cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser Scanner Observations of Heterogeneous Conduction Patterns in Rabbit Epicardium Induced by Cellular Uncoupling with Heptanol

Heptanol Disrupts Epicardial Conduction. This study examines how severely reduced intercellular electrical coupling affects the pattern of activation of left ventricular rahhit epicardium. Five thin (< 1-mm thick) flaps of < 60 mm2 were stained in vitro with potentiometric dye WW781. A helium-neon laser beam was scanned over 63 spots on each flap, and the voltage-dependent fluorescence intensity from each spot was used to construct maps of the activation resulting from pacing at a single site. Introducing heptanol (1.75 mM) produced lines of conduction hlock in four of the five preparations after times ranging from 7 to 71 minutes; at varying intervals during this time, activation patterns were obtained. Fiber orientation was later determined from histologic sections. Heptanol changed the relatively uniform conduction seen under control conditions to heterogeneous patterns having regions of slowed conduction and lines of partial and complete block oriented predominantly parallel to the fiber direction (i.e., transverse propagation was blocked). The two partial blocks, which did not extend across the entire tissue, caused the activation wave to pivot around one end of the block line. The subsequent retrograde activation of the line's distal side was consequently delayed. Two points on opposite sides of these hlocks, separated by < 1 mm, had activation times differing by as much as 89 msec rather than a normal 3–5 msec. Thus, sufficient uncoupling can alter conduction pathways on the scale of a few millimeters. The resulting dispersion in activation times at closely spaced points may predispose poorly-coupled cardiac tissue to development of reentrant arrhythmias. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. Voi. I, pp, 426–436. October 1990)
Accurate reproduction of 161 small-molecule complex crystal structures using the EUDOC program: expanding the use of EUDOC to supramolecular chemistry.

EUDOC is a docking program that has successfully predicted small-molecule-bound protein complexes and identified drug leads from chemical databases. To expand the application of the EUDOC program to supramolecular chemistry, we tested its ability to reproduce crystal structures of small-molecule complexes. Of 161 selected crystal structures of small-molecule guest-host complexes, EUDOC reproduced all these crystal structures with guest structure mass-weighted root mean square deviations (mwRMSDs) of <1.0 A relative to the corresponding crystal structures. In addition, the average interaction energy of these 161 guest-host complexes (−50.1 kcal/mol) was found to be nearly half of that of 153 previously tested small-molecule-bound protein complexes (−108.5 kcal/mol), according to the interaction energies calculated by EUDOC. 31 of the 161 complexes could not be reproduced with mwRMSDs of <1.0 A if neighboring hosts in the crystal structure of a guest-host complex were not included as part of the multimeric host system, whereas two of the 161 complexes could not be reproduced with mwRMSDs of <1.0 A if water molecules were excluded from the host system. These results demonstrate the significant influence of crystal packing on small molecule complexation and suggest that EUDOC is able to predict small-molecule complexes and that it is useful for the design of new materials, molecular sensors, and multimeric inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.
Cesium Ion Pair Acidities of some N,N-Dialkylacetamides and Aggregation of Their Cesium Enolates in Tetrahydrofuran.

Cesium ion pair acidities are reported of some N,N-dialkylacetamides at 25 °C in tetrahydrofuran. The cesium enolates of α-arylacetamides are essentially monomeric at concentrations of about 10-4 M...
Long-term follow-up of hypothalamic-pituitary function in patients with transsphenoidal pituitary herniation and midfacial anomalies.

Summary. objective We wished to determine whether patients with transsphenoidal pituitary herniation were at risk of developing pituitary failure. design We followed up hypothalamic-pituitary function annually In patients with midfacial anomalies and pituitary herniation. patients Two patients who had transsphenoldal pituitary herniation and midfacial anomalies were Included and the literature was reviewed. results Both patients became gonadotrophin, TSH and growth hormone-deficient despite neurosurgical repair. conclusion We conclude that the early diagnosis and neurosurgical repair of transsphenoidal pituitary herniation may prevent central nervous system Infection and rhinorrhoea. Surgical repair may not prevent pituitary failure as was evident in both of our cases. Periodic evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis is essential to determine whether early hormonal replacement therapy is necessary.
Isn't Everything Online Yet? Streaming Media and Electronic Reserves

Providing on-demand streaming video content for course reserves remains a formidable challenge. Multitudinous methods for acquiring and accessing content hamper the flexibility of any such service. This article reviews what one library has done to make streaming media, especially streaming video, available to faculty in the collection and how this foundation will be used to support electronic reserves service in the future.
The association of posterior capsular lens opacities with bilateral acoustic neuromas in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2.

