cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuropeptide activation of an identifiable buccal ganglion motoneuron inAplysia

Application of the neuropeptide egg-laying hormone (ELH) of Aplysia to buccal ganglia activates a cell which has an axon in buccal nerve B4(17). The ELH-activated axon innervates buccal mass muscle 15(12). Criteria to identify and to record intracellularly from the ELH-activated neuron prior to ELH application were developed, and properties of the intracellularly recorded response were observed. Of two major inputs into 15 activated by stimulation of nerve B4, the ELH-activated cell always corresponded to the one showing the lesser degree of facilitation at 1 Hz. ELH-containing extracts caused a slow smooth depolarization of this cell, leading to action potentials, which were not driven by discrete EPSPs. The response was not due to disinhibition, as IPSPs did not ordinarily occur prior to ELH application, although IPSPs sometimes occurred at high rates as ELH-containing extracts were washed off. ELH-containing Sephadex G-50 fractions activated the cell in both normal and high magnesium-low calcium media. On the basis of the location of its cell body and the amount and rate of decay of facilitation of its input into 15, the author suggests that the ELH-activated cell is the same as the previously identified 15 motoneuron, B16.
Isolating Primary Melanocyte-like Cells from the Mouse Heart

We identified a novel population of melanocyte-like cells (also known as cardiac melanocytes) in the hearts of mice and humans that contribute to atrial arrhythmia triggers in mice. To investigate the electrical and biological properties of cardiac melanocytes we developed a procedure to isolate them from mouse hearts that we derived from those designed to isolate neonatal murine cardiomyocytes. In order to obtain healthier cardiac melanocytes suitable for more extensive patch clamp or biochemical studies, we developed a refined procedure for isolating and plating cardiac melanocytes based on those originally designed to isolate cutaneous melanocytes. The refined procedure is demonstrated in this review and produces larger numbers of healthy melanocyte-like cells that can be plated as a pure population or with cardiomyocytes.
Surgical Management of Pectus Deformities

Abstract We analyzed the long-term results in 87 patients who had pectus deformities repaired at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center during the period 1953 to 1975. Seventy-one patients had operations for correction of pectus excavatum; 16 had pectus carinatum deformities repaired. A variety of surgical techniques was used in these patients. Our findings show that in excavatum deformities the best results were obtained by removing all deformed cartilage, mobilizing the sternum, using an anterior osteotomy, and stabilizing the chest with a metal strut (which was removed after one year). For carinatum defects, the Ravitch procedure has produced good results. We are encouraged to be more aggressive in advocating repair of the deformities, not only for cosmetic results but because the patients seem to feel healthier both physically and mentally after repair. For these reasons we advocate operation for pectus deformity at any age.
JOINT ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENCES IN CENTRAL TENDENCY AND VARIABILITY

Consider a hypothetical situation involving two matched groups of individuals. One group is taught by Method A and the other by Method B. On an academic achievement test, Method B yields the larger mean test score and the smaller variability. The following diagram represents the ranges of the two distributions of achievement tests scores: Method A: Method B: The relationship of the lines to each other indicates the overlap of the distributions. There is a greater difference between the low ends of the distributions than between the high ends, suggesting that the difference between Methods A and B has more effect on low-scoring persons than on high-scoring persons. It is conceivable that the test scores associated with Method B were so high that only the mnaximum possible test score was an effective upper limit. However, a test of this hypothesis requires more data than that used in this preliminary analysis. The particular combination of direction of difference in central tendency and direction of difference in variability used in the above example is one of five combinations that will be analyzed by comparing differences between distributions at the low ends with differences at the high ends. Examples will be provided to show the value of such analysis in interpretingresearch results and suggesting further research. The above analysis of teaching methods and the analysis of the other situations to be discussed are based on the assumption that the rank order of the subjects under one treatment is essentially the same as it would have been under the other treatment. Experimental situations in which this assumption would be tenable are common.
S.I.M.P.L.E. control and measurement of auditory events

A SIMPLE interactive programming language is shown to be useful for psychological research involving auditory stimuli and responses. It is helpful in recording spoken stimulus tapes with program control of event sequencing and timing; it can control on-line interactive auditory and bisensory experiments; and it can calibrate the stimulus durations and pause times for auditory events.
The Influence of Thiouracil and Stilbestrol on Broiler Quality

