antibiotics and copper sprays in Psa and other pathovars have led to investigation of alternative management strategies. Phage therapy may be a useful alternative to conventional treatments for controlling Psa infections. Although the efficacy of bacteriophage φ6 was evaluated for the control of Psa, the characteristics of other DNA bacteriophages infecting Psa remain unclear. In this study, the PHB09 lytic bacteriophage specific to Psa was isolated from kiwifruit orchard soil. Extensive host range testing using Psa isolated from kiwifruit orchards and other Pseudomonas strains showed PHB09 has a narrow host range. It remained stable over a wide range of temperatures (4–50 °C) and pH values (pH 3–11) and maintained stability for 50 min under ultraviolet irradiation. Complete genome sequence analysis indicated PHB09 might belong to a new myovirus genus in Caudoviricetes. Its genome contains a total of 94,844 bp and 186 predicted genes associated with phage structure, packaging, host lysis, DNA manipulation, transcription, and additional functions. The isolation and identification of PHB09 enrich the research on Pseudomonas phages and provide a promising biocontrol agent against kiwifruit bacterial canker.
Unexpectedly high precision of consumer-grade GPS units for small-scale animal movement studies

Consumer-grade GPS units are a staple of modern field ecology, but the relatively large error radii reported by manufacturers (up to 10 meters) ostensibly precludes their utility in measuring fine-scale movement of small animals such as insects. Here we demonstrate that for data collected at fine spatio-temporal scales, these devices can produce exceptionally precise data on step-length and movement patterns of small animals. With an understanding of the properties of GPS error and how it arises, it is possible, using a simple field protocol, to use consumer grade GPS units to collect step-length data for the movement of small animals that introduces a median of 11 cm of error. Such small errors make these inexpensive units useful for measuring insect and other small animal movements on small to intermediate scales on budgets that are orders of magnitude lower than the survey-grade units used in past studies. As an additional advantage, these units are much simpler to operate and insect or other small animal trackways can be collected more quickly than either survey-grade units or more traditional ruler / gird approaches. Subjects Behavioral Ecology, Landscape Ecology, Animal Movement, Insect Ecology.
Multidimensional Mathematical Modeling of Occupant Dynamics Under Crash Conditions

A SERIES OF MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN AN OCCUPANT AND THE INTERIOR OF A VEHICLE IS PRESENTED. THE FOLLOWING PARAMETER STUDIES USING AN EIGHT-MASS, TWO-DIMENSIONAL MODEL ARE DISCUSSED; BELT MATERIAL PROPERTIES, BELT SLACK, BELT GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION, AND COMPARISON OF SEATS WITH AND WITHOUT HEADRESTS IN REAR IMPACT. IN ADDITION, IT IS DEMONSTRATED BY EXAMPLE THAT SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL MODELS CAN PERFORM A VALUABLE SERVICE IN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL WORK AS WELL AS YIELDING SHORT TERM RESULTS. FINALLY, THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELS ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS SHOWN THAT A THREE-MASS, THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL IS A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF CURRENT SIMULATION EFFORTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO OCCUPANT RESPONSE IN OBLIQUE AND LATERAL IMPACT AS WELL AS NONSYMMETRIC RESTRAINT SYSTEM. /AUTHOR/
Choosing the Wings on Which One Soars

The author responds and offers a critique of Lewis V. Baldwin's article in Issue 16 of Safundi, “Soaring on the Wings of Pride: Martin Luther King Jr. and the ‘New’ South Africa.” The author questions the continued relevance of the United States’ civil rights history to South Africa today, that the article “tends to overemphasize the importance of the American racist past for South Africans.”
The Oxidative Stress Network of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Reveals Coordination between Radical Detoxification Systems

M. tuberculosis (Mtb) survives a hostile environment within the host that is shaped in part by oxidative stress. The mechanisms used by Mtb to resist these stresses remain ill-defined because the complex combination of oxidants generated by host immunity is difficult to accurately recapitulate in vitro. We performed a genome-wide genetic interaction screen to comprehensively delineate oxidative stress resistance pathways necessary for Mtb to resist oxidation during infection. Our analysis predicted functional relationships between the superoxide-detoxifying enzyme (SodA), an integral membrane protein (DoxX), and a predicted thiol-oxidoreductase (SseA). Consistent with that, SodA, DoxX, and SseA form a membrane-associated oxidoreductase complex (MRC) that physically links radical detoxification with cytosolic thiol homeostasis. Loss of any MRC component correlated with defective recycling of mycothiol and accumulation of cellular oxidative damage. This previously uncharacterized coordination between oxygen radical detoxification and thiol homeostasis is required to overcome the oxidative environment Mtb encounters in the host.
The Normal and Superfluid States of Liquid 3He