• This study of 47 patients from 11 families with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF 2) confirms our previously reported association between posterior capsular cataract and NF 2. A highly significant statistical association was found between the presence of posterior capsular lens opacities and the presence of NF 2 as determined by magnetic resonance imaging or pathologic diagnosis. This association was not present for other types of lens opacities that could be the result of age-related or nonspecific changes. When considering the diagnosis of NF 2, this finding now makes it essential to use a careful dilated biomicroscopic examination of the lens to evaluate known, suspected, or at-risk individuals for this potentially early associated manifestation.
A Water-Level Measuring System for Determining Evapotranspiration Rates from a Floating Lysimeter.

Abstract The water level in a sump of a 6.1 m diameter floating lysimeter tank is measured by a linear-variable differential transformer. The transducer output representing weight changes of the floating tank is recorded continuously on a strip-chart recorder. An automatic-range switching device enables the system to have a sensitivity of 0.025 mm of water level through a range of 9.15 cm. Floating lysimeter evapotranspiration totals measured by this system agree well with the weight records of a scale-type weighing lysimeter of dimensions operating close by.
Signal transduction - A cellular rescue team

A protein called glycogen synthase kinase-3β is already known to participate in early embryonic development and cell-fate determination. Now it seems that the protein is also involved in a cell's decision to live or die.
Severe Marrow Aplasia Induced by 6-Thioguanine (6TG) in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and Inherited Thiopurine Methyltransferase (TPMT) Deficiency

Severe Marrow Aplasia Induced by 6-Thioguanine (6TG) in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and Inherited Thiopurine Methyltransferase (TPMT) Deficiency
From village to vinyl: genealogies of new Kabyle song

In 1973, the song A vava inouva 1 (Oh my father) galvanized the Algerian population. Composed by a young, unknown musician who called himself Idir (‘to live’) from a text penned by poet Ben Mohamed...
Fluorescence Studies of the Existence and Functional Importance of Regular Distributions in Liposomal Membranes

Abstract Liposomes containing rigid and bulky lipid molecules such as sterols and pyrene‐labeled lipids can exhibit biphasic changes in membrane properties at several specific mole fractions predicted by the theory of lipid regular distributions (e.g., superlattices) in the plane of the membrane. This phenomenon has been observed in two‐component as well as multicomponent liquid‐crystalline liposomal membranes. The extent of sterol regular distribution plays a role in drug partitioning into membranes, the activities of surface‐acting enzymes such as cholesterol oxidase and phospholipase A2, and in free‐radical‐induced sterol oxidation. This article summarizes the original fluorescence studies of lipid superlattices, reviews the recent findings in this area, and discusses the current controversial issues related to lipid regular distributions.
LINGUIST-86: Yet another translator writing system based on attribute grammars

LINGUIST-86 is a commercially-developed translator-writing-system based on attribute grammars [K]. From an input attribute grammar it generates a set of high-level language source modules that form an alternating-pass attribute evaluator [JW]. LINGUIST-86 generates attribute evaluators efficient enough to run on a microcomputer at speeds competitive with other translators on the system. The Attributed Program Tree is kept on secondary storage rather than in randomly-accessed memory, thus allowing non-trivial inputs to be evaluated on a microcomputer system. LINGUIST-86 also applies an optimization called static subsumption that eliminates many copy rules from the generated evaluators. LINGUIST-86 is itself written as an 1800 line attribute grammar and is self-generating.
Student Nitric Oxide Explorer

The Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) is a small scientific spacecraft designed to launch on a PegasusTM XL vehicle for the Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative. Its scientific goals are to measure nitric oxide density in the lower thermosphere and to analyze the solar and magnetospheric influences that create it and cause its abundance to vary dramatically. The SNOE ('snowy') spacecraft and instrumentation is being designed and built at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) by a team of scientists, engineers, and students. The spacecraft is a compact hexagonal structure, 37' by 39', weighing approximately 280 lbs. It will be launched into a circular orbit, 550 km altitude, 97.5 degrees inclination for sun-synchronous precession at 10:30 AM ascending node. It is designed to spin at 5 rpm with the spin axis normal to the orbit plane. It carries three instruments: an ultraviolet spectrometer to measure nitric oxide altitude profiles on the limb, a two-channel ultraviolet photometer to measure auroral emissions in the nadir, and a five-channel solar soft x-ray photometer. An experimental GPS receiver is also included. The spacecraft structure is aluminum, with a center platform section for the instruments and subsystems. Static solar arrays are supported by a truss system. A spacecraft microprocessor handles all subsystem, instrument, and communications functions in an integrated fashion, including command decoding, attitude control, instrument commanding, data storage, and telemetry. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch in early 1997 and will be operated by students at LASP. For more information on the SNOE project, please visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/snoe/.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Low-density lipoprotein reduction and magnitude of cardiovascular risk reduction.