Abstract FOLLOWING the discovery that a large number of substances related to thiourea inhibit thyroid hormone secretion and decrease basal metabolic rate in the rat (Richter and Clisby, 1942, Astwood and co-workers, 1943, and MacKenzie and MacKenzie, 1943), it was shown that thiouracil would increase fat deposition and improve market quality in the chicken (Kempster and Turner, 1945; Andrews and Schnetzler, 1946; and Andrews and Bohren, 1947). It has likewise been shown that the subcutaneous implantation of stilbestrol pellets or the feeding of certain estrogens, especially 3, 4-dianisylhexene-3, would increase fattening and improve carcass quality in poultry (Lorenz, 1943 and 1945; Jaap and Thayer, 1944; and Thayer et al., 1945). Schnetzler et al. (1945), observed that thiouracil and stilbestrol in combination increased the amount of fat in 18-month old cocks. Andrews and Bohren (1947) found that administration of thiouracil and stilbestrol in combination to young cockerels improved fleshing and market grade . . .
A Pilot Trial of Pramlintide Home Usage in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of home pramlintide use in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a randomized, 28-day pilot trial of pramlintide (maximum dose: 30 microg per meal) in 10 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. End points included changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values, body weight, and postprandial peak blood glucose levels and area under the curve on continuous glucose monitoring. RESULTS Changes in HbA1c values, body weight, and total insulin dose declined in the treatment group compared with the control group (bootstrapped, P <or= .02 for each). The treatment group also demonstrated lower average dinner area under the curve (P = .02) and lower maximum breakfast (P = .03) and dinner (P = .02) postprandial blood glucose values. CONCLUSIONS Pramlintide can help some adolescents to decrease postprandial hyperglycemia, HbA1c values, body weight, and insulin dosages. Additional large-scale trials should now be considered.
Hepatic mechanisms for clearance and detoxification of bacterial endotoxins

This review attempts to cover the present state of knowledge of the physiologic mechanism present in the liver for the clearance and detoxification of endotoxins. The liver as a clearance site. Endotoxin-macrophage interactions and hepatic detoxification of endotoxin; Kupffer cells (KC), other macrophages and hepatocytes. KC: hepatocyte communication. Gene expression and regulation by bacterial endotoxins.
Verification of the DNA predicted amino acid sequence of bacteriophage P22 tail protein by mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry was used to verify portions of a proposed amino acid sequence of the bacteriophage P22 tail protein which had been inferred from the DNA base sequence. The exopeptidases dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I and IV and dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase were used to hydrolyse intact protein and fragments generated by cyanogen bromide treatment of the tail protein. After partial purification by high performance liquid chromatography, peptides were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The results indicate that the initiation amino acid, N-formylmethionine, has been removed from the N-terminal of the protein and that the protein ends at the termination codon which is 667 amino acids from the N-terminal residue. Nine regions of the protein from 13 to 42 residues in length were verified. All of the sequences checked were in the same DNA reading frame and corresponded to the proposed sequence.
Covalent Modification of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by 2-Acetoxyphenyl Alkyl Sulfides, a New Class of Selective COX-2 Inactivators†

All of the selective COX-2 inhibitors described to date inhibit the isoform by binding tightly but noncovalently at the substrate binding site. Recently, we reported the first account of selective covalent modification of COX-2 by a novel inactivator, 2-acetoxyphenyl hept-2-ynyl sulfide (70) (Science 1998, 280, 1268−1270). Compound 70 selectively inactivates COX-2 by acetylating the same serine residue that aspirin acetylates. This paper describes the extensive structure−activity relationship (SAR) studies on the initial lead compound 2-acetoxyphenyl methyl sulfide (36) that led to the discovery of 70. Extension of the S-alkyl chain in 36 with higher alkyl homologues led to significant increases in inhibitory potency. The heptyl chain in 2-acetoxyphenyl heptyl sulfide (46) was optimum for COX-2 inhibitory potency, and introduction of a triple bond in the heptyl chain (compound 70) led to further increments in potency and selectivity. The alkynyl analogues were more potent and selective COX-2 inhibitors th...
Signal transduction mechanisms linking increased extracellular calcium to proliferation in ovarian surface epithelial cells.

Abstract Although ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells are the cell type responsible for malignant ovarian carcinoma, relatively little is known about either the extracellular stimuli or the intracellular signaling mechanisms responsible for regulating proliferation in these cells. We have demonstrated that OSE cells proliferate in response to elevation of extracellular calcium and that OSE cells express functional calcium-sensing receptors (CaR). Here we show that agonists of the CaR increase the kinase activity of Src and ERKs (extracellular signal-regulated kinases) in rat OSE cells and promote association between tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc and p120rasGAP. Expression of an interfering mutant CaR inhibited the proliferative response to elevated extracellular calcium, as well as CaR agonist-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and ERK activation. Transfection with dominant negative mutants of Ras, Raf, and MKK1 also inhibited the increase in ERK activity in response to calcium, as did treatment with herbimycin, a selective inhibitor for Src family kinases. These results indicate that the ability of OSE cells to proliferate in response to increases in extracellular calcium involves cross-talk between the G-protein-coupled CaR and the activation of a tyrosine kinase-dependent Ras–Raf–ERK signaling pathway.
The Costs of Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Firm Adjustments