As you all know, the system which has been most extensively used for tests of theoretical ideas about the formation of topological defects in quenching is superfluid liquid 3He; it had also, earlier, been the subject of a controlled series of experiments on a closely related problem, namely the nucleation by high-energy radiation of a first-order phase transition. In these two lectures I shall give an introduction to the physics of superfluid 3He in which I shall consciously try to focus on those aspects which seem most relevant to the quenching problem. (For a more extended discussion of most of the topics I shall discuss, and much else, see ref.[1]).
Assessing design-quality metrics on legacy software

This paper' reviews the progress-to-date on the application of Design-Quality Metrics analysis to large-scale legacy software products. Basic design-quality metrics are outlined followed by the procedures followed to assess the metrics on a large software product. The unique problems of assessing design-quality metrics on legacy software are outlined. Preliminary results are given relating defect data to the metrics.
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND REGIONAL SHIFTS IN AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

Dramatic shifts in regional economic activity have taken place in the United States in recent times. Regional shifts in manufacturing are related here to the influence of technological change and the product-cycle model. These changes are viewed over time as manifestations of regional life cycles analogous to Kondratieff-type long waves.
Searching for acceptance: Challenges encountered while raising a child with autism

Background Autism, a severe childhood disorder, affects the family system in dramatic ways.Method Fifty-two parents of children with autism were interviewed to explore their struggles and their suc...
Fragility curves for building envelope components subject to windborne debris impact

Abstract This paper presents a methodology for developing windborne debris (WBD) impact fragility curves for building envelope components (BECs) by using stochastic finite element (FE) models. These fragility curves provide the probabilistic description of the impact resistance of BECs subject to an impact event described by an appropriate intensity measure ( IM ). Accurate fragility curves are essential in the development of a general probabilistic performance-based engineering framework for mitigation of WBD impact hazard. Monte Carlo simulation is used in combination with the FE method to propagate uncertainties in the BEC's model parameters and WBD impact location. As an application example, the fragility curves relative to different damage states are derived for aluminum storm shutters subjected to WBD impact. It is found that (1) the missile kinetic energy at impact is a sufficient IM for BECs with ductile behavior subjected to WBD impact, and (2) the performance of storm panels in terms of penetration of WBDs is critically dependent on the details of the panels’ installation.
Endophthalmitis from Mycobacterium bovis-bacille Calmette-Guérin after intravesicular bacille Calmette-Guérin injections for bladder carcinoma.

Abstract PURPOSE: To present clinical and histologic findings of intraocular infection with Mycobacterium bovis– bacille Calmette-Guerin after intravesicular bacille Calmette-Guerin injections for treatment of bladder carcinoma. METHODS: A 77-year-old man was initially seen with visual acuity of 20/200, focal retinitis, vasculitis, and progressive vitreous opacity in the right eye and visual acuity of light perception, intraocular inflammation, and a dense cataract in the left eye 14 months after intravesicular injection of live bacille Calmette-Guerin organisms. RESULTS: Vitreous cultures in the right eye demonstrated growth of bacille Calmette-Guerin organisms. Bilateral loss of light perception occurred despite systemic antimycobacterial therapy. Histopathologic examination demonstrated nongranulomatous inflammation and acid-fast bacilli in both eyes. CONCLUSION: Delayed endogenous endophthalmitis may develop after intravesicular bacille Calmette-Guerin injection that may not respond to systemic agents. Intravitreal therapy may be indicated.
Buffering of calcium in the vicinity of a channel pore