The authors examined the relationship between the magnitude of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction and the magnitude of cardiovascular risk reduction. From the Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 databases, the authors selected 54,611 patients with prevalent ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease or diabetes mellitus, and ≥2 documented LDL-C levels who were followed between 1997 and 2006. The outcome was defined as acute myocardial infarction or revascularization. Preoutcome LDL-C reduction was categorized as follows: <10 mg/dL, reference; ≥10 but <40 mg/dL, small reduction; ≥40 but <70 mg/dL, moderate reduction; ≥70 mg/dL, large reduction. Proportional hazards were used to determine the hazard ratio for the outcome for each LDL-C reduction category compared with the reference. Results revealed a graded relationship between the magnitude of reduction in LDL-C and cardiovascular risk reduction. Stratified analyses demonstrated these findings to be robust regardless of initial LDL-C levels or whether patients achieved “target” final LDL-C values of <100 mg/dL.
Here come the drones.

The article discusses unmanned drone aircraft which have changed the way the U.S. carries out military operations. As the size and cost of the unmanned aircraft decreases, it becomes easier for these vehicles to be utilized by hostile nations and terrorists. Domestic regulation and international nonproliferation efforts may hinder the possibility of drones doing more than safeguarding U.S. interests.
A mobile system for assessment of physiological response to posture transitions

Posture changes initiate a dynamic physiological response that can be used as an indicator of the overall health status. We introduce an inconspicuous mobile wellness monitoring system (imWell) that continuously assesses the dynamic physiological response to posture transitions during activities of daily living. imWell utilizes a Zephyr BioHarness 3 physiological monitor that continually reports heart activity and physical activity via Bluetooth to a personal device (e.g. smartphone). The personal device processes the reported activity data in real-time to recognize posture transitions from the accelerometer data and to characterize dynamic heart response to posture changes. It annotates, logs, and uploads the heart activity data to our mHealth server. In this paper we present algorithms for detection of posture transitions and heart activity characterization during a sit-to-stand transition. The proposed system was tested on seven healthy subjects performing a predefined protocol. The total average and standard deviation for sit-to-stand transition time is 2.7±0.69 s, resulting in the change of heart rate of 27.36±9.30 bpm (from 63.3±9.02 bpm to 90.66±10.09 bpm).
Finite element analysis of crack closure in plate bending

Abstract The effect of crack closure in plate bending is studied using the finite element method. Elastic plates containing through-wall-thickness stationary cracks under transverse pressure loading are considered with different plate thicknesses and boundary conditions, respectively. Crack closure on the compression side is modeled two different ways: line closure and surface closure models. A plate bending element degenerated from a three-dimensional solid element is used to model such crack closure. Effects of crack closure are compared using the line or surface closure model for different plate thicknesses and boundary conditions, respectively.
Modeling of a magnetorheological fluid damper with parallel plate behavior

This paper presents the modeling and experimental testing of a magnetorheological (MR) fluid damper. The damper consists of a main cylinder and piston rod that pushes MR fluid through a very small clearance between the piston and the sidewalls of the cylinder. Magnetic coils are wrapped outside the cylinder to create the magnetic field. The damper model is developed based on parallel plate analysis by using both Newtonian and Bingham shear flow mechanisms. Empirical data was used to find the required parameter for a Bingham model that is the dynamic yield stress. These empirical data show the shear stress vs. shear strain at different values of magnetic flux density (B). The dynamic yield stress of MR fluid is a function of magnetic field. Finally, the model is validated through experimental testing of the damper.
Characteristics and consequences of myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the coronary angioplasty versus excisional atherectomy trial (CAVEAT)

Abstract Objectives . We examined the results of the Coronary Angioplasty Versus Excisional Atherectomy Trial (CAVEAT) to determine the characteristics and consequences of creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase, MB myocardial isoenzyme fraction (CK-MB) elevations after percutaneous coronary intervention. Background . Enzyme elevations after interventional procedures have usually been thought to be without long-term clinical consequences. However, recent preliminary reports have suggested that there are important long-term clinical sequelae in patients with even mild enzyme elevations after coronary procedures. Methods . Patients with new native lesions undergoing coronary intervention at 35 clinical sites were randomized to undergo percutaneous coronary angioplasty (n = 500) or directional coronary atherectomy (n = 512). Cardiac enzyme levels were measured 12 and 24 h after the interventional procedure and when clinically indicated for recurrent myocardial ischemia. Enzyme profiles were analyzed using a ratio that compared the peak enzyme level and the local laboratory upper limit of normal. Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) recorded before and after the procedure were interpreted by two independent readers who had no knowledge of the randomization data. Postprocedural myocardial infarction was defined as the appearance of new Q waves on the ECG, CK-MB levels three or more times the upper limit of normal or a total CK concentration two or more times the upper limit of normal when CK-MB levels were unavailable. Regression models were used to evaluate the predictive significance of a postintervention myocardial infarction with respect to clinical outcomes at 30 days and 1 year. Results . There were 78 myocardial infarctions in the atherectomy group and 34 in the angioplasty group (15.2% vs 6.8%, p = 0.001). Patients with a myocardial infarction more often had a repeat intervention or emergency coronary artery bypass surgery. Hospital length of stay was increased among patients with an infarction, as were mean hospital costs ($17,340.65 vs $11,308.47, p = 0.0003). Postprocedural myocardial infarction was highly predictive of mortality, bypass surgery or repeat intervention within 30 days (p Conclusions . Myocardial infarction occurred commonly after coronary intervention in CAVEAT and was associated with a worse clinical outcome. Although the incidence of myocardial infarction was higher with atherectomy than with angioplasty, the baseline characteristics and consequences of the infarctions were similar between the treatments with regard to 30-day outcome. Myocardial enzyme elevations after an otherwise successful interventional procedure may identify a population at risk for a future cardiac event.
On the solution of the schrödinger equation for H2 in terms of a wave function least distorted from a product of atomic wave functions