I. Introduction, 523.—II. A defined benefit plan with level wages, 525.—III. Life cycle wage growth, 530.—IV. Implications for labor market adjustments, 534.—V. Concluding remarks, 538.
Cauda equina syndrome: An analysis of incidence rates and risk factors among a closed North American military population

Abstract Objective This investigation attempted to determine the incidence of cauda equine syndrome (CES) within a closed North American population from 2001 to 2010. This study also aimed to define risk factors influential in its development. Methods A search was performed using the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database and the ICD-9 code for CES (344.6). Demographic information including sex, race, military rank, branch of service, and age was obtained for the entire military population, as well as those diagnosed with CES. Incidence rates were calculated for the population as a whole, as well as for risk factors of interest. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis was utilized to identify significant risks while controlling for other factors in the model. Results Between 2001 and 2010, the incidence of CES in the military was 7 per 100,000 person-years. Female sex was found to have the highest incidence rate at 0.15 per 1000 person-years. Female sex, whites, individuals classified as other race, senior military rank, and age 30 and older were found to be significant risks for the development of CES. Conclusions The results are in keeping with the findings of previous works, however, our cohort represents the largest number of patients with CES to be presented in the literature.
Biosynthesis of bikunin proteins in the human carcinoma cell line HepG2 and in primary human hepatocytes. Polypeptide assembly by glycosaminoglycan.

In this report we describe a series of experiments designed to probe the biosynthesis of the bikunin proteins. The bikunin proteins are serine proteinase inhibitors found in high concentrations in human plasma. The proteins are composed of two or three polypeptide chains assembled by a newly identified carbohydrate mediated covalent inter-chain "Protein-Glycosaminoglycan-Protein" (PGP) cross-link (Enghild, J. J., Salvesen, G., Hefta, S. A., Thogersen, I. B., Rutherfurd, S., and Pizzo, S. V. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 747-751). In this study we show that transformed hepatocyte cell lines, exemplified by HepG2 cells, have lost the ability to produce these proteins. In contrast, primary human hepatocytes produce bikunin proteins identical to the proteins identified in human plasma. Pulse-chase analysis demonstrate that the PGP-mediated cross-linking of the polypeptide chains occurs late in the secretary pathway. Moreover, the mechanism responsible for the formation of the PGP cross-link is divided in two steps involving a proteolytic cleavage followed by carbohydrate attachment. The results indicate that normal hepatocytes contain the biosynthetic machinery required for correct synthesis and processing. However, transformed cell lines are defective in several aspects of bikunin biosynthesis precluding such systems from being used as relevant in vitro models.
An evaluation of three helium speech unscramblers to a depth of 1000 feet

Abstract This paper presents the results of speech intelligibility tests conducted during two simulated dives in a helium-oxygen environment and in a tri-mixture environment of helium, nitrogen, and oxygen at depths from 800 to 1000 feet of sea water. In order to avoid the narcotic effect of nitrogen at these depths, a large percentage of the nitrogen is replaced by helium. The introduction of helium into the breathing mixture seriously distorts the speech signal (primarily due to the greatly increased sound velocity in this mixture). To correct this problem, a number of devices (helium speech “unscramblers”) have been designed to return this distorted speech to a more natural and intelligible form. In the present study, it was found that several of these units are effective at depths near 1000 feet of sea water; however, their effectiveness is strongly influenced by the electroacoustic characteristics of the microphone. In addition, a significant four-way interaction among the diver/talkers, listeners, microphones, and unscramblers was discovered. This would seem to indicate that communications training of diving teams, consisting of both divers and surface personnel, would be desirable.
Hair follicles, stem cells, and skin cancer.

Abbreviations: BCC, basal cell carcinoma; BP, benzo(a)pyrene; DMBA, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene; LRCs, label-retaining cells; MCA, 3-methylcholanthrene; SCC, squamous cell carcinoma; TdR, [3H]thymidine; TPA, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate
THE EFFECT OF MODERATE HYPOCAPNIA ON THE CEREBRAL ARTERIO‐VENOUS DIFFERENCE OF ACETOACETATE, d‐β‐HYDROXYBUTYRATE AND OXYGEN IN CHILDREN

Summary Cerebral arterio-venous differences of aceto-acetate, D-β-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, glycerol, FFA, lactate, pyruvate and oxygen were determined during normo- and hypocapnia in children anaesthetized in connection with surgical operations or X-ray procedures. Cerebral flow equivalent values were used to calculate the relative changes in uptake or production of substrates during hypocapnia. The uptake of ketone bodies was proportional to the cerebral blood flow and to the arterial concentration. In comparison with reported values in adults the estimated uptake of ketone bodies at a given arterial concentration was about four times higher in children. During hypocapnia, but not during normocapnia children had a significant lactate production. The vasodilating effect of carbon dioxide on the cerebral blood vessels seems to be the same in children and adults.
Mixed-convection effects during the drawing of optical fibers