The function of calcium entry or release channels is often modulated by the cytosolic free calcium concentration. When such channels are studied in isolation, calcium buffer solutions are usually used to control the free calcium at the cytosolic face of the channel. Such solutions are generally formulated on the basis of equilibrium considerations. We calculate the gradlent of [Ca2+] in the vicinity of a channel pore, in the presence of such buffers. We find that the effective degree of buffering near the pore is markedly affected by kinetic considerations. Commonly used EGTA solutions are completely ineffective in buffering [Ca2+] within macromolecular distances of the pore. In order to achieve useful buffering, the fastest buffers (e.g. BAPTA derivatives) must be used, in concentrations very much higher than those conventionally employed. Because of the diffusion limit on the maximum rate of binding of calcium to the buffer ligand, it is physically impossible to achieve good control of [Ca2+] at cytosolic levels at distances of less than a few nm from a pore conducting pico-ampere calcium current.
Electron tube evaluation for guided missile applications

Excitation of a tube resonance for prolonged periods has proved a valuable aid in evaluating tubes for guided missile applications. Electrical and optical examination before and after vibration, and changes in the noise output spectrum are the basis for this evaluation.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Planetary Gears Using Analytical and Finite Element Models

Vibration induced gear noise and dynamic loads remain key concerns in many transmission applications that use planetary gears. Tooth separations at large vibrations introduce nonlinearity in geared systems. The present work examines the complex, nonlinear dynamic behavior of spur planetary gears using two models: (i) a lumped-parameter model, and (ii) a finite element model. The two-dimensional lumped-parameter model represents the gears as lumped inertias, the gear meshes as nonlinear springs with tooth contact loss and periodically varying stiffness due to changing tooth contact conditions, and the supports as linear springs. The two-dimensional finite element model is developed from a unique finite elementcontact analysis solver specialized for gear dynamics. Mesh stiffness variation excitation, corner contact, and gear tooth contact loss are all intrinsically considered in the finite element analysis. The dynamics of planetary gears show a rich spectrum of nonlinear phenomena. Nonlinear jumps, chaotic motions, and period-doubling bifurcations occur when the mesh frequency or any of its higher harmonics are near a natural frequency of the system. Responses from the dynamic analysis using analytical and finite element models are successfully compared qualitatively and quantitatively. These comparisons validate the effectiveness of the lumped-parameter model to simulate the dynamics of planetary gears. Mesh phasing rules to suppress rotational and translational vibrations in planetary gears are valid even when nonlinearity from tooth contact loss occurs. These mesh phasing conclusions, however, are not valid in the chaotic and period-doubling regions.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Usefulness of financial information in evaluation of BRIC firms

Abstract The hottest investments in the past five years have been in BRIC country stocks. Results of this study show that during 2002–2006 time period financial ratios of BRIC firms have not improved while the sizes of these firms have significantly increased, suggesting that investors are investing not because of financial performance but because of growth. Despite the opacity of BRIC countries' financial reporting, results of this study show that there is still a positive and significant price-earnings association. The explanatory power is increased by also considering growth rates.
Defective vaccinia virus particles in interferon-treated infected cells

Vaccinia virus particles formed in interferon-treated, infected cells have been isolated. These particles have been characterized with regard to polypeptide composition, and ability to adsorb, penetrate, uncoat, and synthesize proteins in infected cells. As determined by one-dimensional SDS-PAGE analysis, with interferon concentrations of 100-500 u/ml, the pattern of [35S]methionine-labeled virion proteins was not altered; higher doses of interferon resulted in decreased labeling of some proteins. However, interferon doses of 100-500 u/ml decreased phosphorylation of vaccinia virus basic core polypeptide (P-11) by 30-70%; the same doses of interferon decreased the labeling of virus glycoproteins by 40-80%. Virus purified from interferon-treated cells adsorb, penetrate, and uncoat to a lesser extent than virus control. During infection to cells, these virus particles caused shutoff and synthesized the same spectrum of viral proteins as normal virus. These findings show that there are protein alterations in vaccinia virus particles isolated from interferon-treated, infected cells. These alterations may contribute to limit the spread of virus infection.
The 21st Century Teacher: A Cultural Perspective.