Two-electron wave functions which are least distorted from a product of hydrogen atom wave functions have been calculated for the hydrogen molecule at several nuclear separations by solving an equation proposed by the author. From each wave function determined from this equation, two Schrodinger equation eigenfunctions were obtained by symmetry projection. The properties of the author's equation and its solutions for H2 are discussed.
Flow-scanning optical tomography

We present a 3D tomography technique for in vivo observation of microscopic samples. The method combines flow in a microfluidic channel, illumination through a slit aperture, and a Fourier lens for simultaneous acquisition of multiple perspective angles in the phase-space domain. The technique is non-invasive and naturally robust to parasitic sample motion. 3D absorption is retrieved using standard back-projection algorithms, here a limited-domain inverse radon transform. Simultaneously, 3D differential phase contrast images are obtained by computational refocusing and comparison of complementary illumination angles. We implement the technique on a modified glass slide which can be mounted directly on existing optical microscopes. We demonstrate both amplitude and phase tomography on live, freely swimming C. elegans nematodes.
Quadrotor vehicle control via sliding mode controller driven by sliding mode disturbance observer

Abstract Over the last decade, considerable interest has been shown from industry, government and academia to the design of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) autonomous aerial vehicles. This paper uses the recently developed sliding mode control driven by sliding mode disturbance observer (SMC-SMDO) approach to design a robust flight controller for a small quadrotor vehicle. This technique allows for a continuous control robust to external disturbance and model uncertainties to be computed without the use of high control gain or extensive computational power. The robustness of the control to unknown external disturbances also leads to a reduction of the design cost as less pre-flight analyses are required. The multiple-loop, multiple time-scale SMC-SMDO flight controller is designed to provide robust position and attitude control of the vehicle while relying only on knowledge of the limits of the disturbances. Extensive simulations of a 6 DOF computer model demonstrate the robustness of the control when faced with external disturbances (including wind, collision and actuator failure) as well as model uncertainties.
Plant genomics in view of plant genetic resources – an introduction

Genetic resources form the basis of the new era of global food security. The food crises in many developing countries, reflected by food riots correlated with food prices, have been termed the Silent Tsunami. Plant genetic resources are clearly essential to food security for the future. Fortunately, genetic resources are generally considered a public good and shared internationally. Wild relatives of crop species and their derivatives represent the reservoir of genetic diversity that will help to meet the food demands of nine billion people by 2050. New technologies from genomics bolster conventional plant breeding for enhancing traits to meet these food demands. Genetic diversity is the lifeblood of traditional and modern plant breeding. The dramatic increase in the number of biotech crops reveals the value of new genetic resources. Genetic resources will provide a gateway to a new era of global food security. Although 7.4 million plant accessions are stored in 1750 germplasm banks around the world, only a small portion of the accessions has been used so far to produce commercial varieties. Our challenge is to find better ways to make more efficient use of gene bank materials for meeting food demands in the future.
EFFECT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE STRESS ON VASCULAR ADRENERGIC RESPONSIVENESS IN THE SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RAT

A model in which partial ligation of the left external iliac artery results in a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure to the ipsilateral femoral artery (70 mmHg; protected) while mean pressure increases in the contralateral femoral artery (125 mmHg; unprotected) was used to determine the effect of high blood pressure stress on vascular adrenergic responsiveness. matched (5 week old) male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used in the study. Partial ligation was performed at 6 weeks of age and vascular reactivity studies undertaken at 10 weeks of age when the SHR were considered hypertensive (indirect systolic blood pressure greater than 150 mmHg). Force-tension analysis of femoral arterial rings revealed that all tissues contracted maximally at 1.0 gram of preload force. This value was used in subsequent studies on adrenergic responsiveness. Isoproterenol-induced relaxation was significantly attenuated in rings of vascular smooth muscle from unprotected femoral arteries of the SHR, however, the response of rings from protected arteries of the SHR was similar to that of the protected and unprotected arteries of the WKY animal. Unprotected arteries of the SHR exhibited a greater response to norepinephrine stimulation when compared to protected arteries of the SHR as well as unprotected and protected arteries of the WKY animal. and @-adrenergic responsiveness in the SHR are most probably due to the increase in blood pressure. Age
SINGLE UNIT RESPONSES TO CATECHOLAMINES IN THE NUCLEUS TRACTUS SOLITARII AND DORSAL MOTOR NUCLEUS OF THE VAGUS

The nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and nucleus dorsalis motoris vagi (NDMV), located in the rostral dorsomedial medulla oblongata, have been implicated in the control of cardiovascular hemodynamics [1]. In the albino rat, the vast majority of baroreceptor afferents from the vagus nerve and, to some extent, the glossopharyngeal project to the medial subnucleus of the NTS, with the densest concentration of such nerve endings being found at the level of the obex [2]. While the neurotransmitter of these afferents has been identified as glutamate [3], considerable evidence indicates an important role for the biogenic amines, epinephrine, norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA), in the processing and possible modification of barorecep-tive information at the NTS and NDMV [4]. For the most part, studies investigating the physiological role played by these catecholamines (CAs) in the central regulation of blood pressure have involved microinjections of the CAs into the NTS, while focussing on peripheral hemodynamic changes. In the present study, CAs were applied iontophoretically onto neurons within the medial NTS and the NDMV to gain insight into the action of these compounds at the cellular level.
A Self-Calibrated On-Chip Phase-Noise Measurement Circuit With $-$ 75 dBc Single-Tone Sensitivity at 100 kHz Offset

An on-chip clock phase-noise measurement circuit is presented. Unlike previously reported monolithic measurement techniques that measure jitter in the time domain, the proposed module measures the phase-noise spectrum. The proposed circuit is fully integrated and does not require a spectrally clean reference clock or any external calibration. The module can be integrated as part of a built-in self-test (BIST) scheme for PLL clock synthesizers. The proposed circuit uses a low-noise voltage-controlled delay-line (VCDL) and mixer-based frequency discriminator to extract the phase-noise fluctuations at baseband. A self-calibration circuit is used to operate the measurement circuit at its highest sensitivity point. The proposed circuit is fabricated using a 0.25 mum digital CMOS process and operates up to a 2 GHz carrier frequency. It achieves a single-tone measurement sensitivity of -75 dBc and an equivalent phase-noise sensitivity of -124 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset frequency.
Molecular evidence for the presence of Ophiosphaerella narmari n. comb., a cause of spring dead spot of Bermuda grass, in North America

The phylogenetic relationships among fungi that cause spring dead spot disease of Bermuda grass in Australia and the United States were studied from nucleotide sequence data of the ITS region of the rDNA. High levels of sequence similarity were observed among Ophiosphaerella herpotricha, O. korrae and Leptosphaeria narmari. These species clustered into a distinct clade that was distant from other Leptosphaeria and Phaeosphaeria species. Based on sequence data and previous descriptions of the ascoma and ascospore characteristics of these species, we propose a taxonomic transfer of L. narmari to O. narmari. Oligonucleotide primers specific for O. narmari were developed from ITS1 and ITS2 regions to help identify non-sporulating isolates. These primers amplified all isolates of O. narmari, including those from the United States, but not those of O. herpotricha, O. korrae or other ectotrophic root-inhabiting fungi. This is the first report of O. narmari in North America. Two Group I introns were found in the small subunit rDNA of some isolates of O. korrae and O. narmari, but not O. herpotricha. A 425-nucleotide intron in O. narmari and O. korrae was inserted two nucleotides downstream from the ITS5 conserved primer sequence. These introns exhibited an 80% sequence identity. In addition, a second 431-nucleotide intron in O. narmari was similar in size and location to one in O. korrae.
Sex Differences in QT Interval Variability and Implication on Sample Size of Thorough QT Study

Clinical and experimental studies show that differences exist in cardiac electrophysiology between women and men, especially in electrocardiographical patterns of ventricular repolarization. We examined the variability of QT intervals from two thorough QT/QTc clinical studies, one conducted in a male population and one conducted in a female population. The results show variability differences in QT measurements between males and females, with females having larger intersubject and intrasubject variability than males. This article presents those results as well as discusses the implications for sizing thorough QT/QTc studies when studies include a mixture of men and women.
Enhanced photoacoustic response with plasmonic nanoparticle-templated microbubbles