Air flow induced by the motion of the glass and by natural convection affects the heating and cooling of the material during the optical fiber drawing process. This flow is also responsible for impurity transfer on the surface of the fiber during processing. This paper presents results of a numerical simulation of the convective air currents in both the heating region (furnace) and the cooling region of the drawing process. For the heating region the case of an empty furnace, a furnace with a stationary glass preform and a furnace with a moving preform were examined. For the cooling region studies were performed for the case of pure forced, pure natural and mixed convection. Air velocity profiles are presented in graphical form.
Hans Urs Von Balthasar and the Rehabilitation of St. Anselm's Doctrine of the Atonement

Since 1961 Hans Urs von Balthasar has been publishing a multi-volume study with the somewhat unusual title Herrlichkeit: Eine theologische Asthetik. Although thus far only a brief section of volume one has been translated into English, a French translation has been appearing shortly after the publication of each German volume, titled La gloire el la croix: Les aspects esthetiques de la revelation. In the second volume of Herrlichkeit, which is devoted to the manner in which a theological esthetic has been achieved in the life and thought of certain distinctive Christians, Balthasar devotes a long chapter to St. Anselm. Although Balthasar has referred to Anselm often elsewhere in his many writings, this chapter contains his most sustained analysis of Anselm. It will lie at the center of my consideration of Anselm's doctrine of the atonement in the present paper. Where appropriate, I will also consider what Balthasar has said elsewhere about Anselm, particularly to show the influence of Anselm's theory on Balthasar's own thought. My goals are twofold, to summarise Balthasar's understanding of Anselm, and to show how Balthasar uses Anselm's thought in his own trinitarian speculation on the atonement.
Aggregate Morphology Affecting Resilient Behavior of Unbound Granular Materials

The resilient modulus (MR) defines the nonlinear elastic response of pavement geomaterials, such as the unbound aggregate base-subbase materials, under repeated traffic loading. The resilient behavior of unbound aggregate layers is affected by the stress states experienced because of wheel loading and physical properties of aggregate materials. Among the physical properties, the influence of aggregate morphology on the resilient behavior of base-subbase materials is not yet well understood because of a lack of quantitative measurements of shape, angularity, and surface texture characteristics of aggregate particles. This paper focuses on investigating the influence of aggregate angularity and surface texture properties on the resilient behavior of unbound granular materials expressed by a nonlinear, stress-dependent resilient response model. With an image analysis approach, two important aggregate morphological indices [the angularity index (AI) and the surface texture index (ST)] were defined to quantify...
Peptidoglycan recognition by the Drosophila Imd pathway

The structural requirements for recognition of peptidoglycan (PGN) by PGRP-LC and activation of the Drosophila IMD pathway are not yet clear. In order to examine this question more carefully, the activity of peptidoglycan from different types of bacteria was compared in cell-based and whole animal assays. Drosophila S2* cells, but not adult flies, responded to Lys-type Micrococcus luteus PGN, but with significantly less potency compared to Dap-type Escherichia coli PGN, while intact Lys-type PGN from Staphylococcus aureus was inactive. After treatment with lysostaphin, which digests the cross-bridging peptides, S. aureus PGN weakly stimulated the IMD pathway, similar to M. luteus PGN. Further digestion with mutanolysin, which creates monomeric PGN fragments, abolished the activity of S. aureus PGN. On the other hand, monomeric E. coli PGN, generated by mutanolysin digestion, was still active but required different isoforms of PGRP-LC for recognition. Polymeric PGN required only PGRP-LCx, while monomeric E...
Propagation Delay, Digital Distractions, and Meaningful Relationships [Ethically Speaking]

This propagation delay is more than an inconvenience, however: it has also nearly caused absolute disaster. In 2007, scientists at NASA realized that the rover was approaching the edge of a devastatingly steep cliff at the edge of Crater Victoria. A command was immediately dispatched to stop the rover. Fortunately, the rover came to a halt at the brink of the precipice. The disparity between real time and virtual visualization caused by propagation delay almost resulted in the rover's obliteration. Within a matter of minutes, the billion-dollar rover could have become Mars' first heap of totaled rover wreckage all of this simply because of a seemingly small delay between virtual reality and authentic reality.
Monotherapy in children and infants

An expanding array of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is available to treat childhood epilepsy, offering the potential for improved seizure control and quality of life in this important patient population but also providing challenges in the selection of the best regimen for the individual patient. In addition to correct diagnosis of seizure type and general AED efficacy profile, other important treatment considerations in pediatric patients include age-specific organ toxicity, potential cognitive and behavioral or psychiatric effects of AEDs, compliance, and drug-drug interactions, since children commonly receive more medications than nonelderly adults. Drug dosing may be more difficult in pediatric than in adult epilepsy patients, and doses in children often require adjustment as the patient matures. Because many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of newer AEDs have not included childhood epilepsy, physicians often have incomplete data on which to base treatment decisions. Therefore, despite the wider array of potential therapies, it is often unclear how to realize the potential they offer. Recently published guidelines from a number of organizations have provided strategies for the use of new AEDs in the treatment of childhood epilepsy. Additional RCTs of monotherapy options for childhood epilepsy are greatly needed. The ketogenic diet provides an alternative to pharmacologic control of seizures in some pediatric patients.
Vasopressin administration facilitates fluid removal during hemodialysis