In this article, the authors focus on the disciplinary divides between multicultural, bilingual, and special education. Existing issues that inhibit closer integration of these areas are highlighte...
A Squeeze-Flow Mode Magnetorheological Mount: Design, Modeling, and Experimental Evaluation

This paper presents a dual-mode magnetorheological (MR) fluid mount. Combining the fluid's flow and squeeze modes of operation gives this MR mount a unique possibility for varying dynamic stiffness and damping. Details on the design of the internal structure of the mount and the magnetic circuit are provided. Simulation and experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the magnetic circuit. A mathematical model that combines the behavior of the fluid and the elastomeric parts and takes into account the magnetic activation of the fluid is used to gauge the effect of design parameters on the isolation characteristics of the mount. Experimental results show that in the proposed design, the dynamic stiffness of the mount may be varied over a wide range of frequencies making the mount a unique and versatile vibration isolation device for cases where input excitation occurs over a wide range of frequencies.
Al-shape memory alloy self-healing metal matrix composite

Abstract Deformation and fatigue in aluminum can lead to catastrophic failure. Aluminum׳s survivability may be improved by reinforcement with Shape memory alloy (SMA) wire, so cracks do not completely separate, and heating can return the component to its original shape. This work investigates incorporating NiTi SMA wires in an Al-A380 matrix.
Insights from the diabetes control and complications trial/epidemiology of diabetes interventions and complications study on the use of intensive glycemic treatment to reduce the risk of complications of type 1 diabetes.

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the long-term effects of early implementation of intensive glycemic treatment in patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods Data from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) follow-up study are reviewed, particularly in terms of reduction of diabetes-related complications. Results In the DCCT, intensive intervention resulted in a 63% reduction in retinopathy progression, a 47% decrease in development of severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, a 39% and 54% reduction in microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria, respectively, and a 60% reduction in clinical neuropathy at 5 years. Aggressive early intervention before the manifestation of complications yielded the best results. In both intensive and conventional treatment groups in the DCCT, there was approximately a 40% reduction in risk of progression of retinopathy for each 10% proportional reduction in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). At the conclusion of the DCCT, participants learned about the results, and all were encouraged and helped to adopt intensive treatment. Thereafter, the HbA1c levels of the two groups rapidly approached each other and have not been significantly different for the past 5 years of the EDIC study. Conclusion The findings in the DCCT and the EDIC follow-up study support early intensive treatment in patients with type 1 diabetes, with the goal of maintaining HbA1c levels as close to normal as is safely possible, to achieve long-term beneficial effects on the risk of complications. (Endocr Pract. 2006;12[Suppl 1]:34-41)
UV‐INDUCED PROTEIN ALTERATIONS AND LIPID OXIDATION IN ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANES

Certain ultraviolet radiation-induced effects in skin may result from primary photochemical alterations in cell membranes. We have studied isolated erythrocyte membranes in order to determine the UV-fluence and wavelength dependence for protein alterations and lipid oxidation. Protein crosslinking was detected as high molecular weight protein (greater than 200,000 DA) on polyacrylamide/agarose gel electrophoresis. Spectrin decreased more rapidly than the other membrane proteins upon exposure to lambda = 250-380 nm radiation. Nitrogen-purging inhibited the UV-induced decrease in spectrin by 60% and decreased crosslinking to an even greater degree. The decrease in spectrin was not inhibited by superoxide dismutase, catalase, or sodium azide. Radiation at 280 nm was most effective for spectrin loss, 265 and 297 nm were less effective and 254 and 313 nm were not effective. Prior irradiation at 280 nm did not sensitize the membranes to subsequent irradiation at 313 nm indicating that photodecomposition products of tryptophan are not involved. Lipid photooxidation was measured with the thiobarbituric acid assay and was induced at higher fluences of UV radiations than those required for loss of spectrin. These results indicate that the major effects of UV radiation on cell membranes are alterations of proteins and suggest that tryptophan is the major chromophore for these alterations.
The neural substrate of arithmetic operations and procedure complexity

Recent functional neuroimaging studies have begun to clarify how the human brain performs the everyday activities that require mental calculation. We used fMRI to test the hypotheses that there are specific neural networks dedicated to performing an arithmetic operation (e.g. + or -) and to performing processes that support more complex calculations. We found that the right inferior parietal lobule, left precuneus and left superior parietal gyrus are relatively specific for performing subtraction; and bilateral medial frontal/cingulate cortex are relatively specific for supporting arithmetic procedure complexity. We also found that greater difficulty level was associated with activation in a brain network including left inferior intraparietal sulcus, left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral cingulate. Our results suggest that the network activated by the simplest calculation serves as a common basis, to which more regions are recruited for more difficult problems or different arithmetic operations.
Glimpses of Arctic Ocean shelf-basin interaction from submarine-borne radium sampling