We report a versatile approach for the generation of novel nanoparticle-templated microbubbles capable of simultaneous contrast enhancement in both ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Fabrication of the dual modality contrast agent relies on specific binding of avidinated gold nanoparticles to a biotinylated microbubble shell, providing stoichiometric control over nanoparticle surface density and optical absorption, while still retaining the essential acoustic properties of the microbubble. Nanoparticle laden microbubbles were shown to be exceptionally efficient photoacoustic agents, with an enhanced photoacoustic response compared to free nanoparticles or unconjugated mixtures of nanoparticles and microbubbles. Upon destruction of the microbubble gas core, a marked reduction in photoacoustic signal amplitude was observed, demonstrating the importance of placing the nanoparticles onto a compressible gas core in achieving the photoacoustic enhancement. We further demonstrate dual modality contrast enhanced photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging in a flow-through tissue phantom. Our results show that nanoparticle-templated microbubbles are promising for imaging, biosensing and theranostic applications.
Fundamental studies of laser desorption from modified surfaces of ionic single crystals

Abstract The observation of photoinduced electron and ion emissions from a variety of wide bandgap insulators under UV and/or IR irradiation suggest that these materials typically possess occupied electronic defect states in the band gap. We have investigated the consequences of a variety of defect-generating stimuli (electron irradiation, laser irradiation, mechanical treatments and heating) on electron and ion emission from inorganic ionic crystals. These stimuli generate defects that strongly interact with the probe laser on a wide variety of ionic crystals. These stimuli dramatically decrease the probe laser intensities required for ion and neutral emissions, laser damage, and plume formation. We reference a number of these effects and illustrate a selected few on one material namely single crystal NaNO3.
The Predictive Validity of a Computer-Adaptive Assessment of Kindergarten and First-Grade Reading Skills.

Abstract This study examined the predictive validity of a computer-adaptive assessment for measuring kindergarten reading skills using the STAR Early Literacy (SEL) test. The findings showed that the results of SEL assessments administered during the fall, winter, and spring of kindergarten were moderate and statistically significant predictors of year-end reading and reading-related skills, and they explained 35% to 38% of the variance in a latent variable of word-reading skills. Similar results were observed with a subsample of 71 participants who received follow-up assessments in first grade. End-of-kindergarten analyses indicated that, when added as predictors with SEL, paper-based measures of letter naming, letter-sound fluency, and word-reading fluency improved the amount of explained variance in kindergarten and first-grade year-end word-reading skills. Classification-accuracy analyses found that the SEL literacy classifications aligned with word-reading skills measured by paper-based assessments f...
Computing the transitive closure of symmetric matrices

Certain real life binary relations are symmetric (map point connections, “iff” mathematical statements, multiprocessor links). Such relations can be represented by symmetric 0–1 matrices. Algorithms which take advantage of the symmetry when acting on such matrices, are more efficient than algorithms that are “good for all cases” by assuming a generic (non-symmetric) matrix. No algorithm, to our knowledge, focusing on symmetric matrices has been designed up to date for the computation of the transitive closure. In this paper, four algorithms - G, Symmetric, 0-1-G, 1-Symmetric - are given for computing the transitive closure of a symmetric binary relation which is represented by a 0–1 matrix. Algorithms G and 0-1-G pose no restriction on the type of the input matrix, while algorithms Symmetric and 1-Symmetric require it to be symmetric. These four algorithms are compared to Warren's algorithm in terms of the number of page faults incurred. Experimental results indicate that the new algorithms (with the exception of algorithm G) are about 2 times faster than Warren's algorithm for sparse matrices, 10 to 100 times faster for dense matrices, and about 1.4 times faster for medium dense matrices.
Viscoelastic Behavior of Silica Particle Compacts under Dynamic Compression

Theviscoelastic behavior of model sandy soils in the form of silica particle compacts under dynamic compression (0.2-10.0 Hz) is reported. The solid content ranges from 24 to 28% by volume, as controlled by compaction. Both viscous and elastic characters are largely governed by the solid part of the compact. The elastic character stems from the stiffness of the silica, while the viscous character stems from the interparticle movement. The elastic character of the solid part (the storage modulus and solid content) is essentially independent of the degree of compaction, indicating validity of the rule of mixtures. The viscous character of the solid part (the loss tangent and solid content) decreases with increasing degree of compaction, indicating decreasing ease of interparticle movement as the degree of compaction increases. The loss modulus and solid content is essentially independent of the degree of compaction. All quantities decrease with increasing frequency. A low degree of compaction is recommended for fast decay of the vibration amplitude; no particular degree of compaction is recommended for mechanical energy dissipation. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000831. © 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers. Author keywords: Soil compression; Viscoelasticity; Dynamic properties; Mechanical properties; Compression tests; Vibration damping; Silica; Particles.
Immunoglobulin Crystals in Reactive Plasma Cells in a Dog