Inadequate secretion of vasopressin during fluid removal by hemodialysis may contribute to the cardiovascular instability that complicates this therapy and administration of exogenous hormone, by supporting arterial pressure, may facilitate volume removal. To test this, we measured plasma vasopressin in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during hemodialysis and found that despite significant fluid removal, plasma vasopressin concentration did not increase. We further found that ESRD did not alter the endogenous removal rate of plasma vasopressin and that plasma hormone is not dialyzed. Finally, in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 22 hypertensive patients, we examined the effect of a constant infusion of a non-pressor dose of vasopressin on the arterial pressure response during a hemodialysis in which the target fluid loss was increased by 0.5kg over the baseline prescription. We found that arterial pressure was more stable in the patients receiving vasopressin and that while only one patient (9%) in the vasopressin group had a symptomatic hypotensive episode, 64% of the patients receiving placebo had such an episode ( P =0.024). Moreover, increased fluid removal was achieved only in the vasopressin group (520±90ml vs 64±130ml, P =0.01). Thus, administration of non-pressor doses of vasopressin to hypertensive subjects improves cardiovascular stability during hemodialysis and allows increased removal of excess extracellular fluid. Inadequate vasopressin secretion during hemodialysis-induced fluid removal is a likely contributor to the intradialytic hypotension that limits fluid removal.
Scanning Grating Microinterferometer for MEMS Metrology

Quality control and metrology are critical to improved productivity and yield in MEMS design and production. This paper presents a micrograting interferometer for use in measuring MEMS devices. The sensor is also capable of making dynamic measurements, qualifying the functionality of the MEMS devices. The system employs a phase sensitive diffraction grating for interferometric axial resolution and a microfabricated lens for improved lateral resolution. The microinterferometer is capable of array implementation and can be used to increase the yield of MEMS manufacturing processes. The results generated by a single microinterferometer show good correlation with both analytic models and measurements of the MEMS devices by other metrology tools. The microinterferometer enables measurement of shady state vibration of MEMS devices as well as the development of surface vibration profiles. Initial results presented in this paper also demonstrate the ability to measure quantities such as part surface curvature, as well as reduce low frequency vibrational noise. The use of a deformable diffraction grating is proposed to further enhance the sensor's capabilities.
Characterization of tropical near-shore fish communities by coastal habitat status on spatially complex island systems

We present a protocol for characterizing near-shore fish habitat as well as fish communities for Andros Island, Bahamas, a complex coastal-reef island system. Benthic assessments and beach seine surveys were carried out at sites varying in coastal and benthic characteristics. Temporal variability affected fish community composition, indicating that attempts to characterize a fish community should include sampling evenly across tides, times of day, and seasons. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that each site harbored a unique fish community, with the greatest variability within each site attributed to seasonal changes. Measures of diversity (Shannon–Weiner Index and number of species) were markedly different at sites with varying coverage of seagrass and macro-algae and extents of disturbance. Total abundance of fishes was positively related to the percent of bare sand. We suggest that thorough sampling of coastal fish communities can be applied to comparative and long-term studies. This protocol for the characterization of complex island habitats can be applied to ecological studies aimed at understanding the responses of fishes to small-scale changes in coastal areas and habitat structure due to land use and shoreline alterations.
Theoretical latent hardening in crystals— III. F.C.C. crystals in compression

Abstract T HE simple theory of finite-distortional latent hardening introduced by havner and shalaby (1977) is applied to an analysis of compressively-activated single slip in f.c.c. crystals. The theory accounts for the observed perpetuation of single slip beyond the crystallographic symmetry line in such cases. As the simple theory has previously been shown to predict this common phenomenon for f.c.c. crystals in the tensile test and b.c.c. crystals in both tension and compression, it stands as a universal theory of “overshooting” in axially-loaded cubic crystals. p]Detailed comparisons are made between theoretical results and the experiments of kocks (1964) and Ramaswami, Kocks and Chalmers (1965) on hardening of latent slip systems in Al and Ag crystals. There is general qualitative agreement as to the diversity of anisotropic hardening among slip systems for these metals and good correlation between theory and experiment for Al crystals to large strains (extending to 70% shear). Finally, aspects of the simple theory are reviewed which suggest its suitability for the calculation of finite plastic deformation of crystalline aggregates.
Meeting The Psychosocial Needs of Adolescents and Adults With LD

Students with LD face unique challenges as they move from secondary to postsecondary settings.
Optimal Bodies for Minimum Total Drag at Supersonic Speeds