Abstract Evidence of shelf-water transfer from temperature, salinity, and 228Ra/226Ra sampling from the nuclear submarine USS L. Mendel Rivers SCICEX cruise in October, 2000 demonstrates the heterogeneity of the Arctic Ocean with respect to halocline ventilation. This likely reflects both time-dependent events on the shelves and the variety of dispersal mechanisms within the ocean, including boundary currents and eddies, at least one of which was sampled in this work. Halocline waters at the 132 m sampling depth in the interior Eurasian Basin are generally not well connected to the shelves, consonant with their ventilation within the deep basins, rather than on the shelves. In the western Arctic, steep gradients in 228Ra/226Ra ratio and age since shelf contact are consistent with very slow exchange between the Chukchi shelf and the interior Beaufort Gyre. These are the first radium measurements from a nuclear submarine.
''Change of Mind'' within and between nonconscious (masked) and conscious (unmasked) visual processing.

Abstract We examined the updating of decisions made during visuo-motor processing when two sequentially presented stimuli, Prime1 and Prime2, primed discriminative responses to a following probe. In Experiment 1, the visibility of the two primes was suppressed or left intact by varying the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) of the stimuli immediately following them. In Experiment 2, the visibility of Prime2 was suppressed or left intact by varying its spatial separation from the following probe. We found (1) that Prime2 dominated the effects of Prime1; (2) that Prime2’s updating was stronger when the Prime2–probe SOA was 200 as compared to 53 ms; and (3) that Prime2’s updating was weaker when the Prime2–probe spatial separation was 58 as compared to 0 minarc. We conclude that these effects are due to an interaction of spatial attention and the state (conscious vs. nonconscious) of processing of Prime2.
Effect of cyclic AMP on release of lysosomal enzymes from phagocytes.

Phagocytosis of undigestible particles causes the selective extrusion of lysosomal enzymes from macrophages and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. The process can be modified by cyclic nucleotides, prostaglandin E and colchicine.
Pharmacologic Blockade of Ionic Channels in Lens Membranes

Channel blockers are compounds that disrupt the flow of current through ionic channels in membranes. We use the patch clamp technique to characterize the interactions of blocking particles with individual lens membrane channels. The mean current amplitude at many voltages is determined. The ratios of blocked to unblocked currents at several blocker concentrations are compared to a one binding site model to determine the kd and electrical distance of the site. When channel flickers are too fast to be resolved, the calculation of the power spectral density of the open channel current is useful. It is suggested that channel blockers might be useful therapeutically in some types of cataracts.
Endogenous PI3K/Akt and NMDAR act independently in the regulation of CREB activity in lumbosacral spinal cord in cystitis

Abstract The integral interaction of signaling components in the regulation of visceral inflammation-induced central sensitization in the spinal cord has not been well studied. Here we report that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent Akt activation and N-methyl- d -aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) in lumbosacral spinal cord independently regulate the activation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in vivo in a rat visceral pain model of cystitis induced by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CYP). We demonstrate that suppression of endogenous PI3K/Akt activity with a potent PI3K inhibitor LY294002 reverses CYP-induced phosphorylation of CREB, however, it has no effect on CYP-induced phosphorylation of NR1 at Ser897 and Ser896; conversely, inhibition of NMDAR in vivo with MK801 fails to block CYP-induced Akt activation but significantly attenuates CYP-induced CREB phosphorylation in lumbosacral spinal cord. This novel interrelationship of PI3K/Akt, NMDAR, and CREB activation in lumbosacral spinal cord is further confirmed in an ex vivo spinal slice culture system exposed to an excitatory neurotransmitter calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Consistently we found that CGRP-triggered CREB activation can be blocked by both PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and NMDAR antagonists MK801 and D -AP5. However, CGRP-triggered Akt activation cannot be blocked by MK801 or D-AP5; vice versa, LY294002 pretreatment that suppresses the Akt activity fails to reverse CGRP-elicited NR1 phosphorylation. These results suggest that PI3K/Akt and NMDAR independently regulate spinal plasticity in visceral pain model, and target of a single pathway is necessary but not sufficient in treatment of visceral hypersensitivity.
Effects of bondline thickness on Mode-I nonlinear interfacial fracture of laminated composites: An experimental study