Intracellular crystalline deposits of immunoglobulin are occasionally seen in human B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders such as multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and various forms of lymphoma. Even more uncommon is the occurrence of immunoglobulin crystals in benign plasma cells or reactive lymphocytes. Here we describe the histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of intracellular immunoglobulin crystals in nonneoplastic plasma cells in a chronic inflammatory lesion in a dog. Microscopically, the intracellular, nonbirefringent eosinophilic crystals were square to rectangular, 2–20 μgm long, and caused nuclear displacement to the periphery. The crystal-containing cells, as well as some of the crystals themselves, were positive for lambda light chain. Ultrastructural findings were consistent with a lattice network of protein-molecule alignment. The cause and significance of the crystals is unknown.
Fiber Identification at the Microgram Level by Infrared Spectroscopy2

A simple technique has been developed to enable ir characterization of a small (∼μg) quantity of a fiber mounted as a monofilament bundle between thin steel jaws. The versatility of the technique is illustrated both for thermoplastic filaments and for insoluble and infusible fibers derived from inherently flame-resistant polymers. Even spectra on hard, glassy filaments such as Kevlar® and E-glass were readily obtained.
Structure, function and regulation of the melanocortin receptors

Melanocortin receptors belong to the seven-transmembrane (TM) domain proteins that are coupled to G-proteins and signaled through intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Many structural features conserved in other G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are found in the melanocortin receptors. There are five melanocortin receptor subtypes and each of the melanocortin receptor subtypes has a different pattern of tissue expression and has its own profile regarding the relative potency of different melanocortin peptides. α-, β-, and γ-MSH and ACTH are known endogenous agonist ligands for the melanocortin receptors. Agouti and AgRP are the only known naturally occurring antagonists of the melanocortin receptors. We have examined the molecular basis of all five human melanocortin receptors for different ligand binding affinities and potencies using chimeric and mutated receptors. Our studies indicate that human melanocortin MC(1) receptor, human melanocortin MC(3) receptor, human melanocortin MC(4) receptor and human melanocortin MC(5) receptor utilize orthosteric sites for non selective agonists, α-MSH and NDP-α-MSH, high affinity binding and utilize allosteric sites for selective agonist or antagonist binding. Furthermore, our results indicate that molecular determinants of human melanocortin MC(2) receptor for ACTH binding and signaling are different from that of other melanocortin receptors. Many studies also indicate that agonists can induce different conformation changes of melanocortin receptors, which then lead to the activation of different signaling pathways, even when the expression level of receptor and the strength of stimulus-response coupling are the same. This finding may provide new information for the design of drugs for targeting melanocortin receptors.
Simple and contingent aftereffects of perceived duration in vision and audition.

After repeated presentations of a long inspection tone (800 or 1,000 msec), a test tone of intermediate duration (600 msec) appeared shorter than it would otherwise appear. A short inspection tone (200 or 400 msec) tended to increase the apparent length of the intermediate test tone. Thus, a negative aftereffect of perceived auditory duration occurred, and a similar aftereffect occurred in the visual modality. These aftereffects, each involving a single sensory dimension, aresimple aftereffects. The following procedures producedcontingent aftereffects of perceived duration. A pair of lights, the first short and the second long, was presented repeatedly during an inspection period. When a pair of test lights of intermediate duration was then presented, the first member of the pair appeared longer in relation to the second. A similar aftereffect occurred in the auditory modality. In these latter aftereffects, the perceived duration of a test light or tone is contingent—dependent—on its temporal order, first or second, within a pair of test stimuli. An experiment designed to test the possibility of cross-modal transfer of contingent aftereffects between audition and vision found no significant cross-modal aftereffects.
Gender Role Portrayal Analysis of Children's Television Programming in Japan

Television viewing is a pervasive activity among Japanese children, yet little is known about the effects of television on their gender role attitudes and behaviors. One step in understanding television's contribution to such outcomes is to examine the messages conveyed through the medium directly and indirectly about gender role values. Unfortunately, most gender role analyses have ignored the programs most heavily viewed by Japanese children, namely, children's programming. In the current study, the gender role portrayals of 279 characters from a select sample of children's programs were analyzed. Results revealed that Japanese television programming for children is highly sex-typed. Males were overrepresented and were portrayed more often than females in professional occupations. Attributes descriptive of females were characteristic of relatively weak, younger, less mature individuals, while attributes descriptive of males were associated with powerful, older, likeable, mature persons. Males more than ...
A neural network tunable filter for multi-tone detection

A neural network that tunes to a band of frequencies depending on its inputs is proposed as a preprocessor for multiple sinusoid detection and estimation in additive noise. The multilayer perceptron network is trained off-line using the standard backpropagation algorithm. The authors provide a logical development of the problem and discuss the advantages of the proposed scheme. Potential applications in communications are cited, and Monte Carlo simulation results are presented. >
Ontogenetic Variation in Parasite infracommunities of the Clingfish Sicyases sanguineus (Pisces: Gobiesocidae)