Abstract : Two new methods were developed for predicting projectile shape which yield minimum total drag at supersonic speeds. The first technique is an Eulerian scheme that uses modified Newtonian theory and Prandtl-Meyer expansion for pressure drag with Van Driest skin friction and semi-empirical base drag prediction. The second scheme iterates body coordinates with the second-order shock-expansion theory and the same skin friction and base drag methods to minimize the total drag. A different shape is determined for each length-to- diameter ratio and Mach number. The first technique was found to calculate a reasonably accurate optimal shape, but did not predict accurate drag coefficients. It was found that the modified Newtonian theory plus Prandtl-Meyer expansion predicted pressure drag coefficients much too low whereas the second- order shock-expansion method gave good results. The second technique predicted both accurate optimal shapes and drag coefficients. Optimal shapes were predicted using the second techniques for Mach numbers 2-5 and length-to- diameter ratios of 4, 5, and 6. They were found to compare well with experimental data. (Author)
Dental Instrument Sterilization by Glass Bead Conduction of Heat

Long handle dental instruments were inoculated with oral organisms or with B subtilis and immersed in a glass bead sterilizer at 400 F (204 C). It required from 12 to 14 minutes to sterilize the instruments at that temperature.
Tunable exciton relaxation in vertically coupled semiconductor InAs quantum dots

Tunable exciton relaxation rates are observed in individual vertically coupled semiconductor quantum dots (CQDs). An applied electric field is used to tune the energy difference between the spatially direct (SD) and indirect (SI) excitons in InAs CQDs. The intensity and lifetime of the SI exciton is found to vary as a result of wave-function distribution, carrier tunneling, and phonon-mediated relaxation effects. This includes a modulation of the phonon relaxation rate between the SI and SD excitons, a consequence of momentum space restrictions resulting from the structure factor of the CQD.
Evaluations of Holstein Bulls and Cows in Ecuador

Abstract Adjustment factors for age and month of calving were developed from Holstein lactation records in Ecuador. Age factors were similar to those in the United States, but calendar month effects were small, apparently because of uniform feeding and management as the result of a similar climate throughout the year. Genetic evaluations were computed with the USDA animal model system but without identification for dams. Thus, resulting evaluations were essentially from a sire model. Highest bull evaluations were associated with semen imported from the United States. Highest cow evaluations were for daughters of United States bulls. Use of United States bulls has tended to increase in recent years. Correlation between animal model evaluations from United States data and those from Ecuadorean data for 107 bulls in common was much less than expected (.42 vs. .72), perhaps because of assortative mating, genotype-environment interaction, or a combination of the two.
Induction of vascular remodeling: A novel therapeutic approach in EAE ☆

While the pathologic events associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), diffuse axonal injury, cognitive damage, and white matter plaques, have been known for some time, their etiology is unknown and therapeutic efforts are still somewhat disappointing. This may be due to a lack of fundamental knowledge on how to maintain tissue homeostasis and buffer the brain from secondary injury. Maintenance of homeostasis in the brain is the result of regulatory adjustments by cellular constituents of the neurovascular unit (pericytes, endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons) that include induction of adaptive vascular remodeling. Results from our laboratory and others suggest that aspects of stress induced adaptation are seen in MS and in the murine model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), vascular remodeling is ineffective and biometabolic balance is disrupted. In murine white matter, capillary density is 1/2 that observed in gray matter thus disruption of vascular homeostasis will have a profound impact on tissue integrity. We therefore hypothesized that restoration of microvascular angiodynamics would augment tissue plasticity mitigating the extent of secondary injury and sparing cognitive decline in patients with MS. To test this hypothesis, we have performed preclinical studies and characterized changes in angiodynamics in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide (35-55)-induced EAE in C57BL/6 mice with or without concomitant exposure to chronic mild low oxygen. We have reported that exposure to chronic mild low oxygen ameliorated clinical disease in EAE. While the mechanisms of protection are unclear, results suggest that normobaric hypoxia stabilizes the stress response, promotes physiological angiogenesis, and is neuroprotective.
Punchthrough behavior in short channel NMOS and PMOS 6H-silicon carbide transistors at elevated temperatures

An experimental investigation of the effects of high temperature on short channel NMOS and PMOS transistors in 6H-SiC is reported. Punchthrough characteristics are presented and examined at room temperature and 300/spl deg/C. The punchthrough current increases dramatically for scaled PMOS transistors at high temperature while the temperature dependence of electrical characteristics for short channel NMOS is small. The results presented in this paper also provide insight into design criteria for short channel silicon carbide (SiC) devices intended for operation at elevated temperatures.
Compulsive buying and risky behavior among adolescents.