Abstract Delamination or interfacial fracture is one of the most important issues for laminated composite structures. For the recent two decades, cohesive zone models (CZMs) have been receiving intensive attentions for modeling interfacial fracture of composite structures. Numerous global fracture tests have been conducted to measure the interfacial toughness of laminated composite plates. Some local tests have also been conducted to determine the interfacial traction–separation laws in adhesively bonded joints. However, most of these local studies focused on the interfacial fracture between metal adherends. Limited studies have addressed the local test of interfacial fracture between laminated composite plates. While it was well known that the bondline thickness has an important effect on interfacial fracture, very few studies investigated its effects on the local interfacial traction–separation laws of laminated composite plates in the literatures. In this work, both global and local tests are employed to investigate the effect of bondline thickness on the interfacial energy release rate, interfacial strength, and shape of the local interfacial traction–separation laws. Basically, the measured laws in the present work reflect the equivalent and lumped interfacial fracture behaviors which include the cohesive fracture, damage and plasticity. The experimentally determined traction–separation laws provide valuable baseline data for parameter calibrations in numerical models. The experimental results may also facilitate the understanding of bondline thickness dependent delamination of composite structures.
Free energy of the layer of random defects in the three-dimensional ising model

Abstract A layer of random defects in the simple cubic Ising model with nearest neighbor ferromagnetic interactions of strength J is considered. Using the real space renormalization group method we calculate defect free energy in the whole temperature range. Specifically, we analyze: the layer of diluted defects, the layer of spin-glass type defects, and the layer of mixed defects. The free energy is strongly dependent on the value of couplings between the defect and the bulk.
Photogrammetric analysis of image invariance

Basic invariance theory for frame photography has existed in the photogrammetric literature for over a century. It has been recently rediscovered and significantly extended by researchers in computer vision (CV) and image understanding (IU). It is applied to problems involved in image transfer and object recognition and reconstruction, among others. Research is in progress at our Photogrammetric Analysis Laboratory, to analyze various image invariance techniques, for both 2D and 3D objects, particularly with regard to their accuracy and reliability. Existing well established photogrammetric techniques, as well as modifications thereto, are evaluated as both equivalent and complementary methods to invariance. Relationships are investigated between the imaging parameters and the variables involved in invariance, which usually combine such parameters together. Rigorous unified least squares is used in cases of redundancy and constraints. Results show significant improvement in accuracy and robustness as compared to direct linear techniques generally used in the CV/IU literature.
A method for 21 cm power spectrum estimation in the presence of foregrounds

The technique of 21 cm tomography promises to be a powerful tool for estimating cosmological parameters, constraining the epoch of reionization, and probing the so-called dark ages. However, realizing this promise will require the extraction of a cosmological power spectrum from beneath overwhelmingly large sources of foreground contamination. In this paper, we develop a unified matrix-based framework for foreground subtraction and power spectrum estimation, which allows us to quantify the errors and biases that arise in the power spectrum as a result of foreground subtraction. We find that existing line-of-sight foreground subtraction proposals can lead to substantial mode mixing as well as residual noise and foreground biases, whereas our proposed inverse-variance foreground subtraction eliminates noise and foreground biases, gives smaller error bars, and produces less correlated measurements of the power spectrum. We also numerically confirm the intuitive belief in the literature that 21 cm foreground subtraction is best done using frequency rather than angular information.
Management of Dyslexia, Its Rationale, and Underlying Neurobiology

Developmental dyslexia is characterized by an unexpected difficulty in reading in children and adults who otherwise possess the intelligence and motivation considered necessary for accurate and fluent reading. Dyslexia is the most common and most carefully studied of the learning disabilities, affecting 80% of all individuals identified as learning disabled. Although in the past the diagnosis and implications of dyslexia were often uncertain, recent advances in the knowledge of the epidemiology, the neurobiology, the genetics, and the cognitive influences on the disorder now allow the disorder to be approached within the framework of a traditional medical model. This article reviews these advances and their implications for the approach to patients presenting with a possible reading disability.
Pro‐oxidant effect of some carbonyl compounds in vegetable oils