Abstract This study analyzed the variation of the parasite infracommunities and their relationship with the diet and spatial distribution of the clingfish Sicyases sanguineus during its ontogeny. In total, 154 clingfish were collected from the intertidal and the upper subtidal zone of Pacific Ocean along the central Chilean coast. A wide range in body length (1.4–34.5 cm) was observed, including juvenile and adult specimens. Eleven parasite species were found in the clingfish, i.e., 2 Copepoda, 2 Hirudinea, 1 Monogenea, 5 Digenea, and 1 Cestoda. The prevalence, total abundance, Brillouin's diversity index, and the infracommunity species richness increased with fish body length. The parasite communities, the diet, and the spatial distribution changed during clingfish ontogeny, specifically between juveniles ( 20 cm BL). When fish reached a 20-cm BL, a considerable increment in abundance and species richness of parasites was observed; this coincided with an increase in t...
A spherical-harmonics method for multi-group or non-gray radiation transport

The spherical-harmonics method, also called the PN method, is used to develop solutions to a class of multi-group or non-gray radiation transport problems. The multi- group model considered allows an anisotropic scattering law and transfer from any group to any group. In addition to a spherical-harmonics solution for the case of a homogeneous radiative-transfer equation, a particular solution for the PN method is derived for the case of multi-group radiative transfer in a homogeneous plane-parallel medium that contains group sources that vary with position and direction. Computational aspects of the developed solutions are discussed, and numerical results for a test case are reported.
Adjuvant/Perioperative Therapy in Pancreatic and Periampullary Cancer

The delivery of postoperative combined modality adjuvant therapy for completely resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma was initially shown to be beneficial based on a prospective, randomized trial published 30 years ago. Since then, oncologists have debated whether chemotherapy alone, chemoradiation, or both are optimal adjuvant therapies following pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). No global consensus has emerged, and there is no one superior modality despite randomized trials in part, to poor trial design, poor patient selection, and poor therapy options itself. We need to have a disciplined approach to the selection of patients for pancreatectomy, pathologic assessment of surgical resection margins, and postoperative (pre-treatment) imaging. In the era of the multidetector CT optimized for pancreatic imaging, tumors of “borderline resectability” have emerged as a distinct subset of PDAC. The attempt to standardize the definition of borderline resectable is a work in progress and modified with time. This distinction (between resectable and borderline resectable) is essential to minimize potentially confounding results of clinical trials. Additionally, preoperative therapy is not only preferred but mandatory in a large population of borderline resectable patients. Ultimately, as we develop more effective systemic therapies for PDAC, proceeding with surgery after a period of induction therapy will be even more compelling especially if there is a clear positive impact on overall survival.
A Moving Average Modeling Approach for Computing Component-Based Software Reliability Growth Trends

This paper introduces a moving average reliability growth model to describe the evolution of component-based software. In this model, the reliability of a system is a function of the reliabilities of its constituent components. The moving average provides a trend indicator to depict reliability growth movement within the evolution of a series of component enhancements. The moving average can reduce the effects of bias or measurement error of certain components by rendering a smoothed trend of system reliability growth. The input parameters are the components’ configurations and individual reliability growths. The output is a vector of moving averaged system reliability growths indicating increasing component enhancement. The application of this model can facilitate cost/performance evaluation and support decision making for future software maintenance. More importantly, without introducing excessive computation, the model can be combined with many existing component-based reliability models to compute overall reliability growth.
Role of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) Signaling in HIV-1-Induced Adaptive Immune Activation

Chronic immune activation has been shown to be an important driver of HIV-1 disease progression. It has been demonstrated that the humanized mouse model can be infected with HIV-1 and can lead to subsequent CD4+ T cell decline and immune activation similarly to what is observed in human chronic HIV-1 infection. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and innate immune cells have been shown to play a pivotal role in both HIV-1 control and pathogenesis but attempts to exploit these pathways have been limited. Studies to date suggest that many of the TLR pathways are intact in the humanized mouse model, suggesting that this model can provide a useful tool to examine and manipulate the interplay between immune system and virus in efforts to control viral replication and disease. This review discusses the role of TLRs in HIV-1 infection and their expression and manipulation in the humanized mouse model.
Ethics for Lawyers Who Represent Governmental Entities as Part of Their Private Practices

* John M. Burman is the Carl M. Williams Professor of Law & Ethics and Faculty Supervisor of the Legal Services Program at the University of Wyoming College of Law. Professor Burman began his legal career as a full-time government lawyer at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. After returning to Wyoming, he worked for a private firm in Laramie, Corthell & King, P.C. During part of that time, the firm of Corthell & King acted as the City Attorney for Laramie, Wyoming. As such, during Professor Burman’s time at the firm he acted as a part-time government lawyer, prosecuting misdemeanors for the City of Laramie. He was also a part-time lawyer for the State of Wyoming for over fifteen years, representing the Department of Health in rulemaking, administrative hearings, and in disputes with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, all as part of his private practice.