Using a scale designed to measure compulsive buying of adolescents, a survey was conducted to assess the relationships of compulsive buying with several risky behaviors among 111 adolescents between the ages of 12 to 19 years. The correlations suggest that self-report measures of cigarette smoking, alcohol use, drug use, and likelihood of engaging in premarital sex were all significantly associated (rs = .30 to .32) with compulsive buying among teenagers. Implications of the results are discussed, and directions for research are offered.
Examining the contextual effects of neighborhood on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Objective To understand the association between neighborhood and individual characteristics in determining whether or not bystanders perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
Sézary syndrome: an overview of current and future treatment options

Introduction: Sezary syndrome (SS) is a rare leukemic variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) comprising 3 – 10% of all CTCLs. Patients present clinically with erythroderma defined as confluent pink or red skin with or without scaling that must involve at least 80% of the body surface area. SS requires the presence of a dominant T-cell clone plus one of the following: an absolute Sezary cell count of 1000 cells/mm3 or higher, expanded CD3+ or CD4+ cells with a CD4/CD8 ratio of 10 or higher, or expanded CD4+ T cells with abnormal immunophenotype including loss of CD7 or CD26.Areas covered: This review summarizes the various therapies for SS including first-line, second-line, third-line and palliative treatments. Extracorporeal photopheresis, IFN α and γ, as well as bexarotene are generally accepted first-line therapies to consider for the initial treatment of SS.Expert opinion: Early SS patients, including patients with B1 involvement and erythroderma, should get combined immunomodulatory therapy, avoi...
A training algorithm for binary feedforward neural networks

The authors present a new training algorithm to be used on a four-layer perceptron-type feedforward neural network for the generation of binary-to-binary mappings. This algorithm is called the Boolean-like training algorithm (BLTA) and is derived from original principles of Boolean algebra followed by selected extensions. The algorithm can be implemented on analog hardware, using a four-layer binary feedforward neural network (BFNN). The BLTA does not constitute a traditional circuit building technique. Indeed, the rules which govern the BLTA allow for generalization of data in the face of incompletely specified Boolean functions. When compared with techniques which employ descent methods, training times are greatly reduced in the case of the BLTA. Also, when the BFNN is used in conjunction with A/D converters, the applicability of the present algorithm can be extended to accept real-valued inputs. >
Periodic Reticle for Optical Classification

We deal here with a specific type of linear filter in which the input is a spatially limited nonnegative intensity such as that which appears on the image plane of an optical system having a finite field of view. This intensity is passed through a mask, or reticle, having a transmittance with two-dimensional periodicity. The transmitted intensity is detected so as to produce a voltage output which varies with time as the mask is moved. For a discrete set of uniform translations of the mask, the filter codes linear combinations of the Fourier transform of the input at certain spatial frequencies into the Fourier coefficients of the output.For certain input classes of images, characterized by dominant spatial frequencies, the reticle as well as its motion can be chosen in an optimum manner so as to “best distinguish” these classes by their outputs.There is an interesting analogy between this linear filter and that of a crystalline material irradiated with a plane monochromatic X ray. The reticle has a two-dimensional primary and reciprocal lattice corresponding to the three-dimensional ones of a crystal. Just as certain positions of the crystal, specified by its reciprocal lattice, give rise to Bragg reflections, so do certain translations of the reticle, specified by its primary lattice, give rise to the “coded voltage waveforms.”
Top Ten Mistakes for Reviewers to Avoid

My role as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE) has given me the opportunity to review not only a lot of manuscripts, but also an even greater number of reviews provided by our large pool of peer reviewers. While I am not an unbiased observer, I would observe that the large majority of the reviews we have received have been done carefully and constructively. I learned a few years back, from a book about medical editing, that an effective editor must be able to provide to authors written feedback that is timely, courteous, clear, and informative. Of course, such feedback depends heavily on comments and suggestions from the reviewers as well as those that stem from discussions with the editors. While it is for others to judge, I would like to think that the critiques that we provide to our prospective authors are useful and do contribute to the quality of the articles that we publish, and even to those that eventually wind up being published elsewhere. In my opinion, the peer review process is really about quality improvement; a decision to accept or reject a given manuscript is more the byproduct of the review process than a specific goal. While I believe that JASE’s peer review process generally does work well, I have seen an occasional and notable ‘‘gaffe’’. In hopes of suggesting some areas for quality improvement in the peer review process, I would like to discuss briefly ten mistakes that good reviewers would no doubt avoid. Just to be crystal clear, the following is a list of things not to do when reviewing a manuscript! 10. Use highly critical or pejorative language. If the purpose of peer review is to provide constructive feedback to prospective authors, and not just to decide if their manuscript ought to ‘‘live or die’’, then it is not very effective to couch comments in such a way that they sound mean and nasty. I don’t believe that much is accomplished by comments such as ‘‘the authors clearly did not recognize that.’’ or ‘‘the authors have ignored work by .’’, or ‘‘the authors obviously do not understand that.’’ There are ways to point out areas for improvement in a kind yet firm manner without being insulting. An adage that seems to apply here is the one about ‘‘attracting more bees with honey than with vinegar’’. The good reviewer sticks to factual observations, avoids excessive criticism, and phrases suggestions in a constructive manner. This does not mean that critical comments should be sugarcoated, only that they are more effective if phrased in a balanced manner. 9. Make comments that suggest that you did not read the paper carefully. In my career, I have received plenty of rejection decisions from journal editors— every author has. I believe that nothing makes an author more upset than the idea that his or her paper was turned down because of critical comments made by reviewers who did not take the time and make the effort to read the manuscript
Lysine 71 of the Chaperone Protein Hsc70 Is Essential for ATP Hydrolysis