Certain carbonyl compounds comparable in structure to those which might be produced in browning degradations of sugars were found to act as pro-oxidants in vegetable oils. Action of these compounds as pro-oxidants was apparent in oils held at 57C in open beakers, but not in oils at 99C in the AOM test.
Protein Kinase C-dependent Protein Kinase D Activation Modulates ERK Signal Pathway and Endothelial Cell Proliferation by Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for many angiogenic processes both in normal conditions and in pathological conditions. However, the signaling pathways involved in VEGF-induced angiogenesis are not well defined. Protein kinase D (PKD), a newly described serine/threonine protein kinase, has been implicated in many signal transduction pathways and in cell proliferation. We hypothesized that PKD would mediate VEGF signaling and function in endothelial cells. Here we found that VEGF rapidly and strongly stimulated PKD phosphorylation and activation in endothelial cells via VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). The pharmacological inhibitors for phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ) and protein kinase C (PKC) significantly inhibited VEGF-induced PKD activation, suggesting the involvement of the PLCγ/PKC pathway. In particular, PKCα was critical for VEGF-induced PKD activation since both overexpression of adenovirus PKCα dominant negative mutant and reduction of PKCα expression by small interfering RNA markedly inhibited VEGF-induced PKD activation. Importantly, we found that small interfering RNA knockdown of PKD and PKCα expression significantly attenuated ERK activation and DNA synthesis in endothelial cells by VEGF. Taken together, our results demonstrated for the first time that VEGF activates PKD via the VEGFR2/PLCγ/PKCα pathway and revealed a critical role of PKD in VEGF-induced ERK signaling and endothelial cell proliferation.
Optimum gain-bandwidth limitations of transistor amplifiers as reactively constrained active two-port networks

The design of broad-band high-frequency transistor amplifiers is a difficult and challenging outstanding problem in active network theory of great practical importance. New and explicit optimum gain-bandwidth limitations of high-frequency transistor amplifiers for arbitrary prescribed transistor gain rolloff characteristics are presented. The transistor is modeled as a reactively constrained active two-port network. The limitations derived and presented are applicable to the design of broad-band small-signal as well as high-power transistor amplifiers. Realization of a class of practical broad-band matching networks are also presented. The explicit gain-bandwidth limitations and the new realization results presented form the basis for a new broadbanding theory for high-frequency transistor amplifiers and represent a significant advancement in the design theory of active networks.
The People's Property: Power, Politics, and the Public. Lynn Staeheli and Don Mitchell

(2010). The People's Property: Power, Politics, and the Public. Lynn Staeheli and Don Mitchell. Urban Geography: Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 275-276.
Robin Sequence: Obstructive Sleep Apnea following Pharyngeal Flap:

Abstract Objective: We reviewed 24 children with Robin sequence who underwent cleft palate repair. Method: All patients were 5 years of age or older at the time of review, allowing for accurate assessment of speech in relation to velopharyngeal function. All infants had palatal closure between 9 and 14 months of age, either V-Y repair (n = 16) or von Langenbeck repair (n = 8). Results: Only 1 of 16 children who had V-Y repair had borderline velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). For reasons that are unclear, in the von Langenbeck repair group, six of eight children had VPD, and four of six underwent pharyngeal flap. Three additional patients with nonsyndromic Robin sequence had palatoplasty and subsequent pharyngeal flap. Six of the combined total of seven children with nonsyndromic Robin sequence developed obstructive sleep apnea and required flap take-down. Conclusion: Since conventional pharyngeal flap for VPD in nonsyndromic Robin sequence children resulted in a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea, a...
Model-based approach to the detection, classification, and characterization of subsurface targets from forward-looking ground penetrating radar data

Here we consider the use of model-based methods for the detection of buried objects from a sequence of synthetic aperture images obtained by a radar sensor moving linearly down a track. The scattering physics of the underlying sensing modality cause the relevant target signatures to change in a complex yet predictable manner as new images are obtained. To arrive at a tractable processing scheme which exploits these motion-induced changes, we develop a flexible parametric model capable of capturing the full variation of these signatures. A detection method based on a principal components analysis of estimated model vectors is then derived. Results are demonstrated using field data from a forward-looking sensor designed for landmine remediation.
SOME EFFECTS OF OWNERSHIP ON THE WHOLESALE PRICES OF ELECTRIC POWER

Differences in the property rights which distinguish government-owned and privately-owned, government-regulated business firms imply that government-owned electric utilities sell wholesale electric power at lower prices and buy it at higher prices than similarly-situated private firms. The hypotheses were tested using cross-section data. The results are generally favorable and suggest that the approach is fruitful.
Blood Lactate and Pyruvate in Pulmonary Insufficiency

Blood lactate and pyruvate levels and lactate-pyruvate ratios were determined in 20 patients with severe hypoxemia due to pulmonary insufficiency, 18 patients having arterial oxygen tensions (pO2) lower than 50 mm. of mercury, and 8 having tensions lower than 40 mm. of mercury. Most of the patients had normal lactate levels and lactate-pyruvate ratios in spite of severe hypoxemia, and there was no correlation between pO2 or oxygen content and raised levels. All but 1 patient with an elevated lactate level and lactate-pyruvate ratio had a disorder of systemic circulation with hypotension. On the other hand, failure of the right side of the heart with cor pulmonale did not lead to hyperlactatemia. In the resting state generalized tissue hypoxia and increased anaerobic metabolism are seldom due to clinical hypoxemia per se. When present, increased anaerobic metabolism is related to a systemic circulatory disorder, with resultant inadequate tissue perfusion.
New perspectives on therapy for vaginal endodermal sinus tumors

Purpose: Malignant germ cell tumors account for 3% of childhood cancers. Endodermal sinus tumor, the most common malignant germ cell tumor, requires treatment primarily with chemotherapy and surgery is reserved as a last resort. It is rare for the vagina to be the primary site of endodermal sinus tumor, and we report on our experiences with this phenomenon at a single institution.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical features, treatment and outcomes of 3 children with vaginal endodermal sinus tumor.Results: Initial treatment was combination chemotherapy, in 2 patients. α-fetoprotein decreased rapidly and returned to normal in both. One patient is disease-free 7 years after chemotherapy and the other patient is currently disease-free with a normal α-fetoprotein 3 months after induction chemotherapy. In the remaining case progressive disease developed following initial chemotherapy and subsequent salvage surgery combined with radiation, chemotherapy and ultimately autologous bone m...
Equality of magnetic charge and pontryagin index for Yang-Mills dyons

Abstract A description of Yang-Mills dyons is given solely in terms of Yang-Mills fields. For an SU(2) gauge group the magnetic pole strength is shown to coincide with the Pontryagin index of the dyon configuration, treated as periodic in time and hence defined on S 1 ⊗ R 3 .
Cohort variations in suicide rates among families of nations : An analysis of cohorts born from 1875 through 1985

Using data on age-specific suicide death rates from 19 modern nations and cohorts born as early as 1875–9, we find that two indicators of cohort-related social capital, relative cohort size and percentage of nonmarital births, are positively and significantly related to suicide rates. These effects are significantly stronger in the English-speaking family of nations, which have historically provided fewer political and social supports to families and children. The analytic model, an extension of the Age-Period Cohort Characteristic model, which utilizes hierarchical linear modeling, provides strong controls for age and period effects as well as for autoregressive effects within cohorts. Our data allow us to include older age groups and data from a wider range of countries than previous studies.
Synthetic studies on maduropeptin chromophore 1. Construction of the aryl ether and attempted synthesis of the [7.3.0] bicyclic system

Abstract The aryl ether system of the maduropeptin chromophore artifact 1 was constructed via an aldol type condensation (7+6, Schemes 1 and 2, 7+19, Scheme 4), but attempted synthesis and ring closure of aldehyde 25 (Scheme 4) to afford the enediyne core of 1 failed.
Resonant multisensor system for high-throughput determinations of solvent/polymer interactions.

Solvent-resistant polymers are important in numerous research, engineering, and consumer applications. To address the limitations of existing methods of evaluation of polymer solubility and solvent resistance, we developed and built a 6 × 4 array of resonant acoustic-wave sensors operating in the thickness shear mode (TSM). The application of this system makes possible analysis of nanogram quantities of polymers in small amounts of solvent and permits the simultaneous analysis of multiple samples, such as those produced in combinatorial polymerization reactions. These parallel determinations of polymer/solvent interactions eliminate errors associated with serial determinations. During the periodic exposure of the TSM crystals to polymer/solvent combinations, the mass increase of the crystal is determined, which is proportional to the amount of polymer dissolved and deposited onto the sensor from a polymer solution. We demonstrate our sensor system for reliable quantification of solubility of several types...