It has been proposed that lysine 71 of the bovine 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein might participate in catalysis of ATP hydrolysis by stabilizing an H2O molecule or an OH− ion for nucleophilic attack on the γ-phosphate of the nucleotide (Flaherty, K. M., Wilbanks, S. M., DeLuca-Flaherty, C., and McKay, D. B. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 12899-12907; Wilbanks, S. M., DeLuca-Flaherty, C., and McKay, D. B. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 12893-12898). To test this hypothesis, lysine 71 of the ATPase fragment 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein has been mutated to glutamic acid, methionine, and alanine; and the kinetic and structural properties of the mutant proteins have been determined. All three mutant proteins are devoid of measurable ATP hydrolysis activity. Crystal structures of the mutant proteins have been determined to a resolution of 1.7 A; all three have ATP in the nucleotide binding site. These data identify lysine 71 as a residue that is essential for chemical hydrolysis of ATP.
A X-band resonant ring and gas breakdown experiments

An electroformed X-band resonant ring has been constructed to conduct breakdown experiments with dielectric gases. The resonant ring is a tuned closed waveguide loop fed by a microwave power source, and is capable of power multiplication. The authors introduce the design and techniques employed in the fabrication of the resonant ring, and present gas breakdown results obtained using nitrogen and sulphur hexafluoride. >
Usability Test Results for a Discovery Tool in an Academic Library

Discovery tools are emerging in libraries. These tools offer library patrons the ability to concurrently search the library catalog and journal articles. While vendors rush to provide feature-rich interfaces and access to as much content as possible, librarians wonder about the usefulness of these tools to library patrons. In order to learn about both the utility and usability of EBSCO Discovery Service, James Madison University conducted a usability test with eight students and two faculty members. The test consisted of nine tasks focused on common patron requests or related to the utility of specific discovery tool features. Software recorded participants’ actions and time on task, human observers judged the success of each task, and a post-survey questionnaire gathered qualitative feedback and comments from the participants. Overall, participants were successful at most tasks, but specific usability problems suggested some interface changes for both EBSCO Discovery Service and JMU’s customizations of the tool. The study also raised several questions for libraries above and beyond any specific discovery tool interface, including the scope and purpose of a discovery tool versus other library systems, working with the large result sets made possible by discovery tools, and navigation between the tool and other library services and resources. This article will be of interest to those who are investigating discovery tools, selecting products, integrating discovery tools into a library web presence, or performing evaluations of similar systems.
Group ratio round-robin: O(1) proportional share scheduling for uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems

We present Group Ratio Round-Robin (GR3), the first proportional share scheduler that combines accurate proportional fairness scheduling behavior with O(1) scheduling overhead on both uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems. GR3 uses a simple grouping strategy to organize clients into groups of similar processor allocations which can be more easily scheduled. Using this strategy, GR3 combines the benefits of low overhead round-robin execution with a novel ratio-based scheduling algorithm. GR3 introduces a novel frontlog mechanism and weight readjustment algorithm to operate effectively on multiprocessors. GR3 provides fairness within a constant factor of the ideal generalized processor sharing model for client weights with a fixed upper bound and preserves its fairness properties on multiprocessor systems. We have implemented GR3 in Linux and measured its performance. Our experimental results show that GR3 provides much lower scheduling overhead and much better scheduling accuracy than other schedulers commonly used in research and practice.
Effects of Nano- to Micropore Diameter on Water Vapor Transport Diffusivities Within Porous Polycarbonate Barriers

Effective pore diffusivities for dilute water vapor in air were measured at atmospheric pressure and 30°C by continuously weighing an evaporator capped with a porous polycarbonate barrier and correcting steady-state water vapor fluxes for apparatus mass transfer resistances. The Knudsen number was increased from 0.018 to 2.4 at constant pressure by decreasing pore diameter from 5,400 to 39 nm, thus increasing the influence of vapor molecule collisions with pore walls on mass transport. Correspondingly, diffusivities decreased in qualitative accord with a model equating total pore diffusion resistance to the sum of the continuum diffusion (Kn 10) resistances. Correction for irregular pore geometry with a best-fit tortuosity (∼4) significantly improved agreement between measured and predicted diffusivities.